There's a First Time for Everything! A Christmas In November TR

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Well, here goes my first attempt at a trip report! :yay: First of all, let's get the introductions out of the way. This is a picture that was taken of my little family last year during a Grand Floridian photo session at WDW.

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%201/cover.jpg

We had the same crew for our trip this year. We have learned the hard way that we shouldn't vacation with others, so it is always just the three of us. :lmao:

First up is my DH, aka the most wonderful father and husband in the world, who claims that he goes along with all this Disney business for his girls, but I know he secretly loves it. ;) He is a hard worker and a great provider for our family. DD and I love him dearly! :love: If I had to pick a Disney character that he is most like, it would be Mr. Incredible! :laughing:

Next is DD, aka the center of my universe! She loves all things Disney and wants to go back again already. She is in kindergarten this year, and is a very smart and sweet little girl, although occasionally a drama queen. I think she is most like Ariel for sure.

Then there's me, the writer of this report! I am a thirty-something, stay-at-home mom who absolutely fell in love with Disney World last year. I taught third grade until I got pregnant with my DD and decided to hang up my chalk for a while to be a mom. That was the best decision I have ever made. I also keep children after school to earn a little extra income. I honestly think they created the character of Marlin (Nemo's Dad) based on my personality! :)

Now a little background.............. Last November, we took our very first trip to WDW. None of us had ever been. It was the most incredible experience for all of us. I couldn't think of anything else when we got home except how I was going to get back there! I thought we would never be able to go back in 2009, but everything fell perfectly into place and we were able to go after all. :banana: So come join us for our 10 day journey through the world. :santa:

A few details:
We stayed at Pop Century from November 7-16, 2009.
We had the regular dining plan (FOR FREE!!!).
Our mission was to do as many "firsts" as possible.

The trip title came about because almost everyone we talked with before our trip asked us the same thing, "Why are you going back to Disney World when you just went last year?" or "What could you possible do that you didn't do last year?". So I was on a mission to prove them wrong. Let's see how we did!

Up Next: The biggest "first" of my life!

[Charleston Princess]

I'm here! I am so glad you decided to start a trip report!!! Your little girl is just darling!!!

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I'm here! I am so glad you decided to start a trip report!!! Your little girl is just darling!!!

Boy, you are fast! I'm so glad you came over. Hopefully you won't be the only reader!:lmao:

[wigdoutdismom]

Good Morning! I subbing and going back to read!

[If U Had Wings]

Can't wait to hear all about your trip. Your family is just beautiful!

[VAisforDisneyLvrs]

I came over, too! I love that picture of your family from the Grand Floridian. It would make a great Christmas card!:santa:
Where do you live in NC? I don't live too far from the NC border. Not that I ever go-but my sister drives down to the Outer Banks some times with her family. I think we might try to do that this summer. I also have relatives in NC.

[wigdoutdismom]

Your daughter is adorable! Can't wait to read all about your trip!

[starling]

ADORABLE family!

[wsushocker]

subbing :cool1:

[micandminforever]

Looking forward to your report, and joining your ten days of first.

[Mndisneygirl]

What a cute picture!! I'm a first time TR writer too, so come on by mine.
Looking forward to hearing about your "firsts"!

[Stasieki]

Jumped over from Memom and Jill's report. We were the ones there the same week as you. It will be fun to follow you along - it will bring back such great memories. I think you may have seen our DD in Tink's Treasures dressed like Pincess Tiana and her friend dressed like Aurora on Monday.

Looking forward to the report.

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Good Morning! I subbing and going back to read!

WELCOME! I just started reading your report also! I haven't posted yet but I will. From what I have read so far, I expect that you understand why I said that we travel alone!:lmao:

Can't wait to hear all about your trip. Your family is just beautiful!

WELCOME! And thank you. I hope I can keep everyone entertained!

I came over, too! I love that picture of your family from the Grand Floridian. It would make a great Christmas card!:santa:
Where do you live in NC? I don't live too far from the NC border. Not that I ever go-but my sister drives down to the Outer Banks some times with her family. I think we might try to do that this summer. I also have relatives in NC.

We did use that for Christmas cards last year. The lady who did our photo session did a great job. We are not too far from the VA border. We love the Outer Banks. You should definitely check it out. It is so beautiful and peaceful there.

Your daughter is adorable! Can't wait to read all about your trip!

Thank you. She is my world!

ADORABLE family!

Thank you very much. The photographer did work a little magic though!:lmao:

subbing :cool1:

Great! I can't wait to see what pictures you can come up with! Yeah, I've seen your work around the DIS!:lmao:

Looking forward to your report, and joining your ten days of first.

WELCOME! Thanks for joining in!

What a cute picture!! I'm a first time TR writer too, so come on by mine.
Looking forward to hearing about your "firsts"!

I will certainly check out your TR. Thanks for joining in!

Jumped over from Memom and Jill's report. We were the ones there the same week as you. It will be fun to follow you along - it will bring back such great memories. I think you may have seen our DD in Tink's Treasures dressed like Pincess Tiana and her friend dressed like Aurora on Monday.

Looking forward to the report.

I remember. Maybe when I go back through, we will be able to figure out if we were in the same place at the same time. I can't remeber what day I saw those little girls at Tink's Treasure, but they may have been yours. It will be neat to see. Thanks for signing on!

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

After we returned from our Disney vacation in November 2008, I think I reminded DH nearly everyday how much I wanted to go back. Well, I never thought it would happen in 2009 because DH is not the fan of Disney that I am. I mean, he really liked it, but I knew he didn’t want to go two years in a row. But after a long summer of sickness and surgery for me:sick:, DH told me that he would be willing to go back this fall. I think he felt sorry for me and just wanted to give me something to look forward to. I had been very sick since March with fibroid tumors and had been in and out of the hospital several times. Finally in July, I had to have a hysterectomy. We were pretty disappointed, because we both wanted one more child, but it just wasn’t to be. So I think that was his way of trying to give me something positive to focus on.

Needless to say, I was thrilled that he wanted to go back. :cloud9: The first thing I asked my surgeon on my follow-up visit was “Will I be able to ride a roller coaster by November?” She just laughed and said, “Go for it!” That was all I needed to know!

However, there was one catch to this deal. One enormous catch! After driving for 10+ hours over two days last year to get to WDW, DH informed me that he would never drive that trip again. Well I was really hoping that he had forgotten that little tidbit, because I DO NOT FLY. I wanted to be a travel agent my whole life, but I was so afraid of flying that I became a teacher instead (a decision I have always regretted). That is how terrified I am of flying. :scared1: (Remember I have the Marlin mentality.)

Well, I had already booked the resort, planned out our days, and reserved all the meals when DH decided to tell me, “You do remember that I told you we are not driving to Florida anymore?” :eek: So I decide we would take the train. HA! That was not happening! It was a 15 HOUR train ride to Orlando from NC. :sad2: So I was left with the choice of cancelling the trip to my beloved WDW or getting on a plane. I was literally sick to my stomach at the thought of either of those things happening. :guilty:

After many sleepless nights, I finally broke down and booked a flight. This truly was the biggest "first" of my life. Yes, it was bigger than marriage or even childbirth. Those things didn’t frighten me at all. Even DH said that he now understood the depth of my love for Disney because he never thought I would do it. Come to think of it, maybe that is why he offered to go back in'09, because he never thought it would actually happen! :idea: Anyhow, it was done. Three nonrefundable tickets had been purchased, so my fate was sealed.

DD marked the last day off of our countdown calendar, and with that, it was time to go!

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We decided to get a room near the airport for Friday night (Nov. 6th) that had a shuttle and free parking. We had an early flight on Saturday morning and this was just more convenient. DD loved the Sleep Number beds they had. She kept pumping them full of air and then deflating them!

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We arrived at the airport stress free on the hotel shuttle. We grabbed a bite of overpriced, under flavored food for breakfast, although by this point, my nerves were shot and nothing would have tasted good to me.

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DH and DD checked out the runway. DH said we looked like “country come to town” being that this was our first adventure at an airport. (None of us had ever flown.)

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DH is a big talker. He found a couple that was headed to Disney on our flight and struck up a conversation. They were very nice people, and we actually ran into them again at WDW.

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It was finally time to board. My heart is racing just typing this part. I took my seat and snapped a few pictures. Then I just prayed and told Jesus that I was putting it in His hands. :littleangel: No one else on the plane knew it, but a miracle occurred on flight 1403 that day. :rotfl:

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Before I knew it, we had landed, I had survived, and my misery was over. Now let’s get on that bus!!! Busses, I can handle!

We stopped for our first official Disney picture!

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Waiting for ME. Someone’s getting sleepy already!!

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A very excited little girl headed to Disney.

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Cont. in next post...........

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Headed to Pop.

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Oh what a wonderful sight to see!

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First contact with Disney soil ! (well concrete)

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Yes, I took a picture of the Pop rug!

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We did the online check-in so we breezed through here fast. And we got what we requested............. 60’s building, 4th floor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Whoooo Hooooooooo!

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Our room was right by the elevator so it was a very quick walk to the bus and food court.

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We decided to break in the dining plan with some lunch in the food court.

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We wasted no time heading out to the bus stop. DD thought she had found a hidden Mickey in the railing.

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I took this to remind me how long it took to get from NC to a Disney bus. We left NC at 8:00 a.m., checked out the room, ate lunch, and made it to the bus by 11:41. Not bad. That was the ONLY good thing about flying.

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%201/IMG_0714.jpg

So, our tally for firsts is now at 2. This was our first time flying and our first stay at Pop Century!

(Bear with me on the picture quality of this update. I was using a cheap camera that I brought because it was small, but I quit using it because the pictures were not good. The rest of the pictures will be with my good camera.)

Up Next: Where is that Disney bus headed?

