fun | The Angel Forever

Category Archives fun

First full day at the Magic Kingdom

Posted on June 1, 2009 10:22 am by TheAngelForever

Tuesday we were finally back on our way to the Magic Kingdom. The boys were ready for some fun with Mickey Mouse after spending a day at Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. That morning I called to cancel our reservation for Tonga Toast at the Polynesian resort. We were not entirely sure when we would be able to get there without a taxi and thought it would be easiest just to get to the Magic Kingdom at our own pace. My parents went off on their own. My mother was told to take it slow today since she was watching an infection that had started on her toe.

We arrived at the Magic Kingdom just after it opened at 9:00. Before heading in we stopped and had a PhotoPass picture taken.

The boys were busy looking at everything else going on since it was quite busy. Check out what was on the ground as you walk into the park in the morning. A very easy and clever little touch.

We decided to walk down Main Street USA to the bakery for breakfast. We figured it would be perfect to use three snack credits and go. On the way we saw the trolley coming down the street with singers and dancers inside

1. Here come the dancers, 2. First thing in the morning, 3. Main Street USA show

After a yummy breakfast, we walked by the castle and over to Tomorrowland. While on the way we saw another photographer and grabbed our PhotoPass card for another picture. The sun was blinding us and thanks to that the boys were looking every other way.

After this we kept walking into Tomorrowland. We were shocked that there was NO line for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. We quickly left the stroller in the parking area and jumped into line. Without any trouble we went back on right away and did it again. Here are some photos from the first ride.

1. Ready to go, 2. Buzz greets guests, 3. A little distracted by things, 4. Not too sure about him, 5. One of the targets, 6. My hands were full with a toddler, 7. Concentrating on targets, 8. Zorg is captured, 9. Even Stitch plays

This ride was fun, but it is hard to get used to the laser guns that register points. Much more difficult to use than the technology with Toy Story Midway Mania at Hollywood Studios.

When we were exiting for the second time our eyes noticed that Buzz Lightyear was outside ~~signing~~ stamping autographs and taking photos. This was another great chance for us to ease the boys into the characters. Neither was thrilled with the idea, but they both went and no tears were shed.

From here we got right onto Walt Disney’s Caousel of Progress. In hindsight, we probably should have skipped this. Still it was sitting down and had air conditioning. The boys tolerated it and we were lucky. Next we saw that there was going to be a show at the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor soon. We parked the stroller and hopped onto line for that. This is an interactive show. While on line there are instructions on how to text message jokes in for the show. Then they involve people in the show with parts. We all loved this attraction since it was hilarious and kept everyone engaged. Here are some photos from things.

1. Actually text message in jokes, 2. Got jokes?, 3. Snacks in Montropolis

After this we looked around at a few places and went to Mickey’s Toontown Fair. Whoa baby was it crazy here. There were tons of people packed into a small area. While NHL and JL went to get on line to go on The Barnstormer at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm someone stopped by to say hello. Of all places to bump into someone from home. A mom from NHL’s school recognized me from PTA meetings and said hello. We found out that we were going to be on the same flight going home. Small world I tell you!

1. Other wise known as CRAZY land, 2. Goofy’s roller coaster, 3. Tired with Mouse ears, 4. Minnie’s House

The crowds in this area quickly scared us away. We left and went to look at a ride NHL had been nagging to go on. Unfortunately the line for Dumbo the Flying Elephant was insane. We told NHL that we would do this first thing in the morning on our next day at the Magic Kingdom. We decided to go over and see Mickey’s Philharmagic. This is another 3-D movie experience with a bunch of Disney characters involved. By this point JSL was not thrilled, but tolerated the movie and the rest of us enjoyed it. When we got out we met my parents to say hello. Then we went to Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe for lunch. This was by far our worst meal at Disney World. JL ordered a Greek salad for lunch. When it was put on my tray I noticed there was ham on it. WHAT? I have never seen a Greek salad with meat, not less ham, and it certainly did not say anything about it (the Caesar salad specifically mentioned chicken). I was too tired to say anything and brought it to JL. In hindsight one of us should have brought it back to exchange for something else since we were not at fault. *sigh*

When we were finished with lunch we walked over to It’s a Small World We wanted to do something that JSL would appreciate while he was still awake. The line moved pretty quickly and the boys amused themselves while waiting.

Both of the boys LOVED this ride. They enjoyed the boat, the song and all of the things to see. Here are some views from It’s a Small World:

Of course, I still have fond memories from my childhood on It’s A Small World. I always loved the goodbyes in different languages at the end.

