Robo’s Fireworks map??? What is this and where can I find it?
Good question! On disboards there is someone named Robo and he creates great maps! It’s under them parks attractions and strategies.
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Thank you
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Day 8 - Thursday March 8 - AM EMH at Epcot
The morning started at 5:45 and we went through our normal routine. I got up and turned the coffee maker on, got dressed, fixed my hair and makeup. Then DH would get up and get dressed. I would go to the ice machine so we could fill the water bottles. Usually the pouring of the ice in the water bottles would help stir the kids. The kids had more more surprises waiting for them at the foot of their beds, along with their clothes. They got more of those little Tsum Tsum’s, which DD4 loved. These little gifts are such a great idea…even if it’s just cheap stuff it helps my kids from asking for stuff in the parks. The one year we didn’t do these “Tinkerbell gifts” my kids asked for EVERYTHING and the meltdowns were horrible. Now we just tell them we aren’t buying souvenirs and DS8 and DS6 get it. DD4 and DS2 struggle a little bit but nothing too major (although I myself was tempted to buy the $20 Mickey Pirate plush from the POC store…that’s gotta be my favorite souvenir shop!)
We were headed to our car by 6:45. And let me tell you, I just love the peacefulness of the resorts in the early morning hours! As we were headed to our car we saw a cast member walking into work at WL. He saw us (we were the only humans out and about that early at the resort) and said Good Morning. I then recognized him as the bellman that helped me with the rental stroller earlier in the week. I asked him if his name was “Mike” and he said yes and seemed suspicious. I reached into my purse and pulled out some cash and told him that he helped me with a stroller earlier in the week and I had promised to bring a tip back for him. He laughed and remembered me, since he originally brought me a stroller with the wrong name. I was so glad to be able to get him that tip!
We arrived at Epcot by 7am and had a great parking spot. We headed to the entrance and there were only 2 other families in front of us waiting for the security lines to open. The line continued to build but they did not open the security tables until 7:30. I was surprised at this because the last 2 trips we had done 8am EMH at Epcot and we never had to wait that long. We passed the time by getting out bubbles for the kids and chatting with the other families. We got thru security and then about 7:45 they opened up the tapstyles and we headed to the internal rope. I stopped and got 4 of the Flower and Garden Passports for the kids and caught back up with our family at the rope. DS2 was struggling at this point. Didn’t want to sit in the stroller and was just tired and cranky overall. I tried handing him a passport and showing him the stickers but he threw it on the ground. I had other passports in my hand along with some other things and dropped them and tried picking everything up. Apparently I hadn’t picked up all the passports I dropped when I saw a man near us reach down at my feet and pick up a passport. He then handed it to his wife but he saw me watching him and said “Oh, did you want this?” It was really strange as I really didn’t know I had dropped it and yes I still wanted it so he gave it back to me. It was like he got caught trying to sneak it away. Anyhow, at 8am they dropped the rope and we headed towards FEA…except DS2 refused to ride in the stroller again. DD4 was in the stroller so I pushed her while DH carried DS2. We got to FEA and parked the stroller and got on the ride in about 5 minutes. We enjoyed it and it’s nice to have a family pic with all of us on a ride! We then went to the Anna and Elsa Meet and Greet and waited about 10 minutes. But DS8 and DS6 didn’t want to go near them, and even though DS2 finally learned all the Frozen character names before our trip, he didn’t want to go near them either! But that’s ok because DD4 was happy. We then headed to Test Track, stopping for a bathroom break first since our FP didn’t start until 9:05 and it was only about 8:50. After the bathroom we finally got DS2 settled in the stroller. Originally I had only 3 fastpasses booked for Test Track and our other 2 were for Soarin. But early that morning I realized we would not have time to ride TT again with rider switch before meeting my parents at Soarin at 9:30. Plus, all 3 big kids wanted to ride Test Track. So I changed one of the Soarin Fastpasses to TT while we were waiting for the park to open. (I just kept refreshing and finally managed to get that 9:05 time!) Since I missed out on riding TT on our