Boo! Happy Halloween! October 5-11, 2008 *updated 2.10.09* [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

05-12-2008, 09:51 PM

OK, so now that you know our plan, I'll tell you a bit more about us.

I am a SAHM to my girls. I love being home with them, but I do miss my job as a school librarian. We make up for that by going to the library and reading all the time! I am obsessed with children's clothes, and I love to dress up the girls. It's my hobby! Some of you will recognize me from some of the Gymbo boards. I still like Gymbo, but I'm more interested in Naartjie and Hanna now for the girls. I also love Lands End on them. You will notice my comments on their outfits for each day. Oh yes, that is an important part of this trip! I've already been talking to people about custom ideas. :) I also love to research (the librarian in me) and plan, so planning this trip is a natural for me.

DH works as a project manager/consultant. His new job keeps him on the road a fair bit of the time. But he does work from home one day a week and is always here on the weekends. He is so good to us, and he has totally embraced the idea of having 2 princess loving girly girls. If I let him, he'd spoil the girls rotten! But we must draw the line somewhere! He is really excited about this trip. I have a feeling that he will blow it and spoil the surprise with his enthusiasm. Oh, and he is a rabid fan of the Red Sox and Patriots. (We don't speak of the Pats now though. Hush. :goodvibes )

DD 6 is in kindergarten. She is smart, inquisitive, and thoughtful. She loves to sing and dance, and she is a natural on the stage. She has a huge imagination, and she spends lots of time writing and illustrating "books." She adores princesses, fairies, and "old fashioned girls," esp Samantha and Felicity from the American Girls. She has recently learned how to read quite well, and I am just so proud of her. I now have to go into her room at night to tell her to put the book away and go to sleep! She will be over the moon to learn that we are going back to WDW. She talks about our last trip all the time, and says that she wants to go back at least once a day. I can't wait to see her face when we tell her! :wizard: Oh, I should also mention that she has some food allergies - peanut, tree nut, sesame. We found WDW to be very accomodating to her needs on our last trip, but I must always remain vigilant.

DD 2 is my feisty one. She is a total doll, but quite a handful. She is quintessential 2, and her favorite thing to say is "I do SELF!" :lmao: She loves to sing and dance and play, and is generally very happy and easy-going. She is very verbal and expressive for her age. My baby loves her Princesses, "Mickey Clubhouse," and "My Einsteins." I think she will have a total blast meeting the characters when we go to WDW. Oh, and she has already decided that she wants to be Annie from Little Einsteins for Halloween (and thus MNSSHP.) She even looks like Annie with her blonde piggies, so it will be adorable. We are trying to work on potty training, and I suspect that she totally knows what to do, but she is just not ready yet. Part of me wants to wait til after the WDW trip to really pursue this aggressively, but we'll see. We still have over 4 months before the trip, and summer would be a good time to train if she shows enough interest. We'll see. BTW, has anyone seen Little Einsteins undies anywhere? I see them (for a very high price) on Ebay but I have not seen them in any stores.

So, that's plenty by way of introduction for now. I'll add more info to this as things begin to happen. I hope some of my custom ideas start to pan out soon. Yes, it's 4 months away, but it's never too soon to plan these things! :wizard:

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

05-13-2008, 03:46 PM

Well, huh. I just noticed that my ticker doesn't work. Will have to look into that! :confused:

We just picked up the long Giselle nightgown at the Disney Store for Julia. It was massively marked down from $35 to, like, $10. How could I say no?! :lovestruc She is so excited! Tomorrow is pajama day at school. I'm not sure if she should wear this frothy concoction or not - it's a bit, um, to use her word "romantic" to wear to school! :rotfl: I felt bad that I didn't get anything for Emma, but she isn't ready for nightgowns yet. We'll find her something I'm sure...! ;)

The girls are watching Pocohantas right now. It was on the Disney Channel (Movietime Monday) this week and I remembered to DVR it. I really like that movie.

OK, that's it for now. I added a link to this page in my siggy, so hopefully someone will find this interesting and read this! popcorn::

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

05-13-2008, 04:42 PM

Wanna see picts?

This is me -http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/hair.jpg

This is the only picture I could find with DH, who will have my head if he sees this...!
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/winter%202007/schwarz_003-1.jpg

We don't get too many picts of us; it's all about the princesses here! princess:

Here is Julia at her dance recital last weekend. Sorry it's so big!
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/april%202008/IMG_3919.jpg

And here is Emma in some new Naartjie. I always do her hair in 2 piggies. :lovestruc
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/clothes%20for%20sale/IMG_3959.jpg

This is from St Patick's Day. My mom made the girls' outfits!
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/IMG_3647-3.jpg

Meeting the Easter Bunny
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/march%202008/IMG_3721.jpg

And 4th of July last year. One of my all time favorite pictures! Emma was almost 2 here.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/kissyborder.jpg

That's plenty! :lmao:

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

05-13-2008, 05:09 PM

Here are a few from our Jan 07 trip to WDW. Julia was newly 5 and Emma was just 1.5.

Epcot
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/DisneyPhotoImage107.jpg

MK
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/untitled10.jpg

Julia the Birthday BBB Princess
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/DisneyPhotoImage128.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/DisneyPhotoImage126.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/IMG_0280.jpg

Julia meeting characters
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/IMG_0342.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/untitled5.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/untitled6.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/untitled2.jpg
Minnie must have told a really good joke!

My little baby - she LOVED Belle
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/untitled.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/untitled8.jpg

And my favorite picture from the whole trip! Sadly, we won't be replicating this scene again due to the RIDICULOUS new stroller rental prices. :sad2:
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/untitled7.jpg

Scully23

05-13-2008, 05:58 PM

I just had to reply b/c of some striking similarities between us!

I am a high school librarian and I LOVE my job

I am a mother of two (DD10, DS7)

Our first family trip was in 2006

We are going back in September for MNSSHP

I am obsessed with planning and my husband, although excited about the trip, is not at all interested in the planning process!

I am enjoying your report; you've inspired me to start one soon.

Love the clothes!

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

05-14-2008, 12:21 PM

Thanks, Scully! I'm glad someone is reading this! :lmao: I have been a librarian for all grades from K-12, but I much prefer 4-6 or even 6-8 to HS! The one time I was in a HS was at a prestigious girls' boarding school here in MA during my internship, and I can't say that I ever had any discipline issues there. I could never do HS!

So, today I asked a friend nearby who is an avid sewer (SO-er, not SOOO-er! :lmao: That word always makes me laugh!) if she would make some customs/costumes for the girls! She said YES!! I have talked to a few of the DisBoutiquers already, who gave me ideas and offered their services. But being able to have my own local seamstress makes the most sense, as she can measure the girls herself and have them come in for fittings. YAY. :banana: :banana: :banana: (I may still be calling on some of you 'Boutiquers though!:goodvibes )

And my mom has agreed to make a simple pink jumper for Emma's Annie costume. I just need to find a light blue s/s top and some light blue Keds for her, so she'll look authentic.

Julia has decided that she wants to be Giselle from "Enchanted" for Halloween/MNSSHP. My sewing friend is going to help me try to construct a dress like the turquoise one that Giselle makes from the curtains in the movie. We'll make it be mid calf length so it's not to the floor. I'm giddy with excitement! I can't wait to see what she comes up with! This will be a much better option than Julia's first idea (Ariel with fins! :scared1: ) to wear for Trick or Treating here and walking around WDW.

We have a few other ideas too. I want to have about 3 different "boutique custom" WDW outfits (plus the costumes) for the girls to wear while we are there. (Princess, Minnie, Giselle/Einsteins.) If I only put this much thought into my own wardrobe....! :rolleyes1 :lmao:

So, that's my big news for the day. I'm pretty stoked. :cheer2:

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

05-14-2008, 12:25 PM

Oh, so I should also throw out that I'm looking for costume ideas for DH and me to wear to MNSSHP.

DH wants to be a pirate, natch. pirate: I'll have to figure out how to bring that to frutition. I have a theatre director friend who did "Peter Pan" recently. Maybe we can raid the wardrobe department! :idea:

I thinking Wendy for me. Or Alice. Not sure yet... :confused3

Scully23

05-14-2008, 05:31 PM

Your clothes obsession is cracking me up. The costumes are going to be amazing (especially Giselle). You'll have to post pix when they're finished. I think you're smart planning their outfits. In 06, we had a magical moment when my kids were chosen to hold the rope at the end of the parade at DHS. It was one of the best moments of the trip. All I can think of when I look at the pic of them with Pluto after the parade is, "Why didn't I dress them in cute Disney clothes?!" I'm going to take your advice for our 9/08 trip!

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

05-15-2008, 09:58 AM

I just ordered Giselle sheets from The Disney Store, so we can use the fabric for Julia's Giselle custom. princess: I'm so excited! I also found a code for 20% off the entire order! :cool1: The sheet set was marked down to $20, and then 20% off of that. I also bought a Tink shirt for me and a Pirate tee for DH. pirate:

We have another cold, rainy day here in MA. I'm getting sick of this weather! :( Emma's dance class was cancelled, so we're stuck at home this morning, and we can't even get outside. :sad2: DH was away for work all week; I got behind on the household chores, and now I'm looking at several loads of laundry for today. :laundy: Julia is in afternoon kindergarten, and I have to admit that I am counting down the minutes til the bus arrives. I can't wait to get Emma down for a nap so I can have a few minutes to myself! :surfweb:

julezdisney

05-16-2008, 06:36 AM

I'm here! :wave2: Hi Colleen!

Thought I'd return the favor of you visiting my PTR by visiting yours! Great so far!

I like that you gave plans first and THEN introduced yourself! I went the other way around but oh well.... I just added new pix today as well.

So.. I'm NOT a school librarian. I'm an MA (medical assistant). However, I did do para-work some years back and did quite a few days as a school librarian sub and those were always my favorite gigs! :rotfl:

I have always loved to read and used to get grounded away from my books and have them taken away because I used to read rather than do my chores, homework, or come to dinner! :scared1: Sounds like YOUR Julia is well on her way to becoming like this one!! I even used to roll up a towel and put it on the bottem edge of my door so my Dad didn't know my light was on past my bedtime because I was reading!! :rotfl2:

Your plans are great and give me good ideas on how to plan an itinerary for us. When we went in 06 w/the in-laws there was NO itinerary and that was something I VOWED never to repeat. I really feel like I missed a lot.

For example, I never even knew there was a Partners statue. Can you believe that? :eek: That's how haphazardly we were wandering around and I was staring at a map and following them blindly. :sad2: Never again!

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

05-16-2008, 04:04 PM

With some encouragement, I have decided to try to make some customs on my own (with the help of my mom and my local sewing friend!) for our October trip to WDW. I went to JoAnn's today, and even found some princess fabric.

Here is what I got - I'll update as we make some progress.

I picked up this pattern for my soon to be 3 year old. I want to make a princess swing/aline top and skirt for her. princess:
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/may%202008/IMG_4015.jpg

Here is her fabric. Love the pink Princess cameo fabric. I like the contrast of the dark pink for trim/ruffles.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/may%202008/IMG_4013.jpg

I also plan to make a similar set for my older DD using Ariel fabric, but I am still ISO that. I think my mom's Walmart has it.

I can also use the same pattern to make a pink jumper for her Halloween/MNSSHP costume. She wants to be Annie from Little Einsteins! :love:

This pattern is for my 6 year old. I want to make a swing top with fancy pants using fabric from the Giselle sheet set at the Disney Store online. I posted that I bought this yesterday. http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/may%202008/IMG_4016.jpg

Here is the Disney Store link (http://disneyshopping.go.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/DSIProductDisplay?catalogId=10002&storeId=10051&productId=1216784&langId=-1&categoryId=14434) to the sheet set.

Oh, and then I picked up these "Make your own soft book" kits. There are some great Princess images that I think I can use for appliques. princess:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/may%202008/IMG_4018.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/may%202008/IMG_4020.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/may%202008/IMG_4021.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/may%202008/IMG_4022.jpg

So I feel pretty good with my purchases. Now I just need to get these things to see the light of day! With my mom's help, I think I can do it!! :cheer2:

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

05-18-2008, 10:26 AM

No real Disney news today.

But we are finally enjoying a beautiful spring weekend here in MA. It's been in the low 70s, and it's just lovely. Julia and I have been making a fairy house to leave in the garden. We use twigs, leaves, grass, moss, rocks, flowers, etc. We are going to leave it out today for the fairies to enjoy. Iwill have to go out later tonight and sprinkle some pixie dust near the house; I may also make a fairy ring out of rocks so Julia thinks that the fairies were there and had little ball. My sweetie has such a great imagination! pixiedust:

Princesskeyblade

05-19-2008, 10:14 AM

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

05-19-2008, 10:31 AM

Subbing popcorn::

YAY!!! Another MA Pre Trippie!!

You're husband is a Red Sox fan and you are going to Disney durring the playoffs... You brave woman... Just kidding. ;) We are there a couple of weeks after you.

Your girls are adorable!

Are you going out of Logan or TF Greene?

Thanks for stopping by! We'll be flying out of Logan.

You know, I forgot about the sports issue. I did think that he'd be annoyed about missing a Pats game, but I totally wasn't thinking about the Sox. Ooops. He'll have his "Crack"berry. I'm sure he'll be checking it every 5 minutes! :rotfl: Last year we went to see "Wicked" at the Opera House in Boston during one of the World Series games! I think it was game 2 of the series, and it was AT Fenway. DH was not too happy! Oh well! :goodvibes

Princesskeyblade

05-19-2008, 11:55 AM

You know, I forgot about the sports issue. I did think that he'd be annoyed about missing a Pats game, but I totally wasn't thinking about the Sox. Ooops. He'll have his "Crack"berry. I'm sure he'll be checking it every 5 minutes! :rotfl: Last year we went to see "Wicked" at the Opera House in Boston during one of the World Series games! I think it was game 2 of the series, and it was AT Fenway. DH was not too happy! Oh well! :goodvibes

Well if he wants some "Daddy time", he could always go to ESPN club and you and the girls could go to Illuminations. :goodvibes

We have a gameplan if the Sox make the World Series... so DBF is feeling better about going in October.

pikafreaks

05-19-2008, 05:17 PM

~I'm really enjoying your pre-trip report~

Were going the same exact days too so maybe we will cross paths along the way~

A suggestion for your and your DH's costums...... were trying to come up with some cute adult costumes and I'll be going as DARBY and I'm trying to talk my DS 15 into being Handy Mandy~ I'm not too crafty but these seems like easy costumes.

Anyways, my name Athena and I'm really glad to meet you and follow along on your pre-trippie~

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

05-19-2008, 05:22 PM

Marthonica

05-20-2008, 07:42 AM

A fellow early October Tripper:cool1: We're leaving the CR the day you arrive. I love reading about your outfit planning! So far I can't get my DS to even put on a tee-shirt with Mickey Mouse, so I have to live vicariously through others!

TinkerbellLuvr7

05-20-2008, 08:13 PM

I just wanted to stop by and say hi and thanks for reading my TR about my college program. I'm sorry I won't be one of your daughters FGIT but if you want a few good names, I can give you some ;)

I love your TR so far, and I'm very excited to see the custom clothes. My mom was never that crafty even though she was a SAHM but I like to think she did the crafts she was able and willing to do!

I can't wait to read more and more as your trip gets closer! I bet the DDs are very excited!!

Take care, thanks for reading mine, I can't wait to begin reading yours!

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

05-21-2008, 03:37 PM

Whoa, look at all the new readers! Thanks for joining in, everyone!!

