Florida ‘99

Florida, Nov
-Dec 1999

Day 5 – Islands of Adventure

We
were up early today and on the way by 8.30am, arriving at Islands of Adventure
about 9.15am. We parked in the multi-storey carpark and walked (a long
way) to the entrance. Already the day was starting to get warm.

First the guys went on the Hulk Rollercoaster,
which they loved and got a fast pass to come back later (though they didn’t
end up using it). They next rode the tower ride, which they went on twice.
We were going to go on Spiderman but there was a 30 mins wait, so we decided
to come back later (big mistake – later wait was 90mins).

We
then did the wet rides. Did the rapids first – Kev, Leanne and Noel rode,
then me, Kev and Noel. It was nice to get wet and cool down. We all loved
this ride and was a good length. Next the others went on the log ride.
I stayed with Amy who was asleep in her pram. It was nice just to sit and
watch the passing parade. Funny thing was they got wetter on this ride
(and I told them the other ride was the wetter ride – oh well).

From here we did Jurrasic Park. Kevin, Noel
and I went first, after having Churros in the waiting line. Noel had been
dying to go on this ride, and loved it. Kev and I had been on it in LA.
The guys then went on with Leanne, while I sat in the shade (it was very,
very hot) and fed Amy.

We then did Triceratops Encounter, which we
thought was a waste of time, but kids who are really into dinos would propably
love it.

We had lunch in the café about the Dino
Museum. I had a grilled chicken sandwich and chips – which were quite nice.

Next was Duelling Dragons. Leanne opted out
of this one and waited with Amy in the shade. After lining up in the dark,
confined tunnel (can you tell I didn’t like this) we rode Fire. It was
great, awesome, excellent….need I go on. The guys then went on Ice – I
would have if I didn’t have to line up again, and voted Ice the better
coaster. They were totally spun out about how close the coaster pass (I
hadn’t even noticed when on the ride).

By now the park is very busy and extreamly
hot. We tried to see Simbad’s show but Amy is asleep in her stroller, so
we decide to come back later (since no strollers are allowed in). The line
for Posidean’s Fury is 40 mins wait so we give this a miss as well.

As we arrive in Suess Landing Amy wakes up
so we take her on the carousal, which she enjoys. Everything else in SL
had long lines so we continue onto Port of Entry where we get some Ice
Creams and sit in the shade to eat them. We all enjoy this refreshing break,
especially Amy who really loves her ice cream.

Hulk is no longer issuing fast passes and the
line are too long, so the guys miss out on having another ride. The wait
for Spiderman in 90mins so we pass on that as well. Instead we catch the
boat back across to Jurassic Park and go the see the Simbad show. We were
at the back of the theatre but enjoyed this show.

The lines in Suess Landing are still really
long so we decide to wander home, checking out the shops on the way. It
is a really, really, really long walk back to the car and we think they
must have stretched the route since the morning.

We arrive home about 7pm and have tomato soup
and pasta with tomato sauce for dinner.

Day 6 – Kennedy Space Centre

We
left home about 8am and arrived at Kennedy Space Centre just after 9am.
Amy was hungry so I sat near the playground and fed her while the others
looked through the rocket garden. While we waited for them to come back
Amy played on the slippery slide and bouncy space shuttle, which she really
enjoyed.

We browsed through the shops, spent quite a
bit of money, show one of the presentations, then went to the IMAX.
We saw the one of MIR, which was a really good choice. Amy was asleep in
the pram but the attendent let us take it in. I sat near the front, where
I could watch the pram, the other sat further back. We all enjoyed the
film and Amy woke up towards the end.

We had lunch in the café. I had a yummy
Chicken and Veg Pot Pie.

We
then did the tour. We had to leave the stroller so Amy went into the sling
(don’t know what we would have done without it on this day). The whole
tour took us about 3.5 hours to see everything. The highlight for me being
the launch pad (away off in the distance) where a shuttle was (around
the other side so you couldn’t see it) ready for a launch on the 9th December.

We ended up leaving about 5.30pm after a very
full, but enjoyable day. We did, however, get lost on the way home. We
brought in Pizza for dinner, which was very yummy and I did some laundry
before going to bed.