[Tinkermom76]

I am also writing my first TR so check it out.

Yours is great so far and your daughter is so cute

[If U Had Wings]

I'm so glad that you had an uneventful flight since you were so nervous. How did your DD handle the flight? She looks pretty content in the pics.

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I am also writing my first TR so check it out.

Yours is great so far and your daughter is so cute

I will definitely check out your TR. Thanks for reading along!

I'm so glad that you had an uneventful flight since you were so nervous. How did your DD handle the flight? She looks pretty content in the pics.

Oh, DH and DD both were very excited. It didn't bother them at all. I'm the only chicken in this bunch!:lmao:

[Stasieki]

Great update! So, we had the long, miserable drive on that day. Drove 3 hours to Atlanta from TN, stayed at our friends that were going with us, then 8 hours on that Saturday. We didn't leave our friends house until 11:00 AM (you were prob eating at POP - haha), and got to our hotel at 7:00 PM that night. My DH won't fly either. He did with no problem, then got a job that he had to fly every week for a year. He had two bad flights in a row and has called it quits. I have never liked it, but tolerated it b/c DH would talk me through it. Now I have no one to talk me through it, so we are drivers for the time being. Hearing you were on a Disney bus at 11:41 AM may change my mind:). That is so great you overcame your fear. Do you think you will fly again?

[Charleston Princess]

Woo hoo for getting on a plane and heading to Disney! You did very well! (I used to love flying, but I hate it nowadays!)

Your DD's Santa Minnie is very cute!

[VAisforDisneyLvrs]

Flying is not my favorite thing to do, but getting there in 2 hours is way better than driving for 12+! I am not sure if we are going to fly or drive for our next trip. It adds a lot to the bottom line of a vacation when you have to buy plane tickets for a family of 5!

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Great update! So, we had the long, miserable drive on that day. Drove 3 hours to Atlanta from TN, stayed at our friends that were going with us, then 8 hours on that Saturday. We didn't leave our friends house until 11:00 AM (you were prob eating at POP - haha), and got to our hotel at 7:00 PM that night. My DH won't fly either. He did with no problem, then got a job that he had to fly every week for a year. He had two bad flights in a row and has called it quits. I have never liked it, but tolerated it b/c DH would talk me through it. Now I have no one to talk me through it, so we are drivers for the time being. Hearing you were on a Disney bus at 11:41 AM may change my mind:). That is so great you overcame your fear. Do you think you will fly again?

Yeah, we had that same kind of drive last year and it was rough. We had to drive down I-95 the whole way with big trucks cutting us off and heavy rain. It was pretty bad. Our flight was only 1 hr and 20 minutes. That was really, really nice. We basically got an entire extra day by flying. I don't blame your DH though. You feel so helpless up there. We had some turbulance and it just tore my nerves up. I am proud of myself for doing it but I don't know if I will do it again.

Woo hoo for getting on a plane and heading to Disney! You did very well! (I used to love flying, but I hate it nowadays!)

Your DD's Santa Minnie is very cute!

I am pretty proud of myself. That really was a big deal for me. It just is not an enjoyable experience.

DD told me that she had to take Minnie back home for Christmas!:lmao:

Flying is not my favorite thing to do, but getting there in 2 hours is way better than driving for 12+! I am not sure if we are going to fly or drive for our next trip. It adds a lot to the bottom line of a vacation when you have to buy plane tickets for a family of 5!

Oh, I am sure! I can't imagine the cost for five!:eek: We got a really good deal through SW. Our tickets were $59 one way. But even at that price it would really add up for 5 people.

[wsushocker]

However, there was one catch to this deal. One enormous catch! After driving for 10+ hours over two days last year to get to WDW, DH informed me that he would never drive that trip again. Well I was really hoping that he had forgotten that little tidbit, because I DO NOT FLY.



http://i625.photobucket.com/albums/tt335/wsushocker/fearofflying.jpg

[wigdoutdismom]

You are such a natural at writing trip reports! Your pictures are awesome! With a daughter that cute it would be hard to take a bad one.
I'm not a fan of flying either but since we are coming from Kansas it's quite a drive. We can make it there in half a day flying compared to 24 hours driving...
We can't get a decent airfare though, our Christmas flights were around $400 per person. That was a bite!
So if it were me....
An hour and a half for $59....
I'd take a benedryl and fly!

[Mndisneygirl]

I'm with Wigd. It takes us 24 hours to drive too. Of course, I'm perfectly okay with flying. My biggest problem is the packing restrictions! All those dang rules about weight, extra fees, and carry on liquids/gels. Enough to make me crazy!

Your daughter is a doll! Don't you love taking the picture going under the big WDW arch sign? That's when we know we've arrived!

[MaryAz]

Yay, you are doing a TR!! Very cute pic. Now I am going back to read.

You are a great writer. Those pics were really cute. Good for you for flying. Can't wait to read the rest.
Watch out for Shocker and those pics!!

[stace208]

I'm joining in and loving your trip report so far! Your daughter is just beautiful:goodvibes
My DH is the opposite of yours-he wants to drive. It's about 12 hours for us and we've done it twice. It's not that he's opposed to flying, he's opposed to the price tag! We're flying in April, out of Dulles, because it was cheap and all part of the "surprise" for the kids.
Looking forward to more!

[Lady Lallie]

I'm joining in.

Your DD is so beautiful. :cutie:

I'm not a huge fan of flying but compared the 24+ hours of driving, I'll take flying any day. I've driven twice to Florida and flown 5 times. I much prefer the flying. It is scary though. I try to put it out of my mind and then freak on the plane...silently of course because I don't want to be flagged as a trouble passenger. :rotfl2:

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

http://i625.photobucket.com/albums/tt335/wsushocker/fearofflying.jpg

:rotfl: I don't even think a tutoiral could have helped me. Maybe a sedative dart, but not a tutoiral!

You are such a natural at writing trip reports! Your pictures are awesome! With a daughter that cute it would be hard to take a bad one.
I'm not a fan of flying either but since we are coming from Kansas it's quite a drive. We can make it there in half a day flying compared to 24 hours driving...
We can't get a decent airfare though, our Christmas flights were around $400 per person. That was a bite!
So if it were me....
An hour and a half for $59....
I'd take a benedryl and fly!

:scared1::scared1::scared1: $400!!! Oh my goodness!!! That is just crazy. Were the seats trimmed in gold?:lmao: I know we got a good deal and I should just be thankful that we had a very short, cheap flight. I don't blame you for flying. I don't even think I could do 24 hours in the car!

Thank you for your very nice comments.

I'm with Wigd. It takes us 24 hours to drive too. Of course, I'm perfectly okay with flying. My biggest problem is the packing restrictions! All those dang rules about weight, extra fees, and carry on liquids/gels. Enough to make me crazy!

Your daughter is a doll! Don't you love taking the picture going under the big WDW arch sign? That's when we know we've arrived!

YES! That sign is a thing of beauty! I wish I had your attitude about flying. That would make things so much easier for me! DD and DH were just like you. Didn't bother them at all.

Yay, you are doing a TR!! Very cute pic. Now I am going back to read.

You are a great writer. Those pics were really cute. Good for you for flying. Can't wait to read the rest.
Watch out for Shocker and those pics!!

Thank you so much and WELCOME!!! Glad you found me. Yes, I've seen Shockers work around the Dis! I know what's to come!:lmao:

I'm joining in and loving your trip report so far! Your daughter is just beautiful:goodvibes
My DH is the opposite of yours-he wants to drive. It's about 12 hours for us and we've done it twice. It's not that he's opposed to flying, he's opposed to the price tag! We're flying in April, out of Dulles, because it was cheap and all part of the "surprise" for the kids.
Looking forward to more!

WELCOME!!! I wish my DH felt that way. He drives a lot for his job and just doesn't want to have to drive or ride for hours on vacation. It was a long drive last year.

Hooray for your April trip! I'd love to go that time of year.

I'm joining in.

Your DD is so beautiful. :cutie:

I'm not a huge fan of flying but compared the 24+ hours of driving, I'll take flying any day. I've driven twice to Florida and flown 5 times. I much prefer the flying. It is scary though. I try to put it out of my mind and then freak on the plane...silently of course because I don't want to be flagged as a trouble passenger. :rotfl2:

Thank you and WELCOME!!! Yeah I thought about that too. I wondered what they would do to me if I had a panic attack or something!:rotfl: Thankfully, I managed to control myself.

[ladybugmom]

Hi!! I'm subcribing to your TR!! My oldest dd is in Kindergarten as well and I am a former teacher--we seem to have a lot in common! I'm loving your TR so far--I can't wait to read more!! :goodvibes Congrats on overcoming your fear of flying!!

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

So what part of the world was our coach taking us to? As much as we all wanted our first stop to be the Magic Kingdom, I knew the Christmas decorations may not be up yet. :santa: I didn't want to use up a MK day without that Christmas spirit in the air (we didn't have park hoppers). So day one was to be spent at Epcot! This was actually the last weekend of the Food and Wine Festival. I really wanted to go, but I had read that it can be a little crazy on the weekends, so we decided to just stay in Future World and do some rides. I knew DD would not be happy strolling through the countries on our very first day anyway, after waiting all year to get back to WDW. (After reading CP's TR about the rowdiness, I think we made the right choice :eek:.)

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As soon as we arrived, we got fast passes for Soarin'. I had been waiting all year to glide over the orange groves and mountains again! My very favorite ride! And yes, I do realize how odd it is that I am terrified to fly, but love Soarin'. :confused: Go figure.

Next, we thought we would be rebellious and go explore the drop off.

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Then, we headed on out into the big 'ol blue to find out how old sea turtles are. Look, it's Mr. Ray!

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We spent a lot of time checking out the aquariums this year.