I'm so excited - my Disney Store box arrived in the mail today. I haven't opened it up yet, as the girls will undoubtedly see what's inside, and this trip is supposed to be a SURPRISE! pixiedust: But inside the box is 1) the Giselle Enchanted sheet set that I plan to cut up and use to make Julia's Giselle custom 2) my Tink polo! :tinker: and 3) a pirate tee for DH. pirate: I can't wait til bedtime so I can open the box! :banana: :banana: :banana:

I'm getting together with my friend who sews next week. Can't wait to show her my fabric and ideas so we can get started on the girls' customs. Here is what I think we'll end up with -

1) Two Minnie tee shirt dresses for our first MK day/dinner at Chef Mickey's. I have a Minnie bow for Julia; need double piggy Minnie bows for Emma.
2) One princess custom halter top/skirt for each girl. Julia will get Ariel and Emma will get Sleeping Beauty. I have pink korkers for Emma already, but I need to come up with something special for Julia's hair. These outfits will be for our Epcot WS/Askerhaus lunch day.
3) Giselle curtain dress costume for Julia for Halloween/MNSSHP. I think she may also wear this for the BBB day, which also includes CRT lunch and 1900 Park Fare dinner. (I know waaaaay too much for one day, but that's how it all worked out! ;) )
4) Little Einsteins Annie costume for Emma for Halloween/MNSSHP. I'll also have her wear this for our DHS day since we are dining with the LE. All we need for this is a pink jumper. I already have a blue shirt and socks and dark pink korkers for her hair. I do need to try to find light blue Keds.
5) Giselle custom for Julia from the aforementioned sheet set. I think this will be a halter top and fancy capri pants. She'll wear this on DHS day. I wish Giselle would return to the parks! Hair accessory? Maybe make a headscarf from the fabric?
6) I think I'm having someone on Etsy make one more set for each girl. She offered to do a patchwork dress with Peter Pan and Wendy appliques for Julia. PP is her favorite character, and she says meeting PP and Wendy was the highlight of our last trip. (Good to know after doing the BBB, CRT, and even TEA with Aurora!princess: ) She'll wear this on our last MK day. We have a Crystal Palace lunch, and I plan to concentrate on meeting characters that day. I will also have this lady make Emma a Tink custom. I'll need hair pretties for both of these. I am hoping, PRAYING that they Fairies will be doing their meet and greets in Toon Town by the time we are there. It will be early October, and the Tinker Bell movie is set to be out on October 28th, so the timing is right. I just hope we don't miss the fairies by a week.... :tink::goodvibes

So, that's about it for today!:hippie:

r4blessings

05-21-2008, 08:14 PM

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

05-21-2008, 08:21 PM

I love your trippie, and I'm happy to be getting in on your new one so early! Where did you get your girls pettiskirts? I am dying to get one for my dd4 but don't know where to look other than ebay, and they seem a little pricey.....or is that what they run? I think they look adorable and my dd will love twirling and spinning in them!

Awwww, thanks. We LOVE our pettis. I wish I could get away with wearing one myself! Can you tell that I LOVE being a girly Mama?! :lovestruc

I actually went in on a co-op to purchase these. They are made by a company called Sams and are similar to a boutique brand called Kaiya Eve. They ended up being about $30 each, which is a STEAL. They retail for $70+. :eek: If you special order them, they can take up to 6 months to arrive! :scared1: :scared1: :scared1: I felt like I was awaiting the birth of a baby waiting for mine to come!! :lmao:

I do have an online friend who sells them wholesale for $55 shipped, I think. She may not be running her business at the moment, but there is a chance she could have some in stock that could go out right away if you are not too picky with color choice. I'll PM you with her website. :goodvibes

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

06-07-2008, 06:47 AM

Nothing new to report. We've been really busy as we approach the end of the school year. I can't believe my DD is almost done with Kindergarten!! This weekend I have been attending my 15 year college Reunion. It has been a lot of fun to reconnect with my friends and see the campus. I live locally, so I'm traveling back and forth between home and campus. Might have been easier to just stay in the dorms!

Emma (almost 3) wants to comment on these smilies:
:moped: Look at the baby on the motorcycle!
:rotfl2: This one is sleeping
popcorn:: This one is hungry
:stir: This one is making soup

That's it!

Colleen

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

08-13-2008, 03:13 PM

Hi all!
It's been a while since I updated. Tomorrow is the day that the discount codes will be revealed, and I am anxious to see what kind of rate we can get! Not sure if we want to upgrade at our current rate or take a discount on our current room. Guess we'll see what our options are in the morning.

:goodvibes

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

08-13-2008, 03:17 PM

Oh, and the girls have changed their costume ideas! ;)

Now they want to be these cute light up witchies from Costume Express. Unfortunately, I just learned that they are both backordered til 9/30. We leave on 10/05, which makes me very nervous. I called the company and requested overnight delivery. I pray that they are not backordered any further.... :goodvibes

Julia
http://images.birthdayexpress.com/bexpress/assets/product_images/282724_0240.jpg

Emma
http://images.birthdayexpress.com/bexpress/assets/product_images/282723_0240.jpg

I have a headache!! :eek:

pikafreaks

08-13-2008, 03:35 PM

Its great to have a update!

Were going the same exact days, so were getting close~

Oh,,, I hope we both can get a code! It would be nice to save some $$$$

The costumes are adorable!
Just so you know, I have a horrible experience with Birthday / Costume express. I received someone Ariel costume that had paid overnight shipping. The costumer service was terrible on top of it. I received my order too late. And then had to go to the post office to mail back the wrong order. Really such a pain.
Now, other people have thought they were great, but with your time crunch~ I just had to mention it.

Take care,
Athena~

SharpaysMom

08-13-2008, 04:37 PM

Subbing. Great PTR so far.

My DD has changed her mind about her costume several times now. First she wanted to be a HSM cheerleader, then Sharpay, then Hannah Montana, and finally a Pirate Princess :rotfl2:

BTW, your ticker isn't showing in your siggie beause it is too long, try deleting a few blank lines...

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

08-13-2008, 07:24 PM

Thanks, Pika. I have heard some other horror stories with this company myself. I plan to get back up costumes at the Disney Store that I can return if necessary. I don't need this extra aggravation!! :scared1:

Sharpay'sMom - Thanks for the tip. I'll see what I can do! :thumbsup2

ETA: YAY - it worked!

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

08-13-2008, 07:33 PM

Want to see picts from our recent trip to NH? We just drove up for the weekend and visited Santa's Village and Story Land. This trip served as a bit of a dress rehearsal for our WDW trip. Some things worked well - like my Baggallini Messenger - it was perfect! And we got rubber bracelets for the girls to wear with DH's cell phone number on them. The girls were agreeable to this and we felt that there was a little extra security should someone get lost.

We also learned a few things -
1) no running in crowded parks! :eek: Julia took a header and really scraped up her knee and elbow. And the next day, Emma tripped and chipped a tooth. :sad2: At least it wasn't Julia, who has her permanent teeth now. :goodvibes

2) We need to stick to a general schedule of eating and resting and getting to bed on time. If we don't there is heck to pay! :headache: Will have to reconsider this on our late nights at WDW.

3) Crocs are great to use as water shoes, but not so great for walking shoes. The girls had blisters, sore feet, and I think those darn non-traction shoes contributes to their tumbles. Lesson learned. I will carry them for water play and have the girls change into them as needed.

4) $1 ponchos rockl! I had purchased them for WDW ages ago, but I brought them along because there was a lot of rain in the forecast. They worked great! I also had an extra one to put on top of the stroller. I attached it with "chip clips," and that worked really well.

OK - on to picts!

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

08-13-2008, 07:39 PM

We drove up to NH from the Boston area this past weekend. We hit some rain while we were there and a LOT of rain on the way home, but we still had a good time.

We had planned to visit Story Land on Friday afternoon, but it was raining, so DH dropped me off at the outlets and he took the girls to the hotel pool. Worked for me! We had fun at dinner, and the hotel showed "Finding Nemo" in the common area at 8pm. The girls thought it was great fun to go down in their jammies and watch the movie.
On Saturday, we awoke to blue skies, but it was cold! (High 50s) We bundled up and headed to Santa's Village, about an hour away. About 5 minutes away, it started raining again....! BUT as we entered SV, it stopped!

Look who we met at the entrance
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4740.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4741.jpg

There are 26 elves scattered throughout the park. You get a little card stamped by each elf, and then you win a prize.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4749.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4750.jpg

This is a garbage can!
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4751.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4752.jpg

On the carousel
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4746.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4748.jpg

Inside an elf house
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4758.jpg

Meeting Santa. Emma's not too sure!
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4777.jpg

Both girls are on Santa's "nice" list
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4771.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4772.jpg

Santa's sleigh
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4774.jpg

Look at thes guys! Yes, they are real!
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4784.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4786.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4787.jpg

The girls made hats in Santa's workshop
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4797.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4798.jpg

Story Land picts up next!

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

08-13-2008, 07:43 PM

On Sunday we awoke to clear blue skies, and it was actually warm! We were able to wear shorts, which was nice. I did pack up the rain gear, just in case - and it was a good thing I did!

We got to Story Land right at opening, and we met Mother Goose!
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4801.jpghttp://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4802.jpg

I like to get a picture in this frame every year. Only Julia was cooperative this time!
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4803.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4804.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4811.jpg

Here's Humpty Dumpty
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4809.jpg

They love this talking tree with slides
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4813.jpg

Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4826.jpg

Little Miss Muffett
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4834.jpg

Alice
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4835.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4837.jpg

Meeting Cinderella - who looked about 12?!
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4839.jpg

And her glass slipper
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4840.jpg

Another fun place to take an annual picture
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4845.jpg

Julia got her face painted
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4848.jpg

Emma wanted flowers on her hands.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4850.jpg

And then, Emma took a tumble, a bigger boy tripped over her and fell on top of her, and she CHIPPED her tooth. ninja.gif I already took her to the dentist, and she says it will be OK. Thank goodness they are baby teeth! :goodvibes

We did get in a few more rides, but we were all a bit deflated by then. And then we had another downpour, so we called it quits and began driving back home.

We should have been there by 6pm, but it was more like 7:30 when we finally got home. It was quite a storm! Our 3 hour drive was nearly FIVE hours, due to traffic back ups, and then WEATHER. Oh my - we had torrential rain, thunder, lightening, fllooding, and HAIL! It was white knuckle time for me, but luckily the girls had the DVD player on in the back and had no idea what was going on. DH said it was tough going, but he could handle it. And thank goodness, we came home to power in the house. I was convinced that we would have no lights!

So, aside from mother nature and a few minor injuries, we had a good time! :wizard:

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

08-14-2008, 05:02 PM

So, this morning I got an email from my TA saying that there were no discounts available to us at the Contemporary. BUT we could upgrade to the Poly for $200 less than our original quote.

Unfortunately, by the time we touched base, the Poly was no longer an option. BUT she was able to get us into the Beach Club for the same $200 off our original ressie. So we changed our ressie to the Beach Club, and I am pysched. The pool is amazing, and I know the girls will LOVE it. Plus we can walk to Epcot, and have 2 days planned there. And we can walk or boat to DHS. AND we can take in the boardwalk which I had not included in our original plan. so I am really excited! :banana: :banana: :banana:

The TA is still going to try for the Poly at the reduced rate. It would be an easier location for us with 3.5 MK days. But I am very happy with the idea of the Beach Club. :cloud9:

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

08-21-2008, 08:41 PM

So, our final payment was due in full today. WHEW! That's a large chuck of change. :scared1: That was our tax refund, so luckily, we do have the funds to cover it. :goodvibes

And I *think* that my TA was able to get us an upgrade to the Poly! :banana: :banana: :banana: I'm still awaiting her confirmation.... :surfweb: We were psyched about the upgrade to the BC, but the location of the Poly would be even better! I'll update when I hear more. popcorn::

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

08-22-2008, 01:58 PM

YAY!!!! Got the Poly upgrade!!! :cool1:

Off to research this resort. I'm so excited. :cloud9:

pmama

08-23-2008, 11:55 PM

Congratulations on the Poly.:banana: Sounds like your TA is on top of things. I love how much time you're putting into your girl's outfits. I have gotten into this a little for our upcoming trip w/ two girls as well. Last year was our first year and the only special outfits we brought were a princess dress for each child. This year I think I may have too many outfits. I have to start packing them. They are not all custom though. I would love that. I did have matching Minnie custom dresses made. So impressed that you're willing to dive in and learn to sew yourself. I'd like to learn how to make my own customs as well. I just did my first set of iron-on patterns so we all will have matching shirts for MNSSHP and am so impressed w/ myself for just that. I'm subbing for sure so I can see how all the cute outfits turn out.:thumbsup2

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

09-23-2008, 08:36 PM

OMG!

T minus 12 days! EEEEEEEE! :scared1:

I feel both relaxed and panicked at the same time. :confused3 I have started doing laundry and packing, and I'm just waiting for some of the girls' customs to arrive. Their backordered Halloween costumes came in today's mail from Costume Express. I'm so psyched that they can wear them for MNSSHP.

Wanna see?
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/fall%202008/IMG_5121.jpg

Oooh, and they have LED lights too. They will look SO COOL at night! :banana:

I have all of the Tink Treats ready to go. I just need to print out little notes from Tink, invites for all of our special events, and my daily itineraries. (Just a little thing!) But my printer is not working! :eek: DH says he will look at it when he gets back from a business trip. But this is making me a little bit anxious, I have to admit. OK, it will be fine. I have 12 days; that's plenty of time! :goodvibes :goodvibes :goodvibes

I have to admit that part of the reason I am so backlogged is that I recently got sucked into the Twilight series of books. I read all four books in the course of a week, and lost some precious WDW planning time. But it's all worth it, for Edward Cullen. Ahhhhhhh. :lovestruc OK, back to life....! :wizard:

Oh, and DH and I are working on a Power point presentation for the big reveal. The girls still don't know about the trip! :woohoo: We plan to tell them the day before we leave with a slide show of memories from our last trip, set to music. Then, to the tune of "Be Our Guest," we'll reveal that we're heading to Disney TOMORROW! DH has gathered current picst of WDW, dressed up for Halloween and so on. We'll also use "Flying" from the 2004 live action Peter Pan score (you've heard that on WDW commericals) and "Ever After" from Enchanted, as well as "Where Dreams Begin" from the Princess singalong DVDs. I can't wait to see the finished product, and I am so excited to see the girls' reaction! pixiedust:

OK, back to packing and checking TGM for more updates!

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

09-27-2008, 10:46 AM

Not sure if anyone is even reading this any more, but here are some picts of the customs the girls will be wearing.

My mom made these princess dresses for the girls. They're both a tad too big, but Julia's will work. She is actually here now, and is taking Emma's in as we speak. My sweet Mama!

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/disney2008/IMG_5124.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/disney2008/IMG_5125.jpg

These skirt sets were made by an Etsy seller, SweetBlingADoo.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/disney2008/IMG_5126.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/disney2008/IMG_5127.jpg

Julia's has extra appliques on the skirt.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/disney2008/IMG_5136.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/disney2008/IMG_5139.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/disney2008/IMG_5140.jpg

Emma's just has the one on the top.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/disney2008/IMG_5132.jpg

I still have one more for Julia that I'm picking up this week. A local friend is making it for me. It's a Giselle fancy pants set, using Enchanted sheets for appliques. I'm so excited to see it - I think she even bedazzled it!

Can't wait til the girls are wearing these in WDW!:love:

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

10-03-2008, 04:24 PM

Oh well. I guess no one * is* reading this. No worries. I'm keeping this as a journal for my kids.

TWO days to go! Tomorrow we do the big reveal. I'll post how it goes.

pikafreaks

10-03-2008, 09:22 PM

I'm reading, I'm reading!

Its just been busy trying to pack for all 4 of the kids~

Good luck with the reveal! :wizard:

Alysa

10-04-2008, 12:55 AM

You will be in Disney at the same time as we will!
I love the pictures of your girls - so adorable - we have a 2 and a 5 year old as well. Can't wait to hear about the reveal.

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

10-04-2008, 11:16 AM

This morning, we told the girls about our WDW trip. :mickey

Michael did an amazing job with a Power Point slide show. He put together pictures from our last trip, set to music (A Whole New World, It's a Small World, Where Dreams Begin, Lion King.) Then we had some text that we made Julia read aloud on different slides. (He used the Disney font too.) These slides were accompanied by the song
"Flying" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiZFuGSPTcU) from the 2004 Peter Pan live action movie. (This is often used in WDW commercials.)

Did you have fun at Disney World?

Would you like to go again?

Well, get ready....

We're going to Disney World...

TOMORROW!

Then we had some slides of the Poly, WDW dressed up for Halloween, and some other things that we will be doing. These had the song "Ever After" from "Enchanted."

The girls were SOOOO excited! :cheer :cheer :cheer :cheer They're going bonkers now, just running around and screaming. :doh :crazyguy It really is worthwhile to keep something like this a secret from the kids. I think it makes it even more special. I got character tees for the girls to wear on the plane, as well as the book Guide to the Magic for Kids. (http://www.guidetothemagic.com/shopping.htm) It's a nice guidebook with spots for Julia to write down her thoughts and experiences. I imagine she'll pour over it on the plane.

It was AWESOME! Michael said he'll make the slideshow clickable so we can share it with you later. We leave tomorrow morning. I will have the laptop, so there's a chance that I'll update while we are there.

And wait til you SEE the customs. Giselle is amazing. I need to get a picture of it still.