last trip, I got to go this time and I took all 3 kids with me. The plan was for DH to take DS2 to the Cars Flower and Garden Play area because I figured he would love that. I was really excited to ride TT with these kids. DS8 had to take the chicken exit last time, and DD4 was too scared to ride so it was great they all wanted to do it this time. We designed our cars, with DS8 and DS6 designing one together and DD4 and I designed our own. We then got on the ride and my kids always get confused when the blue car pulls up and it’s not “their car”. But they get over it quickly once the ride starts. We had a great time on the ride but when we exited DS6 wanted to stay in the exit area and design more cars. Ugh. We had always used this area to stay with the little ones so they were used to getting some time in here. But I told them we didn’t have time because Grandma and Papa were waiting for us at Soarin. We met up with DH at the Cars play area and DS2 was asleep. He never got to go to the play area but that was ok because he needed his rest. We headed over to meet my parents who had just arrived at Soarin. This is my mom’s favorite ride and all 3 kids wanted to ride again and since we still had 1 fastpass for it plus an unused rider switch from Tuesday night, that was just enough for the 4 of us to ride. My parents had their own fastpass for Soarin. We had a great time riding together but then it was time to go separate ways again. We were headed to lunch at Trattoria Al Forno for the Bon Voyage Breakfast while my parents wanted to eat Fish and Chips in the UK. My parents wanted to ride Spaceship Earth first so I pointed them in that direction and then we headed to World Showcase. We stopped at Port of Entry and I bought Spike the honeybee scavenger hunt maps for the kids. They were $6 each and I bought 4 just in case, although DS2 never touched his. We headed towards the International Gateway and since we had never been to the Boardwalk before I pulled up the walking directions on the MDE app and this was very helpful! I actually used that feature a couple times this trip. We arrived right on time for our 10:40 reservation and were seated within 10 minutes. They seated us right as you enter the dining area which proved to be helpful later in the meal. They brought us coffee and juice and took our order. Then the pastries came out and DH and I really enjoyed them. The other kids nibbled on them. DS2 refused to sit in a chair and wanted to sit on our laps. But he was very squirmy which made it tough to enjoy our meal. At this character meal the characters are introduced every 15 minutes or so and then they parade through the dining area, then they proceed to do their meet and greets, picking up on the section they left off. Ariel came in, which is my redhead DD4’s favorite and she asked all the princesses to follow her in the parade. DD4 wanted to go so badly but was too shy to go by herself. DH and I were worn out from DS2 so we asked her older brothers to walk her over to the parade. They didn’t want to which really upset DD4. DH and I were frustrated with the boys and right about the time we were going to walk her over there, Prince Eric was introduced into the room and as he walked in he saw DD4 and could see what was happening (I think it was amazing that he actually picked up on this and wasn’t just going through the motions of being introduced), he came right over to DD4 and asked if he could personally escort her to the parade. Seriously, her eyes lit up and she was startstruck. She was speechless but took his hand and walked with him. Prince Eric held her hand throughout the entire parade and it was such a priceless moment. She had a smile on her face the whole time! When the parade ended he even walked her back to her seat. I’m pretty sure I had tears in my eyes watching this. This is why we go to Disney all the time…because of moments like this!
Ok, we finally got our food…all the kids ordered pancakes while DH got the calzone and I got the steak (yum!) It was a quiet meal, except for DS2 who didn’t want to eat but still wanted to squirm. All the characters came around (Ariel, Eric, Rapunzel and Flynn Rider). The boys enjoyed Flynn Rider as he joked around with them and told them he was keeping an eye on them. DD4 got to meet Ariel again but of course was speechless. I am always impressed how the characters manage to make small talk, even when the kids don’t talk back! We were done by 12 and headed out back towards Epcot As we were walking on the Boardwalk we found a photobooth. I remember reading that you could use memory maker for these, so we had fun squeezing all 6 of us into the booth and taking some pics. It really was a great memory…all of us together doing something spontaneous!