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And this is what happens to rebellious little fish who think they can swim with the big boys.

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That hook in his nose has GOT to hurt!

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Only by the grace of God did we survive the sharks, jellies, divers, and seagulls, so we lived to swim another day.

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A little Epcot beauty

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Continued in next post..............

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

This brings us to the next first of the trip, number three I believe. We never made it to Club Cool last year, so I was very much looking forward to it. I went in knowing full well that I would have to repent for my sins when this was over. It all started with a bald-faced lie. Not a little white lie, but a down and dirty lie.

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I made my way to the fountain and dispensed myself a cup of delicious Mexican cola. It is so good! But I already knew this because I Dis. DH didn't see me fill my cup. Then, I turned to DH and told him, "You must try the ITALIAN one (Beverly, that is). It is so good. Here, take a sip of mine." So of' course he agrees and proceeds to get his own.

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Secretly in my mind I am thinking, "That's for 10 years of leaving your clothes on the floor!" :) Well, let's just say he had a few choice words for me after telling me, "It tastes like mouthwash!" We all had a good laugh in the end though! You can tell by the look on DD's face that she didn't really trust me to fix her a cup afterwards!

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Feeling nicely hydrated, and one of us having very fresh breath, we headed back to the Land to use our Soarin' fast passes and have dinner at the Garden Grill.

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We had a few minutes to spare before our ressie so we rode the Living with the Land boat ride. DD just loves this.

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With visions of fresh veggies and bread dancing in our heads, we head for Garden Grill. (another first!)

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Cont. in next post...........

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

After Farmer Mickey left, these two nuts showed up! They danced with DD and just acted so silly. It was very cute. This was first number 5 because Chip and Dale eluded us last year.

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Last but not least, our favorite 6' tall, yellow dog came by.

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Ever wonder what his dog tag says................

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%201/IMG_0770.jpg

Now you know!

We all really enjoyed this meal. The food was very good, especially the salad, bread and honey butter (WOW!!!). The characters were great also. They all spent plenty of time with DD and were very interactive with her.

We got on the boat ride one more time after dinner. DD was fascinated with seeing the ride from above at the Garden Grill. She thought it was so neat that it revolved above the boat ride.

Then finally it was time for Soarin'!!! DD didn't remember it from last year and it was like a whole new experience for her. She absolutely went nuts over it. She begged to ride again, but she didn't understand that we would have to wait in line for an hour to ride it a second time. We promised her we would ride another day, but that didn't satisfy her. So I told her that I had a special surprise in store for her and we had to go now if we were going to make it in time. Well that just changed everything, and she was ready to go.

I like to plan something very, very special for the first day of our trips. Last year we took DD to the BBB in the castle and then had dinner at CRT on our first day. This year, I had something totally different planned that I thought the whole family would love. So with anticipation high, we headed for the monorail.

Cool lights in the concrete

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Goodbye for today Epcot!

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Firsts tally: 5

Up Next: What's the big surprise? Let's just say we have a "blast" with some shady "characters"!!

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Hi!! I'm subcribing to your TR!! My oldest dd is in Kindergarten as well and I am a former teacher--we seem to have a lot in common! I'm loving your TR so far--I can't wait to read more!! :goodvibes Congrats on overcoming your fear of flying!!

WELCOME!! I read your last TR and loved it! Your girls are the cutest things and had that most adorable outfits! Glad you're joining in! And I remember thinking that we had a lot in common when I was reading your report too!

[ladybugmom]

WELCOME!! I read your last TR and loved it! Your girls are the cutest things and had that most adorable outfits! Glad you're joining in! And I remember thinking that we had a lot in common when I was reading your report too!

Awww!! Thanks!! :goodvibes

You are an updating MACHINE today!! Can't wait to read what surprise you have in store!!

[Lady Lallie]

Oooh, I want to know what the surprise is too! :banana:

I love the lights in the pavement at Epcot, something so simple makes me so happy.

[stace208]

Great updates! I can't wait to find out what the surprise is!!!!
We just loved Garden Grill last year. I think it's a great place that tends to get overshadowed with all the WS restaurants.

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Happy New Year's Everyone!!
I had a strange thought this morning. Now that another decade has come and gone, Pop Century needs a new building. But what will it be called. I mean 70's, 80's, 90's and 00's just doesn't sound right, does it?:)

Awww!! Thanks!! :goodvibes

You are an updating MACHINE today!! Can't wait to read what surprise you have in store!!

Well I actually had NO kids in my house yesterday, so I figured it was a good time to get some updates done. That doesn't happen very often.

Oooh, I want to know what the surprise is too! :banana:

I love the lights in the pavement at Epcot, something so simple makes me so happy.

Well I dropped a few hints...........we had to take the monorail (and we didn't have park hoppers, so we weren't going to MK), we had a "blast" with shady "Characters", it was night............... any ideas?????:rolleyes1

I love those little touches that Disney has too. A few lights in the pavement thrill me too!

Great updates! I can't wait to find out what the surprise is!!!!
We just loved Garden Grill last year. I think it's a great place that tends to get overshadowed with all the WS restaurants.

I agree. I mostly booked it for Chip and Dale since we could never find them last year. But I knew the food would probably be good too, and it was. I loved getting some veggies at Disney because they can be hard to find!

[Tinkermom76]

Is it Pirates and Pals cause that cruise is soooo much fun

[DisneyJo]

Your daughter is such a cutie and well done for facing your flying fears, I can't believe how quickly you got to WDW :thumbsup2

Your first day is absolutely fantastic so far, we've always found the GG characters to be great too :goodvibes

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Is it Pirates and Pals cause that cruise is soooo much fun

I don't know :rolleyes1 .................. we'll see! ;)

Your daughter is such a cutie and well done for facing your flying fears, I can't believe how quickly you got to WDW :thumbsup2

Your first day is absolutely fantastic so far, we've always found the GG characters to be great too :goodvibes

Yeah, I'm so glad you joined in! I read your original Mom's Panel TR and I absolutely loved it!!!:love: One of the best TRs I've ever read! You had the most magical experience imaginable. And I must say that I am totally infatuated with England. It is my dream to visit someday. I watch all the Masterpiece Theater movies (English dramas) that come on TV here in the US. I am just addicted to them! I could listen to an English accent all day!:lmao: I also love the Mom's Panel. It helped me so much in planning my first trip! So I am just trilled to have you on board!:cool1::banana:

[Charleston Princess]

I do think you were wise to avoid World Showcase on a weekend during Food and Wine. The crowds alone would have made it hard to navigate through!

What a fun time you had in Future World -- you rode all my favorite rides! :lovestruc

Farmer Mickey is too cute in his overalls and your DD looks like she is having a blast with all the characters! A great way to start your trip!

[wigdoutdismom]

Great start, wonderful update!
What a sweet outfit your daughter is wearing!
She is just glowing during her dance with Chip!
I'm going with the Pirates and Pals Cruise too!

[praisehisname]

I'm joining in and love it so far!

[VAisforDisneyLvrs]

My family ate at Garden Grill in January (last year!) We liked it, and my oldest is trying to get us to go again this year. Chip and Dale are her favorites, but I think we are going to limit our character meals on this trip.

I am hoping that my daughter Johanna will be able to go on Soarin' in the summer. Now, whether she'll want to or not is another question. She's pretty tall, so I don't think that will be a problem. My other daughter, Ruby, rode when she was only 4, but she is a little daredevil. Jo is a lot more reserved and scared of rides. (However, she is NOT shy about talking to anyone and everyone she meets!)

[MaryAz]

Great updates. Your pics are really good. GG looks like a fun place for dinner. I may need to add it to my May trip. My DD's also loved LTL. My ODD picked Soarin and BTMR as her 2 favorite rides. I also love the lights in the pavement.

[VAisforDisneyLvrs]

I realized after I posted the last post that I only talked about myself! Sorry for being so self-centered. :eek:

So, I love your daughter's freckles-They are too cute, and she is very photogenic.

Did you ride Test Track on this trip?

I think the picture of your husband and daughter with your husband's head under the shark's hand is very funny!:laughing:

[wsushocker]

I realized after I posted the last post that I only talked about myself! Sorry for being so self-centered. :eek:

http://i625.photobucket.com/albums/tt335/wsushocker/me.jpg

[DisneyJo]

Yeah, I'm so glad you joined in! I read your original Mom's Panel TR and I absolutely loved it!!!:love: One of the best TRs I've ever read! You had the most magical experience imaginable. And I must say that I am totally infatuated with England. It is my dream to visit someday. I watch all the Masterpiece Theater movies (English dramas) that come on TV here in the US. I am just addicted to them! I could listen to an English accent all day!:lmao: I also love the Mom's Panel. It helped me so much in planning my first trip! So I am just trilled to have you on board!:cool1::banana: Awww you're so sweet, my time on the panel has just finished but I have some great memories, I'm glad the panel helped you plan your trip :thumbsup2 Make sure you get over to England one day, the dollar to pound is in your favour at the moment so it's a great time to come, you'd also be guaranteed to hear loads of English accents :thumbsup2 :rotfl2:

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I do think you were wise to avoid World Showcase on a weekend during Food and Wine. The crowds alone would have made it hard to navigate through!

What a fun time you had in Future World -- you rode all my favorite rides! :lovestruc

Farmer Mickey is too cute in his overalls and your DD looks like she is having a blast with all the characters! A great way to start your trip!

I think so too. I'd like to try out F&W like you did, just adults! We did have a great time at GG. I would love that salad right now! It was so fresh and the dressing was so so good. It was a great first day!

Great start, wonderful update!
What a sweet outfit your daughter is wearing!
She is just glowing during her dance with Chip!
I'm going with the Pirates and Pals Cruise too!