At this point we decided to move in another direction. We walked over toward The Haunted Mansion. NHL was intrigued by this. JL went off to do a diaper change and while NHL and I waited on line. By the time they came back we were very close to the door of the mansion. JSL was not a happy camper when we walked into the darkness. As soon as we went into the elevator he was spooked and to cope, he went to sleep. NHL thought the ride was neat and did not seem spooked by anything.

Since JSL was sleeping at this point we decided to walk over toward Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain. Both rides that JSL could not go on. At this point in the day Splash Mountain had over an hour standby wait and the Fast Pass returns were for very late at night. Meanwhile we were shocked to see that there was hardly a wait for Big Thunder Mountain. JL went on with NHL and I received a Child Swap pass to go back on. Sleeping JSL and I went into a store nearby to stay cool. Then I noticed the big parade was about to begin. I had NHL and JL meet me over by the end of the route in Frontier Town. While JSL slept the rest of us watched Celebrations.

1. Chip, 2. Mickey and Minnie, 3. Pinocchio and Jimney , 4. Snow White, 5. Aladin, 6. Alice, 7. Cinderella’s step-family, 8. Cinderella’s mice, 9. Cinderella, 10. Ariel and Eric, 11. Donald Duck, 12. Goofy

When the parade ended the wind was really picking up. It looked like it was going to storm. NHL and I went back to Big Thunder Mountain with the Child Swap Fast Pass. They told us that we may not be able to ride, but to try. Thank goodness we were able to get on. Within 5 minutes we were off. When we found JL and JSL the little guy was up. We decided to head toward the front of the park since the sky was getting darker by the minute. On the way we stopped by to get a Fast Pass for

We figured if the weather was better we could head back to the Park after our dinner. So we managed to get to the Monorail just before it started to downpour. Of course silly us, we got on the Express Monorail. When we arrived at the transportation area we swapped to the ones that went to the resorts. My parents were already at the Contemporary, so we met up with them there. It was early for our reservations, so we shopped around some. Then we went down to where The Wave is located. They were not seating people yet, so we went to wait in the lobby. While there my mother mentioned that her toe was a lot worse. It was now oozing and throbbing. The infection was not going to clear without something stronger. Dad went to the desk at the Contemporary where they gave him the number for a pharmacy in Orlando that will deliver medications to the Disney Resorts for a $5 fee. Sweet!

We had a very nice dinner at The Wave. Our meals were very nice, the atmosphere more relaxed and the server was great with the kids. Of course this was also the night that I had my allergic reaction to walnuts that was in my dessert. When we were done with our meal we went back to the hotel since it was still raining. Mom needed to look at her foot and call the doctor, and I had to figure out something to do with my breathing.

The boys were still awake and played on the bed while I helped my mother. NHL and JSL were content with the Aqua Doodle Travel and an activity book.

Meanwhile, JL asked me how to get our cell phones to work. I told him the signal was tough and he may have to stand on his head while on the bed. Seriously it was pretty hard at times. This was his response:

Luckily he was able to get a signal and call his sister. He had to get a hold of her to find out when her surgery was scheduled for the next day. When that was done NHL and I went for a walk to meet Nana and Papa. They were trying to schedule the pharmacy delivery at the main desk. After that we went back to the room for showers and the boys went to sleep. We all fell asleep quickly and were anticipating a fun day at EPCOT on Wednesday.

Categories:
Disney family fun jl jsl looking back my boys nhl photos travel vacation

Mother’s Day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Posted on May 21, 2009 1:02 pm by TheAngelForever

Everyone was very tired after our dinner at Chef Mickey. We decided to call it an early night and head back to Pop Century. Our luggage had arrived in the room and we got the boys settled into bed. They faded quickly.

The next morning was Mother’s Day. We had planned to go to Disney Hollywood Studios. My parents went to use some snack credit on our dining plan for their breakfast. The boys and I took extra time putting sun lotion on. We opted to take some oatmeal bars for a breakfast on the move. As you can see…the lines were sparce when we arrived for the buses.

We arrived at Disney Hollywood studios an hour before the park opened. This gave us time to make a plan for when the park opened. JL was going to take all of our tickets to walk quickly to Toy Story Mania. We would make our way there to the line for a ride. It was neat seeing the park so quite before everyone was there.

They finally opened the main gate for everyone to see the spiel that they do at the opening of the day. JL made his way to the front. When the director said action, he was off to Toy Story Mania. Mom, Dad, the boys and I quickly found our way to the Pixar area. JL already had our Fast pass tickets to return, so we opted to go onto the standby line. Within 5 minutes we were on the ride. The people that designed this attraction did an amazing job taking you inside the life of the toys. You are immediately transformed into a world from Toy Story.