Day 7 – EPCOT

Our second day at EPCOT was better than
the first. We rode Spaceship Earth first – everyone enjoyed this. Next
we got a fast pass for Test Track, then it was Ellen’s Energy Adventure.
I really, really loved this. Very funny. I think it was one of my favourites,
probably because I didn’t have any expectations.

We then did Body Wars – I didn’t mind it but
didn’t think it was wonderful. Did the baby swap and Amy made friends with
the CM. One thing that really impressed about the Americans was how friendly
they were to Amy. And everywhere we went she was fussed over.

After this we went back to Test Track. Noel
wasn’t feeling very good after Body Wars (he’d ridden twice) so he and
Leanne waited with Amy. Kevin and I loved this. It was really good fun,
especially the part where you go really fast. (In hindsight, I think it’s
best to go on this one before Rock N Roller Coaster).

Amy and I split from the other here. We went
shopping in the Mickey shop (and got the parcels sent to parcel pick-up),
they went to Innoventions, but weren’t very impressed. The fact that they
are both into computers/technology probably didn’t help.

The day was getting warm and we wandered over
to the Land Pavillion. Saw Food Rocks, which we all, except Kevin, thought
was very cute. Amy slept in her sling.

Then did the Living in the Land boat ride.
It was quite nice, though Kev and I have been on a bigger, better version
in Australia.

Then,
one of the highlights of the holiday, lunch at the Rose N Crown. It is
so beautifully decorated, and did indeed make me feel like I was back in
Britain. And it is in such a lovely position on the lagoon. It was a lovely
warm day with clear blue skies – talk about magic. To top it off we were
served by a Scottish girl from Strathhaven.

I had Prime Rib with Yorkshire Pudding. Kevin
had Bangers and Mash with Yorkshire Pudding. Leanne had Fish and Chips,
can’t remember what Noel had. We all had something different and all loved
what we had, though the puddings weren’t as nice as what I make.

We even indulged in desert here. I had a lemon
something, which was really yummy. Kevin had the special – a Chocolate
Epcot Ball with choc moouse. Looked great but he didn’t really enjoy it.
It was really the perfect lunch and we all thoroughly enjoyed it.

From here we went to Mexico. The hall is lovely
with all the shops, the boat ride was okay. The resturant looked beautiful
(like the one in Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland).

After
this we lined up for the 4pm Tapestry of Nations parades. What can I say?
It was so beautiful, spectacular, amazing. Amy and I loved it, Kevin enjoyed
it but not as much as did. The only downside was we were standing in the
sun and it was very hot. We saw some of the parade later in the evening
but were really glad we had seen the day one – the costumes and colours
show up much better.

The Norway ride was quite good, we had a 15min
wait. We looked through the shops in Germany, but it was rather busy so
we didn’t linger. While we were looking at the miniture trains/town a real
rabbit bounded down the train track – it looked pretty funny – like “giant
bunny attacks town”.

We then went to the American pavillion. While
waiting for the show I nursed Amy and then let her have a little crawl
around on the floor since there weren’t many people around. The film was
okay, but not as good as I’d expected.

We lined up for the Candlelight Processional
but only stayed for a few songs. It was okay, but again not what we’d expected
and there was still much left to see to spend time at something we
weren’t really enjoying.

We went through Millenium Village. It was crowded
and we were tired, and not very impressed. The guys really wanted to see
Ice Station Cool (I had told them all about it) but it was closed (it was
about 7pm). We went to Living Seas but I waited outside with Amy (she and
I had had enough and really just wanted to go home). The others went in
but after waiting for quite some time was told the lift was broken.

By this time we’d all had quite enough – it
had been a very long day, so we picked up my parcels and headed home. We
bought in McDonald’s dinner which I ate in bed at about 9.30pm with Amy
asleep beside me.