Princesskeyblade

10-05-2008, 01:12 PM

Have a great time!!!!

julezdisney

10-05-2008, 05:35 PM

Oh Colleen! I didn't forget you, I just have, like 40 subscriptions going!!! You are @ the World right now and I hope you have the best week! We'll be there 9th-13th so maybe we'll see you!

Can't wait to hear/see it all when we get back!

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

10-06-2008, 07:46 PM

We're here at the Poly!

We arrived yesterday afternoon - the flight from Logan went just fine. LOVE Jet Blue! We decided to take it easy - relax and swim before dinner at Chef Mickey's yesterday. The girls had a great time! Today we went to Ep-a-cot, as Emma says. We just did Future World and left @ 2pm. We'll do the World Showcase later in the week. It started pouring later this afternoon, so we decided not to return to Epcot, forfeiting our Coral Reef ADR. We did Kona instead, which was FAB. Oh, and I had my first Dole Whip. Julia did too - YUM!

Tomorrow we have a brief MK morning, followed by a leisurely afternoon, as we prepare for a late night at MNSSHP. I pray that it doesn't rain tomorrow - but it looks like it might. Oh well. I just hope it's not a monsoon.

Talk soon! I got some great picts, but we have not uploaded them yet. :goodvibes

Alysa

10-07-2008, 07:17 PM

Glad you are having a great time!
:goodvibes

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

10-09-2008, 08:14 PM

Hi again!

We've been so lucky with the rain. It's been HOT and sticky, and it has rained, but thus far, it has not interfered with our plans. The night of the Halloween party, it stopped raining and stayed dry for the rest of the evening. :banana: :banana: :banana: We met some great characters and walked on most rides. We even saw Snow White and ALL SEVEN DWARVES! :cool1:

Yesterday, we did the World Showcase of Epcot - it was HOT. The girls didn't enjoy it as much as we had hoped - though they did like lunch with the princesses in Norway. (And I now LOVE school bread. :drool ) So we came back to our room after a few hours and swam, which they liked. Today was a good day at Disney Studios. Emma had a BLAST with the Playhouse Disney show and lunch with the Little Einsteins. TSM was SO MUCH FUN! :yay: Then we took a rest and headed over to Downtown Disney. Let's just say that we SHOPPED a little this afternoon! :shopping But we are having a bunch of things shipped home to be saved until Dec 25th, so it's not SO bad! ;)

Tomorrow is the big princess day. princess: We have to be up crazy early for a BBB appointment in the castle at 8am. The park doesn't even open til 9, so this will get us right into Fantasyland at opening. Then we have lunch in the castle, and later, we have dinner with Cinderella and the stepsisters at the Grand Floridian. Saturday is our last day. We have time for another MK morning and lunch with Pooh before we head back to the airport on the Magical Express.

Oh, and our picts look great. Can't wait to upload them!

Talk soon!

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

10-10-2008, 04:41 PM

Oh my 272 Photopass picts so far! And we still have one day to go! The girls had a wonderful princess day. They both dressed up as Belle, and we met LOTS of characters today - including Pinocchio! (That was the rarest one, I think.) Tomorrow, we have another MK morning before we have lunch with Pooh and head back for the Magical Express ride to the airport.

We're off to dinner with Cindy and her stepsisters in a few minutes. Except that Emma fell asleep, so we'll have to wake her up..... I think her BBB 'do is ruined. Oh well, she is only 3! We are going to try to stay up at watch the fireworks from the Poly beach tonight. pixiedust:

I'll do a full trippie with picts in a few days. We get home late Saturday night. :)

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

10-12-2008, 04:23 PM

I will start working on a real trippie over the next week, but I wanted to check in quickly.

Things I learned and appreciated from TGM/The DisBoards

* Baggallini messenger bag - LOVED it!
* Dole Whips - YUM. Never did get a Dole Float. Next time....
* Tonga Toast - also yum.
* Child safety bracelets - we ordered those rubber bracelets with DH's cell phone number inscribed, in case the girls got lost. Julia wore hers on her wrist, but we had Emma wear hers around her ankle. Of course, we never needed them, but they provided good peace of mind.
* rope drop or bust - it made a huge difference to get to the parks early.
* Tinker Bell Treasures - each morning "Tink" left a small trinket for the girls. She was able to pick out just the thing that the girls were coveting in the stores the day before.... This curbed the gimmes a bit.
* Shipping home - we did splurge on the castle playset and some other items that we had shipped home. We will save them for Christmas, so it's all good.
* fireworks from the Poly beach. We did that several nights. The girls also loved the Electric Light Parade.
* mid day NAPS. 'Nuff said.
* ice water is free at counter service restaurants. Just ask!
* Disney handles food allergies so well. We never had to worry or feel that we put anyone out with Julia's peanut allergy
* T&TC monorail. It was almost as close as the resort monorail so we could walk there on Epcot and some MK days. Nice.
* Judicious use of Photopass and Fast Pass.
* Toy Story Mania rocks!

The not so great

* the weather - it was unseasonably HOT and STICKY. It also rained almost every day, but we were always lucky and never got rained on. I packed ponchos and never needed them. Many people commented on how soupy it was, and this is not the norm.
* crowds were not too bad, but we definitely noticed them on Friday and especially Saturday (MK Saturday was our only yellow day, and it was very evident.)
* cost of the double stroller. It was still worth it to have one, but $168 for 6 days is NUTS.
* buses - we were spoiled being on the monorail. We hated transportation on our DHS day! (We did not do AK.)
* MNSSHP - I think we concentrated too much on the characters (and DH kept pushing Trick or treating, which I thought was a total time suck.) We only rode a few rides, which I felt was a shame. And the parade was downright FRIGHTENING for my 3 year old. She was TERRIFIED of the grave diggers. We still had fun, but I wouldn't spend that much money on something like this again. Also, because there were so many parties scheduled this week and we opted not to get PHoppers, we were not able to see Spectro and Wishes. No biggie, we've seen them before, but I did miss them.

That's about it. We really had a GREAT time. I have to sift through 600 digital photos and 300 Photopass picts. And mounds of laundry. Geesh!

Oh, here is one bonus picture for now. We met SW and all SEVEN dwarves at MNSSHP!
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/disney2008/IMG_5425.jpg

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

10-12-2008, 05:28 PM

We just got home last night!! We had a wonderful trip, but I think we are all happy to be home - and back to more temperate conditions. WDW was HOT and STICKY for early October. It's nice to be back to the clean, crisp, fall New England air that I so love.

Some quick background info before I begin. Oh, we live near Boston if I forget to mention that.

Cast:
:wave2:Mom, Colleen (me) age 30-something, former librarian, current SAHM, and Disney planning fanatic.
pirate: Dad, Michael - exactly 9 months younger than me (which he never fails to remind me!) Could care less about planning, but (wisely) says that he trusts my judgment. Oh, and he's a pirate. :lmao: ARRRR!
princess:Princess #1, Julia- currently age 6.75, my little Broadway star
princess:Princess #2, Emma - currently age 3.25, little miss independent

Here is a picture of Emma and me from this summer's trip to Santa's Village in NH.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4748.jpg

And DH and Julia.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/summer%202008/nh2008/IMG_4746.jpg

I am a SAHM to my girls. I love being home with them, but I do miss my job as a school librarian. We make up for that by going to the library and reading all the time! I am obsessed with children's clothes, and I love to dress up the girls. It's my hobby! Some of you will recognize me from some of the Gymbo boards. I still like Gymbo, but I'm more interested in Naartjie and Hanna now for the girls. I also love Lands End on them. You will notice my comments on their outfits for each day. Oh yes, that is an important part of this trip! We had lots of special customs for this trip - the girls looked so darn cute. I also love to research (the librarian in me) and plan, so planning this trip is a natural for me.

DH works as a project manager/consultant. His new job keeps him on the road a fair bit of the time. But he does work from home one day a week and is always here on the weekends. He is so good to us, and he has totally embraced the idea of having 2 princess loving girly girls. If I let him, he'd spoil the girls rotten! But we must draw the line somewhere! He is really excited about this trip. Oh, and he is a rabid fan of the Red Sox and Patriots. He proudly wore his Red Sox hat while we were at the parks.

DD 6 (Julia) is in first grade. She is smart, inquisitive, and thoughtful. Juila loves to sing and dance, and she is a natural on the stage. She has a huge imagination, and she spends lots of time writing and illustrating "books." She adores princesses, fairies, and "old fashioned girls," esp Samantha and Felicity from the American Girls. She has recently learned how to read quite well, and I am just so proud of her. I now have to go into her room at night to tell her to put the book away and go to sleep! Oh, I should also mention that she is allergic to peanuts. We find WDW to be so accomodating to her needs and dietary restrictions, but I must always remain vigilant.

DD 3 (Emma) is my feisty one. She is a total doll, but quite a handful. She is quintessential 3, and her favorite thing to say is "I do SELF!" She loves to sing and dance and play, and is generally very happy and easy-going. She is very verbal and expressive for her age. My baby loves her Princesses, "Mickey Clubhouse," and "My Einsteins." She had a total blast meeting the characters when we go to WDW. We are trying to work on potty training, and I suspect that she totally knows what to do, but she is just not ready yet. I purposely decided to wait til after the WDW trip to really pursue this aggressively. Guess I have to start working now!

Here is my pre trip report (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1823560) to get started. I will start working on the full trippie over the next week or so.

For now, how about a few pictures from last week.... We'll get into the nitty gritty details, I promise. For now, I have some teasers...

* how many times will we misplace the 3 year old?
* how many tantrums will said 3 year old throw?
* does critical battery power really mean that the digital camera is dead?
* will we appear on the "Rachael Ray Show?"
* will I be able to find a Dole Whip? And what is a Dole FLOAT?
* how many times can Cinderella sign our autograph book?
* will Julia finally ride the Tower of Terror?
* WHERE WAS WENDY?! :confused3

Here is a full shot of my avatar. We saw Snow White and all seven dwarfs at MNSSHP last Tuesday!
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/disney2008/IMG_5425.jpg

Here we are with Peter Pan. An Etsy seller made these custom appliqued skirts and tops for the girls. Peter really liked them!
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/disney2008/IMG_5697.jpg

And the girls with Mickey and Minnie at MNSSHP
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/disney2008/IMG_5392.jpg

OK, that should get us started. Keep checking back for updates. I'll be able to get some work done this week while the girls are at school. :goodvibes

izzyzoeybear

10-12-2008, 06:10 PM

I am subbing....we are getting ready to go to DW on the 29th and all the info I get about it during the fall (halloween) the better!!! I have trouble waiting so I am living thru others experiences until we get to go!!:)

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

10-12-2008, 07:37 PM

I'm closing out this pre trip report and moving over to the trip report section.

Here's the thread (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1980875) if you want all the details! :goodvibes

tksbaskets

10-12-2008, 08:32 PM

TOO CUTE! I love the outfits on your girls. Can't wait to hear about the rest of your trip.
TK

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

10-13-2008, 04:56 PM

A little background before we begin. We last went to Disney World in January 2007 to celebrate Julia’s 5th birthday. She turned 5 while we were there, and she had a truly magical birthday week. Emma was just 18 months old, but she seemed to have fun too. Here are some picts from that trip, almost 2 years ago. Julia was newly 5 and Emma was just 1.5.

Epcot
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/DisneyPhotoImage107.jpg

MK
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/untitled10.jpg

Julia the Birthday BBB Princess
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/DisneyPhotoImage128.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/DisneyPhotoImage126.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/IMG_0280.jpg

Julia meeting characters
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/IMG_0342.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/untitled5.jpg
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Minnie must have told a really good joke!

And my favorite picture from the whole trip!
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/untitled7.jpg

We had thought about going again when Emma was 4. But in March, Michael landed a new job which included some nice bonus money. We both looked at one another and said, “We can go back to Disney World!” pixiedust:

So, with just over 6 months to plan (and secure those elusive ADRs) we decided to go for it. Although I could (and did) easily plan this trip myself, we decided to use a TA recommended by a friend. Travel Magic (http://www.travelmagic.com/) in NJ handled all of our arrangements for us, and they made the nerve-wracking call for ADRs 180 days out. It was nice to have that element take care of, that’s for sure! They did a great job, and even helped us secure an upgrade closer to the time we were to leave. I also joined Tour Guide Mike for the first time, and I’m so grateful for all of the wonderful information that I learned. My only glitch was that Disney was quite late releasing the October schedule, which meant that TGM didn’t have his best days out before we hit the 180 day mark. I used last year’s schedule to plan our days and our meals, and my educated guesses were spot on, thank goodness! We also decided to attend Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party on Tuesday, October 7th. We decided to forgo the Park Hoppers since the MNSSHP tickets were such a large expense.

We booked a room at the Contemporary so we could be on the monorail. We figured this would be much easier with two small children and mid day breaks. The last time we went to WDW we stayed at POFQ, which we loved. But we didn’t love the bus system, so this time we were determined to be on the monorail. The Contemporary is not exactly my ideal in terms of theming, but since it’s the cheapest of the monorail options, that was what we decided upon.

So, now that the resort was chosen, the plans made, and the ADRs booked, I was able to lay low for a bit. I spent the summer perusing TGM and the DisBoards, making daily itineraries, and shopping for our trip. Thanks to the DisBoards, I bought a Baggallini messenger bag – which I totally love. I used it throughout the summer as well. It came in handy on our trip to Storyland and Santa’s Village in NH. I got our ponchos, some Body Glide for our feet, character tee shirts (which I normally don’t allow), and little treasures for Tink to leave for the girls each morning. I also came up with ideas for custom outfits that I wanted the girls to wear during our trip. My mom made princess twirl dresses, I ordered Tink outfits on Etsy, Minnie dresses on Ebay, and a friend made one special Giselle set for Julia. I know I went overboard on the clothes, but I consider it my hobby. It makes me happy to see my girls looking pretty!

In mid August, it was time to pay our balance in full. My TA called to let me know that there was a chance to upgrade to the Poly for about the same rate. Unfortunately, by the time we touched base, the Poly was no longer an option. BUT she was able to get us into the Beach Club for the same rate. So we changed our ressie to the Beach Club, and I was pysched. The pool is amazing, and I knew the girls would LOVE it. Plus we could walk to Epcot, and we had 2 days planned there. AND we could take in the boardwalk which I had not included in our original plan, so I was really excited! :banana: :banana: :banana: The TA was still going to try for the Poly at the reduced rate. It would be an easier location for us with 3.5 MK days. But I was very happy with the idea of the Beach Club. :cloud9:

About a week later, my TA called with the good news. We had gotten the upgrade to the Poly! I was really excited about this location, as it would be so convenient. And the rate was very nice. The BC would have also been lovely, but the Poly was just so perfect for us. So YAY us!:yay:

Then I hit a small snag. I ordered these cute light up witchies from Costume Express for the girls’ Halloween/MSSSHP costumes. Unfortunately, I learned that they were both backordered til 9/30. Since we were set to leave on 10/05, I got pretty very nervous. I called the company and requested overnight delivery. Luckily, they arrived with about 4 days to spare .... :goodvibes

Wanna see? http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/fall%202008/IMG_5121.jpg
Oooh, and they have LED lights too. They look SO COOL at night! :cool1:

With about a week to go, I placed my Garden Grocer order and had all of the Tink Treasures ready. I printed out little notes from Tink, invites for all of our special events, and my daily itineraries. (Just a little thing!) But my printer was not working! :eek: DH was able to fix it when he got home from his business trip. But I was seriously freaked for a few days there!

I have to admit that part of the reason I got so backlogged in September was that I got sucked into the Twilight series of books. I read all four books in the course of a week, and lost some precious WDW planning time. But it was all worth it, for Edward Cullen. Ahhhhhhh. :lovestruc OK, back to life....! ;)

Oh, I didn’t mention that we kept the trip a secret from the girls for SIX MONTHS! :wizard: Michael and I decided to tell them about the trip the day before we left.

Michael did an amazing job with a Power Point slide show to reveal our trip. He put together pictures from our last trip, set to music (A Whole New World, It's a Small World, Where Dreams Begin, Lion King.) Then we had some text that we made Julia read aloud on different slides. (He used the Disney font too.) These slides were accompanied by the song
"Flying" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiZFuGSPTcU) from the 2004 Peter Pan live action movie. (This is often used in WDW commercials.)

Did you have fun at Disney World?
Would you like to go again?
Well, get ready....
We're going to Disney World...
TOMORROW!