About the photos from top left-right and bottom left-right. 1. The entrance of Toy Story Mania, 2. Giant Candyland, 3. Monkey along the way, 4. Toy Story Mania, 5. Fabulous game/ride – Toy Story Mania, 6. Happy to try Toy Story Mania, 7. Ready to ride and play the game, 8. Nana and Papa ready to go

After riding Toy Story Mania the first time we decided to wander to the Muppets area. This took us along the back lot. Mom took a photo of the four of us and then some kind people took the only photo that we had of our entire group.

Just around the corner from NYC, we found ourselves surrounded by familiar Muppet friends. We wandered around and then went to see the show.

1. Time for the Muppets, 2. Ready for the show, 3. Glasses a bit too large, 4. Outside Muppet Vision 3D

Upon stepping out of the Muppet theater, we quickly saw that they were opening up the area to meet Lightning McQueen and Mater from the movie Cars. We waited for the photo opportunity. NHL and JSL were not too sure. We actually had to switch sides since Mater’s loud noises were really bothering the little guy.

After we said goodbye to Lightning and Mater, we went back to Toy Story Mania to ride with our Fast Pass. When the ride was over we parted ways with Nana and Papa. They went to explore the park and get a Fast Pass for Dad and I to go on the Rockin Roller Coaster. The boys and I opted to try out the Playhouse Disney Show. This was a cute show. The only negative in my mind, as an adult, is sitting on the floor scrunched next to a ton of people. It was well worth the sleepy legs since both of the boys loved seeing familiar faces.

By the time the show was over it was already time to use our Fast Pass for the Rockin’ Roller Coaster. Dad and I went on line and the boys and Nana went to get fast pass for the Tower of Terror and look for a place to have lunch. Fifteen minutes later we were off the coaster. It was absolutely amazing! It was the first time I kept my eyes open and enjoyed a coaster. It was fast, smooth, and the light show made it even more fabulous. It took us a while to get a hold of the rest of the gang. They had found a restaurant that was inside and had a decent menu. We walked over and had lunch while JSL slept.

While walking away from the restaurant after lunch something happened. I suddenly felt my glasses shift and was queasy. Sure enough the nose pad on my glasses was gone. There was no hope in finding it. This was not a good start to the vacation since I had no clue where or how to get them fixed. Papa, JL and NHL went off to the Tower of Terror. JL refused to do this on our honeymoon, but this time did not want to be out done by his five year old son.

1. The ride that NHL wanted to go on, 2. Before Tower of Terror, 3. What goes up . . .

Meanwhile my mother and I wandered with sleeping JSL to get a spot to watch the Beauty and the Beast show. This show had major memories from the last visit I had with my family. I was able to get an apple for JSL to have while waiting for the show. When the boys arrived we went to our seats and enjoyed the beautiful show. As you can imagine the boys were mesmerized and barely moved during the performance.

After the show Dad and I decided to go back on Rockin’ Roller coaster since the line was very short. This time the boys and Nana waited in the Aerosmith store for us to come out. Lucky me, since it meant that JL was able to capture the photo from our ride.

At this point there was not a lot of time before our dinner reservations at the 50’s Prime Time Cafe. We decided to walk over to the Voyage of the Little Mermaid to enjoy the show sitting in a nice air conditioned theater.

Finally it was close to dinner time. We all walked toward the restaurant. NHL stopped to see some topiaries and JSL enjoyed walking with Papa.

Our meal at the Prime Time Cafe was very good. We were on the dining plan, so each of us was able to get a beverage to start. JL, Mom and I all had Berry Smoothies, Dad had a Diet Coke Float and NHL wanted milk. The boys shared NHL’s macarroni and cheese, JL had a Tuna meal and the rest of us had an amazing salmon dish. The antics of the server are well worth the visit. We also had yummy desserts with our meals before heading out of Disney Hollywood Studios.

1. Boys trying to be sweet, 2. Back to before I was here, 3. Mother’s Day dinner, 4. Our wacky server

Rather than go right back to Pop Century we followed my parents to Downtown Disney for a little while. NHL was curious to see the monster World of Disney store and we were all curious about Goofy Candy Co.

1. The boys outside the Winnie the Pooh Store, 2. Stitch spits at you as you enter, 3. Mirror fun time, 4. Never did buy anything here

Quickly we realized it was time to go. We had been away from our room for over 12 hours and we were all getting cranky. By the time we got to our resort the boys were ready to recline in their stroller.

Then we walked back to our room in the 80’s area of Pop Century with the glow of the Rubics Cubes lighting our way.

As expected the little guy was fast asleep by the time we made it to our room.