Day 8 – Shopping & Chef Mickey’s

Had a bit of a sleep in today and met for
breakfast at 9am, then left for the Outlet Malls. The guys dropped us off
at 10am and went in search of Electronic stores, while Leanne and I shopped
for clothes. I bought lots of clothes for Amy at both Osh Kosh (the prices
are sooo cheap compared to Australia) and Baby Gap. We went to one of the
smaller outlet malls and had just gotten around all the shops when the
guys came back for us at 11.30am. From here we went to Belz Outlet Mall
to visit the Disney stores. We were a bit disapointed here though, we had
probably expected too much. I think if you had to buy t-shirts for friends/family
this is the place to come.

Next we headed to the Florida Mall. We had
lunch in the food court – I had a yummy Santa Fe Wrap and curly fries.
I fed Amy, then changed her. We split from Leanne and Noel and agreed to
meet up with them at 5pm. Kevin and I had a ball here. We bought over half
a dozen DVD’s and CD’s in the music shop. I got some walking sandles from
Walking Co, Christmas tree decorations from the Hallmark shop, jeans for
Amy from Gaps Kids, a couple of books in Baldenbooks. We made Amy a Build
your Own Bear which was fun – I’ve never seen anything like this before.
On our travels we met Leanne and Noel and they had already finished shopping.
But not us, we never even made it to the department stores. Amy managed
to have about ½ hours sleep as we shopped and at 5.30pm we headed
back to the apartment to drop off our shopping.

Then it was on the Contemporary Hotel for dinner
at Chef Mickey’s. We arrived in the car park just as the Magic Kingdom
fireworks were going off, and Amy was asleep in the car, so we stayed to
watch them. It was another of those special moments.

Our
booking for Chef Mickey’s was for 8.15pm. We arrived at 7.45 and asked
how long we’d have to wait. Instead of saying we wouldn’t get in to 8.15pm,
they told us to get our photo taken and then sit and wait. It was a shame,
because if they had told us to come back later we would have checked out
the hotel foyer or gone for a ride in the monorail. It was a shame but
we still enjoyed our meal. We had fun meeting the characters – Amy was
very tired and only liked Mickey, when Minnie came over she started to
cry and try to get out of her high chair. Chip and Dale didn’t fair much
better, though as the night wore on she got a bit more used to them. The
napkin twirling was fun and we all enjoyed our food including lamb, yummy
mashed potatoes, vegies, pineapple fried rice, and delicious chocolate
cake. We ended up buying the photos (2 large and two small magnets for
US$25.00). It was a wonderful night, though late – we didn’t leave until
nearly 10pm – goodness, how time flies when you’re having fun.

Day 9 – MGM

We
arrived at the MGM Studios about 9am, only to find that Leanne and Noel
had forgotten to bring their tickets. So Kevin and Noel had to go back
to the apartment to get them. Leanne, Amy and I went in, got fast passes
for Tower of Terror and wandered through the shops. I was very impressed
with this park – it has a real nice feel to it.

The guys got back about 10am and went back
to Tower of Terror. Kevin and I went on first – oh boy, this was fantastic.
We then went on again with Leanne, who also loved it.

Next was Rock N Roller Coaster for Kevin and
myself. Now this was excellent and I think I’d have to say my favourite
ride. I had wanted to ride again later in the day but we ran of time.

Amy was asleep in the pram so the other went
in to wait for the Beauty and The Beast Show, while I waited with Amy.
She woke before the show started so I put her in the sling and went into
the watch the show. This was cute, but you really need to know the movie/stage
show I think.

The day was getting on so we headed to other
side of the park to the Toy Story Pizza Planet for lunch. Very yummy –
Disney sure know how to make nice pizzas.

We
then saw Muppets 3D. This is cute and funny, we liked this a lot. It also
brought back a lot of childhood memories. And the pre-show film was excellent.

Next was the backlot tour. This was okay but
nothing special compared to Universal. We also went on the Great Movie
Ride, which was also okay.

Amy and I wanted to see the Mulan Parade (I
loved the movie) but the other didn’t. So we sat curbside. The parade was
okay but not as good as the others. Amy was given a fan, which she had
fun playing with. The problem I had was that I lot of areas were non-stroller
areas so I had to leave the stroller and walk to where I wanted to sit.
Luckily I had the sling for Amy. I don’t really understand why they did
this.

