Babies to Baby Boomers- 9 WDW days filled w/ blunders, boo-boos & bliss. update 08-24 [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

lbuzz52

11-06-2009, 06:21 PM

We just returned from 9 days and 8 nights at Walt Disney World. We had a wonderful time, and are sad for it to be over.

This is my first trip report, so bear with me!! In this report, i'll share our expieriences with what should basically be considered as a group of newbies to WDW. Thanks to those here on the DIS, we were well informed on how to make this trip magical. But we still made a few mistakes. So join in with me as I relive the details of our trip.

Here's the details for those who haven't made it over to my PTR.....

WHO: 8 of us, spanning three generations.

There is me, Lauren. I'm a travel coordinator for a local family and
their pilots. You could basically decribe this as a personal travel
agent/ personal assistant/ accounting rep.
This year i turned 25 for the 5th time. I've previously been to WDW
three times, the last of which was in 1989. Therefore i consider myself
a Disney newbie.
I did most of the planning for this trip. I was so greatful for all the
information available here on the boards. without it i think i would
have pulled all of my hair out. I definetely wouldn't have been able to
get as much done as we did. My favorite Disney movies are
Aristocats, Mary Poppins, and Pete's Dragon.

Chris, my DH, is a couple years younger than me. He is a soux chef at
Flemings Prime Steakhouse. Yum!! Don't have one near you? Think of
Ruth's Chris. It similar to that but in my opinion way better!
This was his very first trip to Disney World. Becaue he didn't have any
Magical memories from his childhood, he didn't necessarily get my
excitement. But he went along with the plan becuase that's just what
kind of awesome dad and hubby he is. He is a fan of Eeyore.[/SIZE] [/SIZE]

here's a pic of us with my aunt and uncle. it's from a couple years ago, but you get the drift.
http://photos-snc1.fbcdn.net/v275/63/50/1415281006/n1415281006_30006378_9280.jpg

Maya is my dear 4 year old. She is quite
independent. And has to be
the best big sister ever. She is loving, emotional, friendly, sneaky,
cheerful, stubborn, and as silly as can be. I'd generally describe her
as a really good child who has her moments when she gets tired.
This was her first trip to WDW. We told her we were going 10 weeks
out, and she was beyond excited. We spent many evenings on
youtube watching videos of the rides. We also scouted out the
characters that we would possibly see. I think she told everyone she
saw, stranger or not, just how many more sleeps we had until we left. Her current favorites
are Ariel, Cinderella, and wizards of waverly place.

http://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs121.snc1/5209_129140480215_656945215_2945489_7451290_n.jpg
here's my independent daughter. yes, she dressed herself that day. and she does have on shorts.

http://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs119.snc1/4869_103583805215_656945215_2569911_7156124_n.jpg
oh, and she's also in a i'll pose if i want to, when i want to phase.

My sweet baby boy, James, turned 9 months at
the beginning of our
trip. He's a baby of extremes. He's either super happy with the
biggest smile on his face, or a huge grump. He loves to be held and
hates to nap. I really wasn't sure how he would do on this trip, and
was greatful to have extra helping hands if we needed.

http://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs278.snc1/10526_166302665215_656945215_3307750_7890765_n.jpg

http://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs208.snc1/7527_146109360215_656945215_3140698_6924874_n.jpg
these are both from around june or july

I'll call the rest the supporting cast. They will be included in this
trip but i'll be the only one supplying details and opinions, so that's
the title they get :laughing:

First there are the grands- Nonni and PawPaw, my parents. They last
went to Disney in 1989, with me. They do everything they can to
help us out and are the most doting grandparents. They were so
excited to be able to share in their grandkids first Disney memories.

there's also my sister, Jenny. Again, the last trip was in 1989. And
finally, her son, Cayden, age 3. It was his first trip.

http://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs195.snc1/6573_1197035776045_1533003835_30540480_5943531_n.j pg
here's Cayden from a month or so ago.

When: Tuesday, October 27th to Wednesday, November 4th
Our dates included both Food and Wine and the MNSSHP

Where: Saratoga Springs Resort
After much deliberation, it was decided that it would be best to have
a villa for our group rather than 2 or 3 rooms. That would allow the
adults to be able to leave the rooms if the kids were sleeping.

Why: We had been discussing this trip for a year or so, but never really put
anything in the works. We knew that we wanted to go before my
daughter was in kindergarten, so we could take advantage of the off
season temperatures and crowds. Christmas was out of the running,
due to work schedules in our group. We were looking at September
or January 2010. In August, we saw very low airfares to Orlando
from our hometown. We checked our schedules, priced out the free
dining verses other discounts for our particular group, and we
measured our kids. we decided to jump on it for October 27, 2009.
That left less than 3 months for newbie planning. But it meant we
would have free dining, MNSSHP, and food and wine to experience.

Next up: Travel Day!!!

that's nice

11-06-2009, 08:05 PM

YAY:yay: I'm 1st!!!!! I'll be following along!!!!! Great start!!!!!:goodvibes

Disneymoon09

11-06-2009, 08:11 PM

I'm in!

misskate

11-06-2009, 08:15 PM

I'm here too! Great start!! :goodvibes

onelilspark

11-07-2009, 01:02 PM

I'm here :)

cdhale

11-07-2009, 04:18 PM

Subscribing! Looks like fun! popcorn::

redsunfish

11-09-2009, 06:53 AM

I'm subscribing too. Looking forward to it!

lbuzz52

11-09-2009, 10:36 AM

YAY:yay: I'm 1st!!!!! I'll be following along!!!!! Great start!!!!!:goodvibes

I'm in!

I'm here too! Great start!! :goodvibes

I'm here :)

Subscribing! Looks like fun! popcorn::

I'm subscribing too. Looking forward to it!

:welcome:

glad to see all of your virtual faces!
hope to entertain you all!

lbuzz52

11-09-2009, 04:12 PM

Just to let you know- I'm pretty sure I'm the slowest packer on earth. In my defense, we only have to pack once or twice a year, so I don’t really stay in practice. I got a little bit done the week prior to our departure- I got some of the random things pulled together. I sent a box of diapers, wipes, snacks, and formula. I had all the paperwork ready to go- boarding passes, Magical Express, touring plans, Photopass locations, etc, etc, etc.

But the weather changed early (for us) and I had to stop the preliminary packing to get out fall and winter. So I decided to take the day off before we left. I had to go in sunday for awhile instead to get some work trips squared away. My son usually goes to Mothers Day Out on Thursdays. I'd put in a request for him to go on Monday that week instead. I thought I'd knock the packing out Monday while I was kid free for 5 whole hours!! But they didn't end up having any room for him. Like I said before he likes to be held and doesn't nap well. So there went all the packing for that day.....

I ended up having to do it after the kids were in bed- and it took me five more hours!!! That means all together it took me more than 8 hours to pack! We took two suitcases, two carryons, 2 backpacks, a diaper bag, and a double stroller.

I got in bed about 3am and laid awake for about an hour. My head was just stewing over what I may have forgotten.

The next morning we got up, got dressed quickly, took some cold and sinus medicine, and drove out to the airport. We parked our car at my work and took the shuttle over to the terminal (yeah for free parking and a gated lot!). We got there about 8:35 am, and went straight to the Northwest counter.

I'd like to tell you that we went to the counter because we needed a form for baby in arms. (a baby flying with no seat doesn't have regular boarding pass). While that wouldn’t be lying, it wouldn’t be telling the whole truth. So I'll take this time to tell you the number one thing not to forget for a trip....
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IS THE SUSPENSE BUILDING YET?
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DON'T FORGET TO SET YOUR ALARM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:headache::mad::headache::mad:

Yep, by day 1 I knew that I would have to include the word "blunders" in my trip report title. :rotfl:

We woke up at 7:45 to the baby crying. My parents, and sister had been calling us for 30 minutes from the gate to my hangar at work. They were supposed to park there too, but needed me to let them in the gate. My husband and I had both put our cells on the chargers in the kitchen instead of the bedroom, so we wouldn't forget to pack them in the morning. so neither of us heard the multiple phone calls. I guess I had assumed that my husband had set the alarm when he went to bed. He had assumed that I would when I came to bed. In all our planning, we never discussed what time we needed to get up by.

So I called my mom back and told her where to leave her car and keys so that I could move her car into my gated area once we got to the airport. Needless to say, they were not happy. But they went ahead and took the shuttle over and made it thru security and to the gate in time for boarding.

When I went back inside my daughter was up as well, asking if it was time to leave for Disney. My husband and I decided to go ahead and go to the airport. We didn't want to upset our daughter and didn't even tell her exactly what was going on.

I knew that we would not make our flight- they won't take you less than 30 minutes prior to departure time. But I also knew from work flights that you can't make same day changes to a flight over the phone, it has to be in person.

So back to the northwest counter...
We got there about 8:35, and our flight departure was at 8:45. I expected to be charged the normal $150.00 + fare difference (which was showing at $200+:scared1:) more per ticket. Well, I'm not sure if it was because our flight had not left yet, or if the woman wasn't sure what she was doing, but we only got charged $50/ticket. Whew! I can live with that.

We were at the counter for almost an hour. :sad2:The original reservation was all 7 of us under one reservation number. Because some of our group were on the flight, and some were not, we had to be separated out and put into a second reservation number. So she did this and charged me my baggage and change fees. Well, first she did this backwards. She had the wrong people on the plane and the wrong people standing in front of her. Then she started over. Refund, recharge, etc, etc. Then she wasn't able to print a boarding pass for me. somehow the system had it that I checked in on the flight. She had to call the gate and get that straightened out.

Finally, we had our new reservation number, our new boarding passes, and the baby on board paperwork. And plenty of time to burn- the next non-stop wasn't until 1:40pm. There was one that connected thru Atlanta, but it didn't arrive until after the non-stop flight.

So our flight schedule-

Switched from:
Depart at 8:45
Arrive MCO at 11:40

To:
Depart at 1:40
Arrive MCO at 4:40

While we didn't like it, we didn't have much choice. Our plans for that day included hanging out at Downtown Disney and an Ohana's ADR at 6:45pm. At least we weren't missing anything. We had originally contemplated making this the day we went to MNSSHP. Thankfully we had decided against that.

We then went over to Blues restaurant and got Maya some breakfast. They were out of biscuits, so continental breakfast it was.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2760/4090909560_ece784bb40.jpg
Maya and her continental breakfast

Those are the only two options on the breakfast menu. We chose that restaurant because it is the only smoking place in the airport, and you are required to buy something to smoke there. So her fruit and yogurt bought us the entry we needed until our departure time. Maya was in such a good mood i decided to snap some additional pictures. So i said smile!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2527/4090910062_0dbd76d149.jpg
yep, this is what i got!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2605/4090910394_8aa822bb8a.jpg
eventually i got this with a lot of begging

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2728/4090144331_0dac1dee3e.jpg
here's James, i think my flash blinded him, ha!

After that, we piddled our way up to the gate. I fed and nursed the baby, while Maya played with this princess set that was similar to dress up- you pick a hardback picture of a princess, place stickers (dress, wand, crown, etc) where you want them, and then use a burnishing tool to scrape making the stickers fill with glittery goodness.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2592/4090910988_f882fa0975.jpg
Here's James and chris watching as the magical paper transforms. yep, neither were exactly excited to be there.

After Maya got bored she moved on to a preschool workbook.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2577/4090143399_780df45659.jpg

Still had about 2 hours until departure so we walked over to the food court and Chris and I each grabbed a personal pizza for our "brunch". We took our sweet time eating, then made our way for a smoke break, diaper change, and potty break.

We wandered back up to the gate only to see the departure time was delayed by thirty minutes. I called to update my parents. We weren't panicking about the ADR yet, because my flights have a little bit of a buffer time in them. But the baby was getting cranky. We were waiting to get on the plane with him before we fed him again and tried to get him to sleep. We had to utilize the Moby wrap in order to have enough hands to get all our junk on the plane. I also wasn't sure if the takeoff would bother him so I wanted to have a bottle for him to suck on. I just wasn't sure he'd be able to make it if we had any additional departure delays.

Next up-
Was the flight delayed again? And the rest of our travel day.

that's nice

11-09-2009, 04:27 PM

cdhale

11-09-2009, 04:51 PM

I totally understand about the alarm thing... twice on mornings I was flying I did the switching of the am/pm thing. The first time I made the flight (holiday travel, the plane probably left late). The second time (and this one was a business trip, flying down and back the same day to see a client), not so much. Glad it sounds like it all worked out! ;)

lbuzz52

11-09-2009, 05:19 PM

WOW! Forgetting to set the alarm is almost as bad as forgetting park tickets!!!:rolleyes1

If the plane was still there they couldn't let you on? :confused3 I'm assuming they filled your seats with stand-by flyers??? :confused3:confused3

I hope you made your 'Ohana ADR!!!!! popcorn::popcorn::

yeah, i was so worried about forgetting the paperwork i forgot i had to get up first to use it. :rotfl2:

we were only at the counter ten minutes before the scheduled departure. by that point, most cargo and passenger doors are closed. we still had to go thru security and then make it down to our gate. and i seriously wasn't exxagerating that the lady took almost an hour to get our stuff switched. poor lady, she would ask another ticket agent a question, she would get help, then the 2nd agent would help a new customer, and my agent would immediately have another question. so we'd wait for the 2nd agent to finish and then start the process again.

as for ohana's
did we? or did we not? stay tuned.....

I totally understand about the alarm thing... twice on mornings I was flying I did the switching of the am/pm thing. The first time I made the flight (holiday travel, the plane probably left late). The second time (and this one was a business trip, flying down and back the same day to see a client), not so much. Glad it sounds like it all worked out! ;)

i am so happy to hear that! i can admit to you- but only because my dh wont come on here- it wasn't my first time. a couple of years ago, dh was in Florida for business. my dd and i were supposed to come and visit him. our flight was 6xx am (what was i thinking????? with a 2 year old????) so maybe that's why my dd never asked any additional questions on this trip? maybe she thinks you have to sit at the airport for hours for all Florida flights:laughing: at any rate, i never told my DH. i figured i'd never hear the end of it! thank goodness we have our own mad money accounts too or i'd have been busted then!

mchelle77

11-11-2009, 09:11 PM

Subbing for now ... I'll be back to catch up!

praisehisname

11-12-2009, 06:01 AM

I'm in! Can't wait to hear more!

redsunfish

11-12-2009, 08:32 AM

crgfsu1

11-12-2009, 11:53 AM

What an exciting start! Not setting the alarm is the worst! Glad ther eas another flight to be had :)

Cathy

lbuzz52

11-13-2009, 12:35 PM

Oh my goodness......not hearing the alarm or not setting it right is my worst fear!!! :scared1:

It's never happened to me but then again I always set 3 alarms (And did so on my last trip to Disney in Oct too!) If the main alarm didn't get me I still had both my cell and my DH's cell!

I hope you made your ADR and I'm looking forward to more trip report!!!!

I'm in! Can't wait to hear more!

Subbing for now ... I'll be back to catch up!

What an exciting start! Not setting the alarm is the worst! Glad ther eas another flight to be had :)

Cathy

HELLO to you all!

redsun- i think you have the right idea. i've got no idea why we didn't do that. oh well, hopefully i've learned for the future.

i'm working on more updates now- i was trying to hold off and get pics from my mom and sis first, but that may be a while. i may just stick some bonus pics in when i do get them.

lbuzz52

11-13-2009, 02:18 PM

So, when we last left off, we were about to finally board our flight. It was delayed about 30 minutes.

We finally boarded the plane. Everyone stashed their bags and got seated. We backed away from the gate and crossed the runway to the taxiway. We were finally on our way!! I decided to go ahead and give James his bottle. Only, as soon as I did, the plane stopped moving. We sat on the taxiway. And sat, and sat, for about 20 minutes. You could hear people’s voices changing from normal to growls. But not me! some lady actually stopped me and asked me where I was going. She said she knew it had to be someplace great because my smile just couldn’t be any bigger!

By the time we actually took off, James had finished his bottle. Luckily, the altitude changes didn’t seem to bother him too much. Both the kids went to sleep, as did Chris. I fought it. I was afraid to fall asleep and drop the baby. I’d carried him on the plane in my Moby wrap, but you aren’t allowed to use it during takeoff/landing (Don’t understand why it is better to have the baby loose then attached to you by cotton fabric, but whatever). James had fallen asleep long before the seatbelt signs were off, so I just held him rather than wake him up.

We landed at MCO. The scheduled arrival time was 440pm, and we pulled into our gate at 525pm Once we were let off the plane, I called my parents to update them as we practically ran to the ME area. My parents had called Ohana’s directly by using the hotel phone transfer. They were told that as long as we were no more than 30 minutes late, we would be okay. We decided that as long as we arrived at the hotel by 640pm we would take a taxi-van over to the Polynesian for our 6:45pm ADR. I had to go to the ME counter because we were originally scheduled to arrive there 5 hours prior. The switch was seamless, and we quickly boarded the bus for Saratoga Springs and Old Key West.

But there we continued the theme of the day- hurry up and wait. I thought I had read somewhere that the ME would wait no more than thirty minutes before departing the airport. Maya was seranading me on the bus- her song was "hurry up. come on and move you going to Disney school bus". Well, we used 29 of those 30 minutes, and there were already multiple groups on the bus. We eventually departed and were dropped off first.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2480/4101335238_3b7ab8d6fc.jpg

But it was 7:00pm by then- too late for Ohana’s. the hardest part of accepting this was that i had originally had reservations for 8:00 pm. i just figured that would be too late for us and switched them to 6:45 pm. if i had only been able to predict the future!

We called mom to let her know we were there. She and my nephew met us at the carriage house to show us to our room. The rest of the group was changing and unpacking, as they had only recently gotten their luggage. It was about 6 hours after they landed. I was told that they called to check on it and were told it was there earlier, but it still never showed up. Bell services brought it after they called a second time.

[Just to back up a bit- the original plan for the day was to go to Earl’s of sandwich for lunch out of pocket and to shop a bit at DTD. So while we were traveling, the rest of the group went over to DTD, but chose to eat at Rainforest Café instead. They piddled around a bit, but decided against much shopping. They wanted to look around a bit at their options before buying too much. ]

I had sent in the fax requesting building 8501- 8836 of the grandstand area. I chose this because the grandstand was the first bus stop, had a quiet pool, and this building was closest to the main building, pool, restaurants, and boat dock to downtown disney. We got it! when my parents checked in, they asked if we wanted top or bottom floor. My parents chose top so we wouldn't have anyone stomping above us.

here's a few pictures of our building

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2753/4100578891_0fc7a63465.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2742/4100578805_c294707648.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2794/4100578679_ffd200fe7e.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2512/4100578093_4c2ae571c2.jpg
for some reason i took a picture of the stairwell

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2671/4100578001_326f6d6682.jpg
and of the tile in the elevator- really not sure why i took a picture of this one.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2644/4100579121_10419c4b34.jpg

and here is our room! it was out of the line of main traffic, back in a corner.

So we arrived at our room. Sorry- there aren’t any pre-lived in pictures. It already looked like they had been there for days. The “villa” had two bedrooms, two baths, a small kitchen, and a small living room. Plus a dining room table. and a washer and dryer

http://z.about.com/d/hotels/1/0/j/9/onebedroom01.jpg
here's a pic of the kitchen, borrowed from hotels.com

http://www.wdwinfo.com/Photos/Saratoga-Springs/images/Studio_2-BR_dedicated_04.jpg
and one borrowed from this site

http://www.wdwinfo.com/Photos/Saratoga-Springs/images/Studio_1-BR_Lock%20Off_19.jpg
the stacked washer/dryer, again borrowed from this site

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2647/4100577751_033a4d44e0.jpg
and here's a pic of the dining area- after a few days- this should have been called the "post-park dumping ground". all our stuff got stashed here overnight

One room had a king-sized bed, tv, and a small desk area. The other had two queen sized beds, tv, and a small table. Before our departure, mom and I had discussed this. Jenny and Cayden would sleep in the pullout in the living room. Mom claimed to not care which room she had. I said then that we would take the one bed, and let Maya share our bed. They could take the room with two beds, and that way if Cayden needed to go to sleep before the adults, they could just put him in the other bed in their room. Well, when we got there, my parents had already claimed the room with the king bed/desk. Mom said that was the one Dad picked. We just left it as it was. They had all began unpacking already. Mom had also unpacked our garden grocer order of breakfast foods, sandwich stuff, water, and sodas.

http://hotels.about.com/library/photos/wdw_ss/onebedroom02.jpg
here's another pic borrowed from hotels.com. its a view of the master bedroom from the bathroom area. i thought it was interesting that the bathroom had shutters to the bedroom. maybe so some tv addict could get a fix?

apparently, i never took pictures of the bedrooms or bathrooms. maybe mom or sis did?

but here's a pic of the 2nd bedroom, borrowed from this site.
http://www.wdwinfo.com/Photos/Saratoga-Springs/images/Studio_2-BR_dedicated_01.jpg

another of the master bath, from this site
http://www.wdwinfo.com/Photos/Saratoga-Springs/images/Studio_2-BR_dedicated_07.jpg

praisehisname

11-13-2009, 02:47 PM

So glad you finally made it! Your villa is pretty and very big! What did you end up doing for dinner?

rpbear

11-13-2009, 02:49 PM

Great start. I leave for WDW in 9 days. This will help to pass the time. :)

Lucy

lbuzz52

11-13-2009, 05:04 PM

So we threw our stuff in our room. I changed the kids into clothing more appropriate for the warm weather. I didn’t write down the temp, but it was still 93, or so.

We decided that we would just go over to DTD and eat. We would save the table service credits we were originally going to use that night and use them during one of our MK days. We hoped to be able to get into Ohana’s later in the week. If not, maybe Kona or Grand Floridian café.

My parents had actually been trying to reach the dining line during the day- but some of you may remember what happened that day. Our departure day just happened to be Oct 27th- the day the ADR window opened back up to 180 days- and the day all the dining systems crashed.

So we took a short walk to the boat dock. They ran every 20 minutes, on the hour, so we were able to time it with practically no wait.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2499/4100950147_a26dfd805b.jpg
view of DTD from the boat- sorry, my camera doesn't like night.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2771/4100950053_79a33d9d4f.jpg
C & J on the boat

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2498/4101704308_857ca4947b.jpg
M & I on the boat

Instead of sandwiches at Earl’s, we ended up at Wolfgang Puck Express. It was our first time to use the dining plan, so luckily we had a very nice lady at the register who happily answered any questions for us. We placed our order and sat down at a large table. We had a number so that our food could be brought to us when it was ready.

Let me tell you, if all counter service places were like this, I probably wouldn’t even even bother with table service. Employees even come around and check on you as if they were waiters.

We fixed James a bottle and by that time our food was there. I remembered to take out my camera, but was quickly laughed at!! So I didn’t get a pick of everything.

{Note- for most of the meals, I either forgot totally or forgot until we were in the middle of them. Sorry! }

My dad and I had the bbq chicken pizza. Pretty Yummy!
Sliced chicken breast in our sweet and tangy bbq sauce with melted provolone cheese, tomato, and red onions

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/6/7476748_cb132ebab9.jpg

My sister and Chris had the pepperoni pizza. I didn't get much feedback, but they both finished them, so i guess no news is good news?

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2597/4100946827_962892525a.jpg

My mom had the chicken aioli pocket sandwich. It was huge!
Sliced chicken breast, melted provolone cheese, romaine lettuce, tomato, red onion, and cilantro aioli. Served with Yukon Gold parmesan potato chips.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2516/4100947139_fc1b688dc3.jpg

I think both kids had the cheese quesadillas.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2682/4100946967_0e798ca9d9.jpg

I decided that next time we came I should try the Chinois chicken salad. I think every table around me got one, and man, did it look good.
Fresh Asian veggies, sliced pan-roasted chicken breast, crispy wontons, and Wolfgang's famous honey-mustard dressing

http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/24/a2/a7/chinois-chicken-salad.jpg

We all decided that we would happily eat here again.

The frozen yogurt machine was out, so we decided to get cookies and brownies and just take them with us.......I had something else in mind for dessert.

So we made our way around the corner to- where else- but Goofy’s candy kitchen!!
I’d heard many stories, and salivated at countless pictures of goodies, so it was definitely a must do for us. We made our way around to the counter and waited our turn for a make your own goody.

Maya picked the starter- rice krispy treat. So Cayden picked the topping- mini m & m’s. i picked the milk chocolate dip and white chocolate for the drizzles.

While we waited we looked at the giant rice krispy for sale. Again, i thought i took a picture, but it isn't on my card. I know mom did.

And the kids watched their treat being made.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2772/4100947659_b7606a5213.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2577/4101702112_c9e323ea40.jpg
Its our turn

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2651/4100948069_b7d7fe027a.jpg
my princess watching the gooey goodness created

Mmmmmm, it was so good! I swear there was an inch of chocolate in between the m& m’s and rice crispy. It was definitely an all week treat for the kids.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2648/4101719782_28179f0209.jpg
the finished product

By this point, it was already about 930 pm. So we decided to head back to the hotel. We were hoping that our suitcases had made it so we could pack our park bags and get everything ready for the next morning as much as we could.

On the way, we stopped and visited with some ceramic friends.

CINDY

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2727/4101705310_34323aa51c.jpg

AURORA

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2583/4101705548_a259c61910.jpg

MICKEY & MINNIE

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2597/4100950397_2454f59a56.jpg

DONALD & DAISY

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2605/4101719886_0b03b5a7c3.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2504/4101705048_d584dc6e02.jpg

POOH & FRIENDS

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2620/4100948355_ff7a872beb.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2715/4100947889_8ab7675b3e.jpg

& BUZZ

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2582/4100949089_5871640684.jpg
starting her poses already

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2626/4101703638_68fb44ac68.jpg

The blue boat was just pulling in as we made it to the dock! Great timing! We got back to SSR, and walked to our room. We opened the door to find a surprise from Mickey & the Gang…..

(before we left for dinner, I “forgot” something and ran back to the room; I had planned to do this before we ever walked into the room at check-in. )

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2707/4100949325_594368d1e7.jpg
our surprise from Mickey; by the way, this table/ mirror is in the entryway to the hotel room

All three kiddos had a stuffed baby (M-Daisy, J-Pooh, and C-Stitch) thanks Disney Store for sale prices! Maya and Cayden each had a watercolor set (Princess & cars), Disney halloween tote bags,and a Pez dispenser. They also had some printed pages I had found online. Basically they were for filling our your favorite things. And finally they had a lanyard and pins. (purchased on Ebay; I wasn’t sure if they would get into it but wanted to give them the option). James had a couple Disney books in addition to his stuffed baby. There also was a welcome letter I got here from the DISigns board.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2657/4101705664_31cb631095.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2563/4100949761_9d527bc51a.jpg
reading the arrival letter with Nonni

Our suitcases had arrived, so we did a bit of unpacking. Both of our suitcases had a little bit of clothing on the bottom, and the tops were filled with random things- glowsticks, snacks, shower curtains, etc. whatever weird must-have for the park you can think of.

The randoms were on the top, so they got unpacked.

One drawer for park stuff.

One shelf for diapers, wipes, bibs.

One shelf for baby food/ snacks/ formula/ bottles/ sippies/ bowls/ spoons. We had decided to take powder formula once we say how hot it would be. A bit more difficult to deal with, but definitely lighter. And we took take n toss spoons and bowls for his baby food and snacks, so we could just toss them if they got nasty. I shipped down a box ahead of time with diapers, wipes, formula. It was about 22 pounds, but still cheaper than an extra suitcase or an overweight charge.

And one drawer for baby toys. We didn’t bring him any big toys. We just brought things that we could attach to the stroller with linkidoos. We took a string of linkidoos and 3-4 small toys to the park with us each day and switched them out as necessary.

The room was tight with all our stuff, but we made it. Chris and I put our suitcase/carryon on the floor in the closet. The bathroom sinks area was very open, so we put the kids suitcase under the sinks. We could still get to the sink, no problem. We put the empty box under the second sink, to use for dirty clothing.

We put the hotel provided pack n play in front of the other sink. We couldn’t reach it very easily, but it was manageable. We put the crib in the corner in between the small table and the window.

We put the kids in bed and played around a bit with the online dining reservation system. We found one, for 850 pm. I’m not remembering which day it was, but it didn’t work for us with our park plans. It also was really a bit late, I thought for the kids.