Then we had some slides of the Poly, WDW dressed up for Halloween, and some other things that we will be doing. These had the songs “Be Our Guest” and "Ever After" from "Enchanted."

The girls were SOOOO excited! :cheer :cheer :cheer :cheer They went absolutely bonkers for the rest of the day, just running around and screaming. :doh :crazyguy It really is worthwhile to keep something like this a secret from the kids. I think it makes it even more special. I gave them character tees to wear on the plane, as well as the book Guide to the Magic for Kids. (http://www.guidetothemagic.com/shopping.htm) It's a nice guidebook with spots for Julia to write down her thoughts and experiences. She enjoyed reading it on the plane and in the hotel.

The rest of the afternoon was spent packing (no longer in stealth mode since the cat was finally out of the bag!) and getting pumped up. It was definitely one of those “I’m too excited to sleep” nights!
pixiedust:

Up next, arrival day!
Will the girls (and our fellow travelers) survive the flight? Will our plane land on time? Will we make it to the Magic Kingdom? And WHEN will our bags arrive from the Magical Express? Stay tuned.... :goodvibes

ajk912

10-13-2008, 06:10 PM

omg, I love your trip report so far! I can hardly wait to read more! I looooveee that pic of you guys with the Mickey/Minnie MNSSHP characters. And the 7 dwarf pic too..that's awesome!!!

BTW, I always thought the BBB pic was priceless....

I can hardly wait to read more!!! :love:

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

10-13-2008, 07:48 PM

AshleyMWC

10-13-2008, 08:36 PM

I just found your TR and your beautiful family, so I am signing on. My fiance and I leave for the Poly in 9 days, so your report has me super excited for the Poly and MNSSHP!!!

myladyisatramp

10-13-2008, 08:49 PM

The girls are adorable. I can't wait for the rest of the report.

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

10-14-2008, 06:55 AM

Day 1: Sunday, October 5th
Arrival at the Poly and Chef Mickey's

We got up bright and early and loaded up the car as we headed to Boston’s Logan Airport. We had a 9:45 flight on Jet Blue, so we left the house @ 7:30am. The girls did remarkably well getting up and ready so early in the morning. They wore new Disney tee shirts (Tink for Julia, Minnie for Emma) with capri pants so they could handle the climate of both MA and FL. I also wore capris with a short sleeve shirt and a light cardigan. We all wore slip on shoes with socks, which looked silly, but was easier for
going through security and taking off shoes during the flight. Traffic was light, as it was a Sunday morning, and we made it to the airport in about ½ hour. Not bad at all! The girls each carried a small Princess carry-on backpack with wheels. Inside, I packed all sorts of treasures to keep them entertained - stickers, sticker books, new books, a Tinker Bell magazine that I found at the grocery store (!) for Julia, and lots of Goldfish. Oh, and I made Emma carry her own Pull Ups and wipes.(evil grin) I also packed a change of clothes, swimsuits, and pajamas in their carry-on bags, just in case the Magical Express luggage didn’t make it til late. I was able to get some juice boxes and sippies filled with milk through security, which was a relief. Why do planes
never have milk available for children? We managed to fill the time before our flight was announced, and boarded without any issues. We decided not to bring Emma’s carseat or stroller, which definitely made things easier on the plane! Both girls did very well rolling their bags through the airport and didn’t cause too much trouble. Michael brought along his laptop so the girls could watch a DVD on the plane. We had headphones and a splitter, so they were both very happy. He sat with the two girls in a row of three seats, and I got the good end of the deal and got to sit alone, one row ahead of them! The girls were excited to watch a brand new DVD, “Barbie and the Diamond Castle,” which I had purchased a few weeks ago when it first came, out but held onto for just this occasion. We had plans to purchase “Sleeping Beauty” while we were at Disney, since it was released during our stay.

The flight was a little late arriving, so we landed closer to 1pm than our expected 12:45. We hoofed it over to the Magical Express and were on a bus to our resort pretty quickly. I think we got to the Poly by about 2:30, which wasn’t bad at all. Michael checked us in while the girls and I got leis and colored in the check-in area. We also took a peek in the gift shop and made notes of what we wanted to look at later. (There was a lot!)

Here are some picts of our arrival at the Poly.
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Soon we were able to walk over to our room in the Tokelau building. It was on the first floor right at the entrance, room 1939. Great location! We were very close to the quiet pool, and it wasn’t far at all to the Great Ceremonial House or the volcano pool (which the girls loved!). The resort monorail is right in the Great Ceremonial House, and the Ticket and Transportation was close by as well. We used this monorail stop for our trips to Epcot and also for the express ride to MK on occasion. Our room was HUGE! I really appreciated the extra space, as it meant that we didn’t make such a huge mess with our stuff.

Here is our room
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Initially, we thought we might go directly to the Magic Kingdom and try to catch the 3pm parade, but instead, we decided to settle in and take a swim. We all enjoyed the Volcano Pool, and Julia really liked the slide. Emma had fun digging in the sand for a while, and then I noticed that she had a distinct odor. Yup, she had pooped in her swim diaper. Moms, you all know what fun that clean up job can be! So, Emma’s pool time was officially over, and I had to drag her back to the room to get cleaned up. Julia and Michael stayed at the pool a bit longer. I ended up having to put Emma in the tub to get her cleaned up! Poor girl. But soon she was sweet and clean again. And at just that moment, our Garden Grocer grocery delivery arrived. I had ordered breakfast foods, milk, a huge container of Goldfish, a case of water, and a 12 pack of Diet Dr Pepper (my one little vice.) I was glad to have made that purchase. Michael and Julia returned so Michael could catch some of the Patriots game, and just then, our luggage arrived from the Magical Express. We were so happy that everything arrived, and before we left for dinner too.

Pool
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So, it was time to get ready for our first adventure – dinner at Chef Mickey’s! We did this to kick off our last trip as well – it’s just a nice way to build up the excitement and see the main Disney characters right away. I had purchased some Minnie tee shirt dresses on Ebay for the girls for just this occasion. They looked so cute! I even had a Minnie bow for Emma.
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Walking to the monorail. This was a position that Michael and Emma took many times over the course of the week!
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We boarded the resort monorail and were lucky enough to be able to ride right up front! The girls really enjoyed the monorail.
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See my Baggallini messenger bag?! LOVED that thing!

When we arrived at the Contemporary, we were a bit early for our 7pm reservation, so Michael checked us in while we went SHOPPING! The girls liked so many things that I decided to take pictures of everything they liked. That way, we could decide what our absolute favorite things were and get them before the trip was over.

Here are a few choice items.

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Michael and I had previously decided to get a few extra items and have them shipped home for Christmas presents, like this one! http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/disney2008/IMG_5190.jpg

I also left small Tinker Bell Treasures for the girls each morning. I already had a few things picked out that I bought at home (love the Target $1 spot!) but I also planned on getting small things that the girls liked while we were there. This helped to curb the “gimme’s” a little bit. Of course, we saw lots of things we liked! It was time for dinner, so we got the obligatory family picture taken. It actually came out really well, so we plunked down the $30 (or whatever it cost) for it. I will try to scan it and add it here.

We enjoyed dinner, and ate too much. (This would be a common theme during our trip.) Buffets work really well for us, with two picky eaters. Julia has a peanut allergy, so the chef came out to talk to us. I have to comment on how well Disney handles food allergies. We were never made to feel awkward or demanding, and they were always willing to accommodate us. It turned out that Julia could not eat the bread (possible peanut contamination) or the desserts (same), but most other dishes were safe. Of course, she chose pizza and chicken nuggets, as did Emma. When it was time for dessert, Julia was able to eat the soft serve ice cream, and the sprinkles were also safe. YAY! We met Donald Duck, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, and Mickey. The girls had a wonderful time getting autographs and posing for pictures.
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Emma was hysterical waving her napkin!
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When dinner was over, we went back into the gift shop and had fun trying on silly hats.
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Michael also bought the girls Halloween bags for trick or treating at MNSSHP. (Another splurge… but, oh well, what’s another $20 when you’re at Disney, right?!) We hopped back on the monorail for a quick ride back to the Poly, and tried to get the girls to bed. Michael really wanted to watch the Red Sox playoff game, but the hotel did not get TBS, so we were outta luck. Let’s just say that the girls were a bit keyed up and had a hard time getting the sleep that night. We had an early morning at Epcot planned, and it was already past their normal bedtime. I needed them asleep! We decided that the girls could simply not share the same bed, so Michael had Julia and I had Emma. (That was a bad combination! After that, we swapped!) Eventually, we all fell asleep….

Up next: a day in Future World!
What Tink Treasure will the girls receive? Would we stay all day? Take a break and come back? Would Emma be tall enough for Soarin’? Stay tuned…!

Disney Brat

10-14-2008, 08:54 AM

I just found you! Great start to your TR! The girls looks so cute in their outfits!! Can't wait to read more!

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

10-14-2008, 01:26 PM

Day 2: Monday, October 6th
Epcot Future World

I was up at 6am, so I coud have some time to myself before the rest of the family was even awake. Once I was showered and dressed, I left the room (with wet hair! Oh, the horror!) and went to Captain Cook’s to pick up two resort mugs. I got coffee for Michael and I made myself a half and half decaf/hot cocoa. I tried to convince myself it was a mocha, but it took a lot of convincing! I brought my TGM plans along with me to review while I slowly woke up. I wanted us to leave by 8am for the T&TC monorail to Epcot. I really wanted to beat the Soarin’ crowd, and I knew that we
needed to arrive early. We also needed to get our double stroller rental for the week, so that would take some extra time.

When I returned to the room, everyone was still asleep! At 7am, I finally started coaxing Michael and Emma awake. I knew to stay away from grouchy bear Julia. She is not a morning person – actually neither am I – unless we are at Disney! I got the girls some milk, Cheerios, and Nutrigrain bars – thank goodness for the Garden Grocer delivery – that really saved us time in the mornings! The girls were excited to see that Tinker Bell had left them Princess necklaces this morning. (Mommy picked them up at Target months ago!) Julia got a pink Belle necklace and Emma got a blue Cinderella. I also had the girls wear rubber safety bracelets that had Michael’s cell phone # inscribed on them, just in case they were to get lost. Julia wore hers on her wrist and we had Emma wear hers on her ankle. Luckily, we never needed to use them, but they gave me peace of mind. I got the idea from a thread on TGM, so thanks to whoever started that!

Unfortunately, we got a bit of a late start, and by the time we left the room it was about 8:15. We must have just missed a monorail train because we waited for quite some time. When we finally got to Epcot, it was already after 9am. This was going to be an important day, as I put my TGM research and planning into action. Michael was not too pleased about how strict my plans were and told me in no uncertain terms that he did not like feeling so controlled. I became uptight and stressed out, and the morning did not go well. I knew that this would happen, and he had promised me he would listen to me, but when it was time to actually follow the plan, he became very testy.

Here are the girls headed to the monorail. Emma is wearing a princess top/dress that I bought as a custom resale on my Gymboree board. Cute, huh? Oh, and I was a smart girl – we bought those mouse ears on our last trip. I packed them so we wouldn’t have to buy any new ones!
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So, with me grousing about the late arrival, and Michael getting more and more annoyed with me, we headed over to the stroller rental area. I purchased a 6 day length of stay rental – to the tune of over $160. YIKES! We could have rented a car for that price! But it was worth it to have a place for both girls to sit, esp when it got really hot. Unfortunately, the stroller had an annoying squeaky wheel, so we turned around and replaced it with another one, wasting even MORE time.

By now, it was close to 9:20, but we headed over to Soarin’. I ran over to get four Fast Passes, and we got into the Standby line. I was told it was a 20 minute wait, but it seemed a lot longer than that. Plus, we realized that Emma was not going to be allowed to ride as she is not quite 40 inches. So we had to split up, which was NOT fun. Julia and I waited for Soarin’ while Michael to Emma to Living With the Land. (I have no idea what they thought of this ride, BTW. I’ll ask them and report back.) As we stood in line, I decided that we were wasting time in the standby queue and we should probably just cut our losses and use our FPs later. However, when I tried to call Michael to tell him of the change of plans, my cell phone was on digital roam and would not allow me to make a call! So, we toughed it out and waited. When we finally got to the ride, it was so much fun! This was our favorite ride on the last trip, and it did not disappoint. When we got off the ride, I tried to find Michael and Emma, but they were not where we thought they would be. And my phone was still on digital roam. ARGH. I found a pay phone, and tried to make a collect call to him (I had no change!) when suddenly my cell phone started ringing. Then I looked up and saw them across the room, near the entrance to Soarin’. They had been waiting for a bit, but we finally reconnected.

I think it was about 10am at this point. We decided to head over to The Seas to ride Nemo. On the way, Michael insisted on a Photo Pass shot near the entrance. I got annoyed as it was taking up time, but he insisted. (The shots came out terribly too – there was too much sun and we were all squinting!) We went into Nemo and walked right on. The girls both liked this ride.

Emma and Michael on Nemo
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Then we thought we’d catch the 10:20 Turtle Talk with Crush. Julia, for some reason, had no interest in seeing it and started to throw a little hissy fit. Nice… So DH said that Emma and I could stay for Crush, while he and Julia used two of our Soarin’ Fast Passes. HOWEVER, Emma decided that now would be a perfect time to throw one of her famous “I WANT DADDY!” tantrums. She is a total Daddy’s girl, and definitely prefers being with him to me these days. I know it’s just a phase, and she is only three, but this kid has quite a temper and is very stubborn. So here I am with a screaming three year old, while Michael and Julia just sneak off. Lovely. She finally calmed down when I gave her some Goldfish. I am not ashamed to admit that I am not above food bribes, people.

It was at that moment that I realized that I had left some things in the first stroller we had procured that morning. Remember, we had to make a swap for a squeaky wheel. I had picked up several maps and Times Guides, along with a Food and Wine Festival brochure. All gone. Another thing that was missing was my length of stay stroller rental coupon sheet. Yup, that was still in the first stroller as well. Along with the receipt for said stroller. ARGH. This was not turning out to be a good day at all for me. I tried not to agonize over it, and hoped that we could straighten it all out once we were done with our day.

Meanwhile, Emma ate her Fish while she looked at the fish in the aquarium – haha – and then we were able to enter the Crush theatre. Emma sat up front with the kids while I sat on a bench a few rows behind her. I realized that she still had some contraband Goldfish, but there was no way I was going to take them away from her! At one point in the show, she got up and handed her empty Ziploc bag to the girl running the show since she was finished. (blush!) Then she went back to her seat and seemed to enjoy the rest of the show.

When we got out of Crush, I tried to have Emma look at more of the aquarium, but she went back to DADDY mode and began carrying on again. This lasted a few minutes, and I finally just took her outside. She liked looking at the “Mine, mine” seagulls and then, mercifully, I saw Michael and Julia heading our way. We decided to have lunch at Sunshine Seasons, so back we went to The Land. Lunch took a little while, as I had to speak to a chef about Julia’s peanut allergy. The rolls and desserts here were not safe, and it was also awkward to navigate the meal plan credits at a counter service restaurant. I wish they would just have a list of what is and what isn’t included on the meal plan. It was VERY confusing. I finally got Julia a cheese sandwich on normal bread, along with some applesauce and special Divvies nut safe chocolate chip cookies. I love this brand, and I love that Disney carries it. They are pretty good too. I got Emma a regular kids lunch, but she pretty much refused to eat any of it, save for a roll and some cheese. At least I had the foresight to ask for TWO Divvies cookies – she liked that…. Rolleyes. Emma got her milk and Julia got her apple juice, and all was right with the world.

We finally got through lunch and decided to visit the Character Connection. The last time we were here, the characters faced the inside of the building, and I suspect that no one knew that they were even in there. Now, they face the outside so that people walking by can see them through the windows. There was a pretty long wait. The very nice CM handling the line said that Michael could wait, while I took the girls to Mouse Gears. We had some fun selecting more wish list items – see here.

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Yes, that’s a Princess Leia Polly Pocket. Julia HAD to have it. Yes, we bought it. Yes, I wish we hadn’t. I HATE Polly Pockets and all of their small pieces and difficult to dress dolls. ARGH.

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Emma needed a Tink Polly Pocket. See above.

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I did get this Jasmine costume for Julia’s American Girl doll. She won’t set it til December 25th though. ;)

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This is one of those reversible dolls. One side is Belle and the other side is Cinderella. It’s actually very cute. We ended up getting a similar one later in the trip that is part Briar Rose, part Aurora and all Sleeping Beauty. Times two, of course. They both HAD to have one. And Michael is such a sap, that he gave in! Yes, he’s a good daddy. ;)

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I believe she came home with us later as well.