While we were watching the parade the other
did the Drew Carey Sound thing – which they enjoyed. Kevin said it would
have been no good for Amy so I was glad we hadn’t bothered.

From here we went to the Indiana Jones Show.
The first part was great but I don’t know why they bothered with the whole
“making a movie” idea. And the whole thing was a bit predictable.

It was getting late now and we were all a bit
too tired to do the Animation Tour. It had also turned really cold, and
we were not dressed for it (only had light jackets to put on). We went
to get a snack and try and get warm at the ABC Commissionary. We had chips
and hot chocolates. It was nice but the service was unbelievably slow.

Now,
another highlight – the Osbourne Lights. They were fantastic. Everyone,
including Amy, loved it. The cold night probably added to the experience
and it meant that it wasn’t too far fetched for it to be snowing. Amy loved
the snow and tried to catch it in her hands. This is a not to be missed
experience.

I was so tired by this time and Amy was trying
to sleep but the Noel wanted to ride ToT, since he had missed out in the
morning. So they went off to do that while I walked Amy (now asleep) through
the shops.

Back at the apartment I had Taco Bell again
for dinner (tacos were very nice), Leanne and Noel had KFC and Kev had
nothing. We put Amy to sleep in the bed by herself while we had dinner,
she was so flaked out. The rest of us followed shortly after at 8.30pm.
The long days were starting to catch up with us.

Day 10 – Magic Kingdom

It’s
our last day. We arrived at the Magic Kingdom just after 9am. Another very
cold day, we are all rugged up as we catch the ferry across to the main
gates. As a special treat we have breakfast at Tony’s Town Square. I had
the Italian Toast (very yummy), Kevin had waffles, Noel an omelette and
Leanne a bagel with Cream Cheese. We all enjoyed it. And the cimmamon rolls
they bought around were delicous.

Now
it was time for Amy to have her first hair cut in the barbershop. The barber
was very nice and Amy a perfect little angel, she just kept trying to see
what this man was doing behind her. She got a certificate and Mickey ears
with “First Haircut” written on the back, and a clipping of her hair for
US$12.00. It was very special – there won’t be too many children
in Australia who can say they had their first haircut at Disneyworld.

After
this we had a family photos taken in the sleighs near the barbershop. One
of these became our Christmas cards this year. From here we went
to Fantasy Land and waited 20 mins to go on Peter Pans Flight (not worth
it if you ask me but we’d been on it before). We split up with Leanne and
Noel and took Amy on It’s a Small World, which she enjoyed. We then went
to the Xmas Bear Jamberee (I fed Amy in the waited area), and Pirates of
the Carribean (it was okay, but we like the one at Disneyland better).

We went back to Fantasyland and waited 30mins
for Pooh’s ride. Amy was asleep in her sling (on Kevin) in the line and
woke up just as we got on the ride. I was glad, since we went on for her
as much as ourselves. We all enjoyed this ride – it was very cute.

At 2.15pm we met up with Leanne and Noel. They
had already had lunch but we hadn’t so we all went to Cosmic ray again.
This time I had Chicken and Mashed Potatoes – very yummy.

The others rode Space Mountain again while
I waited with Amy. The day had warmed up and it was nice to sit in the
sun. We were going to leave when Kevin spotted the Transit Authority so
we went on that. It was okay for the view and it was nice to sit and relax.
We took the railroad from Toontown (disspointing compared to Disneyland)
to Main Street. The 3pm parade was on so it was good we hadn’t tried to
walk it. I went to Town Hall to see if my jacket had been handed in (I’d
lost it earlier), and it had so that was great.

We said farewell to the Magic Kingdom for this
trip (we will be back some day) and headed to Downtown Disney for some
serious shopping at World of Disney. I spent US$365. Leanne and Noel
had been going to buy a watch but they were out of stock so they ended
up catching a bus back to the MK. After our shopping I fed Amy in the car
and she promptly fell asleep.

Kevin and I had dinner at IHOP and amazingly
Amy slept in her pram the whole time – poor baby, she must be really worn
out. Kevin had a hamburger and I had Philly Cheese Steak. It cost US$15
+ $5 tip and was really lovely, quiet meal.

