Trip Report Day 9: 11/30/13

Rapunzel's Tower

Unfortunately, it was our last full day of fun at Walt Disney World, so we went back to the Magic Kingdom so Jax could get on some rides. We started out at the Main Street Bakery for breakfast and then we were able to get on the Tomorrowland Speedway, but Jax wasn't tall enough to ride. I thought he would be, but he still had like half an inch to go. He watched us drive around, but he was able to get on Dumbo, the new Journey with the Little Mermaid and the Mad Tea Party.

Since the park was not packed yet, we were able to grab lunch at Be Our Guest, which we were worried that we wouldn't be able visit this trip because of its popularity. The food was good, but the three dining rooms were the real draw. One was dark, one was lavish and the other had snow coming down outside the window. They did a great job with the theme of the restaurant and it really helped tell the story. They even had the Beast's rose in the corner of the dark room.

While Jax napped, we were able to go to the Haunted Mansion and the Hall of Presidents. When we were done, we enjoyed some sweet treats at the Sleepy Hollow and I had the Nutella Waffle Sandwich and HOLY SMOKES, it was good. The only thing that would have added to the deliciousness would be a little whipped cream. We headed back to the hotel because MK was really getting crowded and we were able to do what we wanted. The only rides I missed were Space Mountain and Thunder Mountain Railroad, but I know them and I'll make sure to hit them first on our next trip.

Be Our Guest Dining Room

At the hotel, I changed Jax into his bathing suit and Dad and I took him to the water play area by the pool. He had a great time splashing around and getting soaked until he started to get cold. We went back to the room so I could dry him off and change his clothes. I changed my clothes too and we went for a walk around the resort to see the animals on the savannah. Jax was more interested in the lights on the floor, but we had some time to kill, so we hung out in the lobby, watched cartoons for a little and then went back to the room to scoop everyone up.

Paige and Georgie drove their own cars to the hotel, so we drove over to Downtown Disney for our dinner reservation at Bongos. Parking was a nightmare, so we got dropped off at the entrance to Pleasure Island so that we would not miss our reservation time. I went straight to check us in, but they wanted to give us a table outside. It was cold and Jax was with us, so I refused that and told them that we would wait for the next available table indoors. Tom and I got a couple of cocktails and waited it out. So, 35 minutes later when our whole party joined us, we were seated. We got appetizers and entrees, but we wanted dessert elsewhere. Georgie got a pretty amazing dinner, but it ended up being $75. We were shocked, but when something says Market Price, well, it is not going to be cheap.

$75 Paella for Two

We hit the Lego Store afterward because I wanted to buy more of those cool keychains for people at home. Tom had Mom and I go into World of Disney when we were done to look for Vera Bradley bags, but they only had duffles left, and I already have one and Mom didn't want one. Everyone was ready to leave, so we did ... without a Gold Rush from Ghirardelli. No ice cream on this trip. No Classic Mickey Bars. Nothing! And, we are leaving tomorrow. Boo.

Trip Report Day 8: 11/29/13

Epcot

We started the day at Epcot with a Fastpass+ at Soarin'. That ride is more of an experience than an actual ride, and it is so relaxing and fun. You have to ride it to know what I am talking about. After we finished, we had breakfast at Sunshine Seasons. The multigrain croissant was surprisingly good.

When everyone was able to finish riding, we headed over to Test Track to wait in the single rider line. We were able to ride in 40 minutes, as opposed to the 110 minutes that it said for the stand-by line. Then, I walked around with Jax so he could fall asleep while some of my family rode Mission Space. When we met up, we headed over to to the World Showcase, as I had planned on having a brat and a beer at Sommerfest in Germany. Tom and I were able to get brats, beers and Nudel Gratin for Jax, and we were even able to swing a table. Jax was still asleep, so I saved the Nudel Gratin for him to have when he awoke.

Afterward, we were all able to head over to America so the rest of my family could have their lunch an dthen to Japan to shop in Mitsukoshi for a little bit. In America, we bought a Peppermint Hot Cocoa that had Peppermint Schnapps in it and it was delicious. I bought a few items in Japan and we headed over to Imagination while Georgie, Uncle George, Garrett and Paige went to go check in for Dive Quest in the Living Seas. Jax was able to ride Imagination and then we headed over to the Garden Grill for our dinner reservation and Candlelight Processional Package.