We headed back into Epcot thru the International Gateway and met up with my parents at the UK pavilion. Our plan was to leisurely stroll around WS, grabbing some of our favorite drinks or trying new ones at the F&G booths, all while the kids did their scavenger hunt. But DS2 didn’t like that plan. We made it to France and DH and I were in desperate need of a drink. I wanted a Grey Goose Slushie and they also had beer so DH and I got in line with DS2 kicking and screaming while my parents wandered with the other 3 kids. We finally got our drinks and forced DS2 into the stroller. He ended up kicking off his shoes and socks and I had to backtrack to find them! All while trying to juggle the stroller and martini glass that they serve the grey goose slushies in. I got the orange one this time and it was ok…maybe a little on the sweet side. I had the citron one on our last trip and I think I liked that one better. We had thought about trying to do some character meet and greets while walking WS, but it just became too complicated with my parents, the older kids trying to do the scavenger hunt, and dealing with DS2 so we gave up on that idea and no one seemed to care. Also, we had really wanted to try some of the special drinks at the F&G booths but the lines were sooo long! So we kind of gave up on that idea as well. After France we walked past Morocco and Japan (the kids finding their honeybee and putting their stickers on their maps) and we approached the American Adventure. DS2 had fallen asleep in the stroller and I really wanted to watch the Am Adv show so I asked my parents and they said sure, so all of us except DH and DS2 went in to watch. I showed DH where Fife and Drum was so he could get himself a beverage while he waited for us. We had to wait about 10 minutes but that was enough time for the kids to use the restroom. The show started and DD4 fell asleep in my arms. I texted DH and told him what time the show would be over and that there was a drink I wanted to try from Fife and Drum (frozen red stag lemonade). I enjoyed the show but I also allowed myself to take a brief snooze! When the show was over we came out and DH had my drink waiting for me! It was very filling and sweet! We continued our walk through World Showcase and DS2 woke up right when we got to Germany (he had not slept long enough so was cranky) so we showed him the train display. This was good at first but turned into not so good after about 10 minutes. He has some OCD tendencies like his older brother DS8. He has a hard time with transitions and at this time did not want to stop watching the trains. We had to pry him away and he had another meltdown. The kids were still working on their scavenger hunt and up next was one that they could not find in the Savanna area. DH looked all over with them but DS8 was not happy and wanted to complete all of the hunt. We were still dealing with DS2 so I found a kiosk with frozen cokes and got one for each of the kids. (I was still trying to finish my lemonade) We made it through China, Norway and then I thought DS2 would enjoy the 3 Caballeros ride in Mexico so all 8 of us went inside the Mexico Pavilion for that. I really wanted an avocado margarita from La Cava but the line was pretty long out the door so I gave up that idea and we got in line for the ride. This may have been our longest line of our whole trip! We waited about 20 minutes but I was busy trying to secure fastpasses for Hollywood Studios that evening. I had managed to get 2 FP for RnR at HS that evening plus 3 more for TSM. DH had DS2 and he settled down a little bit while waiting. We finally got on the ride but I missed most of it as I was modifying for just the right time for those fastpasses! Once we were done with Mexico my parents decided to head back to the resort to rest some and then wanted to go to MK that evening to eat dinner. So we said goodbye to them and DS8 started complaining about the scavenger hunt again. He (along with DS2 and his momma) has a hard time letting things go. I was determined to help him find this mysterious honeybee and so we turned around walked past Norway and China back to the Savannah. I couldn’t find it so I found a CM and she was really nice and without telling us where it was she gave us plenty of hints so that we could find it. I was so relieved! The kids were finally happy. We headed back to the WS entrance and I ran over to Canada to get a maple whiskey popcorn shake. Surprisingly the line was really short! It was a small drink but really strong and just what I needed. It was almost 4:00 at this point so we headed out of Epcot with plans to go to Hollywood Studios. DS2 was still not happy so DH decided to take him back to the resort. I was bummed but he insisted I take the other 3 on to HS by myself. I will admit I was a little nervous but excited at the same time! So on the drive over to HS I was able to modify the RnR FP to get another TSM FP, so we now had 4 for TSM and it was for right at the time we would be arriving!
Next Up…More Tears and More Pixie Dust at HS…Plus my first STROLLER-LESS experience at Disney with Kids!
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I have to say, while I love the ‘modify’ trick, I do spend an inordinate amount of time working FPs to get just the right vacation to make everyone else happy. I always miss part of rides and ambiance of walking around because my face is plastered to my phone. 
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Yes, I have a love/hate relationship with the modify trick! There were times when my husband would give me “the look” and I would put the phone down! 
