Michael, Kris and Kiley - Back at WDW
September 2003

Our Family:
Myself (41) Fifth Trip
Michael (46) Third Trip
Kiley (2 ½) Second Trip
Introduction:
This trip was a last minute idea due to the airfare sale they had in August. Our main trip is scheduled for January so we while we weren't really doing a low budget trip, we were on the lookout for the best deals. I purchased the Disney Visa Dream-Maker Package at the All-Star Resort, and ended up calling back to upgrade our rooms to the Preferred building since the package was such a good deal. By the time I'd made my decision to go with the All-Stars, Movies was booked, so we chose Music. The package came with one "feature" (choice of a dining certificate, mini-golf, or storytelling experience) two lanyards and pins, and a $50 gift certificate. Our last trip was in January of 2003, and Orlando saw record low temperatures while we were there, so we were looking forward to a different kind of trip, and actually using the pools this time.

~~Thursday, September 11, 2003 - Day 1 of 4~~
We set alarm for 3:00 am and got up at around 3:17. Michael had stayed awake the latest, finishing the last of the packing, so it was harder to get him out of bed. We decided to let Kiley sleep as long as we possibly could, hoping we could get her dressed without waking her. We finished packing the car, and added the strollers (one is a "Sit-n-Stroll" car seat that turns into a stroller; the other is a nice lightweight Graco with all of the features of a full-size. I insist on traveling with both; you'll see why later). I got Kiley dressed with little trouble but once she realized that "today was the day", there was no more sleeping. Michael made her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to eat on the plane, and off we went. We left for the airport at 4:10 and arrived around 4:30. Curbside check-in went smoothly (we checked the "Sit n'Stroll), and Michael went off to park while Kiley and I went into the terminal to take some pictures with the giant moose in the entryway. There was no line at the security checkpoint and we buzzed right through. I love this airport (Manchester, NH). Our flights were uneventful and we arrived in Orlando around 11:15. We made a few quick stops in the airport; the main atrium fountain, and The Disney Store (This store does not accept pre-order certificates in case anyone is considering redeeming one there. We thought it would be nice to get Sleeping Beauty to play on the laptop). I had rented an intermediate class car with National, using the codes and tips on Mousesavers, and even joined the Emerald Club. The whole 4 day rental came to $87 with taxes and fees so I was skeptical a to what we would get for a car. My reservation said we had to check in at the counter, but the agent sent us straight out to the Emerald Isle. We stopped on the way to take another fountain picture (Kiley loves fountains and we end up stopping at EVERY one, so I decided on the last trip to start collecting fountain pictures). It turned out that there was an amazing selection of cars that we could choose from including a Jeep Liberty or a PT Cruiser, but we ended up with a nice Suzuki XL-7 SUV with lots of cargo space. It went as smoothly as they advertise, and we were off in no time at all.

We drove straight to the All-Star Music for check in, in hopes that our room would be ready. It was! Although we had a trainee, check-in was painless until I asked about the $50 gift certificate that was supposed to come with the Disney Visa package. Nobody seemed to have any idea what I was referring to, and I didn't have any paperwork that showed it. (Shame on me) The CM's trainer said something like "gee, that's an odd amount for a gift certificate" (huh?) and I was beginning to think I was nuts. They dismissed me with a "prove it" attitude. Determined not to let this dampen my spirits, we headed for the room. It turned out to be a King room on the second floor instead of the1st, floor that I had requested, but it was a pool view and I was thrilled with the location. We quickly unpacked and I realized we forgot to pack the collapsible cooler - Drat. Kiley was playing with the dresser drawers and discovered a refrigerator. WooHoo! It was the mini-bar kind that doesn't get really cold, but it was certainly adequate for some milk, juice and a few bottles of water. The gift certificate thing was still bugging me, so while Michael finished unpacking, I called reservations to confirm that the gift certificate was supposed to be included in my package. They were surprised to find out that I didn't receive it at check-in, and after a long "on-hold" (Kiley was thrilled with the idea that Ariel was singing to Mommy over the phone) they transferred me to Guest Services who promised that I would get the certificate as soon as they could arrange it. Evidently, their computers did not "download" the certificate as part of the Visa Package (?!). Our plan was to head over to Blizzard Beach, but the pool looked so inviting, and we were hot and tired so we let Kiley decide. Of course she chose the immediate gratification of the pool and we were grateful. It is a perfectly nice pool and it really refreshed us. We also went to check out the piano pool, and spend some time there. Back at the room, we had a voice mail from Guest Services that there was a $50 Gift Certificate waiting for us at the front desk. I was thrilled that they took care of it so quickly, and they apologized for the mix-up. Once we were dried and dressed we once again put the agenda decision in Kiley's hands and she opted for "The Castle". That was good enough for me, and I couldn't remember why I didn't choose this myself when planning our itinerary. Before leaving, we went to retrieve the Certificate, and popped into the gift shop to see what they had. Kiley and I could have browsed for longer, but Michael reminded us that the Magic Kingdom was only open until 7, so we headed out.

