Waiting for Toy Story

Magic Kingdom and EPCOT are definitely our favorite parks at Disney World, but with two other parks we have to throw in some variety. On our fifth day, we went to Disney's Hollywood Studios (formerly known as Disney MGM Studios). It's a nice enough park, but it has a bipolar focus on both shows (not Benji's style) and very thrilling rides (Benji's not tall enough). There's not much in the middle that holds Benji's attention. What it does have, though, is the ride with the longest line in Disney World — Toy Story Midway Mania. When we arrived at maybe 10:30 the fastpasses were out to 7:10 (and the park closed at 8:00 that day). So we got our fastpasses and tried to figure out how to kill an entire day while waiting for that one ride.

We tried to see the Little Mermaid show, but while we were in the pre-show area Benji announced that he had to go potty. Thankfully we hadn't been in line very long so we didn't really waste any time, but we never did make it back to see that show. We then read the map and discovered that Star Tours was only a 40-inch height minimum. It had been 15 years since I had been on Star Tours, but from what I recalled it seemed like it would be right up Benji "the thrill seeker's" alley. While it was pretty much what I remembered, Benji told me afterward that he didn't like that ride and didn't want to go on it again. It wasn't terrible since he told that to me very calmly, but clearly we wouldn't be going on that again.

After lunch, we headed over to the "Lights, Motors, Action!" stunt show. Now that he liked. No cars crashing, but lots of cool driving on two wheels and cars flying over each other. He was on his feet watching excitedly through the whole show. And when they asked for kid volunteers from the audience he eagerly raised his hand (we were way too far back in the amphitheater to get called on).

We wandered past Toy Story to see how long the stand-by line was (80 minutes) and Benji thought we should get another fastpass. Of course they were all out. As I was kneeling next to Benji, pointing to the sign for him to read, and telling him they were all gone a random stranger walked up and gave me a set of 4 Toy Story fastpasses. Those are the hottest ticket and someone gave them to me to make the day of my disappointed three-year-old. By the time I turned to show Benji and turned to thank the guy profusely, he was gone. Quite the random act of kindness! The passes weren't good until 6:40, but I was still so appreciative because that meant Benji would be able to go on three times after all day of waiting.

Our next stop was the Playhouse Disney live stage show. In general, we're not familiar with Playhouse Disney since we don't have cable. But we had seen some of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in the hotel and at Josh and Beth's house. The storyline of the show focuses on it being Minnie's birthday and all of the characters from the different shows had to do things to prepare for the party. Benji is fascinated by birthdays and their trappings — the cake, the singing, the presents — so he liked the show. During several of the scenes they blew things into the audience (tissue paper leaves and streamers) and even when Benji sees those things around the house now he talks about how they're from Minnie's birthday party!

Next Daddy took Benji to the animation exhibit where they have computers to play with while I went over to the adult rides (Aerosmith Rock 'n Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror).

After dinner it was finally time to head over to Toy Story Mania for our fastpasses. Since we had a set of 4 from the random act of kindness, we split up and Matthew took Benji on first. Then I took Benji on. But, we didn't make it very far on our ride. We were on the first activity when the ride broke down. You know it's not a good sign when, instead of saying "stay in your seats; the ride will resume soon", they say "stay in your seats; someone will come to get you soon". Benji was so disappointed! He had just been on the ride, so he knew exactly what he was missing. And we were one of the last groups to be offloaded so I just had to keep comforting him. I, too, was disappointed since we had waited ALL DAY to ride this ride and I didn't even get to ride it at all. And while it was interesting to see some of when we got walked off, it wasn't really all that impressive of a ride with the lights on.

