• Dates of Trip: April 30th – May 7th, 2006
• Travel Method: Airplane, rental car
• Resort: Beach Club Villas
• Accommodations: 2 bedroom vacation home
• The Ages Represented in Group: Toddler, child, adults
• Disneyland or WDW Experience Represented in Group: Veterans, rookies

Cast:

Kathleen: 32, trip writer, veteran (8th trip)
Kevin: 41, husband, veteran (6th trip)
Katie: 3 and ¾, daughter of Kevin and Kathleen, veteran (4th trip)
Kira: 21 months, daughter of Kevin and Kathleen, rookie 2nd trip
Papa: Kathleen’s Dad, veteran (8th trip)
Nana: Kathleen’s Mom, veteran (8th trip)
Molly: Kevin’s Stepmother, veteran (lives in Daytona Beach and has an annual pass)

Background:
This trip was a much needed break for me, Kevin, and the kids. Last September, Kevin started a 1 year MBA program while continuing to work at his company full time. This pretty much meant that for one year I would be a single Mom and Kevin would be busier than he had ever been in his life. The program goes from September to August and I figured that our Disney trip would have to wait until fall, when school was over. Well, after Kevin started I saw his schedule and noticed that there was a week off between the spring and summer semesters, the first week of May. Since I am the instigator of these trips I immediately told Kevin what a nice time of year spring is to go to Disney, (upstate NY does not get spring, we still have winter), how much he’ll need the break, and how nice it would be for our family to have a week together (since he was always away either studying or in a study group). Kevin loves going to WDW also so it really didn’t take long to convince him. Of course I invited my Mom and Dad along as well, they enjoy Disney (although not as much as we do) and they really help us out with the kids while we are there. Kevin’s Stepmother Molly lives in Daytona Beach and has an annual pass so we invited her to come up as well.

I started to think about accommodations. Last year we had two rooms at Port Orleans French Quarter. I really love this resort. The grounds are beautiful and the resort is so peaceful and serene with a lot of places for walking. However, last year we requested 2 adjoining rooms and did not get them. It was very difficult to have the kids take naps during the day and have the room dark and quiet. Adjoining rooms would have made it much easier, if that could have been guaranteed we may have gone back to POFQ. I had begun checking the Disney Web site for suites in the hotels. I nearly had heart failure when I was quoted a price of $12000 for one week in the suite at the Wilderness Lodge! The cabins at Fort Wilderness sounded nice but one bathroom for 4 adults and 2 children didn’t seem like a good idea. I checked the 2 bedroom villas, but at $6000 plus it seemed like too much money. Then, I found some better priced suites at Coronado Springs. A one bedroom suite with two bathrooms cost $3077.00 for 7 nights. The suite was small and sleeping on a pull out bed sounded bad but I booked it anyway, thinking I could cancel if I found something else. The more I thought about the suite, the more I thought it was a bad deal. I began to look into renting DVC points as this had always seemed like an ideal way to stay at a villa for much less money than what Disney charges. The more I read about renting points, the more I thought it was the perfect plan for our needs. We could get a two bedroom villa for $2800 at the Boardwalk or $3200 at the Beach Club. Compared to everything else I had found this was the best option for us. I have to admit, I was a little nervous when I first started looking at the message boards, I had a bad feeling about getting ripped off. I have never heard of it happening but I was still apprehensive. It was all for nothing though and the first post I responded to contacted me. We spoke on the phone and I was instantly put at ease with the whole process. We booked the Boardwalk, preferred view at 320 points, originally as the Beach Club was booked. However, 3 weeks later the Beach Club opened up and we were booked for a 2 bedroom villa from April 30th to May 7th.

I was so excited I could barely contain myself. We had never stayed in that area of the resorts and being able to walk to Epcot and MGM would be so convenient. I also was excited that the kids would be able to enjoy Storm Along Bay. We had been planning to go to Blizzard Beach but would no longer need to now that we would be able to swim at the Beach Club. Even though I thought I had a ton of time until my 90 day advanced reservation window I still made up our agenda on excel, color coded by park (Kevin teases me but he always compliments me on a great trip, besides I love the planning phase)! I really wanted Katie to experience the princess breakfast at the castle, she is really getting into the princesses and Cinderella is her favorite. I also wanted to try Ohana, as I had read so many good things about it, and we had never been to Chef Mickey’s before. It took awhile to make the schedule as I try and schedule our days to visit a park the day after early entry. It seems to me that the parks get way too crowded on early entry days and are best avoided. Well, it turned out it was a good thing I had our schedule done because a few days later on Mouseplanet I saw that Disney changed the 90 day advanced reservation policy to 180 days! I quickly checked our dates and saw that 180 days was only a few days away! I also saw that Disney was letting you book a few days in advance, meaning I would not have to call Disney dining every day for a week to make all our reservations. As the 180 day came I started dialing Disney Dining at 6:55 AM and I kept hitting redial. As soon as I got through I instantly asked for Cinderella’s Castle and I got advanced reservations for 8:15 AM May 1! The Disney worker taking the reservations laughed at me as it was November 1st and I was calling for May, but I got the reservations I wanted with no problems. I was so excited and happy that I was able to get them. I was also able to get reservations for the rest of the week with no problems.

Travel:
We decided that our only option for flying was to go with AirTran. This is the only airline that flies directly into Orlando from Rochester. With small children, nonstop is a must. I checked the fares in December and they were ok, at $120 going one way. Now that Katie could no longer fly for free our airfare costs went up significantly! We booked the nonstop flights on AirTran and also reserved two cars with National, Emerald Aisle. I was not able to get the great price I got last year and even with the codes on Mousesavers we still paid $193 total for the week.

Admission:
Last year Kevin and I purchased 10 day no expiration park hoppers and they each had 8 days left on them. We had to buy Katie a ticket this year and I nearly fainted when I paid the $365 for her child’s 10 day no expiration park hopper. At least Kira was still free!

All the plans were made and we were ready to go. We told Katie and Kira about the trip at Christmas and they seemed excited. Katie would occasionally ask, “Are we going to Disney World today”?

Then, in February we had a little bit of a surprise. We found out our 3rd baby would be arriving at the end of October. Now, we had planned on a third baby, we just didn’t plan on having one until next year. I don’t mind being pregnant while on vacation, I was pregnant with Kira for one of our trips. I checked the calendar and was relieved to see that I would be 14 weeks along when we were at Disney. I have very bad first trimesters and I did not want to be on vacation while being so sick. It turned out that this was the worst first trimester of all my pregnancies; I don’t think I have ever been sicker. With Kevin constantly occupied with school it was misery being alone to take care of our family. I am so grateful we live near my family, my parents were a huge help. I kept thinking about our trip and that it was the light at the end of the first trimester tunnel. I was so relieved that I got all the planning done ahead of time because I had no energy or motivation to do anything trip related during this time. I saw the Dr as I was still having morning sickness at 13 weeks and she gave me some Zofran so I could enjoy our trip and be able to eat again. Finally, it was April 29th and we were ready to go!

General Plans:
Sunday 4/30—Fly out of Rochester 12:23 arrive in Orlando 3:00. Pick up rental car, check into the Beach Club, swim, dinner by the pool, early bedtime
Monday 5/1—AR at Cinderella’s Castle, Magic Kingdom, nap at the resort, return to Magic Kingdom for Wishes
Tuesday 5/2—Animal Kingdom, nap at the resort, AR at Mama Melrose’s (Fantasmic dinner package) at 5:20, Fantasmic
Wednesday 5/3—Character breakfast at Cape May at 8:30, swim at resort, O’Hana’s AR reservation at 5:30 for O’Neills, Papa and Nana at Cirque Du Soliel
Thursday 5/4—Epcot, nap at resort, Kevin and Kathleen enjoy Epcot while Papa and Nana baby-sit, meet Molly at AR at San Angel Inn at 5:45, Illuminations
Friday 5/5— Magic Kingdom, nap at the resort, AR at Chef Mickey’s at 5:10, Illuminations
Saturday 5/6— Swim at the pool, Papa and Nana Blizzard Beach, meet Molly and her son Stephen at the Animal Kingdom Lodge for Boma at 5:50, view the animals
Monday 5/2—Check out and fly home at 12:43, arrive in Rochester at 3:20

Sunday, 4/30
Plan: Fly out of Rochester 12:23, arrive in Orlando 3:00. Pick up rental car, check into the Beach Club, swim, dinner by the pool, early bedtime

Reality: I was up at 6 AM, which is normal for a Sunday morning as our church service is at 8. We had finished all the packing the night before and gotten the minivan loaded. I awoke the kids at 7 and got them ready for church telling them we would be headed to Disneyworld today. They were really excited, especially when Papa and Nana arrived at 7:15 and put their entire luggage into our van. We pulled out at 7:25, right on schedule. We went to church and after the service we headed to the airport. We usually go to breakfast after church but decided to eat at the airport so we would not be rushed. Kevin dropped us off at the AirTran area and we did curbside check in while Kevin parked the car. This was very fast and efficient as I already had our boarding passes and we were quickly checked in and waiting for Kevin. As soon as he arrived we headed for security and made it through quickly.

The choices for breakfast were very limited in our small airport so we ate at McDonalds, which was ok. I had a sausage mcmuffin and Kevin had a mcgriddle. Here I was making fun of him because mcgriddle’s have about 60 grams of fat in them. Papa suggested I check out mine and I was surprised to see about 50 grams in mine! That is the end of sausage mcmuffins for me. We got the kids pancakes, which they picked at. They like the ones we make on Saturdays much better. We let the kids run around for awhile and then we headed to our gate for boarding. We had great seats, thanks to the check in I had done the day before online, and our flight left on time. We had brought Kevin’s laptop and let the kids watch a video and Kira quickly fell asleep. She was in my lap which was a little difficult but she did manage to sleep an hour. I would have liked for her to sleep longer but the surroundings were too hard. The kids were really good on the flight; Katie kept busy with her stickers and crayons. Now that she is older she is so much easier to handle than when she was toddler!