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Day 8 Continued - Thursday, Mar 8 - Evening at Hollywood Studios
Hollywood Studios is a great park to try and go stroller-less because it’s relatively small. On the way over to HS I told DD4 that if she wanted to go with us she wouldn’t be able to ride in the stroller. She hesitated but in the end decided she could tough it out. We pulled into HS and when directed to park DH asked the attendant if there was a drop off area. The CM showed us where to go which was right up front so that was nice! (I have always wanted to try this technique to find a closer parking spot when arriving in the evening, but have always been too chicken to ask the CM.) We said goodbye to DH and DS2 and we walked into HS. The freedom I felt not having to worry about a stroller was great! We headed back towards Toy Story Mania and on our way we saw some Stormtroopers with a CM handler. We stopped to watch them and the CM was telling people that the stormtroopers would call you up if they wanted to talk to you. My boys had on their Star Wars Darth Vader jackets and the stormtroopers noticed right away and called them over. DD4 followed them but she was wearing a Minnie Mouse jacket and they sent her back to me. She didn’t quite understand and started crying. The CM was really nice and told her that it was for her protection since the Stormtroopers are on the dark side (they really stay in character). I thought that was a cool way of saying it. I comforted DD4 while trying to take a pic of the boys with the Stormtroopers. I noticed another kid try and walk up to them to interact but the CM said again that you must wait to be called up. DD4 calmed down and we headed to Toy Story Mania to use our FP. When we were about to board the CM stopped and asked how old the boys were. Since DS6 was not yet 7 he could not ride alone with DS8. So DS8 rode on his side alone and I sat in the middle between DD4 and DS6. I was bummed I didn’t get to play but got over it quickly because the kids were happy. But I am a competitive person! After TSM we strolled over to Cruz Ramirez but the line was really long so we skipped that. We were about to head over to Star Wars Launch Bay but the kids were getting hungry for dinner. We had plenty of time so we headed over to Backlot Express and used mobile order to get hot dogs for DS8 and DS6, and the kids menu Dark Side Chicken and Waffles for DD4. I ordered the Darth Vader Chocolate/PB cupcake for myself thinking I could eat some of DD4’s chicken. Here’s a tip at Backlot Express…the drinks are self-serve so in our case we ordered just 1 kids meal that came with a drink and all 3 kids were able to share it by getting refills. Our order came quickly and I was a little disappointed in the waffle. It was hard and a little cold and DD4 barely ate any of it. She preferred her chicken which meant I didn’t have anything to eat. So I placed another order for a bacon cheeseburger! We took our time eating and I enjoyed just sitting there talking with the kids. They asked about going on more rides and I kind of laughed and said there wasn’t much there anymore. (I can’t handle Star Tours, we have never tried ToT, and DD4 is too short for RnR)
We were done eating so we started walking across the area in front of the Chinese Theater. There was a PP taking pics in front of the DHS sign so we stopped and waited for the family in front of us to finish up. I got a great pic with the kids and the PP even mentioned how good the kids were. As we were done with the PP, a CM came up and asked us if we had plans to watch the Star Wars Fireworks that night. I said yes and she asked if we would like to have special reserved seating. I said yes! She asked if it was just the 4 of us so again I said yes. She told us we would be the Galactic Family of the Night. She asked the kids if they wanted to meet Chewbacca or Kylo Ren and they said both! (smart kids!) She kind of laughed and said, “I think we can do that.” So she escorted us into Launch Bay and we went to a special section at the front of the line for Kylo Ren. It was really awkward as I don’t like attention like that and everyone in line was looking at us! Anyhow, we went in to meet Kylo Ren. We did this meet and greet on our last trip and honestly this time was scary! He talked to the boys because they had their DV jackets on, we took a pic, then he was done with us and literally shoved us out the door. It was so cool! The CM then took us over to Chewbacca, but the boys made sure to take their jackets off first because they didn’t want Chewie to see them! Chewie was great and he had us raise our arms over our heads to take a picture. We then headed out of Launch Bay with the CM. The fireworks were scheduled for 8:15 with Disney Movie Magic at 7:55. The CM said to come back between 7:30-7:40 to check in for our spot.
We had about 45 minutes still so we went to watch Voyage of the Little Mermaid (a favorite of DD4’s). The boys protested just a bit but I reminded them of what happened with the Stormtroopers and then they were ok with it. We had to wait in the holding area for about 10 minutes. There was maybe only 5 other people waiting! While we waited we sat down and played I Spy. It was fun looking all around and noticing things you wouldn’t normally notice. We entered the theater and I let DD4 choose where to sit and she chose the 2nd row! We were so close you could literally see the characters dressed in their black. I thought this might ruin some of the “magic” of the show for the kids but they never mentioned it. We got a little wet during the show but it wasn’t too bad. Everyone enjoyed the show and we sang thru parts of it. It was then about time to go find our spot for the fireworks but it was so COLD and the kids were freezing! It was low 50’s at this point. We all had on pants with just a light jacket. I remembered the coffee stand right outside Toy Story so I asked the kids if they wanted hot chocolate and they were jumping up and down saying “yes!” So we ran over there to get coffee and hot chocolate. This was a big treat for the kids and they were so excited, plus it helped to keep our hands warm while we waited!