Candlelight Processional

While eating dinner, we saw Mickey, Pluto, Chip and Dale and Jax squeezed their noses. The dinner was OK, but the dessert and the rolls were very good. We got Jax a light up Buzz Lightyear clip-on and a Toy Story cup with his meal. After dinner, we went over to Nemo and Friends and were able to ride that with Jackson. He also watched Turtle Talk with Crush, but wasn't totally interested in sitting down quietly. We waited for Dive Quest to end and took Jax around to look at the fish in all of the tanks.

By the time they were out, we had to head over to the Candlelight Processional. The line for advanced tickets was so long that it lined the fence from America to Morocco. The line moved pretty fast and were able to sit in the back with the stroller because Jax was sleeping. I found some of the cast members that night to be very irritable and rude, and others to be extremely nice. I guess everyone deals with crowds differently. The show was lovely and festive. Gary Sinise did a great job narrating and the lighting for the event was pretty cool. It was a great way to begin the holiday season.

After the show, we got a hot cocoa and Chai tea latte because it was so cold out. We raced to the bus stop and the bus came right away. Fortunately, Jax slept through the show and all the way back to the resort. He even slept through his diaper change. I was amazed, but he must have been wiped out from the day.

Trip Report Day 7: 11/28/13

Luigi

We are celebrating Thanksgiving today, so when I awoke, I helped my parents prepare yams and stuffed mushrooms and left the bread stuffing for later. Dad and Mom prepared the rice stuffing, the turkey and my aunts prepared some other sides. When Jackson got up, he was able to watch a little of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and see Buzz Lightyear.

After breakfast, Tom, Mom, Jax and I headed over on the bus to the Art of Animation Resort by way of Animal Kingdom to see the Cars section of the resort. They did a great job with the theming of each area and Jax was able to run up to and around all of the Cars characters. He absolutely loved it. We were also able to shop in the resort souvenir store, but they didn't have any die cast cars that we were missing, so we bought a few other Cars things and headed back to the resort to finish preparing Thanksgiving dinner.

When we got back, I made the bread stuffing, Mom made the brussel sprouts and Aunt Annie made the corn, so we were all set to eat. We set it up on the bar counter like a buffet and let everyone get their food and find their place. Dinner was delicious. We pulled off a 20 lb. turkey with several side dishes, and I don't know if that small Kidani kitchen knew what hit it! If it were a Disney character, it would be exhausted and proud.

Flo

After dinner, Jax went with my Aunt Rosie and Aunt Annie for a walk around the resort, and he came back screaming because he got a bad diaper rash for the first time in his 16 months on earth. My Mom advised me to put him right in the bathtub to soothe him, and that's exactly what I did. In two days, the rash was gone, thankfully.

Cars Section of the Art of Animation Resort

We waited for Paige, George and Garrett to return from Ocala and have dessert. When they did, George gave Jax a present: DARTH MATER! We were shocked and he wouldn't tell us where he found it, but he said he wasn't beneath buying Jackson's love, which was fine by him because he loves that car. We went down to Community Hall and played foosball and pool, and then headed over to the arcade from some pinball and air hockey to finish up the holiday.

Trip Report Day 6: 11/27/13

Today, we woke up when we wanted and waited for my aunts to arrive. When they did, we were supposed to attend "Welcome Home Wednesday" for DVC members, but we didn't know it was in another hotel, so we decided to skip it and head to Downtown Disney for lunch.

We always love Earl of Sandwich, so that is where we started out. One time we even visited the Earl twice in one trip. The sandwiches are cheap and delicious. I think is where you can get your most inexpensive lunch on all of the property, but correct me if I'm wrong. We went shopping after lunch and Tom, Jax and I stopped into the Lego store for the first time. I always walk by it, but never shop. We ended up buying Jackson a Duplo Cars set and I found these really cool Lego figure keychains. We also popped by Raglan Road during their happy hour, but we were obviously pushing Jax in his stroller, so we took our beers to go and headed to West Side.