We arrived back at the apartment about 7.30pm
and put Amy, still asleep, straight to bed. I started to pack some of our
many souveniers, had some Key Lime Pie (Yummo) for desert, wrote some post
cards and went to sleep about 9.30pm.

Day 11

Up at 7.30am to meet Leanne and Noel for our last
breakfast together, then back to our room to pack. We left about 11am to
visit the grocery store one last time, then went back to Blizzard Beach
(Kevin’s water proof wallet had broken and he loved it so much he wanted
to get some spares). We dropped Leanne and Noel at Downtown Disney and
said our farewells. They had one more night in Orlando before flying back
to Australia. We were on our way to Miami for our Carribean Cruise.

*** I have so many wonderful memories of Disney
and I’m so glad we took Amy - now I’ll always remember what she was like
at 9 1/2 months of age. I’d like to take this opportunity to say a big
THANKYOU to all the people who participate
on the boards at the Disney
Information Station - you all helped make this trip a huge success.

Florida ‘99

Florida, Nov -Dec
1999

21st November - Travelling

We left Sydney at 12.30pm Sunday 21st November.
We were able to fly business class and had a basinet for Amy. The flight
was uneventful – Kevin watched a few movies, I played with Amy and read
a little. Amy slept on my chest for a while, which made it difficult for
me to sleep.

We arrived in L.A. early morning and had a
three-hour wait for our flight to Orlando. It was nice to stretch our legs
and Amy got to have a crawl around on the floor. We tried to feed her but
she was mucking up and knocked the jar onto the floor, sending food flying
onto Kevin, the wall, and the carpet. Luckily it cleaned up okay.

On our flight to Orlando we travelled in economy
and had a seat for Amy, into which we placed her car seat. She slept for
about half of the three-hour flight so I was able to do a bit of reading.
We were very pleased with how she travelled on both flights, as were our
fellow passengers – a number of whom commented on how good and happy she
was (which we were repeatedly told throughout our trip).

We landed in Orlando about 6pm. The airport
here is beautiful and I would love to have had a chance to investigate
it more thoroughly. We caught the monorail over, collected our luggage
and made our way to Dollar to collect our mini-van. With extra insurances
the car ended up costing as about US$800 for 11 days. Luckily there was
no extra charge to return it to Miami.

So it’s off to the car and onto our apartment.
It took Kevin a little while to get used to the car and driving on the
other side of the road, but never once did he try to drive in the other
lane.

We finally arrived at the Hawthorn Suites
and checked into our room. It was very nice, but not what I had expected.
Firstly we had two double beds, not a King, which meant I had to sleep
with Amy in one bed, Kevin in the other, and instead of a fully equipped
kitchen as we know them in Australia, it was just a small kitchenette with
hot plates, microwave, and limited equipment. We did however manage to
get a room next to Leanne and Noel (who had flown in from New York that
morning).

The pool and breakfast room at the Hawthorn Suites

It was getting late now and we all a little
hungry so we bundled back into the car and headed to the local Taco Bell
and KFC, which we took back to our room to eat. I think we finally went
to bed about 10pm, tired and exhausted but ready to hit EPCOT tomorrow.

Day 1 - 22nd Nov, 1999

It was off to a slow start this morning. We had
breakfast from the buffet at the hotel and then set off to get groceries
about 9am. We got just a little bit lost and ended up at the end of International
Drive

when we wanted to be in other direction, and
not even on I-Drive. Anyway, we finally found the Super Walmart. Couldn’t
get over how big it was, even the shopping trolleys were huge. Anyway,
since our apartment didn’t have an oven we had to search for suitable foods
to cook for dinner. I also picked up a lot of things to take home - products
that we can’t get in Australia. We were there for about an hour and a half
and spent over US$100.00.

From there it was back to the apartment to
unpack the groceries, then off to EPCOT. We had planned to be there at
12pm but didn’t arrive until 2pm. We had some photos taken out the front,
then went to the Land Pavillion to get some lunch at the Sunshine Season
Food Court. Leanne and I had yummy baked potatoes with brocolli and cheese.
Can’t remember what the guys had, only that it was expensive.