We were tired, and ready for bed. It was maybe 1230 by this point- but I was working off 3 hours the night before. Plus, the next day was a big one

up next- Magic Kingdom!!!!:dancer:

lbuzz52

11-13-2009, 05:12 PM

So glad you finally made it! Your villa is pretty and very big! What did you end up doing for dinner?

welcome! i thought we'd never make it. it was hard not to beat ourselves up with the "we should be at xxxxx right now"

I'd guess it was close to the size of three individual rooms at a value or Courtyard or something? I think i was greatful over the course of the week, that we chose this instead of three rooms. it was nice to have more then 4 walls to stare at. I didn't show the other bathroom, but it was more like a normal hotel bathroom. I'd say overall they did a really good job of getting a lot of amenities in a smallish space and not making it feel too cramped.

i think i was typing about dinner while you were writing your comment. i had to split for pics.

Great start. I leave for WDW in 9 days. This will help to pass the time. :)

Lucy

hi there! i know what you mean- too bad the time during the trip can't go as slow as time does when you are waiting to leave! first trip or one of many?

praisehisname

11-13-2009, 10:32 PM

Your dinner looks so good! I'm really looking forward to trying WPE.

lbuzz52

11-14-2009, 12:29 AM

Your dinner looks so good! I'm really looking forward to trying WPE.

It was pretty tasty! I actually saw quite a few things on the menu that I thought looked good but pizza is my weakness! In case I don't get to it before you leave, I'd recommend earls for counter at dtd too.

Gianna'sPapa

11-14-2009, 07:10 AM

misskate

11-14-2009, 07:18 AM

Wow!! I missed a couple updates.

Forgetting to set my alarm would have panicked me! Good job staying calm. (A special shout out to the counter lady who undercharged you! :woohoo:)

Those pizzas look delish, but I'm with you. Next time I'm in DTD, I need to try that chicken salad!! WOW! (And that rice krispy treat you and the kiddos made looks ah-mazing. :))

Can't wait to hear about your first park day!

P.S. I love all the great pics of SSR. It's on our "must stay" list.

onelilspark

11-14-2009, 09:05 AM

What a cute surprise for the kiddos!

crgfsu1

11-16-2009, 11:45 AM

lbuzz52

11-16-2009, 08:13 PM

WPE is always a must stop for our family. If you haven't tried the Rosemary Rotisserie Chicken w/garlic butter and mashed potatoes, you haven't lived. It is to die for. Other than the flight, it sounds like you're off to a good start. Can't wait to hear more. Thanks for sharing.

funny you mention that. I tried to talk my sister into that so I could try it.

Wow!! I missed a couple updates.

Forgetting to set my alarm would have panicked me! Good job staying calm. (A special shout out to the counter lady who undercharged you! :woohoo:)

P.S. I love all the great pics of SSR. It's on our "must stay" list.

that lady was the best part of our snafu.
We really enjoyed ssr. Hope you get to try it one day.

lbuzz52

11-16-2009, 09:23 PM

Glad you finally made it!

Too bad you missed your Ohana reservation, but it looks like WPE turned out great.

One question - what did you have to bring a shower curtain for? Just curious...

Ready to hit the park!
cathy

it stinks that we missed it but I just added it our reasons to go back super soon.
We use the showery curtain in our next installment.

What a cute surprise for the kiddos!

Thanks! Daisy has replaced bunny for bedtime

lbuzz52

11-17-2009, 05:49 PM

i finally got the CD of my sister's pics. i got my mom's too but it won't play on my computer for some reason. i'll have to make a copy myself from her card.

But here are a couple from my sister's camera from travel day.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/102709%20DTD/040.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/102709%20DTD/037.jpg
i can't decide- does my nephew look more like a slice of pizza or jay leno?

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/102709%20DTD/045.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/102709%20DTD/046.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/102709%20DTD/034.jpg
the $40 rice crispy treat i mentioned earlier

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/102709%20DTD/032.jpg
on the boat

sorry the pics are so huge! my sister's camera settings are different from mine. plus i had to move to photobucket and for some reason its not saving my size changes, even when i tell it to. i'll figure it out.

luv2travel29

11-17-2009, 06:01 PM

cant wait to hear the rest of it!!! :goodvibes
we def. want to try that restaurant - WPE - the food looks awesome!! :cool1:

lbuzz52

11-17-2009, 06:08 PM

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2446.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2469.jpg

just a sizing test

i can get mine to change sizes, but i can only get my sisters to do the custom sizes. which is better. smaller or bigger. aparently it doesn't want ot go in between

onelilspark

11-17-2009, 07:44 PM

Don't worry about sizes :) Doesn't bother me!

lbuzz52

11-18-2009, 02:35 PM

Just a fair warning- the first couple of days are really pic heavy- then my camera acts up so i promise it will die down a bit.
____________________

It’s the day we had waited so long for! Magic Kingdom!

(Just a little background- we would have 2 full days at the MK, plus the Halloween party)

Our goal today was to make it to rope drop at 9am. We would aim for half of fantasyland, liberty square, frontierland, and adventureland.

I woke up maybe around 7am. I’m not sure if I mentioned this before, but my sister and nephew were using the pullout in the living room as a bedroom. So I quietly snuck in the kitchen and started the coffee. I got myself ready, got the kids clothes out, and sat with my coffee to feed the baby. Chris got Maya ready. Cayden is potty trained, but I guess the excitement of a new place knocked him out of his routine- because when he woke up he had had an accident. So into the tub with him. Now that the others were up, it was back in the kitchen to get the baby food, snacks, water bottles, etc all packed up. Well, we had put the ice bucket in the freezer over night so the ice wouldn’t melt. Yeah, not a great idea. The darn thing cracked right in half! Needless to say, it was 9 before we even left the room!

We headed over to the grandstand bus stop- very close! We just had to pass the pool area, and one additional building, and there we were! It was only a few minutes until we saw the MK bus and we were on our way! I wish you could have seen Maya's excitement when she heard the bus announce that we were almost at the magic kingdom.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2449.jpg?t=1258559275
walking from the bus drop to the main gates. dont worry, the baby is in my wrap- he's not stuffed under those bags

We arrived at the gates at 945. It only took a minute to make it through and we were on our way! We grabbed a couple first visit buttons from a cm passing them out by the maps.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2466.jpg?t=1258563770
Maya's first visit button

I suggested that Jenny stop and buy an autograph book immediately. It was a good thing she did, because I look to the right and there is snow white, with absolutely no line! Maya had to meet her, and surprisingly, Cayden wanted to also. There was a Photopass guy there, so we got our cards. I even remembered to take a picture in case I lost it!

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2451.jpg?t=1258559336

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2452.jpg?t=1258559184

We saw Pluto in the center, but decided to hold off. He had a decent line and we knew we would see him later in the week.
Instead, we jumped into Pinocchio’s line near the chapeau.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2459.jpg?t=1258574369
Chris helping the kids with their autograph book etiquitte

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2461.jpg?t=1258574503

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/059.jpg?t=1258574378

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2463.jpg?t=1258573989

And then, it was finally time… we turn the corner and she sees it. we get our first glimpse of the castle!!!!

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2465.jpg?t=1258564102

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2464.jpg?t=1258564308

and the trolley

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/065.jpg?t=1258573835

We stopped part of the way down main street to do a Photopass with the castle in the background. We also did the special shot with Tinkerbelle.
It was funny- I had prepped my daughter that she may have to do some specific poses and then something special will show up when you look at them later. I can’t wait to get them and show you her face, because she obviously didn’t remember. That girl looked con-fused! (at least in the photopass one)

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2471.jpg?t=1258574174

We stopped at another castle Photopass on the way to Fantasyland. Only this time, Maya refused. So instead James and I took one. Unfortunately, iwasn't thinking much of the way i was holding him. neither of us look to great.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2473.jpg?t=1258575306

We continued on our path to Fantasyland and ran into Lady Tremaine and the stepsisters near where Belle does her story time. These three were a hoot. Very in character.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2474.jpg?t=1258560763

Anastasia was completely smitten with Maya. She said it was because she was wearing her favorite color, pink. I wish i had made notes on their conversation.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/073.jpg?t=1258561857

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/069.jpg?t=1258561138

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2483.jpg?t=1258561126

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2475.jpg?t=1258563258
telling her age- Maya always speaks and shows her age when asked.

And Drusilla- she was having a very involved conversation with Cayden. i wish i knew what it was about. I was concentrating on Maya & Anastasia. but then i heard this grunt like sound from Cayden- can you guess what happened?

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/070.jpg?t=1258562056

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/071.jpg?t=1258562277

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/072.jpg?t=1258562202

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2484.jpg?t=1258575351

his cheek was covered in a big pink smooch! He wasn’t very happy about it!

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/074.jpg?t=1258560934
Maya thought it was too funny!

We came to the teacups and it was walk-on- so we walked on!

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/075.jpg?t=1258575792

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/076.jpg?t=1258575572

Baby James skipped this one and went with Chris to fastpass Peter Pan.

Then it was time for potty break # 1 of 47,987,456.

To be continued...[/COLOR]

MyBubbles

11-18-2009, 02:59 PM

Your TR is great so far - good timing with snow white. I hope I'm as lucky next time. Can't wait to read the rest.

lbuzz52

11-18-2009, 06:07 PM

When we finished in the restroom, we saw Alice with a very short line. Before we reached the front, The White Rabbit joined her! It took us about 5 minutes.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2487.jpg?t=1258560050

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2488.jpg?t=1258560137
Alice asked how old she was.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2490.jpg?t=1258560243

Cayden wasn’t interested in Alice so he rode the Speedway with Jenny.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/077.jpg?t=1258582857

After they were done, we headed back thru fantasyland. We saw Pooh & Tigger but they had a massive line. We figured we’d catch them at a later time. But Pooh the ride had a 5 minute stand-by time.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2492.jpg?t=1258583804

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2496.jpg?t=1258583823
my happy toothless baby in the line queue

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/079.jpg?t=1258583944
it was so hot!

I think it was even faster than that. It was the first time to ride for all 8 of us. It was cute, but I missed the old Mr. Toad’s. To be honest, i missed a bunch of the ride period. i was trying to get a good picture of my baby in his first ride ever, but didn't have much luck.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2500.jpg?t=1258583604

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/081.jpg?t=1258583971

The standby line for Dumbo said 10 minutes. We couldn’t pass that up! Again, I think it took less time than that. Baby James rode this one too. The kids begged to ride again as soon as we got off. So they went again with Nonni and PawPaw.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/086.jpg?t=1258583611
Maya and I on Dumbo

It’s a Small World was walk-on, so we decided to ride it. Chris had no interest, so he volunteer to go get fastpasses for BTMR. He wasn’t going to escape it though- by the middle of the ride we knew we had to ride it again. Not only did the kids love it, the baby was in complete awe! He stood the whole time, with his face lit up. He clapped and bounced and moved his booty. I felt bad for the guy in front of us because that baby spent the whole ride smacking the seat in front of him with excitement. Unfortunately, I was holding him, so try as I might, I just didn’t get a really great picture that portrayed his pure joy.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/087.jpg?t=1258584535

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/093.jpg?t=1258584766

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2515.jpg?t=1258584914
completely in awe and wonder

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2511.jpg?t=1258584635

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2514.jpg?t=1258584938
I have no idea what they were looking at.

We were definitely hungry by this time, but decided to go ahead and use our Peter Pan fast passes while we were in the area. Another one we all enjoyed.
I had James in the wrap because I couldn’t remember much about it other than it was in the air. It really was unnecessary though. I swear Maya spent the rest of the day talking about the Mermaid with a purple bra who looked like Ariel. They also wanted to ride this again immediately but the standby was 40 minutes, so we did not. James had fallen asleep during the ride.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2458.jpg?t=1258585364
sleepy baby james

When we got off we say Tigger with his handler- he was on his way to a break.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2509.jpg?t=1258585810

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/082.jpg?t=1258585987

We were ready for lunch. - Columbia Harbor House. I had the tuna sandwich with chips. Chris had fried shrimp with I think fries. Both were pretty tasty and very generous portions. The kids had macaroni & cheese. AKA easymac. My parents had the fish basket and the chicken basket. No complaints. I'm pretty sure i didn't take pictures. I remember ordering then taking the baby to the table to get his food ready.

James had a jar of food. I’m not going to bother telling you all every time he had a jar of food- lets just say he loved everyone, it all was stinky, and the boy sure knows how to eat.

He also needed a bottle. We had decided that we would bring the powder formula because we were not crazy about the ready to feeds in the sun all day. So we needed hot water. There isn’t any hot water in the bathrooms. So we just asked for a cup of hot water from the counter service places. In case you ever have the need for this, just know it is really hot. I mean burn your hands thru the cup hot. We’d use a bit as a semi-resterilization method. Then we’d put about 2 ounces in there and mix the powder in. Then it would take the other 6 ounces to cool it off to a drinkable temperature.

So while we were getting this ready everyone else took another potty break.

Before we went into CHH, it was just starting to sprinkle. We pulled out a shower curtain that we had bought from the dollar store to cover the strollers. It was a pretty good size cover for the double. It barely rained harder than a sprinkle, but it would have wet the seats so it was nice to have. I don’t think that the dollar store one would have made it in a downpour though. It was pretty thin.

We then wandered over to Haunted mansion.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/096.jpg?t=1258585966

I think the line time said maybe 10 minutes? Before we left, this was one of the few rides that Maya said she thought may scare her. She went on it no problem. But she wasn’t interested in riding it again. It probably didn’t help that we were stopped for a while in the middle of the ghost in your doombuggy scene.

We headed thru Liberty Square towards Frontierland. It then started to rain a bit heavier. Cayden had to go potty again though, so we pulled over under the cover of the Country Bear Jamboree and waited it out. I’m pretty sure the place was empty inside. Chris and I braved the rain for our first cigarette break of the day.

We walked towards splash and BTMR. Splash had a 5 minute walk-on. Mom and Jenny offered to sit out with James- they weren’t crazy about the idea of getting wet. So we grabbed a baby-swap pass.
(If you are unfamiliar with these- if you have a baby or child who can’t/ won’t ride a ride, everyone go to the ride queue and ask for a baby swap. The cm gives the swap pass to the adult who is sitting out. The swap pass is sort of like a fastpass with no time- plus it is good for three people!)

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/photo.jpg?t=1258587594

We decided that Mom and Jenny would find us a spot to watch the parade at and we would meet them after splash. I had taken a note that a good spot to watch the parade in frontierland was just past Country Bear Jamboree on the splash side.

Splash was new for all of us. It was funny, every time we’d turn a corner or see a drop coming, we’d be like- here it come, here it comes, here it…oh, just another tease. But we all loved it, and luckily none of us really got wet! The fastpass times were only about 45 minutes away, so we grabbed another set for later.

We stopped and looked at our picture. Cayden was pretty much blocked out of it- we had to hold the kids in pretty tight to keep them from bouncing on the drop. We also stopped for- you guessed it- a potty break.

We then looked for mom, Jenny, and James. They weren’t where we expected them to be. I tried calling Jenny- no answer. I called mom. Apparently, we had basically walked by them. They were at the very end of the parade route, right by Splash. It wasn’t exactly where we had discussed, but no biggie.

We still had about 20 minutes to wait for the parade to get to us. The CM’s had the hula hoops out and Maya wanted to give it a try.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2523.jpg?t=1258588091

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2522.jpg?t=1258588152
if you look behind her- we were on the corner of splash, directly across from the road to adventureland

She tried for a bit and then just decided to spin it on her arms instead.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2524.jpg?t=1258588311

Then it was time for duck, duck donald. Maya watched for a bit and then wanted to play. She found a spot and waited for what seemed like forever before someone picked her.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2529.jpg?t=1258588469

Well, by her enthusiasm, I thought she knew how to play. I figured she had just learned in mother’s day out. WRONG! She chased that person around the circle a couple of times, and then made her own path to continue chasing the person. Finally, she just got tired and sat back down, at the suggestion of the cm. Whoops!

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2526.jpg?t=1258588579

I"m not sure if you can tell by these pics, but it was so hot! it was i think 94 that day. the spot we picked was directly in the afternoon sun too. I liked our next parade spot better, but oh well.

Next update: we Celebrate!

praisehisname

11-19-2009, 12:16 PM

We also did the special shot with Tinkerbelle.

Did you buy the CD so we can the pic later?

I was concentrating on Maya & Anastasia. but then i heard this grunt like sound from Cayden- can you guess what happened?

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/071.jpg?t=1258562277

:rotfl2:

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2515.jpg?t=1258584914
completely in awe and wonder

So cute!

We were ready for lunch. - Columbia Harbor House.

I'm looking forward to eating here in 21 days!

Next update: we Celebrate!

:banana:

lbuzz52

11-19-2009, 04:02 PM

Your TR is great so far - good timing with snow white. I hope I'm as lucky next time. Can't wait to read the rest.

yes, we were very lucky that morning!

Did you buy the CD so we can the pic later?

We did, we have to finish some edits and then it'll be on its way.

:rotfl2:

The best cayden moment of the day!

So cute!

Thanks, I was really surprised at how much he was taking it in.

I'm looking forward to eating here in 21 days!

it was pretty tasty. i think it was my favorite out of the three we tried at MK

:banana:

my responses in black

that's nice

11-20-2009, 08:56 AM

I'm all caught up!

I'm so sorry you missed your 'Ohana ADR.:sad1: Maybe you will get lucky later in the week?:scratchin

Thank goodness you didn't have your MNSSHP tickets for your arrival day. I'm not sure you would of had a relaxing time at the party with all that traveling.

Your DTD meals looks really good. We have never eaten at WPE and are thinking of possible having a lunch there in March!

I cannot believe how short the lines were at MK. Were you there on a MNSSHP day? You guys hit so many rides in such a short amount of time. WTG!!!!!!

BTW.. the pics of the kids are way too cute! :flower3:

I can't wait to hear more!!!

that's nice

12-04-2009, 12:03 AM

Lauren.....

Just checking in. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving... hope everything is OK. :goodvibes

onelilspark

12-04-2009, 04:53 AM

Hmmm, missed your last post somehow...a little late to the party, but I have to say, that's a great tip about getting hot water from any CS place (even if you had to wait for it to cool down then again! Yikes! :eek:) I'm sure that'll help out a lot of parents!

Dawg91

12-22-2009, 10:22 PM

Are we waiting for the rest of the trip report or did I miss it somewhere? I'd love to read more. :thumbsup2

alabamagirl

01-18-2010, 12:17 AM

Would love to read more!!!

disneylovin24

01-18-2010, 07:24 AM

:goodvibesGreat trip report so far:goodvibes

I am really loving all of the pics:lovestruc It's great to see all the little one's reactions!!!

lbuzz52

01-28-2010, 11:21 AM

So it was finally time for the parade to start. It only took me about 10 seconds to realize that my baby girl is a parade addict! She loved every minute of it. I apparently didn’t make notes of who came to “see” us, but it looks like we were visited by at least a couple.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2532.jpg?t=1264633017
patiently waiting

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2535.jpg
here it comes!:goodvibes

here are some of the floats and characters... maybe it will make you feel like you are there?

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2538.jpg
Chip?

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110.jpg
Aladdin

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2551.jpg
Jafar

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2556.jpg
Alice and the Mad hatter

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2561.jpg
Ariel and Eric

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2547.jpg
Gepetto came to visit us.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2549.jpg
Pinnochio

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2555.jpg
Captain Hook

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2557.jpg
Wendy & Peter

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/112.jpg
Lady Tremaine

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2542.jpg
Mickey

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2541.jpg
Minnie

The good thing about our spot was that it seemed that every last bit of pixie dust left in the parade was tossed on us. The bad part was, as I mentioned before, it was a very hot spot. The poor baby got so warm.

We decided to use our left over fastpasses and babyswap from Splash- we definitely needed to cool off. Mom and Jenny went this time along with me and the kids. You may remember who wanted to stay dry- well, of course mom was the one that got wet this time.

We took advantage of the potty once again, and then headed next door to use our fastpasses for thunder. When I was young, that was the one ride at Disney that really made me feel brave- of course, that may have had something to do with the fact I was too chicken to ride space. It was bit bumpier and wilder than I remembered. Not crazy wild, just more “oomph” than I remembered it having. The kids got off and wanted to ride again immediately. So we switched out some adults, grabbed the leftover fp/bs passes, and did. This time, I got to ride next to Maya. And my big brave girl did it with her hands up!!

This time when we got off, Maya wanted to ride again but Cayden said no way. Worked for us, because we were out of passes.

We decided that we were in dire need of an ice cream treat to cool us off. We wandered over to Sunshine for shakes and to refill our water bottles. On the way we stopped at the potty for Maya and grabbed fastpasses for the Jungle Cruise.

By the time we reached Sunshine, Cayden had fallen asleep. Mom and dad sat with Maya and James while Chris and I took a break. We woke Cayden up and he had his potty and ice cream break. By that time, James had fallen asleep.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2563.jpg
poor sleepy baby

Then pawpaw, Maya, and Cayden walked on Aladdin’s carpet about three times.

Now we were ready to use our Jungle Cruise fast passes. It was there that I had one of those “please hide me” mommy moments. I’m not sure if you all remember, but when I first started this report, I said that Maya was independent.

So we walked on Jungle using our fastpasses. We were loading our boat and Maya needed help getting on. She could have used the Cm’s hand for help. She could have used Nonni’s hand for help. There is even a bar to use to hold on to for support. But what does she pick????

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2568.jpg

lbuzz52

01-28-2010, 11:26 AM

I'm sorry for the massive delay between updates. I can make a million excuses, but the long and short of it is life, holidays, and work all got really busy at the same time. Coupled with a computer that apparently only works when it wants to :badpc:- I kept having to push this down the priority list. :guilty: Hopefully there are still some interested readers out there??

lynlink

01-28-2010, 04:06 PM

Glad your back to writing Lauren! Reading this makes me want to go back. It seems like my trip last October was FOREVER ago! Can't wait to hear more.

lbuzz52

01-28-2010, 05:30 PM

so just what did Maya use to help herself on the boat????

She grabs the cm’s crotch. OH MY GOODNESS. [/SIZE]
:eek::eek::blush::blush:

And if that wasn’t bad enough… the skipper notices and says “I’m not going to lie, that’s freaky” .
OVER THE CB RADIO.

Yep, I didn’t even notice the cheesy jokes. I was too busy trying to blend into the seat. If i could i would have just snuck out of there but this obviously was not the place to do that:tiptoe: unfortunately.

I did notice that this was another ride James really enjoyed though.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2569.jpg

Next, we walked right on to pirates. Maya was certain she was going to be scared, but she wasn’t’. James was quite amused by the ride- until he fell asleep. There were so many parts I remembered from 20 years ago. But this time I really appreciated the detail put into it. Like the leg hairs on the pirates.

We came out and the strollers had been moved. That was a fun few minutes

By this point it was getting late in the day. We rounded the corner to Pecos Bills for dinner. Some of us got burgers, some of us got taco salads. I think we all got the cookies for dessert. Those that had the taco salads said they were okay, but bland. I had the burger and also didn’t really enjoy it. It was overcooked. Poor Maya, her’s was so burnt she wouldn’t touch it. I would have said something, but she ate all her sides and I thought we were pressed for time.

My sister was developing an I’m dog tired- leave me alone- don’t even look at me attitude. Let me tell you, she can be much worse than the kids. There was a little confusion over where we were sitting and it really rubbed her the wrong way. So needless to say, this was a quick, quiet meal and I didn’t bother with pictures.

It was 745 when we walked out from Pecos Bills. We had planned to watch Spectro across from the Country Bear Jamboree. We were surprised to find front row seating still available. The kids and dad leaned against a railing to give their feet a rest while we were waiting. Thanks to those of you who suggested glowsticks- becuase there was no way this cart was going unnoticed.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2574.jpg

But i just pulled out the fancy glowsticks we found at the dollar store- wands and swords. and all was right in the world again!

For some reason, I thought that it ran from Frontierland to Main Street. Not so- but that explained why there were front row spots left at 745!

Everyone LOVED the parade. i knew without a doubt i had to see it again before i left. The baby spent the whole time clapping his hands and leaning in to see it all. The big kids' glowsticks were a huge hit. (Maya wanted to sleep with hers). We had multiple dwarfs come to see us, and one even shook the baby’s hand. Of course, I have issues with camera speed and missed all the best shots of this.

I know longer remember if i am putting these shots in the proper order so please forgive me!

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/121.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/122.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2576.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2577.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2580.jpg
watching in amazement

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2617.jpg
Dopey

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/139.jpg
Maya meeting the dwarfs- which one is this?

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/140.jpg
James meeting Sneezy.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2609.jpg
Alice

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2587.jpg
Dale

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/136.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2599.jpg
James staring in wonder

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2601.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2593.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2600.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2603.jpg
trying to get someone, i forget who.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2585.jpg

lbuzz52

01-28-2010, 05:35 PM

Glad your back to writing Lauren! Reading this makes me want to go back. It seems like my trip last October was FOREVER ago! Can't wait to hear more.

LYNLINK!!!! you are so right, it does make you want to go back!
Chris actually said he wants to go back multiple times- with the kids and without- so i considered that like an extra Christmas present

I'm all caught up!

I'm so sorry you missed your 'Ohana ADR.:sad1: Maybe you will get lucky later in the week?:scratchin

Thank goodness you didn't have your MNSSHP tickets for your arrival day. I'm not sure you would of had a relaxing time at the party with all that traveling.

Your DTD meals looks really good. We have never eaten at WPE and are thinking of possible having a lunch there in March!

I cannot believe how short the lines were at MK. Were you there on a MNSSHP day? You guys hit so many rides in such a short amount of time. WTG!!!!!!

BTW.. the pics of the kids are way too cute! :flower3:

I can't wait to hear more!!!

you are so right about the MNSSHP- we almost got the tix that day
do try WPE.
i haven't read yours in forever- i have to spend a while catching up on it. we may have a snow day tomorrow (well, ice anyway) and if so i'll have to try to catch up

Lauren.....

Just checking in. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving... hope everything is OK. :goodvibes

you too!

Hmmm, missed your last post somehow...a little late to the party, but I have to say, that's a great tip about getting hot water from any CS place (even if you had to wait for it to cool down then again! Yikes! :eek:) I'm sure that'll help out a lot of parents!

thanks!

Are we waiting for the rest of the trip report or did I miss it somewhere? I'd love to read more. :thumbsup2

didn't miss it... i was just a major slacker over the holidays. its our busiest time at work too.

Would love to read more!!!

welcome!

:goodvibesGreat trip report so far:goodvibes

I am really loving all of the pics:lovestruc It's great to see all the little one's reactions!!!

welcome to you too!

lbuzz52

01-28-2010, 05:57 PM

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/124.jpg
Mickey

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2618.jpg
Minnie

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2605.jpg
Pluto

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/138.jpg]
The Queen of Hearts came to see us

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2610.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2615.jpg
another sneezy pic

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2614.jpg
snow white

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_2594.jpg
ursula

When Spectro ended, we decided it was time to leave. Everyone was worn out. Plus, the kids aren’t crazy for the noise that comes with fireworks. We were home from the park by 915.

We were planning on getting the kids ready for bed, but when we returned to the room one of toilets was leaking out of the bottom and wouldn’t flush. It had been fine when we left for the day. We also noticed that the sheets had not been replaced from the sofabed. We called the desk to report both of these items.

It was 40 minutes before they brought the sheets. That person knew nothing of the toilet issue. So we called down again. This time, we added that we needed towels to replace those that were soaking up the toilet water. It was another 30 minutes before s gentleman from MK brought towels. He also knew nothing of the toilet. He called someone to check on it for us. We needed to take baths, and were ready to go to bed. But we had to wait another 20 minutes :mad:before we saw anyone. He tried to fix the toilet but then decided he had to come back in the morning with a machine.

It was after 1130 by this point. And every last one of us was awake. Even the baby. This really shocked me as he had only really taken two cat naps during pirates and the ice cream and that was it.

And not one of the three people that left the room took the trash and dirty laundry out that mk had left outside the door.

We all got in bed. I laid there about 15 minutes before I realized I didn’t remember packing my swimsuit. I remembered it on the list. I remembered scratching it off the list. But I didn’t remember actually packing it. I searched through everything before I accepted that I didn’t bring it. And I spent like 8 hours packing us all.

I got back in bed and laid there for about another 10 minutes before I remembered to go change the batteries out in the charger for my camera. Only I couldn’t find the charger. Where did it go?

Some final thoughts for the first park day….

I was really impressed that you could find toilet covers everywhere. That made my life so much easier with the volume of potty breaks we had. I don’t think I saw a baby changing cover once though. I just wiped it with a sani wipe and lined it with paper towels.

A couple things we wished we had brought/bought for the room:
Butter- mom was wishing she had some for toast
Plastic cups- something light for the kids to use.

Maya’s favorites:
1) the tea cups
2) Cinderella’s family
Cayden’s favorite:
1) BTMR
James’ favorites:
1) IASW
2) Spectro

praisehisname

01-28-2010, 08:04 PM

So glad you're back and posting again! I loved all the parade pics! That's awful about the toilet and how long you had to wait for someone to come look at it!

