2belles'mom
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2000
Shortly before 7 I rolled the girls and David out of bed. We loaded the girls in the double stroller and took the elevator down to the 4th floor where we met the rest of the gang. We were on the monorail to the MK by 8, and through the turnstiles by 8:10. My Dad picked up an electric vehicle for my mother, and we were in business!
I love arriving at such an early timeâÂÂthe rides are not open, but Main Street is, and you have the place to yourself. It is so nice to take pictures of your family with the castle in the background and have no one else around! We went to the Main Street Bake Shop and got bananas, bagels, apple struedel, coffee and milk. We then headed to the adventureland bridge by the Crystal Palace and positioned ourselves by the rope. At 9:00 the official opening announcement came over the PA systemâÂÂmagical in itself! Then the CMs took the rope and walked us toward Frontierland. Near Liberty Square we were handed off to another group of CMs who reminded us again to walk, not run, and to not get ahead of them. They escorted us to Splash Mountain and we rode (my mom kept Annika and watched from the sidelines). Katja and Riley loved it; they both took great delight in the âÂÂbig drop.â Katja had been too short to ride last year, but she passed the stick test with no problem. Later she would say this was her favorite ride. It was a great ride for RileyâÂÂs WDW initiation.
After Splash we hopped over to Big Thunder. Again, no wait. Everyone loved this one too, and we rode it twice in a row with no line. I had missed it last year, so I was particularly excited. It was great. The attention to detail was superb (loved the guy in the bathtub!). Next we walked onto Jungle Cruise (not a hint of a line), then Pirates of the Carribbean (no lineâÂÂempty boats!). We wandered through Swiss Family Robinson Tree House, and Riley purchased a pistol. I had Enchanted Tiki Birds on the itinerary, but Steve protested so we dropped it and did the Haunted Mansion instead (no line).
It was about lunch time so we made our way to Tomorrowland, got Fast Passes for Buzz Lightyear (there were significant lines for everything in Tomorowland by now) and had lunch at Cosmic RayâÂÂs. The rotissirie chicken was pretty good. We rode Buzz and as expected, Riley loved it. Katja was also happy since we had skipped it at MVMCP. After lunch David wanted to go back to room and nap the girls. I was not ready to go yet, so he took Anmika and Katja and I caught a raft with the rest of the gang to Tom Sawyer Island. It is such a neat place! Riley had not heard the story of Tom Sawyer and was fascinated as he learned it. Katja got spooked in the caves and in the escape tunnel at the Fort (silly, she seemed unflappable by just about everything else!).
At about 1:30 we were ready to go back to DxL for a swim. Mom and Dad stayed in MK so they could shop. We caught the monorail to CR, where we discovered that we did not have a car key. Steve, Sarah and Riley did not have suits either, so we scrapped our swimming plans and rented water mice at the CR marinaâÂÂgreat fun!. After that caught the launch to Wilderness Lodge to check it our. Steve fell in love with the place and decided we would stay there on our next tripâÂÂno argument from me! We hooked up with Mom and Dad again, and after a relaxing drink poolside made plans to meet for dinner at Boatwrights, then went our separate ways until then. We tried to give Katja a nap in our room at CR, but no luck. In retrospect I should have sent her to DxL with Riley to swim as this was the last warm day of our trip to Orlando.
We all met at DxL at about 7. Katja had a total meltown when she realized she would not be swimming in the DxL pool, but was appeased somewhat when Sarah invited her to spend the night with them on the pull-out turndle bed. Dinner at Boatwrights was okay, but we seemed to be right in the middle of a main thoroughfare so it was noisy and distracting. After dinner we all headed to our roomsâÂÂtomorrow was MK early entry!!
NextâÂÂEarly Entry at MK, and the VillainâÂÂs Dinner!
2belles'mom
I love arriving at such an early timeâÂÂthe rides are not open, but Main Street is, and you have the place to yourself. It is so nice to take pictures of your family with the castle in the background and have no one else around! We went to the Main Street Bake Shop and got bananas, bagels, apple struedel, coffee and milk. We then headed to the adventureland bridge by the Crystal Palace and positioned ourselves by the rope. At 9:00 the official opening announcement came over the PA systemâÂÂmagical in itself! Then the CMs took the rope and walked us toward Frontierland. Near Liberty Square we were handed off to another group of CMs who reminded us again to walk, not run, and to not get ahead of them. They escorted us to Splash Mountain and we rode (my mom kept Annika and watched from the sidelines). Katja and Riley loved it; they both took great delight in the âÂÂbig drop.â Katja had been too short to ride last year, but she passed the stick test with no problem. Later she would say this was her favorite ride. It was a great ride for RileyâÂÂs WDW initiation.
After Splash we hopped over to Big Thunder. Again, no wait. Everyone loved this one too, and we rode it twice in a row with no line. I had missed it last year, so I was particularly excited. It was great. The attention to detail was superb (loved the guy in the bathtub!). Next we walked onto Jungle Cruise (not a hint of a line), then Pirates of the Carribbean (no lineâÂÂempty boats!). We wandered through Swiss Family Robinson Tree House, and Riley purchased a pistol. I had Enchanted Tiki Birds on the itinerary, but Steve protested so we dropped it and did the Haunted Mansion instead (no line).
It was about lunch time so we made our way to Tomorrowland, got Fast Passes for Buzz Lightyear (there were significant lines for everything in Tomorowland by now) and had lunch at Cosmic RayâÂÂs. The rotissirie chicken was pretty good. We rode Buzz and as expected, Riley loved it. Katja was also happy since we had skipped it at MVMCP. After lunch David wanted to go back to room and nap the girls. I was not ready to go yet, so he took Anmika and Katja and I caught a raft with the rest of the gang to Tom Sawyer Island. It is such a neat place! Riley had not heard the story of Tom Sawyer and was fascinated as he learned it. Katja got spooked in the caves and in the escape tunnel at the Fort (silly, she seemed unflappable by just about everything else!).
At about 1:30 we were ready to go back to DxL for a swim. Mom and Dad stayed in MK so they could shop. We caught the monorail to CR, where we discovered that we did not have a car key. Steve, Sarah and Riley did not have suits either, so we scrapped our swimming plans and rented water mice at the CR marinaâÂÂgreat fun!. After that caught the launch to Wilderness Lodge to check it our. Steve fell in love with the place and decided we would stay there on our next tripâÂÂno argument from me! We hooked up with Mom and Dad again, and after a relaxing drink poolside made plans to meet for dinner at Boatwrights, then went our separate ways until then. We tried to give Katja a nap in our room at CR, but no luck. In retrospect I should have sent her to DxL with Riley to swim as this was the last warm day of our trip to Orlando.
We all met at DxL at about 7. Katja had a total meltown when she realized she would not be swimming in the DxL pool, but was appeased somewhat when Sarah invited her to spend the night with them on the pull-out turndle bed. Dinner at Boatwrights was okay, but we seemed to be right in the middle of a main thoroughfare so it was noisy and distracting. After dinner we all headed to our roomsâÂÂtomorrow was MK early entry!!
NextâÂÂEarly Entry at MK, and the VillainâÂÂs Dinner!
2belles'mom