My mom bought that outfit (and many others) for her. That's her thing. She loves to buy her clothes that I would never pay that much for!:lmao: Chip and Dale were great though. They went above and beyond what I expect fom a character meal.

I'm joining in and love it so far!

WELCOME!!! So glad to have you along for the ride!


My family ate at Garden Grill in January (last year!) We liked it, and my oldest is trying to get us to go again this year. Chip and Dale are her favorites, but I think we are going to limit our character meals on this trip.

I am hoping that my daughter Johanna will be able to go on Soarin' in the summer. Now, whether she'll want to or not is another question. She's pretty tall, so I don't think that will be a problem. My other daughter, Ruby, rode when she was only 4, but she is a little daredevil. Jo is a lot more reserved and scared of rides. (However, she is NOT shy about talking to anyone and everyone she meets!)





Just tell her that all she has to do is cover her eyes if she gets scared on Soarin'. I don't even think the seats move that much. I bet she will be fine on it and probably love it!

Great updates. Your pics are really good. GG looks like a fun place for dinner. I may need to add it to my May trip. My DD's also loved LTL. My ODD picked Soarin and BTMR as her 2 favorite rides. I also love the lights in the pavement.

Those are my 2 favorite rides also!!:thumbsup2 I think GG is a great place if you want something different. We did all the most popular character meals last year, like CM, CP, CRT, etc. so i wanted to try something new. We loved it.


I realized after I posted the last post that I only talked about myself! Sorry for being so self-centered. :eek:

So, I love your daughter's freckles-They are too cute, and she is very photogenic.

Did you ride Test Track on this trip?

I think the picture of your husband and daughter with your husband's head under the shark's hand is very funny!:laughing:



:lmao: That's ok! We did ride TT later in the trip. We all love that one too! My DH is a nut for sure!

http://i625.photobucket.com/albums/tt335/wsushocker/me.jpg

:lmao:

Awww you're so sweet, my time on the panel has just finished but I have some great memories, I'm glad the panel helped you plan your trip :thumbsup2 Make sure you get over to England one day, the dollar to pound is in your favour at the moment so it's a great time to come, you'd also be guaranteed to hear loads of English accents :thumbsup2 :rotfl2:

I know you are sad that it is over. What a wonderful time you must have had this past year.

I don't know if I will ever make it to England. I would LOVE to but I don't think I could handle that flight.:eek:

[Mndisneygirl]

Awww you're so sweet, my time on the panel has just finished but I have some great memories, I'm glad the panel helped you plan your trip :thumbsup2 Make sure you get over to England one day, the dollar to pound is in your favour at the moment so it's a great time to come, you'd also be guaranteed to hear loads of English accents :thumbsup2 :rotfl2:

Not to hijack, but Thanks for the $ info. My friend is moving to London in a couple months for 3 years and we are hoping/planning to go visit in 2011. I hope it continues in our favor (no offense!).

GG looks like fun - I've never been there. I MUST get to CRT next trip though. Before my girls start to think it's lame. Only a few years more I fear.

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Not to hijack, but Thanks for the $ info. My friend is moving to London in a couple months for 3 years and we are hoping/planning to go visit in 2011. I hope it continues in our favor (no offense!).

GG looks like fun - I've never been there. I MUST get to CRT next trip though. Before my girls start to think it's lame. Only a few years more I fear.

I don't blame you. CRT was a must for us last year. I wanted to make sure we did that and then worry about the other places on a later trip. I'd do CRT for sure before your kids are too old.

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

So, what was the big surprise? Yes, you guessed it. I paid $53.99 per person for my daughter to be kidnapped by a pirate and my family forced to walk the plank! ;) (I am the queen of all things frugal so the $53.99 per person was quite hard for me to swallow. :eek:)

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The monorail took us from Epcot to the Contemporary resort where a feast of snacks awaited us. Captain Hook and Mr. Smee were also in attendance and more than happy to sign a few autographs and take a picture or two.

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At first, DD was a little unsure about what was in store for her. When I told her we were going on a pirate cruise, this was her reaction.............

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Translation: "We are doing WHAT?" :eek:

But as soon as I told her to pick out whatever snacks she wanted, she starting thinking that this whole thing might not be too bad after all. I mean, if theses pirates are handing out chocolate coins, they must be ok, right? :idea:

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Now let me just say that this cruise was the highlight of my trip, BUT I have one beef with the booty. They give each person a pirate cruise bandana and they tell you that you must wear it so they know who belongs on the cruise. Well, let me tell you............. only Tinker Bell could have fit that thing on her head! :laughing: We had to get VERY creative to make these things stay on! Let's just say, we were one motley crew heading out to the dock! :hippie:

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Our Captains came out and it was time to go.

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We were assigned to the Hook boat.

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Then it happened. One of those Disney moments that you will never forget. You know, the kind of moment that only seems to happen at Disney. The things that keep us coming back time and time again. The little events that give us that warm fuzzy feeling and makes us fork over $53.99 per person to ride in a boat for an hour.

Of all the little kids standing there waiting to head out on our adventure, Hook walks right up to DD and takes her by the hand. She keeps looking at us like she isn't sure if this is a good thing or not. But I smile, give her the "it's ok" nod, and then she is on cloud nine. :cloud9: She felt so special that he picked her to escort to the dock. She was beaming!

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Walking the plank! pirate:

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Hook walked her all the way from the second floor of the Contemporary resort down to the boat dock. When he left her at the boat, he bowed and kissed her hand. :flower3: I turned to my DH and the only thing I could muster up to say through the lump in my throat was "priceless". At that moment, they could have charged me $999.99 per ticket, and I would have paid it. :rolleyes:

Cont. in next post.........

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Our view from the boat.

BLT
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Cont. Resort
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MK in the distance
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This guy was our Captain, Patch, and I can tell you that he loves his job. He was so funny and had us cracking up the whole time. He just had one joke after another. “Patch” has to be the best CM I've ever had the privilege of spending time with.

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He went through and asked everyone on the boat where they were from. We were one of the few families there that was NOT from New Jersey. We were at Disney during Jersey week, which I know many people try to avoid (b/c of crowds), but let me tell you................. it was a party on that boat that night! :dance3: We had the best time. There were so many people there from New Jersey that the Captain stopped asking "Where are you from?" and just starting asking "What exit are you on the turnpike?" He had us rolling. There was much singing, a little dancing, and a good time had by all.

Then suddenly the lights went out, and Wishes began with a bang. I must say that I am not a weepy person, but when that little girl started to sing "star light, star bright, first star I see tonight...." with her sweet little voice, I nearly lost it. It was just a beautiful, magical, unforgettable moment. I couldn't help but think about how fast my DD is growing up and how precious these moments are. She looked so sweet sitting there on her Daddy's lap with the glow of the fireworks on her face. It really took everything in me not to start blubbering like an idiot.

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The ferry boats coming by kept rocking our boat making it hard to get clear pictures.

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As always, the show was fantastic. We all felt like we were lost in a fairytale for a few precious moments. But all fairytales must come to an end. It was time for us to head back to the dock, but one more magical moment awaited us. We were the first ones off the boat, and there stood a nice little surprise all wrapped up in green!

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Some CR scenery

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And with that, day one was done, and with a bang I might add. We headed back to Pop after a most magical day. My surprise was a hit to say the least. If you ever have the chance to do the Pirates and Pals cruise, you should! I just cannot say enough good things about it.

One more thing before we go.................... We had 4 more first this evening. This was our first Wishes cruise and our first time meeting Captain Hook, Mr. Smee, and Peter Pan! So the grand total just for day one is 9!

Up Next: Cockroaches, Kangaroos, and Crocodile Dundee

[Charleston Princess]

Oh my goodness! What a wonderful experience you had with the Pirates Cruise! I was all teary-eyed reading about Captain Hook escorting your daughter to the boat! How great!!! I love her looks of being both unsure and delighted!!! So worth the money to have those memories!

[Tinkermom76]

That's amazing.. we did the cruise as well and I agree it is worth every penny I paid for it. Did you guys see the EWP from the boat as well?

[npierce25]

The cruise looks awsome! I have a question though, how loud is it? my daughter will be turning 4 during our trip and I would love to take her on this, but how loud is it? she likes watching fireworks but not when they are super loud like when you are close! thanks for your help!!! I look forward to hearing more about your trip!!!

[DisneyJo]

I did the cruise a few weeks ago and it is fantastic isn't it :thumbsup2 How great your DD got to hold Hook's hand, so cute. My youngest DD got chosen to carry the flag to the boat and she was so excited. We had a different Patch (we were on Smee's boat) but he was wonderful too. I still have chocolate coins left over from it :rotfl: Unlike you though we were all huddled under blankets :lmao:

What a fantastic way to end your evening :goodvibes

[stace208]

Oh my, very fun update!! Going to check on the cruise now!:thumbsup2

[praisehisname]

Then suddenly the lights went out, and Wishes began with a bang. I must say that I am not a weepy person, but when that little girl started to sing "star light, star bright, first star I see tonight...." with her sweet little voice, I nearly lost it. It was just a beautiful, magical, unforgettable moment. I couldn't help but think about how fast my DD is growing up and how precious these moments are. She looked so sweet sitting there on her Daddy's lap with the glow of the fireworks on her face. It really took everything in me not to start blubbering like an idiot.

This paragraph got me misty-eyed. The whole cruise sounds like it was fantastic and I love how Hook chose your daughter for his escort!

[Mndisneygirl]

How wonderful!! It sounds like a really special night for you! Now your next title has me worried though - cockroaches?? UGH!