All four of us quickly fell asleep as we caught some Z’s before our big day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Categories:
Disney family fun holidays jl jsl laughs looking back nhl photos travel vacation

Up up and away…finally on the way

Posted on May 19, 2009 11:57 am by TheAngelForever

As our first trip on an airplane neared I felt pretty at ease. The calm nature actually scared me at times since it is not like me. The Sunday before we left I had 95% of our clothing packed and ready to go. Of course, leave it to the 5% and other items to be the biggest pain.

Friday night we got the kids into bed early since we had to leave for the airport bright and early. Then the fun started. JL realized that our scanner was not working and we needed copies of the birthcertificates for the boys. Thank goodness my father bailed me out and went to the grocery store at 9:00 that night. When I got home we had all of the additinal suitcases out to get ready. I packed one, sat it up and saw something. There was a hole and I could see the contents of the luggage. Oy! Back to the drawing board it was for me.

JL and I finally went to sleep at about 1:00. Our alarm went off at 5:00 in the morning and we met my parents to head to the parking place by the airport at 6:15. We were lucky and scored online boarding passes for Group A on Southwest airlines (more to come about that in the future). By 8:30 we were on the plane and ready to go. NHL sat with Nana and Papa and JSL sat with JL and me. NHL was eager to go and had fun looking out the window:

Meanwhile JSL was busy reading the on board snack card. He was scoping out what was included on our flight.

We were very lucky and both of the boys were wonderful on their first flights. The flight attendents on our Southwest trip down were fabulous. We had one male flight attendant that kept on the microphone telling hilarious jokes. It certainly helped to break the tension of the turbulance that we experienced. The boys ate their snacks, played with toys and about 30 minutes before we landed this is what JSL looked like:

After landing we made our way to the Magical Express area. This is the bus that guests of the Disney Resorts may take. We opted to allow them to collect our checked luggage and bring it to our rooms. After over an hour and a half we were on a bus heading to Pop Century – our resort of choice. We checked in and were told that the rooms would not be ready for 2 hours. We went and had lunch at the hotel and called an hour later to find that everything was set. I went off to get the stroller that we rented from Orlando Stroller Rentals. It was waiting for us at Baggage Check and had amazing instructions included (kuddos to Shannon for a classy act).

We dropped our things off at the room and went to the Magic Kingdom. We had about an hour before we had to head to the Contemporary Resort for our 5:30 reservations at Chef Mickey. During that time we wandered around Main Street, got the boys 1st Visit buttons, took some photos, and saw the show in front of the castle. Just a taste of the magic for the boys who were melting in the 98 degree weather that greeted us in Orlando.

Then we opted to walk to the Contemporary for dinner. Along the way we saw beautiful palm trees which really made us feel like we were in Florida.

More from our Chef Mickey experience and more coming soon!

Categories:
Disney fun jsl milestone nhl photos travel vacation

The original Disney fanatics in the family

Posted on May 17, 2009 6:54 pm by TheAngelForever

Growing up I went to Disney World almost every year. My parents were huge Disney fanatics and wanted all of us to have a special vacation each year. Of course, they claimed it was for my brother and me, but let’s be honest they wanted to have fun as well. Our recent trip was the first time JL and I took the boys to Disney World. It was only fitting that Nana and Papa go along with us. They went to celebrate special birthdays and to see their grandsons experience the Disney magic for the first time.

Before I get into posting about everything from our trip (still tons of photos to go through), I wanted to take a minute and thank my parents. Thank you for not only making me the huge Disney fan that I am, but thank you for experiencing the magic with us this past week. The boys and I were so glad to have you there during most of the day and each evening for our special dinners. It was so amazing seeing not only NHL and JSL’s faces, but also yours as you watched your grandchildren becoming little Disney fanatics of their own.

Categories:
Disney family fun jsl looking back milestone photos travel vacation

Back from the House of Mouse

Posted on May 16, 2009 6:50 pm by TheAngelForever

This morning we were up at an obscene hour, had breakfast at our Disney Resort and by 7:45 were on the Magical Express toward our airplane home. There is so much to tell and share from our magical week long vacation.

For now, I wanted to give a glimpse of one of the photos that we had taken the first evening at the park. It is hard to believe that this was taken just over a week ago before we had our first Walt Disney World meal at Chef Mickey.

JL and I had a wonderful time watching the boys take in their first Disney World experience. It was also fun watching the boys interact with Nana and Papa who also came along. In short we had a wonderful time. Many stories to share, tips to give and a few whines to mention. Of course before that the boys must get into the tub and tucked into their beds. Then it will be time to sort through our thousands of photos.