TERRIFIC TEN! A Birthday Celebration at the WORLD!!!!

[jenseib]

Fun morning. I love the TOT shot. Too funny! I am glad the kids at least gave it a try.

 

[choppee]

Sorry I've been gone so long, folks... I have been battling a really nasty cold! Anyway, I'm better now after a week of nursing this illness and am ready to get back on the saddle!

So--we had last left with us leaving the Star Wars ride (which was AWESOME), and we were wondering what to do next?

Let's do this!

This was a great ride! I remember missing a lot of the Studios the first time we came in 2011--I had no idea that there were so many rides/attractions inside instead of outside. After experiencing the park better this time, I think I like this park best on hot, humid days because you have a lot of quick escapes from the heat!

And then....

We decided to ROCK.

Can I say that this is my new favorite ride?!? The Aerosmith ride was a DREAM. All of us loved this, and we rode it AGAIN. Almost no wait! I had used the Lines App from Touring Guide and I have to say, it really, REALLY makes a difference when it comes to planning a nearly wait free day at the parks. Now keep in mind-we were there in the summertime and the crowds were at about an 8. We noticed the flow and the size of the crowds in the parks, but with this app, we didn't feel it in the waits at the attractions! At that current time, everyone was at Toy Story or the Tower with 80 minute waits! We only waited 15 the first time for the Aerosmith ride and 20 for the next go round. Sweet! Those of you who are wondering whether or not to invest in the apps line, my advice? ...do it!

Then we decided to go Under the Sea with Ladybug's favorite character! We do this pic every year

By now, it was getting really hot. We decided to do another inside feature....and I love pirates. Let's try to hang with Captain Jack! The lines app was showing long lines for everything else--here was a wait for 20. Doable! Let's get into line.

Me and the happy Munchkin...

Here we are being more ladylike...

The younger ones got in the fun!

This attraction was....okay. It was entertaining, but Fatdaddy did get a little spooked. We are glad we tried it, but we won't be back to this one again I think. Disappointed cause I was wanting a bit more.

Time for Munchkin's birthday lunch, and we had an ADR planned. Where did the Munchkin want to eat?

Next up...Birthday Lunch!

 

[choppee]

Now, during the planning of this trip, because it was going to be Munchkin's Terrific Tenth we were letting her decide where to eat. I went over all the options within the park when we were making ADRs, and the place that she requested was Mama Melrose!

We had a 12:15 ADR and made it in right on time. We had had a very busy and eventful morning and were ready to eat! We were seated almost immediately. They gave the kids something to do, and the a/c was very calming and welcoming after a hot morning in the sun.

Me and hubby looking nice, hot and sweaty!

Although we were seated right away, it took awhile for the waitress to come to our table. While I recognized that it was a busy day, we were getting pretty hungry after 15 minutes!
This is how we look when we are hungry...the kids decided to let everyone know our true side!

But two can play that game. They look a mess too, when hungry!

I had heard some accounts stating that this restaurant wasn't good, was good, and all the stuff in between. Well, for us, it was GOOD. Sideways pix again! We got the Fantasmic Lunch package. Not a bad deal, but not really necessary in the long run which I'll explain later.

Ladybug had the minestrone soup. FANTASTIC. I wished I'd gotten it! I did get the recipe, however!

Munchkin got a salad...

Fatdaddy got carrots and celery!

Because calamari and I have a torrid love affair, I got the calamari. Very good! Hot, crispy, but not overcooked. Sauce was a nice accompaniment but not necessary to enjoy the calamari.

Hubby got the salad! Very fresh and crispy with just enough dressing.

During our appetizers, these folks came by the table to play with the kids and give us a laugh--they were great! They even sang happy birthday to Munchkin which she loved!

Spaghetti for my five year old husband....he loved this.

Seafood pasta for grown up me....very flavorful!

Before she took her first bite, Ladybug made sure I took my pic...good girl! All the kids got this. They loved it too!

And here, right here, is the highlight of Munchkin's lunch. I had been waiting to see her reaction to the spaghetti and meatball birthday cupcake! Needless to say the kids were thrilled and fascinated with the cupcake and Fatdaddy had to be reminded not to blow it out....see him plotting in the far right??? The other two got ice cream with mickey sprinkles.

Not sure about this evil grin...but I do know that she liked the ice cream!

Here's a nicer pic

Here's our dessert dish (me and hubby). This was the only part of the lunch that was kinda meh. I liked the brown dome thing at the bottom left, but everything else was just okay, or I could have left it. Same for hubby.

We decided to leave. The service overall was okay, but not outstanding. I have no complaints though...we left a good tip! On the way out, I saw the chefs making fresh pizza...it's open to public viewing and was pretty fascinating!