Next stop was catching the friendship boat
across the lagoon to the American Pavillion. I could hear some great music
- later found out it was Off Kilter. The show at the American Pavillion
wasn’t for another hour so went to the Japanese Pavillion. None of us really
liked this, or the Morocan Pavillion. By this time the guys were making
little remarks about my planning. And I definitely know now we should have
done something more fun first. Oh well, live and learn. We did enjoy
the film in France. At the end the CM came and took Amy up to the front
while he gave his little speech. We he bought her back he gave her “her
first french kiss” to use his words.

We walked passed the Millenium Village but
didnt’ go on - that’s on the list for another day. We checked out the shops
in UK. Our last two trips have been to the UK so we didn’t buy anything
here but I loved how it is set out. It looks beautiful. Next was Canada.
Amy slept in her sling through the film, which we all enjoyed.

It was late afternoon now and Kevin was not
having as much fun as he thought he should at WDW, so we headed back into
Future World and onto Journey Into Imagination. We lined up for 30mins
for this and while is was okay, we all agreed it wasn’t really worth the
wait. Next was HISTA. Amy was tired and trying to sleep through this and
with all the screaming (thanks to the DIS boards I knew what was coming
up) I ended up leaving towards the end. The others were spun out by this
movie.

We had a 6.15pm booking at Le Celliers and
we were late getting there. We debated not going but everyone agreed to
go since I had heard it was so good. Amy needed to be fed so I sat outside
and fed her while the others went inside. This is one of my favourite memories
of WDW. It was dark and all the lights were on, hardly anyone was
around and it was lovely and quiet as I nursed Amy. As the days went by
I was really glad I was nursing Amy since it forced me to stop and smell
the roses, so to

speak.

The restaurant is beautiful. Leanne and tried
the Cheddar Soup and quite enjoyed it, though it was little salty for our
tastes. Everyone loved the pretzel bread. I also had a Cesear Salad which
was very nice. Kevin had the Surf’ n’ Turf. He said it was yummy but we
all nearly died when we saw the size of the meal. Very, very small serve
for the price, US$35.00

Because we were late to dinner we missed Tapestry
of Nations and went straight to line up for Imagination, near the UK pavillion.
We had Beaver Tails with strawberries and cream while we waited - very
yummy and very messy.

Waiting to see Illuminations

We all loved Illuminations and had a great
view (we were up against the railing). Unfortunately Amy was trying to
sleep in the sling and the noise kept waking her up. After the show we
sat around for a while to let the crowds go, then we browsed through some
shops, then waited to see our photos. After a good 30 min wait we didn’t
buy them. We some other people’s photos that were taken at night, and they
looked heaps more impressive. We might get some more taken if we are here
another night.

Anyway, weary and exhausted to catch the trolley
back to the car, then back to the hotel, which is a 20min drive, not 5
mins as advertised. We all crash back at the apartment.

Day 2 – Magic Kingdom

We
had aimed to arrive at the MK at 9am but didn’t get there until 9.30. We
caught the ferry to the Ticket and Transport Centre and it was exciting
to see the hotels I’d heard about, then see Cinderella’s Castle rising
up – it is really beautiful. It was nothing like I had expected.

Once we were inside the gates we headed to
Tomorrow Land and Alien Encounter.

We did a baby swap here – I waited with Amy
while the others went on, then I went on with Kevin. Don’t know I really
liked this – a bit creepy for me. Overall we agreed it was “okay”. I can
see why this would scare younger children.

We then went and got fast passes for Space
Mountain. Next was Buzz Lightyear – which was pretty cool. I had Amy in
the sling and managed to score 105,000 holding Amy and taking some video
at the same time – I have no idea how. Kevin got 120,000. It was good fun.
Leanne and Noel managed to ride this again later in the week.

By this time the park was starting to get crowded
so we went to Timekeeper. The other lined up and I sat down and fed Amy
in the foyer. We quite enjoyed this – very similar to the France film.

Time to ride Space Mountain. We did the baby
swap again. Leanne and Noel rode first, then Kevin and I. We had a few
problems with the baby swap – Cast members not really knowing what we were
supposed to do, but it was never a really big deal.

