First Christmas Trip to Disney for the Buckeye Fort Family

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Super TR!

You definitely get the "Disney Touring Mom of The Year" award for pulling off Christmas week with the kids and still getting so much done! As your report perfectly shows, rope drop is your friend during the crazybusy times. HUGE kudos to your kids (and Steve) for being willing to get up at the crack of dawn (and before!) to pack as much in as they possibly could.

:bravo:

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

We have never done WS with the kids yet. They are 7 and 4 now so we may go do a few things over there.

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

You guys got a lot accomplished at DHS. Love that your kids seem to always find something to keep them occupied while they are waiting.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Really enjoying your TR! Great photos. We love 50s Prime Time too.

[BuckeyeFortMama 43]

Bonus photos.. awesome! I don't think I would ever miss snow.. Well maybe on Christmas... But it could be gone the day after.

It's crazy I know, but all of the families in our group of friends (minus us and the couple we traveled with) were sledding together. Snow never happens when EVERYONE is off school and work, and we were missing it.

Mix in that it was the only Christmas both families ever spent away from home and it was the first day of rain on our trip. So we were homesick for a day, but seriously we realized we were at freakin Disney World.

We gave ourselves a swift kick in the butt and got back on track to having some Disney fun.

We love 50's Prime Time Cafe too - great memories over the years. Our kids were as little as yours back then, and we don't get to go as often as we would like now. Thanfully, we get to share through trip reports like this!

Well, then I apologize for not taking more pictures. I will next time, just for you. We have our March ADR's already because I love that place too.

Wow! Y'all made Christmas in the parks look nice, not overly crowded like everyone said. Very smart planning getting there so early with so many little ones. Really enjoying your pics!

I was just too upset and worried about making sure all my little ones had a grown up hand to hang onto when it was busy to take pictures like that. I"ll leave that to the fiends, like TCD and Stef, who aren't gonna lose a kid if the take a picture in that crazy crowd. Honestly though we didn't see anything like TCD's NYE in EPCOT-thankfully!

We also dined at 50's on 12/27....and judging by your pics I think we may have had the same table as you! Our ADR was at 12:35.

We ate at 5:05. Well, get on that trip report. I am ready to see those 50's prime time pictures. Our waitress was young and skinny. Not your typical Aunt or Uncle. I wonder if she did both meals?

I am enjoying what you have so far and even said we might need to try Via Napoli this March because of it.

Super TR!

You definitely get the "Disney Touring Mom of The Year" award for pulling off Christmas week with the kids and still getting so much done! As your report perfectly shows, rope drop is your friend during the crazybusy times. HUGE kudos to your kids (and Steve) for being willing to get up at the crack of dawn (and before!) to pack as much in as they possibly could.

:bravo:

Ok, I'll say this quickly as to not draw too much attention.

Rope Drop is my husband's idea. It is completely a BuckeyeFortFan thing.

I do take total credit for it going off without a hitch, as I am nothing but a supportive wife and mother. And when it comes down to it, it's Mama who gets them all up, dressed, fed, and out the door with a packed diaper bag and stroller.

Although I've said before, now that we've done it enough and the kids have done it, we are all believers. We wouldn't have it any other way. We celebrate it and it's a true family tradition now.

We have learned through trial and error (you know having days of hell) just how to keep those kids going strong and make sure the whole family has a happy day. One of the many blessings of having so many kids. Lots and lots of practice.

We have never done WS with the kids yet. They are 7 and 4 now so we may go do a few things over there.

You need to . My kids love the shows. Here's what they call them. The candy lady (Miyuki), The waiter (Serveur Amusant), The drummers (Matsuriza or the Spirit of America), The band (British revolution), The belly dancer (does she have a name??), Those funny ladies (The Ziti Sisters), The acrobats (The Jeweled Dragon Acrobats). and The Japanese Storyteller.

They also really enjoy playing the Agent P Adventure. Which BuckeyeFortFan hates (not as much as he hated the Kim Possible version).