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This we didn’t get, but it IS cute.

Michael called my cell phone, which was working fine now, to let us know that he was getting near the front of the line. (I guess my phone went to digital roam inside the Land Pavilion, but it was fine outside of there. That was lucky, as we would need to use our phones many more times!) I took the girls back to the Character Connection, and we met the same characters we had seen the night before at Chef Mickey’s! (Gwash – was that really necessary?!) But the girls enjoyed themselves, and we had fun interacting with the characters. I have some better shots on my Photopass, but I don’t have the cd yet. I’ll add them here once I have it.

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When we were done, we saw Chip and Dale outside, so we got in line to see them as well.
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Then we rode on Figment, which was cute, but I think it surprised/scared Emma a bit. It was getting HOT, but Julia really wanted to do the ride “inside the ball,” so I took her on Spaceship Earth, while Michael strolled around with Emma. I can’t recall why we didn’t all do this ride – maybe we thought she’d be scared of the dark? But Julia really enjoyed it, for some strange reason! We were going to ride Mission Space, but somehow that didn’t happen. Michael said he’d skip Test Track for the time being. It was about 2pm, so we decided to leave for a break. Little did we know that that would be it for our Epcot day. (Like my foreshadowing? Powerful stuff, eh?!)

On the way out, we had to deal with the missing stroller rental coupons. Luckily, I had paid using my room key, so they were able to look up the transaction and reprocess it. For some reason, that took FOREVER. We were all hot and tired, and Michael was fuming. He was so annoyed with me for misplacing the coupons. WHATEVER. It was an honest mistake and he didn’t have to be so angry. I know it was just exhaustion and heat, but I was annoyed right back.

That finally dealt with, we took the monorail back to the T&TC and walked back to the Poly. We tried to get the girls to nap, but it just didn’t happen. Michael really needed to sleep and was getting more and more annoyed with the girls, so I finally scooped them up and took them over to Captain Cooks for an afternoon snack. I was in search of DOLE WHIPS! I had heard so many raves on the DisBoards that I had to try one for myself. When we located them, I got two twisty ones for Julia and me, and a Mickey bar for Emma. I wanted to get Julia a Mickey bar too, but the manager didn’t recommend it with her peanut allergy. (I thought I had read that they were safe now, but I certainly didn’t want to test that!) We all enjoyed our ice cream very much, as you can see.
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Once we finished our treats, we were going to go back to room to change into our swimsuits, but it started to rain pretty heavily. Of course, the ponchos were back in the room. We bought a $10 umbrella in the gift shop (not too unreasonably priced) and tried to keep all three of us dry as we walked back to the room. Michael was awake at this point, and in a much better mood. He apologized for his earlier testiness, thank goodness, blaming it on the heat. I forgave him and we moved on.
We were supposed to head back to Epcot for a 6pm ADR at Coral Reef. But with the rain and our exhaustion, we decided to skip it. I called the reservation number and was thrilled to get a 6:20 at Kona Café, right at the Poly. I had wanted to eat here anyway, so this worked out perfectly.

We headed back over to the Great Ceremonial House – with ponchos this time – and up to Kona. Dinner was REALLY GOOD. I had the Pomegranate BBQ Pork Chop and Michael had the Pan-Asian Noodles. The girls had their usual – hamburger and hot dog. Oh, the bread here was also YUM, but Julia couldn’t have any. Julia got the fairy punch with the glowing Tinker Bell and I got a Blue "Glow-Tini", just for fun. I don’t know what Michael got, but it was sweeter than my blue glowy thing, so we swapped.
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Not sure why I took pictures of the drinks, but there you go.

I SHOULD have taken picts of the desserts. Which were AMAZING. I had the chocolate Kilauea Torte, which was mmm-mmmm good, and Michael had the Banana-chocolate Creme Brulee. The girls had ice cream. The service was a little slow, so Michael ran over to the gift shop and purchased Princess coloring books and sticker books for the girls to keep them occupied.

When dinner was over, the rain had stopped, so we made it back to the room and got the girls to bed. This time, I had Julia and Michael had Emma, and we all slept much better.

Next up- we finally hit the Magic Kingdom!
Will we make it to rope drop? Will Michael kill the touring plans? Will we see some princesses already? And please, oh, please, do a “no rain dance” for us– we have Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party tickets for this evening!

julezdisney

10-14-2008, 01:28 PM

Wow Colleen! I can't believe you started your TR already!! :lmao:

It'll be days before I start mine, you're putting me to shame! What a good little DIS-er you are.... ;)

billysmommy

10-15-2008, 12:24 PM

I was looking through TR's and started reading yours and when I got to the pictures said "Hey I know them" :)

It looks like you guys had a wonderful time so far ~can't wait to read about the rest of your trip

The custom outfits for the girls are gorgeous!!!!

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

10-15-2008, 03:26 PM

Hey Lori! I actually know you! :lmao:

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

10-15-2008, 03:27 PM

Day 3: Tuesday, October 7th
MK morning—Green

We awoke refreshed and ready to finally get to the Magic Kingdom and meet us some princesses. After all, that’s why we came here in the first place! I got us all up and out the door in a timely fashion, and we were at the T&TC express MK monorail well before 8:15. So far, so good! We arrived before the opening show had even begun, and I nudged the family over towards the right so that we could get our stroller more quickly. Michael wanted to be in the middle so the girls could watch the welcoming show, but I reminded him that we had to make a run for Fantasyland and this little move would set us back. He acquiesced, and we could still see the show from our diagonal location.

Here is Emma on her favorite perch, watching the opening festivities.
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Tinker Bell had left some charm necklaces for the girls this morning. Each necklace came with a bling Minnie head and space to add more charms. Tink also left a Sleeping Beauty charm for Emma and an Ariel charm for Julia. Daddy indicated that the girls would be able to add to their collection each day. They seemed to like their necklaces. (Tink decided to get necklaces and not bracelets for obvious reasons!)

Halloween decorations
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Our first view of the castle! This always makes me tear up. The girls were SO excited to see Cinderella’s Castle for the first time.
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We would be returning to the MK several times during this trip, so we did not make a
bee line for Dumbo on this morning. Instead, our hit list included meeting Ariel in her grotto, taking in Toontown, and getting Julia onto some fast rides. I had read online that although Toontown officially opens at 10am, it often opens at 9:45, so we had definite plans to be in that area early. I had also read that Ariel sometimes opens her grotto early as well, and this was an absolute must for us. The grotto had been closed during our January 1007 trip, so we simply HAD to see Ariel time. So we made a beeline for the grotto and were surprised to see that Ariel was already receiving visitors! I knew that this could be a very long wait, so I was thrilled that we only had to wait for 5 other little princesses before it was our turn. The girls were SO EXCITED to meet the first princess of our trip.

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That precious autograph and image in hand, we were free to take in a few rides before heading over to Toontown. So, I took the girls on It’s a Small World, while Michael made some comment about getting Fast Passes for himself and Julia on Splash Mt. I think he really didn’t want to go on IASW! I, however, adore this ride, and Emma especially loved it. When we emerged, Michael was nowhere in sight so we hopped some horses on Cinderella’s Carousel. Julia seemed bored, but Emma was beyond happy.
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We finally reconnected with Michael who said that they were not actually handing out Fast Passes for Splash or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. This was a good thing, really. I was glad to be in a green park that morning!

It was close to 9:45, so we made our way over to Toontown. Michael started complaining that we were waaay too early, when we noticed that the gate was already open. In fact, we missed the opening as I did not see any characters near the rope. No problem. We went over to Toontown Hall of Fame. I was a bit disappointed to see that only one of the three rooms was open. We knew that Tinker Bell and the Fairies were going to start meeting guests later in the month, but I had heard a rumor that they might be out already. This would have been amazing for the girls. They LOVE Tink and the Fairies. Julia had been reading the Tink books, we have all of the original dolls, and we have been waiting for the Tink movie to come out for almost 2 years now. I have to take a minute to rant over the elimination of the original fairies like Prilla and Rani in favor of these new ones, Silvermist, Fawn, etc. We have become invested in Prilla and Rani and Fira, and now they have all but disappeared. I, for one, am pretty annoyed. Okay, rant over. You know we’ll be first in line for the new Tinker Bell dvd when it debuts on October 28th! At any rate, there were no fairies to be seen.

So, as I mentioned, there was just the one room open, but we were happy to see that it was the PRINCESS ROOM! And we were in the very first group of people admitted to see them! Again, thanks to my online sources for the tip to arrive 15 minutes early. I find standing in line to meet characters to be a total time suck, so I felt very good about getting in so quickly. When we got into the room, we were given an audience with Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Belle. The girls were beside themselves! Although all of the Princesses were lovely and sweet, Belle was especially kind and gentle, especially with Emma. Julia enjoyed her interactions with all three of the Princesses, and spent some time talking to Aurora about the Sleeping Beauty DVD, which she knew had just been released that very day. Savvy kid, no?!

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Belle encouraged the girls to hold out their skirts as if they were making a curtsey. CUTE!

And these pictures show how truly sweet Belle was
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We didn’t bother waiting for Mickey and Minnie since we had already seen them at both Chef Mickey’s and the Character Connection in Epcot the day before. So, it was 10am, and we were done meeting characters! SCORE! At this point, Michael and Julia tried to slip away to do the Frontierland rides that we knew Emma would be too small for. I expected another tantrum from Daddy-lovin’ Emma, but thank goodness, she was assuaged with a trip to Minnie’s house. She loved it, especially the popcorn in the microwave.
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When we were through with our house tour, I attempted to take her on Goofy’s Barnstormer, which was basically a walk-on. We got up to the front of the line, where she proceeded to freak out. I certainly did not want to traumatize my daughter, so we backed out and walked back through the queue. I think I tried to secure some milk for her at this point, but I couldn’t locate any. She only likes milk – no water, no juice - which can be a problem at times. I got her back into the stroller and walked towards Pooh’s Playful Spot. I thought she’d enjoy the playground, but she was only interested for a few minutes.
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As we left, I saw that Pooh and Tigger were just leaving a character greet. I tried to steer Emma in the other direction so she wouldn’t see, but I was not quick enough. Luckily, she was content to wave and say hi to them, and I was grateful that they responded to her.

I believe we rode the carousel one or two more times before we found Julia and Michael again @ 10:30 or 10:40. They had been able to walk on to both Splash and BTMRR. They sat towards the back of their Splash canoe and only got a little wet. Julia indicated that she actually preferred BTMRR, and said that she was going to make me ride it next. Um, no thanks. That’s why Daddy took you in the first place, and not me! I do *not* do roller coasters! Now that we were all together, we were able to get into my most favoritest ride ever – Peter Pan! We had a 10 minute wait, which was fine. (We ended up going on this ride 4-5 more times, and this was the longest wait we had during the whole trip.) I just love the ride and the music and everything about Peter Pan! We made sure to wave and say “Bye, Nana!” and we all noticed “Ariel” in the mermaid lagoon. We had a great time and we promised the girls that we would ride again soon. After that, we took in Mickey’s Philharmagic, which was just beginning a new show. I think Emma was a little skeered, but she did OK. Julia and Michael loved it. I enjoyed it too, but I am not able get the full effect of the 3-D. I have strabismus (or a lazy eye) and I basically only see out of my right eye. My eyes simply don’t work together, and there is no way that I can view the 3-D features. It’s always been this way, and it’s normal for me, so no biggie.

The girls were starting to get crabby and Emma still hadn’t had her milk, so I suggested that we eat lunch, even though it was only 11:30. Michael thought I was nuts, but I warned him that the lines would get “zoo-ey” as we approached 12:00. He reluctantly agreed, and we went to Pinnochio Haus since it was right there. We had a minimal wait and ordered pizza and hamburgers with fries. How healthy! This was another counter service place where I was confused by what was and what was not included in the meal plan. I wish they would just have an itemized list of what your credits could be used for. Oh well. The girls picked at their kids’ cheese pizza, and I think they ended up with the burgers while WE ate the pizza.

At this point, we decided to headgo back to the Poly for some R&R before our big night. We were going to attend Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, and I was determined to get my family to nap so we could enjoy a late evening. As we left Fantasyland, we saw this lady, just standing behind the castle all alone. So of course, we had to stop to say hello! As we did so, a line began to form. Yay, us, for having sharp eyes!
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As we headed out, we paused to look in the shops. The girls each chose a charm for their necklaces – Alice for Emma and Minnie for Julia. And I surreptitiously added the newly released “Sleeping Beauty” DVD for Wednesday’s Tink Treasure. Julia popped her head over just as I was making my purchase, but luckily, we were not caught!
We took the ferry back to the Poly. It was a nice relaxing boat ride, and we all enjoyed it. We did have to stop at the Grand Floridian on the way, but that was fine. It was about 1:30 when we got back to the room. The girls were hot and tired, but resisting sleep. I was INSISTENT that we all nap though. And eventually, everyone did get to sleep. Thank goodness! My initial plan was to leave for the party at MK @ 4-4:30 and eat dinner in the parks, possibly at Pecos Bill’s, which seemed to have a wide selection of menu offerings. (Although your MNSSHP ticket says the party starts at 7, you can actually enter the park with your ticket starting at 4pm. Another little tidbit I learned online.) However, at 4pm, the girls and Michael were still asleep, so I decided that we would eat at Captain Cooks instead and leave a little later. It was then that I realized it was raining. HARD.

Up next- MNSSHP:
Rain, rain, go away!
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party - or is it? (Scary, that is?)
Will we have to wear ponchos with our costumes?
Will we turn into pumpkins if we stay up too late?

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

10-15-2008, 04:01 PM

Ooooh Oooh!

I interrupt this trip report with some news. We ordered the big Castle playset which we plan to give to the girls for Christmas. It just arrived!! :thumbsup2 Is it bad that I want to open it up and play with it myself now? :lmao: ;)

julezdisney

10-15-2008, 10:36 PM

Open it! Play! They'll never know!

Boy, youre blazing through this report..... but I like it so keep it coming!

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

10-16-2008, 07:22 AM

Open it! Play! They'll never know!

Boy, youre blazing through this report..... but I like it so keep it coming!

I didn't get to play. I ended up having to sit outside the 3 year old's room all night. She's having trouble sleeping, and I refuse to bring her into our bed. Yeah, it was a lonnnng night.

I have to get this thing take care of now, while it's still fresh in my mind If I wati too long, it will never get done!

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

10-16-2008, 11:40 AM

Day 3: Tuesday, October 7th continued

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party evening

We left off with everyone sleeping and the rain coming down. I forgot to mention that Michael had purchased internet service in the room. After my brief nap, I logged on to check my email and also to check out (what else?) TGM and the DisBoards, where I clarified a few things and made a brief check in post. By now, it was 4:45 - Michael and Julia started to awaken, but Emma was still out. This was good though – she’s the one with the temper! I decided to run over to Captain Cooks (in the rain) and bring dinner back to the room so Emma could sleep a bit longer. I picked up burgers and grilled cheese, along with some Dole Whips! YUM. Getting it all back with an umbrella was a bit of a challenge, but I made it work. ;) It took a fair bit of time, and when we started eating, it was already @ 5:30. Dinner was surprisingly good for “fast food,” and we all loved our dessert. Julia noticed it first – the rain had stopped. WOOOOOT! We got the girls into their costumes, and made our way to the ferry boat.
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There was one other family heading to the party on the boat. They had a Tinker Bell and a Pirate who were both adorable.

Before we left, the girls received an extra treasure from Tinker Bell: light up spinny Sleeping Beauties for the parade/fireworks. These little beauties have the lights on pink satin skirts that twirl around when you spin them. Ca-yute!

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Entrance and decorations
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It was later than I had wanted to arrive, about 6:30 rather than 4:30, but Michael and I were grateful that the girls had taken nice long naps (especially the Emma) and that the rain had stopped. We noticed that it was not all that crowded on Main Street, likely due to the rain and the fact that non-party goers would soon have to exit the park. As we approached the castle, we realized that the Dream Along With Mickey show was just starting, so we stopped for the girls to see it. They’d been asking about it all morning! They both enjoyed themselves.

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I noticed another little girl wearing the exact same costume as Emma (from Costume Express.) I spoke to her mom and asked if hers had been backordered too. It had! We both laughed about that. When the show was over, it was definitely time to clear the park of non-party ticket holders. Julia kept asking about riding the Haunted Mansion, but we told her we’d do it later on.