Denise

lbuzz52

01-28-2010, 09:01 PM

So glad you're back and posting again! I loved all the parade pics! That's awful about the toilet and how long you had to wait for someone to come look at it!

Denise

Thanks!!

The toilet did stink, especially since at this point it wasn't fixed yet. It was irritating at the time because ssr wasn't cheap. But by now it's something I had just about forgotten about until I was reviewing my notes today.

Charlefours

02-05-2010, 07:45 AM

lbuzz52

02-05-2010, 09:33 PM

Hello! I found your TR yesterday and read through it this morning. :goodvibes Subbing in now!!

Your family is beautiful!! :) I love the sheer amazement on the kiddos faces during the rides and parades!! Looking forward to reading along. :surfweb:

Welcome!
Thanks for all the nice compliments. The childrens excitement was definitely by far my favorite part of the trip.

lbuzz52

02-16-2010, 04:05 PM

Thurs oct 29

We had a busy day planned for today- character breakfasts in the morning, and Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party in the evening!

My original goal was to be at EMH rope drop at 8:00. I was 100% vetoed. So we decided to go for an 830 departure from the hotel.

Chris, Maya, James, and myself had a 1030 ADR at CRT.
Cayden, Mom, Dad, and Jenny had a 1000 ADR at Ohana's.

I woke up three or four times early morning, determined I was oversleeping. I finally got up at 7. I slept for a longer stretch then I had in many days. I was the only one up though. I did as much as I could to get ready without waking everyone else up. I just can't ever sleep late on vacation. I'm too excited.

I woke up Chris and the kids at 8:00. Maya was so excited to see that Cinderella had left her a note and a new princess outfit.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/Cindydressandcrownfromphone.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/crt-1.jpg

Lilo and Stitch had left Cayden a note as well, and a kiddie camera.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/ohana.jpg

I go the kids ready quickly. Chris fed James while I attempted an updo. Then we told the others we'd see them soon and were on our way to the bus stop. We actually ended up just missing the MK bus so we all ended up bussing it together to the MK and then they caught the monorail to the Poly.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2634.jpg

I didn't hear much about the food- so I'll be brave enough to guess it was okay. I would have heard if it was really bad or really good. They seemed to love the character interaction there though. I was told that they spent lots of time with each child.

They saw Lilo

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/147.jpg

And Stitch- one of Cayden's favorites

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/168.jpg

and there was someone else but I didn't get notes on who. And then there was something about Pluto stealing Cayden's shoe??

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/150.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/159.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/157.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/160.jpg
These kids couldn't let Cayden have all the fun!

In the meantime, we went into the Magic Kingdom. Our goal was to be at Toontown for opening, see the fairies, and hightail it to the castle for breakfast. We were trying to avoid a long wait for Tink. Plus, we didn't have Cayden with us, who really didn't care about the fairies.

This would have been a great day to be at the Magic Kingdom. It was EMH, and a MNSSHP day. The crowds were almost non-exhistant. Here's a pic from around 930 a.m.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2635.jpg

On our way back to toontown, we passed a Photopass next to the castle. It was the same Photopass guy that Maya refused to pose for yesterday. She decided today that she would- "now that she was in the right dress" was her excuse.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2637.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2697.jpg

He did the balloon pose with her.
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2639.jpg

We walked up to the gates at TT at 950, and they were opening it. We followed everyone else to the line for the fairies.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2641.jpg

Just a note- I have no idea how this is on other days- but on this day- Thursday with EMH & MNSSHP- this was a really good time to see all the characters in the building. For about 15 minutes or so, the princess line was non existant. And for the next 15 minutes it was still really short. I saw a few groups run through the princess line with basically no wait and end up not far behind up in the fairy line. And the groups in the front of the fairy line ran through the princess line afterwards too.

We were let into pixie hollow at 1017.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2650.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2643.jpg

We had the nicest CM leading our group back. Maya liked her so much she asked her to sign her autograph book.

As soon as they let us around the corner, Terrance came to meet baby James. It was the first speaking character he had seen, and he's kind of got the "i dont know you why are you talking to me" attitude anyway, but he did fine.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2654.jpg

Maya was led to Rosetta. She was pretty friendly. I really liked her.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2657.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2658.jpg

By this point, Tink was saying hello to Baby James.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2659.jpg

Rosetta went over to visit him as well.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2660.jpg

Tink then led Maya to her station by the hand. But the ppass CM was watching Rosetta and the baby. (I think it irritated Tink a bit- she let out this noise- I'm not sure what to call it but it was like she was saying hello, I'm here, let's keep this show moving- but it was totally in character)

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2661.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2663.jpg

Then Tink led Maya to Terrance. He was really good- I love it when the characters get down on the kids level. Too bad at this point the second movie was just coming out and I had no idea who this was. By now I think Maya could tell him all of his lines, she's watched the movie so much.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2665.jpg

Next up:
Breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table!!!!

lbuzz52

02-24-2010, 05:20 PM

So it was now 1033. We literally ran to the castle, but of course hadn't thought to take the time to figure out where the entrance was when we were there the day before. So we entered the doors at almost 10 minutes late. I didn't figure that this was a big deal- I had just been told by Ohana's that it was okay to be a couple minutes late. Well, here, it was a bit of a bigger deal. Especially since our reservation happened to be the last breakfast seating time. Thankfully, the hostess was able to still let us in. Cinderella had already left, but they told us she would be back in a few minutes and we could take it then.

When we made the reservation, you had to prepay in full. You were supposed to tell them at check in if you wanted to use your dining plan credits instead, and then they would refund you. So I do so, and they tell me I will see a credit within such and such time. Mine was up about 3 days later.

So when we sat down they brought out a bowl of breakfast breads, in addition to fresh fruit and orange juice. We ordered our food and then saw we were just in time for the wishing ceremony.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2666.jpg

I tried to google the menu online, but it looks like they may have changed the menu. I was quite hungry by this point, so I didn't remember to catch a pic of the food until we were well into it. Chris and Maya's plates were not very appealing by this point- so I won't share those pictures. Maya got regular kids French toast, with bacon and scrambled eggs. Chris got "fancy" French toast, with bacon. It was topped with fruit and I think it was stuffed. He said it was definetely dessert for breakfast. My plate was pretty clean though, so here's a pic of when I was done with it.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2687.jpg

It was a spinach omelet (sort of a muffin shape) with potatoes and sausage. I really liked this omelet. Yum!! If I viewed the most current menu on google a few minutes ago- it may not still be available.

While we were eating, the princesses came to see us.

First it was Snow White.
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2669.jpg

Then Sleeping Beauty.
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2673.jpg

After she visited with Maya she planted a big one on James.
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2674.jpg
(you can see a bit of Maya's food on the left, and Chris's is in front of him.)

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2675.jpg

Then Belle- she was very short.
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2683.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2686.jpg

And finally Jasmine. She was definitely the best character interaction here.
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2680.jpg

She took a picture with James too.
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2682.jpg

In the meantime, the Cm from check in came back and told us that Cinderella wouldn’t be back for pictures until 1145. She gave us a pass to come back then and go straight to the front of the line. She also gave us a fastpass for any ride in the meantime. It was 1115 when we left.

I felt that they were very accomidating with us when we were late. And the castle was so very pretty. I’m so glad that we got to see it. But I do have to say that I agree with many other comments I’ve read on here that the whole thing was very rushed. I think I’d like to try Akerus next time. We did stop to take a window picture though.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2693.jpg

Here are the very few random castle pictures i got.
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2676.jpg
inside the dining room

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2677.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2694.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2691.jpg

So we had a half an hour until we could take our picture with Cinderella, and a fast pass burning a hole in our pocket. We asked Maya what she wanted to do. She picked Peter Pan. It was actually a good pick, because the standby was at 35 minutes. So we hopped on rather quickly and were up in the air. Silly girl, she sang the whole time- “Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A Pirate’s Life for Me” . Not exactly the most correct song, but still very fitting.
We then ran through the carousel because it was walk on.

Then we went back to CRT. The CM at check- in remembered us and had us ushered over to the front of the line. We had to wait for a person or two and then it was our time. Maya said her hellos and took a couple of pictures.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2696.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2695.jpg

She then started walking off before she remembered that she needed to give her a hug. In that split second another child had already been usher up to Cindy. Oh, Maya’s face was pitiful. But she got over it so very quickly when the word SWIM was mentioned. So we headed to the bus to go back to our hotel. We needed a bit of a break before Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party!!!

Next up: MNSSHP- how would it go? :wizard:

Stacey16

02-24-2010, 08:07 PM

Just read through everything! Great job - can't wait to hear more!

Charlefours

02-25-2010, 12:19 AM

I love how when you go on vacation, you are so concern with sleeping past a time that you end up waking up more often! :rotfl: I know that happens to me too. Did you have a DISigner make the invites? I want to do that for Lilian too. :goodvibes: Great photos of Maya at the Castle. Did you end up ordering the photopass cd? I hope we get a chance to get to meet the Fairies :) We are shooting for it on my DD's birthday. Your daughter look like she was in heaven with the princesses! So precious :cutie: 1900 Park Fare might be a good option as well to think about.

Looking forward to hearing about MNSSHP! We are thinking of going to it as well in September. popcorn::

that's nice

02-25-2010, 07:10 AM

I still cannot believe how short the lines were!!!!! That is so awesome!!!!

Your pics of Spectro came out awesome!!!!! I always have a hard time taking those. I delete 3 for ever one I save! LOL

The last time we ate at Pecos Bill's we didn't care for it either. My DW has officially crossed that off our eating list.

Great pics with Tink & the gang. Being there at 9:45 is key because that line gets long very quickly.

What a great breakfast you had!! Glad they let you come back for a pic... plus they gave you a FP too.... NICE!!! :banana:

I can't wait to hear all about MNSSHP!!!!! pirate:

lbuzz52

02-25-2010, 10:16 AM

Just read through everything! Great job - can't wait to hear more!

:welcome:
i'm quickly finding out that you have to be patient to make it through my trip report but hopefully its worth it for you!

I love how when you go on vacation, you are so concern with sleeping past a time that you end up waking up more often! :rotfl: I know that happens to me too. Did you have a DISigner make the invites? I want to do that for Lilian too. :goodvibes: Great photos of Maya at the Castle. Did you end up ordering the photopass cd? I hope we get a chance to get to meet the Fairies :) We are shooting for it on my DD's birthday. Your daughter look like she was in heaven with the princesses! So precious :cutie: 1900 Park Fare might be a good option as well to think about.

Looking forward to hearing about MNSSHP! We are thinking of going to it as well in September. popcorn::

that is so true on the sleeping- i'd already done that once, i wasn't going to do it again.

Maya was in Heaven the whole trip. The characters were just the icing on the cake.

We did the photopass; i'm going to do a photopass update separately though. we ended up with close to 1000 i think after all the edits by three different mommies. i've got to find some uninterrupted time to pick my favorites.

I would really recommend MNSSHP- i had a great time and i think it took a couple months for us to stop singing the parade song. i *plan* on going back again.

the fairies were fun, dd wanted to go back and meet the rest of them. i've got no idea if there really is a best time of day to meet them or anything, or where they will be once they start the whole fantasyland/toontown thing.

for our arrival letter, i had someone take a letter they had already made and just add the names to the top for us. i found the invites on this site and just added handwritten information to them. i didn't want to beg for personal creations because i was/am new. i figured i was being a big enough burden with my 57 million questions:rotfl2:

I do want to do 1900 also. I really wanted to do it this time, but my dh was worried about over-character-mealing the trip. We never did meet the mad hatter this time, and it sounds like he is so funny.

I still cannot believe how short the lines were!!!!! That is so awesome!!!!

Your pics of Spectro came out awesome!!!!! I always have a hard time taking those. I delete 3 for ever one I save! LOL

The last time we ate at Pecos Bill's we didn't care for it either. My DW has officially crossed that off our eating list.

Great pics with Tink & the gang. Being there at 9:45 is key because that line gets long very quickly.

What a great breakfast you had!! Glad they let you come back for a pic... plus they gave you a FP too.... NICE!!! :banana:

I can't wait to hear all about MNSSHP!!!!! pirate:

for the most part, we lucked out with the crowds all week. there was one day that they were horrible compared to the others- but i think that was just a combination of a bunch of things- more on that later. and there was one ride that we waited forever. but other than that, we were amazing with the lines. i would go back that week for sure.

those spectro pics were from both my and my sister's camera. i'm sure my mom had some decent ones too but for some reason the disk of her pictures wont open on my computer? i definetely had some really off ones.

we are definetely taking pecos off the list. LTT wasn't bad, but there really wasn't anything meal wise at mk that made me say i must go back there. but too be fair, i need to go back and try the rest of the places too. ;)

We really lucked out at Cinderella. when we first got there to check in, the woman's tone had me thinking she was going to tell me tough salmon-sushi, i shoudl have been on time. i would have so been in doghouse the rest of the week.

i'm going to have to re-review your plans to remember where you are going this time. other than cake day, of course!

we tried to sway her to pick one of the mountains for her fast pass, but no luck:confused3 we really enjoyed this morning. it was sooo hot, but it was one of the few times we were by ourselves and got to say- what now maya? too bad we had to cut it short to go rest up. it was definetely worth it, i just wish i could have had both
(greedy little thing, ain't I:rotfl:)

Charlefours

02-25-2010, 11:01 AM

that is so true on the sleeping- i'd already done that once, i wasn't going to do it again.

Maya was in Heaven the whole trip. The characters were just the icing on the cake.

We did the photopass; i'm going to do a photopass update separately though. we ended up with close to 1000 i think after all the edits by three different mommies. i've got to find some uninterrupted time to pick my favorites.

I would really recommend MNSSHP- i had a great time and i think it took a couple months for us to stop singing the parade song. i *plan* on going back again.

the fairies were fun, dd wanted to go back and meet the rest of them. i've got no idea if there really is a best time of day to meet them or anything, or where they will be once they start the whole fantasyland/toontown thing.

for our arrival letter, i had someone take a letter they had already made and just add the names to the top for us. i found the invites on this site and just added handwritten information to them. i didn't want to beg for personal creations because i was/am new. i figured i was being a big enough burden with my 57 million questions:rotfl2:

I do want to do 1900 also. I really wanted to do it this time, but my dh was worried about over-character-mealing the trip. We never did meet the mad hatter this time, and it sounds like he is so funny.

That is a lot of pictures!! I am hoping to take advantage of the photopass cds and edits too. Did you find it easy to make the edits?

Good to know about MNSSHP!! I really would like to go but I am waiting for the official word from Disney that it is going to be running like it did this past year. With Disney changing the dates on the F&W Festival, I am waiting to see if they alter the MNSSHP dates too. :confused3

Aww, the DISigners are really nice! I think they get more upset with people asking for things to be done in a day than a new person requesting DISigns and help.

Looking forward to more :)

lbuzz52

02-25-2010, 01:53 PM

That is a lot of pictures!! I am hoping to take advantage of the photopass cds and edits too. Did you find it easy to make the edits?

Good to know about MNSSHP!! I really would like to go but I am waiting for the official word from Disney that it is going to be running like it did this past year. With Disney changing the dates on the F&W Festival, I am waiting to see if they alter the MNSSHP dates too. :confused3

Aww, the DISigners are really nice! I think they get more upset with people asking for things to be done in a day than a new person requesting DISigns and help.

Looking forward to more :)

the edits were... how should i put it... a bit stressful?
i found that the site was very slow. i also got frustrated at the borders. for example, a picture of my nephew and snow white offered a snow white border, but the same picture with my dd and snow white did not. there would be general borders offered in some place, but not in others. i think that i would prefer if all borders were offered for all pictures.
there were only 200ish to start- but it just grew. that was because we like different borders for the same pic, or changed to black and white, or zoomed, etc. i had read to make sure to save the pics in both a 4X6 and a 5X7 format, so i did that for all pics too. basically, i just saved in a lot of different formats because i wasn't really sure what sort of editing i'd be capable of from the cd itself.

my other comment on the photopass would be to not shy away from taking the same pics again on a different day. the lighting or the photographer can really change up teh same background, know what i mean?
but all that being said, i would do it again in a heart beat.

i haven't even seen that they chagned the f&w dates- i haven't looked at too much on here because it makes me sad:guilty:.

i didn't mean that i thought that the designers were mean- i just meant that i know that they are busy and i felt it was fine to handwrite my own dates. they sure do make some great stuff though! i hope to take advantage of them again some day in the future.

that's nice

02-25-2010, 02:01 PM

:rolleyes1Boo to you... and you.... Happy Halloween!!! :rolleyes1

You got me singing it again!! :lmao:

lbuzz52

02-25-2010, 11:11 PM

:rolleyes1Boo to you... and you.... Happy Halloween!!! :rolleyes1

You got me singing it again!! :lmao:

:rotfl2: it's catchy isn't it !!
Maya kept singing her own version at Christmas-
Boo to you- and you- and you. Happy holidays.

reyasmommy

02-26-2010, 04:55 PM

lbuzz52

02-26-2010, 05:30 PM

Hello...

Just found your TR when you responded to my PTR. I'm glad I clicked on the link, because I'm excited how things went with the baby. ((since we'll be taking our 2 month old)) I'm only on the 1st page, so I need to go back and get caught up. I'm headed out the door, to do some more shopping for the trip, so once I get back, I'll finish reading.

Your kids are cutie pies!

:welcome:

thanks, they are cute, huh! so are yours!

i'm about 100% sure that i won't get this done between now and when you leave. i'm by no means an expert, but if you have any specific questions on the baby part, let me know.

reyasmommy

02-26-2010, 10:57 PM

Wow, we are COMPLETE opposites when it comes to packing. My kids suitcase has been packed for 2 weeks and we still have 6 days to go. ((I guess I’m a little anxious to get out of here))

Everyone is sleeping over at our place the night before we leave, so since reading your TR, I’m going to make sure that each and every person sets their alarms!! Probably won’t need an alarm though, baby seems to wake up at 5:00 am like clockwork these days.

How did James do on the plane? Did he cry at all? I’m so nervous that the baby is going to have a meltdown, and EVERYONE is going to HATE me.

Your villa is beautiful! I would LOVE to stay there sometime. I looked into it for this upcoming trip, but just couldn’t afford it. ((maybe someday))

The kids got some pretty great gifts….. You set it up very nicely. I went out and bought my DD a bunch of stuff today. Did you come up with the wording on the arrival letter yourself? I’d love to use it?

Thanks again for all the great baby advice you game me on my PTR…. VERY HELPFUL indeed!

OMG….looking at the picture with Maya and Snow Wipe just put a HUGE smile on my face. I’m SOOO excited for Reya to meet her. She’s going to flip!

Thanks for the tip on the hot/cold water thing. LUCKILY Jayden prefers his formula to be cold or at room temp.

I went to the dollar tree today to pick up some glow sticks but they were ALL out. So I’m going to hit another store tomorrow hoping they have some…… This is a MUST! Especially since reading your TR.

Where did you get James’s Mickey Onsie? Need to get one for Jayden.

Thank you for sharing your CRT experience. This is one of the things I’m most looking forward too.

Your pictures are great and kids are adorable! Especially James, he’s precious.

Looking forward to more.

lbuzz52

02-27-2010, 01:22 AM

I'm answering this on my phone so if I miss anything just ask me again!

The packing thing was totally my fault. I just really am strange with packing. I never start until I have everything there and I typically pack and repack and repack. We were still using our summer clothes so that added to my procrastinating.

I love that you call her snow wipe too! It's so nice to see the pure enjoyment on your childs face when they meet someone so important to them. Kind of makes you believe again too.

I need to post some birthday pics of James. He finally hit a growth spurt and doubled in weight between 9&12 months. Once he finally got his whopping 4 teeth. That boy doesn't play with food. I'm still having the issues you mentioned with pants though. I can only buy rompers or separates. I still have to size down in pants.

I know I bought him a Mickey onesie at wod while I was there.

I had a hard time finding Disney for James. There was a little bit at Disney store and I think I had seen some at walmart. But they had fall/winter out and we neeeded summer for the trip. I think I ended up getting it off eBay maybe.

I was really nervous with James for the trip. He was not a happy baby- he spent the first couple months refusing to nap and then getting so exhausted that he couldn't fall asleep. He would fight it until like 4am and then wake up at 7 starving. Luckily for us, somewhere around when he got mobile his demeanor changed for the better. Needless to say, I'm nit sure I would have tried it without the extra hands around. But it really was so much better than I could have imagined. I'll never forget this trip with him.
I really wouldn't even say he slowed us down at all.
There were some later evenings that I remember us putting him back in the stroller to walk out of the park and him crying all the way to the bus. But once we got on he passed out in our arms. I don't think he cried at all on the plane. I had a bottle ready for him in case the altitude change bothered him, and was still nursing then so I was prepared with that too. Judging from my friends expieriences too, it seems the only time a flight has been rough is if the baby had an ear infection or ear problems. So hopefully it will be a good expierience for you too.
James drank his bottles room temp or colder also. But we brought powder because at the time he was taking like 56 ounces a day (poor kid had no teeth). There was no way that I was lugging that much liquid around. So we needed the hot just to mix the powder up.
I found the arrival letter in creative disigns. I had someone add the names at the top and she tweeked a line or two to better fit us. I may have the info saved on my computer at work if you want to remind me on Monday about it.

The villa was really nice. I wouldn't normally stay there. We priced the vacation as if we were going on our own. (aka value) mom and dad made up the difference as a gift. They had been waiting for this trip for years.
Your condo looks really nice and it seems like you are getting a lot for the value. I'm curious to see how you like it.

Hope I remembered it all- you know what they say about mommy brain. Lol.

I'm looking forward to your trip report too.

praisehisname

03-01-2010, 11:26 AM

What a great memory for Cayden of playing on the floor with Pluto! :lovestruc

Loved the pics with the fairies!

Your omelet at CRT looked good! I'm hoping to eat there in November.

Looking forward to hearing about MNSSHP!

lbuzz52

03-18-2010, 05:44 PM

So we took the bus back to SSR. Cayden and the others had beat us back there. Dad had bought Maya and Cayden matching tie-die Mickey shirts. He got James a little stuffed Mickey. Jenny and I got ready to go swimming with Maya and Cayden. Dad and Chris went to get some adult beverages. And mom stayed in the room with James. He was in need of a nap. Besides, she still had the toilet to deal with. We had called before we left that morning, and they were supposed to deal with it while we were gone, but that had not happened.

We swam for about 40 minutes before it was time to go and rest a bit. I had some pj shorts and one of those tanks with the built in bra. Not the most comfy swimming attire- I really recommend remembering your suit. :rotfl: When we got back the maintenance people had just gotten to our room. They were re-doing everything that they had done the night before. It turned out that they had to replace the whole toilet.

While he was removing the old toilet, we made the kids some sandwiches. We laid them down for a short nap. By the time the banging on the toilet stopped, it was almost 230. I had originally planned to get the kids up at 3 and leave quickly. This was adjusted to 4. They just needed that nap.
Housekeeping came to the door not 10 minutes after the kids fell asleep. She got mad at me when I told her she couldn’t change the sheets right now. I said please come back later, my kids are asleep.

Then someone showed up with the toilet. Now they decide to be proactive? In the last two days, mom had made 8 calls to the front desk for this issue. On three of them she requested the manager- who only called her back the last time. We just told them come back after 5. Just like we had told the guy who had just left the room 15 minutes ago.

Then a different maid showed up. I told him the same thing. My kids are asleep. Please come back later. He agreed to just leave the basket of sheets outside the door and mark the room as completed.

I still needed to find my battery charger. I started to search again, but still didn’t see it. Had a sandwich, then decided to get the kids up. It was 4pm by this time. I didn’t want to waste any of the party time! Chris and I start getting our two ready. And he finds my charger! It was in the corner of the sink area. He pulled off the hand-towel and there it was, plugged in. I didn’t even know there was a socket there! I promise, I didn’t put it there!!!

So we were out the door at 430, on our way to the MK. I don’t know what I was thinking, I was in such a hurry I didn’t even stop to take any pictures in the costumes. I had to settle for bus and walking in the park pictures.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2706.jpg
I know this picture had awful lighting but it was almost the only one i have with both of them in it.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2713.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2716.jpg

My family’s plan was to rush back to Ariel, so Maya could meet her in her costume. We would meet up with the others later.

Maya walked the whole way there with her wand straight up in the air. Chris told her “this aint the Olympic torch”. But she didn’t care. She was so proud of her costume.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/102809%20MK/IMG_2712.jpg

When we got there, the sign said a thirty minute wait. So we walk in and around the spray part to get to the end of the line. Meanwhile, an entire foreign soccer team cuts across the water part and beats us in. We were lucky though- the cm cut the line off just a couple people behind us. And i took advantage of the time with a fashion show of sorts from Maya.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2749.jpg
took this one later in the day

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/102809%20MK/IMG_2718.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/102809%20MK/IMG_2726.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2717.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2722.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2711.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2725.jpg

Ariel and Maya were so cute together! Ariel called her her twin, and said she loved her lobster. She told Maya she was jealous of her wand and asked her where she could get one. They talked about that meany Ursula. Meanwhile, some of the castmembers were over cooing at “Sebastian”- most recognized what he was supposed to be, even though I could never find an exact Sebastian costume. I really liked Ariel. She was so friendly and I think she really made Maya’s whole day!

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2734.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/102809%20MK/IMG_2729.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2733.jpg

I have to warn you- I really had issues with my camera this day. Some of them turned out really strangely, and the speed between shots was half a turtle’s pace.

So next, we grabbed our picture from breakfast that day. It was so cute! That only took a couple minutes, and we still had time until the others were going to meet up with us, so we decided to check out the line for the carriage. It wasn’t too long, so we got in. I noted that was at 6:38. It wasn’t’ supposed to open until 7, but it started moving right away. And by 6:50 we were out of there.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2745.jpg
the photopass ones turned out blurry too.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2743.jpg
i had such high hopes for these pictures but it just wasn't going to happen that day. i so wished my mom had been there with her camera.

On our way to meet the rest of our group, we walked past the line for Snow White and the dwarves. It was LONG. And they weren’t supposed to come out until 730, (I think, but it has been a while). We bypassed it and met up with the others near the speedway/toontown entrance.

Continued...

reyasmommy

03-18-2010, 07:45 PM

Maya and Cayden look so adorable! Love it!

And the Ariel that was working that day is MUCH prettier then the one we met last week. :rolleyes1

lbuzz52

03-18-2010, 08:13 PM

Maya and Cayden look so adorable! Love it!

And the Ariel that was working that day is MUCH prettier then the one we met last week. :rolleyes1

You're back! I'm guessing you had a great time! Is there a trip report coming? I can't wait to hear how everything went for you guys.

Those costumes were really fun! We got lucky and caught a great sale at the disney store.

I know what you mean about the Ariel. I've noticed some of the same when viewin other TR. I think there was one I saw that seemed a bit more prince like rather than princess.

I see your vacation ticker. Is that Disney or elsewhere?

reyasmommy

03-18-2010, 08:23 PM

You're back! I'm guessing you had a great time! Is there a trip report coming? I can't wait to hear how everything went for you guys.

Those costumes were really fun! We got lucky and caught a great sale at the disney store.

I know what you mean about the Ariel. I've noticed some of the same when viewin other TR. I think there was one I saw that seemed a bit more prince like rather than princess.

I see your vacation ticker. Is that Disney or elsewhere?

That's an old ticker, gotta get rid of it. :(

I've already started my TR, go check it out. :thumbsup2

I think the prettiest princess we saw was Belle. I wasn't all that impressed, I hate to say. But Reya enjoyed all of them, so that's all that matters. ;)

lbuzz52

03-19-2010, 11:41 AM

While we were doing our thing, Cayden and the others had stopped to watch a bit of Move It, Shake It .

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/171.jpg

He then rode Dumbo and the speedway. Maya wanted to ride Dumbo too, so they did. Cayden had already lost most of his costume. it was just so hot!

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/176.jpg

I suggested getting a bite to eat before the rest of the crowd got in here. Everyone said they were still full from the sandwich earlier. So we all went into toontown. We walked onto the barnstormer.

And then there was a bit of what next? I dunno? I don’t care? I offered Mickey and Minnie in their costumes, and the princesses with their princes- since we were right there by them all. Cayden of course chose Mickey and Minnie. Maya did too. (then the whole next day she asked why she never met the princes- go figure!) While we were waiting, I told Maya I was hungry. Maya said- I’m not, I’m just super excited! I noted that we were done with there about 8, so it took about 45-50 minutes to get through both lines. We also hit a couple of trick or treat trails outside their houses.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2751.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/187.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/180.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2760.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/186.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2770.jpg

More what next? I dunno? What do you want to do? I don’t care? We decided to just head towards fantasyland, since most of the things we were interested in were in that direction.