Fortunately, we were able to let Jax run around a little bit in a small area across from Candy Cauldron. By then, we all met up to discuss what our next plan was. I went shopping in Wet Seal really fast because there was a buy one, get one 70 percent off sale, so I had to stop in. I ended up buying a Mickey Mouse t-shirt and, since it was BOGO, I got a Biggie Smalls tank top (I thought it was pretty interesting). When I was done, I came out and Tom and Mom told me that they stopped into Splitsville to see if we could go there for dinner and bowling, but for 11 people, it would near $500 to do so. Also, we stopped into Paradiso 37 and they could seat us, but we all decided to head back to the resort for dinner.

My family wanted to have Chinese food delivered, so I got them the phone numbers. There was no way I would be eating Florida Chinese food, especially on vacation. No offense to Chinese food restaurants in Florida, but it is just not the same as New York Chinese food. Sorry. So, Tom and I decided that we would head downstairs to Sanaa for a little dinner date and some African fare. Our waitress at Sanaa was awesome. Her name was Stacey and she was from Boston, and I noticed it before she told me by the way she said garlic (gah-lic). She asked if we were from Boston too because we have accents, but we are from Lawn Guyland (Long Island). The meal broadened our horizons and we listened to Stacey's recommendations on almost everything. After dinner, we went back to the room and wrangled up some others to head down to the arcade for some Guitar Hero and air hockey to end the night.

Trip Report Day 5: 11/26/13

Halfway through our trip, we woke up and headed over to Hollywood Studios for our breakfast reservation at Hollywood & Vine. Fortunately, when we got to the park, I found a cast member and asked where those who had dining reservations entered the park. Everyone else was lined up at the turnstiles, so he led us to a side area where we gave our names, scanned our Magic Bands and walked right into an empty Hollywood Studios. It was pretty cool to see the quiet streets before all of the guests filed in.

At Hollywood & Vine, we saw Handy Manny, Special Agent Oso, June from Little Einsteins and Jake. Again, Jax wanted to eat in peace, so he wasn't so keen on the idea of pictures, but he did like all of the singing and the music. The waiter wasn't our favorite, but we had a good time.

Lightning McQueen

After eating, we headed over to Tower of Terror so most of us could ride it, excluding me. It is the only ride I refuse to try in all of Walt Disney World. I just think that the queue will freak me out and the ride will make me uneasy. When they were done, we went over to Rock N Rollercoaster to check the single rider line. They actually closed down that line because they said it was getting longer than the stand by line. I guess my secret is out. Fortunately, we were able to sit down to see the Lights, Motors, Action show and Lightning McQueen. Jax was interested in all of the cars in the show.

On our way to Muppetvision 3D, we saw a line to take pics with Lightning McQueen and Mater, so we waited so Jax could get up close to them. It would have been nice if he could have gotten a little bit more time to walk around them and analyze them, but there were people behind us that had been waiting too. When we got to Muppetvision, we went right in and I needed to change Jax's diaper, so I went in the dark corner and laid out his stuff, so no one could see and I could change him quick. We went right in after the little pre-show.

Osbourne Lights

Afterward, we headed over to Toy Story Mania, but only half of our party had Fastpasses for the ride. In the past, we would just get paper Fastpasses for the rest of our party and go right in. Unfortunately, with the new Magic Bands, we were unable to make any changes unless we went to Guest Relations at the front of the park and made the changes. This what not an option for us because the line for Fastpass return was already so long, so those with Fastpass went on and those without went to eat. Toy Story Mania is such a fun ride, but I lost the game to Tom. We met up with everyone else at Studio Catering Company for lunch, but they were already finished eating. We ate our lunch and I bought Jackson a Lightning McQueen snack bucket for $11.99, which was a pretty good deal. We went shopping in the Animation Courtyard for more cars, but were only able to find Star Wars versions instead. We bought a few, but we spent all day looking for Darth Mater and there were none in the whole park. We even asked cast members to look in the back for him.

Some of us went off to ride Rock N Rollercoaster and Star Tours, and we took Jax in to see Disney Junior Live. He loved it, but I wasn't a fan of sitting on the floor for the whole show. My dad couldn't even sit with us because with his knee, he couldn't sit on or get up from the floor. Also, I couldn't believe that they didn't sell any souvenirs or toys with Handy Manny or Oso. Where are those toys?