[VAisforDisneyLvrs]

[QUOTE=RinkyTinkyTinky;34854381]

Then suddenly the lights went out, and Wishes began with a bang. I must say that I am not a weepy person, but when that little girl started to sing "star light, star bright, first star I see tonight...." with her sweet little voice, I nearly lost it. It was just a beautiful, magical, unforgettable moment. I couldn't help but think about how fast my DD is growing up and how precious these moments are. She looked so sweet sitting there on her Daddy's lap with the glow of the fireworks on her face. It really took everything in me not to start blubbering like an idiot.

QUOTE]

Well, I am a weepy person! Seriously, I cry at everything-commercials, books, tv shows, songs-and this post! It brought tears to my eyes! You created a very magical memory for your family!:love:

My middle daughter, Ruby, loves Wishes-she asked for the CD for her birthday. It just makes me so happy when I put it on in the car and hear her singing her heart out from the back seat!
(I don't know why I couldn't get that to quote correctly!)

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Oh my goodness! What a wonderful experience you had with the Pirates Cruise! I was all teary-eyed reading about Captain Hook escorting your daughter to the boat! How great!!! I love her looks of being both unsure and delighted!!! So worth the money to have those memories!

Yes, even for me, the cheapskate, it was worth every penny!:lmao: She really did have a mix of emotions, but she was giddy when we got on the boat. She told everyone about what happened when we got home!

That's amazing.. we did the cruise as well and I agree it is worth every penny I paid for it. Did you guys see the EWP from the boat as well?

We saw it briefly passing by but my pictures were all blurry b/c other boats coming by kept rocking our boat. Your camera has to be really still when photographing lights so they just didn't turn out at all. But the cruise was just amazing! SO glad you enjoyed yours too.

The cruise looks awsome! I have a question though, how loud is it? my daughter will be turning 4 during our trip and I would love to take her on this, but how loud is it? she likes watching fireworks but not when they are super loud like when you are close! thanks for your help!!! I look forward to hearing more about your trip!!!

WELCOME!! I think she would be fine on the cruise. The music to Wishes is piped in on the boat sound system. That's the main thing you hear. You are far enough away that the blasts aren't very loud at all.

I did the cruise a few weeks ago and it is fantastic isn't it :thumbsup2 How great your DD got to hold Hook's hand, so cute. My youngest DD got chosen to carry the flag to the boat and she was so excited. We had a different Patch (we were on Smee's boat) but he was wonderful too. I still have chocolate coins left over from it :rotfl: Unlike you though we were all huddled under blankets :lmao:

What a fantastic way to end your evening :goodvibes

Hooray for carrying the flag! :cool1:That just makes them feel so special to be singled out like that. Too bad your night was cold. I'm sure you still had a great time though. We had the most perfect weather all week and I am so thankful! That cruise would have been fantastic in the pouring rain though!

Oh my, very fun update!! Going to check on the cruise now!:thumbsup2

Yes, do! I think you will love it.

This paragraph got me misty-eyed. The whole cruise sounds like it was fantastic and I love how Hook chose your daughter for his escort!

I was pretty misty-eyed myself. It was just such a great evening. I got all choked up just thinking about it all again while I was typing up the report.:rolleyes:

How wonderful!! It sounds like a really special night for you! Now your next title has me worried though - cockroaches?? UGH!

It was VERY special! Yes, day 2 begins with several cockroaches! UGH, is my thought on that too!

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Well, I am a weepy person! Seriously, I cry at everything-commercials, books, tv shows, songs-and this post! It brought tears to my eyes! You created a very magical memory for your family!:love:

My middle daughter, Ruby, loves Wishes-she asked for the CD for her birthday. It just makes me so happy when I put it on in the car and hear her singing her heart out from the back seat!
(I don't know why I couldn't get that to quote correctly!)

I would love that CD! I need to get that. It is such a sweet song and all the ingredients just came together that night to make one of "those moments!". I have another Disney CD that has "When You Wish Upon a Star" on it and I get teary-eyed everytime I hear that one.

[Lady Lallie]

What a magical night! :wizard:

You took some great firework pictures, that couldn't have been easy in a boat!

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

What a magical night! :wizard:

You took some great firework pictures, that couldn't have been easy in a boat!

Thank you. Several of them were blurry, but a few came out clear. It was very hard to get good pictures because the ferry boats kept coming by rocking our boat. But it was ok. I was so into the moment that I didn't even care!:cloud9:

[ladybugmom]

Oh my goodness!! I'm all teary-eyed after reading your update! WOW! That cruise looks wonderful! And how magical that Hook escorted your DD to the boat!! :wizard: I LOVE your pics of Wishes!

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Oh my goodness!! I'm all teary-eyed after reading your update! WOW! That cruise looks wonderful! And how magical that Hook escorted your DD to the boat!! :wizard: I LOVE your pics of Wishes!

It is an awesome experience. I would even be willing to do it again. It was that good. And Hook scored some major points with me and my DD!:rotfl: Seeing Wishes from the water is the way to go. There were no crowds, no herd leaving afterwards, no packed bus to get onto......... just a peaceful, beautiful night. It was great. I'm spoiled now, and will never want to watch them from Main Street again. :rolleyes:

[Stasieki]

What a great update. You did all that and we had just checked into our hotel - hahaha.

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

What a great update. You did all that and we had just checked into our hotel - hahaha.

Yeah, even though I hated it, flying did give us a lot of extra time. We would have just been checking in also if we had driven. When I think of it that way, it does make me want to fly again. That is, if all these idiot terrorists would find something else to do with their time!!!!:mad: Just when I think I could get up the nerve to fly again, some story comes on the news (like on Christmas day) and then I am back to square one! :sad2:

[MeMom]

Back at school - in between meetings right now. Looks like I have a lot to look forward to tonight when I can get home and see pictures! :cool1:

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Back at school - in between meetings right now. Looks like I have a lot to look forward to tonight when I can get home and see pictures! :cool1:

:cool1::banana::woohoo::yay: Memom is here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :worship: WELCOME!!! I'm so glad you came over. I know you have a lot to keep up with on your own report so I really appreciate you squeezing me in!! And my condolences to you on your return to school today. I know that feeling well and it's not pretty.;) Now the countdown for Easter break begins!:rotfl: Am I right?

Can't wait to read all about your TR too. I heard you guys were the life of the Poly party!:dance3:

[If U Had Wings]

What a wonderful night! I love the pics of your DD with all the characters. She looks like she is having so much fun meeting all of them.

[pmama]

Followed over from your post in my TR.:goodvibes Love the review of your Pirate Cruise. How fun! Your daughter really is beaming. You pics of the fireworks are also fantastic!

[Lovemy3babes]

Do you mind another reader? I found your report this morning and read it all the way through. What a wonderful first day!! Your daughter is just a cutie pie. :) And you also had me misty eyed with your last installment. I can't wait to read more! (I also hope to start a TR sometime today perhaps.)

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

What a wonderful night! I love the pics of your DD with all the characters. She looks like she is having so much fun meeting all of them.

It was a perfect night! She loved meeting all of them, even Hook!

Followed over from your post in my TR.:goodvibes Love the review of your Pirate Cruise. How fun! Your daughter really is beaming. You pics of the fireworks are also fantastic!

:dance3::yay::banana: So glad you could join me! I know it is hard to read along on other TRs when you are doing your own, so thank you! I am loving your TR too. Can't wait to hear about your cruise!:cloud9:

Do you mind another reader? I found your report this morning and read it all the way through. What a wonderful first day!! Your daughter is just a cutie pie. :) And you also had me misty eyed with your last installment. I can't wait to read more! (I also hope to start a TR sometime today perhaps.)

By all means, come join the party!! I'm thrilled to have more readers. Thank you for your nice comments. Another update is coming right up! You should do a TR if you have time. I am really enjoying reliving my trip and talking with other Dissers.

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Day two of this journey had come, and it promised to be a long and tiring one. We only had one day to spend at Animal Kingdom, so there was much ground to cover. Our first priorities were to do the things that we missed last year. We tried our best to make rope drop, something we have yet to accomplish at any park, but we missed it by just a few minutes.

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So, what would be the first amazing, beautiful and exotic animal that we would encounter...............

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THE COCKROACH! :scared:

But hey, I know you were thinking those cockroaches were going to show up in our room or on our plate, so I'll take them in a plastic display box with a smile! :laughing: This CM tried to educate us on the benefits of cockroaches, but I would have no part of it. DD and DH were fascinated, but that is one of God's creatures that I have no love for. The CM even informed us that cockroaches are so beneficial to the environment that we should never kill one if we find one in our house. She said we should just scoop it up and take it outside. :hippie: Ummm.......... yeah, ok. Time to move on!

It was such a beautiful day (as was everyday of our trip) and we just soaked in all the gorgeous scenery.

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We were so excited to see the kangaroos. We never could find them last year. They are such cool creatures.

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We decided to head for the Safari first so we trekked on to Africa. We did take the safari last year but it was such a hot and humid day that we saw very few animals. I was hoping for a better experience this time.

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Our vehicle arrives and we're off.

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I love my DH dearly, but what was he thinking with that hat? :rolleyes1 I told him I felt like I was on safari with Crocodile Dundee! Even the driver referred to him over the loud speaker as "that guy with the hat who's really into this safari thing." :rotfl:

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So Jambo everyone! Welcome to Kilimanjaro Safaris, my name is RinkyTinkyTinky and I am going to be your driver for the next two weeks on our safari in the Harambe Wildlife Reserve. Please keep hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times and do not touch the animals should they approach the jeep. For your convenience, an animal viewing guide is located just above you to help in identifying all the creatures we are about to encounter. Hold on to your seats because this ride WILL be bumpy and I am not allowed to stop the vehicle for anyone or anything that may fall overboard!

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Continued in next post..........

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

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I hope this rhino will forgive me for posting such an unflattering picture of her on the internet. :laughing:

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That's all folks. Please disembark the ride vehicle to your right and thank you for choosing Kilimanjaro Safaris.