We then went to check in for our fireworks spot and the CM found our name on the list and gave us lanyards that we got to keep. She also presented us with a certificate with our name on it and the date. It was a neat souvenir. The CM walked us over to our spot and if you are familiar with the dessert party viewing area on the raised concrete, well this is where we got to sit. We arrived before the dessert party guests so we got to sit on the ground at the back of the viewing area on a very small ledge. I wasn’t sure if we were supposed to sit or stand, but with 15 minutes before Disney Movie Magic we decided to sit and rest. The CM chatted with us for a while and another CM brought us 2 boxes of popcorn (we ended up spilling one, big surprise!). The CM had just started the college program in January so it was interesting talking with her. She was only working 6 hour days but was preparing to work a lot more once Spring Break really kicked in. The dessert party viewers then came out so she left us alone and I was relieved when everyone from the party sat down on the concrete also!
Sitting there huddled together it didn’t feel as cold. I enjoyed Disney Movie Magic a lot and so did the kids! There was a 5 minute break before the fireworks so the CM came back out and talked to the entire group and did Disney trivia to help pass the time. I was impressed with her knowledge after less than 2 months working there! The fireworks show started and the kids LOVED it! I am not a huge Star Wars fan, but the kids are. I will say our spot was so close we had to literally turn our heads to see the fireworks. I would have liked more fireworks but I couldn’t complain.
After the show the park was closed so we strolled back down Hollywood Blvd and out the exit. We walked to the WL bus stop and there was a bus waiting! We were one of the last to squeeze on and everybody had to stand but we didn’t mind. We ended up passing the time by talking with a nice family from Montreal. They were speaking a little bit of french so I was able to say some things to them in french and they were impressed! We made it back to the hotel and the kids were excited to see their dad and tell them all about their night. I was so excited to tell him how great Disney was without a stroller! Not having to push a double stroller through the crowds was so nice! I did, however feel really bad that he missed out on the night. He said DS2 fell asleep about 6:00 so DH just chilled in the room watching TV.
I’m not sure why we were chosen to be the special family…it may have been because the CM felt sorry for a “single” mom with 3 kids, or they were looking for a family of 4…or whatever. But I do think not having the stroller really helped our chances. There are too many variables when you have small kids in a stroller and the CM’s probably didn’t want to take the chance on choosing a family that might have meltdowns! I also realized after writing all of this, that DS2 was just plain tired. While he slept great at night while at Disney, he barely took naps which resulted in his major meltdown day at Epcot. But we pushed through and made the best of it and the other kids had a great time.
The kids headed to bed and I got everything ready for the next day and set the alarm for 6:30. This was “sleeping in” for us at Disney…we planned to rope drop Hollywood Studios the next day but wanted to arrive by 8 to sign up for Jedi Training!
Next Up…Will We Get There in Time to Sign Up for Jedi Training? Our Last Early Morning Adventure at WDW
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Day 9, Friday March 9 - Our last full day at Disney + Jedi Training!
I was really worried that I wouldn’t want to get out of bed on this Friday. I remember from our last trip I was so tired and my legs were so exhausted by the last day that I could barely get out of bed. But when my alarm went off at 6:30 I was pumped and ready to go! I also think it helped to save Jedi Training for the last day because the kids really wanted to do it and it was good motivation to get them up in the morning.
We arrived at the HS parking lot about 7:45, got parked and headed to the entrance. In the past we were able to use the sidewalk security entrance on the left side but there was a sign up saying pathway closed and we had to use the main entrance which is a bit of extra walking. I think this must be a CM entrance only now because there was a security guard stationed there, but he waved and told us we had to go thru the main security. We did that and arrived at the tapstyles by 8. The ones on the left had maybe 3 or 4 families each but I found one on the right where there was just 1 family so we got in that line. We passed the time by talking with some other families. I was also finalizing our morning touring plan because DH and I still wanted to ride RnR but to accomplish that we would have to get rider switch, but that also meant we would have to go together at RD. Since there’s not much else for the kids to do over there I didn’t think that was a good plan. We also wanted to meet Buzz and Woody so we decided to do that instead after signing up for Jedi Training.