As we were all being escorted to the exits they gave us fastpasses for Toy Story good for one ride during the next week. Well, we had no intention of returning to the park (we didn't have park hoppers and another day at the Studios would have been a big waste) and the park was already closed for the night. So while Matthew calmed an upset Benji I marched over to Guest Services. I was gearing up for a fight to get some sort of compensation such as an upgrade to park hopper for the rest of the trip, but the case member simply took my name and address and said I would have 3 one-day one-park passes waiting for me at the window. I would just have to show photo ID and use the pass that day, but other than that there are no strings attached. We decided not to use them on this trip since Benji had calmed down, but it sure is nice to know I have over $200 of Disney tickets I can use any day in the future. And it's a nice reminder of why "it doesn't hurt to ask".

When we returned to the hotel that night, Benji had an amazing surprise waiting for him — Grandma and Grandpa! He knows that we were on vacation and that Grandma and Grandpa don't live in Florida, so imagine his shock when he saw them! We played some silly games in the food court until it was time for bed — time for Grandma and Grandpa to go to bed, that is. Benji could go on forever at Disney World so it's definitely the adults that run out of steam first. In any case, we visited for a while and then went to our rooms to rest up for a full day at the Magic Kingdom with all five of us!



"Lights, Motors, Action!"


Streamers and leaves from Minnie's birthday party.





Even with all the rides and shows, Benji still enjoys the simple pleasures including a game of hide-and-seek. Another simple pleasure was pushing his stroller in circles.


Giant toys in the queue area of Toy Story Midway Mania.


Notice Mickey on his shirt is wearing the 3D glasses.


Toy Story Mania with the lights on.





Silly games in the food court.


Who doesn't love a little plate balancing?

Libellés : Benji, Disneyworld

Good Morning, Mickey!

On the third morning of our trip, Benji had a surprise visitor. When he woke up there was a new Mickey Mouse in bed with him! Mickey was a perfect souvenir to go along with the Mickey Mouse ears and he quickly became a new best friend. Even now after the trip is over, Benji sleeps with Mickey every night and talks about how much he loves Mickey.

But, when it was time to go to the parks and leave Mickey behind, there were no arguments. After all, who would choose Mickey over more rides? So we went off to Epcot.

At the entrance to Epcot they play a variety of music to set the mood. Among those songs are the theme songs to some of the attractions. This morning they were playing the music from Soarin' as we walked under Spaceship Earth. I don't think Matthew or I noticed it at all, but Benji got very excited and wanted to go immediately to Soarin'. So we sent Daddy to get fastpasses while Benji and I took a ride on Nemo and saw Turtle Talk.

By that time we needed to head over to the Coral Reef for our lunch reservation. Unfortunately we didn't get a seat by the fish tank, but we still had a nice meal. My favorite part had to have been dessert. Matthew and I split the Wave, a chocolate lava cake. Yummy!! It also had a few Mickey sprinkles for garnish and Benji just loved those. We got Benji his own dessert — a make-your-own sundae. He loved it last time and he loved it again. In the process of making and eating his sundae, he got chocolate sauce all over his face. So I told him if he were a Mr. Men book he would be Mr. Chocolate Face. He loved that thought! Now I just need to think of a good storyline for Mr. Chocolate Face.

At the tail end of lunch our window for more fastpasses opened up so Matthew ran over to Soarin' to get another set. Then we all headed over to Nemo and Turtle Talk again. Every time we go he very much wants to talk to Crush during the show and he's never been called on. But after the show was over and the theater was emptying the cast member was asking the straggler kids if they wanted to talk to Crush. So Benji said "hello" into the microphone and he seemed pretty happy about being able to talk to Crush.

By this time our first fastpasses to Soarin' were valid so we had our first thrill ride of the day. Benji loved it as much as ever! Then we had to wait for the next fastpasses. We headed over to Innoventions where we played the "What's Your Problem?" game show again. There were more kids than last time, so Benji had to play with a "team" but he had a blast again! While in Innoventions, we visited Mickey for photos again and played with some of the displays and computer kiosks.