All night long, Maya got so many comments on her costume. I don’t know if it was the wig, the “lobster” Sebastian, or just because she was so freggin cute. But let me tell you- she was really eating it up. She also got pixie-dusted by a CM- although I failed to catch it on camera.

We stopped for more I dunno, I don’t care. Well, it just happened to be next to the dance party near Ariel’s grotto. Blessing in disguise for my little princess. As soon as she saw it, i don't even think she waited for me to finish saying "go" before she was off.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2774.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2771.jpg

Donald and Daisy were there, and it was not busy at all. She held hands with them. She danced with them. She did the disco duck. She did the konga. She had so much fun I had to pry her away when it was time to leave. I don't think I would have ever gotten her away if Daisy hadn't left!

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/192.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2773.jpg
i love this pic!

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2777.jpg

First potty break of the night! Then we decided to head to Cosmic Rays. My dad is diabetic, and he was starting to get grumpy. I had heard the rotisserie chicken and ribs were good. Plus it was open! We got there and the place was quite packed. And the menu was one thing- chicken nuggets. This whole thing took much more time then I wished it had. To be honest, the whole evening had me grumpy at this point. I had only made a plan as far as the beginning- just maya’s two must-do’s and eating before everything closed. I thought that this was a special day with special events and everyone needed to get a chance to choose something important to them. The only thing anyone had an opinion on was what they didn’t want to do. And I just got so frustrated at wasting so much time being indecisive when we couldn’t just walk in and do what we missed the next day.

Chris and I then had our first “break” of the night while the kids saw the tweedles. They were so silly! Dee (or Dum- I don’t know) kept pretending to hide Cayden to of sight for the picture.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2784.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2785.jpg
bunny ears

Second potty break of the night. We then realized that fireworks were starting soon. We hightailed it to a spot behind the carousel that had been suggested to me. The view wasn’t too bad, especially for walking up while they were starting. James had no problem with the noise. Maya, on the other hand, isn’t a big fan. She loved them though- we all did.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2786.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2789.jpg

We realized that it wasn’t long until the second parade would start, so we needed to slowly make it over to where we wanted to watch in frontierland. We tried to talk the kids into HM, but they weren’t fond of it in the day light. We did, however, stop for haunted mansion pictures. We actually all got in then, so i didn't get any pictures, but there were 2 on the photopass.

We picked out a spot in frontierland for the parade. We had maybe 25? minutes until the parade would be that way so Maya, Jenny, Cayden, and I decided to go find Captain Hook. On the way, Cayden had to potty again, Maya took advantage to hit a trick or treat trail. Best timing of the night- we walked up just as Hook and Smee were heading back from a break. First in line!

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2793.jpg

We got back to our spots with just a few minutes to spare. We couldn't wait to see the parade!!!!!!

lbuzz52

03-19-2010, 11:45 AM

That's an old ticker, gotta get rid of it. :(

I've already started my TR, go check it out. :thumbsup2

I think the prettiest princess we saw was Belle. I wasn't all that impressed, I hate to say. But Reya enjoyed all of them, so that's all that matters. ;)

ahh, i see it now. i was on my phone last night, and the link didn't show up. I'll definitely check it out later- i'm actually updating here and i dont want to stop myself while i'm on a roll. i don't get around to it very often!

lbuzz52

03-19-2010, 01:13 PM

Finally it was time for Boo to You!!!! I promise you that if I had seen the first one, I would have come for the second one. I thought it was that good! It was even good enough to make me forget about all my frustrations of the night! And once again, we got tons of attention! Anyone have any theories on why we got so much attention? I was thinking maybe just good placement of cute young kids with mostly older kids/adults surrounding them? Just curious so I can do my best to duplicate it next time.

I tooka picture of the headless horseman, but its not even worth posting LOL!

I did not try to put these in the proper order because i dont know what that is anymore!

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/208.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2815.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2821.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2814.jpg
she was waving at one of my kiddos- i forget which.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2813.jpg
i think he came to see James.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/220.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2805.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/215.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/210.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2817.jpg
Maya pet his doggy.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/213.jpg
Cayden got a hug from him.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2822.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2818.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/223.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2833.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2834.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2830.jpg
Cruella- she actually walked up to Maya and yelled "BOO" in her face!

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/238.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Thurs%20102909/IMG_2838.jpg

I also have in my notes that Maya gave Snow White a kiss on the cheek, she hugged Tigger, and a grave digger came to see James. Like i said- tons of attention this parade. the kiddos ate it up!

We stood for a couple minutes to let some of the crowd break; and then...

you guessed it, we then needed another potty break.

Then we walked on to pirates. I love that ride! Afterwards, the kids rode Aladdin. It was getting late, so we decided it was time to go home. Just in case you are wondering, we didn’t see anyone at the exits offering to fill the bags. I think we filled about a bag and a half total between all of us, which was pretty good considering we only went to maybe 4 trick or treat stations.

It was 1130 at this point, and the line for the bus was long. We got on the first one, but it was filled to the max. We got off at the grandstand- but my sister didn’t. What was she doing? Well, she had given her seat to a girl and had Cayden sit on her lap. And somehow in all the smushing, she had managed to get her bag stuck between the seat and the wall. She tugged and tugged and tugged. Finally, she just told some man to break it out. She was not a happy camper. AT ALL. I offered to switch bags with her, because we could just toss ours on the stroller rather then wear it as a backpack. But after she calmed down, she found a way to make hers work. It was 1215 when we got in the room. We all went straight to bed.

A couple of final thoughts for the day-

Maya is still walking with such a spring in her step. It makes me so happy that I was able to make her so happy!

James thinks that the bus is another ride! Good. Cheap entertainment!
Everytime we get in tight spaces Cayden has gas! LOL! Is this a boy thing? Do I have that to look forward to with James?

I’ve noticed that the cotton clothing is stretching throughout the day with the heat. James’s romper was long enough to be pants by the time we got home.

Chris said he’s really having fun! So glad to hear that from a Disney newbie!
Mom said the fireworks were the best she’d ever seen! And she loves fireworks, so that’s quite a compliment!

James didn’t seem to be as interested in Boo to You as he was in Spectro- but like I said, I can’t wait to see it again!

Maya’s favorite parts of the day-
1) Meeting Ariel
2) Aladdin ride
3) Meeting Cinderella/ breakfast at the Castle

Cayden’s favorite parts of the day:
1) Running fast
2) The barnstormer
3) Wrestling with Pluto

UP NEXT: I take my animals to see the animals at AK.

that's nice

03-19-2010, 02:33 PM

Melknor

03-19-2010, 04:17 PM

Great TR! Can't wait to read more. Question for your.............did your DD ride in the stroller at all? I'm wrestling with the idea of leaving ours home and having him walk.

lbuzz52

03-19-2010, 04:40 PM

Great updates!!!!!

I swear time just flies when your having fun! I think it even goes faster at MNSSHP!!!!

Maya & Cayden's outfits looked really good! That hair is really red!!!!

I'd have to look back but I think we only went on 1 ride during MNSSHP! You guys got on a lot!! It think it was so busy because it was the last party that Disney offered the AP discount! It seems like it was less busy than when we went. We missed the beginning of the fireworks and had a horrible spot to watch them. :sad2:

I can't wait to see what happened at AK!! :goodvibes

I'm so glad you are back!!! can't wait for your TR.
Its funny about MNSSHP- when i read your trip report, i though, man, you guys met so many characters. I guess our kiddos just chose totally different things. i would have rather waited for the dwarves myself than done dumbo. they could do dumbo any day. but oh well- maybe another year for the dwarves.........
i wouldn't say the spot was the greatest- with the 360 fireworks we definetely had a couple spots that were not viewable. but we saw most of them AND not only did we get to skip the waiting in our spot thing, we also got moving pretty quickly afterwards.
not as many pictures at AK- maybe it won't take me a month to update this time :rotfl2:

Great TR! Can't wait to read more. Question for your.............did your DD ride in the stroller at all? I'm wrestling with the idea of leaving ours home and having him walk.

:wave2:hey!

My dd didn't really care to ride in the stroller- but for me it wasn't an option. Any time we had a walk of a good length, we stuck her in there. she even fell asleep a few times. My nephew was the same way. I wasn't sure how she would do with it, because at home she pretty much walks everywhere. But i think it really saved us a few times by either giving her a bit of a needed rest or by keeping us from the whole maneuvering through a crowd with an easily distracted preschooler thing.
sure it was a bit of a pain to lug on/off the bus at times, but for us the benefits definetely outweighed the negatives.

shelbys mommy

03-19-2010, 05:11 PM

Subbing! I am loving this TR!!!!

lbuzz52

03-19-2010, 06:30 PM

Subbing! I am loving this TR!!!!

Thanks for coming over!!!

reyasmommy

03-19-2010, 07:04 PM

Great update! :thumbsup2 Still loving all the pictures.

Cayden and my DH have something in common. ((The gas in small spaces thing)) :rolleyes1 He's constantly blaming the baby though!

micandminforever

03-19-2010, 08:31 PM

Joining in on the fun. Your kids, and nephew are so cute.

junderwood99

03-19-2010, 10:23 PM

Joining in! Love the report so far!

Charlefours

03-19-2010, 11:07 PM

lbuzz52

03-19-2010, 11:31 PM

Great update! :thumbsup2 Still loving all the pictures.

Cayden and my DH have something in common. ((The gas in small spaces thing)) :rolleyes1 He's constantly blaming the baby though!

Ha!! Maya's getting into it now. Only you don't have to worry who did it. She always yells "I pooted!" afterwords. Makes for fun dinners out or target trips!

lbuzz52

03-19-2010, 11:34 PM

Joining in on the fun. Your kids, and nephew are so cute.

thanks! And welcome!

Joining in! Love the report so far!

welcome. I see you've got a trip coming up. How old will your youngest be?

lbuzz52

03-19-2010, 11:41 PM

Aw, I am so glad Maya's experience with Ariel was so great! I hope we are that lucky!! :cloud9 Cayden made an adorable Sebastian :). Were you happy with the loot the kiddos got at MNSSHP? I hear it is suppose to be really good. What a great time she had dancing the night away!! So cute :goodvibes:

Looking forward to the next updates popcorn::

Thanks. For the compliments! I loved their costumes this year.
I thought that we were lucky with the characters. Some were a little less friendly/ more rushed. Some were a bit less focused. But the ones that were most important to the kiddos were really fun and friendly and patient.
I need to pop over and catch up on your PTR. Haven't been on too much the last couple weeks.

junderwood99

03-21-2010, 09:29 AM

thanks! And welcome!

welcome. I see you've got a trip coming up. How old will your youngest be?

We headed down in August with a 7 year old and 2 year old. Yikes! Last time we went ODD was 4 - it was a great age! Not sure how it will go with our 2 year old - she's pretty crazy!! :yay:

lbuzz52

03-22-2010, 10:18 AM

We headed down in August with a 7 year old and 2 year old. Yikes! Last time we went ODD was 4 - it was a great age! Not sure how it will go with our 2 year old - she's pretty crazy!! :yay:

i can't wait to hear about it- 2 year olds sure can be interesting... when my dd was two, i remember going back and forth between oh, its so neat how she is learning this and that and someone get me away from this kid!

lbuzz52

03-22-2010, 10:21 AM

reyasmommy

03-22-2010, 10:27 AM

Ha!! Maya's getting into it now. Only you don't have to worry who did it. She always yells "I pooted!" afterwords. Makes for fun dinners out or target trips!

Not to long ago we were at a REALLY nice swanky restaurant for my BFF's birthday. My DH took DD to use the restroom. When she came out she said as loud as she could. " I went POOPIE, I went POOPIE" !! :eek:

Everyone just stopped what they were doing at stared at my little girl. It was hilarious and embarassing at the same time.

You gotta love kids and the funny things that come out of their mouths.

lbuzz52

03-22-2010, 12:03 PM

It was hilarious and embarassing at the same time.

You gotta love kids and the funny things that come out of their mouths.

i do, i just love it ALOT more when its someone else's kid:laughing:

that's nice

03-22-2010, 01:12 PM

In honor of Charlefours lovely questions on her PTR- i thought i'd ask one myself.

What is your favorite time of year to visit WDW and why? you can be very specific- even down to the week if you want to be. and what is your favorite discount associated with that time of year?

And what is your least favorite time of year to visit? and why?

We have been in March and October.. that's it. LOL October has been hotter than March with about the same crowds. I like both times. We have gotten the 4/3 deal last year, free dining in October, (which we loved!), and I used an AP room only discount for this past trip

I wouldn't go in the summer, unless I had to. I wouldn't go on holidays either. But I guess anytime is a good time to goto WDW!!!!! :goodvibes

that's nice

03-22-2010, 01:14 PM

Not to long ago we were at a REALLY nice swanky restaurant for my BFF's birthday. My DH took DD to use the restroom. When she came out she said as loud as she could. " I went POOPIE, I went POOPIE" !! :eek:

Everyone just stopped what they were doing at stared at my little girl. It was hilarious and embarassing at the same time.

You gotta love kids and the funny things that come out of their mouths.
That is funny!!!! :lmao:

My DD calls passing gas a 'Poop Gas Singer' and is not shy to tell people when she does it!! :rotfl2:

lbuzz52

03-22-2010, 04:45 PM

When the last update ended, we were arriving home late from our Halloween party night.

I think the kids ended up getting to bed about 1am, and the adults about 2am. And the baby got up twice during the night (uggh) So it’s a good thing that Friday's wake-up plan was to get up a bit later for our day at Animal Kingdom.

I think that we ended up getting up about 8am. We didn't get out the door until 10am. It was driving me nuts all week that it was taking us so long to get out of the house. At home it only takes about an hour to get us out the door. But there are just so many people here to distract you from staying on task. Plus, I wasn't getting much ready at night between getting home exhausted and people sleeping in the common area. I hope to remedy this next time.

Here are my sweeties at the bus stop.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2840.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2839.jpg

As soon as we stepped off the bus, I realized I picked the wrong day to wear a black tank. It was hot!!!! In my defense, not a one of us had been there before, so I'll chalk it up to a learning expirence

We made it through the gates pretty quickly and were headed to the safari. Chris ran to fastpass Everest, and the rest of us took our time slowly walking towards the back of the park, stopping to take in the animals and the scenery. Next thing I know, dad is nowhere to be found. I turn back and see him- buying ice cream for the kids. At 1030 a.m.

We get back to the safari's and Chris was waiting on us. The standby line said 30 minutes. We decided that we would wait on it. Luckily it only took about 17. I think it was our longest wait all week? Baby James fell asleep while waiting for the ride.

I requested to sit near the front of the jeep. I had the baby in my arms, and had heard that it was much less bumpy in the front. It wasn't too bumpy. James managed to sleep through most of it.

Judging only from other's trip reports, I'd guess we saw an average amount of animals. Probably could have seen more if we were earlier/ cooler but we still had plenty of action.
Here is some of what we saw on our journey.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2850.jpg
Maya watching for our first animal.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2855.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/246.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2853.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2852.jpg
we've got these guys in a local park- Maya wants one for Christmas LOL.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2849.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2854.jpg

My favorite was this guy. He was pretty close here...

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2845.jpg

but then we drove up the road a bit, looked at some other animals. then just when you had totally forgotten about him, we rounded the corner and...

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/252.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2857.jpg

When we got off our safari, we decided to go through the Pangani trail. It was there that we saw the rarest of beasts- the Disnean BeautyFail.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/254.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/255.jpg

My sister spotted it first. She set off with her camera, all the while pretending not to notice it while she snapped "pictures of Maya and Cayden"

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/259.jpg

(No offense meant to anyone if you own this outfit. I just kind of felt like if you were that hot, put on some shorts!)

After this, we took a potty break and headed towards Kali. We grabbed fast passes and went to Yak & Yeti for our 1pm ADR.

continued....

lbuzz52

03-22-2010, 05:09 PM

reyasmommy

03-22-2010, 07:35 PM

Funny that both our babies slept through the Safari Ride. That's one BUMPY ride, and insane that anyone could sleept through it.

lbuzz52

03-22-2010, 09:38 PM

Funny that both our babies slept through the Safari Ride. That's one BUMPY ride, and insane that anyone could sleept through it.

I agree- not sure how anyone could sleep through that. I'm not complaining though. We really didn't get too many real naps. So those catnaps really helped maintain his sanity!

Love the new siggy pic of Jayden!!!

Charlefours

03-22-2010, 10:40 PM

In honor of Charlefours lovely questions on her PTR- i thought i'd ask one myself.

What is your favorite time of year to visit WDW and why? you can be very specific- even down to the week if you want to be. and what is your favorite discount associated with that time of year?

And what is your least favorite time of year to visit? and why?

for me, i don't have enough expierience to answer this really, but I will say that I loved late October when we went last year. Warm, very little rain, and great crowd levels. :wizard:

:yay: I love asking questions and reading the responses.

Well, this is a toughie for me. I have only been to Disney one other time. We went in mid-May which was great. We had lovely weather and the F&G Festival was still happening which I just loved since I love flowers (always) and gardening (now).

With our second trip, it will be fall. For me, it will be interesting comparing the opposite times of the year. :cool2:

Charlefours

03-22-2010, 10:48 PM

I have a feeling mornings are going to be rough for us too. Unless I can change DD's habits before we go (which we may because of preschool), mornings are not our strongest time of day.

AK: I hear it is the hotest park of them all but I do not remember. I remember talking the others into KRR so it must have been pretty hot! What an outfit! What was he thinking? :confused3

lbuzz52

03-23-2010, 09:31 AM

:yay: I love asking questions and reading the responses.

Well, this is a toughie for me. I have only been to Disney one other time. We went in mid-May which was great. We had lovely weather and the F&G Festival was still happening which I just loved since I love flowers (always) and gardening (now).

With our second trip, it will be fall. For me, it will be interesting comparing the opposite times of the year. :cool2:

I loved October, because I felt like I was expieriencing summer without the crowds. Bring on the sun!

I'd like to go other times of the year too, but the rain scares me. Any idea what the best months are in late winter or spring to avoid the crowds AND the rain?

I have a feeling mornings are going to be rough for us too. Unless I can change DD's habits before we go (which we may because of preschool), mornings are not our strongest time of day.

AK: I hear it is the hotest park of them all but I do not remember. I remember talking the others into KRR so it must have been pretty hot! What an outfit! What was he thinking? :confused3

The kids weren't too bad in the mornings- i'd say they were a little bit easier than preschool mornings. it was mostly the stuff we had to get together and that everyone was trying to squeeze into the same place to do it. I'd normally get that sort of stuff around at night, but it just never happened. We'd get home from the parks exhausted, work on getting the kids settled, and before we knew it the kids were asleep and we were trying to stay quiet. I guess when you think about it, i'd rather give up a half an hour of park time and let them get their sleep than spend park time having to punish the kids for some horrible behavior brought on by over-tiredness.

I'm sure Lillian will do just fine. Its amazing how fast you can pop out of bad when you''ve got something like Dumbo to get to!

lbuzz52

03-23-2010, 02:53 PM

We were a couple minutes early, but were sat quickly anyway.

And i actually remembered to take a few pics of the food!. I didn't get up from my seat though- i was getting laughed at enough at my own table- so there are some interesting camera angles here at times.
(the really large pictures were borrowed from wdwinfo and allears)

We were sat upstairs near a pretty window. I really liked the look of this building, but for some reason this is the only picture i snapped.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2863.jpg

This was our first Sit-down together, and we weren't in a hurry. So we decided to get some appetizers.

We got the lettuce cups- Minced chicken breast, chopped veggies, maple tamarind sauce, and crisp lettuce cups. - $12.99
These reminded me of the lettuce wraps at PF Changs, if you are familiar with those.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/guides/animalkingdom/photos/yakyeti/Lettuce-Cups.jpg TIIY

We also got the Ahi Tuna- Chilled, sesame-encrusted ahi tuna, wasabi aioli, and sweet chili slaw. - $10.99

Both were enjoyable.

The kids choices had a decent variety of things- glad to see something different from the standard kids options we had all week so far in counter-service
Kids Entrees - For ages 9 and under. A choice of a mini burger, chicken bites, vegetable lo mein, or an egg roll. All items served with choice of carrot sticks, applesauce cup, fruit punch gelatin or chicken fried rice. Add a kid-sized portion of milk or apple juice in a souvenir cup. Soft drinks or French fries available upon request. Ice cream sundae for dessert $1.49 extra. - $7.49

Maya chose the Egg Roll, Jello, and Chicken fried rice.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2865.jpg

With apple juice. 2 cups. yet another treat this day

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2859.jpg

I have no idea what Cayden had.

James noshed on some biter biscuits.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2860.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2861.jpg

Chris had the Kobe burger. He wasn't impressed with it. I don't it on the menu anymore so maybe he wasn't the only one.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2866.jpg

Jenny had the honey chicken. With no broccoli or carrots. (we always joke- just order her anything with chicken and cheese. She's not an adventurous eater)

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2867.jpg

I wrote that mom had bourbon chicken. I can't find any description of it. I have no idea what dad had.
But one of the two had this- whatever it was:rotfl:

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2868.jpg

I had the Crispy Mahi- Filet of mahi mahi, Japanese bread crumbs, Cantonese sweet and sour sauce, jasmine rice and stir-fried veggies. - $20.99 .
the vegetable were decent; I could have totally passed on the Jasmine rice. But that fish. That moist and panko crispy mahi. With that ever so slightly sweet sauce. Uuuuuummmmm. :love: I could eat that every day. It was my favorite entree of the week I think.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2864.jpg

For our desserts, we decided to share a couple between the group. we got the Chocolate Brownie Sundae for 2 - Chunks of brownie, vanilla ice cream, chocolate and caramel sauces, and fresh whipped cream - $9.99

http://land.allears.net/blogs/jackspence/Chocolate%20Brownie%20Sundae.jpgTIIY

and the Fried Wontons - Skewers of fresh pineapple and cream cheese wontons with vanilla ice cream and honey vanilla drizzle. - $7.99.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/guides/animalkingdom/photos/yakyeti/Fried-Wontons-Dessert.jpgTIIY

i'm not even sure i tried the wontons, but i dug into that sundae- it was huge!!!! and extremely tasty!!
I think we just got cookies for the rest of them. The kids had already had ice cream once that day, but we let them try these too.

We all took a bathroom break, and we tried to make a bottle for James- but we couldn't find either of the bottles. Anywhere. We tried to just give him his milk in the sippy cup. But he wasn't having that (at that point, he was only used to nursing and bottles. We were still working on cup training) So the rest of the group walked towards Kali and Everest. I trecked over to baby care for a bottle. They had one choice- Gerber basic 8 ounces. It was only a couple bucks. I made my way over to Kali to meet the group.

I think that Jenny, Dad, Mom, and the kids went first with their fastpasses. Chris had done the baby swap. I walk up to Kali and they are already off the ride. And mom was DRENCHED. I'm not over exaggerating, she was soaked. And she was not one bit happy about it. It turns out, she was sitting in between the two kids, so she was on the light end of the raft. Jenny wanted to go again, and I had yet to go, so we decided to do it again while we were right there. so we jumped back in the fastpass line using our baby swap for the remainder of us. This time, the CM stopped Cayden to measure him. He was just over the mark. It was the only time anyone measured him all week. Luckily, we didn't get too wet this time.

After that, we headed to

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2870.jpg

Everest to use our fast passes. I think Jenny, Mom, and Chris went first. Dad and I stayed with the kids. Maya played on the rocks while Cayden and I went inside the shop. He picked out an explorer set (think plastic binoculars, plastic compass, etc. We picked out a plastic car for James- it was Mickey riding in a jeep trying to escape the Yeti.

Then I think mom, Jenny and I rode with our fast passes. Dad chose to sit this one out. I Loved it! I wish Maya could have done it.

When I came back, Chris and Maya both had this look of "get me away from this person- I'm done with him/her". Remember those two cups of juice at lunch- well, Maya never drinks straight juice. It just doesn’t' set well in her tummy. Turns out this day was no exception. And they didn't make it to the bathroom in time before her stomach tore up. I guess Chris let her know he was not happy. And of course, we had no clean underwear- I couldn't tell you the last time Maya had an accident so we didn't think to pack any.

I decided since we had the babyswap left, that Chris and I needed to ride again and give him a minute to cool off.

We then decided to make our way towards Folk. Along the way, we got stopped by the parade blockades, so we stood under the mister while we watched the last couple minutes. We then headed along with everyone else (at least it seemed that way) to FOLK.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2869.jpg

continued...

Mombits

03-23-2010, 03:38 PM

Really nice pics of the animals! Can't wait to get there.

lbuzz52

03-23-2010, 03:48 PM

Really nice pics of the animals! Can't wait to get there.

thanks! i can't imagine how interesting it would be on a cool morning. so much better than teh zoo- and we've got a great zoo!

that's nice

03-23-2010, 04:19 PM

mommyof2Pirates

03-23-2010, 06:36 PM

lbuzz52

03-24-2010, 12:19 AM

Great updates!

Juliana is always up early and we are yet to see a RD! :sad2:

Loved the food pics. We have only eaten at Y&Y CS. I want to try the TS.

Those desserts look yummy!!!!!

I feel bad about Maya's accident. :sad2:

I have a feeling there won't be many rope drops in future trips either. But at least we do okay with later evenings.

I had to post the food pics- they were practically the only ones I remembered:)

I should have known better about the juice. I found out she didn't handle it well first at her second birthday party at a local spray park. Luckily everyone else had left by the time she got - to put it politely - an upset tummy. I should have watered her juice down. Or at least brought her a change of panties;). Luckily she forgot about it quickly.

lbuzz52

03-24-2010, 12:26 AM

I just got caught up on your TR. I am loving it. I laughed a bunch of times. Reading your feelings toward the family slowing you down and the I dont Know moments reminds me why I wouldnt let my parents come along. I had high hopes for our first family trip and knew having extra members would make the experience different. I dont know if you plan to go with just the dh and kids next time but you will see it truly is a different experience. I on the other hand will be going back with my parents and although I am excited for them to share in the experience this time I now am convinced after reading your tr that it will not be the same. I guess I should say thank you because I now have come to terms with that. :laughing: Either way its disney and the joy on the kids face is all that matters. Keep on updating I cant wait to hear more.

Welcome!!!

We had always thought our first trip to Disney would be just us. It just didn't work out that way. But how can you say no to doting grandparents who go out of their way to help you and love on your kids every chance they get?
There definetely were pluses to having them around- like dh and I getting to ride big rides together. That never would have happened otherwise. It was just hard trying to plan (and stick to a plan), trying to keep everyone happy when I was just learning myself.
Dh and I have decided that if we do a family trip again we will stagger the dates a bit so that we have a couple dates on one end or the other that are just us. We really wish we'd taken more time to be just our immediate family.

lbuzz52

03-24-2010, 02:43 PM

So we trekked towards FOLK along with most of the other people in the park. We waited a few minutes and then were let into the area. I'm not sure why but they had some of the bleachers blocked off. They packed it in pretty well for what was open. It was the last show of the day. I didn't take very good notes in here- so I don't remember what section we were in. But judging from this camera angle i'd bet we were giraffe.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2882.jpg (http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/?action=view&current=IMG_2882.jpg)

But I do know that James LOVED this. I have about 50 pictures of me trying to hold my camera out in the air and capture his enjoyment. Let's just say my aim wasn’t' exactly accurate. Here's the best I got- and it doesn't even show his excitement:confused3

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2885.jpg (http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/?action=view&current=IMG_2885.jpg)

A CM saw me and offered to take a photo for us. For some reason, i thought she was understood that i just wanted James, so none of the rest us were actually looking at the camera. How dare her not read my mind! :laughing:

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2894.jpg (http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/?action=view&current=IMG_2894.jpg)

Maya loved it too- but I felt bad for her. She wanted so badly to be picked for everything all week. It just wasn’t' happening. All it took though was a reminder of how many parade characters had picked her so far this week, and she was high spirited again.

I didn't take too many pictures of this- they just weren't turning out well on my camera. i do know that i loved these guys though.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2883.jpg (http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/?action=view&current=IMG_2883.jpg)

After that, we had done most of what we wanted, so we decided to play a while in Dinoland. (we had late EMH this day).

On the way there, we met Lilo and Stitch. They were cute! And they distracted the kids from noticing the boneyard- yeah! I wasn't in the mood for sand.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/262.jpg (http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/?action=view&current=262.jpg)
here's Cayden

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2898.jpg (http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/?action=view&current=IMG_2898.jpg)
and Maya

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2896.jpg (http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/?action=view&current=IMG_2896.jpg)

Only a few more steps until we were greeted by this gal...