We landed on time and practically skipped off the plane. Everyone sitting at the gate looked tired, I knew that would be us in a week but right now we had 8 days of Disneyworld ahead of us! We headed to the monorail and got quickly to the luggage area. Where we waited and waited. Katie and Kira were getting impatient so I pushed them around in the double stroller for awhile. Finally, I decided to go across the street with the kids to pick out our car. The luggage was taking so long and I wanted to get a good choice from the emerald aisle.

We got over there and there were two minivans in the emerald aisle, with a family getting into one. I quickly claimed the other one thinking it would be nice to have the extra space. I let the kids climb around in the van while we waited for Kevin, Nana, and Papa. While we were waiting Katie started complaining of a stomach ache. She gets car sick, but it is always only in the morning, if she gets in the car right after eating breakfast. We have learned how to work around it and I didn’t think it would be a concern. I guess the turbulence was too much for her and she threw up. I managed to get most of it in a paper bag I always carry in the diaper bag but she still got some on her dress. Luckily, I had a change of clothes for her and she threw up one more time and I changed her dress. I threw the bag in the trash just as Kevin, Nana and Papa finally arrived. That was the longest we had ever had to wait for luggage. Kevin quickly installed the car seats and Papa and Nana went to pick out their car (they were not reserved in the emerald aisle and got a gold Saturn Ion). We agreed to meet at our room at the Beach Club Villas as they were going to buy groceries first. I had printed out driving directions for them so they knew how to get to the store and then to the Beach Club.

We headed out of the airport and Katie fell quickly asleep. I felt so bad for her, she was quite pale. She woke up as we were nearing property and threw up again. I had a bag ready so everything stayed clean. I was starting to get nervous, motion sickness had never affected her like this before and I wondered if she had a virus.

We got the Beach Club and got to hear the guard say “Welcome home”! It was so nice to hear! As we looked for a parking space, Kevin asked me if I could believe that we were here, staying at the Beach Club. I said I could not, we had always wanted to but it seemed so expensive. Renting points really is a great way to go. We got into the lobby and there was a huge line. I waited while Kevin took Katie and Kira out to see Storm-A-Long bay. I think I waited 20 minutes, much longer than I have ever had to wait at a moderate resort. I finally got up to the front and checked in. We grabbed our luggage and headed to villa 452. We had no idea what to expect, we got off the elevator and walked and walked. Room 452 was at the farthest end from the elevators but once we opened the door it was all worth it, we had an amazing Epcot view! We were overlooking some of future world and more of World Showcase! We would be able to see Illuminations every night from our balcony. The rest of the villa was beautiful; I could not get over how big it was. The master bedroom had a king bed with a bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub and a separate shower. There was also a double sink. There was a stacked washer and dryer in a closet in the hall. The couch pulled out into a sofa bed in the living room and there was kitchen with everything we needed, along with a bar area with stools and a dining room table. The other bedroom had two queen beds, and a bathroom with two sinks separate from the shower, tub and toilet. I could not believe how much space we had, it was so wonderful.

I quickly unpacked all the suitcases and stored them in the numerous closets. Unfortunately, Katie got sick again and we decided to put her to bed. I was convinced she had a virus as motion sickness had never affected her like this before. Kevin closed the curtains and lay down with her while I took Kira in the living room. Papa and Nana called from their cell phone, they were in the parking lot and I gave them our room number. They arrived with the groceries and their luggage and loved the villa. We all marveled over how nice it was and our perfect view. Then, Katie and Kevin came out of the bedroom and Katie said her felt fine and wanted to swim! I was skeptical but she seemed so much like her normal self I relented. We all got changed and headed down to Storm-A-Long bay. It was somewhat of a long walk from the room but we all like to walk so it didn’t bother us.

We got a table by the pool and Kevin and the kids got dinner at Hurricane Hanna’s. Papa, Nana, and I got dinner at the Beach Club Marketplace. Nana and I had the grilled vegetable wrap and Papa had the turkey sandwich. Kevin had a cheeseburger and fries and Katie and Kira shared the kids sand bucket meal which was chicken fingers and applesauce. I asked to buy an additional bucket and shovel since we only got one meal and the woman said they did not sell them separately and handed me the bucket and shovel for free! I just about collapsed in shock, how often does Disney give something away for free???

None of us were very impressed with our meals, I would rate the Hurricane Hanna’s food with a 3 out of 10 and the Marketplace food gets a 5. Katie was definitely back to herself as she ate some chicken and drank some Gatorade that we got her for dehydration. I was so glad she did not have a virus! We would have to be careful on the way home not to give her any food on the plane. On our next trip, I will buy her some medicine to help her stomach.

We went over to the kids section of the pool; there was a sandy beach and the bottom of the pool was sand as well. Unfortunately, it got really cool with a breeze, when I took Kira out of the water she started to shake and her lips turned blue! We were all freezing so we quickly headed up to the room. Papa and Nana went for a walk and Katie and Kira got baths and went to bed. They were so tired from the travel they were out quickly. Papa and Nana came back and Kevin and I went for a walk. We went over to the boardwalk and I got a chocolate chip cookie and Kevin had an ice cream sundae from Seashore Sweets. I had a Minnie cookie; I ate ¼ of it and saved the rest. They are huge but so good! My mission for the week was to gain some weight; the first trimester had left me so sick I actually lost a few pounds.
Kevin and I walked back to the Beach Club by going in a full circle, past the Swan and Dolphin and the Yacht club. We made it back just in time for Illuminations; it was wonderful. We could see everything in perfect view and even hear the music! It was a great way to start off our trip. Katie and Kira were fast asleep and never even moved with the loud fireworks going off. In fact, the fireworks never bothered them all week. When they were babies I used to make a lot of noise on purpose while they slept. It worked because now they are both pretty heavy sleepers.

After Illuminations I took a shower and went down to the Concierge desk to get Katie’s paper pass exchanged for her real one. I think Kevin and I were in bed at 10:30 with a wakeup call at 6:15.

Positives: Our villa and room, arriving at Disney, alone time at Disney with Kevin
Negatives: Katie getting sick
Miles Walked: approximately 6 miles (converting steps from a pedometer)

Monday, 5/1
Plan: AR at Cinderella’s Castle, Magic Kingdom, nap at the resort, return to Magic Kingdom for Wishes

Reality: Our wakeup call came right on time. I heard Mickey’s voice and quickly got out of bed. No one else moved so I got ready and went out into the kitchen. Papa and Nana were up and drinking oj. I went back into our room and woke everyone up, telling Katie she was going to have breakfast with the Princesses in the castle. She smiled, but I don’t think she quite understood what she would see today! I got Katie and Kira dressed in our matching skirts (from Old Navy, its fun having daughters). We skipped breakfast since we would be eating at the castle. We decided that the easiest way to get to the Magic Kingdom was to take the bus so we were at the stop at 7:30. We only waited 5 minutes and one pulled up. Katie and Kira were excited to ride “the Magic Kingdom bus” as Katie called it. In fact, every Disney bus we saw for the rest of the week was “the Magic Kingdom bus” to her.

We arrived at the Magic Kingdom at 8 AM and quickly got through the turnstiles. The man working them gave Katie and Kira each a Mickey sticker. As we passed under the train tracks, Kevin ran ahead and prepared the video camera to record Katie’s reaction as she saw the castle. Kira was in the stroller and Katie was walking next to me as the castle came in to view. Katie squealed in delight as she saw it, she had a big smile on her face. As we got closer we stopped and took some pictures, it was great to be on Main Street with it practically empty! Scheduling an early breakfast is a great way to beat the crowds.

We checked in at the castle and got in line right away for the picture with Cinderella. Katie saw her and got very wide eyed and quiet. The line moved quickly and soon Katie and Kira were getting their picture taken with Cinderella. They were very quiet and shy and kept staring at her and her dress, it was very cute. The rest of us got in for a picture also and then we went upstairs for breakfast. We were seated immediately and right away our server brought us oj, coffee, fresh fruit, and pastries. After that, he brought out bacon, eggs, French toast, sausage and potatoes. There was tons of food, and it was pretty good, not as bad as I thought it would be given the reviews I had read. The fresh fruit was delicious. Kevin asked for more bacon and eggs and our server brought out a huge platter of them! There was no way he would be able to eat everything. At this point, some music started playing and an announcement was made that Cinderella’s royal friends were arriving. Out came Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Mary Poppins, and the Fairy Godmother. I had the video camera on Katie and I have never seen her get more excited in her life! Her smile was huge; she was in awe of all the princesses coming around. It was that moment that made the breakfast worth it, I don’t care what they charged, just seeing her face like that made it all worth it. Mary Poppins came first, then Sleeping Beauty, then Belle. Katie and Kira loved them all and recognized them. Belle was a very sweet princess, she gave Katie and Kira each a kiss before she left. I’m sure that is a hard job, as you can’t roll your eyes if a child is misbehaving like a masked character can. You always have to smile and be pleasant, no matter what. I can only imagine some of the guests these cast members have encountered!

It was getting close to 9 and park opening so we decided to leave without meeting the Fairy Godmother. Katie didn’t care, she was on cloud nine. Before we left we got two 8 x 10’s and 8 4 x 6’s of the pictures with Cinderella. Katie also got a pink wand. Since everything was prepaid we were able to just leave. Breakfast in the castle is not cheap but I would definitely do it again! Seeing Katie’s reaction was wonderful, watching it on video now it brings tears to my eyes. As we went down the stairs the waiting area with Cinderella was packed with people waiting for tables. If it is possible, I would recommend getting the earliest dining time possible. We had no wait at all and managed to get into Fantasyland right at 9 AM.