Tom and I were able to walk right on Star Tours even though stand by said 20 minutes. We had the Yoda/Wookie version of the ride and it was pretty cool. After that, I went with Georgie and Garrett to ride Rock N Rollercoaster and Tom and my parents took Jax to the Honey I Shrunk the Kids play area, which ended up being closed. We were able to use the single rider line and I rode the coaster next to some first-timers, so I warned them about the initial take-off and how fast it is. When we were done, I met up with Tom, Jax and my parents so we could see the Osbourne Family Dancing Lights. It was pretty amazing, especially when the music came on. Tom told me that Jackson loved it when it snowed on the street too.

We had a dinner reservation at Cape May Cafe, so we all met up and headed over to the Beach Club on the boat. The captain of the boat that was waiting when we got there was pretty grumpy so I was glad that we were waiting for the next one. The seafood buffet we had for dinner was great, especially the crab legs. I used the skills that I learned at Joe's Crab Shack to open and eat a bunch.

After dinner, we took a look at the arcade and it started to thunder so we decided to grab a cab and head back to the resort instead of taking the boat back to Hollywood Studios. I missed out on a No Way Jose at Beaches & Cream and my heart still hurts ...

Trip Report Day 4: 11/25/13

Today, we got up and ate a really small breakfast in the room and got ready to leave. We had to catch three buses to get to Fort Wilderness for our lunch reservation at Trail's End. This was my recommendation because I heard that they had a new a la carte menu and it was delicious.

Bridge in the Wilderness Lodge

We were able to get there with a little time to spare, so we did a little shopping in their trading post. Lunch was awesome and afterward, Jax was able to play on the jungle gym and swing on the swings for a little bit. We then headed over on a boat to the Wilderness Lodge to see their holiday decorations. That resort is amazing and cozy, and will probably be our next choice for accommodations. It is just so homey, especially during the holiday season.

We also headed over to the Grand Floridian to see their decorations, and I am sorry to say that some of the guests aren't so nice there. I held the door open for two different people and they didn't even say thank you, and people just walked right through while we were trying to take pictures without even an "oops" or a "sorry." Maybe that's not a big deal to you, but it is to me. Not a fan.

Gingerbread House at the Grand Floridian

Uncle George, Aunt Rosie, Garret and Georgie all went back to the room and the rest of us headed over to Downtown Disney to do a little shopping. Jackson was able to meet Santa, but he was already in a bad mood while we waited on line, so he looked like a little nut in the pictures we took. We had a dinner reservation over at Chef Mickey's so we hurried over to the Contemporary on yet another bus. Chef Mickey's was pretty funny because when everyone was swinging their napkins in the air, Jackson was able to join in and when he took pictures with Donald Duck, he put his hand in his mouth.

After dinner, we did a little shopping and then took the monorail over to the Magic Kingdom and a bus back to Kidani.

Trip Report Day 3: 11/24/13

Today, we woke up and headed right over to our breakfast reservation at Ohana. Unfortunately, it took a while for a bus to arrive so we took a cab over to the Polynesian. When we arrived, I went into the store on the second floor and found one of the Cars die cast cars that Jackson did not have yet. We've been on the hunt for characters from both movies since October. I think we have almost 70 of them for Christmas for him now.

When we checked in to Ohana, we took our family picture out front with our t-shirts on that said "Jackson's First Trip to Disney" and "I'm Jackson." We headed in to our table and the food was family-style, so we had big plates of food in front of us within minutes. The characters paraded through the restaurant and I was able to get a bunch of autographs on the mat board I bought for a Disney picture of Jackson. He didn't love all of the action while he was trying to eat breakfast, so we didn't get too much character/Jax interaction, but that's OK.

Entrance to the Magic Kingdom

After breakfast, we took the monorail over to the Magic Kingdom and started our day. The first place we hit was the Starbucks at the Main Street Bakery for coffees and I had a Dark Chocolate Cherry Mocha. Jackson had a haircut appointment at Harmony Barber Shop at 11:30 a.m. The stylist, Margaret, was amazing. Jackson screamed like we were torturing him for both of the haircuts he had at home, but this time, he was like a different child altogether. He actually enjoyed himself and didn't cry once. It was a pleasant surprise and Margaret was able to entertain him with toys and stickers. With his haircut, he got a certificate, Mickey ears and Mickey stickers. Margaret also gave me a lock of his hair and some confetti for my scrapbook. It was a great experience and we were all very happy.