As we waited to go thru the tapstyles Daisy Duck came out and interacted with the kids waiting. She saw my DD4 and pulled her thru the tapstyle to give her a hug. The kids loved that and it was a great way to start the day. About 8:35 they let us through the tapstyles. I took the hands of DS8, DS6, and DD4 and we walked briskly over to Jedi Signups at the Indiana Jones Adventure Outpost. Since we were one of the first thru the gates there was no “mad rush” like I was envisioning. We ended up being the 3rd in line to sign up and got our choice of show at 12:40. The CM did mention they were signing kids up starting at 9:40 but I knew we could pick whatever time. We were done by 8:45 and DH and DS2 were waiting for us on a bench next to the Outpost. He was shocked we were done so quick. We then wanted to join the rope drop crowd but there was a line forming behind one of the shops on Hollywood Blvd and next to the lake that would eventually merge with the crowd on Hollywood Blvd. At this point we decided to try and do TSM first and then Buzz and Woody since we got done so quick with signups. We chose to wait with the crowd by the lake and after a few minutes the CM’s led us to TSM. There were a lot of people and they directed us to stroller parking. After we parked and before we got to the Buzz and Woody place on the left, the line for TSM came almost to a stop. Since we had already done TSM and we had a FP for it later in the day, we decided we would just go ahead and do Buzz and Woody. So we snuck over there and were the 2nd in line and got that done quickly. Once we got back out the line for TSM had thinned out and the sign still said 20 minutes so we got in the TSM line. We only waited 15 minutes! Seating with the kids on this one is tricky. Originally the CM put DS8 and DS6 together, then DH and DD4, then me and DS2. We all got in our cars and were about to start the ride when a CM asked the boys how old they were. When one said 6 he made him get out and join me and DS2. I was ok with this as I thought it might happen. The CM suggested that DS2 should sit on my lap but I didn’t take him up on his advice (I should have). DS2 insisted on aiming AND firing but since he sat so low his gun was pointed at the top the whole time! He didn’t care though!
We had plans to meet my parents around 10 for our first FP for the Frozen Sing Along at 10:30 but we still had some time to spare (it was 9:20 when we got off) so I checked the Disney Jr show times and there was one at 9:40. So DH took the 2 big boys to Star Tours and I took the 2 littles to Disney Jr. They LOVED it (it was boring to me but they were happy so I was happy). We then all met up for the Frozen show (along with my parents). We had a great set of storytellers this time and even my parents really enjoyed the show. After seeing it in 2015 and 2016 it was nice to hear some new jokes.
We had lunch reservations at 50s PrimeTime at 11am so we headed there right after Frozen. We were seated in about 5 minutes. Our waitress was GREAT and was even able to put up with my dad and his weird jokes, and she was really nice about it! I ordered the PBJ milkshake (so good). DH and I shared the sampler platter and an order of onion rings. The rings were amazing and I enjoyed the fried chicken. The pot roast and meatloaf were good but I could do without them next time. I can’t remember what the kids had, probably mac and cheese and chicken of some sort. DS2 was getting tired at this point and only wanted to sit on our laps, which made it difficult to eat. Plus, our food took a while to arrive so once it arrived around 11:50 we had to rush to get it down. I ended up leaving with the 3 big kids while the others finished up and paid the bill. We had to get them checked in by 12:10 for Jedi Training. We got checked in and the CM took the kids behind a roped off area and directed them to the front line (they would fight Vader from this line). We waited for a bit and I still hadn’t seen DH so I texted him and told him we would be heading over to the stage soon and if he could find me a beer that would be great. We marched over to the stage…DD4 was near the very front since she was one of the short ones. It was neat hearing them chant “Here come the Jedi, Here we come!”. We got to the stage and the kids went up and in an effort to secure a spot near the front to take video, I missed the directions from the PP on which person to take the Photopass card from. I ended up getting one but had a feeling I got the wrong one. (There are 2 PP’s and you want to make sure to get the card from the one that is assigned to your kid’s line). DH showed up right behind me with a grapefruit beer. It was really nice to sip on that while watching the show. The kids loved their training and DS8 did a great job this time as opposed to 2016 when he almost had an anxiety attack and nearly started crying on stage.