We tend to spend very little time in the World Showcase on our Epcot visits but Matthew and I keep saying we want to do more of that. So we headed to the left side of the Showcase where we tend to spend almost no time. We tried out the boat ride in Mexico where they had recently added Donald and the Three Caballeros to an existing boat ride. It was kind of cute, but not thrilling enough for Benji. I did like the general atmosphere within the Mexico pavilion and may have to go back there sometime for the restaurant. We took a quick stop at Norway thinking we could just walk on to the Malestrom boat ride, but it was a 30 minute wait. Benji was quite angry, but that ride is definitely not worth a 30 minute wait. So we continued walking around the World Showcase Lagoon and eventually stopped for dinner. I walked a bit further to pick up dinner at the France pavilion. They had a delicious little ham and cheese croissant and a creme brulee. The sandwich was the biggest bargain in the park at only $3.25 and so tasty, too.

After dinner it was time for that sweet spot of the day for thrill ride riding. We rode Soarin' twice, Test Track twice, and Soarin' yet again. Test Track is another 40 inch ride and definitely more thrilling than Soarin' so we have to be more careful and hold onto Benji during a few parts (so his head doesn't bounce back against the seat strangely). There's a part inside the building where your "car" is put through its paces on various tests, such as a steep incline, bumpy pavement, and stopping with and without antilock brakes. Then you go outside for a 65 mph figure-eight around the building. It's the fastest ride in any Disney park, but it's actually only as fast as going on a highway in a convertible. Still, Benji screamed with laughter and joy with the wind in his hair. He loved it!

Libellés : Benji, Disneyworld

Should Florida be this cold?

We decided a winter trip would be a nice break from Chicago snow, although it turns out we had a cold snap for about half of the trip. Since we carefully watched the forecast leading up to the trip, we were well-prepared complete with hats, gloves, and coats. So although the crowds seemed to be kept away by the 40 and 50 degree weather, we didn't let that stop us. The third day of our trip, while not actually the coldest day, was the one that felt the coldest. I think it was windier than the other days and the Magic Kingdom has fewer indoor places to escape than Epcot does. But this was the ony day we'd be able to see Spectromagic (Florida's version of the Electical Parade) so it was definitely a Magic Kingdom day.

We started this day in Tomorrowland with a ride on Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. Benji's score "tied" Mommy's so he was very excited (actually, mine was 10X Benji's; he just didn't see the extra zero on mine). We also rode the Tomorrowland Transit Authority (commonly known as the Peoplemover), which is truly an underappreciated ride. It has a few quick turns to keep Benji happy, a nice breeze when it's hot out, and some time to rest your feet — all with a nice overhead overview of Tomorrowland. We were a bit chilly from the Peoplemover, so we took a spin on the Carousel of Progress and I had the catchy tune "It's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" running through my head the rest of the day.

After lunch at the Columbia Harbor House, we made our way aross Fantasyland to the favorite roller coaster. It was the longest line I have ever seen for that ride, so Matthew took a ride around the park on the train while Benji and I waited for Goofy's Barnstormer. We actually squeezed in 2 rides before Matthew got back, but of course Benji wanted more. With a bit more time in the line, we actually took our time to notice more of the theming, including the chickens in the first show building and the fact that the roller coaster trains look like airplanes.

We rejoined Matthew and headed over to the teacups. While I think I may enjoy teacups more than Matthew, it really is a special ride for Daddy and Benji. Matthew spins the teacups so much faster than I ever could — and Benji would probably be happy if he could spin even faster. On this trip the two of them developed a little ritual game of "I can't spin it" where they try to spin the wheel before the ride begins.