Our safari was so much better this year. The animals were out and about and we all enjoyed it very much. The bridge must not have been working last year because that was quite a surprise for us when it felt like it was going to give way!

Next, we decided to walk the Pangani Forest Trail. This was an all new experience for us and we loved it. It was so peaceful and quiet. We just strolled along taking it all in. It was very quiet and shady and is such a great way to get out of the hustle and bustle for a while.

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I loved watching the African Cichlids. I have an aquarium full of these guys in my living room and they are just beautiful fish.

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Unfortunately, these guys had seen better days.

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Then an interesting aroma hit us like a ton of bricks. It smelled like a combo of urine and hot dogs with onions. We all thought that someone near us desperately needed some attention to their grooming. Well, we were right. We rounded the corner and found the culprit.

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Despite the stench, we stood there and watched them a long time. They were really active and put on quite a show for us. The adolescent males were so full of themselves. It was hilarious.

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After we finished the trail, DD decided that her souvenir money was burning a hole in her pocket. She saw something on our way through the African village that was calling her name. So off we went to make our first purchase of the trip.

I'll leave you with a little trivia to ponder...............
How long does it take a $15 Disney souvenir to get ruined?

Firsts tally: 11 (Pangani trail was a first for us and I'm counting all the new animals we saw on the safari and Discovery Island as one also.)

Up Next: A Beautiful Transformation Gone Bad!

[Mndisneygirl]

I must say - your safari pictures are the BEST I have ever seen!!!! AMAZING!! Mine are always blurry or the animals are too far away! I'm in awe! :worship:

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I must say - your safari pictures are the BEST I have ever seen!!!! AMAZING!! Mine are always blurry or the animals are too far away! I'm in awe! :worship:

Oh gosh! That is so nice of you to say. I love photography and I try to get good pictures of everything but Disney can be challenging. So many things are moving or have low light that it can be very hard to get any good ones. I still had quite a few blurry ones but I just kept snapping away and I took a ton of pictures. Then I just deleted the bad ones. I think that is the trick with the safari........... take LOTS of pictures with the hopes of getting a few good ones from the bunch.

[Lovemy3babes]

I agree!! What fantastic photos. My camera decided that it needed to have issues on day 1 of our trip. The zoom completely quit so my safari pictures really stink. I love yours! Oh no about the ruined souvenir. :(

[Stasieki]

You had a great safari. That is so funny that the driver called out your DH. On this day, we were at Epcot, but had to leave around 1:00 when we realized our DD had a fever (ran to CVS Minute Clinic, ended up with an ear infection, but was feeling better by that night). Thank goodness we caught it early.

Hope you don't mind me chiming in with where we were each day... thought it would be fun to see if and when our paths cross.

[MeMom]

Great safari pictures! We were just there on Friday. I do love that park.

Yes, we are back at school and counting the weeks until spring break. ::yes::

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I agree!! What fantastic photos. My camera decided that it needed to have issues on day 1 of our trip. The zoom completely quit so my safari pictures really stink. I love yours! Oh no about the ruined souvenir. :(

Well thank you! That's terrible about your camera. I would be very upset if that happened. My vacation pictures are very important to me. That's just something that can't be replaced. I hope you were still able to get some decent pictures throughout your trip.

You had a great safari. That is so funny that the driver called out your DH. On this day, we were at Epcot, but had to leave around 1:00 when we realized our DD had a fever (ran to CVS Minute Clinic, ended up with an ear infection, but was feeling better by that night). Thank goodness we caught it early.

Hope you don't mind me chiming in with where we were each day... thought it would be fun to see if and when our paths cross.

I don't mind at all. I'd love to see if we end up in the same place at the same time! I hate your DD was sick. That is the pits to be sick on vacation. Glad to hear she got better fast though.

Great safari pictures! We were just there on Friday. I do love that park.

Yes, we are back at school and counting the weeks until spring break. ::yes::


I wish I was there right now. AK that is, not school. :lmao: Wouldn't a nice sunny safari beat this brutally cold weather! :rolleyes:

I used to always think..... "If I can just make it to Thanksgiving break, If I can just make it to Christmas, If I can just make it to Easter........." I always had to have something to make the goal more short term!:lmao:

[MAJ RN]

I am in and all caught up on your TR! I feel your pain about flying, I have a specific medication regimin to get myself thru a flight. POP is such a fun resort to stay at, my boys both love it. I am going to look into that Pirates and Pals cruise for my Feb trip, what fun. Thank you so much for not showing a pic of the cockroach!! I cannot stand to even see a picture of one:scared1:. I would guess the souviner is ruined in less than 10 minutes, but I am going by my childrens standards!


Melissa

[VAisforDisneyLvrs]

I wish I was there right now. AK that is, not school. :lmao: Wouldn't a nice sunny safari beat this brutally cold weather! :rolleyes:


I love AK! Your safari pictures were great-and I love, love, love the gorillas. When I went in January we had a lot of action with the gorillas, but when I went in October we didn't see any! I was very disappointed.

While a nice sunny safari would be awesome right now, it is only 39 degrees in Orlando!

Your daughter is just too stinkin' cute! I just want to pinch her cheeks-especially in that picture of her with your husband and his hat. :laughing:

[stace208]

You got some really fantastic safari pictures!:thumbsup2

I bought myself a new camera for Christmas with vibration reduction in the lens so I am hoping my pics will improve...we'll see:rolleyes:

I'm glad the cockroach didn't turn out to be something in your room or in a restaurant...that had me worried!:scared1:

I'm with MeMom-counting the days until spring break!:yay: 3 months from today I will be at the Magic Kingdom :banana: Along with a billion of my closest friends! LOL!:lmao:

[Lady Lallie]

Those are wonderful safari pictures. You would make a lovely safari CM! :rotfl2:

Your description of the hat made me laugh. That is something that my husband would wear too!

[pmama]

What clean, sharp pictures. You must have a good camera.:goodvibes

[ladybugmom]

Another fan of your fabulous safari pictures!! I LOVE photography as well! I took around 3,000 pictures during our May trip and that was with ALL of the rain--I'm sure I would have taken a TON more if the weather had been better! What kind of camera do you have? I have a Canon Rebel! :goodvibes

[Charleston Princess]

I had no idea that there were kangeroos at Animal Kingdom!!! Now I will have to keep a lookout for them!

You got great pictures on the safari -- love the one with the giraffe!!! :lovestruc

[praisehisname]

But hey, I know you were thinking those cockroaches were going to show up in our room or on our plate, so I'll take them in a plastic display box with a smile! :laughing:

I was worried, and am so glad it wasn't in your room! :scared1:


I hope this rhino will forgive me for posting such an unflattering picture of her on the internet. :laughing:

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%202/IMG_0887.jpg

:rotfl2: :lmao:

[Lovemy3babes]

By all means, come join the party!! I'm thrilled to have more readers. Thank you for your nice comments. Another update is coming right up! You should do a TR if you have time. I am really enjoying reliving my trip and talking with other Dissers.

Ok, I started. Will you please come check it out?
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2364396

I'd love more readers! :goodvibes

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I am in and all caught up on your TR! I feel your pain about flying, I have a specific medication regimin to get myself thru a flight. POP is such a fun resort to stay at, my boys both love it. I am going to look into that Pirates and Pals cruise for my Feb trip, what fun. Thank you so much for not showing a pic of the cockroach!! I cannot stand to even see a picture of one:scared1:. I would guess the souviner is ruined in less than 10 minutes, but I am going by my childrens standards!


Melissa

:welcome: So glad to have you with us! I may need medication to get me through flying again. I should have taken some this time!

We loved Pop and will surely stay there again. The best part to me was that we could pay for a standard room and still stay in the 60's building which is right there by the food court/buses. You can't do that at the All-Stars.

I would SOOOOO recommend the P&P cruise!

The souvie lasted just a little longer than that, but not much! But this time it actually wasn't my DD's fault!

I love AK! Your safari pictures were great-and I love, love, love the gorillas. When I went in January we had a lot of action with the gorillas, but when I went in October we didn't see any! I was very disappointed.

While a nice sunny safari would be awesome right now, it is only 39 degrees in Orlando!

Your daughter is just too stinkin' cute! I just want to pinch her cheeks-especially in that picture of her with your husband and his hat. :laughing:






Animals are funny for sure. You can go one time and they all seem to be active and other times you wonder if there really are any animals in there!

39 in Orlando!!!!!!!!!!!!! :scared1: Oh goodness! That is crazy. I haven't seen the national forecast so I had no idea they were getting it too. Maybe I should be daydreaming about a Disney cruise instead!:lmao:

Aww, thank you about my DD. She got those cheeks from me. It was cute when I was 5, just not so much now!:lmao: And yes, my DH is a nut!

You got some really fantastic safari pictures!:thumbsup2

I bought myself a new camera for Christmas with vibration reduction in the lens so I am hoping my pics will improve...we'll see:rolleyes:

I'm glad the cockroach didn't turn out to be something in your room or in a restaurant...that had me worried!:scared1:

I'm with MeMom-counting the days until spring break!:yay: 3 months from today I will be at the Magic Kingdom :banana: Along with a billion of my closest friends! LOL!:lmao:

This was a new camera for me too. Overall, I was happy with it. There are just some things that won't turn out no matter how good the camera is. That still frustrates me.

I'm very glad that those were the only cockroaches on this trip too!;)

Oh, I wish I was going back in 3 months! Even if it's crowded, it's still Disney. I'd rather be there in a crowd, than here in the peace and quiet!:)

Those are wonderful safari pictures. You would make a lovely safari CM! :rotfl2:

Your description of the hat made me laugh. That is something that my husband would wear too!

Wouldn't that be a great job! I'd love to drive the safari jeep all day. Can you just imagine all the things those drivers see.