He also hates the Kidcot Fun Stops. They are 'time sucks' and the permanent marker takes forever to dry on the shiny posterboard so someone always gets a permanent stain. But again the kids love it, maybe if you didn't have 4 kids these wouldn't be so hard to keep from staining something.

You guys got a lot accomplished at DHS. Love that your kids seem to always find something to keep them occupied while they are waiting.

Back to the trial and error thing. I've tried a bunch of things that didn't work. We once carried a storybook that we had all the characters sign on their respective stories. I then pulled it out and read them a story whenever we had to wait. That was a hit all the way around. The characters LOVED it. When we waited for anything (parade, shows, dinner,etc) I would have a bunch of other kids listening, which was fun. The drawback was the weight of it in the back pack.

We recently have been carrying a dice story game called Rory's Story Cubes that has you create stories based on the pictures you roll on the dice. I also just picked up Farkle.

Really enjoying your TR! Great photos. We love 50s Prime Time too.

Thanks.

Being new at this I already look forward to writing for the March trip because I am learning what not to do when it comes to writing trip reports with this one.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Rope Drop is my husband's idea. It is completely a BuckeyeFortFan thing.

I do take total credit for it going off without a hitch, as I am nothing but a supportive wife and mother. And when it comes down to it, it's Mama who gets them all up, dressed, fed, and out the door with a packed diaper bag and stroller.

Hey, coming up with a good idea is one thing, actually pulling it off is another thing entirely!

We have learned through trial and error (you know having days of hell) just how to keep those kids going strong and make sure the whole family has a happy day.

I do love hearing people who have figured it out and found ways to make it great.

I hate it when I hear people who had a lousy time (often because they really put no planning in) and then just throw up their hands and say "never again!"

WDW with kids, especially during the busy times, is not a "just show up and have a fabulous time" kind of place. But that doesn't mean it can't be a great place if you're willing to find ways to make it work for your family. :)

[Lou... 3,118]

You've mentioned rope drop several times, is there a rope and do they drop it?

[BuckeyeFortMama 43]

Hey, coming up with a good idea is one thing, actually pulling it off is another thing entirely!

I do love hearing people who have figured it out and found ways to make it great.

I could talk this kind of stuff all day long! Every trip is just more research for the next. Don't get me wrong, we do enjoy every trip but we are planning the next one as we go along.

You've mentioned rope drop several times, is there a rope and do they drop it?

Ok, Lou! I think you are messing with me.

I'll bite.

There is no longer a rope at most places and I didn't take "Lou... is gonna question you" kind of notes this trip, but I do believe there is still a rope of sorts at the MK. It is white cord that is up when you first get there just around the arches. Some time near the opening (during the Casey Jr. Show) I believe this white cord is replaced with cast members that lead the charge calmly up Main street.

In days gone by, there was rope and it wasn't dropped but carried. It might have been dropped before my time. My first trip was in '99 and there was no park openings for the Buckeyes then (we slept in). I think our first "rope drop" was after kids and our oldest is 9. I do remember standing on the rope at Epcot near the fountain (I might have mentioned that in this trip report). And my favorite rope drop was the one in the park for Toon Town before they tore it down. We once did the rope drop there and were the first family to Mickey's house. My kids were shown around Mickey's house by the Mouse himself. That was amazing, but I digress.

But please correct me if I am wrong (as I know you will)

PS Glad you posted on my trip report---since I have heard you don't read them.

PSS Are you picking on me because I said there was no hope of us walking onto one of your buses because we don't ride the bus???

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

PSS Are you picking on me because I said there was no hope of us walking onto one of your buses because we don't ride the bus???

Actually that would make Lou very proud that someone was finally listening to him when he says "STAY OFF THE DAMN BUSES!"

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

Great TR! I love the picture of the kids behind the bars with the stripped jackets. Lol!