After teacups we tried to go over to Winnie the Pooh, but Benji shied away. On the previous trip he really liked it, but when we rode earlier on this trip he got a little scared. There's a dream sequence with psychedelic huffalumps and Benji covered his eyes. We thought he might still like to go on for the good parts and just cover his eyes for that part, but it quickly became clear that we won't be going on the Pooh ride again anytime soon. Instead, Benji started doing pretend rides in the middle of the walkway. He stopped right in the middle of the thoroughfare and started spinning around and mimicking the teacups ride. Then he decided we all needed to ride the roller coaster. We convinced him that we needed to move off to the side so people could get through and then we happily went on his "ride". He lined us all up in a row and then we had to go up the hill, around the track, and back to the station — all while doing muted roller coaster screams. Finally we "rode" Soarin' complete with the boarding instruction video (in which you need to remove your mouse ears) and seat belt buckling and with Benji telling us the various scenes we're flying past. It was amazingly imaginative, although we must have looked awfully ridiculous to a bystander as if we were doing Candid Camera. Still, I enjoyed losing myself in Benji's imagination and just living in the moment. The real rides would still be there, but his sudden need to show us his favorite rides would only last so long. I really wish I had a video of this, but then I wouldn't have been fully participating in the moment.

After our exciting "rides" we took a rest on a nearby bench and Benji ate a snack out of Mommy's purse. Later that day he told us he was hungry but he refused to go to a restaurant. He kept saying he wanted to eat on a bench. It turns out he wanted the snacks in Mommy's purse. So we had a snack at the Main Street Bakery instead of dinner. It's vacation, after all, right? Benji actually fell asleep in the middle of eating his cookie so when Matthew and I were done we headed off to Big Thunder Mountain for a quick "big person" ride. (Since Benji is now 40 inches tall, he could technically ride Thunder Mountain, but Matthew and I felt that some of the 40 inch rides were still not appropriate for him. Besides, that means we still have new rides for future excitement.)

By this time it was getting close to parade time so we woke Benji for a ride on Pirates of the Caribbean. He was not pleased to (1) be woken, and (2) go on a ride he didn't perceive as being thrilling. Once he figured out there's a hill hidden in the dark, he was much more excited about future rides on the "pirate boat ride". We headed back to Frontierland for the parade (the back of the park is our favorite place for the Spectromagic parade since it's less crowded and you don't have to stake out a place an hour or more in advance). Since it was definitely getting chilly, we all bundled up, including hats, mittens/gloves, and a scarf. We must have looked a little silly, but it sure made a difference in being able to stay later in the park after I saw a mass exodus earlier in the day when the sun was going down. A few rides on the magic carpets and one fireworks show later and the third day of our trip was done.



Benji poses with the evil emperor Zurg after the Buzz Lightyear ride.











Benji and Daddy trying to spin the teacup before the ride starts.


Now we can start to spin it!





A chilly ride on the magic carpets.

Libellés : Benji, Disneyworld

Forty inches tall

On this trip to Disney World we decided not to get Park Hopper passes. Since we didn't have free dining, we knew we wouldn't be eating as many sit-down meals and wouldn't have to go to Epcot as many days to get to the good restaurants. But we did still go for a few of our favorite meals (we went for lunch instead of dinner and actually had to pay attention to the prices, but we still had some really nice meals). On our second day, we snagged a lunch reservation to Le Cellier, the Canadian steakhouse. We split a bowl of their yummy cheddar cheese soup, I had a salmon sandwich, and Matthew had a burger (Benji had a PB&J we brought with since we knew from past experience he won't eat anything at Le Cellier, except maybe breadsticks). So much nicer than a counter service chicken strips meal and not too much more expensive!

Of course Benji didn't go to Disney World for the meals. He is a thrill-seeking rideaholic! He remembered that Epcot has the Nemo ride, so that's where we went first-thing when we arrived. We also followed that with Turtle Talk with Crush, as we always do. That really is a cool show.

