Me DH 37 spent last eleven months planning first trip to Disney World (this web site is a good substitute for coffee breaks at work);
DW - 34 would go just to see Small World which she fondly remembers from childhood;
DD 9 - wouldn't go on anything too scary;
DD 4 would prefer not to go on anything in the dark but that would limit her to Dumbo so she cooperated and closed her eyes and ears when necessary.
Well this day was pretty mellow for the most part. We drove from WL to the Studios for 9:00 am opening. Met my sister, brother-in-law and niece there (also from New Jersey) since they just happened to be doing the Disney thing the same week as we were.
Again we felt like we had a special pass to get in that day since the place was pretty much deserted the first couple of hours. Walked right into Mermaid, then right into Muppet 3-D (don't miss), and had awesome seats along the center platform for Hunchback (definately don't miss). This was perhaps our favorite show of the trip though they were all good. And the preshow juggler was very, very funny.
After Hunchback we played a few claw games in Pizza Planet and ate lunch in Mama Melrose's. Our server was somewhat strange, she was almost TELLING us what we should order and she had a boogie in her nose (gross!). I know I shouldn't have said that but oh heck. The food there was very mediocre, I would not recommend it based on our lunch there (well everything at Disney can't be perfect, though almost everything was).
From there we went to Bear in the Big Blue House, a very cute show, you will feel like you stepped inside a tv set. Stood in the back which was great for videotaping. Kids sit on the floor for this one which is kind of nice and informal.
After some shopping we caught the Mulan parade which was better than I expected after reading prior posts. Ice cream from stand near Beauty and the Beast theater is excellent and a relative bargain by Disney standards at $2.50 for a huge cone or a cup - I highly recommend this.
Beauty and the Beast was not bad but we saw it on Broadway so we were a little spoiled, and the singing was not as good as Tarzan, Hunchback, or Lion King.
After Beauty we did a little more shopping and debated about waiting for it to get dark for the Osborne Lights or calling it an early day. We decided to leave and go back to WL. As with Illuminations I am sorry I missed Osborne Lights (forgetting the fact that we blew off Fantasmic altogether). But I think one of the reasons our vacation was sooooooo relaxing (and not exhausting like many warned us it would be) is because we did not stretch ourselves to the limit each day.
Tips from Day 3. Tip #1 - once again get to the park at opening, it was deserted when we got there. Tip #2 - look for Toy Story characters Woody and Buzz by Al's Toy Barn (near Hunchback theater) and along New York Street where we saw Mickey, Minnie, Green Army Man from Toy Story, Radcliffe, Meeko, Timon, and a few others. Tip #3 - as with MK, stake your claim to a spot for Mulan parade at least a half hour prior to parade. Make sure you are in a valid spot behind the gold line and not a walkway or you will probably be asked to move. Tip #4 - if no one else in your family will go on RNR, go by yourself. I regret not doing this, especially after how much fun I had on Kraken at Sea World the next day.
More to come.
DW - 34 would go just to see Small World which she fondly remembers from childhood;
DD 9 - wouldn't go on anything too scary;
DD 4 would prefer not to go on anything in the dark but that would limit her to Dumbo so she cooperated and closed her eyes and ears when necessary.
Well this day was pretty mellow for the most part. We drove from WL to the Studios for 9:00 am opening. Met my sister, brother-in-law and niece there (also from New Jersey) since they just happened to be doing the Disney thing the same week as we were.
Again we felt like we had a special pass to get in that day since the place was pretty much deserted the first couple of hours. Walked right into Mermaid, then right into Muppet 3-D (don't miss), and had awesome seats along the center platform for Hunchback (definately don't miss). This was perhaps our favorite show of the trip though they were all good. And the preshow juggler was very, very funny.
After Hunchback we played a few claw games in Pizza Planet and ate lunch in Mama Melrose's. Our server was somewhat strange, she was almost TELLING us what we should order and she had a boogie in her nose (gross!). I know I shouldn't have said that but oh heck. The food there was very mediocre, I would not recommend it based on our lunch there (well everything at Disney can't be perfect, though almost everything was).
From there we went to Bear in the Big Blue House, a very cute show, you will feel like you stepped inside a tv set. Stood in the back which was great for videotaping. Kids sit on the floor for this one which is kind of nice and informal.
After some shopping we caught the Mulan parade which was better than I expected after reading prior posts. Ice cream from stand near Beauty and the Beast theater is excellent and a relative bargain by Disney standards at $2.50 for a huge cone or a cup - I highly recommend this.
Beauty and the Beast was not bad but we saw it on Broadway so we were a little spoiled, and the singing was not as good as Tarzan, Hunchback, or Lion King.
After Beauty we did a little more shopping and debated about waiting for it to get dark for the Osborne Lights or calling it an early day. We decided to leave and go back to WL. As with Illuminations I am sorry I missed Osborne Lights (forgetting the fact that we blew off Fantasmic altogether). But I think one of the reasons our vacation was sooooooo relaxing (and not exhausting like many warned us it would be) is because we did not stretch ourselves to the limit each day.
Tips from Day 3. Tip #1 - once again get to the park at opening, it was deserted when we got there. Tip #2 - look for Toy Story characters Woody and Buzz by Al's Toy Barn (near Hunchback theater) and along New York Street where we saw Mickey, Minnie, Green Army Man from Toy Story, Radcliffe, Meeko, Timon, and a few others. Tip #3 - as with MK, stake your claim to a spot for Mulan parade at least a half hour prior to parade. Make sure you are in a valid spot behind the gold line and not a walkway or you will probably be asked to move. Tip #4 - if no one else in your family will go on RNR, go by yourself. I regret not doing this, especially after how much fun I had on Kraken at Sea World the next day.
More to come.
It's too bad though that you had to miss some really neat things. 