I ran to Peter Pan and got fastpasses and met everyone at Winnie the Pooh. We rode it and Kira got a little frightened of the dark areas. We rode Peter Pan (and saved the fast passes). Kira again got a little frightened of the dark but I held her tight and she was ok. (This was the last right she got scared on, after that she loved everything and was used to the dark). We rode It’s a Small World and Katie and Kira loved it. Katie sang along, I think she remembered this ride from last year. Then we did the carousel; I have not done this since I was a child. It is definitely a short ride but fun. Papa, Nana, and Kevin took Kira to the Winnie the Pooh playground while I took Katie to ride Snow White. This was another ride I had not done since I was little. I forgot that it is somewhat scary and intense for small kids. Katie did really well, I covered her eyes a few times and she was fine. She has never had a nightmare or been afraid of the dark or anything, I’d like to keep it that way! We met everyone at the playground and let the kids run for awhile. It was almost 10 and the crowds were still very light.

We decided to head over to Toontown for the rope drop and once it dropped we walked right back to Mickey’s house to meet him. Katie went right up to him and I had to prod Kira a little. She was so cute she walked up to him and just stared. We got some great pictures and I have a framed one of everyone with Mickey on our mantle at home. Kevin took Katie on Goofy’s Barnstormer while I waited with Kira. I was trying to see where they were on the ride when the coaster went around a curve I heard a bloodcurdling scream that I knew was Katie’s. We met them at the exit and Kevin said she liked the ride except the last turn. I know, I think they heard her scream over in the Animal Kingdom! We let the kids play on the playground while we waited for the train, and then we took that over to Frontierland. It was getting more crowded now and Kevin and I would be leaving after lunch with the kids. I used the four adult passes to get fast passes for Nana and Papa for Splash Mountain and Big Thunder, meeting up with everyone at Country Bears.

I had not seen Country Bears since I was young, with my Mom and Dad. Kevin, Katie and Kira had never seen it before so we were all looking forward to it. We loved it! We were all laughing throughout most of it and Katie and Kira were dancing along and clapping to the music. I know the humor is corny, but we were all laughing so hard, we found it to be very entertaining. I guess we like that kind of humor (we also love the Jungle Cruise). It was getting close to 12 so we said goodbye to Papa and Nana. They were going to use the fast passes for Splash and Big Thunder. Then, they were going to Epcot where they had advanced reservations for Nine Dragons. I think one of the reasons why we travel so well together is that we insist on not spending every second together. We split up usually once a day and everyone is fine with that. With larger groups I think that splitting up is key to not having everyone get tired of each other. It’s also important that everyone tours well together. We have some friends who are very slow walkers and we are fast walkers. That might be hard especially trying to navigate the theme parks.

Kevin and I took the kids to Pecos Bill’s for lunch. We were still full from breakfast so we got them a kid’s meal to share. It was pieces of grilled chicken, baby carrots and celery, Mickey shaped crackers, applesauce and milk. I have to say, I really appreciate the healthier options Disney is offering. I also got Katie some pickles from the toppings bar which she loved.

It was almost 12:30 and we wanted to get the kids back for their naps. Some kids do really well napping in their strollers or skipping their naps altogether, but my kids turn into the dragon Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty if they do not have a 2-3 hour daily nap. We walked through Adventureland and down Main Street, which still was not too crowded. We did not have to wait long for a bus and were back at our villa by 1:15. Katie and Kira fell asleep quickly while I had a light lunch of an apple, banana, and some nuts. Kevin had some things listed on eBay and he needed to check his email. We didn’t want to spend the $10 a day that Disney charges for wireless internet so Kevin left to see if he could pick up a wireless signal offsite. Which he had no problem doing, I think he parked at the Grosevnor by Downtown Disney and had full internet service for free. So, if you don’t mind sitting in your car, it’s a great way to get free service.

The kids got up around 3:30 and we headed back out to the bus for the Magic Kingdom. Again, we didn’t even wait for 5 minutes, the busses were very efficient. When we got back to the Magic Kingdom, we went into Mickey’s Philharmagic which had no line. This is such a great show, and this year we had Katie and Kira keep the glasses off and there was no hysterical screaming. Maybe next year Katie will be ready to have things flying towards her? Next we used our fast passes from the morning and rode Peter Pan again (which now had an hour wait). We also rode It’s a Small World which had no wait. Katie cried because the boat in front of us (which was empty) was pink and she wanted to ride a pink boat (she is a very “girly” girl). We got a yellow boat and she was not happy. We calmed her down quickly though and she was soon entranced with the singing dolls. We decided to have dinner at Pinocchio’s and Kevin and the girls got a table by the window overlooking the small world boats. Katie and Kira shared the kid’s macaroni and cheese, Kevin had an assorted Italian sandwich and I had a cheese pizza which I shared with Kira. The food was just ok; I’m not too thrilled with the counter service selections in the Magic Kingdom. I was glad we had better options for meals the rest of the week.

After dinner we walked to Adventureland and got in the 20 minute line for the Jungle Cruise. The wait time was accurate, we waited 20 minutes; this was the longest line we waited in all week. The ride was fun and Katie and Kira loved seeing the “real” hippos and elephants. After the ride we had to get Dole Whips so we headed over there. Kevin and I each had a pineapple vanilla swirl and I had them make a third one for Katie and Kira and put it in two separate dishes. Kira was so proud to have her own; we got some great pictures of her eating her ice cream. It was getting so crowded we decided to call it a night and head back to the villa. It was around 7 and the Magic Kingdom was mobbed. We didn’t want to push the kids too far on their first day. On the bus ride back to the villa Katie’s tiredness definitely showed. She was getting very cranky and not listening too well. I knew we had made the right decision leave. A woman on the bus asked me if I had made all of our skirts. I laughed and told her I had bought them at Old Navy. I am a great chef and enjoy cooking for my family but I cannot sew at all. It is really pathetic, I wish I knew how. Someday, when I get some free time (in the next 50 years) I will take sewing classes.

The girls were fast asleep by 8 and Papa and Nana soon got back to the villa, walking back from Epcot. They had ridden a few more rides at the Magic Kingdom and taken the monorail to Epcot. The tried to get fastpasses for Soarin but the return time was too late. They ended up visiting the countries and had a nice time. They enjoyed their dinner at Nine Dragons and were going to stay for Illuminations but it was too crowded and decided it would be better to watch from our balcony. So again, we all watched Illuminations on the balcony. Everyone was tired and I think I was asleep by 10.

Positives: Katie seeing the castle, breakfast in the castle, Katie’s face when she saw all the princesses
Negatives: None!
Miles: approximately 7 and ½

Tuesday 5/2
Plan: Animal Kingdom, nap at the resort, AR at Mama Melrose’s (Fantasmic dinner package) at 5:20, Fantasmic

Reality: Our wakeup call came at 7 AM and as usual, I was the first one up. After I got ready I woke up Katie, Kira and Kevin and I got them dressed. We had breakfast in the villa which was very convenient. We had toast, cheerios, bananas and oranges with Nana and Papa. We decided to drive to the Animal Kingdom and we took separate cars since Nana and Papa would not be returning to the villa with us for the kid’s naps. We left at 8:15 and arrived quickly at the Animal Kingdom. After we got through the front gate and were driving into the parking lot this car came from behind us and cut in front of Kevin. Apparently they were in a hurry and thought one car would make all the difference! The funny thing was that when we got up to the parking spaces there were two left in the row and the car that cut us off tried to take the end spot but the cast member waved him into the other spot. Had this driver not cut us off he would have had the parking spot he wanted. People are so silly.

We got the girls in their stroller and walked up to the entrance where we met up with Nana and Papa. It was only 8:30 and it was mobbed, there was barely any room to stand. We watched the turnstiles from the back and at 8:45 they opened up the one used for Donald’s Breakfastsoraus and we headed up there and got into the park ahead of the mob. We walked through the Oasis and stopped right by the rope near the Tree of Life. We planned that after the rope dropped everyone except me would go to the left to ride the Safari and I would go to the right to get fast passes for Expedition Everest. This worked out very well for my family since pregnant women are advised not to ride the Safari and Everest. See how convenient it can be having a pregnant woman with you? Someone to run around the park and collect fast passes!

We saw the opening show (which was very cute) and as soon as the rope dropped we headed our separate ways with plans to meet up at the Pangani trail. The majority of the crowd headed to the right with me and I tried to walk quickly, keeping up with everyone. We finally got to Everest and I headed to the fast pass machines where a man shoved me aside in order to get there first! Nice, shoving aside a pregnant woman to get your fast passes 5 seconds quicker! What is wrong with people?? I’m not sure I could be a Cast Member at Disney; I can only imagine some of the awful people they come across. I got 5 fast pass tickets and went over to watch the ride for a little bit. It looked really awesome, it was hard for me to watch it and not ride it. Oh well, it will be there for our next trip! The theming is incredible, I am so glad they let the Imagineers do their job and not have the Accountants create the disaster that is Din-o-land. I slowly made my way through Asia and into Africa, enjoying the peace and quiet of the park. I really like the parks when they first open and are relatively empty for a little while. The Animal Kingdom is especially beautiful in the morning with all the plants, flowers and trees to look at.

