Did I mention that we had a FABULOUS time at Disney??  Once or thirty times maybe?  :)  I’m sorry, but I can’t help it!  I really was scared that our trip actually WOULDN’T be a success.  A very scary thought when I took into account all the moolah we were investing, so I am so very happy that all the money, the planning, and the craziness was DEFINITELY worth it.

{Check out Part 1 and Part 2 for more Disney Dish…}

I honestly would turn around and go again in a month if we could!  We can’t.  Just so you know! 

It will make next time ALL THE MORE awesome because of all the anticipation we’ll have leading up to it.  And this time, the Davis Man will get to come too!

I think September was a great time to go since honestly we actually didn’t even NEED to use the amazing and wonderful fastpass our first few days because the lines just weren’t that long.

The one time we did use it early in the week, we ended up in the same spot as the people just walking on.  BUT… Friday, Saturday, and Sunday we got a lot more use out of them, and by Sunday {of course our last day!} we had figured out a good rhythm.  Our “system” only worked because Chris was willing to do A LOT of running all over the place in the HEAT to keep us constantly getting the most passes we could possibly get.  Without a willing “runner” I don’t know how families make the most of it though, with everything so very FAR away from each other and SO much you’re trying to squeeze in!

This meant as soon as we stepped foot in the park I went to the first character stop {since that was when the lines were the shortest} and Chris went to Timbuktu to get our first set of passes. Everyone in your group does have to be INSIDE the park before you can send that runner out to grab passes, but everyone does NOT have to be standing there at the fast pass machine in order to get what you need.  This saved us so much time and walking since Chris could get there and back so much faster than we all could together, AND it gave the rest of us time to do the character line waiting, which unfortunately you can NOT get a fast pass for.  :)

I put our park tickets and any fast passes we had in a small id wallet that had a strap that could connect to my bag or belt loop for super easy access which was awesome since you are getting them in and out.

I also loved that that it kept them pretty secure… strapped to you… since we are talking about pretty valuable tickets!  I didn’t have to worry that they were going to fall out of my bag or Chris’s wallet, and I didn’t want to dig for them every time we needed to go get a fast pass.

One last tip I was super glad I had read online… your fast pass can be used even after the ending time on the ticket.  If your ticket says to use it between 12:15 and 1:15 pm,  you can use it anytime AFTER 12:15 pm!  This meant keeping up with Chris’s regimen of ‘the every hour getting a fast pass’ gave us tons of options for later in the day when things were busier and a lot of the rides weren’t even giving out any more fast passes.

I LOVE that Disney has the option to do a Child Swap Option on rides where you have a munchkin too small to ride.

With Child Swap, both parents get to ride without having to wait in line twice.  The idea of this is awesome, but practically speaking you do end up having to wait at least 15 to 20 minutes extra sometimes by the time you figure getting in line, listening to their presentation, getting off, meeting up with your party, switching peeps, figuring out where in the world to go, and starting from the beginning again.

The bad thing for us, was that Haylee was usually only brave enough to ride those rides the FIRST time.  After getting off, she would declare that she didn’t WANT to go again!  :)

This is exactly what happened when she and Chris happily headed off to ride Space Mountain…

…and Unhappy-that-he-couldn’t-go-Wade and I made our way down a long hallway looking for the exit to wait for the two of them to get off.  Don’t feel too badly for Wade though.  He perched himself on a bench and began playing happily on Chris’s phone while we waited.  Chris had a inspired, brilliant idea before we left to download some new games and iPhone apps just for preschoolers that Wade really, really LOVED!!  It made the waiting times MUCH more peaceful for the rest of us.  :)

I couldn’t believe it when Haylee and Chris got off their ride on Space Mountain, and she said she DIDN’T want to go with me! This was especially aggravating as I had NEVER been able to ride Space Mountain before!  I LOVE rollercoasters and ride pretty much anything and everything.  BUT… when I was there as a 12 year old kid, my mom actually wouldn’t let me ride it because she thought I would be too scared!  What a mean mom, right??? :)

AND… when Chris and I went with my family in 2003, I was about 8  months preggo with Haylee and couldn’t ride A SECOND TIME!!!  And now… that same child who thwarted me previously was trying to do it again!

At that point, I decided I didn’t care.  I was riding it no matter what… even if it had to be solo!  :)

I really still can’t get over Disney’s painstaking attention to detail.  I guess it’s why they can charge the arm and the leg that they do.  You see evidence of it EVERYWHERE.  The intricate, elaborate setting of just about EVERY ride was simply incredible.  Especially when a lot of those rides are in semi darkness and are hard to even see them in their entirety!

Waiting in line was made that much easier by being immediately thrust into the scene of whatever storyline that ride was set in. {Not to mention you were in out of the rain and/or heat! Can’t beat that!}  I really couldn’t get over the Toy Story Mania waiting area.  It was UNBELIEVABLY cool. You were surrounded by ENORMOUS, oversized TOYS EVERYWHERE, and on the ceiling was painted different, overlapping board games in great detail.

Isn’t that so cool??

It was so neat too to see Wade on a ride just looking all around him trying to take in everything he was seeing, since everything was so captivating.

And can I comment on the workers, er, sorry, Cast members???  The sheer volume of the Disney workers popping up every time you turned your head was astounding.  Each ride seemed to have about TEN or MORE workers manning it… directing you and keeping THOSE peeps in check.  You know what I’m talking about.  THOSE people who think the rules are BENEATH them?  THOSE annoying people who cut in line or seem to only be able to think of themselves???

I will say, though, that I am almost positive this ‘over-the-top-preppy’ little family of four snuck into the fast pass line on Toy Story Mania after the check point! They were two families in front of us for the first 20 minutes in line, and then once we turned the corner and passed the fast pass cast member, they were GONE!  We didn’t see them again until we were getting ON the ride as they were getting OFF!  The only explanation is that they jumped in the fast pass line as they turned the corner!

We both decided Disney should evict you from the park if you are caught cutting in line.  :)  Sounds fair right?

Our last ride on our LAST day was Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and we just made it on before the park closing time of nine o’clock.  It was 8:57 pm when we squeezed on.  Because the Fireworks show was about to start, the line was non-existent.  The cast member even said, “Sit wherever you want.” which was something we hadn’t heard the whole time we were there… even on the days when the crowds were low.

It made a very COOL, very MAGICAL ending to our AMAZING week with Mickey since the fireworks started DURING our ride around the mountain!

It was TRULY MAGICAL!!!!

{To see ALL 200+ pics I whittled down to print, check em out here… Our Disney Pics!}

Until next time, Mickey!

You can also check out…

Disney Activity Countdown

1 Week to Disney

Our Countdown Culmination

Disney Debut Part 1

Mickey Mania Part 2