[rdancemom... Pam 113]

Whew! I'm exhausted just reading about all you achieved. We aren't morning people. in any way, shape, or form. seeing how much fun you're having makes me sort of miss getting up before dawn. sort of.

Anyway, what a terrific trip report! I love the barber chair pic and climbing Ariel's wall. IMO the tablecloth was a stroke of genius - useful in so many ways... :thumbsup1:

[BuckeyeFortMama 43]

Great TR! I love the picture of the kids behind the bars with the stripped jackets. Lol!

"What were you in for?"

"How'd you get sprung?"

So many cast members made jail bird jokes to the kids and the kids never got it, no matter how many times we tried to explain it to them.

Whew! I'm exhausted just reading about all you achieved. We aren't morning people. in any way, shape, or form. seeing how much fun you're having makes me sort of miss getting up before dawn. sort of.

Anyway, what a terrific trip report! I love the barber chair pic and climbing Ariel's wall. IMO the tablecloth was a stroke of genius - useful in so many ways... :thumbsup1:

Most of the time we have 8 or 9 am openings because of the time of year we come down. The 7am openings were out of the norm for us. Fortunately we had enough practice that the kids didn't realize we were getting up earlier than normal!

It's not very often we get the stern castmember telling us not to do something like we did at Ariel's wall. Oh well! At least they had their jail bird shirts with them.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

We ate at 5:05. Well, get on that trip report. I am ready to see those 50's prime time pictures. Our waitress was young and skinny. Not your typical Aunt or Uncle. I wonder if she did both meals?

We definitely had different waitresses. Ours started working at WDW at the Contemporary in the 70's. She said she had 37 years with the company and has worked in many capacities. She was the best 50's server we've ever had....going through all the schtick. An old friend of hers that interned with her at Disney in the 70's was dining with her daughter at the table next to ours, and I almost think she was showing off a bit for her friend. It was hilarious though.

[Lou... 3,118]

Ok, Lou! I think you are messing with me.

Nope not messing with you. I really don't know as I've never been at MK as a guest at opening time

PSS Are you picking on me because I said there was no hope of us walking onto one of your buses because we don't ride the bus?

If you're on FF.Net long enough, you'll know that I keep telling people to "stay off the damn buses".

You're one of the very that has taken my advice.

[BuckeyeFortMama 43]

She was the best 50's server we've ever had....going through all the schtick. An old friend of hers that interned with her at Disney in the 70's was dining with her daughter at the table next to ours, and I almost think she was showing off a bit for her friend. It was hilarious though.

They must have all brought their A game that day. Even the guy who sat us was having a ball.

Nope not messing with you. I really don't know as I've never been at MK as a guest at opening time

If you're on FF.Net long enough, you'll know that I keep telling people to "stay off the damn buses".

You're one of the very that has taken my advice.

Glad to hear I'm not being hazed! Thanks

Why take a bus when my truck or my golf cart gets me there faster???

And when the drive home puts my kids to sleep I don't have to wake them up to get them off the bus.

[BuckeyeFortMama 43]

Here's a quick life in the Cabin snippet before I get going on the December 28.

This was our first trip with kids to Disney that wasn't in a camper pulled by a truck. We have over the years upgraded the camper and the truck, but always the same result. When we are vacationing in Disney we are parked in a campsite at the Fort. We refer to it as our vacation home when we are struggling through normal life here in Ohio between trips.

I am so glad we didn't stay in one of the resorts. This was at least close to a "normal" vacation for us. The cabin was nicer than a hotel room.

The mousekeepers did a nice job and we never wanted for towels (like we do when we stay in a hotel). I don't know if this is a Disney trait but with 6 people in our family we use a bunch of towels and there was always plenty of clean ones.

We also had a broom and vacuum there to use if we needed it. That worked nicely for us, especially to keep the deck swept off.

I had only 2 complaints. The murphy bed mattress was horrible. Had a super big ditch in the middle and it didn't matter who slept on it, they ended up in the middle on top of each other. We played musical beds the first few nights trying to figure out where to sleep everyone so that everyone actually got some sleep. On our vacations restful sleep is a must to keep on schedule.