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2900.jpg (http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/?action=view&current=IMG_2900.jpg)

The kids begged pawpaw to take them on Dino Dumbo, which he happily did. There were only a handful of people on the ride. Chris and I took turns taking a break. (yeah!)

Mom decided that she wanted to get each of the "big" kids a pin. (in case you don’t' remember- cause it was months ago when I posted this LOL- I had bought the kids some pins and a lanyard off of ebay prior to our trip. At this point in the week, neither of them had traded yet but still we had carried them with us everywhere.) How convienient- there was a stand right there. Maya picked out an Ariel, and Cayden picked Stitch.

Pawpaw then took the kids to play the whack a mole game. Each of the kids one a seahorse. Its now one of the 47,434,567,345 animals maya sleeps with on her bed.

The original plan after dinoland was to head over to Flame Tree for dinner and along the way, check out the tree of life. We would then hit Everest again and be on the way out.

Well, no one was really hungry yet, so we decided we would wing it and go back to the resort and figure it out from there.

Maya still had not spent a dime of her Disney Dollars, so we stopped in Chester and Hester's first. She wandered for quite a while before deciding she wanted a Pink Princess baseball cap. She also picked out some Ariel figures- I bought those for her, because she didn't get anything from the EE shop like the boys did. I also bought James a Mickey shape sorter to put up for Christmas time. Its really but, but I didn't think that one through very well- wasn't the best shaped thing to try to pack in a suitcase.

p.s.- eventually, i will do a picture post of our souvineers. i took pictures of them all once i got home, i just don't have them on this computer. and maybe i'll do a post of mom's pics too.

We stopped to take these outside the shop. Its not everyday you get the chance to take a photo with a dinosaur!

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/263.jpg (http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/?action=view&current=263.jpg)

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/268.jpg (http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/?action=view&current=268.jpg)

We headed back to the buses at about 6:30.

P.S.- mom was still wet!!

cont.

lbuzz52

03-24-2010, 03:52 PM

We relaxed a few minutes once we got back to the resort.

Here are the kids relaxing on the couch.
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2911.jpg (http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/?action=view&current=IMG_2911.jpg)

Isn't this a sweet picture!!

Too bad i almost wet my pants when they both got up and yelled we're just pretending!

We all guzzled some water and discussed the dinner options. We decided that we would try out the Turf Club at the resort. We had extra TS credits because of the Ohana's fiasco, so it worked out okay.
I didn't take my camera with us. i was going to borrow a couple of pictures from allears, but apparently my computer has decided that i'm not allowed to right click- which is a must to get the picture properties. but at any rate, its a nice place.

I think it was about 8 pm when we got there. The kids were getting hungry, so we ordered them this to munch on-
Baked Goat Cheese and Tomato - Tomato Bisque served with Goat Cheese and Croutons $5.49
They were like, oohh, what fancy tomato soup! But they loved it.

I think all of the adults ordered the following. (I think my sister modified hers to plain probably) Grilled New York Strip - topped with blue cheese, portobello mushrooms, and balsamic-port glaze served with Turf Club Potatoes $27.99

I wasn't served the best cut of meat but I didn't say anything about it. At the end of the meal, my dh asked why I was just picking at it. I showed him this fat in the middle of it. He said, honey, that's not fat- that's a seed nerve- its not edible. Whoops- apparently I should have said something about it, most places don’t serve that part of the strip. I didn't know- I usually let him cook all my steaks- the advantages of marrying a chef:) I just thought strip = fattier piece of meat.

However, the others LOVED their meal. And my dh said it was his favorite meal of the week.

Maya got macaroni and cheese, fruit, and chicken noodle soup. Cayden got Chicken tenders, fruit, and a side salad. I think Maya just orders macaroni and cheese because she likes the color? She always orders it, and never eats it!

We still had desserts to get, and we decided to get one of everything for each of us to try a bit of.

A Sweet Ending to Your Celebration... New York style Cheesecake - with seasonal berries $5.49
Individual Apple Pie - served warm with vanilla bean ice cream $6.49
Chocolate Espresso Torte - with raspberry sauce and ice cream $6.99

Well, not everything, we didn't try these two.
Mixed Berries $4.99
No Sugar Added Lemon Pound Cake - with seasonal berries $5.49

The cheesecake and pie were very good! The torte was good too- but it was served with expresso ice cream. I love love love coffee, but this was well..... I imagine that I made the same face that Beverly brings out. Yuck!

We really enjoyed this meal. It was a nice atmosphere, and very relaxing. Just a nice cap to a good day.

So we went back to our room. I have this thing where when I get really tired, I just get plain silly. Like I start laughing at things that arent funny, that sort of thing.

About once a week DH and I have this conversation:
Me: hahahahahahah!!!! Hahahahahaha!!!
Me: (inside my head) I want to tell DH what I am laughing at but I won't because even I know its not funny so surely he won't think it is yet I can't stop laughing about it
DH: just go to bed already

Well, Maya does this too, so while the plan of action at this point was baths and bed, it was interrupted by a bit of foolishness.

It started out with some simple- "look mom, i'm wearing the wrong shoes"
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2914.jpg (http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/?action=view&current=IMG_2914.jpg)

but soon it progressed to this...

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2917.jpg (http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/?action=view&current=IMG_2917.jpg)
i wanted to know what in the world they were doing.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2916.jpg (http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/?action=view&current=IMG_2916.jpg)
you want to know too, right????

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2919.jpg (http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/?action=view&current=IMG_2919.jpg)
(i know its hard to read, so i'll translate- pretending to be the monkeys from the lion king)

For some reason, every time I thought something was funny, I wrote it down on a piece of paper and then took a picture of it with my camera. And then I laughed outloud about doing it. Wasn't funny then, isnt' funny now, who knows what I was thinking! sure, maybe the things the kids were doing were funny- but i wasn't laughing at that, i was laughing at my pictures. i know, i've got issues:laughing:

Baths were also delayed by a bit of wrestling with Nonni.
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/276.jpg (http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/?action=view&current=276.jpg)

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/273.jpg (http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/?action=view&current=273.jpg)

Finally, my sister was laughing so hard she was crying.
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2923.jpg (http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/?action=view&current=IMG_2923.jpg)

What put her over the edge? it was when Cayden told Nonni
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2930.jpg (http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/?action=view&current=IMG_2930.jpg)
(i'm trying to jump over you but her {nonni} is too big)

Next thing i knew, i heard Chris come back inside and say...
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/IMG_2928.jpg (http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/AK%20Fri%20Oct%2030/?action=view&current=IMG_2928.jpg)
(why is my shoe in the sink)

uh, hello, don't you know that monkeys from the lion king don't wear flip flops.... when she kicked her legs up, she kicked her shoes up too. one landed next to her, the other landed... well, you already know.

Maya was starting to have a bit of a meltdown. She was really worn out plus I think she was ready to have some space from her cousin. He picked on her all this week by getting up in her face so close she could feel him breathing, just because he knows she hates it. Wouldn’t you hate it too?
so we hurried with her bath and set her in bed with Raven on the Disney Channel. I think it took about 3 minutes for her to fall asleep. We had already put James down.

Shocked that both of our kids were asleep so early, and with most everyone else wanting to do the same, Chris and I headed down to the pool and hot tub. It was practically empty (which I in my make-shift pajama bathing suit really appreciated.) It was so nice to have a few minutes of just-us time! Yeah!!!

Animal Kingdom favorites:
Maya- the elephants in the safari and FOLK
James- I didn't write it down
Cayden- I must not have asked him, or didn't get an answer?

Up next:

It's Halloween!!!!

shelbys mommy

03-24-2010, 03:56 PM

lbuzz52

03-24-2010, 05:32 PM

That is the sweetest pic!

I love those crazy giggling nights! Nothing funny at all, never will be funny again, but at that moment you have tears streaming down your cheeks, holding your sides, can't catch your breath laughing. Best thing ever!!!

you're right, they are the best. i consider myself very lucky, becuase Maya gets silly instead of cranky when she's really tired. i'd much rather deal with that emotion!
my favorite times are when DH gets into it though. Its just much harder to crack him up, so it always gets me going when he does.

mommyof2Pirates

03-24-2010, 07:53 PM

reyasmommy

03-24-2010, 08:18 PM

junderwood99

03-24-2010, 09:47 PM

i can't wait to hear about it- 2 year olds sure can be interesting... when my dd was two, i remember going back and forth between oh, its so neat how she is learning this and that and someone get me away from this kid!

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that is how our trip will be. My biggest concern is napping. She is so used to her own room/quiet time for napping. If we head back to CBR - I'm not sure she'll actually lay down in the room with me in there - what do I do - wait outside??? LOL If we stay at the parks, I'm not sure she'll give into a nap - between the heat and the excitement. Pray for me!! LOL It should be interesting - but I AM so excited anyways!!!

lbuzz52

03-24-2010, 11:57 PM

love the updates. We had a bunch of those moments too. I think back to what we thought was so funny and now I dont quite find the humor but at the time it had me laughing so hard I couldnt breath. :rotfl:

I love that I documented them, even if it was in an ignorant way
those sort of moments are the ones you want to keep in the front of your mind.
Here's to many more for all reading this.

lbuzz52

03-25-2010, 12:26 AM

Great Updates!!!!!!!!

I love that both of our baby boys LOVED the Lion King! I really wished I would have recorded it so Jayden could watch it whenever he wanted, but I had NO idea he would react to it the way he did.

I know I've said it before but your kids are so adorable. :goodvibes

I don't mind hearing it again lol! So thanks!

I felt the same way about taping James. I really wish I had gotten that and iasw more than anything. Maybe sometime I'll learn to just keep the flip in my hand always. Even when I could get to it quickly, the behavior always ended right before I clicked on.

I've been amazed by the number if parallels we've had with our little guys.
ITs one reason I'm glad I'm just getting around to mine- it's just neat to watch the babies journeys together. I just think it really helps to prove that Disney really is for all age

dud I mention this- everytime I see reya, especially with her hair pulled back so her face really shows- I think she looks a lot like Martha plimpton. Especially in the goonies- she was all cute and super spunkie in that movie.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that is how our trip will be. My biggest concern is napping. She is so used to her own room/quiet time for napping. If we head back to CBR - I'm not sure she'll actually lay down in the room with me in there - what do I do - wait outside??? LOL If we stay at the parks, I'm not sure she'll give into a nap - between the heat and the excitement. Pray for me!! LOL It should be interesting - but I AM so excited anyways!!!

the good thing is that the parks wear you out so that naps come easy. Your dd may just surprise you and crash suddenly while you are pushing the stroller. Both my kids and my nephew did, thank goodness. And those catnaps really made a difference. If you choose to go back to the room, you may find yourself napping along with her.
We chose only to go back to the room on days we knew we would have late nights. It just took too long to get back and forth on the buses. We also scheduled late mornings after late nights and lighter days after heavier ones. All that just to say she will probably nap easier than you think.

Charlefours

03-25-2010, 10:42 PM

that is the most adorable picture of the two kiddos sleeping! Please do post the pics of your souvies--I am a sucker for those type of things. :goodvibes:

lbuzz52

03-26-2010, 04:27 PM

that is the most adorable picture of the two kiddos sleeping! Please do post the pics of your souvies--I am a sucker for those type of things. :goodvibes:

i'm so lucky that they get to live near each other and be so close. most of my cousins lives 12 hours away.

i will post them, they are just still on my memory card rather than a cd, so i can't be as descreet getting them on the computer. i've been doing most of my updatein gon my lunch break at work. my home computer is rather archaic, and only works when it feels like it.

disneyaddicted

03-27-2010, 01:05 PM

kcandbella

03-28-2010, 01:07 PM

Jumped over from my PTR and got all caught up! It looks like a good time so far, even with all the mishaps! Poor Maya and her accident at AK--I know Bella would be so upset with herself even if it wasn't her fault! Can't wait to read more! :goodvibes

that's nice

03-28-2010, 11:25 PM

Glad the kids liked the Lion King.. so much so they took it to another level later!!!! LOL

I haven't read that much about the Turf Club. Glad you guys had a great experience there.

Juliana sleeps with a ton of animals & friends in her bed too. It's a wonder I can see her in the bed! LOLOL

Halloween is next!!! :woohoo:

lbuzz52

03-29-2010, 01:41 PM

Hi there, I followed your link over from my PTR, I couldn't resist with a title like that. I'm only on page 3 right now it will take me some time to catch up but I just wanted to let you know that you had another reader.

You didn't set the alarm, I would have a major meltdown, but you seemed to handle it very well. I have a hard time sleeping before trips, especially Disney trips, I always wake up before the alarm even goes off, but I have dreams all night that I have over slept.

Your kids are cuties, glad James did well on the flight. (love the name James by the way)
Sorry that you missed your ADR for Ohana's, I hope you eventually got to go.
Ty

:banana: thanks for coming over!

i have a really hard time getting to sleep. i'll lay in bed, knowing i should be exhausted. but i just can't get my mind to stop racing about how much fun i'm about to have or what i may have forgotten.
In a way i was lucky that my mom was reaming me for missing the alarm- i had to be sane because everyone else was flipping out. If i wasn't, then i might not have ever gotten there, and that was just not an option.
I hate this about myself, but i always procrastinate my packing.

Thanks about James. We actually named him James after my grandfather. I wasn't sold on it- i wanted something a bit more exciting. But my grandmother (his wife) went into the hospital the day before he was born, and died the day after he was born, so I knew we chose the right name. (don't take this as a sad story- she lived a long happy life, but she was sick and was ready so ready to see my grandfather and her parents)

Jumped over from my PTR and got all caught up! It looks like a good time so far, even with all the mishaps! Poor Maya and her accident at AK--I know Bella would be so upset with herself even if it wasn't her fault! Can't wait to read more! :goodvibes

:welcome:
she was very embarrassed and upset ; but luckily she has a short attention span so she didn't let it ruin her afternoon.
it was a great time, we still talk about it everyday. and i think the mishaps are part of the memories. thanksfully, there was nothing we can't laugh about now:thumbsup2

Glad the kids liked the Lion King.. so much so they took it to another level later!!!! LOL

I haven't read that much about the Turf Club. Glad you guys had a great experience there.

Juliana sleeps with a ton of animals & friends in her bed too. It's a wonder I can see her in the bed! LOLOL

Halloween is next!!! :woohoo:

i was thinking, man, has Tim got a great memory. i know he reads like a million TR's and PTR's- i can't believe he remembers my trip dates...
then i remembered that i put it at the end of my last update. I need help:laughing:

Turf Club was really nice because it was just nice to relax at our own pace. The food was good, the place was quiet, and we didn't have to take a bus to get there!

hope to have another update soon!

lbuzz52

03-29-2010, 04:49 PM

Saturday Oct 31

The weather was great this morning! It was still hot, but not too humid. Today was the middle of our trip, and we were spending it as a park rest day. The plans were breakfast at Chef Mickey's, a swim & relaxation, and then celebrating Halloween.

Our CM reservation was for 9:50. We all woke up on our own and I got Maya dressed in the Minnie Mouse costume she had worn the year before for Halloween. I attempted to fix her hair in a manner that resembled Minnie ears. What do you think? See the parallel?

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_2960.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_2957.jpg
Okay, maybe its a Dutch Minnie, but i still thought it was cute!

We made it to the bus stop at 900. There was only one other family there. We headed to the Magic Kingdom and jumped to the monorail.
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_2955.jpg

This was Maya's first time on it- she thought it was pretty cool!

Here's what James thought about it.:rotfl:
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_2956.jpg

We made it to check-in just in time. I think we had to wait about 5-10 minutes and then they called us for our picture. And you know what- it actually turned out good! The baby was asleep, but all the eyes were open, most of us had smiles, it was a success! Mom had given them her camera to take a picture too. We almost bought the picture when they came around with it, , but then we realized that ours was good too, so we passed.

Let me tell you, I love breakfast food. So a breakfast buffet was right up my alley. I tried a million different things. I had some omelet, bacon, cheesy potatoes, sausage, French toast, fruit. I think I tried a bite of half the bar. I also tried some biscuit/gravy, and breakfast pizza- these were good for the first bite, but not so much once they started cooling. I was stuffed by then anyway. I didn't take any separate pictures of our plates, but you may see a glimpse of some within the character pictures.

Maya had some fruit, a couple bites of scrambled eggs, a mickey waffle, and cottage cheese. She mostly picked at these, until I said she had eaten enough to go get a donut. (the sweets were in such variety- I don't know how she ever picked one.) She was looking forward to the peanut butter and jelly pizza I saw listed on the menu, but we never saw any.

James had some yogurt for the first time. I gave him a bite, and it was like a light went off in his head. He was in heaven!

Anyway, after we filled out plates, we got back to our table just in time to see......

Mickey!

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/281.jpg

and then right after that, it was....

Goofy!

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_2973.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_2971.jpg

It was a good thing we had filled our plates the first time- there wasn't time to go back- they just kept on coming! In the back of the restaurant, past the buffet, there was a room up a couple of steps,a dn that's where we were. The table location was okay. We had a large round table in a corner. It was good because it was out of the way, but it made it difficult to get pictures. We let the kids sit on the outside to be close to the characters. So with three of us taking pictures, it meant that most of the pictures were from the side. OR i guess, in reality, from all sides. Poor people in the pictures, they had no idea which direction to look towards! My mom's were the most direct. I promise at some point i'll log on from here computer to upload some of hers. I just can't figure out why her pictures won't play in my computer.

Soon we saw Minnie

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_2977.jpg

and Double Minnie
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_2978.jpg

then we saw Donald

"what chu talkin bout willis?
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/291.jpg

anyone elses ever noticed how the wrong beak angle makes Donald look angry?
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_2981.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_2984.jpg

and finally, Pluto.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_2990.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_2991.jpg

Cayden then tried to knock him over. I guess after his experience the other day, he thought all characters were crazy for wrestling?LOL

Then Mickey came back around. And he had one person on his mind.....

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_2994.jpg

This time he saw the baby. James gave him big smiles the whole time. Then he tried to eat his nose!

I love this picture! Caught both my guys with giant smiles!!
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_2995.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_2998.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_2997.jpg

I really liked this meal. Like I said, I love breakfast. And there was such a variety. The character interaction was good here. Just may have to repeat this next time:)

next up: more halloween day. what did we do? where did we go?

lbuzz52

03-30-2010, 10:50 AM

I was hoping to have another update today for you... but I just spent the last hour and a half sitting in my car waiting for someone else to get to work. yep, i locked my keys in my office. :headache::furious:
so... i just may have to work through lunch. this morning used all the extra time i banked yesterday.

disneyaddicted

03-30-2010, 11:49 AM

lbuzz52

03-30-2010, 12:57 PM

I took the day to get all caught up. You have a lot of great pictures. MNSSHP sounds like so much fun, I really can't wait to do this, Boo to you looks spectacular, I'm not a huge parade fan but I heard this one is a must do.

Maya and James's costumes were so adorable. I absolutely loved them.

FOLK is something I have never done either but really want to.

the only thing I am nervous about for my upcming trip is the time of year I am going. I have been to Disney the end of April and it was sweltering hot, the last 2 times have been the first week of December which is perfect. I'm thinking the end of September is going to be really hot and humid. You were there the end of Oct and it was in the 90's?
Did AK seem to be the hottest park? I have always felt like it was.

Any way can't wait to read more, I'm getting all excited for my trip. Thank you for sharing and posting all those great pictures.

Thanks for the compliments!:goodvibes

I loved Boo To You! i'm not exactly sure why- i'm not typically a big parade fan. And I think that they kids probably would pick Spectro if they had to pick a favorite. But i just loved it!

The morning felt really hot in AK- expecially on the trek back to the Safari. So i guess i'd say yes. Maybe there are just beter/ more frequent excapes from the sun at the other parks?

So how was the weather when you took your trip in April? I'm thinking of a spring trip next. I'm just really worried about the rain. We were really lucky with the rain in October.

I had checked the weather for days before our trip, and even the night before we left it said it was going to be cooler. I had packed a good bit of long sleeves and pants. I was happy we didn't need them though. Apparently, we ended up hitting what they were calling unseasonably warm temperatures. I'd still go back that time of year any day though.

lbuzz52

03-31-2010, 11:35 AM

"]* off topic- Beauty and the Beast is coming to BluRay October 5th!*

I last left off with our Chef Mickey's breakfast.

Finally everyone made it to where we were waiting. We went into the shop to exchange Cayden's pen. Did you know that if you buy one of those fat pens for the autograph books, and it stops working, they will exchange it? Cayden picked out a pirate pin and fave six figure set.

Mom got snow and dopey salt and pepper shakers. Her mom collected them, and she does too. Maya wanted the Belle clothing set. It had a belle dolls, with different clothing- but you had to take belle's head off to change her clothes. And there were TINY pieces. Mean mommy that I am- I made her pick out something different. She just can't have all those tiny pieces with the baby in the ground scavenger stage. Plus, I was afraid that she would lose half the pieces before we got home. So she picked out the Belle figures set instead. We then got in line behind the turtle cashier. And not only was he slow, he apparently was a perfectionist. The lady in front of us had a bunch of breakables. As he was wrapping them, he kept ripping the paper. Then he would pull it all off and start again.

Just a side note- we have a lot of figure sets at home- Maya LOVES them; she plays with them daily. So I was excited that she kept picking out something that not only did I know would be used at home, they are super easy to pack for the return home. Plus, I love to see what she comes up with when she is in make believe land.

When we got back to the hotel, Maya opened her set. She laid sleeping beauty down. She set all the fairies around her. Then Malevocent and spin wheel came walking up. But before Malevocent reached Sleeping Beauty, her Prince swooped in and kissed Sleeping Beauty. Ever wanted to know what happened next it the movie? Well, according to Maya, Prince beats up Malevocent and then carries her to jail.

While she was doing this, James decided to entertain himself by seeing if it was possible to drink a bottle upside down.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_3000.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_3001.jpg

We decided it was time for the pool. I didn't take my camera down there with me- so this is what you get!

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_3005.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_3006.jpg

We played for about an hour. There was a nice family that let us use their baby float for James. He loved it! I had purchased one for this trip- but guess where it was- back home with my bathing suit!

The kids then took a short nap while we all put our feet up. I think the men may have had a glass of wine? About 345, we all got cleaned up and headed down to catch the bus to Epcot. We shared the bus with a whopping 2 people besides us.

Now prior to the trip, I had checked somewhere that you could get to the boardwalk area from Epcot. I think it was on my WDW transportation app (which, is really handy for the most part). However, while it showed the shortest route from SSR to BW to be via Epcot, it didn't clarify that walking time through the park wasn't included. It actually didn't clarify that you have to enter the park to get to the boat or the walking trail to Boardwalk. Whoops. Rookie Mistake. If I had known this, we would have just gone to DTD and taken a bus from there. Luckily, we got passes for everyday that we were there, even for the day we didn’t' plan on going to the park, because we knew plans could change and the price difference at that point was about $20 I think for the whole group.

So we go through bag check and walk through Epcot to catch the bus to the Boardwalk area. Well, I say walk, but at this point we were having to move pretty quick to have a chance of making it on time. Maya was pretty mad we couldn't stop to see Marie but we were coming back another day.

We finally got back to the boat dock in the World Showcase. Luckily, the ride was short, because it was stuffy in there!
We disembark and head to Big River Grille.

Originally, we had made our "reserved seating" for the patio. However, we opted to move it inside because of the heat. (reserved seating here isn't exactly a reservation, more like it just moves you to the front of the waiting list). They moved around a couple tables, and we were seated immediately. I had heard mixed reviews about this place, but it was a working microbrewery. I made it one of our ADR's because I figured by the middle of the week, DH would need something a bit more adult!

Chris and Dad started off with a beer flight. It was a sampler of the different brews they made in flight.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_3008.jpg

We hadn't eaten since breakfast, so we decided to try the beef nachos appetizer. They were okay, but they needed something. I guess I'd say they were dry and plain? But that may not be a fair assumption because I skipped the jalepenos.
Beef Nachos - tortilla chips, creamy pepper jack cheese, sliced jalapenos, topped with pica de gallo and sour cream $11.99

Dad ordered the meatloaf.
Flame-Grilled Meatloaf - made with ground beef and Italian pork sausage, topped with a rich, brown gravy. Served over garlic mashed potatoes and vegetables $14.99
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_3016.jpg

Mom had the mahi.
Hazelnut Crusted Mahi Mahi - sautéed, with a sun-dried cherry sauce. Served with garlic mashed potatoes and vegetables $22.99
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_3015.jpg

Chris ordered the Ribeye
Signature Ribeye- Char-grilled 12oz. USDA Choice ribeye steak, served with garlic mashed potatoes and vegetables. 25.99
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_3012.jpg

They all said their food was okay.

Cayden had the Amazing Amazon- a burger
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_3013.jpg

And Maya had the Gator Grilled- grilled cheese.
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_3011.jpg

Jenny and I had chicken pastas.
Jenny- Chicken Marinara - julienne breast of chicken tossed with marinara and asiago cheese in penne pasta $15.99
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_3014.jpg

Me- Chicken Alfredo - penne pasta blended with grilled chicken in a creamy Parmesan cheese sauce with fresh vegetables $15.99
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_3010.jpg

Jenny didn't like hers at all. I thought mine was okay. I was sad that the fresh vegetables were a couple of pieces of tomato. (I was rooting for broccoli!). But I was disappointed that the chicken was chicken-in-a-can.

The menu had great variety, and the food way just okay- but we loved the area. To me, this place would be perfect for sitting next to the water enjoying a cool beverage of your choice after a long day at the parks.

So why did we need an ADR at the Boardwalk anyway? [/COLOR]

lbuzz52

03-31-2010, 01:15 PM

Well, there were Halloween activities going on at DTD. But from what I had read, the place gets pretty busy that night. There were also some activities on the boardwalk. We decided to check those out.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_3037.jpg

There were trick or treat stations set up along the boardwalk walkways.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/295.jpg

And there were craft stations set up along the common area in the middle. You did your craft, and then they gave you a piece of candy too. I know that we came home with a door hangar, a bracelet (which Maya wore for weeks) and a suncatcher.

Here she is working on her suncatcher
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_3035.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_3034.jpg

They also had a dance party. Let me tell you, Maya can move her hips. (SCARY THOUGHT!!) She should consider a career as a hula girl. I tried to get some video, but she wasn't game. She refused to let me take any.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_3031.jpg

here's the "haha, you think you are going to get this picture" picture
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/307.jpg

but guess what, i sort-of got a picture!
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/305.jpg

There also was a single character greeting. We jumped in the short line while it was Mickey. We were almost to the front when Mickey left.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_3023.jpg
(so darn cute!)

About 5 minutes later, we saw this guy come out-

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_3024.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_3025.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_3026.jpg

Dad and Chris checked out the menu for Flying Fish while Maya was dancing. They decided we needed to try it in the future.

We took the boat back to Epcot. We stopped outside of Le Cellier to watch illuminations. We had a few minutes to wait, and the kids were really eyeing those handheld twirly lightup thingies. They settled for the flashing necklaces. Did you know that they have a few different flash patterns?

Illuminations soon started. The announcer mentioned Earth. Maya yelled
Chris boyght yhe kids flashing necklaces The announcer mentioned Earth. Maya yelled- Oh, that's where I live! I'm so excited that Earth is coming to visit me!

After the show, we made to bus area with the crowd. Now remember, this was our first time to Epcot. And remember, we had an empty bus on the way there. The "find your bus at" sign said SSR #2. So we headed towards it but saw a bus labeled SSR where we got off at. We asked driver if he was SSR. He said yes and motioned us on. So then.... he pulls us to queue #2. Yep, unbeknownst to us we were line jumpers. And of course, the queue was the only one with a line. Not once had there been a time we had to wait for a bus and only once had we been on a full bus. Needless to say those in line were not happy campers. Add a couple wheelchairs to the mix.... I promise we didn't know. At Mk, the buses had picked us up and dropped us off in the same places. I promise we just thought the signs were wrong. Don't flame me!!

We got back to the hotel quickly. We played Maya's new game called Bibbity Boppity Boo! What you do is swing your wand in the air and say Bippity, Boppity, Boo- you are a __________ (insert some animal, object, whatever here). Then the kiddo acts that out. I kept picking hula dancer for her, but I still couldn't manage a better picture!

We ran the dishwasher, because mousekeeping skipped it again. We got things around a bit, and then went to bed. Tomorrow we were going to attempt ropedrop!

Maya's favorites of the say:
1) living
2) breakfast with Minnie

Cayden's
1) going on the bus (um, okay!?!?)