We all enjoyed SM, though I don’t think it’s
as good as the one at Disneyland. Then again I didn’t even like MK and
much as DL (except the castle) probably because I’m more familiar with
DL.

I change Amy’s nappy in the Ladies (I never
ended up visiting the baby change room) which is very crowded just before
lunch and there isn’t a lot of room but we manage.

Time for some lunch at Cosmic Rays. I had
Soup and Half Sandwich (very nice) and Kevin had a sub.

We wonder into Fantasy Land, which is very
crowded (we are used to Disneyland in the off-season). We just do It’s
a Small World with Amy asleep in the sling. It’s Noel’s first time on this
ride and I don’t know that he was very impressed. Kevin and I have always
liked it and will come again when Amy’s awake.

Time to line up for the 3pm parade. It’s 2.10pm and all the good spots
in Main Street are taken (it’s a hot day and we want to get in the shade).
We find a spot in Frontier Land (opposite the Liberty Tavern). Amy and
I go curbside while the other sit on a raised concrete edging. While we
wait we have an Ice Cream (Amy’s first – she loves it), then Lemonade Ice’s
because it’s so warm. The parade is wonderful. Amy loved it and took everything
in. One the bright coloured fishes came right up to her.

Next is the Haunted Mansion. We waited about
10 – 15 mins carrying Amy (about the only time we didn’t use the sling).
We all enjoyed this. We then took the long way around to find the toilets
(noticed no line up at Lion King Show) . Visited the Christmas Shop but
didn’t find anything very exciting.

Back around to Lion King. All liked this.
While we were in line Amy made friends with another baby, then went to
sleep in the show.

About 5.30pm we decide to head by the Main
Street shops, then home. I stop to fed Amy on a bench in Main Street (decide
it would be a great spot for the Main Street Electric Parade). Appreciate
the beautiful gardens – would love to have a better look, but never get
the chance.

We buy some earings for Amy (for when she gets
her ears pierced), but the shops are crowded so we decide to shop later.
We do however find an unclaimed Mickey balloons, which after checking no
kids are looking for it, attach to Amy’s pram. She loves it. We catch the
Monorail back to the TTC, then the tram to the car and arrive back home
about 6.30pm. Dinner tonight is Lasagne and Caesar salad. Then time for
a swim – the pool is beautiful and it’s as warm as a bath. Amy had a great
time. After ice cream back in the room it’s to bed about 10pm and straight
off to sleep.

Day 3 – Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom

I
woke up at 6.15am and left Kevin and Amy to sleep while I get ready. When
they wake up we met Leanne and Noel (who have already had breakfast) at
leave for Animal Kingdom, arriving about 7.30. We are all very impressed
with the grounds, landscaping and attention to detail. But we don’t have
time to linger and I make everyone get a move on to Bugs Life. After winding
our way along the path (which goes forever and ever) we make it to the
entrance. I cannot even begin to imagine waiting for as long the path indicates
you might have to wait. We missed leaving the pram at the correct spot,
but a CM takes it for us. We enjoyed the film but wouldn’t rave over it
and wouldn’t want to wait too long to see it.

Next is Safari – we decide to wait the 25 mins
instead of getting a FP. Quite enjoyed it – saw a number of animals. By
now the park was getting very hot (can’t imagine what it’s like in summer)
and busy. We go to Dinoland. I get a bagel and Kevin a muffin from the
Dino Diner for breakfast. I had thought this was a café, not a caravan
– oh, well. We eat on the way to Countdown to Extinction. Did a baby swap
(don’t bother with FP since it’s not a long wait). Kevin and I go first,
then Leanne, Noel and Kevin. Quite enjoyed this. Don’t know why but I don’t
seem to be enjoying things as much as I used to – maybe it’s because I’m
looking after Amy as well this trip, I don’t know.

We planned to go to Tarzan Rocks next but the
line was really long. We had hoped to get back late, but never made it.
We had wanted to go on the boats but they didn’t seem to be running.