I even took a pic of one about to go into the oven...maybe next time I'll do the pizza!

After we left, we decided to head back to the condo for a few hours of rest and relaxation. We wanted to be sure to have enough energy for Fantasmic at the end of the day!

Up next...A Fantasmic Evening!

 

[francis6306]

I hate when my dessert isn't very good- I mean, it's DESSERT!!!! I haven't been to Mama Melrose. The only place we've had at HS is Hollywood and Vine. We had breakfast there and it was really good- but your kids wouldn't be impressed, since they have all the Disney Junior Characters.

You got a LOT done that morning! I LOVE RNRC! I am hoping that my oldest is ready to ride coasters by March!

I know how life can be! Sometimes I can write two or three updates to my PTR within a few days and then it could be weeks… sigh! Hope you are feeling better!

 

[choppee]

I hate when my dessert isn't very good- I mean, it's DESSERT!!!! I haven't been to Mama Melrose. The only place we've had at HS is Hollywood and Vine. We had breakfast there and it was really good- but your kids wouldn't be impressed, since they have all the Disney Junior Characters.

You got a LOT done that morning! I LOVE RNRC! I am hoping that my oldest is ready to ride coasters by March!

I know how life can be! Sometimes I can write two or three updates to my PTR within a few days and then it could be weeks… sigh! Hope you are feeling better!

oh, i am feeling SO much better....i could barely breathe and had head and chest congestion. the worst.

actually, hollywood and vine was a spot that i considered early on in the game, but Munchkin was such an italian food lover that i wasn't surprised that she decided upon mama melrose.

i think we really got a whole lot done that morning! it was great to get there early and use the lines app. it made such a difference. and the rocking roller coaster! absolutely loved it. i think we ended up riding it almost five time that trip!

 

[choppee]

I am enjoying your TR so far and it looks like your family is having a blast I think going to DTD was a great way to kick off your trip. The Car Masters Weekend looks awesome. We were at WDW the week before Memorial Day this year; but if my DH had known about the Car Masters Weekend we probably would have had to reschedule our trip He is a car fanatic and is currently restoring two Camaros. He would have loved to meet Chip Foose too because Overhaulin' is always on our DVR Your condo at Orange Lake is beautiful. We had our first offsite stay for our trip this past May (we stayed in a family suite at AS Music in 2011). We stayed in a 3 bedroom condo at Windsor Hills and had a great experience. We also visited Animal Kingdom Lodge to tour the grounds and that (and the Polynesian) is my dream resort We had a Boma breakfast ADR that we ended up having to cancel, but since Windsor Hills is close to the AK area we decided to go visit AKL anyway and I am so glad we did! I can't wait to read more about your trip. What a magical way to celebrate your DD's 10th birthday!

thanks for reading the trip report...i'm slowly going through this weeklong trip! trust, your husband would have had a ball--my husband said this was the highlight of the trip for him. how was windsor hills? is that a nice place? close? and boma! i want to eat there one day, cause i want to do the dining plan the next time when we go in 2015. and yes! i LOVED the akl! sooooo beautiful! i just died looking around in it.

 

[Moodyzblu]

Following along .. your kids are beautiful !! Looking forward to more.

 

[choppee]

Following along .. your kids are beautiful !! Looking forward to more.

thanks so much! i think i'll keep them. and thanks for following along. it really was quite an experience!

 

[francis6306]

oh, i am feeling SO much better....i could barely breathe and had head and chest congestion. the worst.

actually, hollywood and vine was a spot that i considered early on in the game, but Munchkin was such an italian food lover that i wasn't surprised that she decided upon mama melrose.

i think we really got a whole lot done that morning! it was great to get there early and use the lines app. it made such a difference. and the rocking roller coaster! absolutely loved it. i think we ended up riding it almost five time that trip!

Oh, well, the food at H&V is really good! I love Italian food as well, so MM's something I want to try…

I wanna travel with YOU! 5 times?!?! YES PLEASE! Do you have an iPhone or Android? I don't have a fancy phone, but I might need my husband to get your app. Do you have the link?

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

thanks for reading the trip report...i'm slowly going through this weeklong trip! trust, your husband would have had a ball--my husband said this was the highlight of the trip for him. how was windsor hills? is that a nice place? close? and boma! i want to eat there one day, cause i want to do the dining plan the next time when we go in 2015. and yes! i LOVED the akl! sooooo beautiful! i just died looking around in it.