The only other issue was lack of storage. We had a nice closet with 8 hangers (we have 6 people in our family). It also had a pack and play in it which just took up space in the closet. There were only 4 drawers in the bedroom built in dresser and they were 8" x 6" x 2". and 2 little drawers in a nightstand. That was it for clothes.

That first morning we bought command hooks for the hallway there to hang sweatshirts and rain coats on and that worked like a charm. We used the bottom of the closet for shoes and just lived out of suitcases. I am so spoiled in my fifth wheel!!!

On the other hand the kitchen was huge!!! As you can see here (this was the day I stayed at the cabin to unpack and get ready for the week while BuckeyeFortFan took the kids to the MK, so this is mid-unpacking.

The table was nice, especially if you are used to eating breakfast in your camper like we do. We are usually up so early that it is easier to keep the kids quiet in the camper for breakfast than outside. I know our neighbors are on vacation and won't appreciate being woke up by those crazy campers up at the crack of dawn when they just got home from the parks a few hours ago.

I guess that's a taste of cabin life. All in all- it sucks compared to my camper! But way better than a hotel (even a Disney hotel).

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

This is really good information - I'm going to setup a link to it from the Info pages for people looking for cabin info!

[Lou... 3,118]

Glad to hear I'm not being hazed! Thanks

Hold on, don't get carried away. I've still got time. This TR isn't over yet.

Why take a bus when my truck or my golf cart gets me there faster?

The buses work for a lot of people, but not for everyone.

Faster is not what a lot of users are looking for, it's the convenience.

There's a right time to use them and a wrong time.

If someone knows the system well, it can work for them.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Right time to use them.... Food & Wine Festival

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Right time to use them when you've got an ECV that is too heavy to lift in and out of the truck 4-6 times a day.

And ANY time I'm going to Epcot cause they serve the Orange Slushies and Peach Snap! year round :)

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

Hold on, don't get carried away. I've still got time. This TR isn't over yet.

The buses work for a lot of people, but not for everyone.

Faster is not what a lot of users are looking for, it's the convenience.

There's a right time to use them and a wrong time.

If someone knows the system well, it can work for them.

avoid the driver exchange program.... it will take you thrice the time to get to and fro

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

Nicki has 9000, Carol has 12000, Mo is working toward 12000......it is a banner day!

[BuckeyeFortMama 43]

The buses work for a lot of people, but not for everyone.

Faster is not what a lot of users are looking for, it's the convenience.

There's a right time to use them and a wrong time.

If someone knows the system well, it can work for them.

I will admit we talk about the day that these become handy. You know, when our babies are more grown up. That's when we will switch over to the bike and bus family, but for now we will strap them in their car seats and go.

Right time to use them.... Food & Wine Festival

I can see why. We have really little ones so one of us stays sober enough to ensure they are always safe. Someday, when they are older we will embarass them and enjoy all that food and WINE has to offer.

Right time to use them when you've got an ECV that is too heavy to lift in and out of the truck 4-6 times a day.

And ANY time I'm going to Epcot cause they serve the Orange Slushies and Peach Snap! year round :)

The buses really are nice for that situation aren't they. And they are everywhere you need one and can get you everywhere you need to be (eventually).

YOU must tell me more about this Peach Snap? What is it and where can I get it?

[BuckeyeFortMama 43]

avoid the driver exchange program.... it will take you thrice the time to get to and fro

What is the driver exchange program?

Nicki has 9000, Carol has 12000, Mo is working toward 12000......it is a banner day!

Glad I have a place worth commenting on to up those numbers!!!

I really must get onto the next day because one of my all time favorite Disney peope makes an appearance in our trip!!!!1

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

Your Buckeyes beat Michigan today. Congrats. Maybe Michigan can return the favor in Ann Arbor. Only time will tell.