I got to the Safari and took a quick walk through the deserted Pangani Trail. The trail was mostly empty and it was nice to have an unblocked view of the gorillas. As I was coming off the trail, I saw my family coming off the Safari. They had a great time and Katie and Kira really enjoyed seeing the animals, which there were a lot of. I gave them the fast passes and we made our way back over to Asia. We parted ways near the Maharaj Jungle Trek and agreed to meet near the monkeys after Everest. I jealously watched them walk away and turned to enter the Trek with Katie and Kira, who really wanted to see some Tigers. As we were entering I heard a woman say to a Cast Member, “isn’t this the Pangani Trail”? I think it was time for her to check her map. I love the Jungle Trek, there are so many interesting things to see and the design is incredible. We saw some bats and a lot of Tigers, which the girls loved. One tiger was eyeing them closely and he actually walked alongside the glass following us. He was probably trying to figure out a way to get to Katie and Kira!

As we exited the trail my cell phone rang and we met up with Kevin, Nana, and Papa. They loved the ride; they said it was a lot of fun. Even my Dad liked it and he is not a big fan of roller coasters. We decided to head over to see Festival of the Lion King since Nana and Papa had never seen it before. On the way over we got Katie a strawberry popsicle and Kira an orange popsicle. They weren’t drinking much water and it was getting to be very hot. The weather was sunny and in the mid 80’s; very nice but I didn’t want them to get dehydrated. They finished their popsicles as we made our way into the theater. We got great seats in the giraffe section and everyone loved the show. Kira was sitting on my lap and she kept waving to the big giraffe next to us! Festival of the Lion King is always great; the performers do such a wonderful job and always seem so energetic.

Camp Minnie Mickey is a great place to meet characters, for some reason, the lines are never that long. After the show we met Minnie and Donald and had only a 1 minute wait for each! By this time, Katie was running up into the character’s arms and giving them a big hug. Kira would walk up slowly and give them the once over, and then give them a kiss on the cheek. It was very cute.

It was getting close to noon so we decided to get some lunch and then head back to the villa for naps. Papa and Nana would meet us later at MGM for dinner at Mama Melrose’s. We headed over to the Tusker House and got in line which is where Katie had a meltdown. I had packed some cheerios for them as a snack and they were fighting over who got to hold the container. I finally took it away and Katie got hysterical, screaming and crying. It was a great moment, you know when you look at someone with kids who are freaking out and you think, wow I am glad that’s not me? I think that’s what everyone who was watching us thought! I learned my lesson, always pack two of everything!!! Kevin got her calmed down and we ordered lunch and took it outside to eat. The kids shared the mac and cheese again, Kevin and I each had the rotisserie chicken (it is so good there), Nana had the salmon and Papa had a chicken sandwich. Everyone was very happy with their food; the Tusker House has excellent counter service. While we were eating outside there were dancers with drummers performing right by our table. Katie and Kira were entranced with them. It was nice to watch, I was really impressed with all the entertainment we saw this trip. It seemed like performers were everywhere, which is a good sign!

The kids were exhausted so Kevin and I said goodbye to Nana and Papa and took them back to the villa. Africa was jammed at this point, and I was ready to get away. As we exited the park I was amazed at how many people were coming in. I can’t imagine not getting to a park until 12:30, what’s the point? You just end up waiting in lines. You can sleep in at home!

The kids quickly fell asleep, and I took a nap also. Kevin went back to the Downtown Disney area to check his email. It was nice to sleep and we woke the kids up at 3:15. We wanted to see Playhouse Disney before dinner so we got ready and headed out to the pathway to walk to MGM. Kevin pushed the double stroller the whole way, in fact I never pushed it the whole trip unless he wasn’t there, what a great guy! MGM wasn’t too crowded and we made it just in time for the showing of Playhouse Disney. The kids loved it and danced and sang. It’s a great show for kids; it’s really cute to see all the kids dancing. We went over to the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground and let the girls run around before dinner. I was watching Kira go down a slide when a man brushed the back of my hair. He said there was some sort of big Florida bug in it, gross! He said he lives in Florida and sees big bugs everywhere. I hope he wasn’t referring to a cockroach. Although I would rather have one of those on me than a banana spider! I think I would have passed out if a banana spider was on me.

We headed over to Mama Melrose’s for our 5:20 seating. Papa and Nana arrived a little late; they had to navigate through the parade crowds. We were seated and given the menu for the Fantasmic dinner package. We chose the grilled pepperoni flatbread, which was awesome. The salad was really good too. For our entrees I had the spaghetti fra diavolo, Kevin and Papa had the charred butcher tender steak and Nana had the wood grilled salmon. Katie and Kira had cheese pizzas. Kira ate all of hers and part of Katie’s. She had not been eating much the past few days and I think she was finally used to her new surroundings and feeling more comfortable. Everything was excellent; we were all impressed with the food. The décor was nice, Papa said it reminded him of an Italian restaurant in NYC (which is what I think they were trying to achieve). Dessert was included so Kira had vanilla ice cream, Katie and Nana had chocolate ice cream, Papa and I had the warm chocolate truffle cake and Kevin had the honey hazelnut and ricotta cheesecake. Everything was wonderful and we will eat here again on our next trip to MGM.

We had some time before Fantasmic so we went into the Muppet Show, another first for Nana and Papa. I showed them the net full of jello which they liked and we all enjoyed the pre show and the show. Katie and Kira again did not wear the 3D glasses. I love the Muppets, I watched them when I was little and I want to get a DVD for Katie and Kira. We had a minor tragedy here as Katie had been carrying around a Disney princess sticker book with her for the whole trip. Well, she gave it to Kevin to hold and he lost it somewhere in MGM. Katie was devastated but we promised to get her something at one of the stores.

We stopped in some of the shops before going to Oscar’s to go to Fantasmic. In one store, Katie found some princess stamps that she wanted to buy (to replace her sticker book with). The shop was very crowded and one of the Cast Members said he was opening a cash register outside so I and another woman followed him outside. The other woman was in front of me as the Cast Member opened up his register. As he was about to ring up the woman in front of me, another woman comes up out of nowhere and cuts in line and places her merchandise on the counter, giving it to the CM. I was so shocked, as was the woman in front of me and the CM. The CM just rang her up and as soon as she left apologized to the woman who was in front of me. I really don’t understand what is wrong with people, how could anybody in their right mind be so rude? Get in line with everyone else and wait your turn!

After this incident we walked backstage to our Fantasmic seats where there was a 30 minute wait before the show started. Katie played with her new stamps and I took Kira up to the top of the theater to run around with the other restless two year olds. She made friends with another little girl while the Mom and I chatted. Most people are so friendly in Disneyworld, its one place where you can strike up a conversation with just about anyone. As soon as the show started Kira and I returned to our seats and she and Katie were captivated for the whole show. They never got scared, even when the dragon came out. Katie’s favorite part, (and mine too) was when the princess boat came out. I have seen Fantasmic before and I think it is just ok. In hindsight, we should have gone to the Magic Kingdom for Wishes, which I still have not seen. Tonight it was on at 9 and I think it would have been better than Fantasmic. Next trip! After the show we followed the crowds and got separated from Nana and Papa. We somehow managed to maneuver the stroller through the throngs and to the walkway and had a nice stroll back to the Beach Club Villa. We were all exhausted and got the kids in bed quickly. Kevin and I followed shortly, I was happy that tomorrow we would be getting a break from the parks!

Positives: Mama Melrose’s, Expedition Everest (for everyone else), Festival of the Lion King, Muppets
Negatives: Katie throwing a fit in Tusker House, the rude woman who cut in line
Miles: approximately 10.1 miles

Wednesday 5/3
Plan: Character breakfast at Cape May at 8:30, swim at resort, O’Hana’s AR reservation at 5:30 for O’Neills, Papa and Nana at Cirque Du Soliel

Reality: Katie and Kira slept in until 7:30 (isn’t it funny when getting to sleep until 7:30 is called sleeping in??!!) and we took our time getting ready for our breakfast. We walked down to Cape May and there was a big crowd with a huge line. As soon as we got our pager though it went off. We got to our table and as we were being seated Goofy came over. Kira took one look at him and got red and started to cry saying “no”. Katie, of course, gave him a big hug. Goofy was really good with Kira, he did not touch her and just waved at her while we told her it was ok. After Goofy, I went up and got a large platter of fruit for everyone to share, it was so good. The grapefruit was the best, it was so sweet. Katie and Kira also had some scrambled eggs, fruit loops and a donut (vacation food). I had a Mickey waffle with some bacon and Kevin and I shared a donut. I tried not to go too overboard, everything was so good. Minnie also came over to our table and Katie and Kira both loved her. Dale came over and got hugs. Goofy came back over later in the meal and this time Kira really liked him. He approached her very cautiously and we got a picture. Now she always talks about Goofy and that she wants to see him again. She says “Goofy has big feet and he is funny”! Papa and Nana also got their picture taken with Goofy and so did Kevin and I. Breakfast was great and I am starting to think that character meals are the best way to meet characters, rather than standing in line at the parks.

We got back to the room and changed into our bathing suits and put on tons of sunscreen. We went down to the small kid’s pool on the other side of the big waterslide. There is a small area with a kid’s waterslide. We put lifejackets on Katie and Kira and at first Katie was very scared of the water and would not go down the waterslide. Last year she loved the waterslide at the French Quarter so we figured she just needed some time to get used to it. I took Kira down the kid’s waterslide (I would have to settle for that since being pregnant I could not go down the big one) and loved it. We did it over and over again and Kevin got some great pictures. Eventually Katie got over her fear and must have made 20+ trips down the slide. She was also jumping into the pool from the side and paddling around the water (with her life jacket on of course). Kevin went down the big slide, as did Nana and Papa, and they all loved it. We took the kids over to the sandy kid’s area so they could play in the sand and take off the life jackets. This is the best play area for kids. Having the sand was wonderful; Katie and Kira had so much fun digging in the sand and splashing it off in the water. There was a Cast Member that came out with games for the kids to play in the kid’s pool; he was doing a treasure hunt where the kids could find toys in the shallow water. I was very impressed, I have never seen this at a Disney resort before and I wonder if it is something new? Only Disney would provide this kind of entertainment for your kids!