After that, we headed over to New Fantasyland, but all of the lines were way too long, so we rode the Walt Disney World Railroad over to Frontierland where we walked to Adventureland and rode Aladdin's Magic Carpets, but Jax wasn't sold on it. Nonna bought Jax an orange bird sippy, but they could only put soda in the cup, which made zero sense to me because my kid and many little kids do not drink soda. We were able to use our Fastpass+ for the Jingle Cruise and it was a total waste of time. I thought there would be some holiday decor on it, like a hippo with some lights around its neck or an elephant with a Santa hat, but nope! It was the same lame ride that I rode in the late 80s and I was annoyed that Disney tried to pawn it off as a holiday special. If I want to see animals, I prefer real ones. Anyway, we went to go eat lunch at Pecos Bill Cafe after that debacle and then to see the Country Bear Jamboree, and it was empty. Everyone was busy watching the parade outside, so we basically had the theater to ourselves. Jax danced in the aisles and pointed at the bears as they sang.

Cinderella Castle

Following that, we headed over to Tomorrowland to catch our Fastpass+ for Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. We went right in and I achieved my best score to date with a 135,800. I don't know what I hit, but it was a good move. Afterward, Aunt Rosie bought Georgie and Garrett Buzz Lightyear sweatshirts. While Buzz was doing his character greeting, they stood in front of him and he ran over and photobombed them. It was pretty funny. Georgie, Paige and Garrett left the park so Paige could leave to go home because she had to work the next few days. The rest of us rode the People Mover and Jax fell asleep immediately after. We had a Fastpass+ for the Tomorrowland Speedway but decided not to use it because Jax wouldn't be able to enjoy it. So, we headed back to the resort after shopping a little bit. I got Jax the Cars bath toys.

While at the resort, we decided we needed a few things, so Tom, Georgie and Uncle George took a trip to Walmart and the rest of us just hung out in the room. Tom and Georgie ended up going back to Magic Kingdom that night because it was open until 3 a.m., but they weren't able to really ride anything because the park was still packed. Tom texted me around 12:30 a.m. to tell me that he beat my score on Buzz Lightyear. Figures!

Trip Report Day 2: 11/23/13

We woke up and headed to Animal Kingdom. We started out at Pizzafari because none of us ate and I read that it was one of the places that served breakfast. When we got there, we just missed it, but the manager, Yusuf made sure that we got the last nine bounty platters, and if one of the plates was missing something, he threw in something else. He even threw in a plate for free because it was all he had left. It really helped us out and we were so grateful. I know I'll never forget his Disney touch of kindness.

The Tree of Life

After we finished eating, we headed over to Expedition Everest and rode it really quick and it was actually better on a full stomach. Jax couldn't ride Kali River Rapids, so we sat out with Aunt Rosie and hit the bathroom instead. By then, we were ready to use our Fastpass+ to ride Kilimanjaro Safari. Jax fell asleep, so I put him in the carrier and he slept through the whole thing. I noticed that they removed the Little Red/Big Red storyline and I think it was a good idea, but I did miss the guy saying, "Come in, Simba 1!"

After that, we enjoyed a few wonderful Mickey pretzels and then some of us went to It's Tough to Be a Bug and others to Festival of the Lion King. When the show was over, we met up and saw a character greeting spot with Pooh and Tigger. This was the deciding moment; would Jackson love the characters or be afraid of them? Well, Jax ran right over and into Pooh's arms. I did all I could not to cry like a baby. It made my day, no week, NO month! I was a proud Disney mama.

A Mickey Pretzel

We all then headed over to Dinoland U.S.A. so some could ride Primeval Whirl and we could take Jax on Triceratop Spin. He held on to Poppy's shorts for dear life. We also played a carnival game and I won Jax a stuffed turtle. At that time, our dinner reservation at Yak & Yeti was drawing near, so we headed over there. I checked us in and grabbed a drink at the bar before we were seated. We had appetizers and entrees, and our waitress was very friendly. I don't remember her name but she was blonde and I was able to leave positive feedback on the card on the table.

When we were done eating, we left the park to get back to resort to get ready for Poppy's birthday surprise that night. I told a little lie that I wanted to try the craft beers at the Crew's Cup Lounge and we were all going to go, so I arranged for cabs for us and we went to the Yacht Club. They have a cool train set in their lobby for Christmas.