Michael insisted that we had to trick or treat (much to my chagrin), so we headed to Alice’s TOT party on the red path between Toontown and Tomorrowland, expecting to actually SEE Alice. Well, THAT was a major time suck. Plus, Julia couldn’t actually eat most of the candy that was being handed out by the Playing Cards (due to her peanut allergy). And no Alice. : (

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Since we were now in Tomorrowland, we decided to ride Buzz. It was a walk-on. We all had fun, except for Emma. Too dark, too loud. Poor girl. After the ride, we were able to meet Buzz himself. The girls enjoyed that!
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At that point, I felt that we were really wasting our expensive party tickets. I suggested we head to Fantasyland for some rides, but Michael kept insisting that we got TOT-ing and look for characters. I was done fighting him with the tour plans, so I gave in and let him take the lead. We went back to Toontown to see what was happening in the Hall of Fame. We saw the Queen of Hearts right inside the door! Emma was scared of her, but Julia is all about the villains these days, so she was game for an autograph and a pict.
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Again, only one room was open, but we were told that the Princesses were there WITH THEIR PRINCES, so we hopped back in that line to see the same princesses we had seen earlier in the day. YUP. But we were excited to see the princes. This time, we stood there for quite awhile. I then realized that Alice characters were in the front section, so I pulled the girls out of the line to meet them while Michael waited for the princesses for us. I KNOW. This was probably not such a good move on my part, but I hated to just stand there wasting our precious party time! We were able to meet the Mad Hatter, who was very funny. Emma even invited him to a tea party! Then we saw the White Rabbit and Mr Walrus.
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We almost saw Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee, but they had to leave. Still no Alice though. So we rejoined Michael in the princess line which hadn’t made much headway. A few minutes later, poked my head back and saw a vision of blue. We were getting closer to the entrance, but I hightailed it outta the line with the girls to FINALLY meet Alice. She was very sweet and taught the girls how to curtsy.
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continued....

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

10-16-2008, 11:41 AM

continued

That done, we went back to Michael, who said that he had had to let a few people go in ahead of us since we weren’t back yet. Luckily, no one seemed to mind. We were soon ushered into the Princess Room, where we met with Aurora and Prince Philip and Cinderella and Prince Charming. The princesses remembered the girls from earlier in the day, and commented on their costumes. The Princes were both very sweet. I loved how they got down on their knees to talk to Emma, who being such a daddy’s girl, was clearly in awe of them! Prince Charming even held her chin in his hand to talk to her – so sweet and gentle. AWWWWW.
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It was now 8:30, so clearly we had committed to staying through for the second parade, since the first one had already begun at 8:15. Michael thought it would be fun to meet Mickey and Minnie in their Halloween costumes, so off we went to the Judge’s Tent. You guessed it. We were not unique in our plan. I was cursing myself for not doing this right at 7 (when we were getting peanut-laced candy from a deck of playing cards…) But I digress…. So we waited and WAITED to see the Mice (Mouses?!) Time was creeping along, and I was NOT going to miss the 9:30 fireworks show. I told Michael that if we did not get in before 9:15, we’d have to pull out of the line. Wouldn’t you know it – at 9:15, we were finally granted access to the elusive room. Of course, there were still others in front of us, but it didn’t take THAT long to meet Mickey and Minnie. And they sure were cute in their costumes. The girls loved it, and we even got a full family picture.
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It was now getting dangerously close to 9:30, and we all had to go potty! But we made a mad dash towards the castle and ended up on the Tomorrowland bridge with what ended up being a great view of the fireworks. THANK GOODNESS. Daddy got out the light up spinning Sleeping Beauties, which the girls enjoyed. And I also had some glow necklaces for all of us to wear. We knew from the 4th of July that Emma would be fearful of the fireworks, so we had brought along a set of headphones to help drown out the booms. We had her put them on, and they did seem to help. She was enraptured with the pretty lights, as were we all! I have never seen such a display of colors before! The fireworks were absolutely stunning. No picts – they didn’t really come out all that well!
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The fireworks came to a close, and Julia really wanted to go to the front of the castle for the Villains Mix and Mingle. She was so excited about the villains for some reason! So we parked the stroller right up front just in time for the 9:45 show. It also seemed like a decent spot to camp out for the 10:30 parade. As the Villain show began, we realized that it was very dark and loud and terrifying for poor Emma. So Michael took her for a stroll, losing our great parade spot. Julia and I tried to enjoy the show and not worry about that. It was just a brief show, and afterwards, the villains lined up in the courtyard to take pictures. There was a rope in front of them, and they did not sign, but they tried to get in as many photo ops as possible. We were lucky enough to get some great shots with several of the baddies! I was surprised that Julia had no fear at all. Except for Jafar – we skipped him!

The Quicked Ween, I mean Wicked Queen, from Snow White
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Malificent from Sleeping Beauty
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Captain Hook, who tried to abscond with Julia!
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And Cruella De Ville, with whom we got the VERY LAST PICTURE. Julia was excited about meeting her since we had just seen 101 Dalmations for the first time over the summer.
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During all of this mayhem, I realized that I had no idea where Michael and Emma were. Thank goodness, I happened to see them in almost the same spot we had secured earlier. Emma was doing better now – Daddy got her a snack and a drink, so she was happy. We were ready for the 10:30 parade, which started approaching after a not – too – long wait. We saw the Headless Horseman, and Emma was not thrilled. The parade began with a few princesses and some familiar faces, followed by a bunch of ghoulish characters. These didn’t turn out all that well – sorry!

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As the Haunted Mansion characters came by, I realized that both Julia and Emma were not looking too good. They were really quite SCARY. Julia looked at me and said, “I thought this was a NOT so scary Halloween party.” I agreed that maybe they got that part wrong. To make matters worse, the grave diggers came by with their shovels that they dragged on the ground, making sparks. This sent Emma over the edge. The shovels were LOUD and the sparks were really too much. Michael held her and turned her away from the parade. She calmed down a bit, and was happy to see the Pooh characters come by. I was a bit disappointed that the Princesses weren’t more involved, though I understand that Halloween is the villains’ turn to shine. I also missed the pretty lights of the Spectro parade. Because there were so many Halloween parties this week (4 while we were there) and we did not get Park Hoppers, we were not able to see Spectro and Wishes on this trip. I really did miss them! We did, however, enjoy the theme song for the parade, and we are still singing, “Boo! Happy Halloween!” to each other. Hence, the name of this trip report.

Once the parade was over, Michael told me to follow him, and he quickly got the stroller back over to Fantasyland. He said he had a surprise. There, behind the Teacups, on the way to Pooh’s Playful Spot was a sight that one rarely sees at WDW. Snow White and all SEVEN DWARFS. They were posing for pictures, but not signing autographs. Michael said that he had heard they would be there while he had been comforting Emma earlier. We were so excited to see them! That was a special occurrence indeed! The line was pretty long, so Michael stood in line while I took the girls on the Pooh ride – walk on. They liked it, but I think Emma was a little scared – again, dark and noisy with the thunder. We made our way back to Michael who was still waiting for Snow White. The line moved pretty quickly, and we soon got our once in a lifetime photo op, which I shared earlier, but will also post here now.
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It was now 11:30, and the girls were clearly exhausted. We all were. It had been a verrrry long day. Julia decided that she was a bit too scared to do the Haunted Mansion at night after seeing the parade, so we agreed that she could do it later in the week when we visited MK again. The one thing that we didn’t get to see was Cinderella’s pumpkin coach. I forgot to ask about it earlier, and it was now too late for us to seek it out. I am still disappointed about that!

So we headed out, and once again took the ferry back to the Poly. Both girls stayed awake for the whole ride, but they were running on fumes. We got them to bed very easily that night. I think we made it back to the room just before midnight, so we avoided being turned into pumpkins with just minutes to spare!

We had a good night, but I fear that we wasted too much time on the characters. We only went on TWO rides! They were both walk-ons, but geesh. For the kind of money we spent to be here that night, we should have taken advantage of getting on to rides with no wait. But I know that meeting the characters, especially the villains for Julia, was a highlight for the girls, and they were happy, so that’s all that matters. And the fireworks were AMAZING, a definite highlight of the trip. However, we could have definitely done without the scary parade. It was really too much for a little one. I’m still torn over whether I would do this event again or not. Time will tell, if we ever get the opportunity to do something like this again.

Coming up next: An afternoon in the World Showcase
• Would we ever wake up the next day?
• Will we die of heat exhaustion?
• Should we rename this the “food and whine” festival?
• What does "traditional Norwegian fare" mean exactly?

29apr00

10-17-2008, 03:22 PM

And my favorite picture from the whole trip!
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/untitled7.jpg

:goodvibes

Oh my that picture is too precious!! I love it!!

Off to catch up!!

AWilliams

10-20-2008, 12:01 PM

Hi Colleen!

Great report so far! I love all the pictures and it sounds like you guys had a blast. I can't wait to read the rest!!

Amy

29apr00

10-20-2008, 01:25 PM

What a great trip so far!! Love all the pictures, and your pic with Snow White and all 7 dwarves!! WOW Great find dad!!:thumbsup2

Sorry the parade was a bit scary for Emma. I was thinking the same thing looking at someone elses pictures, seemed to have crossed over to the "Scary" halloween part.

I completely understand your frustration on Dh's not following the plan!! My dh physically ripped it out of my hand and threw it away after about 2 hrs in Epcot. :rotfl: He refused to be on a schedule like that. Thus we missed lots of stuff, but everyone had fun so i guess that's what counts.

Can't wait to follow along!

HeatherSue

10-21-2008, 12:25 PM

Hi! I made it over to your TR after you used my TR as advertising! :lmao: Great TR so far!

The girls look so cute!

I've never seen Prince Phillip or Malificent (sp?) in the parks- how cool!

I've only stayed at POP, but I'd love to try out one of the fancier resorts one of these days.

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

10-27-2008, 09:10 PM

Day 4: Wednesday, October 8th Epcot World Showcase day

First of all, I would like to apologize for getting those first few days out so fast, and then making you wait for over a week for this update. I am embarrassed to admit that I have been sucked into Twilight FanFiction stories, and I have been spending all of my free time reading them. They aren’t even that great, and some of them are out and out smut. My poor little eyes! But for some reason, I have been having a hard time tearing myself away….

ANYWAY, I promised myself that I would do get in a few installments over the course of this week. The longer I put this off, the more details I am apt to forget! I’m not getting any younger, dear readers, and my eyesight is even starting to go.
So, without further ado….back to the trippie!

We last left off with us getting to bed around midnight after a very long, but fun day. I had scheduled the next day to be a sleep in morning. I hate to waste precious rope drop time, so I planned this day to be an Epcot World Showcase day. Since the WS does not open until 11am, this worked out beautifully giving us plenty of extra time for much needed sleep. I took a chance and reserved the Princess Storybook Lunch at Askerhaus in Norway. The last time we were at WDW, we did this as a breakfast, which we really enjoyed. This time, I booked lunch so we wouldn’t have to get up so early, knowing that lunch would be traditional Norwegian fare. Not generally in our top 10 list, but we’d give it a shot. Let’s see what happens….

I wanted everyone to be up and ready to leave by about 10:20 so we could catch the Epcot monorail and arrive at the WS for its 11am opening. My darn internal alarm clock had me up by 6am! With under 6 hours of sleep, I tried really hard to close my eyes and catch some more zzzz’s, but I just couldn’t do it. So, I got up and took a leisurely shower, played on the internet, went over to Captain Cook’s, and looked over our itinerary while the rest of my family slept. When I left the room, I was overtaken by tropical steam. My reading glasses fogged up immediately. The air was heavy and thick, and I was drenched after being outside for just a minute – not by rain, by humidity. It was going to be a fun day, I could tell!

Eventually, we coaxed the girls to wake up. They were excited to see that Tink have left behind the new “Sleeping Beauty” DVD. Today, they wore the princess twirl dresses that my mom had made for them, especially for this trip. Julia’s dress had an Ariel print, and Emma’s had a pink princess print. I found iron on patches at JoAnn’s that I added on the bodices for the crowning touch. The girls really looked darling.

We finally made it over to the T&TC monorail so we could board the express Epcot train @ 10:30 or so. I recall there being a fairly long line and wait to get on, but we finally got on the train. Once we arrived and procured our stroller, it was already after 11. We just had to get to lunch in Norway by noon, so we decided to look at Mexico and Norway and then have lunch. On the way, we stopped for a PP picture with the Epcot ball. I don’t have these yet, but I’ll add them when I get my CD. The girls were already complaining of the heat. We plied them with water, and we indulged in a $17 water mister fan thing. (Of course, I have several cheap ones here at home, which I did not bring along. What’s another $17 when you’re hot and sticky, right?!) I was glad we bought it though. We definitely made good use of it!

We went over to Mexico and met Mexican Donald. The girls really enjoyed meeting him!
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/disney2008/IMG_5442.jpg

Then we went into fabulously air conditioned Mexican Pavilion. The girls had fun trying on silly hats and looking at the stalls.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/disney2008/IMG_5443.jpg

I thought it would be fun to do the Mexican ride. On our last trip, this ride had been closed for refurbishment, so we had not been able to go on it. But I had been on it during a trip Michael and I took way back before we were even married in 1998, I think? I remembered it as being like It’s a Small World, and I thought the girls would enjoy it. For some reason, Emma freaked out and would not, could not go on the ride. That was too bad. Julia and I went on and had a great time. She even wanted to go again, but when we reconnected, Michael wanted to keep moving.

So we left our a/c bliss and trudged over to Norway. It was about 11:45, so we checked in for our 12:00 princess lunch. We decided to skip Maelstrom, but I brought the girls into the shop across from Askerhaus. We had fun looking at the trolls and the princess things. The girls liked the Viking swords too.
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Finally, we were called in to lunch. We were greeted by Belle, and we posed for a photo that was included with our meal (no extra charge.) The picture came out well, but it is not on PP. Here is one that we took. Belle liked the girls’ dresses, so they were happy.
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We got into the restaurant and met with the chef to discuss Julia’s peanut allergy. Here the rolls (and some of the desserts) WERE safe, so she was very happy. We started off with a deli platter, which I enjoyed. Jarslberg cheese is my favorite, so I was in heaven. It’s sort of like a nutty swiss, and I have always liked this kind of cheese.
I believe the girls ended up with pizza, naturally. Michael had Traditional Kjottkaker with a cauliflower, garlic, cheese infused mashed potato, and a red wine beet sauce. He said it was pretty good. I had Braised Pork Shank with Garlic mashed potatoes and red wine sauce. This I did not care for, but I was proud of myself for taking a chance on something new. I ended up getting more deli meat and cheese, and making myself a sandwich! For dessert, the girls were given bowls of ice cream (not on the menu, but recommended by the chef for Julia.) We were also given the following three samples on a platter to share.

Flourless Chocolate Cake – yum!
Sponge cake layered with raspberry jam topped with
vanilla pastry cream and white chocolate shavings

Traditional Rice Cream – no one cared for this
topped with Strawberry Sauce

School Bread – I have died and gone to heaven!
A Norwegian Specialty
Baked sweet dough filled with pastry cream
topped with toasted coconut

And Julia was able to sample this too. She REALLY liked it. I enjoyed the school bread so much that I made Michael go back to the bakery for more later in the day!
During lunch, we meet Jasmine, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella (who does not normally make appearances here) and Ariel in her wedding dress. While we were excited to see the latter two, we were disappointed that neither Snow White, nor Mulan was at lunch. We had had a wonderful interaction with Mulan on our last trip and we were hoping to see her again.

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Lunch was done by 1:15. Although we could have headed over to the adjacent China, I advised Michael to cut across and start over in Canada instead per my touring plans. Now, in retrospect, I’m not sure that this was really the best choice, but oh well. The WS was pretty busy, and we noticed a lot of older people without kids. This could definitely be attributed to the Food and Wine Festival. This event takes place in the fall, and includes new kiosks from all sorts of countries, as well as special classes and tastings. Michael was excited about a few of the booths and wanted to try some exotic drinks and food.

We approached Canada, and I wanted to find a cute shop that I remembered from our 1998 trip. Michael had bought me a gorgeous porcelain Anne of Green Gables doll there that I still adore. When we asked about the shop, we were told that it no longer existed. So that was sad. We moved on to the UK. I remembered meeting Mary Poppins and Pooh in the toy shop on our 2007 trip, so we headed there to find some characters. Mary was having a jolly holiday, but we were able to locate not only Pooh, but also Tigger and Eeyore in the back of the toy shop! Julia had her picture taken, but Emma got scared and refused to approach them. I’m not sure why this happened – maybe because all three were so big all together?
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We asked if anyone else was about, and we were told that Alice was outside. We found her in the gardens, While Michael and the girls waited in line, I went into the tea shop and bought some black currant tea. This stuff is amazing!
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We were getting DRENCHED with sweat, and it was only about 2pm by now. Since we slept in, we planned to tour the WS without break and have an early dinner, but it was clear that we would have to make a slight change in plans.