It was getting close to noon so we went back to the room for lunch and naps. I gave Katie and Kira baths to get the chlorine off of them. I was still full form breakfast so I just had an apple, banana, and some nuts. Kevin ate the same thing, I warned him to save room for Ohana tonight! Nana and Papa left for their DVC tour that they had signed up for and Kevin left to check his email. I showered to get the chlorine off of me, did some laundry and took a nap. The kids were really out; they slept for 3 hours and woke up at 4. I changed them into their Hawaiian dresses my parents brought them from their New Zealand / Hawaii trip last year, they looked so cute! It was perfect for Ohana.

We left the villa around 4:45 and drove over to the Polynesian. The guard was very kind, he gave us a pass until Midnight so we could stay and watch fireworks and do whatever. I wish we could have stayed for the fireworks but we always try to make sure we don’t push the kids too much. Their sweet and loving personalities change quite quickly when they get overtired. We made our way up to the Ohana check in desk and checked in early. There was quite a crowd of people. This turned out to be our longest wait of the trip, we waited 25 minutes. I followed Kira around the lobby while Kevin got Katie some water with an umbrella, which she loved.

We were finally seated in the main dining area, right by the action with a view of the Grand Floridian. The main singer was out so Katie got up and joined in with the kids while Kevin video taped her. Our waitress came over and took our drink order and explained the menu to us. Wow, that is a lot of food! I ordered Katie and Kira grilled cheeses since I didn’t think they would be into the food too much. Our server brought over the wontons, they were really good. Kira and I snacked on them while we waited for Katie and Kevin. The coconut races started and poor Katie had such a tough time. Kevin has it on video, all the kids take off and Katie is standing there concentrating so hard with her broom and coconut. It is really cute, she is trying so hard! Kevin helped her and they made it around the circle. I went up and switched with Kevin as the chicken wings and shrimp had come over. I ate some of the shrimp, which was wonderful, but I hate chicken wings (I know I’m weird) and Kevin really likes them. I video taped more of Katie doing some of the songs; she was having a great time. Finally, the woman who was leading everything took a break so we sat down. Ohana was really nice in that it offered a lot of entertainment for the kids. Katie also got leias for her and Kira; they looked very sweet with them on in their Hawaiian dresses. The skewers of meat were brought over and they were all good except the sausage, which was nasty. The turkey was delicious; it was so tender and juicy. We were full but we saved room for the dessert, bread pudding with bananas foster sauce and vanilla ice cream. I do not like bread pudding but this was delicious! I took Katie to the restroom and we headed out to walk around the Polynesian. Ohana was good but I’m not sure if I need to do it every year. It is a lot of meat and too much food; they could get rid of half the menu and it would still be plenty of food. As obesity continues to skyrocket out of control in this country restaurants that serve portions to feed 4 people should cut back to European sizes. Even the kid’s meals are too much, Katie and Kira never ate everything, and even sharing a meal they still don’t finish it.


The Polynesian is so beautiful, I stayed here with my family when I was younger and I would love to stay here again. I love the torches at night. We took some pictures of the kids in their Hawaiian dresses by the waterfall outside. We walked down to the beach and let the kids run around in the sand for awhile. It was getting late so we decided to head back to get Katie and Kira to bed. On the way back into the Polynesian a man asked Kevin if he could use his cell phone, Disney would not let him use their phones and the pay phones were not working. Kevin let him and the man was very thankful. In the lobby we took some pictures of the kids by the waterfall, my Mom has pictures of my brother and me in the same spot.

We drove back to the Beach Club Villas and as we were walking across the bridge to the quiet pool Kevin saw an alligator in the canal! This was a big alligator, probably 6 or 7 feet long. We took some pictures and watched it float around. I wondered if I should tell the front desk, I was fairly certain Disney removes them from their property. Kevin said no but I still felt I should say something, the alligator was pretty big. We got back to our villa and put the girls to bed. Papa and Nana got back from Cirque and loved it. I knew they would, it is an incredible show, I would recommend it to everyone. Kevin and I have seen it twice on previous trips before kids. When Illuminations started, Katie was still awake so we brought her onto the balcony to watch. She loved the whole thing and wanted to see more. We told her tomorrow night and put her back to bed. We told my parents about the alligator and my Mom was adamant that we tell the front desk. I think she was worried about being attacked! Seriously though, she was right as they were quite alarmed at the front desk and made some phone calls. This was right before several people died in Florida due to alligator attacks so I was glad we spoke up.

Positives: Swimming in Storm-A-Long Bay, Cape May Café breakfast and the characters

Negatives: None!
Miles: approximately 3.5 miles

Thursday 5/4
Plan: Epcot, lunch at the fish and chips counter, Nana and Papa watch Katie and Kira while Kevin and Kathleen go back to Epcot, dinner with Molly at the San Angel Inn, Illuminations, Molly stays overnight in the villa

Reality: We had a 7:30 AM wakeup call which we all needed because everyone was still asleep at 7:30! Kevin had been asking me all week when we were going to get to Epcot (it’s our favorite park) so he was excited to get going this morning. We ate breakfast quickly and were out the door by 8:40 and 5 minutes later we were at International Gateway. Walking to Epcot is the best! It is so quick and convenient; it makes it worth it to stay at the Beach Club. As the gates opened we walked over to Soarin with everyone else and I got our fastpasses for a return time of 40 minutes later. We rode Living with the Land which everyone enjoyed. I love seeing their gardens, everything is so clean. I wish my garden at home looked that perfect! I liked seeing the Mickey head pumpkins. Katie pointed out the peppers, as she loves to eat sweet peppers. We headed back over to Soarin for our fastpass time and I could tell something was wrong. I approached a Cast Member to ask what was going on when this older lady steps in front of me and starts questioning him about the ride. The Cast Member looked at me apologetically and I waited for her to be done. I don’t understand how people can think they are so special and important they can cut people off? I guess for some people their world ends at their noses. It’s all about them. I would be embarrassed to do such a thing; I could never be so rude. When I finally got to talk to the CM he said the ride was down and they would honor fastpasses all day.

We headed over to the Living Seas to see Turtle Talk with Crush, which I had heard great things about. The next show was 30 minutes away so we watched the manatees, dolphins and fish which the kids loved. I know I put this in my last trip report but I would highly recommend doing Disney’s Dolphins in Depth program. Kevin and I did this (before kids) and it was amazing. Getting in the water with the dolphins was so much fun, and the dolphins loved the attention.

Papa, Nana and I got in line for Turtle Talk as it was getting long and Kevin took Katie and Kira to the shark exhibit. I stepped out of line to get a picture of them in the shark mouth, the picture turned out really cute. Finally it was time for Turtle Talk and we crowded in. Nana and Papa stayed in the back and we took the kids up front. What an incredible show. Everyone should see this show, even adults without kids, the technology is amazing! Katie and Kira liked it ok; I think they will enjoy it more when they are older. They have not seen all of Finding Nemo yet so they do not know who Crush is. I would recommend seeing this show early in the morning as when we exited the line waiting was huge.

We left the Living Seas and walked over to Ice Station Cool. I needed my favorite drink, Kinley from Israel. It was so good; Katie and Kira even got a small sip. While we were there a really nice CM came up and talked with Katie and Kira and gave them each a pin – one Mickey Mouse and one Minnie Mouse pin. It was so kind, but I know CM’s are not supposed to give away pins so I won’t mention the CM’s name, but this person was absolutely wonderful and it was so great to watch them create a magical moment with Katie and Kira.

After Ice Station Cool we walked over to see Minnie’s Butterfly Garden which was very pretty. The entire Flower and Garden Festival was beautiful! The topiaries were gorgeous. I have a large flower garden at home and I am always adding to it so I was looking for some new ideas. We separated from Nana and Papa as they were going back to Soarin. We agreed to meet for lunch at the Fish and Chip’s window in Great Britain and Kevin and I headed for Mexico with Katie and Kira. We got inside the pavilion as they were opening so we waited inside by the rope. The cast member started to lower the rope when this older couple tried to make a mad dash for the boat ride! The CM asked them to wait and she explained what side to take for the restaurant or the boat ride. As soon as she was done talking the couple ran down the ramp get to El Rio del Tiempo. Kevin and I walked to the ride and made some sarcastic comments about how you had better run to the ride because the line got so long you would have to wait hours! Please, what is wrong with people??? After the rude people episode, we all enjoyed the ride. I know a lot of people don’t like it but Kevin and I always enjoy it and Katie and Kira loved it. They really liked the room with the fireworks and the dolls. We went to the kidcot table after and Katie and Kira made some masks.

It was time to meet Papa and Nana so we headed over to the United Kingdom. I got in line and Kevin took Katie and Kira to the back of the pavilion to run around. Papa and Nana arrived and said Soarin was amazing. They got more fastpasses which they gave to Kevin and me so we could ride twice. As we were in line my heart started to race and I got very hot and dizzy. I told them I needed to sit down and went back to sit with Kevin and take some deep breaths. I guess I had gone too long between meals, I get those symptoms sometimes when I am not pregnant but more so when I am pregnant. I think I need to be more vigilant about eating every two hours. Papa and Nana brought back the fish and chips, everything was very good. Kevin and I shared with Katie and Kira; who were having a great time feeding French fries to a squirrel. Kira especially, was so excited.

After lunch we separated again with plans to meet at the villa at 2 PM so Kevin and I could have some alone time without the kids. Papa and Nana set out to tour more of Epcot and Kevin and I took Katie and Kira to the shooting fountain between Future World and World Showcase. Katie loved it; she jumped right in and got soaked. Kira was more tentative she would peer down into the holes and when water started to come up she would run away! It was really cute; Kevin took a ton of pictures while I took some video. We let them run around for about 40 minutes. I changed them into some dry clothes I had packed and we headed back to the villa, via the International gateway. We took a little side entrance into the Villa’s and were in our room quickly.