He bought that hat after watching the Indiana Jones show last year at HS. He said it was because it was hot, but the sun wasn't even out that day!:lmao: He is still 10 years old in his mind sometimes!:laughing:

What clean, sharp pictures. You must have a good camera.:goodvibes

I got a new camera a few months before the trip. So far I am very happy with it. It has a lot of nice features. I love photography, so I usually keep a nice camera and upgrade every 2 or 3 years. I took a tiny camera with me this time thinking I would use it because it was easy to carry, but the pictures just weren't good enough so I lugged the big around after all.:rolleyes:

Another fan of your fabulous safari pictures!! I LOVE photography as well! I took around 3,000 pictures during our May trip and that was with ALL of the rain--I'm sure I would have taken a TON more if the weather had been better! What kind of camera do you have? I have a Canon Rebel! :goodvibes

I took about that many last year. Then when the PP pictures were added, I had about 4,000! I just love it though. I like to scrapbook and I think that makes me take a lot more pictures than the average person. I just want to remember everything and pictures are the best way to do that.

I have a Cannon Power Shot SX10 is. It is a point and shoot with a lot of features that you would find on an SLR. It has a 20X zoom that I am just nuts over. My last camera was a 10X and the difference is just awesome!

I had no idea that there were kangeroos at Animal Kingdom!!! Now I will have to keep a lookout for them!

You got great pictures on the safari -- love the one with the giraffe!!! :lovestruc

They were in the Discovery Island area when you first come in the park. I loved seeing them. That is an animal that you don't find at most zoos.

I love the giraffes too. They are so sweet looking. I wish that one would have come up to our jeep like I have seen in other reports.

I was worried, and am so glad it wasn't in your room! :scared1:




:rotfl2: :lmao:

ME TOO!! Our room was very clean! No bugs of any kind!

Ok, I started. Will you please come check it out?
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2364396

I'd love more readers! :goodvibes

Absolutely! I'm heading over there now!

[MeMom]

I'm with MeMom-counting the days until spring break!:yay: 3 months from today I will be at the Magic Kingdom :banana: Along with a billion of my closest friends! LOL!:lmao:


Aaaah! That hurts.
Three months from now,
I will be on spring break
at home
hoping my credit card looks better
than what it does right now.
:upsidedow

At least at that point we'll be halfway to the summer trip.

Take lots and lots of pictures for me.

[DisneyJo]

Your safari photos really are fantastic, we all know how bumpy the jeep is and that it never stops so you did a fabulous job :thumbsup2

I love your hubbies hat, he really fitted in :goodvibes

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Your safari photos really are fantastic, we all know how bumpy the jeep is and that it never stops so you did a fabulous job :thumbsup2

I love your hubbies hat, he really fitted in :goodvibes

:lmao:Well, I can't take credit for that little monologue!:rotfl: I went back and looked at my video and I quoted the CM exactly!:rotfl2:

Yes, I will say that my DH did fit in. I'm just not sure if that was a good thing or not.:rotfl:

[Jaci]

Fun report...we are from NC too. Last time and this next trip we are taking the train. We've flown and driven. I'd prefer to fly. Just because you get the vacation started sooner! :) Can't wait to read more!

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Fun report...we are from NC too. Last time and this next trip we are taking the train. We've flown and driven. I'd prefer to fly. Just because you get the vacation started sooner! :) Can't wait to read more!

:welcome: fellow North Carolinian! :) So how was the train? From where we live, it would have been 15 hours!!!! That's five hours LONGER than driving it. I just couldn't believe it. We just didn't think we could handle sitting there for that long without stops. Maybe we should give it a try, but it really seems like it would be a VERY long ride. You must not have thought it was too bad since you are doing it again. I'd love to know your opinion on it.

[Jaci]

We took the train from Raleigh. It really wasn't a bad trip. It's overnight. We didn't have to stop to eat or potty. You could get up and walk around. The sleeping wasn't that great, but the kids enjoyed it. Hubby and I could read, watch a movie, etc... We didn't have to worry about traffic. For the four of us, it cost slightly less than the gas would have for my jeep. My girls loved it.


Definately worth a try, just for the expirence. Just don't park your car at the station (at least in Raleigh), it's not in a very good part of town.

[stace208]

Aaaah! That hurts.
Three months from now,
I will be on spring break
at home
hoping my credit card looks better
than what it does right now.
:upsidedow

At least at that point we'll be halfway to the summer trip.

Take lots and lots of pictures for me.

Awww, MeMom, I'm sorry:hug: I'll take bunches of pictures for you! Trust me, if it wasn't for cheap airfare and bonus DVC points from our contract I wouldn't be going either!

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

We took the train from Raleigh. It really wasn't a bad trip. It's overnight. We didn't have to stop to eat or potty. You could get up and walk around. The sleeping wasn't that great, but the kids enjoyed it. Hubby and I could read, watch a movie, etc... We didn't have to worry about traffic. For the four of us, it cost slightly less than the gas would have for my jeep. My girls loved it.


Definately worth a try, just for the expirence. Just don't park your car at the station (at least in Raleigh), it's not in a very good part of town.

Thanks for the info. We may consider it next time. I'd rather be on a train for 15 hours than a plane for 1 hour and 1/2. It's DH that doesn't want to do the train.:rolleyes:

[MaryAz]

2 great updates-I was behind... The pirates cruise looked really fun. And to have your daughter picked to lead everyone-like you said-priceless. My hubby bought me the WIshes CD for Christmas. I still cry every time I hear it.
Your safari pics were really great. And there is one on the trail with the light flowing down (from Heaven) that was stunning. Glad you got to see so many more animals. My hubby has a hat just like that!!

[dvc4life]

I am truly enjoying your report. You are doing an excellent job!

All I have to say is "Girl you go ahead and blubber any time you want. I know I do!" In fact I was tearing up at your post about the pirate cruise, Captain Hook, fireworks, and how special your little girl was getting treated. Such a special thing. And I always tear up at Wishes. So you just go ahead and cry a little. We all do it! ;) :rotfl2:

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

2 great updates-I was behind... The pirates cruise looked really fun. And to have your daughter picked to lead everyone-like you said-priceless. My hubby bought me the WIshes CD for Christmas. I still cry every time I hear it.
Your safari pics were really great. And there is one on the trail with the light flowing down (from Heaven) that was stunning. Glad you got to see so many more animals. My hubby has a hat just like that!!

It was priceless! I think I will tear up every time I hear the music to Wishes from now on. What a nice thing for your DH to buy you for Christmas. Very thoughtful!!

I love that waterfall picture too. I love waterfalls anyway, but combine that with Disney and it is heavenly!:cloud9:

I am truly enjoying your report. You are doing an excellent job!

All I have to say is "Girl you go ahead and blubber any time you want. I know I do!" In fact I was tearing up at your post about the pirate cruise, Captain Hook, fireworks, and how special your little girl was getting treated. Such a special thing. And I always tear up at Wishes. So you just go ahead and cry a little. We all do it! ;) :rotfl2:

:rotfl: :lmao: Thank you so much. I am glad you are enjoying it. I am having a great time myself! And a few tears did trickle down. I just couldn't help it. I am just glad that it was so dark so I could pull myself together before we got back to CR. I'm sure I wasn't the only one blubbering on the boat though. It was such a beautiful thing that I am sure there were others!

[If U Had Wings]

Your safari pics are beautiful. Mine always end up a blurry mess. I say I'm just going to give up, but I keep trying anyways.

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

We left off with DD wanting to spend some of her souvenir money. Amazingly, it wasn’t a trinket or some piece of junk that she had her heart set on buying. She wanted to get her face painted instead. I was thrilled!!! :banana: That was one thing I wouldn’t have to pick up constantly in her room! These were her choices:

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%202/IMG_0919.jpg

DD is quite prissy, so she chose the very girly looking unicorn. :cutie:

And her beautiful transformation begins............ :wizard:

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%202/IMG_0917.jpg

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%202/IMG_0922.jpg

DD just kept staring at herself in the mirror. I think she was in shock at first! :eek:

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%202/IMG_0923.jpg

The CM did a fantastic job. She was from Kenya, which I thought was so cool. What an amazing journey that must have been for her!

I love this picture!

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%202/IMG_0925.jpg

It was still pretty early, so we decided to head on to Asia and ride EE. On the way, we ran into a few jungle friends.

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%202/IMG_0929.jpg

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%202/IMG_0931.jpg

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%202/IMG_0934.jpg

DH decided to go ahead and get fast passes while we were meeting Baloo, King Louie, and Terk. He made it back just as we were finishing up. He said it was only a 10 minute wait, but he got the fast passes anyway. Since crowds were so low and we now had the FPs, we changed our plans and went for an early lunch before going on to Asia. popcorn::

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%202/IMG_0936.jpg

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%202/IMG_0937.jpg

I had read so many positive reviews here on the Dis about Flame Tree BBQ that I really wanted to try it. It was 11:00 and we were first in line when they opened. DH and I both got the ribs and DD got the kids BBQ chicken meal.

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%202/IMG_0938.jpg

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%202/IMG_0940.jpg

We were kind of disappointed. :guilty: The ribs were very tough. I’m talking shoe leather tough. The flavor was good, but they were almost inedible. The beans were not so great either. DD’s chicken was good though, and the BBQ sauce was tasty. Our desserts were just ok. The seating area is very shady and peaceful (other than the man-eating birds!). Maybe it was just an off day, but I don’t think we would eat there again. :confused:

We stopped to watch these guys for a few minutes. They were called the Village Beatniks and they were jammin’! :rockband:

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%202/IMG_0941.jpg

Before heading to EE, we decided to check out Dinoland because we never even walked through there last year.