When we got to France, we looked for Belle and the Beast in the gardens. They were not there, but we did meet Marie the cat from the Aristocats. (I know, I didn’t know who she was either, But the girls didn’t seem to care. And Emma was clearly over her character fear from earlier.)
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/disney2008/IMG_5451.jpg

As we left that area, I asked Michael to get me a Grand Marnier slush. Ever since I saw Samantha Brown’s TV special, I wanted to try that! And it was all kinds of YUM – like a creamsicle. Michael got something too, but I have no idea what it was!
As he stood in line, I saw a flash of blue and told the girls to run with me. We found Belle in her town dress, without much of a line at all. She was really sweet with the girls, and spent a fair bit of time chatting with them. We reminded her that we had just seen her at lunch, and she replied that she had been hot in her ball gown so she changed into her town dress. ;)
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As we moved along, we saw The Genie in Morocco. We were told that he would be joined by Jasmine and Aladdin in half an hour, so we proceeded on. The girls doused their heads in this fountain. It was HOT!
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We moved on towards Japan. I wanted to have the girls see Miyuki the candy lady, but her next demonstration was not for over an hour, so we kept going. It was just too hot and crowded to really explore the different countries, and we were getting tired, cranky, and WHINY. Yup, the “Food and Whine” Festival was aptly named…. We just walked right through America, and I have to say, I would have liked to poke around a bit more. I think Michael ran back to get some saki in Japan while we did this. I can’t stand that stuff!

We just walked right through Italy without stopping at all (SAD) and in Germany we looked for Snow White. We were informed that she was needed at the MK, but Dopey was out meeting guests. Poor Dopey was standing right in the sun. He must have been sweltering! Michael suggested he move a bit more into the shade, and Dopey and his handlers were very happy to oblige.
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As we approached China, I was determined to find Mulan! We found Mushu, but no Mulan. We were told that she would be back soon. So, what did we do then? We backtracked ALL THE WAY to Morocco to find Jasmine and Aladdin with the Genie. Guess who was there? Only Genie. At this point, I wasn’t sure that the girls would last much longer, so we met Genie, and then headed back towards China.
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Mulan still wasn’t there, but she arrived while we were in line to see Mushu. Luckily, she was as sweet as we remembered, and she spent some quality time with the girls.
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Having acheived our goal of finding Mulan, we were clearly done for the day. It was not even 4pm, and my initial plan had been to nosh our way among the food stands for dinner, but that was just not to be. Michael really didn’t get to enjoy himself at the F&WF as we had hoped, but we agreed that it was time to get out of the heat. As we passed through Norway, Michael stopped in the bakery and bought some more school bread for me. AWWWWW. :)

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Enjoying school bread

Emma fell asleep on Michael as we monorailed back to our room. In fact, we had a hard time extricating the little spider monkey from him! When we got back to the room, I was just exhausted, but the girls had perked up a bit, Michael took them to the pool for a much needed swim, allowing me to nap for a bit. By the time I joined them, it was about 5:30. I took over watching the girls in the pool for a bit, while Michael picked up burgers and fries at Captain Cook’s, which we ate poolside. Oh and we also had more Dole Whips.  It started to drizzle just as we were finishing, so we made a mad dash back to the room.

We just hung out and let the girls watch a little television for a bit, while Michael took off on his own for a little quiet time. I won big points for getting both girls to fall asleep before 8pm! Michael said that I could go out to view the fireworks from the beach while he stayed with the girls – if it wasn’t raining. Though it was misting, I went out anyway, and I was able to see the Electric Water Parade in the harbor. It was so cool! The rain had stopped, so I wiped down a chaise to watch the Spectro Fireworks show from afar. I had a nice time chatting with a mom and two of her girls from NY. They had just arrived and the mom made sure that her daughters didn’t mention the fireworks to her other two daughters who were still in their room! There was a lot of low cloud cover, making the fireworks difficult to see, but it was still a lot of fun.
When I got back to the room, everyone was blissfully asleep. I crawled into my bed with Julia, and fell asleep pretty quickly myself.

Up next
Disney Studios
• Will we survive the Toy Story Mania Dash?
• What are they filming, and why can’t we go near the Sorcerer’s Hat?
• What does this "critical battery" message on the digital camera mean?
• Will that darn bus ever show up?

gattra

10-27-2008, 10:44 PM

Great Update! I'm really enjoying your TR! Keep up the good work!

HeatherSue

10-28-2008, 07:15 AM

As I was reading your trip report, I was thinking "Her girls sure look like my best friend's kids." Then, Tessa came up and said "Is that Ryen and Madison?" So, I guess I wasn't the only one who thought that! They are just so cute!!

I love Julia's poses in the pictures! Too sweet!!

29apr00

10-28-2008, 08:49 AM

Great update!! The dresses are too cute! Great character finds, but i'm sorry it was so hot. That really does make the day worse. Glad they were able to get to the pool and cool off! Yeah for relaxing down time for you and dad!

Goldeelox9

10-28-2008, 11:15 AM

Great Update! Although it was cut short it sounds like you had a great day!

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

10-28-2008, 12:14 PM

Thanks for your nice comments, everyone! :goodvibes I'm glad that you are enjoying this. I like to write down ALL of the details so we can remember it all in the future.

I was disappointed with this day, to be honest. I really wanted to explore the countries (and the shops!) and I hoped that the girls would be more interested in everything. But the heat and humidity really zapped us. And as you know, there is a lot of walking in the WS. The focus of the day was clearly on meeting characters, which the girls liked, but we could have done so much more. We also didn't get to experience the F&WF like we wanted to either. DH wanted to attend a free wine seminar, but he realized that would not be in our best interest! At least we weren't rained on! :thumbsup2

I am glad that we split up Epcot into 2 different days. We would have been miserable if we tried to tackle the whole place in one shot! ;)

Rebecuberduber

10-28-2008, 12:42 PM

Hi! I've been enjoying your trip report. I found it yesterday, so I've been playing catch up. I"m finally up to date. Can't wait for the next installment! We just got back last week, and also did MNSSHP. You're right, the ghosts in the parade were a little creepy. Our kids seemed to be used to creepiness by the time we did the party, though, and they were just fine, thankfully!! Everything in Disney seems to have that element of scariness and adventure somewhere. Except maybe Small World. Well, at least not in the same way. :rotfl: Great trip report! :thumbsup2

PrincessPaczki

10-31-2008, 08:58 AM

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

11-05-2008, 05:31 PM

:thumbsup2 Thank you for trip report and the beautiful pictures of your vacation. Your girls are adorable.:goodvibes I can't wait for the next post. Question, would you eat at the Norway restaurant again? I hear the breadfast is good. Thank you.:thumbsup2

Thanks for your sweet comments.

Yes, I would eat there again, but probably only breakfast. We did breakfast on our last trip and it was much better. The Princess interaction there was really good. I would try for a 10:20, or whenever the last breakfast seating is, to get to Soarin' right away.

I will try to update the DHS day later tonight. I have it all written up, just need to add picts. :goodvibes

Oh, and I finally submitted my Photopass CD order, so hopefully I can add those picts soon as well. There are some really cute ones there. :lovestruc

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

11-05-2008, 08:17 PM

Day 5: Thursday, October 9th
DHS/DTD

Tink left more charms for the girls, as well as a stuffed Leo and Quincy from the Little Einsteins for Emma (she has Annie and June at home already) and a Tinker Bell journal for Julia.

We awoke to another hot and sticky morning. This would be our first experience with the bus system on this trip, and it’s fair to say that we had been spoiled with the monorail thus far. I wanted to be at DHS early so we could strategize for Toy Story Mania. The girls wore some adorable outfits in honor of Disney Studios. Emma was dressed up just like Annie from the Little Einsteins, with a pink jumper, blue shirt, and her hair in pony tails – she even had butterfly pony tail holders. She was so excited!
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Julia wore a gorgeous custom Giselle set that I commissioned from my friend Sherri. She made a swing top and fancy capris using fabric from Enchanted sheets. The result was stunning. She even made a little kerchief for Julia to wear in her hair. Sherri totally outdid herself, bedazzling little jewels on the top. She even gave Giselle earrings and sparkly lipstick! I have to say that Julia looked incredible, and I can’t thank Sherri enough for this amazing gift. (On a side note – Julia adored this outfit and wanted to wear it to school once we got home. I had her wear a shirt underneath so she was warm enough. When she got home from school that day, she told me that the other kids teased her about being in her pajamas all day… I was so MAD. Julia looked adorable. I cannot believe that kids could be so mean. Now she refuses to wear this outfit, which she totally loves…. I hope she’ll reconsider and wear it again in the spring. But not to school. Never again to school. Darn fashion-challenged kids…)
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/disney2008/IMG_5469.jpg

We left the room shortly after 8am, thinking that we would have lots of time. The bus stop was very close to our room, near the Never Land Club. We sat down on some benches, and then Michael realized that he had left his watch and cell phone in the room. We told him to hurry, so he wouldn’t miss the bus. LOL. Let’s just say that he made it back with plenty of time to spare! Time kept on ticking, and no busses at all came by. One woman said that they had been waiting since 8am for a DTD bus. They had a 9am BBB appointment, and it was now getting to be 8:40, then 8:45. They were really getting frustrated. FINALLY, both a DTD and DHS bus arrived @ 8:47. Took long enough!
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/disney2008/IMG_5472-1.jpg

We got on the bus, and I started stewing that we would not make rope drop. But that was the least of our problems. I took out the digital camera to snap a picture of the girls on the bus. I got a funny message on my screen – “critical battery power. Recharge battery.” Oops. I asked Michael what that meant, as I had never seen it on the camera before. He asked me if I had charged the camera. Yes, I had, but two days ago. Oops. This was not good. We talked about trying to purchase a new battery in the parks or even buying a disposable camera for the day. When I turned on the camera again, the message did not appear, so we decided to take our chances and hope for the best.

When we arrived at the park, the rope had already been dropped, and there were some pretty substantial lines at the bag check. I tried hard not to grumble, but I was pretty annoyed with the bus service! We finally got in and rented our double stroller and then followed the masses towards Toy Story Mania. We were pretty psyched about the new ride, and apparently, so was everyone else! We made it over to the ride to find an absolute zoo. Between the girls, the stroller, and all those people, it was very chaotic. I realize now that we made a huge error. We should have just gotten into the standby line (which read 20 minutes at about 9:15 or so.) Instead, Michael went over to secure FPs, telling me to take the girls and wait on the side. Which I thought I did, but then I realized that I only had one girl! For a few minutes, I thought I had lost Julia, and I panicked. And of course, she was not wearing her rubber ID bracelet on this day – couldn’t find it in the room. Eventually I saw Michael and Julia in the FP queue, so I calmed down. When they rejoined us, he told me that she had followed him, although he didn’t know she was there right away either.

So, it was about 9:25 now, and we had FPs for TSM at 10:35. I had read the touring plan, and knew that we wanted to attend the 10am Playhouse Disney show, but what to do in the meantime? We got incredibly lucky and were able to get into the 9:30 Voyage of the Little Mermaid show at the very last minute. YAY! That worked perfectly. The girls enjoyed it, though it was a little dark and loud for Emma. Once that show was over, I told Michael to book it across the courtyard over to the 10am PHD show. We made it!! I have to say that this was probably Emma’s favorite thing on our whole trip. She just adored seeing all of her buddies! She loved “Mickey Clubhouse,” “My Einsteins,” “Handy Manny,” and “Tigger and Pooh.” She was dancing and laughing and clapping and singing. It was so sweet to watch her delight.  Julia enjoyed the show as well.
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We took a potty break, and after that, I believe that we separated so Michael and Julia could do the Tower of Terror. Julia had attempted this ride on our last trip, but she chickened out at the last minute after viewing the movie before the ride. So, for the past 21 months, she has been talking about the ToT! While they went to ride the elevator death drop, I took Emma to look for characters. We tried to walk over by the Sorcerer’s Hat, but most of the area was blocked off. CMs were telling people that they were “filming an exciting music video” at the moment. Uhhhh, OK. Looks more like you roped off the area so no one could get through! In fact, I never saw anything exciting or even any cameras, so who knows what was going on there! So, needless to say, no characters near the hat. I took Emma back over to the PHD courtyard, hoping that characters would be there (I had heard that LE, Handy Manny, and Jojo were there.) They weren’t out yet, but I was told that they would be there shortly. So we looked around the princess gift shop in front of VotLM for a bit. Luckily, Emma wasn’t melting down like we thought she would. She really prefers to be with Daddy, but thank goodness she didn’t pull her usual screaming fit and being left alone with me. ;)

Finally, I saw some familiar faces! Emma and I were the 2nd in line to see Annie and Leo. She was beyond excited, and she made sure to point out to Annie that they were dressed alike. (Or they would have been, but for the fact that Emma was dressed in Annie’s new pink dress, while Annie was wearing her old school navy dress. But that’s OK – Annie got it right away!) We got some cute pictures, and then got in line for Jojo and Goliath. Mind you, Emma has never really even SEEN the Jojo show, but she was still very cute with them, and got a gigantic hug from Goliath.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/disney2008/IMG_5488-1.jpg\
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Just as we were leaving, I got the call that Michael and Julia were done with ToT. All of that time talking about the ride must have really done a number on Julia. Apparently, she was beyond terrified on the ride. Michael said that she couldn’t get off fast enough, and that she was shaking and crying the whole time. Poor girl. Here’s the thing – she actually loves the thrill rides. I think that it was the movie that freaked her out so badly. Julia has a vivid imagination, and I believe that had she not seen the movie, she would have enjoyed the scary ride much more. Oh well. Let’s just say that she will NEVER go on that ride again. EVER. :scared1:

Now that we were reunited, it was time to ride Toy Story Mania with our Fast Passes. I am guessing that it was about 11/11:15 by now. I saw that the return FP time was 6:30pm. CRAZY! Even with our FPs, we had a bit of a wait before we got on the ride, but the queue area is really cute, so it wasn’t that hard to wait. For some reason, Emma began to freak before we got on the ride, but Michael was able to calm her down. I think she was scared that it would be dark and loud, but that wasn’t the case at all. The ride was amazing. We all had a great time, even Emma. I did wish that we had ridden first thing and also gotten FPs, as there was no way we’d be able to do it again. But I highly recommend the ride, and we will definitely ride it more than once the next time.
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As we left, we saw the green army men from Toy Story and we got into a line to meet Buzz and Woody. However, it was getting close to our 12 noon Hollywood and Vine Play and Dine lunch, so we hopped out of the line. We made it over to H&V and were seated right away. Another buffet lunch. I don’t think they had pizza, so the girls ate chicken nuggets and cold cuts. No bread for Julia. We made sure to drink lots of water and lemonade – it was a scorcher outside again! I normally drink lots of Diet Coke, but I knew that this would be a mistake when it was so sticky and hot. It seemed like a while before we saw any characters, but the girls did go down and dance with Jojo and then with June and Leo. Finally we met the characters, and the interaction with each of them was very cute.
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It was getting close to a needed break time, but Julia really wanted to go on Star Tours. Emma was a bit too short for this ride, so she and I visited the toy shop and the Christmas ornament store near Pizza Planet. She really liked the snowman over there!
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We met Michael and Julia a little while later during a Jedi Training show. Julia freaked out when she saw Darth Vader, so we decided it was time for our break. On the way out, we had a PP picture taken near the hat, and Julia got a special picture with Stitch. I’ll have to add that here once we get our PP cd back.

The plan was to go back to the room for a rest and then hit Down Town Disney for the late afternoon and an early dinner. I think Emma fell asleep in Michael’s arms on the bus. We carried her back to the room and were lucky that she stayed asleep even when we guided her to the bed. The first thing I did when we got to the room was charge the digital camera battery! Emma and Michael napped for a bit while Julia and I explored the Poly gift shop and looked over our pictures at the PP kiosk. We were surprised to have almost 200 pictures already! I bought an adorable little Golden Book about Disney Bear visiting the Magic Kingdom with Mickey Mouse for Emma at the gift shop.