After all that running around the girls were exhausted and went in for their naps. Papa and Nana arrived back at 2 PM and Kevin and I ran out the door promising to be back with Molly after Illuminations. We went back to Epcot and headed over to Norway for an almond Kringla and some water. As I was paying, the cash register froze and the poor cast member couldn’t get it to work. The other CM’s tried and nothing worked. He finally called a manager to come and by the time they got there the line was out the door. I stayed patient, it wasn’t anyone’s fault and things happen. The manager gave me the Kringla for free, which I thought was very nice. I finally got to the table Kevin was waiting at and we shared the huge Kringla, which was very good. We walked around the Norway shops afterwards, and admired the sweaters and Helly Hanson line of clothing. It doesn’t quite fit into our budget! We decided to skip the ride and headed out of Norway. Wow, there were a lot of strollers by the restaurant. Now that it is a princess meal, it seemed every time we walked by Norway there were always a lot of strollers parked there.

We walked over to China and watched the acrobats, they are amazing. We decided to go ride Spaceship Earth and then use our fastpasses for Soarin. Spaceship Earth had a line so we decided to save it for later and headed to the Land. The wait time was posted at 70 minutes, I was so glad we had our fastpasses. Soarin was absolutely amazing, we both loved it! We were in the front row and it was just incredible. The part where you go over the ocean I felt like I could dip my feet in the water. We loved everything about the ride, what a great addition to Epcot. As soon as we got off we used our other set of fastpasses and got right back on. This time we were in the second row and it definitely was not as good as the front row. It was still a great ride though; I could have gone on it all day.

After Soarin we walked over to Canada and looked in the shops. We like the Roots clothing line they sell but there was nothing that caught our eye. We moved on to the United Kingdom and sat on a wall for a little while to rest our feet. A Gecko was running around in the flowers and Kevin caught it and it sat on his hand for a long time. We relaxed, enjoying the perfect weather. It was a sunny day with no clouds; the temperature was in the mid eighties but with no humidity. Weather wise, I think early May is the best time to go to WDW. Eventually we moved on and Kevin put the Gecko back in the flowers. We visited the shops in France, Japan, China and Norway (again).

We headed to Mexico and found Molly in the Plaza by the restaurant. It was good to see her; we had not seen her since last summer. We were seated at our table which was in the middle of the restaurant which seemed very busy for 5:45. Our server brought us some chips and salsa and I was very disappointed that the chips and salsa were Tostitos. I expected something homemade. There is a Mexican restaurant in Rochester that Kevin and I love and they make their own chips and salsa from scratch. We started with the Ceviche appetizer which was seafood marinated in lime juice with tomatoes, chiles, onions and cilantro. It was served chilled and it was delicious. It was chopped up and made a much better accompaniment to the chips than the bottled salsa. For dinner I had the mahi-mahi a la veracruzana, which was mahi-mahi with capers, olives, and onions in white wine and served over rice. Molly had the camerones con fideos which was grilled shrimp served over angel hair pasta with tomatoes and peppers and Kevin had the Filete Motuleno which was grilled beef tenderloin over black beans and melted cheese, sauce ranchero, poblano pepper strips and fried plantain. Everything was very good; Kevin’s poblano pepper strips and fired plantain were delicious. Our waiter was not friendly at all; he was aloof and very gruff with us. Other than our waiter and the chips and salsa everything was delicious and we had a great time chatting and enjoying the nighttime atmosphere. I think the atmosphere is one of my favorite things about the San Angel Inn, it is so romantic. I just wish they had designed the dining area better so the tables are not so close together.

We decided to head over France for dessert but we looked in some of the Mexico shops first. I ended up buying two bracelets in one of the jewelry shops; they have blue beads and are very pretty. People always ask me where they are from and seem surprised when I tell them Disney. I think some people still think Disney is like a Six Flags park. On the way to France we stopped in Italy and Germany also. In Germany I bought my Dad a wine stopper with a silver Mickey head on it. We finally made our way to France and Molly and I got in line in the patisserie while Kevin got us a bench outside. We got Kevin a lemon tart and Molly and I both got the Napoleon. Molly’s piece was absolutely huge. Kevin and I also had decaf coffee and Molly had some tea. Kevin had gotten us a bench outside along the river; it was the same bench we sat on when we were here last year eating our desserts. We refer to it as “our” bench. We took a bunch of pictures and I made Molly laugh when Kevin took our picture by calling her the wicked Stepmother from Cinderella. Nothing could be farther from the truth as Molly is a wonderful person whom we love very much. Everything was very good but Kevin’s lemon tart was the best, and I am a chocolate lover.

We made our way over to the bridge between the UK and France for Illuminations. We got a great spot along the railing and the time passed quickly as we chatted. Illuminations was awesome, as usual! It is my favorite show in WDW, although I have not seen Wishes yet. Molly had not seen it in awhile and loved the show. The fire effects are awesome; I love how I can feel the heat from the flames.

After the show we took the five minute walk (I love how close the villas are) back to our villa with Molly. Along the way, we saw a raccoon in the bushes at the Beach Club. I much prefer raccoons running around than alligators! We showed Molly the villa and she was very impressed. We sat around and talked with my Mom and Dad, they had a fun time with Katie and Kira. Mostly they stayed in the villa and went for a walk around the Boardwalk. Molly gave us copies of her latest math textbook that she had co-authored. In one of the word problems was a picture of Katie when she was a baby! It was so sweet, and now college students taking algebra will be looking at it! It was a long day and I relived to finally get to bed.

Positives: Touring Epcot, Soarin, Alone time with Kevin, seeing Molly, Illuminations

Negatives: None!
Miles: approximately 12.0

Friday 5/5
Plan — Magic Kingdom, nap at the resort, AR at Chef Mickey’s at 5:10, Illuminations

Reality: Our wakeup call came at 7:00 AM and Kira got up right away. She went out of our room to look for Nana and Papa and saw Grandma Molly in the family room. She got very shy and checked her out and slowly made her way over to her. It was very cute and she eventually let Molly hold her. We ate breakfast and I made sure to eat something more than cheerios this morning so I would not get dizzy later. I also packed some granola bars just in case.

We walked out to the bus stop and at 8:20, five minutes later, a Magic Kingdom bus pulled up. The bus service that we used on this trip has worked out great; it has been very quick and convenient. We got to the Magic Kingdom and were in time to watch the park’s opening show. I thought it was very cute and everyone enjoyed it. We entered the park and headed straight for Fantasyland and Dumbo. Molly took Katie and Kira on Dumbo and they had a fun time. Kevin took pictures while I did the video. Papa got us all fastpasses for Pooh so after Dumbo we made our way over to Peter Pan, Molly’s favorite. After Peter Pan, we went on It’s a Small World where Katie was again upset that we did not get to ride the pink boat. After Small World we all rode Pooh but saved the fastpasses since there was no line. After Pooh, Papa and Nana took our tickets and went to get fastpasses for the Jungle Cruise and we agreed to meet over there in an hour.

We made our way over to ToonTown and got there for the rope drop. We walked right back to the Judge’s Tent and got in the Princess Line. We were very close to the front and we still had quite a wait. Katie was getting a little cranky at this point, but we finally made it in to see Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White. Sleeping Beauty gave Kira a big kiss on the cheek and Kira looked at her like she was crazy. It was so funny, Kira is so shy and we were amazed that she took to all the characters the way she did. Katie, of course, ran up to all the characters. After the princesses, the only characters we had not yet seen were Pooh and Eeyore so we jumped right into that line, which was the shortest. We noticed the Princess line already had an hour wait, at 10:20! If you want to meet the Princesses, get to ToonTown at 10 and go right to the line. I could not believe how quickly the line grew. It would be a nightmare for us to stand there for an hour with a toddler and small child. I am starting to think that the best way to see the characters is at the character meals and just forget standing in line at the parks. It takes up so much time, and we had to leave early every day for the kid’s naps. We met Pooh and Eeyore and left ToonTown, after a bathroom stop for Katie.

I gave Katie and Kira granola bars to eat and we walked over to Frontierland to meet Nana and Papa at the Country Bears. I took away Katie’s pink wand from the princess breakfast as she had gotten in the habit of bopping Kira in the head with it while they were in the double stroller. We all loved seeing Country Bears again and Molly enjoyed it as well. Katie and Kira had a great time, clapping along. Kira was fixated on the talking Moose on the wall. After the bears we used our fastpasses for the Jungle Cruise and everyone enjoyed it as well. Katie and Kira loved the elephants and we had a very funny guide. I think we were the only people laughing on the boat, why don’t people have fun while they are on vacation? I don’t understand how people can just sit there and not crack a smile.

We were ready for some Dole Whips so we went over there next. We sat off to the side of the stand and I noticed Rafiki and Timon were there with only one family. Katie has seen some of the Lion King so she knows who they are. We went over there and they closed the line right after us, talk about luck! Rafiki and Timon were really cute, they gave Katie a lot of hugs and I got some great pictures. They spent a lot of time with her; it was so nice having the characters to ourselves.