The show wrapped up at 1 and the big boys wanted to watch the Indiana Jones show. DS2 was sleeping in the stroller (thank goodness) and DD4 wanted to meet Olaf. So the grandparents took the boys to the Indy show while I took DD4 to Olaf and DH got to people watch while staying with DS2 (his favorite thing at WDW). The line for Olaf took at least 30 minutes but at 1 in the afternoon that’s to be expected. We all met up after the Indy show (which they all enjoyed) and headed over to TSM for our FP. This time each adult took one kid and I finally got to play! Somehow my dad barely beat me though, but I did beat DH! After scanning in for the TSM FP I got on MDE and booked a 4th FP for Tomorrowland Speedway at MK (it was on our must do list and we still hadn’t done it yet). After the ride we left the park to head back to WL for one more chance to swim.
Up Next…Our Last Evening at MK and my 1 brief but very magical hour with DD4 and no stroller!
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Day 9, Friday March 9 Continued - Magical Evening at MK
After we left Hollywood Studios we spent some time at the WL pool one last time. It was chilly (mid 60’s) but DD4 talked me into getting in the pool because it was sooo warm. I got in and she was right! It was my only time in the pool all week! The reason I got in was because she wanted to go down the slide but was afraid to do it if there wasn’t someone there to “catch” her. So I waded over there and she went down with her puddle jumper on and while I was right there, she didn’t even need me. Once she figured that out she went up and down several times. I was so happy that I got in with her. I also got to play with DS2 for a bit in the warm water. It was a great last afternoon there.
We headed back to the room to change and get ready for MK. My parents were going to Artist Point that night for dinner and planned to go to MK later on. Our Tomorrowland Speedway Fastpass ended at 6:30 and we arrived at the boat dock around 5:30. I figured that was plenty of time. But first we had to wait 15 minutes for the boat. Then the boat that did come was headed to Fort Wilderness first. We finally got to MK about 6:15 but the security and tapstyle lines were so long! It must have been because of all the people arriving for the fireworks. Plus, it was Friday night and the start of spring break for a lot of colleges. We finally made it into the park and rushed over to the Speedway. But the boys had to use the restroom so we stopped for that. We ended up arriving at the Speedway at 6:40 but our fastpasses still worked because there is usually a 15 minute grace period. Whew! I don’t know why I didn’t try modifying on the ride over to a later time but I guess I just forgot. Speedway is a tricky one for our family. Each adult had to take 2 kids. I had DD4 and DS6 I think while DS2 and DS8 went with DH. Thankfully we didn’t have to wait long with a fastpass. I really hope that’s the last time the kids ask to ride this, because it is so hard to steer! We got off the ride and ended up separated from DH again so we wandered over to the bathroom (again). I had booked a FP for Buzz right after we tapped into the Speedway so once we finally all met up again we headed over there.
It was getting close to FEA at this point (7:55 start time) so crowds were thinning out a bit in Tomorrowland. DS8 and DS6 were able to ride in a car by themselves on Buzz so the 6 of us each had our own guns. A little family competition that I won. After the ride FEA had just started so we hopped on the Peoplemover and it was AMAZING getting to watch the fireworks while on this ride. Everyone should try this at least once! I also believe it was DH’s first time on the ride because I always take the kids when he’s on Space Mtn. While on Peoplemover I grabbed a FP for Under the Sea. Our walk over there started right after HEA ended and there were just swarms of people everywhere. We hopped on that ride and then I grabbed another FP for It’s a Small World. While on that ride I asked the kids what they wanted to ride again and really the only kid that spoke up was DD4 and she kept saying 7DMT. The wait stayed over 60 minutes all night so I just told her we had to do something else. While on IASW I grabbed a FP for Winnie the Pooh. We got off WtP and we were close to 9:30 at this point. We were getting hungry so we headed over to Frontierland to figure out what to do next. I grabbed a FP for Splash Mtn but only DD4 and DS6 wanted to ride. While we rode that DH took the other 2 to find a snack. DS8 had his first ever churro and LOVED it! This kid is so picky so it was huge for him to try something new. Back on Splash the kids and I were in the front row. When we came up the top of the mountain and could see the castle and Space Mtn all lit up at night, it was AWESOME! I was taking in every minute of our last night. We got a little wet but it wasn’t too bad.
