My Wish!

I got my wish by being in Magic Kingdom for New Years Eve. By 10:00 pm Main Street was closed except for you to leave! They were even escorting guests out of the park through cast member only areas!

We watched the fireworks in Frontierland which was empty! I made my annual midnight call to my mom which she always takes! We then proceeded out the front.

We needed to make two stops so I took Nicole and Jim took Jess. Once we exited the park, the front gate was PACKED! I was glad I only had Nicole. We new the monorail was not going to be an option so we had planned on walking back to the Polynesian.

However, as we made our way to the paths, the boat launch was working so we got on line. Jim and Jess were ahead on line but of course my morals got in the way and we did not cut the line. Two boats later we were headed to the Polynesian and in bed by 1:00 am!

Cinderella's Royal Table

Because we knew the park would be at capacity, my idea to eat at the California Grill in the Contemporary was shifted to New Years Day. We ate with Cinderella and her friends! It was a fun meal with wands, swords and magical deserts!

Magic Kingdom - New Years Eve

One of the reasons we picked this week to go on vacation in Disney World was because I have always wanted to be in the Magic Kingdom on New Years Eve. I got my wish along with 74, 996 other guests (okay maybe not their wish but they were there!).

We started the day eating at Crystal Palace. Nicole even got an autograph book for autographs! We went on our favorites only once for most especially considering Space Mountain broke down! It was a magical day!

Disney's Hollywood Studios

We love this park because of the rides-Rockin' Rollercoaster, Tower of Terror and of course, Toy Storymania! We fell in love with Toy Story in Disneyland and could not wait to ride it here. Of course, with the larger crowds, we needed to wait 15 minutes for a FastPass and by 10:00 am all of the FastPasses were gone so only one trip for us!

We skipped Tower of Terror much to the delight of Jessica and myself and could only ride Rockin once which was not going over well in our house! We usually ride this at least three times a visit! Except for the main rides, other lines were quick!

We did get to enjoy the Osbourne Family Lights and had dinner at the famed Brown Derby!

Hook and Loop

Jess and Nicole got to be a part of a show which taught about the wonders of velcro aka hook and loop. They were contestants in building a block tower cover with hooks and loops.

Jim was a part of the show too. He had to diaper babies and carry them on his apron! Very funny!

EPCOT

We spent almost two full days in EPCOT. The bonus at EPCOT during the holiday season is that they tell stories in all the countries about how they celebrate Christmas, Kwanzaa or New Years Day. We enjoyed listening to all the stories. We also got to eat in two favorite countries - Canada and Japan. Jess of course stayed true to her French and had French ice cream every chance she could.

With the additional crowds, FastPasses were gone for Soarin, Test Track and Mission Space by 2:00 pm. The queue for the ride in Mexico featuring the Three Callberos was all through out the attraction. Spaceship Earth which was update posted a 30 minute wait time. We all enjoyed the new features in Spaceship Earth but a lot of the original still remains.

One highlight in EPCOT was seeing my friend Laura who now works for Disney. She invited us to a taping of a video in America. My friends Gary and Pam were there too, and we even got to be in the video! Okay, we held a sound screen so that when Angela Bassett recorded the video you could not here the air conditioner! We did get to meet her and her husband, Courtney Vance. She was very sweet. We then got to listen to them read the Candlelight Processional. I was not sure I was going to enjoy the show again because I had experienced it last year. However, the show takes on a different feel depending on who is reading it. I think I enjoyed it more. Jim really loved it and would gladly go again!

I think EPCOT was my favorite park during the holidays!

Hello Polynesian!

We were very lucky to spend the week between Christmas and New Years at Walt Disney World. This was my reward for working with the www.disneyworldmoms.com for the year. We stayed at the Polynesian which was a new experience for us. We loved being on the monorail and our room was near the main building and pool though we only swam New Years Day.

We took Magical Express, another first, and arrive around noon to our hotel. We were greeted with leis as is the tradition in the Hawaiian islands.

We quickly unpacked and headed to EPCOT for the start of our vacation. We even got stuck on the monorail for about fifteen minutes and overlooked Spaceship Earth with its winding line another first!

Trainer in Training

Jess took a picture with one of the orca trainers. I know she would have loved to have been a trainer for the day but she needs another year before she can do it.

Wrapping it Up in California

The whales came right over to us after dinner. We headed back to our hotel so that we could get a good night rest before heading home in the morning. We all loved California and I know Jim and I would move in a heartbeat. It was relaxing without being slow and the weather was perfect. I am glad we went!

Dinner with the Whales

Okay so I got a little crazy and decided at the last minute to eat with the whales. The food was good but the experience was unique. I do not know if I would go back but those whales are about ten feet from my girls.

Dolphins

Nicole and Jessica are petting and feeding the dolphins. We wanted them to experience these gentle and kind creatures before we go swimming with them on our next vacation. The girls really had a lot of fun with the dolphins.

Rays

Jess and Nicole pet the rays. Jess and I actually swam with the rays but they always make her sad now because of Steve Irwin. Hopefully, they will make her smile again!

A really big whale

This female whale is the star of the show. At almost 40, she is kind to the new trainers and other whales. All of the other trainers have learned from her. Her fin which is bent is due to genetics and not because her tank is too small as noted in the Free Willy Movie.

Sea World

For our last day in California, we went to Sea World. Jess and Nicole are in front of Shamu's Stadium though there is no longer a Shamu.

Nicole decide we needed to sit in the splash zone so I am standing at our seats taking this picture. Jim who was buying popcorn could not believe we chose these seats. But where else would any kid choose to sit?

We did not get soaked but we did have fun!

Wanted Two Cute Girls

Nicole and Jess stand for their mugshots in front of the Shrek attractions. This was one of our favorites rides at Universal and it was well done. After a long day in LA, we headed South again to San Diego for the final day of vacation.

Universal Studios

For our final day in LA, we headed to Universal Studios.

Though it was a part of our City Pass Ticket, it was not a favorite stop for any of us.

The park was split in levels and the food lines were long.

We enjoyed the Backlot Tour and Shrek but the other rides were just okay.

Walking under the Golden Gate Bridge

This is the gang heading into the park after dinner.

California Adventure

We spent our second day in California Adventures. This is Disney's version of the old fashion theme park at the beach but with Hollywood Studios thrown in for the Disney twist.

On the California Pier, they had the new ride, Toy Story Mania. Since there was no FastPass option, we headed there on the rope drop. We then proceeded to wait about 45 minutes.

But the fun we had!

Splash Mountain

This is team Choisez prior to going over the falls of Splash Mountain.

Unlike Disney World, you ride single rider for this log flume with one double seat in the rear.

The trick here is that you must be at least 5 feet to ride in the first spot. Since I was not going to volunteer, Jim got the best seat in the house.

Indy's Helper

Nicole got to help Indiana Jones with one of his adventures. Here she is helping the "assistant" solve a clue.