When we got to the marina, I checked us in and then we told my dad that we had a surprise for him. My mom and I had planned a pontoon cruise to view Illuminations, complete with birthday decorations, snacks, soda, coffee, a fruit plate, cheese and crackers, and a special Mickey cake. We were able to go by Hollywood Studios to see the Christmas tree and then under the bridge in France in Epcot before the show started. It was great to see Illuminations from another angle, especially with snacks (thanks to the folks on my Disney list serv for the great idea).

After the cruise, we went back in the hotel so I could make a stop at the Crew's Cup Lounge (so I really didn't lie) and buy a round for me, Uncle George and Tom. We took our beers and made our way to the Beach Club to see the chocolate carousel in their lobby. It was amazing that the whole thing was edible and perfect. We went back to the hotel after that to get to bed and prep for the Magic Kingdom again on Sunday.

 

Jackson's First Trip to Disney Day 1: 11/22/13

Friday, November 22, 2013 is the date we have all been waiting for. It's been months and months since we started planning for my son Jackson's first Disney vacation. Our trip members included: me, Tom, Jackson, Nonna (my mom) and Poppy (my dad) from N.Y.; Aunt Rosie and Uncle George from N.J. and Georgie, Paige and Garrett from FL.

The Jambo House Christmas Tree

Our flight from NY was at 6:15 a.m. We took the earliest flight to get the fun started immediately. I scooped Jackson out of his crib at 4:30 a.m. as my dad knocked on the door. The car was already packed from the night before, so we only had carry-ons to lug along with us. We headed for the airport and Jackson was awake already, and he was soaked. As soon as we got into the airport, I changed his diaper and his clothes, and then we sped over to security. We let him run around in the airport before boarding because we knew he would be confined to a seat once we were in the airplane. On the plane, we put the portable DVD player on and started Cars 2. And, then we heard from our angels as the flight attendants said we could leave all electronic devices on throughout the flight. YES! He watched the movie and had some snacks, which kept him nice and comfortable. About one hour into the flight, he fell asleep and we laid him on the seat between us that was left empty, for obvious reasons. No one wanted to sit next to a crying baby for more than two minutes, never mind two hours. Jax didn't even cry once. He remained quiet and didn't wake up until we landed.

Upon departure, we got our stroller at the gate and made our way toward the Magical Express terminal to bring us to our resort. Uncle George and Aunt Rosie met us there and my mother handed out the Magic Bands to all of us so we could use them as our ticket aboard. Jax fell asleep again as we made the drive to our resort, Animal Kingdom Lodge - Kidani Village. We had to make stops at Pop Century (we stayed there in '04 and '07) and the new Art of Animation Resort (more on that later on in the trip).

Walt Disney World Railroad Station

We finally made it to the resort and saw all of the decorations, including a huge Christmas tree decked in African animals and animal print. It was gorgeous! We could already see zebras on the savannah from the lobby windows, which is what makes this resort so special in my eyes. Unfortunately, we found that our room was too far from the lobby, bus stops, etc. for my aunt who just had back surgery, so they kindly changed our room to a more suitable location the next day. By the time we got to the room, we were all hungry, so I changed Jax and we headed to Jambo House and Mara for lunch and to get our refillable mug. We chose the "Length of Stay" option for $18, but only bought one mug for Tom and I. (I had the Carved Turkey Sandwich, but for more on what I ate, visit yumness.wordpress.com.)

After lunch, we went back to the resort to see if my cousin, his girlfriend and her son showed up yet. They just got there when we did and we were able to talk a little bit and then get ready to head to Magic Kingdom, since we had MVMCP tickets for that night. Tom and I decided to stop at the concierge to put a credit card on our Magic Bands for easier purchasing. Our dinner reservation was at 5 p.m. for Tony's Town Square and we were able to get in with our tickets at 4 p.m. After dinner, we decided to ride Pirates of the Caribbean because it's a favorite, and I was glad it was Jax's first ride.

Afterward, we headed back to Main Street to claim a spot for the show and parade. While we waited, a few of us got hot cocoa and cookies in Tomorrowland. After both events, we were super tired, so I decided to take Jax into the baby center and then make our way to the front of the park for the castle show and Holiday Wishes. Uncle George and Aunt Rosie left and Georgie, Paige and Garrett went on rides. The castle projection show was awesome. We were able to do a little shopping after and then leave the park.

Unfortunately, we missed the dance parties, but that just leaves some things to look forward to the next time we visit.