[Ears42]

Day Six: December 12, 2002: The Princess Breakfast, pictures, pictures, pictures, and a tour of The Beach Club Villas.

Ok, now today we had to be awake early. We have PS at 8:50 for CRT. At 60 days out from the first day of our trip I was still in the hospital with my gall bladder surgery. I tried to explain to DH what he needed to do to get my PS for CRT. It was beyond him. [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img] I tried everyday when I got home with two cell phones and my land line with no luck. But I never give up on CRT. I called everyday, three times a day, using the 800 for DC and would give them all of my dates and said I would take anytime. After several weeks I got this PS for December 12. OK, not on the 9th, which is Katie’s actually birthday, but close enough. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

We headed out around 8:00. It was an early entry morning into MK and we got to Main Street with time to spare. Now it hadn’t started to rain YET, today, but showers were in the forecast. [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img] We took advantage of the dry (ha ha, we haven’t been truly dry in days) weather and got a great picture of Katie, tiara on head, in front of the Walt and Mickey statue with the castle in the background for our Christmas cards. The planters were full of poinsettias so it is a really cute picture. I’ve gotten lots of compliments on it from friends. Still plenty of time before our PS so we head to the carousel for a quick spin. Time to eat.

We are seated right away for our breakfast. It looks like the first seating is ending and lots of tables are clearing out. Once again, lousy table. We are the first table at the top of the stairs. The table is decorated for Katie’s birthday. There are streamers on the table and confetti. Paul is our server and he was great. Katie is excited because all of her favorites are here. Belle, Aurora, Snow White and Cinderella are all holding court today. I feel sorry for Belle, the other princesses are so jealous of her beauty that she always appears in her blue pinafore dress. Just once I’d like to see her in her yellow ball gown. No one makes Cinderella wear her rags and apron! OK, off tangent there. All of the princesses like Katie’s tiara (headband from target purchased week after Halloween for $1.99) and wish her Happy Birthday. When Cinderella comes to the table I am able to sneak the gift bag with Katie’s locket to her behind Katie’s back and she presents it to her as if it’s her gift to Katie. (This did create a problem at another table with a birthday girl because that Mommy didn’t plan ahead. [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] The little girl wanted to know where her present was! Oops!) Katie was so excited. She loved the locket and had to put it on right away. She was equally excited that I got a present too.

I had called the restaurant the day before for a birthday cake and Paul brought it to the table with a card signed by all the Princesses. Now I asked for the smallest cake they had. I would have easily been cut into 8-10 pieces. We each had a slice. Am I a great Mommy or what I let Katie eat cake for breakfast! We took half of what was left with us.

What a great start to the day. Too bad it has started to rain. We head towards Toon Town and the Tea Cups. Again I have to ride the teacups. [img]graemlins/dizzy.gif[/img] I really hate going around and around and around in circles, especially after just eating. When we get off the Tea Cups, Tweedle Dee and Dumb are posing for pictures so we get in line. After the photo op we head to Belle’s Story Time. Belle is the same CM that was at the Castle for Breakfast and she recognizes Katie. Katie was picked to be a part of the story but was having a shy day today for some reason and wouldn’t go on stage. This is a cute way to spend 20 minutes sitting and resting. Next off to Toon Town.

When we get to Toon Town the drizzle has started again and we head towards County Bounty. There are no lines for the Judges Tent and the icons show Cinderella and Suzy are appearing. In years past they have always had professional photographers in the Judges tents so we get in this line first. No professional photographers in the Cinderella room. I have to rely on my camera (which I hate and have hinted to DH to replace for the last two Christmases and Birthdays unsuccessfully) for pictures. Katie has a great time thanking Cinderella for her locket and her cake. She is so cute the CM and the people in line behind us let her take as long as she wanted. I finally had to pull her away. The pictures did come out OK.

Out the back of the judge’s tent, around the store and we get back in Line for Minnie Mouse. Minnie of course has a professional photographer and we get our pictures taken. Chip and Dale are hanging out with Minnie so we get pictures with them too. Out the back, around the front, back in line for Pooh. This was great! No lines, go out one room, get back in line, into the next room. Pooh also has a photographer, more pictures. Now we need to spend at least another hour and half in MK in order to pick up the pictures.

We stroll through Fantasyland again, take a spin on Pooh. I love this ride. It’s really tame but I love it. And I found Toad handing over the deed. I’ve looked for this for years and I finally found it. We head down towards Buzz Lightyear. Grab some fast passes. We’ve never ridden this before and the standby line is only 10 minutes so we get in line also. It’s a cool ride but I didn’t really get the hang of shooting the targets. Katie was less than thrilled so when we got off I gave our fast passes to the family getting off in front of us. We head toward Main Street. Go through some shops, wonder over to pick up our pictures.

OH NO, MELT DOWN. This doesn’t happen often, but when Katie has a melt down, it is ugly. She decides to have one while standing in line for our pictures. The line was very slow. They were training lots of new CMs in MK today, most of who spoke Spanish as their first language and hadn’t quite mastered the currency yet. It was very warm in the Exposition Hall also. She wanted to be held, she wanted down, she wanted out of the stroller, she wanted something to eat. It went on and on. I’m sure the honeymoon couple in front of me were reconsidering having children by the time it was our turn. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

But it was worth the wait. The pictures were adorable today. We got the Chip and Dale, a picture with Tigger, and an Ariel. (I guess we stopped by the grotto too today, not in my notes but she has the same outfit on). The Minnie and pooh pictures weren’t very good. When we went back outside to leave MK and head toward BCV it was pouring again. I really hate rain.
Capitan Hook and Mr. Smee were alone on the porch so we stopped for some quick pictures then braved the rain for the bus stop.

We caught the bus for the Beach Club. First complaint, we had to share a bus with The Boardwalk and the Yacht Club. It was very humid on the bus, I think the driver had the heat on because everyone was so wet but that just made it worse. We were going to the Beach Club to tour the Vacation Club Villas. We purchased our DVC in April last year, sight unseen for the Beach Club to be our home resort. They were having an open house and as we are going to be staying there in October, and taking friends with us I really wanted to check it out. We found the open house no problem. The CM there was very nice. We signed in and if we had our DVC membership card with us we got a free trading pin. Cool. I had my card. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] I checked everything out. I opened all the kitchen cabinets to see what they had stocked the kitchen with. I love the bathroom for the one bedrooms. We had only stayed in studios at Hilton Head and VWL. We have a two-bedroom lock out reserved for October. We are taking friends with us and we will have a one bedroom, they will have a studio, and they will connect but they can also close the door and have privacy. It will be fun. I love the colors of the décor. Very beachy, white cabinets and furniture, cool colors in the decorating. I like it. The common areas are really neat too. I didn’t think the Christmas decorations were as elaborate as they are at the VWL or the GF but very tasteful and understated. I did really like the carousel in the lobby thought. Cool.

We had our tour and it was pouring rain again so back to VWL for dinner at Roaring Forks again. We had to take the bus to DD and change to the WL bus so the travel time was over an hour. We had pizza and salad again for dinner. We took it back to our studio to eat. We needed to pack and do a little more laundry tonight. Tomorrow we check out of VWL and will spend our last night at the Hampton Inn at the airport. I had packed a fold up carryon bag in the bottom of my big suitcase and I really needed it. I seriously considered buying another suitcase in the Mercantile at WL. I am not going to be able to purchase much tomorrow at DD. Oh well. Live and Learn.

Next Installment: Last day in the World, Tornado Warnings, and “What county are we in?”

[ 01-12-2003, 05:15 PM: Message edited by: Ears42 ]