James'
1) Meeting Mickey

And Mine-
My daughter! This whole trip she was all about sitting next to me or holding my hand. She'd been playing second fiddle for the longest time, 9 months of pregnancy and then 9 months of nursing. She was ready for her turn again. And let me tell you, I was eating it up!

Up Next: Mission:Rope Drop

micandminforever

03-31-2010, 03:42 PM

lbuzz52

03-31-2010, 05:57 PM

The boardwalk pictures were great. I need to remember that boardwalk has Halloween activities. The pictures of Maya dancing are so cute. Then James made a great picture with Mickey, he has a sweet smile.

Hello! Thanks for the comments. I was beginning to think i was talking to myself (even more than usual:lmao:).

The boardwalk halloween thing was nice! It wasn't crowded, and there was a decent bit of variety. We usually do trunk or treats or church halloween, so this felt like a nice Disney version of the familiar. It was a nice way to end a relaxing day.

that's nice

03-31-2010, 06:53 PM

[COLOR="Blue"][SIZE="3"]http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Saturday%20Oct%2031/IMG_2960.jpg

Oh My!!! What a cute pic!!!!!

A Dutch Minnie to boot? LOLOL :rotfl::rotfl:

Looks like you guys had a great time at CM!

Sorry your meals weren't great at Big River Grill. I haven't heard too much about this restaurant. I'll keep this off my list of placed to eat, but a place to stop for a drink!

They really had a lot of activities on the boardwalk for the kids.... awesome!! We are yet to even step foot on the boardwalk. We almost did this trip but it didn't happen.

SURE you didn't know about the bus line... :rolleyes1:rolleyes1 :lmao::lmao:

Juliana plays that same Bibbity Bobbity boop game!! That is sooo funny!!

Sounds like you guys had a great day!!!!:goodvibes

lbuzz52

04-01-2010, 11:07 AM

Oh My!!! What a cute pic!!!!!

A Dutch Minnie to boot? LOLOL :rotfl::rotfl:

Looks like you guys had a great time at CM!

Sorry your meals weren't great at Big River Grill. I haven't heard too much about this restaurant. I'll keep this off my list of placed to eat, but a place to stop for a drink!

They really had a lot of activities on the boardwalk for the kids.... awesome!! We are yet to even step foot on the boardwalk. We almost did this trip but it didn't happen.

SURE you didn't know about the bus line... :rolleyes1:rolleyes1 :lmao::lmao:

Juliana plays that same Bibbity Bobbity boop game!! That is sooo funny!!

Sounds like you guys had a great day!!!!:goodvibes

Chef Mickey's was a lot of fun! On top of that, i think that I might have gone there about 20 years ago, so i had a few miniature waves of nostalgia that day.

I hope my Big River review didn't make me sound like a Debbie Downer. We had so many good meals that week, and i just wasn't feelin that one was up to par.

And i PROMISE PROMISE PROMISE that we didnt' know about the bus line! I felt really bad because it ended up being standing room. And while we would have still gotten on, we wouldn't have had seats. Most of us gave up our seats I offered but no one took me up on it because i had the sleeping baby.

The boardwalk halloween was great! it was nice to be able to let them have fun without having to stress too bad about a crowd. i've just heard the DTD one gets really crowded.

That's funny about the game!

lbuzz52

04-01-2010, 02:16 PM

I don't have a lot of extra time today, but i promised Charlefours i would show off our purchases.

These are the ones that we have purchased up to the point i am at in the TR.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3366.jpg
Minnie Bobblehead Jenny bought somewhere at the Poly

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3414.jpg
Mickey my dad bought James somewhere at the Poly

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3466.jpg
Tink coin purse given to us at Pixie Hollow

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3382.jpg
Folder that the picture was in from CRT

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3398.jpg
Ariel pin that mom purchased at the pin stand in Dinoland

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3408.jpg
James' Mickey & Yeti car from the EE dumpshop

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3417.jpg
The Sleeping Beauty figures

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3469.jpg
Princess hat Maya picked out at Chester And Hesters Dinoland

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3366.jpg
Ariel Figure set i got Maya at Chester and Hesters Dinoland

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3463.jpg
Mickey Shape Sorter from Chester & Hesters Dinoland- put up for James for Christmas

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3478.jpg
Princess bracelet Chris bought for Maya- she lost it while sleeping:(

So tell me, what have been your best purchases at the World?

BONUS PICS.....

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3642.jpg
Maya posing before our "Date Night" to go see Princess and the Frog

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/phonepic2.jpg
and an at the theater pose

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3658.jpg
James meeting Santa for the first time

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3659.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3874.jpg
James' Dino cake for his family first birthday party

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3879.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3955.jpg
His dumptruck cake for his other party.
Chris made both these cakes!!!

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3953.jpg
the oreo dirt

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_3979.jpg
by round 2, he really had it down!

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_3982.jpg
"i know theres some left"

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/IMG_3981.jpg
"more please!"

and let me warn you all- don't use red food coloring if you are going to hand the cake to your infant! i think he was red for days!

micandminforever

04-01-2010, 06:55 PM

The birthday pictures put a smile on by face. James is so adorable in those pictures.

lbuzz52

04-02-2010, 09:22 AM

The birthday pictures put a smile on by face. James is so adorable in those pictures.

Awww, thanks!
He's such a sweet baby- I mean boy.
It's funny how the work week passes so slowly but they grow so quickly.

lbuzz52

04-05-2010, 10:22 AM

Sunday Nov 1.

Last night was "fall-back". We were really glad that we were gaining an hour of sleep instead of losing it. And apparently, I could have used a few more.

Our goal was to make rope drop at DHS. Well, we were close. We made it to the bus stop at 815. We had to wait a few minutes. The kids had been pretty nervous about the pin trading to this point, but I decided to use the bored CM and the empty bus stop to show them there was nothing to be afraid of. I walked Cayden up first and he asked to trade. Maya followed suite. I didn't get a picture of hers, but here's a pic of what Cayden traded for.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/313.jpg

We got to DHS quickly and through the gates right at 9. We headed behind the masses to TSMM.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/314.jpg

I had printed out a route to TSMM, but i didn't need it at all. Everyone seemed to be headed that way. I jumped in line for fast passes, and the rest of the group parked the strollers. Our return time was for 11:15.

The stand-by line said 30 minutes. We had been lucky so far in the trip to avoid most lines of this length, but we knew that it would only get longer. We decided to go ahead and wait. And it didn't seem bad at all. There is so much to look through on your way.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/317.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/IMG_3039.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/IMG_3043.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/IMG_3042.jpg

Finally it was time to get our glasses.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/319.jpg

The line ended up taking right about 35 minutes. We asked about babyswap and we were looked at freakishly. We asked about it again at the front and- another kooky look. We were told by both CM's- babies are fine on this ride. (just a note, in my opinion, I think the baby was okay- because at this point he had good neck control.)

Here's PawPaw and Cayden
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/IMG_3046.jpg

And Miss Maya
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/IMG_3048.jpg

Chris said he would ride with the baby, and I could ride with Maya. He figured I would need an extra hand to come close to beating his score. Apparently, I needed about 10 extra hands. Maya and I got....

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/IMG_3050.jpg

She got 5000, i got 62000 :rotfl2::lmao:
But i got 56% accuracy- that counts for something, right?

Chris got some crazy high number- like 192000 or something like that.
I joked with him- of all the Disney information, the toy stroy "cheats" must have been the one thing you decided to read:rotfl:

On the way out, we ran into these guys...

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/IMG_3052.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/IMG_3057.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/325.jpg

We then decided to head towards Rock- N Roller Coaster.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/322.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/323.jpg

But on the way, we had to stop for a potty break- the kids made it over two hours this time!!!

I don't remember what it was about, but I remember standing outside the restroom, and having thoughts of being so irritated at DH that I wasn't going to speak to him for a while, or I would bite his head off.

The standby at RNRC was 50 minutes, so we decided to try the singles line. Dad isn't much of a thrill rider:scared1:, so he sat out this one with the kids. The line ended up taking about 30 minutes to get through. We felt bad for leaving dad out there so long, but the kids were entertained on some rocks. I later read that there is a kids project there that they could have done. There also was the option of sending them to the Playhouse Disney show, but we didn't think the ride would take as long as it did so they stayed put. I think by this point an old ankle injury was flaring up. So he was find with any extra rest. He really should have taken it easier on it, but he didn't want to miss out on any of the kiddos experiences.

The baby was starting to get fussy, so I went to get some hot water at a nearby CS. I get out his formula, and get out the bottle... "Chris, where is the bottle, I know I put it in here".....
We had lost it AGAIN! This time, we compare notes and decide that the issue is with the location- there is a side pocket, and while we carry it there at home frequently, apparently it is getting jostled out with the extra walking. So we agree no more side pocket!!

So the rest of the group decides that they will ride the Great Movie Ride while I'm off to the baby center again. I'm carrying the baby, trying to calm him, pushing the stroller. I had a bit of a time finding the baby care center. I go and wait in what I thought was a line to get to the baby care center. Nope, it was just the customer service. They redirect me to the proper place. By this point, the baby is asleep. So somehow, one handed, I manage to get the bottle open, formula in, hot water in, cold water in, all mixed up, without scaulding either of us. I push the stroller back one handed-which I consider an exercise by itself ( those Sit N Stand's are heavy!)

Meanwhile, the street people were thinking they needed to mess with me. They tried chatting about babies, but it didn't take them long to figure out I was grumpy and not in the mood. I made it make to the Great Movie Ride and sat outside on a bench. James soon woke up and started his bottle. About 30 minutes later they came out.

We had a little while longer until lunch, so we decided to head towards Backlot. On the way, they decided to stop and see Buzz and Woody. Now, I haven't made a lot of mention about Chris & I's breaks. That's because they haven't been a big deal. We really didn't take very many of them, maybe every three hours or so, and did our best to do them in a manner that didn't disrupt the rest of the group. Like while others were taking a bathroom break, or waiting for the parades, etc. Well, at this point, it had been about 4 and 1/2 hours, and I've been grumpy for hours. I'm hot and I’m tired, and I wanted to smoke. But Chris didn't feel like going into Buzz and Woody to take pictures, so I did, and I let my grumpiness be known.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/329.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/331.jpg

It was probably about a 10 minute wait until it was our turn.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/IMG_3061.jpg
Look at her holding his hand. I didn't even know she really knew who these guys were.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/336.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/339.jpg

We continued on to

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/346.jpg

Backlot. But first I had to take Maya to the potty. I walked forever to find one, and realized on my way back that I had passed one on my way. Whoops! By now I knew that we were close enough to our ADR time that if I didn't get a break now, I wouldn't get one for a couple more hours. So I let them go on the ride and I sat it out and took a much needed break.

About a half an hour later they come out. Chris apparently wasnt' fond of it. I guess that its not as active or current as it was 20 years ago. We then start walking towards our ADR.

Next: would the comfort food ease my mood?

Charlefours

04-05-2010, 06:13 PM

lbuzz52

04-05-2010, 08:29 PM

Awe, Maya looks adorable in her Minnie outfit and her hair done that way. :) We love the figurine sets--I have two of the sets put aside for our car ride down. DD loves them too. Thank you for showing your souvenirs!! :goodvibes: Such cute pictures--TFS!

Hmm...best souvenir from Disney I have gotten would be two: 1) a Graduation Mickey antenna topper as it was my graduation when we went last time and 2) the drinking glasses--perfect size and they have held up well. I will be looking for another set when we go down.

Looking forward to reading more about DHS. popcorn::

Thanks for all the compliments!

You'll have to tell me if you find the glasses. I love things that you can actually use!
I've got another set of figures put up fir Maya to. But now I'm having trouble remembering which ones she has. Can I still blame it on mommy brain even though the baby is already one? Lol!

mommyof2Pirates

04-06-2010, 06:27 AM

that's nice

04-06-2010, 07:47 AM

Sounds like you weren't having a magical morning.

Good job getting to the park early though! 30minute standby wait for TSM is a score! We have never rode standby... always have had FPs.

How did you like RnRC?? It my favorite WDW ride!

Cute pics of the kids with Buzz & Woody.:goodvibes:thumbsup2

Glad to hear you DH didn't like the BLT. We have never done it (it has been closed every time).. good to know we aren't missing anything! :)

lbuzz52

04-06-2010, 09:28 AM

Sounds like your day is starting off good minus the bottle incident and lack of nicotine....:laughing: Is there certain smoking areas in the park? I am not a smoker but my mom is and I know the next time we go she will need her breaks. I cant wait to hear more keep them coming!

Hi there!!

They have a few smoking areas in each park. Disney does a good job with them because they are well hidden (I think) from the non-smokers, but you are never too far from one. Quite often, i'd see that there was one nearby on a map, but when i actually looked for it, i'd pass it a few times before i found it.

Sounds like you weren't having a magical morning.

Good job getting to the park early though! 30minute standby wait for TSM is a score! We have never rode standby... always have had FPs.

How did you like RnRC?? It my favorite WDW ride!

Cute pics of the kids with Buzz & Woody.:goodvibes:thumbsup2

Glad to hear you DH didn't like the BLT. We have never done it (it has been closed every time).. good to know we aren't missing anything! :)

it wasn't my best morning- but at least i was in a good place!
I'm a person that really needs a few minutes by myself each day to remain sane. At home, i can always accomplish that by staying up a bit later then everyone if need be. It just wasn't that easy to get that time with our group.

we knew that the kids would want to ride again, so i'm glad we waited. You should try the Queue sometime- its pretty neat. The thirty minutes flew by.

There was good intereaction between the kids and Buzz and Woody. I'll have to try to find the Monsters Inc guys next time.

I really liked RNRC- it wasn't my overall favorite. (I was surprised at that one.) But its defintely on my top list.

i don't remember BLT being a favorite when i went 20 years ago- i remember the scene that my sis captured in that picture though. If it wasn't for my parents being there too, then we probably would have chosen to spend our "waiting for ADR" time at HISK playground instead.

I liked DHS though. i'd seen some reports that it was a least favorite park. It did seem to have less to do, but the things there take more time. It never seemed to be super crowded though- i guess thats in the layout and the fact that everyone is in line in one of three places.

lbuzz52

04-06-2010, 06:12 PM

So we arrived at 50's prime time for our 1:20 ADR. We waited about 10 minutes until being seated at our table.
So we sat in our living room at watched tv

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/349.jpg

and pet our puppy
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/350.jpg

and chilled on the couch
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/348.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/IMG_3063.jpg

They soon called our name and we we sat. We were introduced to our cousins- the group on the left was from New Jersey. The group on the right was from New Jersey. And the group behind us was from..... New Jersey. Definitely a battle of accents!

The best thing about this meal- you could get milkshakes for your drink on the dining plan! The kids got peanut butter and jelly milkshakes. They liked them. I got a vanilla. It was more than I could finish. But oh so tasty!

So we all order our food. And then I look over to see this...
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/IMG_3062.jpg
Yes, he's asleep!

So the food came and Jenny attempted to wake up Cayden. He would rather sleep. She didn't want him to though. So the two of them started getting a bit testy to each other. (I wasn't cranky any more though!)

I'm not sure what everyone else ordered. It seemed to take forever for everything here- I'm not sure if our aunt had another section or something, but she would be gone a long time every time she left.

I got the pot roast- pretty good.
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/IMG_3068.jpg

Maya got Macaroni and cheese, with salad. The salad had seen better days- but to be honest, I think she was full from her milkshake by now.
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/IMG_3073.jpg

Next time, I'm getting this: Chicken Pot Pie
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/IMG_3072.jpg

I think we got a smores and a brownie sunday for our desserts. And probably some cookies to take back to the room too?
If you haven't seen the brownie sundae, you should google it. yummy goodness.

This place was good and a lot of fun. It was really busy though, and we left our 1:20 ADR at 3:05.

When we came out of 50's, we saw the start of the Block Party Bash. Maya would have liked to watch it, but we had a couple more things we wanted to do and they were mostly scheduled so we moved on. Soon we came to Voyage of the Little Mermaid. Maya was so excited. Ariel is probably the only thing that would make her skip a parade! Cayden had fallen back asleep in the stroller so Jenny waited outside with him. and yes it was Jenny's turn to be crabby.

I was really enjoying VOLM. So was Maya, and so was Nonni. But I look over and see not only James asleep, but also Chris and PawPaw. Even through the mist- which I thought was relatively heavy where we were sitting. And I've read other trip reports with the same occurance- all the men falling asleep in this show. So what gives guys?

So we head the final showing of Lights, Motors, Action. We needed to take a potty break soon, and by this point, I'm pretty sure I knew where most of them were in the park.

We had a few minutes to spare and goofed off a bit.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/IMG_3082.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/IMG_3083.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/IMG_3089.jpg

well, at least one of us did! (just a side note, i loved:lovestruc his shirt, i was so sad when he outgrew it- crazy 8, drooler)

The heat was intense in those bleachers, but luckily we were under the cover and I think a fan too. We enjoyed this show. I'm not sure the kids took their eyes off.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/IMG_3087.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/354.jpg

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http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/IMG_3092.jpg

I'm having major photobucket issues today, so i'm going to stop here.

mommyof2Pirates

04-06-2010, 09:19 PM

kcandbella

04-06-2010, 10:34 PM

Looks like a fun day at DHS! I love the pic of your DS sleeping on the table. Too cute! Prime Time looks yummy!!

lbuzz52

04-07-2010, 09:25 AM

wow that was a long time for middle of the day eating. the chicken pot pie did look yummy though, and how can you go wrong with milkshakes! I think it is hysterical that cayden fell asleep at the table....poor guy he must of been wiped out. I hear ya about the heat in those bleachers at LMA. How about the mile long walk to even get to the bleachers too. In the heat I swear it felt like we walked a marathon.:rotfl: Excited to keep reading!

The milkshakes were perfect in that heat! I'm not sure whether or not the time is typical for that restaurant. It was really busy, but our server seemed especially busy. We appreciated the reprieve from walking in the heat, but could have used the extra time as it was our only day in the park. I couldn't believe that he fell asleep like that! I'd bet that the kids were probably at least 45 minutes short of sleep most nights, so i guess it was really catching up with them. And that was the longest walk to the bleachers! It was worth it though, a lot of fun!

Looks like a fun day at DHS! I love the pic of your DS sleeping on the table. Too cute! Prime Time looks yummy!!

I wish his momma had fallen asleep there too:rotfl: It was her turn to get grumpy next. It was really yummy- i love southern food!

micandminforever

04-07-2010, 10:06 AM

lbuzz52

04-08-2010, 12:42 PM

Your DD and DN seems to be great pals in all the pictures, that is special. Some of my favorite memories growing up are family vacations with all the cousins.

The stunt car pictures are great. I will need to remember the covered area for this summer's trip.

Prime Time is a great place to eat with family, my dh and I went with his family there, back in January and had a fun time with the waitress. Plus the food was good.

They are such good friends. My mother watches all three of them one day a week and they've really gotten to be close. In fact, yesterday, apparently she told my mom that "daddy said i can't marry him becuase he's already married. so i'm going to marry Cayden because i love him":rotfl2:
um, i don't think so!!! :rotfl:

I was nervous about the "fun" with the waitress. My dh woudln't have been up for too much. we got a little of the elbows off the tables thing and that was it.
i think we'll go back again sometime.

Charlefours

04-08-2010, 01:13 PM

lbuzz52

04-08-2010, 03:55 PM

I don't have too many pictures for this installment.

When we last left off, we had just seen LMA.

Anyone care to guess where we went next? Yep, back to the potty. We knew where they all were this time though, so it only took a minute. We then headed over to Mater's garage.

Cayden was so excited to see his favorites. He started dancing. Then he fell over his own feet. :rotfl2::rotfl::rotfl2:
He didn't like it when we all laughed at him. I'm pretty sure it was about this point when someone suggested that Jenny buy the boy some bubble wrap.

The CM here was a bit short. Maya took a picture with McQueen. Then I went to take a pic with Mater and he said, "ug, I got them both. Next."

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/IMG_3093.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/357.jpg

We were interested in checking out the Muppets but there wasn't time this day. Jenny, Cayden, Nonni, and PawPaw went to the final Indy show. And my group went to the final Belle show. On the way, we stop to get some hot water to make James a bottle. I look down at the stroller and find this...

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/IMG_3098.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/IMG_3099.jpg
seemed to be a theme this day:goodvibes I"m not sure how she got her head out between the seat and the cover LOL!

The Belle show was just opening, and there weren't many people in there yet, so we stood at stroller parking for a few minutes and let Maya rest. Once it started to seem like it might be filling up, we headed in. We got a seat about a third of the way back on the side but on the center edge of the row. Still good seats. Here's a few random pics.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/IMG_3102.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/IMG_3105.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/IMG_3109.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/IMG_3114.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/IMG_3115.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/IMG_3120.jpg

We all enjoyed this show as well.

We got out of the show and met up with the rest of the group at

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/sunday%20nov%201%20DHS/IMG_3053.jpg
Tower of Terror.

Up until then, I had been wishy-washy about riding this, but I had made up my mind that I was going to do it. Maya changed her mind about 12 times about whether or not she wanted to go. Nonni ended up talking her out of it. I think she would have been fine, but it was a first time for all of us, so we didn't really know what to think about her riding it.

I loved this! I had no idea that I was going to fly off of my seat. I had my hands gripped so tight I'm not sure I would have been able to hold Maya in her seat but I loved it loved it loved it! I think it might be my Disney favorite, but i'll have to test it again to make sure!

We stopped in the villain shop. I had assumed that we would leave there with a lot of items in hand, but we did good. I only bought one thing besides a coffee. And I wish I had bought about 12 dozen of them. I was in line to get my coffee and Maya asked me if she could get this

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3370.jpg
(the cookie on the top right- Minnie's Bake shop Chocolate Chip supreme cookie. - more on this picture later)

Oh my, how we enjoyed this cookie! (when we ate it the next day). It was then our mission to find more!!

We wandered back over to TSMM to use our fast passes. I ws glad we had them, because they were gone for the day and I think the standby was 95 minutes.

This time, I rode with Chris. I watched how he was shooting and changed my strategy. I dropped from 56% to 26% accuracy, but I increased my score to 104000.

The original goal was to eat at Pizza Planet. But I don't think my dad was feeling the counter service meals very much. He suggested that we just order a pizza when we get back to the room.

We were getting tired, and it was getting late. So we decided we'd hit Star Tours and call it a day. It was a walk on. Maya screamed WHHEEEEEE! The whole time. As soon as it was done she begged her daddy to go with her again!

We got back to the hotel about 930 p.m. We were going to just order the pizzas that could be part of the dining plan, but the way they counted them would have thrown us off count wise for the rest of the week. So rather than wait to see if that was a smart plan (to do that and pay out of pocket later), Dad just ordered from Pizza Hut. So instead of having too few credits, we now had more than we needed. Oh well. Mom ran down and got a couple cs caesers to go with the pizza, and that took care of part of it.

We also realized about that time that Maya's new Minnie bracelet was missing. We think that she slept in it and it probably came off in the covers and went with the laundry.

Just a random thought on Maya- she was cracking me up with the way she yelled at every character she saw.
"Hey (insert character name here)- I'm Maya." She's never met a stranger.
But for some reason, she was confusing a few of them. She called the beast "Hey Belle's husband". And "Hey Ariel's mom" to Ursula. And then there was "Hey Cayyan" Any idea who that is? I didn't know either. Turns out, it was Flounder.

Favorites of the day:

Maya- the Belle show, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, and Star Tours
James- The Belle show
Cayden- Star Tours and Indiana Jones

and because I missed this picture in the earlier installment- the Minnie Mouse bobble head that my sister bought Maya at the Poly
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3369.jpg

Next up- the day the plan was gone

lbuzz52

04-08-2010, 03:58 PM

50's PTC looks yummy--maybe one of these trips we will try it. I am not sure how we would do with all the hassle. I am really looking forward to VOTLM. We enjoyed LMA but I am not sure if we will do it again.

There wasn't too much hassel at 50's. Part of that luck, i'm sure was becuase we were busy, but i'd bet that the other part was that they can probably tell who wants to really be messed with.

I LOVED VOLM. i think i'm just a sucker for that type of show.

Charlefours

04-08-2010, 06:15 PM

mommyof2Pirates

04-08-2010, 08:41 PM

that sounded like a great day at dhs. I didnt realize pizza hut delivered to the resorts. Thats always a great way to end the day. Cant wait to hear about the next day. plans diverted oh no.

lbuzz52

04-08-2010, 11:50 PM

Cute bobble head! Too bad about Maya's bracelet, I am assuming you never found it again? :( Sounds like you had a good wrap up at DHS. Poor Maya--must have been exhausted since she curled up in the stroller. I sure wish my DD would do that. :goodvibes

Looking forward to the next update popcorn::

there really was more to do there than I thought. Can't wait to go back
I think the week was just catching up to her. Luckily, she was enjoying herself enough that she never really turned into a grump. Maybe if I had half her energy I wouldn't have either! I'd bet Lillian may surprise you with naps. Or cat naps.
Never found the bracelet.

that sounded like a great day at dhs. I didnt realize pizza hut delivered to the resorts. Thats always a great way to end the day. Cant wait to hear about the next day. plans diverted oh no.

I enjoyed dhs way more than I thought I would. I think it does a really good job of entertaining to different genders and ages.
I'm not sure that all pizza brands deliver there but was greatful that pizza hut did.
It's not a full diversion from the plan- still at the same park;)

lbuzz52

04-08-2010, 11:53 PM

Any of you expierienced Florida travelers know of a good kid friendly Florida cabin spot to visit???

that's nice

04-09-2010, 12:00 AM

lbuzz52

04-09-2010, 12:59 AM

I feel like our TRs are mimicking each other!! LOLOL

We did practically the same stuff! :)

Glad Mya got some ZzZzZzZz's. I could only wish Ana would do that.LOL

How close was Pizza Hut to you guys? Did they deliver?

You going to mk next too? I think I saw that. I bet we did some different things though. Our next day was a bit wonky- well, at least inefficient.

That cat nap totally revived her! We had really long days- they weren't in bed till 11 or 12 most days. Wish I got those naps still at home.

I'm not exactly sure how far the pizza was. I know they delivered. And I know they got there quickly. But it was about ten by the time we ordered. For some reason I'm thinking they aren't too far from dtd. It seems like I passed them but the only time I left Disney property was on the m.e. Sorry- not much help;)

Charlefours

04-09-2010, 08:54 AM

Do you know Barbara, Disney<333? She is from FL and might be able to help you. If not, you could post about the cabin on the family board. :goodvibes

lbuzz52

04-09-2010, 09:48 AM

Do you know Barbara, Disney<333? She is from FL and might be able to help you. If not, you could post about the cabin on the family board. :goodvibes

i don't klnow her, but that is a good idea

kcandbella

04-09-2010, 09:50 AM

lbuzz52

04-09-2010, 11:09 AM

Since I didn't incorporate them, I thought i'd add a few of our photopass pics now.

Day 1 Magic Kingdom

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0034.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0018.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0012.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0038.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0052.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0077.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0082.jpg
Love this face:rotfl:

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0085.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0102.jpg
Maya said "no pictures- just take me to Dumbo"

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0095.jpg
he didn't have a choice though LOL

Day 2- Magic Kingdom for Breakfast and Pixies

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0117.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0125.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0130.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0145.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0135.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0156.jpg

cont. in next post

lbuzz52

04-09-2010, 12:39 PM

I promise, the bulk of our photopass pics were taken in the first 2 days. :goodvibes

Day 2 cont. Magic Kingdom pixies

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0161.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0167.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0184.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0193.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0197.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0211.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0224.jpg

Day 2 cont. Magic Kingdom Cinderella's Royal Table

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0250.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0237.jpg

Day 2 cont. Magic Kingdom Ariel

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0261.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0271.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0276.jpg
they were talking about the wand here- but the lighting was strange

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0290.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0302.jpg

lbuzz52

04-09-2010, 06:02 PM

Monday nov 2

So our original goal for the day was to be at Magic Kingdom for rope drop, then come home for a nap in the afternoon. This day was evening Extra Magic Hours. Well, my plan got vetoed in favor of sleeping in and going late.

This was funny to me, because as kids, we were always made to get up for opening, take afternoon resort naps, and then stayed out until late EMH of 12 or later.

But oh well, we are sleeping in. So when did I wake up? 0600. And of course I couldn’t fall back asleep. So I went and sat outside for a bit. I decided that I should take a few pictures as our trip wasn't far from the end:guilty:

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/IMG_3127.jpg
Our building area

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/IMG_3123.jpg
the stairwell

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/IMG_3125.jpg
the quiet pool area directly across from the stairwell

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/IMG_3126.jpg
the zero entry area (before it was on for the day)

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/IMG_3128.jpg
the stairwell to our building from the pool gates

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/IMG_3129.jpg
the side of our building. (but not the side we were on)

I then went back upstairs and made coffee and bathed the baby. About 800, I heard others waking. We played for a bit.