Wonderful update and glad to hear you are feeling better. Hollywood Studios is one of my family's favorite parks too. There is such a fun vibe there and we've found it to be a park that is easy for us to navigate and get around. I think getting the Fantasmic package was a great idea! We still have not seen Fantasmic so it is definitely a must do attraction for our next trip. We loved Windsor Hills. It is a very nice and family oriented vacation home community. It is very close to the Animal Kingdom area and it only took us 10-15 minutes to drive to each of the Disney parks from our condo. We rented through Florida Sun Vacation Homes and are strongly leaning towards staying there again on our next trip, although we are also considering doing an offsite/onsite split stay and staying at Art of Animation for a few days. Can't wait to read about your Fantasmic evening!

 

[jenseib]

I have heard mixed reviews for Mama Melrose too. I should look into it one of these days. Most of the table services at DHS do not interest us, but I would like to try 50's Prime Time, but Claire is afraid they will tease her.

 

[choppee]

I am getting to you a bit late today because I have been busy doing a scope and sequence for the next school year ?REALLY slays me. But! I want to move this TR along, so here's the rest of the Studios day!

We had finished Munchkin's birthday lunch and were headed out for a nap and maybe a swim. On the way out, we appreciated the sights and viewed the enlargement of the crowds!

We took the necessary pix....yep. Sideways!

We went back to the condo and slept for almost three and a half hours!!! I couldn't believe that we had slept the day away like that. By the time we got ourselves organized and shuttled out the door, it was nearly 7:00.

Love that hat! Don't love those clouds.....

Looking at the sky, I began to really panic. We had promised the Munchkin that we would do Fantasmic and any other ride she wanted to do. At that moment the sky opened up and completely, COMPLETELY soaked anyone outside! The loudspeakers announced the cancellation of Fantasmic and I. Was. Devastated.

We ducked inside a gift shop. Munchkin was sad-faced. And here is where we got a bit of pixie dust! A CM who was apparently some sort of supervisor saw her sad face and asked what the matter was--she stated that she wasn't going to see Fantasmic on her birthday and the CM said, "We can't have sad faces at Disney--if it doesn't happen today, you can get an extra ticket to come back tomorrow!"

OMG!That cheered us right up! Hyper Eyes!

I'm really feelin' it now! So we played around, trying on hats waiting for the rain to maybe stop. At this point, after what the CM supervisor said, I'm now rooting for the rain to continue! What a difference a few minutes can make!

After awhile, the rain stopped. But, because of the extremely heavy rain, EVERYBODY left! This is a crappy picture, but believe me, look and see if you can find many shoes representing people????

The park was OURS. And everything was running! So what can we do first???

 

[choppee]

Because we had the park to OURSELVES, we decided to take out our ponchos and scuttle off! Hey--let's do Toy Story!

The wait was TEN MINUTES. I don't know why they even gave Fatdaddy the RED CARD, but hey! He felt really important!

Running through the line! I don't think it even took the 10 minutes that they posted....

My weapon!

My score. Because I am awesome.

We decided that we wanted to do something new. So we rushed into the Animator's since one was about to start. We did Goofy! My main dude!

As we got out, we heard the announcement! Fantasmic! We rushed to the ampitheatre and got our seats. As I prepared to show them our Dining Package ticket, I found it was useless because no one was checking and the theater was only 1/2 full! Oh well. Next time I might not invest, though the last time we came it was so packed we had to struggle to get in. Who knows....

We settled in our seats. Fatdaddy was a little nervous because he's a bit afraid of fireworks, but he wanted to see it. I got out his earplugs and he was a bit assured.

A few pix!

I love Milli! I think she is a BAD chic!

Is this not the creepiest snake?!?

As usual, it was awesome!!! We rode a few more times on the Aerosmith ride, Toy Story again, and decided to head home. But we had one more thing to do....

We had to give our birthday girl a nice birthday present!

A new DSi! Sleepytime, goodnight....

Up next...A Shakin', Shaka Day!

 

[Moodyzblu]

So glad the rain didn't ruin your night !!

Fantasmic is "ok" for us .. we don't usually do it though .. but it's still a "must see" at least once !

 

[TX Momof2]

What a great day despite the rain!

I'm glad you're feeling better.

 

[francis6306]

What a bunch of Pixie Dust for your family!!! That is what makes Disney awesome, you know?!?! And you still got to see Fantasmic! (Which, I have never seen… one day!!!)

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

What a magical evening for your family. Your daughter looks so happy. I am sure she will never forget this birthday!

 

[jenseib]

Can you believe I have never seen Fantasmic? I am thinking of doing a dinner package though in the future.

 

[Moodyzblu]

Can you believe I have never seen Fantasmic? I am thinking of doing a dinner package though in the future.

It's one of those must do's .. but for us .. it was a must do "once". But we go back every now and then .. just because.

 

[francis6306]

Thought of you this afternoon… I was updating my PreTrip Report and photobucket was giving me FITS! I was ready to throw the computer across the room. I think it's finally working now, but UGH!