Next was Asia. We got a FP for River Rapids
and went to the Bird Show. I fed Amy while we were here. The show was going
really until the Owl refused to go back inside. After trying to get him
back for about 15 mins they cancelled the show. They did bring the falcon
out for us to see though.

Back
to River Rapids. Amy was tired, so Leanne stayed with her while we rode.
This is a fun ride. We took our shoes off and put waterproof jackets around
our waists so our backsides didn’t get wet. We still got pretty drenched
though – which was fine since it was so hot. Our only complaint – the ride
is much too short. We would have gone on again if the line had been shorter.

Well, the day was getting on and we realize
we need to see the next show of the Lion King so we hot foot it across
to Camp Mickey. Leanne had managed to get Amy to sleep in her pram (after
a big cry) so the others went in while I waited outside. Another screaming
baby woke her about 5 mins before the show was due to start so I put her
in the sling and go to find the others. We all enjoyed this show, especially
the cute elephant. Amy was trying really hard to clap, but she had one
hand around the wrong way.

We had lunch at Pizzafari – pizza, Caesar salad,
and chocolate for two US$22.00 – very yummy. Then it was time to head out.
We could have used some more time here but it was hot and busy and we needed
a break for MK tonight. We split up with Leanne and Noel – they caught
a bus to the MK and we headed back to the apartment, arriving 2-2.30pm.
Kevin and Amy had a sleep while I wrote down some notes.

We
were supposed to meet Leanne and Noel at 5 –5.30pm but hit peak hour traffic
and didn’t get there until 6pm. But thanks to Leanne and Noel we had a
good spot for the Main Street Electric Parade. We had hot dogs and fries
for tea, which were yummy. I fed Amy then got into position on the footpath.
I had left the stroller curbside while I ate dinner and nursed Amy and
people crowded around it so I had to push through with Amy to get to it.
I don’t know why people didn’t leave room – there was still plenty of space
at this time but I suppose some people don’t see anything wrong with pushing
in. Leanne, Noel and Kevin stood on the bench we had been sitting on since
5pm. The parade, which started at 7.30pm, was fantastic. We all loved it,
especially Amy who bounced up and down and clapped her hands.

After the parade we sat back on our bench
and had a drink and some lollies I had bought with me while we waited for
the fireworks. Tinkabell flew straight over our heads and the fireworks
– well, what can I say – they were so beautiful over the illuminated castle.
It was a beautiful night.

They had decorated Main Street ready for Christmas
(since yesterday) so we stopped to take some photos. I’d forgotten just
how beautiful MS is all decorated. We wandered through a few shops then
caught the resort monorail to the TTC. Then it was home and to bed about
11am. A very long, but very good, day.

Day 4 – Blizzard Beach and Downtown Disney

Had
a bit of a sleep in this morning (though I got up with Amy about 7.30am).
We met Leanne and Noel for breakfast at 9am and ended up arriving at Blizzard
Beach about 10.30m. It was a beautiful morning, nice and warm, not too
hot. We found a picnic table near the wave beach. I fed Amy and put her
to sleep in her stroller, while the guys went to hit some of the slides.
Amy was still tired after last night and slept for an hour, probably because
it was so nice and quiet. I enjoyed the down time too.

Anyway,
when she woke up we got her ready for a swim, and then the skies opened
up and it poured. Not only that but it turned rather cold. Hoping it would
pass over quickly we got some burger and chips for lunch and ate them huddled
under an umbrella. They were nice and warm. We got drenched getting back
to our gear so we decided to go in the floats. We put Amy in her own one
that we bought from home. I wasn’t sure to lifeguards would let us use
it but none said anything until we’d almost done a full lap. Amy loved
it; though she was getting a bit cold towards the end, so we got her out
and got her warm. The others went back on some more slides. By now the
rain had stopped and the sun had come out again. I went up the chair lift
to the family raft ride with Leanne and Noel while Kev looked after Amy.
This was good fun.

By now it was 3pm and we had stayed longer
than planned, so we got changed and headed to Downtown Disney. We hit all
the shops but didn’t buy a lot as we plan to come back later in the week.

We had takeaway Chinese for tea in the apartment,
which was very nice.

Continue on to Day
5

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