Refreshed, we waited yet again for the bus to Down Town Disney. We arrived there about 4:30 and headed over to the World of Disney store (or the princess store for us!) We allowed the girls to pick out a few items and we also bought some more things that we had shipped home for Christmas. Emma ended up with 2 small Minnie dolls – one in a pink princess dress and one in the blue Year of a Million Dreams dress. Julia wanted the Halloween themed Mickey and Minnie. They really are cute! Michael decided that the girls needed Princess nightgowns (!) so Julia picked Belle and Emma picked Sleeping Beauty. (OK – this annoyed me a little bit. Before we left, I almost picked up some cute princess nightgowns at the Disney Store at home, but I resisted because I thought that the $16 price tag was too much. So here Michael goes buying them each a nightgown, priced at $29 apiece. ARGH. He freely admits that he is a sucker for the girls. Mm-hmmm.)
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We visited a few more shops, and then had dinner at the Earl of Sandwich. YUM. I had a Thanksgiving concoction with turkey and cranberry, etc. It was delish! The girls were able to get grilled cheese, and I have no idea what Michael ate. But I was very impressed with the sandwiches here.

It was getting late and looked like rain, so we decided to head back to the Poly. We had a very early morning ahead of us. Again, we had to wait for a bus, but one finally did appear. When we got back to the resort, it was drizzling, but not too bad. We ran between the raindrops and made it back to the room. Michael wanted to go to the Great Ceremonial Hall in search of a television – there may have been a Red Sox game that evening, if I recall correctly – so he went out while I tried to get the girls to sleep. It was raining harder by now, but he said that the rain did taper off just in time for the 9:30 MNSSHP fireworks show from the MK, which he was able to view from the Poly beach.

So, another fun, but very hot day.

Up next –
Our Princess Day at the MK!
• What was I thinking when I scheduled an 8am BBB appointment?
• Will we appear on the Rachael Ray Show?
• How long will the girls stay in their Princess gowns?
• Will Julia go on the Haunted Mansion?
• We get to eat INSIDE THE CASTLE?!

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

11-11-2008, 11:37 AM

Hi Colleen!

Great report so far! I love all the pictures and it sounds like you guys had a blast. I can't wait to read the rest!!

Amy

Hey, Amy! I just realized that I know you! :wave: How is the new baby? :lovestruc

DH has been working from home for the past 2 weeks, so I haven't had much time to update. I'll try to finish this up before Thanksgiving though. :goodvibes
:surfweb:

OhMari

12-09-2008, 07:53 PM

It's been a month, hope you come back and finish.

29apr00

12-10-2008, 07:22 AM

Julia's outfit is ADORABLE!!! my dd would go crazy for that Giselle outfit! Shame on the kids at school! It's just too cute to wear only at Disney!

now let's hear about the princess day at MK!!

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

12-13-2008, 03:20 PM

Julia's outfit is ADORABLE!!! my dd would go crazy for that Giselle outfit! Shame on the kids at school! It's just too cute to wear only at Disney!

now let's hear about the princess day at MK!!

Awww, thanks. I love that outfit. I hope she'll be able to wear it again this spring.

I fully intend to update. May need to wait til after Christmas. All of this holiday cheer is getting a bit out of hand! but I promise I will get the last 2 days done.
:goodvibes

eyeheartgoofy

01-12-2009, 06:00 PM

I just found your TR ... I can't wait for an update so I can read about the 8:00am BBB!!!

Disneyvirg

01-12-2009, 07:40 PM

Mamaof2princesses - where'd you go? Your TR has been fantastic up to this point. Looking forward to an update!

popcorn::

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

01-26-2009, 10:52 PM

I'm working on it!! I will try to update this week! :thumbsup2

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

02-01-2009, 09:20 PM

Friday, October 10th
MK day—Green

Bet you thought I forgot about this, huh? Never fear. I’ve had this percolating for a while now, and I did take copious notes when we first returned. I’m so sorry that I’ve let this sit for so long, but I will try to get these last two days written up soon. So let’s get to it, shall we?

This morning, I had scheduled the BBB for 8:05 am, thinking that this would be a great way to get us into MK early, so we could get some uninterrupted castle shots, and beat the rush to get into Fantasyland. Since the park opens at 9am, this gave us plenty of time to get princess-ified before we would be able to get over the rides. Luckily, the girls were excited about the coming day, and we were all up and ready to go bright and early. The girls got up and put on their Belle dresses that I had purchased from http://www.mydressuptrunk.com. These are great dresses, nice and soft, light and flowy. Both girls have dry itchy skin, and the cheaper (and even more expensive resort gowns) tend to irritate their skin. The girls were excited to find that Tink had left them some glitter lipgloss and body glitter that she had seen in the resort gift shop. ;)

We boarded the resort monorail at about 7:20, expecting to get over to MK and into the park well before our 8:05 BBB appointment. We got off the monorail at about 7:30 and went over to the special entrance for early park reservations, only to discover that we would not be able to get into the park until about 10 minutes before 8. So we had a bit of time to kill. Whoops. Oh well! We spent some time talking with a few other princesses, and soon it was time to enter the park. We ended up being the first people to rent a stroller that day, and each girl was given a tiny little note that we were told was from Tinker Bell, which was a nice touch. Inside was some Mickey confetti. We walked towards the castle in an almost empty park. It was lovely to walk down a quiet Main Street, and we had plenty of time to get some pictures in front of the castle, including some special shots with Tinker Bell.

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Emma’s face here is priceless!
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Since we had stopped for pictures, we were about the 10th family in line for the BBB, and they were a bit late to open their doors. Once we got in, things moved quickly. There were plenty of Fairy Godmothers in Training and lots of salon chairs for the princesses. We were just doing the basic package and already dressed, so the girls went right into their seats to be transformed. The girls were seated next to each other, and the PP photographers took a LOT of pictures. We ended up getting a new PP card for each girl, but later I was able to consolidate them. Emma’s FGIT was Julie, and Julia had Jennifer. Both were very sweet, but Jennifer was especially nice. Julia loved getting pampered, and I have to note that Emma did an especially good job sitting still, since she was just 3.25.

Waiting to be called
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Emma with Julie, who was really very nice.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/disney2008/IMG_5544.jpg

Julia with Jennifer, who was AWESOME.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/disney2008/IMG_5548.jpg

What is this GOO?!
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Emma’s big reveal
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Julia’s reveal
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I’m glad that Jennifer suggested to keep her bangs down – I think she looked better this way than with the severe pulled back bun.

Now beautiful, we had a few minutes to kill before the park officially opened. Michael suggested that we walk up to the front of Main Street to do their photo shoot at Exposition Hall. I would have preferred to do this later, so we could be right at the front of the Fantasyland rope drop queue, but this ended up working out OK.

As we were walking down Main Street, we were approached by a nice looking woman and a man with a video camera. I’m sure that the girls all done up in their Belle dresses caught her eye. She said that they were from the Rachael Ray show and asked if they could film the girls walking down Main Street for the show. We said sure, and the girls sweetly held hands and skipped up the street for them with the castle in the background. It was very cute. I asked when the show might air, and she said sometime in December, but I forgot to check the listings, so I don’t know if anything ever came of it. : (

We finally made it to Exposition Hall and had a bit of a wait for a photographer, even though the place was deserted. When he did finally how up, he was not terribly pleasant, but Emma had a great time. Julia was not feeling agreeable, so we only got a handful of shots of her. All of our photos were added to our Photo Pass at no charge.

These were literally the only shots we could get Julia to sit for.
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Emma, however, was QUITE a ham!
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OK, does Emma remind you of a certain Disney character with her hair pulled back so tightly?
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/colleenfs71/disney2008/image307-1.jpg

Anyone?

How about--- Dopey?!
http://symonsez.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/dopey.jpg
LOL.

continued

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

02-01-2009, 09:21 PM

When we emerged, Main Street was full of people. I want to say it was about 9:10-15, so we had definitely missed out on an empty Fantasyland. We hightailed it back to Dumbo. While in line, we realized that Ariel was already receiving guests in her Grotto, so DH held our spot, and I ran over to meet our favorite mermaid (again.) We were in and out in about five minutes, and the girls were thrilled to see Ariel again. ;)

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We got right back into the Dumbo line with a minimal wait. Emma really enjoyed it and was upset when we told her we could not ride it again right away. (The line by now was, as you know, quite long.) We managed to get her to smile again with a ride on my favorite – Peter Pan! In fact, I think this became a favorite for all of us. We made sure to wave bye-bye to Nana, look for Tink, and notice “Ariel” in the mermaid lagoon. At this point, Emma really wanted to ride the carousel, and Julia wanted to go on Pooh, which had scared Emma a bit during MNSSHP. Michael took Julia to Pooh, while Emma and I rode the Carousel, oh, about 3-4 times! She just loves it! LOL. Then we met up – thank goodness for working cell phones!) and I got Julia for Snow White while Emma and Michael rode It’s a Small World. On our previous trip, Julia had been terrified of the SW ride, so we thought it best to spare Emma. It really was just fine though! When we met up, we rode on the Teacups, my favorite ride. NOT…

Daddy and his girls
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We then headed over to the Indy Speedway. The line was long, and I had warned Michael that it would be a long wait if we did it this late in the morning, but he insisted. So we had a rather lengthy wait with no shade on a hot sticky day wearing Belle gowns. FUN. When we finally got in our cars, Michael went with Emma, while Julia drove me. Let’s just say it took some time to get through the circuit! We headed back towards Buzz, but Emma insisted that she did not want to go on. We saw Stitch outside, so we waited for a few minutes to meet him. He tried to eat Julia’s pen!

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It was very hot, and we were getting hungry, but we still had some time to kill before our 12noon CRT reservation. We ended up on the “People Mover” ride which I had never been on. It was calm and relaxing, which was just what we needed. Once off of that, we had just enough time to make it to Storytime with Belle. Michael was not terribly interested, so he went over to the Stitch ride, I think. I don’t even remember what he thought of it!

The girls and I were among the last to arrive for Belle, but a nice family gave the girls some room right in the front. Remember, the girls were all dolled up as Belle themselves. Julia was VERY upset when she was not chosen to participate onstage. :( However, once the show was over, we did get a chance to meet Belle and get a picture with her. It was a bit sunny. ;)

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It was now time to have lunch in the castle! The girls were so excited! We met Cinderella downstairs.
Scan official pict

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Upstairs, we got our seats and waited for the Princesses to arrive. We met Belle in her town dress (we explained that we had just seen her a few minutes prior to this ;) ), Aurora, Snow White – finally – this was the first time we had seen her, apart from that quick meeting with all of her Dwarfs, and Jasmine. All of the Princesses were very sweet, but I honestly think the interaction is better at Askerhaus in Epcot. The lunch menu was just OK. Now that we have done this twice, I’m not sure it will be necessary to do it again in the future. (I say that now….!) I think maybe we should try for a before-the-park-opens breakfast if we ever do this again.

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It was now about 1:10, and the girls were definitely feeling the effects of our early morning. We made a quick stop in the Tinker Bell gift shop, and the girls each selected another charm. I can’t remember what they got!

I’m sure the girls were ready for a break, but for some reason, we ended up over by POTC. Emma got scared in the line, so I walked around with her outside for a bit while Michael and Julia rode Pirates. We wandered around the Pirates gift shop, and at just that moment, it started to rain. This was the only time we got caught in a shower in the parks, so we were pretty lucky. And it stopped by the time Michael and Julia got off the ride.

Emma and I had scoped out Peter Pan’s greeting spot, so we had Michael and Julia meet us there. We were disappointed that Wendy was not out with him today. Later, we’d learn why she wasn’t there.
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I didn’t even remember this, but apparently, we stopped to say hi to Jasmine and Aladdin as well!
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We were REALLY ready to leave at this point, but on our way out, we had to stop to say hello to a few special friends.

Meeting Pinocchio was a real treat!
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Mary Poppins was lovely – she even let Julia hold her parasol. We had a cute exchange about rearing children and whether she could come to our house to babysit some time.
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And then we saw Daisy, for whom we’d been searching the entire trip. The girls were thrilled!
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Finally, we left the MK for a much needed break. I can’t recall if we took the monorail or the ferry this time. I do know that I was insistent that everyone take a nap. We had another fun dinner planned for later this evening, and we had to pack! We had to leave the next afternoon.... :(

Up next
• Will everyone nap?
• Will it rain again on our last night?
• Will I be able to get us packed to leave?
• Will anyone be able to sleep tonight?

29apr00

02-02-2009, 07:34 AM

yeah! Glad you are back!! Oh the girls look so cute in the Belle dresses!! I just love BBB!!! Can't wait to do it again with Jackie in December!!

Daisy!! WOW She's hardly ever outside of toontown tent! And she's so cute in her Pink Dress!

kendallt

02-02-2009, 08:05 PM

Glad to see an update! I love hearing about the early BBB appointment, as that's our plan for our June trip.

MamaOfTwoPrincesses

02-10-2009, 09:10 PM

Friday evening

We got back to the room where I demanded that everyone try to get some sleep since we’d be out late this evening. The girls took off their Belle dresses and got into their $30 princess nightgowns that Daddy had insisted on getting them the day before…. (roll eyes)

After close to an hour, it was clear that Emma was not going to sleep, although Julia did. We couldn’t even use the pool, because we didn’t want to mess up the $50 BBB hairdo! So, I took Emma over to the Great Ceremonial House. I checked in at the gift shop to make sure that all of our packages from the day before had arrived, and then I made arrangements for most of it to be shipped home. We had to be stealth, since most of these items were not going to be seen til December 25th. Luckily, Emma was very busy checking out charms and other fun things while I took care of this. : ) When we completed this task, I took Emma up to the Photopass kiosk, where we consolidated all of our photos on to one card and took a look at all of our picts. Emma and I also played with some designs and borders. It was fun!

We got back to the room before 5, and I began the arduous task of starting to get packed up for our return trip home the next day. : ( It honestly wasn’t nearly as difficult as I thought it would be, and I was grateful that we had decided to ship a bunch of things home. Then we got ready for our 7pm ADR at 1900 Park Fare. We were so excited to meet Cinderella and her stepfamily. Emma was a little bit worried that they would be mean to her, but I assured her that she would be OK. We left early so that we could look around the Grand Floridian a bit, and we hoped that we might be able to get into dinner a bit early. I had already tried to make the reservation earlier than 7, but no luck.

We hopped on the resort monorail (just made one too!) and poked around the resort a bit before going over to the GF gift shop. Then we ended up in the soap shop, where the girls had fun making their own little pots of (expensive!) lip gloss.

Finally, we got called in to the dining room - I think it was pretty close to 7. I think the Fairy Godmother was receiving guests just outside, but the girls didn’t stop to say hi? We got a pretty good table right near the buffet, and I did the first sweep to see what the girls would eat. The chef walked me through the buffet to discuss what Julia could eat. The GF makes their own bread and desserts on the premises, so this was one of the few times that Julia was able to eat almost everything offered. (We usually had to stay away from the breads and most desserts.) Of course, both girls ended up with the usual pizza and chicken nuggets anyway! I don’t recall what I ate, but I do remember that it was really good. This was one of our overall best meals at WDW. The buffet had lots of interesting, different, and yummy choices.

We met Cinderella and the Prince, who were very sweet to the girls, esp. Emma. I have no idea what is up with these faces the girls are making! LOL.

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The Stepmother was AWESOME. She was not mean at all. In fact, she was very regal. She commented on the girls lovely dresses and she liked the fact that they were simple and elegant, without the cameos seen on most Disney dress up gowns! LOL. In an authoritative voice, she told them to be good girls and to listen to their parents. (Giggle) Anatsasia and Druzella were a HOOT. They kept coming back over to us and saying, “I’m prettier than yoo-hooo!” So funny!

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When it came time for dessert, Julia was able to choose from almost everything offered at the buffet. She loaded up! LOL. It was yummy, and I was happy to see her feel like she didn’t have to give anything up because of her peanut allergy.

Dinner over, we went back to the Poly, and changed into comfy clothes. Although it was late, it was our last night, and it wasn’t raining, so I suggested that we go out to the beach to let the girls view the Electric Light Parade and see the fireworks from the MK. (It was another MNSSHP night, so they didn’t begin til 9:30.) The girls had a GREAT time playing on the beach with a few other little girls, and they LOVED watching the light show and fireworks. It was a wonderful way to spend our final night at WDW. We all crawled into bed and were asleep before 10pm.

Next up
• Getting ourselves and our bags checked in to Magical Express
• Will we make it to the MK before rope drop?
• Our first yellow day – will we notice it?
• Mom relents on the touring plans
• Can we leave without tears?