On our way to lunch we stopped at The Land to pick up fastpasses for Soarin' — Matthew's favorite ride. On a whim, we had Benji measure at the entrance. If he stood up super tall (not tip-toes; just not slouching), he was just barely tall enough! We had heard stories of kids who were tall enough for rides in the morning but had actually shrunk enough by afternoon (apparently we all shrink a little as the day goes by and our spines compress) that they weren't tall enough, so we decided to hop in the standby line right away. It was about a 45 minute wait, but they have interactive video game screens for the entire audience to play while you wait so Benji didn't get too antsy. Since he didn't know what ride was waiting for him (and we didn't want to get him too excited since there was still a chance he could be measured again at the end of the ride and not allowed on) we thought he would quickly lose interest and get cranky. But the video games made a big difference!

As we predicted, Soarin' was a fast favorite! Benji couldn't stop talking about the "flying ride" for the rest of the trip. And we loved that we could now take Benji on Matthew's favorite ride — more rides on Soarin' for Matthew, fewer baby swaps, and a really cool ride for Benji! Unfortunately, it also meant that Benji now loves the ride with the hottest fastpass in the park so we can't just get back in line over and over again like with Goofy's roller coaster or the teacups. He did adjust pretty well to the fact that we needed a ticket to get on and that sometimes the ticket wasn't good yet. We'd have him read the time on the ticket and show him the clock over the fastpass return. That way he could see for himself that the ticket wasn't good yet. In general, he's more willing to accept rules if they come from an entity other than Mommy and Daddy (i.e. he knows the fireworks mean the park is closing so he doesn't argue with us when we leave then).

While waiting for Soarin' fastpass times to come up during the rest of the day, we visited Mickey and Pluto, played the game show in Innoventions, went to World Showcase, rode Spaceship Earth (the golf ball), played the games at the exit for Spaceship Earth, and ate dinner. The game show in Innoventions is called "What's Your Problem?" and solves problems using Velcro. It's definitely corny, but it was a total riot with Benji. He stole the show from the other kids and I have a fantastic video! While in World Showcase we went to the United Kingdom pavilion where I knew the toy store sells the Mr. Men/Little Miss book series. It's the same price as any bookstore so I thought it would make a great souvenir. Benji picked out Mr. Dizzy and Little Miss Twins. We also watched street performers in the UK and saw the new Canada movie with Martin Short.

Late in the evening we went over to Soarin' to use our last fastpasses, but we got an extra bonus — two extra rides! The lines were so short very late in the day that after we used the fastpass we got back in the standby line for a super short wait. And then we tried again for a no-wait line for the very last Soarin' flight of the night. The "flight attendants" were surprised we had made it back around so quickly. And we learned that if you go over about 20 minutes before fireworks everyone else is staking out a viewing location and there's no one at the rides — a trick we would use every Epcot night. (While Benji loves the Magic Kingdom fireworks show, the Epcot one is less appealing to him and we figure he'd rather go flying three times.)


Benji holds on for dear life after Mommy put him on the railing for a photo.


A little calmer looking, but the sun is causing him to turn away.











Benji gets ready to play the "Stack It Up" game on the "What's Your Problem?" game show. The game was a tie, so everyone got winner stickers! Also notice the wheel in the background. Benji was the one selected to spin the wheel (which determines which game you play) which made him very happy.








At the Spaceship Earth exit there are various games you can play, including this one where you "push" "power" to the parts of the map that need it.

Libellés : Benji, Disneyworld

Disney again?!

In this family (OK, maybe just Benji and I) you can never get too much Disney World! So when they announced the "Buy 4 Get 3 Free" promo for this year, of course we had to book a trip, even though we had been there just 5 months earlier. We told Benji about the upcoming trip about two weeks before the trip, marking it on his calendar. He kept asking us "What number is today?" meaning "What's today's date?" and would then count the days until February 3. His anticipation was so exciting for me, too. When we finally got to February 3rd, it seemed like the wait at the aiport, the flight, and the bus to Disney World took forever.