We got a parking space in the front row at the TTC and eagerly headed for the monorail. We were ravenous at this point, since we hadn't had anything to eat other than airplane pretzels all day. We thought that Casey's would be a nice quick choice, but as we headed down an uncrowded Main Street, I got a brainstorm and decided to see if we could get into The Crystal Palace for a late lunch/early dinner. Kiley was beside herself with excitement as we headed toward the castle, and wasn't thrilled about the idea of a detour. Her disappointment melted instantly though once she spotted the characters through the windows and we were seated at about 4:45. The Crystal Palace turned out to be an excellent decision. There was hardly anyone there and the characters made the rounds repeatedly. The food was plentiful and fresh, and having a nice meal in the air conditioning was just the thing we needed to revive us (remember, we've been up since just after 3 am). I had decided to abandon my low-carb diet for the duration of the trip and really enjoyed this meal. There was a great selection of buffet items including peel and eat shrimp, pulled pork, salmon and a great jerk-style chicken. The salads and vegetarian selections were plentiful. The carving station had roast beef and turkey. There was a small kids buffet with pb&j sandwich makings, pizza, nuggets and macaroni and cheese. The characters were great and the dessert tables were awesome! I had some vanilla ice cream topped with apple crisp and a tiny slice of key lime pie. Kiley loved the twist ice cream and sprinkles; she also had a chocolate chip cookie. One thing I loved about this meal was our server. She had to be the most professional waitress I've ever had. She was always right there when our beverages approached empty and dirty plates were whisked right away; we never felt at all rushed. She often made herself available to take pictures of all three of us with the characters. I made it a point to fill out the response card with the check, but wish I had remembered her name also so that I could drop Disney a note. Total cost of meal with 4 sodas and Kiley's milk, tax and tip came to $56 and worth every penny. (Kiley's buffet was free as she is under 3). Feeling just slightly more than well-fed and very happy we headed off to Fantasy Land. As we went through the castle, it occurred to me to look in the waiting area at the bottom of the stairs, hoping to get to meet Cinderella's Fairy Godmother. We were happily surprised to find Cinderella herself with almost no line. This was one of the best Cinderella experiences we've ever had. She took loads of time with each child, and played and talked with everyone. She gave Kiley a kiss on her cheek (leaving the lipstick imprint). Kiley was thrilled with this concept so we took a picture of the "kiss" and showed her the mark on her cheek. She was in heaven. Our next stop was the carousel, where Kiley rode unassisted for the first time ever. Michael and I were on either side of her on our own horses and she thought this was very cool - actually I did too. Since there was nobody in line for Dumbo, we decided that we would all ride. I chose an elephant in front of Kiley and Michael and got some great pictures. It was starting to get late, so we calculated that since there were no lines, we'd have just enough time for two rides before the park closed. We headed toward the teacups. I spun the ride quite a bit more than I had the first time she went on this ride, and she loved it - my little thrill seeker. At just a few minutes to 7:00, we raced over to Pooh's ride. She loved this the last time we were here, which was why I chose it, but she said, she didn't want to ride. Being the all-knowing Mother, I said, "Sure you do - you love this ride!" and off we went. What a mistake. Kiley has never really been afraid of the dark, or much of anything for that matter, but she flipped out at the thunderstorm scene and everything that followed. I felt horrible for not listening to her but chalked her reaction up to the fact that she was worn out. She recovered immediately but pronounced that ride off limits as I started thinking about all of the rides this potential new fear might preclude. We took our time heading to the front of the park as we watched darkness fall, and the lights begin to bathe the castle with colors. After stopping to take a couple of pictures, we headed to the ferry. It was a nice relaxing way to get to the TTC and the cool breeze felt great. Back at the car, we decided to hit a grocery store and pick up a few things. I didn't have my directions with me, but we decided to wing it - and got really lost. We ended up on International Drive, got what we needed and drove back to the hotel. Because Kiley had fallen asleep in her car seat before we were out of the Magic Kingdom parking lot, we left her right in the Sit n'Stroll and wheeled her into the room. It was quick work to get her into bed. Michael followed shortly afterward and I stayed up to organize our bags for the next day. Since we had the Princess Breakfast scheduled for 8:30 the next morning, we set a wakeup call, and the alarm for 6:00 am, knowing it takes quite a bit of time to make it to the back of the park. I also had to iron the "party dress" she insisted on wearing to meet the Princesses. After downloading the day's pictures onto the laptop, I crashed as well.

Plan for tomorrow: Princess Breakfast at 8:30, Park Hop to MK, back to Epcot for 4:15 Storytelling Experience.

High Points for the Day: Dinner at the Crystal Palace and Cinderella's Kiss
Low Pont for the Day: Kiley getting scared on Pooh's ride.

Day 1, 2, 3, 4