We joined up with DH and the others and I wanted to grab a snack since we had not eaten dinner. Pecos Bill was right there but they had just closed at 10. Then, all the snack carts closed too. Bummer! So i settled for PB crackers from our snack bag. We still had another hour of the park to be open so we tried to figure out what to do. DS8 and DS6 were getting tired and wanted to go back to the hotel. DD4 was still determined to ride 7DMT. I told her the only way we would do that was right at park close since the wait was still 60 minutes. DH headed back to the hotel with the other kids, but first I placed an order on the app for 2 orders of Casey’s Corn Dog Nuggets and gave DH firm instructions to save me some back at the room. They headed out and picked those up and then headed to the boat dock to go back to WL. While waiting they got to see the Electrical Water Pageant and DS8 started singing to “You’re a Grand Old Flag.” The people next to him were impressed that he knew that song…I blame the homeschooling. Meanwhile, DD4 and I got in line for Big Thunder with a posted standby wait of 25 minutes. It was 10:15 when we got in line so I figured if we made it off by 10:45 that would give us plenty of time to walk over to 7DMT to get in line by 11. But the line took forever and ended up being our longest standby wait of the trip…30 minutes (it really wasn’t that bad but I was stressed the whole time because I did not want to disappoint DD4 if we didn’t make it to 7DMT). I kept telling her that we may not make it and she needed to be prepared for that. She seemed to be ok with it. We finally got on BTMR around 10:45 and were seated in the very last row! It was fun but DD4 did not enjoy the back row so much. After we got off we literally jogged the whole way over to 7DMT. She made me hold her hand and she kept cheering me on “Come on mom, you got this!”. Then she would get tired but I wouldn’t let her quit. (She runs with me sometimes at home and also likes to be my “coach” when I’m exercising in the basement.)
We made it to the line entrance with 3 minutes to spare! We got in line with a posted standby wait of 40 minutes. I was ok with that because this was DD4’s last request. But it turns out we only waited 15 minutes! It was amazing. Plus, I couldn’t believe I rode that ride 4 times on this trip and twice thru the standby line. Our first time ever thru standby. DD4 was so happy and it was such a great way to end our trip. We were on cloud 9 when we left. The park was emptying out at this point so we took our time and stopped and took a castle pic on Main St. (sadly our only castle pic of the trip) We left the park and headed to the bus stop (I knew the bus was quicker and I figured at this time of night there wouldn’t be much of a wait). Sure enough there was a bus waiting and we hopped on and only 1 other couple joined us. We had a quick quiet ride to WL. We got back to the room around midnight and DH was the only one awake. He had saved a whole tray of corn dog nuggets for me! DD4 asked for a PBJ so I made that for her and she ended up falling asleep on the floor while eating it. And those corn dog nuggets were Sooooo good!
You probably noticed we never met up with my parents. We were heading to ride Buzz when they showed up and they had to go to a shop on Main St and ended up watching the fireworks from there. They really enjoyed that and didn’t know what they were missing by not being up close to see the projections. They left afterwards to go back and pack up their things.
Back in our room we were not packed up at all. But we were not in a hurry the next day so I didn’t worry about the room and went straight to bed!
I will be back to post about the drive home!
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Thank you for your report on the double stroller fitting in the back of the Minnie Van with 6 passengers. i could not really find that info anywhere else. I only need a single stroller and have a family of 5 with 1 in a carseat and was wondering if a bigger single jogging stroller would fit in the back of the minnie van…your post was very helpful.
Wow what a trip!! You managed to do so much! I can’t believe you did RD to evening EMH’s some days with kids so young! Troopers!!
I will say it wasn’t the width of the stroller I was worried about but the depth if that makes sense. The city mini has double wheels in front and back and not a big wheel in the front like most single joggers. So it depends on how yours folds up. The back of the Minnie Vans round out a bit so even if it doesn’t look like it will fit there’s a little extra room. Or you can always bring straps and tie to the top, lol!
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I was very pleased with the kids…i really think the cool weather helped them (even if I didn’t like it).
Thanks for posting, I’ve enjoyed reading about your trip. You have an engaging writing style.
Thank you. Your comment did make me laugh because I hate writing, so much that I managed to avoid taking any English classes while in college. But afyer my daughter was born in the car i wrote that story down and shared with some people…they all said something similar as you about my writing…so Perhaps it’s the creative part I don’t like but just retelling a story is easier?
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