After all that anticipation, our first stop had to be the Magic Kingdom! Benji was so excited about getting there that he didn't even want to ride in the stroller. He walked all the way from the bus stop and then excitedly made his way through the entrance gate. Just after getting in the gate, he stopped suddenly as the Mickey confetti on the ground caught his eye. On the previous trip, he had gotten quite attached to the Mickey confetti so it was no surprise he wanted to collect Mickeys once again. It's such a simple touch but one that means so much to Benji.

Once we finished with the Mickeys, Benji had a very clear agenda in mind — to the roller coaster! He clearly remembered all about the roller coaster scream and just loved it! He also remembered how he loves to run down the exit ramp after each ride — so he can get back to the entrance faster! After a ride or two, we decided to take a break. Benji was none too pleased about that idea until we showed him the frozen lemonade. There are two ways to Benji's heart at Disney World — rides and food treats!

During the roller coaster break we also went to buy Mickey ears for Benji and Mommy (Daddy declined). Prior to the trip I had talked about Mickey ears with Benji and he seemed pretty excited about the idea. When we went to buy them, however, he was quite opposed to the idea and we couldn't figure out why. After a bit of digging it turns out that he was concerned he wouldn't be able to ride any more rides with his new ears. He remembered how Daddy had lost his hat on the previous trip so he thought if he had a hat he wouldn't be able to ride. We had to explain that he would take off his ears on each ride and Mommy or Daddy would hold them so of course he would still be able to ride. Then he was very excited about Mickey ears and Mommy and Benji got matching headwear.

Our next stop after roller coaster was Benji's second favorite ride, the teacups. He wanted Daddy to spin it faster and faster! We then continued our tour through Fantasyland with stops at the carousel, the Sword in the Stone, It's a Small World, and Winnie the Pooh. While there I tried to get a picture of Benji and I in our new mouse ears with the castle in the background, but Benji was far too excited to pose for photos.

We had a late dinner then took a trip on the Jungle Cruise and caught the fireworks. At this time of year the parks close fairly early so at 8:00 it was fireworks and park closing. While we were tired from traveling, it was still only 7:00 according to our bodies so that seemed so early! It apparently was not too early for Benji since he fell asleep on the bus on the way back to the hotel. At least he was well-rested for the next morning of Disney World adventures!

Libellés : Benji, Disneyworld

A peek behind the magic

As a special treat for the Disney fanatic, I went on a backstage tour of the Magic Kingdom called the "Keys to the Kingdom." One of the big rules of the tour is no cameras, so you'll see quite a bit fewer photos from this day of the trip. Another rule is no kids, so I went by myself while Daddy and Benji slept in and then did the Teacups three times, the Indy Speedway twice, the Peoplemover, and Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor. It's a little weird that there's part of the Disney trip that I didn't participate in, but I also got to do my way cool special tour.

It's too bad I don't have any pictures from the backstage tour, but let's see what I do remember. A large part of the tour was actually "onstage" where the tourguide would point out hidden details and tell the story behind various aspects of the park. For example, did you know that Disney World was originally not supposed to have Pirates of the Carribean? As a result, its version is smaller than the one at Disneyland and has a hill so that it can get outside the berm to its show building. And for many of the larger indoor rides the vast majority of the ride isn't actually within the walls of the themed park but rather in nondescript green buildings outside your view. It was very strange to see half of Splash Mountain turn into the green show building as we went backstage. It was even stranger, though, to see the Jungle Cruise hippos sitting on the side waiting for repair. We also got to see the parade floats and I will definitely say that the Electrical Parade floats look so magical at night and very unimpressive during the day.

As part of the tour we rode the Jungle Cruise on our own boat where the skipper didn't do his normal spiel but instead out tourguide pointed things out. Did you know that the restless natives are actually saying "I love disco"? Listen carefully next time. It's not an urban legend; totally true. A true highlight of the tour was going into the utilidoors, the underground corridors that service the whole park. It was completely unmagical in that it is a utility corridor with service vehicles, etc., but it was really interesting to think about what it takes to make the magic work. I know it sounds strange, but I liked reading the employee bulletin boards. And there were signs everywhere telling you what part of the park you're in and how to get elsewhere. But I think the best part was having a tour guide to ask questions of that normal cast members aren't allowed to answer, both with the questions I asked as well as the questions others asked.