We finished our Dole Whips (which were incredible) and separated again from Nana and Papa. We would meet up with them later at Chef Mickey’s. We headed back into Fantasyland to use our fastpasses for Winnie the Pooh. We rode our final Magic Kingdom ride and headed towards Main Street. We said goodbye to Molly and I arranged to meet her in the Land in Epcot at 1:30. We walked slowly down Main Street and out of the park to our bus stop. I was amazed at all the people coming in, we got so much done by being there at park opening and now the park was getting too crowded. We hopped on our bus and chatted with a woman and her 5 year old daughter who was dressed as Tinkerbelle. They had been at the tea with Sleeping Beauty in the Grand Floridian. It sounded really nice; it is a small group so you get a lot of interaction with Sleeping Beauty. Definitely something for me to think about for our next trip. We talked about how crazy the princess line gets in the Magic Kingdom, she said they waited for an hour in the line to meet the princesses the other day. She also mentioned how she and her husband would love to come down to visit without kids. I told her about our trips before kids and how much we enjoyed them. I don’t think I could go now without Katie and Kira, I would feel so guilty! When they are in college though I am sure we will come without them. Then we will feel sad because we will be reminiscing about our trips when they were so young and adorable. I would not trade any of our trips with them, even though it is A LOT more work the reward is huge. I’ll never forget Katie’s expression when she saw the princesses in the castle, or watching Kira get over her shyness with the characters. We have so many great memories from all our trips, even our trip when Katie was only 6 months old (she sat in Pooh’s lap and played with Tigger’s nose).

We made it back to the villa and I helped Kevin put the kids to bed and then I raced out the door to see Molly. I walked over to Epcot and back to the Land (I love this walk) and met Molly. Our goal was to ride Soarin but the return time was for the evening and Molly would be driving back to Daytona Beach. So we used our tickets to get two fastpasses for my Mom and Dad for later that evening. We decided to ride Living with the Land since Molly had not ridden it in awhile. I love all the Disney rides and happily rode it again. The line was 10 minutes so we waited and enjoyed the ride. Again, I love the gardens, they are so clean!

Molly was hungry so we headed over to Morocco for a snack. Molly had the vegetable plate and I had a side of olives and one of tabouli. The Tangerine Café was one of the best counter service restaurants in WDW I have eaten at. Everything was very fresh and delicious and I will make it a point to eat here again on future trips. We sat outside and enjoyed our lunch while we talked and people watched. After, Molly needed to be heading home so we headed back to the International Gateway, stopping in Japan. I bought my Mom a box of green tea. We headed back to the Beach Club and said goodbye. Molly and her son Stephen would be back tomorrow to meet us at Boma for dinner.

I got back to the villa and Katie and Kira were just waking up. We all got ready and headed out to the bus stop, where again we only had a five minute wait to the Magic Kingdom. We got off at the Magic Kingdom and took the walkway over to the Contemporary. The walkway was very nice and convenient. It would be a big draw to stay at the Contemporary. Our dinner plans were for 5:10 and we got there early so we browsed in the gift shops where we ran into Nana and Papa. I gave them the Soarin tickets and they were extremely grateful. I noticed a line was growing for Chef Mickey’s so we quickly got in line. Important looking people were running all around, trying to get things moving as the line grew. A cast member was walking down the line and getting everyone’s information and giving out pagers. It was a madhouse! Our pager went off and we walked in only to be directed to the line for the picture. I knew it was not a character photo so I told a cast member walking by that we did not want to do the picture. She looked at me and said, very sarcastically, “Well don’t do it then” and walked on. I was in shock, I literally felt like I had been slapped! I never would expect this kind of treatment from Disney! I understand the place is busy but if you can’t expect crowds and run a restaurant smoothly maybe you should do something else. After that unpleasant encounter we were shown to our table and right away Minnie came over. The character interaction at Chef Mickey’s was awesome, we met Minnie, Mickey, Dale, and Goofy and each character came to our table 4 times!! The food was good also, even for a buffet. The only negative was the family sitting next to us was very obnoxious. When a character would appear, the father would stand on his chair and yell the character’s name and wave his arms around. I wonder if he thought the character would abandon his tables and head right over? It got really old after awhile. Katie loved the napkin twirling and got really into it. Both girl’s loved the dessert bar (especially the gummies) and we stopped to see Donald on the way out.

I thought Chef Mickey’s was worth it for the character interaction. It is an extremely busy and hectic restaurant and I don’t think my Dad cared for it (made worse by the idiot seated next to us). I would definitely go back again, but only for the character interaction. On a side note, as we left there were tons of people waiting for a table. We made all our dinner reservation around 5 for this trip. We eat later at home and prefer that but we never had a problem waiting around for a table when we had early reservations (except for O’Hana’s). It works out well to eat early because then you can get back out to the parks while other people are still waiting for their tables.

We headed out to the monorail and got off at the TTC to head to Epcot. There was no one at the front of the monorail so I asked if we could sit up front and we did. It was a great ride to Epcot with the perfect view, especially when the monorail goes through future world. We again separated from Papa and Nana; they were going to ride Soarin and were also going to bring back 4 lemon tarts from the Patisserie for breakfast. We hopped on Spaceship Earth as there was no wait and we had not ridden this yet. I love SE. I know it is getting dated but this is one of my favorite rides in WDW. I hope they never take it out. We then headed over to Journey into Your Imagination which had no wait at all; we were just about the only people in there. Katie and Kira liked the ride a lot and we decided to head over to World Showcase to grab a spot for Illuminations. It was extra magic hours at Epcot and the place was packed. It was miserable. We found a spot along the railing between the UK and France but after a few minutes we decided to leave. It would be so much more pleasant to watch Illuminations from our balcony without the crush of people against us and not having to keep the kids entertained. We pushed our way through the crowds and got out of Epcot (I have never seen it that crowded). I don’t think I would enjoy extra magic hours if it means all those people!

We met up with Nana and Papa back at the villa and they had come to the same conclusion. They rode Soarin again (and loved it) and bought the lemon tarts and headed back to the villas. While we waited for Illuminations to start, Katie and Papa watched the old Disney cartoons on channel (I think) 96. These were the cartoons my Dad grew up watching and it was so cool to see my Dad sitting next to Katie enjoying the cartoons of his youth. She loved them as well and it is one of my favorite memories of the trip, Katie and Papa, both with big smiles on their faces watching the old Disney cartoons. They were good cartoons too; they weren’t jerky and fast paced like today’s cartoons, which require no attention span. The only cartoons Katie watches are the Disney movies (about 30 minutes of them before she is done). Everything else is live, but she loved these old Disney cartoons and was captivated. See how Disney can bring generations together?

Illuminations started and we all headed out to the balcony to watch. It was amazing, as always and Katie and Kira loved it. Their faces were in awe as they watched the fireworks. I was so glad we left and watched from our villa with just us! Kevin and I quickly put the girls to bed after the show and we followed soon thereafter.

Positives: Seeing Magic Kingdom with Molly, alone time with Molly at Epcot, Tangerine Café, all the characters at Chef Mickey’s, riding in the front of the monorail, watching Katie and Papa enjoy the old Disney cartoons.

Negatives: The nasty woman at Chef Mickey’s
Miles: approximately 9.5

Saturday 5/6
Plan — Swim at the pool, Papa and Nana Blizzard Beach, meet Molly and her son Stephen at the Animal Kingdom Lodge for Boma at 5:50, view the animals

Reality: We did not have a wakeup call this morning, Katie and Kira slept until 7:30. We had a relaxing breakfast, enjoying the lemon tarts from the French Bakery in Epcot. Papa and Nana were going to Blizzard Beach while we were taking Katie and Kira to the pool. We began to talk about going home tomorrow with Katie and she got very upset, saying she wanted to stay. I know Katie, me too! On the way down to the pool area we stopped by the Ariel statue and took pictures of the girls with Ariel. We went over to the kid’s pool with the water slide and had a great time going down it. Katie had overcome all her fear and was going down the slide over and over again. Kira went down also, on my lap or Kevin’s lap. After awhile we went over to the sandy pool area and the kids played for a long time there as well. The man with the games was back and Katie did that for awhile. Kevin went down the big water slide a few times while I played with the kids. We stayed for a long time, until 12:30 since this would be the last time in the pool.

We went back to the room and ate a quick lunch and got the kids in for their naps. I started some laundry so everything we packed would be clean. Then I went downstairs to the Concierge desk and she got us checked in for our flight home tomorrow. This was wonderful because we did not do this last year and we almost got separated because there were no seats together. The Concierge was so nice; she got our seat assignments and printed out our boarding passes. It was such a relief to get this done. When we got home and Disney sent me a survey I made sure I put her name in as being very helpful and friendly.

Papa and Nana came back to baby-sit for Kevin and I. They had a great time at Blizzard Beach, I can’t wait until the kids are older and we can take them to the water parks. Kevin and I headed out and we ended up offsite at an outlet mall. I don’t remember the name of it, but we went into a few stores and I bought a pair of maternity pants at the Gap. There was a Disney outlet there and we went in but it was mostly junk. I guess those places are hit or miss. We headed back to Disney, which is always so much prettier! I really noticed how much Florida needed some rain; everyone’s lawn was dry and brown. We still had not had one drop of rain all week.

We got back and took a walk around Crescent Lake, stopping in the Boardwalk Bakery. Papa was going over in the morning to get breakfast and Kevin and I had to decide what we wanted. Everything looked so good but we finally decided we would share a cinnamon roll and a cherry turnover. We next went to the Screen Door where I bought a sparkly Mickey Mouse t shirt (I’ll have to wait until next spring to wear it), and a black bag that says Disney on it with the character designs. We walked back to our villa and the kids were up so I got a head start on packing. It’s always so depressing! At least this time I didn’t have to pack dirty clothes. Having a washer and dryer is another wonderful amenity of the Villas.

We headed out for the Animal Kingdom Lodge around 4:30 so we would have some time to look around. We walked into the lobby and Molly and Stephen were there waiting for us. Molly gave Katie and Kira each a Minnie Mouse plush and she gave Katie a new princess sticker book. Katie was so thrilled and told Kevin to make sure this one did not get lost! He promised her he would keep an eye on it.