I decided that I was going to go to DTD while everyone was in poky-mode. It would give me a few minutes of that needed just me time. I had a couple Christmas gift ideas for the kids. Everyone would meet me there shortly for a counterservice lunch and then we would go on to the MK. And there we would catch what we hadn't seen yet, redo our favorites, and then catch spectro and wishes.

So I got my kiddos mostly together, and then took off on my own to catch the boat to DTD. With a big smile on my face, might I add. I love to shop! And I never get to do it without my kids. So I was just excited.

I got to the boat dock just as a boat was leaving. They are scheduled to leave every 20 minutes, starting on the hour. It was off a bit that morning, because I got there at 1017. So at 1038 the next boat rolls through. And as I'm getting ready to board, I hear- Momma. My group had already made it to the dock. My alone time was spent waiting on the boat. Whoohoo.

I took a few more random SSR pics on the way.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/IMG_3136.jpg
the boat dock

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/IMG_3135.jpg
the golf course

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/IMG_3138.jpg
another SSR section

We docked at DTD and made our was towards World of Disney.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/IMG_3145.jpg

We had to stop first for some window shopping.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/IMG_3140.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/IMG_3141.jpg
(vroom, vroom)

Eventually, we came upon this.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/IMG_3146.jpg
good morning Beauty

Maya wondered through WOD with me, but then went to join Cayden with the legos.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/IMG_3143.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/360.jpg

I got quite a stash here.

I got a castle ornament for Maya,
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3613.jpg

A babys' first Christmas ornament for James.
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3609.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3376.jpg
Maya had asked me for this earlier in the week, so i snuck and got it to put up for Christmas

I got James a onesie for this spring (its hard to find baby Disney gear sometimes)
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3467.jpg

And a figure set perfect for baby sized hands
(it's got the fab 5 in there- they even squeak a bit)
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3419.jpg

And for me----
I picked out a magnet

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3379.jpg
And this perfect frame
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3380.jpg

And got the tote that was discounted with a purchase of XX dollars- I forget how much the amounts were.
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3524.jpg

I had them send it all to the resort.

Everyone was waiting on me at this point, so I hurried to meet them so we could go to Earl of Sandwich. James was wearing a different outfit. Looks like I missed a blowout. Darn!

cont.

micandminforever

04-09-2010, 06:59 PM

The princess photopass pictures were great. My favorite were the ones with Ariel. Also great souvenir pictures.

sejejoemmiev

04-09-2010, 08:16 PM

Just found your TR today! I couldn't stop reading it, so I am all caught up, in just one day. Can't wait for the rest! How much is the photo pass CD?

lbuzz52

04-09-2010, 11:27 PM

The princess photopass pictures were great. My favorite were the ones with Ariel. Also great souvenir pictures.

thanks! Ariel was such a sweetie. She was so interactive and in character completely. It was such a special moment for Maya. I'm so glad we got to see her in her grotto before the revamp.

Just found your TR today! I couldn't stop reading it, so I am all caught up, in just one day. Can't wait for the rest! How much is the photo pass CD?

Welcome!! I'd give you the fancy smiley but i'm on my phone ;)
thanks for joining in!!

It's been a while, but I believe the regular price on the photopass cd is $149. There is no picture limit and you get the printing rights to your pictures as well. I think we had like 180ish pics and maybe like 700 after the cropping and size edits and adding borders. Sometimes they send you a code to get it for $99 if you preorder (and they will refund if you decide against it) you can also buy a single picture in print or digital. The photopass was spli between my mom, sister, and I, so it was a good deal for us.

that's nice

04-09-2010, 11:47 PM

lbuzz52

04-09-2010, 11:49 PM

Aww, I love Beauty and the Beast! :lovestruc It's my favorite. You got some great pics!

Your DD is so cute sleeping in the stroller! It's so funny how they fall asleep--it does NOT look comfortable at all. :rotfl:

I was really surprised how much we enjoyed the show, especially dh he's not really a musical sort of guy. I can't wait to see her area at mk

I fell asleep on the couch last weekend- I swear my neck hurt for days afterwords. If she was hurting after that nap, she sure didn't let on. I was in pain just looking at it.

lbuzz52

04-10-2010, 12:31 AM

Love all the PP pics!!! The kids are so cute! :)

Nice pics from SS too! I've never been to that resort.

Sorry your alone time was waiting for the boat... but atleast everyone was in DTD and you didn't have to wait for anyone! :thumbsup2

Thanks for the photo compliments. I'm pretty addicted to my babies so I definitely appreciate it!

The resort was beautiful! And it was great to be near dtd! I'd stay there again. But I'm anxious to see what the other disney properties have to offer too

you are right- it's good I didn't have to wait for them. There are WAY too many other stores there. I could have done some serious budget blowing damage. I still got the Christmas gift without being busted, so I was good to go.

I think that waking up so early was a blessing in disguise for me. I really enjoyed sitting outside by myself in the dewey quiet. So peaceful!

Melknor

04-11-2010, 03:02 PM

disneyaddicted

04-11-2010, 11:41 PM

I think Maya is the cutest thing. I loved when she shouted, "Earth, I live there." Too funny. her Minnie Mouse outfit is so dear.

Don't ya just hate feeling grumpy at disney, you don't want to fel that way but can't help it? I'm glad that you were able to get past that, food does help.

TSM sounds like so much fun, I can't wait to try it. any tips?

lbuzz52

04-12-2010, 03:45 PM

"Everest to use our fast passes. I think Jenny, Mom, and Chris went first. Dad and I stayed with the kids. Maya played on the rocks while Cayden and I went inside the shop. He picked out an explorer set (think plastic binoculars, plastic compass, etc. We picked out a plastic car for James- it was Mickey riding in a jeep trying to escape the Yeti. "

My kids picked out the same set last yeart. It was really cute and the price was :thumbsup2. Your kids are adorable by the way! :goodvibes

aww, thanks!

i hate to admit it, but i think i'm going to have to start a shopping list for our next trip. i keep seeing way to many awesome things when i browse the TR's

I think Maya is the cutest thing. I loved when she shouted, "Earth, I live there." Too funny. her Minnie Mouse outfit is so dear.

Don't ya just hate feeling grumpy at disney, you don't want to fel that way but can't help it? I'm glad that you were able to get past that, food does help.

TSM sounds like so much fun, I can't wait to try it. any tips?

my dd cracks me up everyday. Lately, she's gotten way to good at being too literal. i need to write that stuff down!

it does suck to be grumpy at Disney; i think its inevitable though when you do the long days.

uggghh, tips for TSM? shoot really fast? point towards a target and shoot a million times until you get it and then move to the next?

it was a ton of fun though! definetely try it when you and kent go; maybe you can actually be competitive at it. i know that i've given up on that already :rotfl:

lbuzz52

04-12-2010, 06:02 PM

The place was sort of a madhouse- it was prime lunchtime and packed with strollers. We ordered and sat to wait for our number. And waited, and waited. Finally, I go to ask about it. They said, oh, good, someone wrote the order number backwards and we didn't know who this order belonged to. It had been ready for a while.

We all got something different. We ordered the cobb wrap, chicken caeser wrap, the club sandwich, the original sandwich, and the kids pizza sandwich And we all really enjoyed what we got. (Chris wasn't feeling well, so he skipped this one) I wish we had one of these locally. I would definitely eat there regularly. Blows all my local sandwich shops out of the water! It was such a good sandwich!!

Here's what i got- there is a section of the menu where you pick your item and then choose if you want it in a wrap or as a salad. I picked wrap.

The Earl's Cobb - Grilled Chicken, Smoked Bacon, Swiss & Cheddar Cheese, Field Greens & Romaine, Roma Tomato, Cucumber, Cranberries & Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/IMG_3150.jpg
forgive the messy picture, it was so full that it was falling out as i was eating it.

that was the only picture i took, but here's a sandwich example I borrowed from the web- thanks if its yours.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ztzQu2eF3yw/SxBEhBysHKI/AAAAAAAAAV8/Yqhbbv70mQI/s400/earl_holiday_sandwich.jpg

There was a really good dessert selection- it was two levels. Dining plan eligible, or not. We ended up choosing chocolate pudding, strawberry shortcake, cookie, and cupcake. The 6 of us tasted them all and I think again, we liked them all. This was a great meal- nice and light but filling. (as in not heavy- can't comment on calorie count as I don't know it)

We took a potty break and wandered bit trying to find the bus area. In the meantime, we stumbled onto this:

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/IMG_3154.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/IMG_3151.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/IMG_3153.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/370.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/368.jpg

what a fun little spot! If i had known of this in advance, i might have tried to get a Christmas card picture!

We found the bus area and waited for what seemed like a long time. But apparently we were being funny while we were waiting.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/373.jpg

We bussed to SSR, and soon we were here.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/IMG_3159.jpg

We arrived at 130. We stopped outside the gates to catch a Photopass. (at Maya's request)

I snapped a couple pictures of the fall decorations.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/IMG_3165.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/IMG_3166.jpg

Maya had to potty again, so off we went. When we came back, Dad had bought Cayden and Maya Mickey head balloons.

We then noticed Daisy was out in the square, so we headed to her line. It was the shortest we had seen it all week.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/IMG_3162.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/IMG_3164.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/383.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/380.jpg

And then Cayden had to potty- uuggghhh- parents, make all the kids go when one has to go.

So I'm not even sure what time it was by now. Maybe 2pm? We finally made it down main street and headed to ride the magic carpets in

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/IMG_3167.jpg

My dad wanted to take the kids in the treehouse. We weren't interested, so while he did that, I stood with James and Chris went to get hot water. He stood in line at Aloha Isle for 15 minutes. Finally it was his turn, then he moved over to the pick-up window only to be told that the hot water was out. Ugghhh again!
So he ran over to sunshine and got hot water there.

It was about this time that we were noticing how much more of a crowd there was then the other days we had been there.

As we headed towards the magic carpet ride, we saw Aladdin and Jasmine. The line didn't' look too long. It ended up that they were very talkative. So the line moved like the fairy line. We waited from 225 to 250. While we were waiting, we discussed what pins we wanted to trade the cm for. Another family heard us and ended up trading for the ones we wanted. Ugghh again. It was okay though. Maya found one she wanted just as badly at the next stop.

Once it was our turn, Cayden got his book signed, but refused to pose for a picture.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/IMG_3169.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/IMG_3174.jpg

So we finally rode the magic carpets. Then we noticed that Maya's balloon was already deflated. We werent' going to the front yet so we decided to address that later.

Pirates was a 5 minute wait, so we made that our next stop. The kids skipped and sung through the queue.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/IMG_3175.jpg

to be cont.

mommyof2Pirates

04-13-2010, 10:06 AM

sejejoemmiev

04-14-2010, 07:34 AM

[/QUOTE] Welcome!! I'd give you the fancy smiley but i'm on my phone ;)
thanks for joining in!!

It's been a while, but I believe the regular price on the photopass cd is $149. There is no picture limit and you get the printing rights to your pictures as well. I think we had like 180ish pics and maybe like 700 after the cropping and size edits and adding borders. Sometimes they send you a code to get it for $99 if you preorder (and they will refund if you decide against it) you can also buy a single picture in print or digital. The photopass was spli between my mom, sister, and I, so it was a good deal for us.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the photo pass info. I will have to get a CD, if I manage enough photo pass pictures in our short trip. I would love to get a pre-order code! I enjoyed your update. Earl of Sandwich and Wolfgang Puck Express look delicious! Are they open late? We only have 4 full days for the parks, so we don't really have time for DTD, but the parks close at 7/8 pm on two of our dates we will be visiting. Is it easy to get to DTD from the parks and then back to your hotel? Does ME take longer in DTD? Thanks!

lbuzz52

04-14-2010, 01:55 PM

great update. those sandwiches looked so yummy. I am definitely putting that on our list for next trip. We had some of those days where you have the feeling your always a day late and a dollar short. Sounds like your still having a lot of fun!

i'd recommend them! i'm not much for subway or any place like that where they make the same sandwiches you can make at home but these were so stinkin tasty!

I definitely felt like we could have used our time more efficientiently that day, but it was still a blast!

Thanks for the photo pass info. I will have to get a CD, if I manage enough photo pass pictures in our short trip. I would love to get a pre-order code! I enjoyed your update. Earl of Sandwich and Wolfgang Puck Express look delicious! Are they open late? We only have 4 full days for the parks, so we don't really have time for DTD, but the parks close at 7/8 pm on two of our dates we will be visiting. Is it easy to get to DTD from the parks and then back to your hotel? Does ME take longer in DTD? Thanks!

i'm not sure of the hours, but i'm thinking we ate at WPE at 830pm-930pm range.
We only did the bus thing at DTD once, so i can't really fairly give an accessment of if it is a slower bus.
But i do believe that you have to but to DTD from a resort; i don't think you can go directly from a park to DTD.

Cory's Gal

04-14-2010, 03:36 PM

that's nice

04-15-2010, 06:53 AM

We ate at EoS last time and loved it too!! It was really good!

I'm assuming those pics from DTD were near the Christmas store? I don't recall seeing that area. :confused3

25 minute wait to see Jasmine.. worth it in my book! :thumbsup2

Sometimes the Aloha Isle line is soooooo slow. (OK it is so slow all the time!)

Pirates 5 minute wait.. score! :)

Great update!

lbuzz52

04-15-2010, 04:51 PM

Hi Lauren!! I finally found your TR!!! Your trip sounded like so much fun! I would love to travel around that time of year sometime with the kids and see the MNSSHP!! Thanks for sharing all those great pictures!! Maya and James are adorable and I LOVED their Halloween costumes especially the bright red Ariel wig!!! Looking forward to rest of your report!!!!!!!:goodvibes
~Beth

:welcome: Beth

The trip was a blast! If you have a chance to go, i'd recommend it. don't have much to compare it to, but i thought it was relatively low crowds. PLus MNSSHP & F&W.
That wig was bright, but it really made it. She got so many comments on it. Thanks for all the compliments!!

We ate at EoS last time and loved it too!! It was really good!

I'm assuming those pics from DTD were near the Christmas store? I don't recall seeing that area. :confused3

25 minute wait to see Jasmine.. worth it in my book! :thumbsup2

Sometimes the Aloha Isle line is soooooo slow. (OK it is so slow all the time!)

Pirates 5 minute wait.. score! :)

Great update!

Yum. Wish i could have some Earl's right now.

RE: Christmas area- when we left Earl's, we walked in between it and Once Upon a Toy. we thought we were going towards the buses. We realized that area was fenced, and we would have to go back the way we came. when ew got back towards Earls, we turned behind it (so we were basically walking between it and the bus area) . i think it was back there, but yes, nearish the Christmas shop.

Jasmine and Aladdin are awesome! Aladdin is one of my favorites becuase i remember the movie coming out. The line moved fast. We were so lucky becuase 90% of the lines and waits were tiny for us that week.

The bad thing about wait at Aloha- i didn't get anything! That's were those infamous Dole Whips are right??

lbuzz52

04-15-2010, 05:13 PM

I procrastinated on my taxes, Maya had the cutest program and her preschool today, and James has another tooth coming in.
This will be a short update, with only a few pictures.

But first i want to share my new favorite picture. (its another phone picture)

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/photophone4.jpg

I have the sweetest babies!

Monday MK continued.

After Pirates, we then decided to head to Frontierland
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We stopped along the way to take this.

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We wanted to check on SM and BTMR. On our way, Maya saw that the parade was about to start. She cried at the thought of not seeing it. So PawPaw stood at the back of the line with her on his shoulders and let her wave and say hello to each and every character.

Meanwhile, both splash and thunder had 45 minute waits. That was way too long with the kids not interested, so we passed.

So the parade crowd finally began to break and we headed through frontierland. We decided to stop at Country Bear Jamboree. The first day we were there, the line was literally empty for this attraction. This time, the show was full.

We decided to head to Toontown through Fantasyland. We’d stop to hit anything with a short wait on the way. All the Peter Pan FastPasses were gone for the day. IASW was a 30 minute wait. Dumbo was 40. After the non existant waits we had been having, we decided to keep on moving. No big deal. That just meant that there was time for……

Maya’s first Mickey!
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In toontown, Minnie’s line was out the door. The barnstormer was 35 minutes. So we did the next best thing to do in Disney…. We shopped some more!

At County Bounty, Maya picked out a sweet baby Ariel doll. You’ll see her in some upcoming pictures.

Backing up to an important part of the story I left out--- this morning, when I decided to wake up Maya, I did so by breaking open the Minnie’s Bake Shop cookie. I broke off a piece and waved it in Maya’s face. “Get up! Your vacation breakfast cookie is waiting” That is when we discovered the heavenly wonder that is the chocolate chip supreme flavor. Well, I looked through County Bounty, and while they had other flavors, they were out of this one.

We also looked at the ears. Maya picked one out, but Cayden was still asleep so we decided we would just get some at the Chapeau on the way out that evening.

Then it was on to tomorrow land. We had hardly spent any time in here at all. We fast passed Buzz and made it into a Monster’s Inc show.
“Why does Peter Pan Fly?”

Because he can never, never land

After a potty stop, we were only about 10 minutes away from our fast pass times for Buzz. This was fun, but it is definitely not TSMM.

It was about 630, and people were already lined up for Spectro. We headed to Frontierland to claim a spot.

kcandbella

04-15-2010, 08:59 PM

Love the new phone pic! Her skirt is really cute and her hair looks so long! I can't wait to have a Mickey Bar! :thumbsup2

micandminforever

04-15-2010, 09:08 PM

Just looking at that Mickey Ice Cream bar made me gain 10lb. The picture of your two babies was so cute. Congratulations on the new tooth, and good luck on the taxes.

lbuzz52

04-16-2010, 10:04 AM

Love the new phone pic! Her skirt is really cute and her hair looks so long! I can't wait to have a Mickey Bar! :thumbsup2

My high school used to sell Mickey Bars! - well, almost. the ears were hard chocolate covered. the rest was vanilla, with chocolate eyes and mouth. you'd be amazed at what people woudl trade for one of those ears LOL

Her hair is really long right now. I want to cut it a bit, but she's not going... yet.

thanks for the sweet notes!

Just looking at that Mickey Ice Cream bar made me gain 10lb. The picture of your two babies was so cute. Congratulations on the new tooth, and good luck on the taxes.

Taxes done!
Thanks for the picture compliments! Its rare i actually get the camera ready before they stop doing whatever it is that i want to capture.

lbuzz52

04-16-2010, 12:28 PM

Spectro!

We made it to Frontierland and got a front row spot across from Pecos Bills. We took turns going to Pecos Bills and brought the food out to our spot. I think the ones that got taco salad the first day got burgers, and vice versa. Once again, it wasn't anything to write home about, but it got the job done!

In the meantime, Cayden got his daily Boo-Boo. He was climbing on the rocks, ignoring his momma’s advice to stop. He just hit his chin. Luckily, no big deal this time.

Spectro was just as amazing as the first time. I didn't take many float pictures this time. But you can go back and see them earlier in the TR if you are feeling jipped. LOL

This time, we were visited by Pluto

bad lighting, but you can see him talking to James back there.
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/404.jpg

And the Snow queen came to make faces at James.
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This was Maya every time a character came near- "Hey _________"
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i have no idea who was approaching here, but she was happy
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So Maya spent most of the parade like that, waving, yelling smiling. But at one point, i look over and see this.
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and I see James like this
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What was the panic for?

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/IMG_3210.jpg
apparently this thing is scary.

We were sad that this was our last chance to see spectro. If Maya had her choice, she would see this one every day!

When it was over, we walked back to Fantasyland. Dad, Jenny, and the kids went on Peter Pan. Chris, mom, and I stood off to the side and watched wishes. I hope, hope, hope, that the next time we go, my children are a bit more into fireworks. If the fireworks are that awesome standing off to the side, partially blocked by buildings, i can't imagine them in a perfect hub spot!

Then we all did IASW- it was about a 5 minute wait.
I know, we'd already been on it a couple times- but we wanted to ride it one last time for the baby magic! this is definitely something i will think about when i remember James first trip.

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Every looked down while on this ride- the amount of coins in teh water is crazy. Layers upon layers of coins. Well, Maya added hers to the mix and made a wish- for all the money to be in her boat. Sounds good to me!

After another potty break, we made it to Philharmagic just in time for the show. Maya was scared to put on the glasses for the first half. She’d ridden every ride her height had allowed, yet she was scared of a cartoon. Go Figure LOL. I missed the second half of the show, watching her attempt to grab everything was so fun. I think this is one of our family favorites!

We walked on to the carousel. Maya found a girl next to her to play with.
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She was sad when she had to leave her new best friend.

I thought about how I wished I had paid a bit more attention as to which one was Cinderella’s horse. We could have been sitting on it for all I know.

Then it was time for another potty break. At least this time I got some entertainment. My dear Maya decided she needed to make her tummy talk by squeezing it, and then they had conversations. Um, Okay?
While we were having talking tummy time, Cayden was keeping James entertained.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/110209%20MK/426.jpg

Just a ten minute wait for Dumbo, so some of the group got in line. The ride after us contained some pure Disney magic. :wizard: Mickey and Minnie hopped on and made the day for two children. I can’t imagine how cool that would be- If that had happened to me as a child, think I’d still be talking about it today LOL

I’m not sure the kids saw them though- they had their eyes on Chip and Dale. It was the first time we had seen them (other than in the parades). I think we had to wait about 5 minutes for our turn.

cont.

denise5374

04-16-2010, 12:58 PM

I love reading your TR. It reminds me of when I took our kids for the first time. DD was 4 and DS was 10 months. They are now 17 and 13.:eek:

Thanks for sharing!

mommyof2Pirates

04-16-2010, 01:28 PM

It is so nice just to see the joy on your children's and nephews faces. The day seems to have been so magical. Do you find that sitting in frontierland is less crowded for spectro?

lbuzz52

04-16-2010, 02:40 PM

MNSSHP

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0316.jpg

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http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0393.jpg
:laughing::laughing:

Our only AK photo shoot - Friday, October 30th

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/Photopass%202009/Image0411.jpg

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DHS Sunday Nov 1st

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high-five!

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lbuzz52

04-16-2010, 02:48 PM

I love reading your TR. It reminds me of when I took our kids for the first time. DD was 4 and DS was 10 months. They are now 17 and 13.:eek:

Thanks for sharing!

:goodvibesThanks for reading along!:goodvibes
They grow so quickly, don't they! I think of how much mine have changed just in the short time since our trip. When i was younger, i always said my super-hero power of choice would be a third hand and a clock stopper. If i had only known then how much that would be appreciated as a mommy.

It is so nice just to see the joy on your children's and nephews faces. The day seems to have been so magical. Do you find that sitting in frontierland is less crowded for spectro?

I can't really comment on the Frontierland vs Main street thing- its' been 20 years since i saw a parade from main street. i do know that it seemed that we could line up about the time the parade was due to start, still get a front row seat, and only have to wait as long as it took for the floats to get there from MS. From other's comments, i'd imagine that a bit of the spark was lost in FL but i can't complain about the location one bit.

The whole day was magical, in fact, i'd say pretty much every minute in the magic kingdom was magical.

I hope i'm not boring you all with my kids pictures- but when i see them it just brings me back that day. i'm using this trip as journal of sorts, so i'm having trouble narrowing them some times.

micandminforever

04-16-2010, 04:12 PM

All of the pictures were great, but the pictures of James in IASW are pure joy. They are what Disney is all about.

Charlefours

04-16-2010, 08:19 PM

Yum--EOS looks and sounds good. It definitely is my choice for DTD for when we go in September. :thumbsup2 Great pictures from DTD and MK! Love the pictures of Maya having her first Mickey bar! My DD has seen several pictures of those and would really like one, or so she has informed me. :lmao:

TFS your photopass pictures--you sure did get some good ones!!

lbuzz52

04-16-2010, 09:41 PM

All of the pictures were great, but the pictures of James in IASW are pure joy. They are what Disney is all about.

I totally agree! I'm sure many people pass by IASW and say not again. But I don't think I'll ever be able to look at it without thinking of that sweet baby boy. If moments like that can't make you a Disney believer, then nothing can. Thanks for the compliments!

Yum--EOS looks and sounds good. It definitely is my choice for DTD for when we go in September. :thumbsup2 Great pictures from DTD and MK! Love the pictures of Maya having her first Mickey bar! My DD has seen several pictures of those and would really like one, or so she has informed me. :lmao:

TFS your photopass pictures--you sure did get some good ones!!

I think you'll all like eos- the menu is quite varied. There is something for everyone.
I agree- your dd needs a mickey bar- I think it's a WDW right of passage, lol!
Thanks for the sweet picture comments.

that's nice

04-16-2010, 09:56 PM

The bad thing about wait at Aloha- i didn't get anything! That's were those infamous Dole Whips are right??

So what you are saying is you didn't get a Dole Whip???? :scared1::scared1::scared1:

Next time in MK you have to get a Dole Whip float. MMMMmmmmmm

mommyof2Pirates

04-17-2010, 08:02 AM

you are not boring me at all with the pictures. I am loving seeing each and everyone of them so feel free to keep them coming. I also forgot to say I love the newest pic of the kids walking and holding hands. Can you believe how much james has grown. That was too cute!

lbuzz52

04-20-2010, 10:22 AM

So what you are saying is you didn't get a Dole Whip???? :scared1::scared1::scared1:

Next time in MK you have to get a Dole Whip float. MMMMmmmmmm

I can't believe it either! I guess I was full and ready to get going, adn didn't even put two and two together. yes, i'll have to remedy that.

you are not boring me at all with the pictures. I am loving seeing each and everyone of them so feel free to keep them coming. I also forgot to say I love the newest pic of the kids walking and holding hands. Can you believe how much james has grown. That was too cute!

Good! I work at a small company- just me and three men. They aren't really the "lets gush over your kids pictures" type of guys, kwim. So i've learned to turn off all the pictures and stories at work- so sometimes i go overboard in other avenues :goodvibes
they do grow too quickly! how are your "pirates"?

lbuzz52

04-20-2010, 02:31 PM

I found this blog post on AOL this morning- thought it was cute:lovestruc

10 Signs You've Recently Been to the Magic Kingdom
By Annie Scott

There's a reason that so many people, young and old, flock to a Disney theme park every year. The Magic Kingdom and other Walt Disney parks and resorts deliver exactly what they claim to: magic. It may not be the kind of magic you read about in Harry Potter, but Disney definitely casts a spell on visitors. Want proof? Here are ten things you may notice about yourself for days after leaving Disney behind:

1. You can't get "It's a Small World After All" out of your mind.

2. You keep fumbling around your head for phantom ears.

3. When you see animals, you feel compelled to talk -- or sing -- to them.

4. The first thing you think about when you wake up is which Fastpass you're going to get.

5. You're wearing really, really brave color combinations.

6. When it gets dark out, you find yourself wondering when the fireworks will start.

7. Everywhere you go, you keep thinking you see someone carrying a balloon out of the corner of your eye.

8. The sight of a teacup makes you a little queasy.

9. When you're walking around outside, you keep instinctively looking for the castle to orient yourself.

10. Strangely, you feel sort of excited whenever you're standing in line.

mommyof2Pirates

04-20-2010, 06:51 PM

Charlefours

04-20-2010, 06:54 PM

:rotfl2: great blog post! TFS!

praisehisname

04-22-2010, 05:34 PM

So sorry I had fallen behind, but I'm all caught up now! I love how much Maya and James are caught up in the magic; so adorable!

lbuzz52

04-27-2010, 10:00 AM

thats a good blog. Isnt it so true! My boys are good. They are dying to go back to disney but we dont have our next trip "planned" until summer of 2012. :guilty: Im sure that will be here before we know it since time flies like crazy around here. I might possibly get to go back sooner though. I just was talking with my mom and I gave her the idea of a girls trip in march 2011 so i can run in the princess 1/2 marathon. I have run in a few 5K's over the past year but I really need some motivation to loose all the weight I gained with having kids. I feel like what better way to motivate myself. So my mom is thinking about it. I am an only child so I have to admit I am a little spoiled even at age 31. I told her in leiu of christmas/birthday gifts this year she can take me to disney for a few days instead. I thought it sounded like a great :idea:. My mom's reaction was more like this :crazy2:. Im not sure if it was about the part of her paying or me actually trying to run a 1/2 marathon. :laughing: We will see what the verdict is. She seemed to be warming up to the idea and my dad was like yeah that would be fun for you guys. So stay tuned.....hopefully soon I can start a PTR! oh I will so be on :cloud9: if she says yes!

oh, sounds like the perfect motivation! i hope it all works out!
i know what you mean, it seems like forever between trips even though time flies otherwise. let me know if you start a ptr!