But that's enough of my Disney fanatic stuff. Back to the normal vacation stuff.

After the tour I caught back up with the rest of the family and let Daddy have a bit of a break. Since I took Benji over to roller coaster, it's not like Benji even noticed Daddy was missing. We also did Small World, Aladdin's Carpets, the Tiki Room, and the Jungle Cruise. Unfortunately Benji was not very impressed with the Jungle Cruise, but I think the problem was he couldn't really see the animals from his vantage point. Maybe next time.

For dinner we headed back over to EPCOT, this time at Chefs de France. I had shrimp and scallops with creme brulee while Matthew had the beef tenderloin and sorbet sampler dessert. Last time we were there I had a fantastic escargot appetizer, but now that the appetizer isn't included in the dining plan I decided to hold off and get the escargot at the Food and Wine Festival. After dinner we went on the Malestrom twice and saw the fireworks/laser show.



In Tomorrowland they have a giant granite globe that basically sits on water. Despite its size and weight, you can easily push it and turn it. It's another one of those simple pleasures that in a big hurried trip you can easily miss but that really intrigued Benji.


I really like the family reflection in this one.


Throughout the trip I was on the lookout for Hidden Mickeys. I couldn't find this one in the unofficial Hidden Mickey books, but I swear there's a hidden Mickey on this surfer's swim trunks. Can anyone else see it?


Can anyone guess Benji's favorite food? And he sure got a lot of it on this trip!


For quite a while Benji has loved to walk carefully on sidewalk squares. At Disney World there are many different ground treatments and textures. A particular favorite was this patio near a food stand in Adventureland. He loved the trapezoid and square mix and both Benji and Mommy had to jump around the shapes and call out the shapes. It was a peaceful resting time.


On our way out of EPCOT for the evening, Benji found this cool sidewalk. It didn't have nifty shapes like the Adventureland patio, but it had lights. How cool is that?


Nifty picture, eh?

Libellés : Benji, Disneyworld

Roller Coaster Galore!

As you'd guess, we spent tons of our time at the Magic Kingdom. So after spending "yesterday" at Hollywood Studios with fewer Benji rides but the very fun and crowded Toy Story Mania, we went back to the Magic Kindgom "today." Of course our first stop had to be the roller coaster, where we rode four times in the morning and another three times after lunch. That brought the trip total to twelve! And did you know that no matter how many times you ride the roller coaster, Benji gets angry and begs for more? On two of the morning rides Daddy sat in front of us to get video of Benji's insane joy on the ride, from the anticipation of going up the hill to the "roller coaster scream" the whole rest of the ride. On one of those rides, Daddy lost his baseball cap but I don't think you can actually see it flying past me in the video. (Incidentally, we called lost and found many times and never got it back despite a great reputation of Disney for reuiniting people with their lost objects.)

Around lunchtime we went over to Frontierland and saw the "Woody's Roundup" show. It's out in the middle of the street in front of the Country Bear Jamboree and on previous visits I might have found it a nuisance since it blocks the street. However, with a preschooler I have a newfound appreciation for this entertainment. There's maybe a dozen cowboys and cowgirls as well as Jessie, Woody, and Bullseye and they invite the kids into the show. Benji loved getting out there and dancing and being part of the show! (Unfortunately, this particular show was a victim of budget cuts and we saw one of the very last performances.)

After lunch Mommy went on the Haunted Mansion by herself. This has never been one of my favorite rides, but it had just undergone a major rehaul and people were raving about the new effects. The effects were really cool and made the ride creepier than it had been in the past. I won't be taking Benji on this one, but I'm glad I tried it out.