We headed out to the veranda and walked around. It was still early so there were not too many animals out yet. Molly and Stephen were very impressed; they had never visited the Animal Kingdom Lodge before. We really enjoy coming here and spending time. There is so much to see and so many different viewing areas for the animals. We headed down to Boma and checked in. We were seated right away and we didn’t waste any time going up to the buffet. Everything was so wonderful, Katie and Kira ate mostly fruit; the watermelon, strawberries and pineapple were so good. I should have written down what I ate because I don’t remember the names but everything was wonderful. I really like their soups and salads. I went up for dessert and I saw they had some chocolate mousse. I love anything chocolate (and even more when I am pregnant) so I took some. I should have read the sign more closely because when I tasted it I tasted alcohol! Well no one believed me so I went back up and sure enough, “contains alcohol” was there above the mousse. I switched to my favorite, the zebra domes, and ate about 6 of them. Hey, I’m supposed to be gaining weight, right? Everything was so delicious and Molly and Stephen enjoyed it as well. It was the perfect meal to end our vacation.

We walked out to the pool area after dinner and the kids played on the playground for awhile. The animals were starting to come out so we looked at the flamingos and then the giraffe’s. We saw many animals, but I did not write down their names and I forgot what they were. They really come up close, I love the way the Lodge is set up. We headed back to the lobby and went down one of the hallways to a viewing area where we got some great views of the giraffes. We lingered for awhile, just watching the animals and chatting. Finally we decided it was time to head back to the villa.


We said goodbye to Molly and Stephen in the parking lot and drove back to the villa. We let the girls stay up to see Illuminations one last time. We watched it from our balcony for the last time and it was wonderful as always. I love this show. I was ready to go home but I was really going to miss our villa and the view! After the fireworks we let Katie and Kira give the presents we had picked out to Nana and Papa. They really liked them a lot, Nana was excited to try her green tea and Papa liked his Mickey Mouse wine stopper. As Kevin put it, a way to remember our trip. We put the girls to bed and sat around for awhile talking. It had been such an amazing trip, but I think we were all ready to go home. That is the amazing this about Disney to me. After a week there I am ready to return home, to get away from the crowds, noise, lines and over stimulation. However, after being home for a few months I am ready to go back. I am always ready to go back!

Positives: Seeing Molly and Stephen, showing them the Animal Kingdom Lodge, enjoying Boma, swimming with Katie and Kira
Negatives: Our last day
Miles: approximately 5

Sunday 5/7
Plan — Go home

Reality: Papa and Nana got up early and got everyone’s selected pastries from the Boardwalk Bakery. They were delicious, not a bad way to start the day although I am sure my arteries would disagree!! Our plane was at 12:45 so we took our time, letting the girls watch some old Mickey cartoons while we got everything ready. We decided to stop by Downtown Disney and let the girls play for awhile before getting to the airport. We told Nana and Papa we would meet them at the gate and we headed over to Downtown Disney.

Kevin took the girls to the Lego playground while I went into the World of Disney. I bought a cookbook for Nana that she had been looking at earlier in the week. It has recipes from Disney restaurants and I planned to give it to her for Mother’s Day. I went out to the playground and we watched the kids run around for a bit. We were both sad to have to go home, but we were ready. Then, I ran into someone I used to work with! Katie was born at the same time as her first daughter. We used to run into each other in the Mother’s room at work. It’s a small world was running through our heads! They had driven from Rochester and had just arrived. They had never been to Disney before so I gave her a few quick tips before it was time for us to go.

We finally got the girls ready and headed back to the van and drove to the airport. Kevin left us at the curb check-in while he went to return the van. There was quite a large line, but an even larger line inside. We were finally through and then we had to wait in the enormous security line. Remember the days when traveling was easy? When you could go to the gate to meet your party getting off the plane? I guess those days are gone forever. We finally got to our gate and I got some lunch at McDonalds for Katie and Kira. The flight home was smooth and both of the girls were tired and slept pretty soundly. We didn’t give Katie anything to eat so she did not get sick this time. We got our entire luggage quickly and made it home.


Final Thoughts:
This was a wonderful trip, our best one yet! As a family we really needed the time together. Kevin working full time and getting an MBA in one year has been the most difficult thing to go through, for both of us. To have a week together in Disney was amazing. Katie and Kira loved everything and they were very good. They behaved themselves so well; and other than the meltdown at the Tusker House they were very pleasant. They had so much fun and they both remember our trip. When we got home, Kira would see a church steeple and say “Look a castle”!

Again, we had perfect weather of mid 80’s and not one drop of rain (even though I wish we had some because I know they need it). All of the restaurants were good and we had a great last night at Boma. Katie and Kira did not ask us to buy them one thing, they are such good girls. This is my second time being at WDW while being pregnant. I would recommend to anyone who is pregnant and hesitant to just go ahead. Even though we walked a lot, I was not overly tired and the only thing I missed were some of my favorite rides and not being able to experience Expedition Everest. There is always next time, right?

After reading the DVC presentation we decided this is not for us right now. I don’t think we will continue a yearly trip to WDW when our kids get older because there are so many other places we want to take them. Yosemite, DC, Grand Canyon, Ireland (where Kevin’s Mother is from) etc. We will still go to Disney, I’m just not sure how often. Of course, as I type this we are planning our next trip. Having said that, staying in the Beach Club Villas was amazing. It really made our trip even more special. Having so much room to spread out in and to be able to see Illuminations every night was wonderful. We are debating what to do for our next trip; I read that some people were scammed while renting DVC points and that scares me. The person we worked with was great and it’s too bad that there are people out there who want to ruin a good system. Meanwhile, Katie asks all the time to go back to Disney and we watch our home videos a lot, especially the princess breakfast. That was one of the best moments of our trip.

Update:

As I finish this almost one year later, several things have happened. Kevin finished his MBA in August of 2006 and now we are a whole family again. Our third daughter, Kayla, was born November 8th, 2006. Now that she is here, I am not sure when our next trip will be. At first, I did not want to go with three kids ages 5 and under but the Disney magic is pulling me in! If the free dining plan comes out for the fall I may be able to talk Kevin into it, but Katie is also starting kindergarten this fall. I’m not sure how I feel about pulling her out so soon after the beginning of the school year. Also, I quit my job after Kayla was born so now we on one income. If we don’t make it down this fall, we will probably try and go next spring with Nana and Papa. The girls will be ages 5, 3 and 18 months which is doable. Also, my brother, sister in law and their 5 kids live overseas and they will be coming home for a visit next spring. We are trying to talk them into a big family trip for May. I would love to plan a trip for 14! It would be so much fun to be there with my nieces and nephews, who have never been there before. There are many factors to consider, all I know is I can’t wait to start planning our next trip.

Thanks for reading and please feel free to email me.

Final Update:

Disney just released the free dining plan and we are booked! I booked 7 nights, 9/22 – 9/29, for 2 rooms at Port Orleans French Quarter. We love the villas but the free dining is too good a deal to pass up. I already got the Castle for breakfast, along with the rest of our dining reservations. So I say we won’t be going back every year, and somehow we always end up back at Disney. I can’t wait until September!!

Great trip report!! We'd gone to WDW several times as a couple, but going with kids is so much better, isn't it?

I've done the Disney while pregnant thing as well (at 32 weeks). In some ways it was good as an incentive to keep walking and stay in shape prior to the trip, lol.

Enjoy your September trip and happy planning. For us it's 19 days and counting...

Wow, 32 weeks, that's great! It definitely is good exercise.

19 days, how exciting! How old are your children?

Have a great trip!!

Our daughter, Bronte, is almost four and Davis is 15 months. I'm keeping my fingers crossed the little one won't be terrified of the characters, but the indoctrination may be deep enough that he'll get over his fear of the giant creature and his innate love for the Mouse will shine through. I love reading trip reports from people with children about the same ages as mine--I always get new ideas and things to try.

BTW, we did the DVC point rental thing when our daughter was a baby; we did end up buying in, and now I'm glad as I think I'd be more hesitant these days to do the rental thing (at the time it seemed fine, but I've heard some bad stories). Part of our incentive was that we could use the points elsewhere--the exchange rate on interval and another site is *really* good using WDW points. One of my friends is swapping around 200 points for a one week high season in a 2BR unit at a gorgeous marriott resort in Thailand.

Props to you for all the advance planning. I've been slack on it in recent years and with the way they're pushing the Dining Plan I've ended up unable to get several ADR's for this trip that I'd really wanted (Chef Mickey's and O'Hana's, mainly).

The only character that scared Kira was Goofy but she got over that quickly. Katie was 18 months the second time we took her and she loved all the characters. She was very curious about them but she let them hug her.

I still sort of want to join but the money for a 2 bedroom is so much and we don't want to finance. I think we have to get a 2 bedroom being a family of 5. We love to travel and I know they do the exchange with the points. I have to talk my husband into it!

Things fill up so quickly. I already made all our dining plans for September because I think the restaurants will be mobbed with the free dining package. Everything fills up fast because I tired to switch our resort to the Wilderness Lodge but they are already full. The CM said to call back in a month because some people will cancel their trips. I wish the AR window was 60 days instead of 180, it's so hard to plan that far ahead.

Loved the trip report. You have made me miss the Beach Club so much. :crying: I love the villas and toured them when they first opened at the Beach Club. So glad you had a great trip and thanks for sharing it with us.

Great Trip report. Thank you for sharing. My DBF and I are sneaking away for a quick get away next weekend and I'm reading all the trip reports I can to get into my Disney mode as my DBF calls it. Your report was great.:cool:

What a terrific trip report! I love all of the details and side stories. You may have even "talked" me into upgrading to the BC next trip (we usually go POFQ).

I really enjoyed your trip report.
Ellen

Thank you for the great trip report. DBF & I will be in WDW in 7 days I can hardly wait. Thanks again for sharing your trip with us.