:rotfl2: great blog post! TFS!
yes, i got a kick out of it. it definetely rang true on many points :rotfl:

So sorry I had fallen behind, but I'm all caught up now! I love how much Maya and James are caught up in the magic; so adorable!

thanks for the compliments! i'm pretty good at falling behind, myself- need a few extra hours in the day just for the dis!

mommyof2Pirates

04-27-2010, 10:02 AM

My mom agreed to go to disney with me in march so I am starting to train for the 1/2 marathon. I have started a journal on the wish boards and closer to my trip I will start a PTR. Follow along if you would like! I cant wait to hear more about your trip.

lbuzz52

04-28-2010, 10:13 AM

:gMy mom agreed to go to disney with me in march so I am starting to train for the 1/2 marathon. I have started a journal on the wish boards and closer to my trip I will start a PTR. Follow along if you would like! I cant wait to hear more about your trip.

:goodvibes::goodvibesYEAH:goodvibes:goodvibes

i'd love to follow along. feel free to pm me when you start if you dont see me over there.
what's this journal thing?

lbuzz52

04-28-2010, 01:41 PM

So when we last left off, it was time to see Chip and Dale . They were a bit silly. I love that these guys have stood the test of time, when you can’t find them on Disney channel anymore.

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I think we had another bathroom run. So while we were waiting, Maya decided she needed to do some more posing.

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The kids just had to get in one more teacup ride. Maya said that it was absolutely necessary for baby Ariel to ride.:lovestruc

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We walked towards Sleepy Hollow for a funnel cake. Unfortunately, it was late and it was closed. We continued on towards Main Street. We wanted to go to the Chapeau and get our ears.

We showed Maya all the choices again, and she stuck with the one she had liked at County Bounty. We got James the baby blue toddler ears (side note- my 15 month fits in size 3-4 hats) I got white writing on both. Maya wanted pink, but the cm said it woudn’t show up on the pink hat. I also think that gold embroidery would look good on the princess one.

Cayden wanted a pirate one. But they were sold out and my sister was told that they were out park wide. She told the CM that they had some at County Bounty. They said, well, if you find it and buy it elsewhere, bring it up here and we will embroider it.

While they were working on the hats, I walked over to guest relations. I told them how Maya’s balloon had deflated immediately but that we had just now made it back to the front of the park and there were no longer any vendors out. I showed them Cayden’s balloon was still full. They tried to locate a balloon but couldn’t. Because we were going to Epcot the next day, where there were no balloons, they gave me two merchandise credits to get anything I wanted at Mousegears- up to $25 each!! The CM said that if I have one for Maya, Cayden would get jealous so he gave me two. Then he sent me on my way with a CRT wand and sword. How’s that for some happy magic! :cool1:

Meanwhile, the rest of the group was waiting on the hats still. Cayden passed the time by running around a square of pavement. Once, he made it four times without falling.

Finally we were on our way. Maya was out before we got to the bus stop. It took quite a long time for the bus to come. Cayden fell asleep on the way back to SSR. We got home at 1130. Maya went straight to bed; James ate and did the same. Cayden fussed about his chin (from when he hit it watching the parade), but eventually he was out too.

We wondered again why the dishes were not done. At the beginning of the trip, the MK had done the dishes each day, but they had not been done in a few days. We decided we needed some clean glasses, so we loaded it up. It was then that we discovered it was leaking.

This magic kingdom day had been a 7 on the crowd level. And it was much heavier than our other days, which I think were rated around a 3 or 4. After this experience, I think that we will try to avoid the Magic Kingdom on Mondays when possible. I’m not sure if it was because of the late EMH- or the fact it was Monday- or the afternoon arrival (meaning no fastpasses). But this day was just so much more crowded and so much less efficient than our other days. At least it was better after the EMH started.

Next up- our last full park day:headache:

praisehisname

04-28-2010, 02:35 PM

Do you have pics of the kids' ear hats? That was so cool of the CM to give you those vouchers!!! :goodvibes

that's nice

04-28-2010, 03:27 PM

Love Maya's posing pics!!!!

We have (we meaning Juliana) the baby Ariel too!

You guys got Juliana's pink teacup!!!! :lmao::lmao:

Too bad you didn't get the funnel cake, although I think they have them in America in the WS.

How nice of the CM to give you 2 vouchers! AWESOME!!!

I never knew that MK did the dishes. :confused3 Cool!

Charlefours

04-28-2010, 04:29 PM

wow, what a great CM! How spectacular for them to give you the merchandise credit for both! :woohoo: I would love to see the hats they chose if you care to post a picture.

lbuzz52

04-28-2010, 05:57 PM

Do you have pics of the kids' ear hats? That was so cool of the CM to give you those vouchers!!! :goodvibes

that, quite frankly, was one of the nicest CM's we encountered all week.

I've got a couple pics in upcoming installments- i'll try to get a blank pic to post before then. the kids were too tuckered to get pictures that night.

Love Maya's posing pics!!!!

We have (we meaning Juliana) the baby Ariel too!

You guys got Juliana's pink teacup!!!! :lmao::lmao:

Too bad you didn't get the funnel cake, although I think they have them in America in the WS.

How nice of the CM to give you 2 vouchers! AWESOME!!!

I never knew that MK did the dishes. :confused3 Cool!

ha! too bad you guys are about a million miles away; it seems Maya and Juliana have very similar tastes.

Mom really wanted a funnel cake, but believe me, when you are on a dining plan you aren't hurting for dessert. It was one of those you see it and you "need" it things.

he was a really cool CM. Above and beyond for sure.

I'm not sure if they are supposed to do the dishes. I just know that they did and then they didn't. we just were thinking it was a difference between the MK's, but then noticed that wasn't the issue when we did them ourselves.

I've gotten way behind again- i have to catch up on yours.

we got new computers at work- i now have two wide screens and windows 7. so right now i am totally lost!

wow, what a great CM! How spectacular for them to give you the merchandise credit for both! :woohoo: I would love to see the hats they chose if you care to post a picture.

i'll get the pics up soon of the ears. i know i have already takena picture of them.
again, the greatest cm ever! i was thinking exchanging the balloon, or possibly a partial refund- way above and beyond!

mommyof2Pirates

04-28-2010, 06:18 PM

:g

:goodvibes::goodvibesYEAH:goodvibes:goodvibes

i'd love to follow along. feel free to pm me when you start if you dont see me over there.
what's this journal thing?

great! I had gone on the W.I.S.H boards (were inspired staying healthy) and found a bunch of threads. I joined the official princess 1/2 marathon thread 2011 and saw that people actually did their own journals. Basically just posting about diets/running/walking....life etc. There is a link in my sig. I also joined a team called the incredibles. Its a team of men and women that are all doing running/walking wt loss etc. There are a few girls signed up to run the princess 1/2 so hopefully I will find a running partner for the race. I eventually think I will also start a PTR about the trip itself too. Probably in a few months.

I loved the newest update.....2 vouchers thats amazing! Glad you had a great day at the MK. I did notice that the days we picked for MK were EMH and the place was super crowded. It felt like summer crowds vs late sept.

lbuzz52

04-29-2010, 01:55 PM

great! I had gone on the W.I.S.H boards (were inspired staying healthy) and found a bunch of threads. I joined the official princess 1/2 marathon thread 2011 and saw that people actually did their own journals. Basically just posting about diets/running/walking....life etc. There is a link in my sig. I also joined a team called the incredibles. Its a team of men and women that are all doing running/walking wt loss etc. There are a few girls signed up to run the princess 1/2 so hopefully I will find a running partner for the race. I eventually think I will also start a PTR about the trip itself too. Probably in a few months.

I loved the newest update.....2 vouchers thats amazing! Glad you had a great day at the MK. I did notice that the days we picked for MK were EMH and the place was super crowded. It felt like summer crowds vs late sept.

i so need to use you as an example and take better care of myself.

the other day we did MK was a Wed, not EHM. its funny, because for us, if the crowd was related to EMH< they sure thinned out once EMH started.

kaylajr

08-24-2010, 01:38 PM

Back on the TR board so you can finish it :thumbsup2

lbuzz52

08-24-2010, 05:20 PM

Once again I've been MIA from my trip report. I made all the plans to take a new trip in October and then we decided it wasn't going to happen. So i've been avoiding the boards while pouting.

But I've made a promise to myself to finish this report so that i can save the details for my kiddos.

I've got about a day and a half left, and some photopass pictures- so feel free to read along. :wizard:

lbuzz52

08-24-2010, 05:23 PM

Tuesday Nov 3.

Today was the day my dad had been waiting for. And I'll be honest, I was pretty excited too. It was our epcot day, and it was food and wine festival!! We had saved 38 snack credits to indulge with.

But the day started out on a sad note- when we got up we found this on the door

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/epcot%20110309/IMG_3257.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/epcot%20110309/IMG_3256.jpg

The thought was to get to Epcot by 9- but we didn't make it to the bus stop until 920. Something was going on with the buses. They kept passing the bus stop, but never stopping. So the kids spent the time goofing around.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/epcot%20110309/IMG_3262.jpg

Eventually, they did start stopping again, and soon we were on our way. We made it to the next stop and had to wait for a scooter to be loaded on. The woman couldn’t' get it parked properly, so she stepped off to let the driver park it for her. In doing so, she was standing in front of us, so she said excuse me. Well, my personal space needing daughter must not have heard her, because she said loudly- I'm right here. :scared1::laughing: (how rude Maya!!) Luckily the lady was a good sport and pretended that she was going to sit on her.

I could not wait to get off this bus. Cayden loves to get in Maya's face- it makes her squirm. He did this the whole way there.

While we were waiting for bag check the kids traded pins. Maya got a Cinderella, and Cayden got a Mickey/ Donald.
Right after we entered the park, the grandkids and the grandparents did a photopass. It was a bit cooler today, so I put Maya in a Halloween outfit. I was wishing I hadn't because it didn't photograph well.

Chris ran ahead to fastpass soarin, and I went into guest relations to exchange the vouchers. The CM was completely rude! He took my vouchers and went to the back. I guess he went to try to call the guy who had given them to me. He couldn't get ahold of him. He came back- "I'm just trying to figure out why he gave you two $25. Its not like it was a $50 balloon". I told him that he offered that because I had two children. I had nothing to do with his generosity. I said I don’t care what you do, as long as you give me the value of the worthless balloon. It was taking forever and I really just wanted to get on with my last full day. He ended up giving me just one voucher for $25.

It was already time for a bathroom break. While we were in there, dad noticed
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/epcot%20110309/IMG_3263.jpg

the wait time for test track drop from 40 minutes to 25. We decided we would do the baby swap and go ahead and ride now while we were there. Bad decision- 30 minutes later we were maybe 2/5 of the way through the queue.

We spent our time standing in line...
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/epcot%20110309/458.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/epcot%20110309/456.jpg

and sitting in line...
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/epcot%20110309/469.jpg

and dancing in line...
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/epcot%20110309/459.jpg

Our line was barely moving but the fastpass line was going constantly. Another hour and we finally made it to the briefing room. Someone in our group asked "can we go now"? The uber-friendly cast member Napeteria said "well, you're standby" Seriously? It was the only ride we encountered all week were fastpass went first and then the rest of the people went afterwards. The rest pulled from both groups.
So we were in the holding room for about 5 minutes. Cayden almost tripped a man with an artificial leg. Seriously, he needs a leash. Finally the video started and the doors opened as soon as the video started. :rotfl2:

The first half of the ride, I really wondered why I had wasted all my time. But I loved the end of it!!!! I wish the whole thing has just been the wind in your hair, super fast part. I looked at Maya- the look on her face had me thinking I was going to hear her cry at any second. But when we got off, she wanted to go again. Chris said no way- he said if we wanted bumpy roads and fast driving we could get that any day at home. Besides, mom had been struck waiting with James for an hour and a half.

We went over to the seas. At this point we were not too far from our 115 ADR.
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/epcot%20110309/462.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/epcot%20110309/463.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/epcot%20110309/464.jpg

After a few pictures with Nemo, we walked through his forever long queue and right onto his ride. I didn't really get this one. I've done the nemo sub ride at Disneyland, and I guess I was expecting an experience more like that.

Afterwards, we were close to starting time for the next crush show, so we hit the bathrooms again and looked at some of the sealife.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/epcot%20110309/IMG_3278.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/epcot%20110309/IMG_3280.jpg

and this is what James thought about this guy-
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/epcot%20110309/IMG_3277.jpg

Then it was time for..
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/epcot%20110309/IMG_3276.jpg

Turtle talk was really cute.I'd like to see that again. The kids were on the carpet, and seemed a bit disappointed that Crush didn't talk to them- but I reminded them how many characters came to see us at the parades and all was well in their world again.

We had an ADR for 115 at Coral Reef, so we headed upstairs. We were right on time, and had to wait about 7 minutes to be seated. We had a great location for our table- I guess I'd call it a double booth- but it was curved so that everyone can see the tanks- we weren't the tables directly next to the tanks, but were the tables next to those.

This picture is blurry but it shows about how far away we were.
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/epcot%20110309/IMG_3288.jpg
and whatever that guy is, he was big!

So we got to see everything but didn't have people walking up next to us while we were eating. James took a little cat nap while we were deciding on our menu. After we ordered, the kids stepped to an empty table next to the aquarium walls.
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/epcot%20110309/IMG_3287.jpg

I didn't get any pictures of hte food, but i did of the best part of the meal...
I’m not sure what the other side of the booth had. But I got the Mahi.
Grilled Mahi-Mahi - With ragu of rock shrimp served on Jasmine rice topped with hearts of palms - $22.99

Chris got the ribs
i can't locate those on the menu- current or old.

And Maya's choice-
Kids' Picks: Choice of 1 Appetizer, 1 Entree and 1 Dessert - Selection of appetizers: Carrot & celery sticks, cauliflower soup or lobster soup. Selection of entrees: Grilled mahi mahi, grilled chicken breast or Beefy Macaroni & cheese. Selection of desserts: Fruit cup or ice-cream sundae. Includes choice of juice, 1% milk, or bottled water. French fries and soft drinks available upon request. - $7.95

Maya got the beefy macaroni with lobster soup as her appetizer. I chose her appetizer for her because I wanted to try it. It was pretty tasty. She didn't care for either part of her meal though. But she was so proud of the ice cream sundae she made all by herself. And she loved her first (VIRGIN) strawberry daquori.
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/epcot%20110309/IMG_3289.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/epcot%20110309/IMG_3295.jpg

And my dessert was To Die For Yummy!
The Chocolate Wave - Served with brandied cherries. - $7.99

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/epcot%20110309/IMG_3292.jpg

The meal took almost 2 hours. I dont think that any of us thought the food was spectacular- but it was good and the atmosphere was very neat.

Next- Epcot Continued- It's almost time for Food and Wine! :yay:

lbuzz52

08-24-2010, 05:25 PM

Epcot Cont.

We just finished our lunch at Coral Reef, and decided to fastpass Soarin again.
It was then that we noticed that we were missing mom's kttw. She was nervous, because it had charging abilities on it. So she and dad were off to guest relations, and the rest of us went to ride soarin.
This is such a good ride! Its really realistic at times! I also think i enjoyed it becuase the it was the only way this pansy will ever experience something resembling hang-gliding. I was glad I put Maya's flip flops up because I was just certain I was going to lose mine.

We met mom and dad at character connection afterwards. We rested a minute while the Maya did some more dancing.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/epcot%20110309/473.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/epcot%20110309/476.jpg

The character lines stayed pretty long, and we had met those characters earlier in the trip, so we passed.

Instead, we went on to Spaceship Earth. Maya and I rode together- she was so cute- she looked at me and was so studious when she said "mom, I didn't know the earth was in the sky". We emailed our photos and played around a few minutes.

We started to go to Ellen's energy adventure- but we ended up deciding against it because of the ride length. It was getting late in the afternoon, and it was time for food and wine!!

We weren't really hungry yet, but determined to try various things. Thankfully, we had 7 mouths to split the food between.

It only took a minute for us to find our first item for tasting-
Puerto Rico- Ham Croquette/Croquettas de Jamon

I saw a cute stand that would engrave into leather bracelets. I waited in line for a good bit for a bracelet for Maya. Meanwhile, the rest of the adults grabbed some wine and they enjoyed the musical stylings of Off Kilter. Cayden and Maya danced their hearts out. Until Cayden tripped over his feet for the 12th time. Seriously, the whole group laughed. I know, it probably seems like we are pretty mean to the kid- but at least he ought to be able to laugh things off later in life right?

We continued walking through the showcase. We saw Mary Poppins, but she was leaving for the day right as we got to the line. It was just about 5 by now.

Our next food stop was Ireland. We grabbed a cheese plate for the kids. The selection was probably better suited for someone with a bit more sophisticated palate than my children.
Kerrygold® Cheese Selection: Aged-Irish Cheddar, Dubliner and Ivernia Cheese with Apple Chutney and Brown Bread - $3.75

And we grabbed lobster potato thing- it was yummy! We didn't leave a bite
Lobster & Scallop Fisherman's Pie - $5.50

*Dislaimer* i failed epically with taking pictures along the way. I thought about it at times, when i wasn't stuffing my face. i took two- they were blurry. i gave up completely once the crowds cam ein and it got dark.

We saw Marie's handler walking her out
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/epcot%20110309/480.jpg

and jumped in line. Unfortunately, she was standing right next to a bright window, so the lighting was to be desired. Add a slow camera whose battery is almost dead and a less than stellar photographer and you get this-

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/epcot%20110309/IMG_3305.jpg

We also grabbed some photopass pictures in different groupings. They were seated in front of a fountain. Then it was time for a potty break. The rest of us explored the trains in germany or took a break.

The kids were very interested in the China puppets but we held out after playing with them for a bit.

Next we tried some Kefta in morocco
Kefta (Ground seasoned beef in a pita pocket) - $5.00
I think Maya really liked this one.

By now, some of the group was getting crabby because not wanting to stop constantly. It would have been good idea to split today. A really good idea.

Next up for tummy stuffing- Japan
Spicy Tuna Roll - $3.75
Sukiyaki Beef Roll - $4.00
these were comparable to most Japanese restaurants.

Then Beef Stew in Vienna
Beef Stew With Bacon Dumpling - $3.75

Now that it was dark- AKA getting late, we were really trucking along. We neglected to spend much time exploring the countries. We have to save some more time for the World Showcase next trip.

We thought the kids might want something, so we grabbed them a slice of pizza. $4.50

While they were snacking, the rest of us people watched. It was definitely Jersey week LOL

Next we tried Coconut soup- It was my first Thai food, and it wasnt' too bad.
Chicken and Coconut Soup, with Mushrooms, Lemongrass & Ginger - $3.25

And we stopped next door in Australia.
Grilled Lamb Chop, Red Wine Sauce, Murray River Sea Salt - $5.50
I think that this was Chris's favorite of all day.

We did some more photopasses, this time with Earth in the background.

Then we stopped in South Africa for a couple items.
1)Seared Beef Tenderloin with Sweet Potato Purée, Mango Barbecue Sauce - $4.75
I turned my back and Maya had eaten all the sweet potatoes. Little Sneak!
and 2) Mealie Soup with Crabmeat and Chili Oil - $3.25
this was a bit too hot for my taste.

Chris had to stop in Poland as he is Polish
Kielbasa and Potato Pierogie with Caramelized Onions and Sour Cream - $5.00
Chris said it didn't touch his grandmother's.

When I was a child, I was scared to death of the Maelstrom. So I had to ride it again to see what I thought now. I'm not quite sure why I was ever scared. Pretty tame. The ride ended and the kept the doors closed for the longest time. Finally, they opened, and not one person stopped for the video. :laughing:

And finally, we stopped in Argentina.
Beef Empanada with Tomato Salsa - $4.25

but i don't know what this tasted like. The grumpy group was really griping by now. And I think dad probably wanted mom to tell the grumpies to get over it or go on their own. But she didn't want to suggest that because she wanted to stay at Food an Wine and not be asked to go with the grumpies. And that irked my dad, understandably. He had been patiently waiting on this all week, doing what everyone else wanted to, only to get whined at now. Finally, he decided it just wasn't worth it and was going to head back up to try to ride soarin again. I grabbed the empanadas on the way out of the world showcase. i knew that he had been looking forward to them. But he was mad by now, and when he is mad, he gets stubborn. I'm not sure if any of us tried them at all.

So, we made it to Soarin. The clock said a 5 minute wait time for fastpasses, so some of us went on, thinking we had 30 minutes until the ride closed and plenty of time for the other group to go. We got almost to the ride and the line stopped. After about 10 minutes I got out of line to let my parents go instead- they had, after all, missed the ride that morning. I tried to call mom to tell her I was coming, but the phones wouldn't work in the building. By the time I got ahold of her she said not to worry about it. I decided to go on to mouse gears to spend the $25 credit, in hopes of beating the crowd from Illuminations.

I picked out a princess tee for Maya. She picked up an Ariel dress up set with her Disney dollars.

Everyone else caught up with us. Apparently they didn't ride either because of a sudden potty break need.

We walked out with everyone from illuminations. I think we got back to the hotel about 10. The bus was as full as it had been all week.

We got home, and put the kids to bed. I noticed that James was rashing a bit. I thought it could be heat, but i checked his mouth, and sure enough, he had two teeth that had popped the surface. Jenny went to bed too.

I wanted to get as much packed as possible. But the kids were asleep in the bedroom and living room. (which also left the kitchen off limits) So I decided get ready for bed myself. I went to get my pajamas on and noticed my shorts were covered in bleach spots. I had left them hanging in the bathroom. Then i started to get the diaper bag around and noticed that i had broken a jar of baby food in there.

I obviously wasn't meant to get to bed quickly, so the rest of us sat up laughing about the week, about each other,and things/outfits we saw. Jenny would be sleeping and then randomly comment. I think we laughed at her as much as all the stories. It was just what we needed after a day that was a bit more trying.

Maya's favorite- Soarin
James's favorite- The seas.

Next- departure day- will we make our flight this time?

lynlink

08-24-2010, 08:21 PM

lbuzz52

08-24-2010, 09:21 PM

YAY! So glad to see you back! Love reading about F&W. Even though we were there for it last year we didn't really participate. I plan on it this year. Wish you were heading back to WDW this year but next year it is!!:banana:

Hey Lyn!!
We do have to try to overlap our days sometime. If nothing else we can leave everyone else and just go explore ourselves for a bit!

Sorry I don't have more f&w details. We really did rush through it. I WILL go back that time of year once the expansion is completed though. My suggestion is to skip lunch so you can fully enjoy it.

I can't believe you have less than 5 weeks! Can't wait to live through. You better write a trip report after!

lbuzz52

08-24-2010, 09:27 PM

that's nice

08-24-2010, 09:57 PM

Welcome BACK!!!!!!

Sorry your next trip isn't happening. :sad1:

But there is always next time- even if that next time isn't on the radar! ;)

Hate when the posted times are wrong.... and you TT time was WAY wrong! :scared1:

Glad you guys were able to see Crush! That is such a cute tittle show.

Juliana loved Soarin' just like Maya!

Sorry everyone was getting on each others nerves... you guys tried so many different foods!

You are leaving in the morning????? Hope you don't sleep in again! :eek: ;);)

lbuzz52

08-24-2010, 11:41 PM

hey tim! Hope you guys are doing well!
I've got to catch up on your tr- there's a table on contents right? And I see the MAW trip is scheduled?

So here's the deal with the next trip- Chris and I discussed it. We talked about this fall and next spring. We came to the conclusion that spring would be better because James would better enjoy it.
Then a while later, we got to talking about it again. It's our last fall before Maya is in school full time. And We both just LOVE the festivities in the fall- MNSSHP and F&W. So we said to heck with it, let's do it. I was quietly disappointed when we decided to do spring, even though it made more sense. So now that we were back to fall, I quickly renewed my crowd calendar, made us a mock schedule, and went to town on ADR'S. I got all must haves. I figured it was meant to be. Then free dining came out too.
Then the silly ole practicality came out in my husband and it was back to spring for us. We decided that we would take MAya out of school just one time to go in the fall. Probably the year after fantasyland is completed- if she proves to be a good student before that.

So now I'm starting to get excited for spring. Based on holidays/ chris's schedule/ pricing structure, it looks like it will probably be May.
One good thing about it is we plan on using some of our time for the warerparks!
The only FD week in may is not the week that we are considering. That's the best discount for our particular group. But hopefully something will come out.

Crush was super cute! And so was soarin. I felt so bad that my parents didn't get to ride it.

We tried way too much food! We never would have got all of it if we weren't splitting it between 7 of us. Didn't seem like so much when you only got a taste of each item. Except the sushi- I hog all sushi. I think they put something on it to make you crave it.

We were getting on each others nerves by that point. I think the biggest issue was that we never split up. I wish my sister had felt confidant enough to go on her own with Cayden. I bet next time she goes she will do a bit of research on her own so that she can if she wants to.

Yep, epcot was our last fill day in the parks. Our flight is the next day:(

excuse the notes that are somewhere at the end of this post. My phone won't show the whole area so I can't delete it lol!

New trip posted times crush soarin food

lbuzz52

08-24-2010, 11:44 PM

Back on the TR board so you can finish it :thumbsup2

thanks for your help:)

Charlefours

08-25-2010, 09:43 PM

lbuzz52

08-25-2010, 10:09 PM

I'm so happy you decided to finish your TR!! I know it may not be comforting, just remember Disney will still be around beyond October, the end of the year, etc. You will get back--have faith!! :hug:

Your DD is so cute!! I love the way Maya was trying to occupy her time!!

We are hoping to go back next fall during F&W Festival. It sounds pretty yummy (and filling)!!

Hey there!
I got a giggle that you haven't even left for your trip and you are planning the next:)
f&w was quite tasty. It would be a great time for you to go back!!
I'm sure that our next trip to wdw will come soon enough. And James definitely isn't at a long day stage right now. I just have to accept that not every trip can be to see the mouse!
We've looked into other places for a short fall vacation but let me tell you- Disney has you spoiled when it comes to things to do for small children.

I need to catch up on your ptr before you get back. Can you believe it's almost here? Are you going crazy with excitement? I remember whne your ticker said more than 7 months!

Charlefours

08-28-2010, 10:00 PM

Hey there!
I got a giggle that you haven't even left for your trip and you are planning the next:)
f&w was quite tasty. It would be a great time for you to go back!!
I'm sure that our next trip to wdw will come soon enough. And James definitely isn't at a long day stage right now. I just have to accept that not every trip can be to see the mouse!
We've looked into other places for a short fall vacation but let me tell you- Disney has you spoiled when it comes to things to do for small children.

I need to catch up on your ptr before you get back. Can you believe it's almost here? Are you going crazy with excitement? I remember whne your ticker said more than 7 months!

I know it is crazy that we are thinking of other trips. The Fall one is not a definite, booked to ensure the discount but can be canceled if needed. :thumbsup2

I am in shock, denial, disbelief, etc that my family's trip is just around the corner! 12 sleeps left for us!! :scared1:

lbuzz52

09-01-2010, 09:38 AM

I know it is crazy that we are thinking of other trips. The Fall one is not a definite, booked to ensure the discount but can be canceled if needed. :thumbsup2

I am in shock, denial, disbelief, etc that my family's trip is just around the corner! 12 sleeps left for us!! :scared1:

doesn't sound crazy to me, sounds perfect :goodvibes

lbuzz52

09-01-2010, 10:41 AM

I know that some of you have trips coming up, so I wanted to show off some more goodies we purchased. Maybe I can be an enabler :lmao:

some of these were difficult to photograph.

One from DHS-
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3413.jpg
Mom and Dad got this for Baby James from a stand outside of TSMM.

Here are a couple from Epcot

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3365.jpg
I definitely made sure that Maya saw these- I picked out the same thing when i last went to WDW 20 years ago. I couldn't believe that they were still there. These are from the stand at Mexico in the World Showcase.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3394.jpg
This was the bracelet i had Maya's name put on while the others were enjoying off Kilter. it was from a little stand near Le Cellier. This was in her stocking last Christmas.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3468.jpg
The Shirt Maya picked out at Mousegears (with the balloon credit- nice MK
CM!!!)

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3473.jpg
an Ariel set with her Disney Dollars

From Magic Kingdom- there are all from the Emporium.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3427.jpg
A super cute train set- given to James for his birthday.

(Maya picked out the next two to finish her Disney dollars- $75 goes far when your parents and grandparents pick up things for you too.)

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3462.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3371.jpg

And here are the ears that we ended up picking up and embroidering at the Chateau.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3428.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/lbuzz52/purchases%20and%20bonus%20bday/IMG_3441.jpg