In the late afternoon we headed over to EPCOT for our coveted Coral Reef dinner reservations. We had to take the monorail over so I made the special request to sit in the pilot's compartment. I also made sure to get the "monorail copilot license" to add to the collection of "bus trading card" and "Barnstormer frequent flier card" that we had gotten earlier. I think I thought it was cooler than Benji did, but hey, I'm allowed to be a kid at Disney World.

When we got to our dinner reservation, I made another special request to get a seat right by the fish tank. They were like "we can't guarantee anything, blah, blah, blah" but less than 10 minutes later we had a fantastic seat. It just goes to show that it doesn't hurt to ask. And it was definitely worth it! Benji loved watching the fish tank so he was peaceful while waiting. The kids meal was macaroni and cheese with a cute dolphin on his mile, so he was peaceful during the meal. And he got make-your-own sundae for dessert, so he was very happy at dessert. A peaceful meal is worth so much! But in addition to the peaceful meal, the food was fantastic! I got the catch of the day and it was so delicious. Not to mention the "Wave" lava cake for dessert. I could get so used to these meals!


Do you think Benji is looking forward to the roller coaster? He just loves the "roller coaster scream"!


Daddy forgot to take off his hat. Oops!


It's funny how the simplest things are some of the favorites. Don't get me wrong — Benji LOVED the roller coaster — but he also enjoyed playing with the fence posts and walking on the sidewalk patterns.


Cute closeup.





Benji so loved the roller coaster that he began counting the number of times he had ridden it. He kept a running tally throughout the trip, from day to day. So you'd see him with his fingers held up like in this photo as he walked around the park. It looks like "seven" in this photo (although it might have been "eight" as I think he sometimes started counting with his thumb). It was pretty amazing that when he woke up each morning he'd remember where he left off and start his count again (without us telling him).


Getting fancy with his fence walking.


See the coaster car just coming over the top? Such a high and scary coaster!


One of the cute live entertainment shows they has was "Woody's Roundup" where they invite kids into the show to dance with the characters. How cool!


It felt a little weird to let him leave my side and join the group of kids, but he is a preschooler and was still well within my sight.


The kids got to use hobby horses and do a little parade in the middle of the street in Frontierland.


Benji was several inches taller than the minimum for Goofy's Barnstormer, but he still liked to measure himself every time we got to the entrance. Still tall enough!


On our last visit Benji loved the Pooh Bear water play area. This time, he found Donald's boat which was right next to the exit of the roller coaster.


Not too wet yet, but having fun.


Hmmm... I wonder what this will do?


Surprise! This seems like a nice companion to the surprise water photo from our last visit.


Benji has gotten much better at playing with other kids.


One of my few scenic photos.


Since Benji and I were wearing nice matching shirts, Mommy wanted a photo in front of the castle but Benji was not interested.


When Benji and I finally smiled at the camera we got an extra person well-posed in the background.


On our way to EPCOT we were able to ride in the front of the monorail, but Benji was not impressed at first. He was far more interested in his lollipop.


It was pretty sunny on monorail until we made a turn.


Mommy has to steal kisses whenever she can.


Here Benji is pointing at the numbers on the track and counting them. Who knew that was the best part of riding in front?


If I can't get a picture in front of the castle, maybe I can get one with the golf ball.





A traditional arms' length photo.


Family photo from the Photopass (Disney cast member) photographer. I actually think Matthew's is better.


Benji the model.





For dinner we ate at the Coral Reef and were able to get one of the coveted tables right against the enormous fish tank. Benji enjoyed watching the fish go by while we waited for our food and looking for the fish to circle on our fish guide.


The Disney Dining Plan included dessert at every meal, and this was probably our favorite. A fantastic chocolate lava cake! Makes me hungry thinking about it.


Coral Reef also had Benji's favorite dessert — a make-your-own sundae at the table. He particularly liked eating the sprinkles right out of the cup.

Libellés : Benji, Disneyworld