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%202/IMG_0942.jpg

DD loves Dumbo so we hopped in line for Tricera Top Spin since it is so similar. She loves these rides because she gets to steer them.

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%202/IMG_0948.jpg

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%202/IMG_0950.jpg

Continued in next post.............

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Now here is where this day’s drama began. :sad2: Remember my trivia question from the last post............ “How long does it take a $15 Disney souvenir to get ruined?” Well, about a hour and a half by my calculations! As we strolled around Dinoland, DH saw the Dinosaur ride off to the left. Before he could even get the words out of his mouth, I said, “We are not riding that.” I explained that I had read on the Dis that it is really scary and I know it will terrify DD. :scared1: But of’course, he cannot leave well enough alone and he tries to convince DD that she can handle it. I kept telling him that it was going to scare her to death and I didn’t want her to ride it. Well, he knows EVERYTHING, and tells DD that he will buy her some ice cream if she rides it. :headache: WHAT!!!??? Well then she is determined to ride it and nothing I say will deter her. I told her over and over that it was going to be dark and loud, but she could only think about that stupid ice cream! (And now that I think about it, DD totally got shafted! :idea: We had the dining plan FOR FREE, so she could have gotten all the ice cream that she wanted anyway! What a rip off! :sad2:)

Anyway, I digress. So as we are walking through the queue (there was no line, so that should have been a sign!!), DH says, “It can’t be so bad, it’s Disney.” At this point, I am done. I’m not even going to try to convince Einstein here that he is wrong.

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%202/IMG_0947.jpg

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%202/IMG_0944.jpg

There were children crying hysterically getting off the ride when we were loading. :sad: I just gave DH the look and he knew right then that he would never live this one down. It only took about 10 seconds on this ride before he was choking on his words. You know the ones.............. “It can’t be so bad, it’s Disney.”

I know there must be people out there who enjoy this ride, but I have to tell you............ DD and I are NOT on that list! I think our ride photo really says it all.

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%202/IMG_0945.jpg

Ya see the family on the back row with the mother praying to God, the daughter near death, and the father begging for forgiveness? Yeah, that's us! :rotfl:

Never in my life have I experienced anything like that. I was even terrified. :faint: Maybe I am a total weenie, but I will never ride that again. Just look at my poor baby. She was scarred for life by that ride. Ok, maybe not for life, but definitely for the rest of the day!

So what does all this have to do with her souvenir? See for yourself! :eek:

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%202/IMG_0955.jpg

That was one hard earned ice cream bar!

I cleaned her face up the best I could with hand wipes. She wanted me to salvage as much of it as possible. I tried, but it was a lost cause. But now we know that the face paint isn’t tear proof!

DD had had enough of Dinosaurs, so we finally headed for EE.

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%202/IMG_0951.jpg

Well, DD got her revenge! She refused to ride EE! :laughing: HA! That was too funny to me because that is DH’s favorite ride and he had been looking forward to it all day. DD loved it last year, but no way was she going to be eaten by a Yeti just 10 minutes after narrowly escaping the jaws of a T-Rex! :chewy: Serves him right for bribing my baby with a cheap thrill and then tormenting her! :lmao:

I did actually offer to wait with DD while he rode EE, but he didn’t want to ride it without us. So we gave our fast passes to a very thankful family of three that we saw heading for the stand-by line. :dance3:

Firsts tally: 20 (face painting, meeting Baloo, King Louie, Terk, Flame Tree BBQ, Village Beatniks, Dinoland, Tricera Top Spin, & Dinosaur)

Up Next: Can we salvage this day, or was the trauma too much for DD to bear?

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Your safari pics are beautiful. Mine always end up a blurry mess. I say I'm just going to give up, but I keep trying anyways.

Well thank you. You should keep trying. Try different settings and maybe you will find one that will work better for you. It really is a challenge though. Almost all of my pictures last year were terrible!

[Stasieki]

My DH did the same thing when we went to Animal Kindgom (I think Wed). She is not even 4 yet. I didn't go on since I am pregnant, but had ridden it before and knew about it. I still hear about it to this day from her. Poor thing rode that and Splash Mtn, but still hasn't ridden Barnstormer.

[DisneyJo]

Your DD's face painiting was gorgeous, so sorry about it being ruined on Dinosaur and I hope your DH knows to listen to you now :rotfl:

[Lovemy3babes]

Awww!!! Your poor little girl. We love Dinosaur but I can definitely see that it could be very scary. She definitely deserved that ice cream and much more!! Now, I was terrified on EE. The backwards part is what really got me! Eek. Her face painting turned out really well though. She's such a cutie with those freckles. :)

[Charleston Princess]

DD's face painting came out great!!! So pretty! But poor DD and you having to ride Dinosaur when you didn't want to. :( We are actually Dinosaur junkies at our house -- all four of us love the ride, but I can see where it could be terrifying. DD did earn her ice cream that's for sure!

[If U Had Wings]

I feel so bad for your poor DD. The face paint was so beautiful!

[Jenvenza]

Poor little girl!! I bet your DH heard about that one for a while!!!

A funny thing happened to us the other day - my DD is only 2.5, so not big enough to ride a lot of rides, but she LOVES to watch videos and see pictures of them. So the other day we were going to watch something on Dinosaur. I told her she was too little to ride it yet and it was kind of scary anyway. Then my 2 yo looks at me and says in a matter of fact voice - "It isn't REAL, Mommy!!"

I about fell out of my chair! :lmao:

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

My DH did the same thing when we went to Animal Kindgom (I think Wed). She is not even 4 yet. I didn't go on since I am pregnant, but had ridden it before and knew about it. I still hear about it to this day from her. Poor thing rode that and Splash Mtn, but still hasn't ridden Barnstormer.

What is it with men? They just don't get it. My DD reminds DH about it quite often too!:lmao: We can laugh about it now, but it wasn't so funny then.

Your DD's face painiting was gorgeous, so sorry about it being ruined on Dinosaur and I hope your DH knows to listen to you now :rotfl:

The CMs that do the face painting are so talented!

DH will never listen to me. He is too stubborn!:rolleyes1 I love him, but he always thinks he knows better!:confused3

Awww!!! Your poor little girl. We love Dinosaur but I can definitely see that it could be very scary. She definitely deserved that ice cream and much more!! Now, I was terrified on EE. The backwards part is what really got me! Eek. Her face painting turned out really well though. She's such a cutie with those freckles. :)

I am just NOT a thrill ride person. I do it for DD and DH. I don't want them to think they have to lug around a stick in the mud everywhere, but I don't like it. I rode EE last year and that was intense for me too but Dinosaur was over the top! I really like Peter Pan and Mickey's Phillharmagic!:lmao: :lmao:

The face painters were awesome!

DD's face painting came out great!!! So pretty! But poor DD and you having to ride Dinosaur when you didn't want to. :( We are actually Dinosaur junkies at our house -- all four of us love the ride, but I can see where it could be terrifying. DD did earn her ice cream that's for sure!

Well, you go girl! :rotfl: You must be a tough cookie! There is NOTHING fearless about me though............ remember I have the Marlin mentality! And I felt like it was going to sling me out of the seat. I was holding on for dear life! Everyone asks DD, "So, did you have a good time at Disney?" and she always replies, "Yes, except my Daddy tricked me into riding Dinosaur!" :lmao::lmao::lmao:

I feel so bad for your poor DD. The face paint was so beautiful!

Wasn't she pitiful. DH had some major making up to do with her! She suckered him out of a $25 book in the gift shop afterwards! He would have never agreed to that unless he was riddled with guilt!:rotfl:

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Poor little girl!! I bet your DH heard about that one for a while!!!

A funny thing happened to us the other day - my DD is only 2.5, so not big enough to ride a lot of rides, but she LOVES to watch videos and see pictures of them. So the other day we were going to watch something on Dinosaur. I told her she was too little to ride it yet and it was kind of scary anyway. Then my 2 yo looks at me and says in a matter of fact voice - "It isn't REAL, Mommy!!"

I about fell out of my chair! :lmao:

:lmao: Aren't little ones a hoot! It's so funny that you say that because that is the same thing that my DD was telling me as we were walking through the line. My how things changed after the ride started!!!! :scared1:

Your little girl is such a cutie!:cutie:

[Mndisneygirl]

Oh my gosh - you and your poor DD! The face painting was so beautiful too!
Your DH should have felt guilty! Men really need to listen to their wives!!!

[donnajean17]

Joining on board! Enjoying your report so far!

It's sad that your DD face got ruined, but look at the positive, you still have one less thing to clean up in her room!

Can't wait to hear more!

[MeMom]

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%202/IMG_0923.jpg


I like this picture. I think it shows the bewilderment in your daughter's mind that that was really her in that mirror!

Nice that you gave 'props' to the wonderful cast member who decorated her up. :thumbsup2

We are Dinosaur fans here, too, but I do see why some people would be scared. I'd probably laugh at you praying if we were riding together, though. :laughing: Brooklynn has wanted to ride it, but hasn't yet. We want to make sure she is tall enough the next time, since she was so disappointed at not making the mark last time we tried. She may come out looking like your daughter. She thinks she wants to ride it, but ten seconds into it, she may change her mind. :eek:

[ladybugmom]

LOVE the face paint!! Sooo pretty!! :lovestruc Poor thing, though! I'm sorry that ya'll didn't enjoy Dinosaur. My DH took my oldest DD (who was 4 at the time) on that ride in May! I was sooo nervous the entire time I was waiting on them! But when they came out she had this huge smile on her face--she had LOVED it!! I was shocked!

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Oh my gosh - you and your poor DD! The face painting was so beautiful too!
Your DH should have felt guilty! Men really need to listen to their wives!!!

It was really pretty. I am so glad that I took a picture as soon as the CM was done.

I am certain that he felt very guilty. He would never admit it, but it was obvious! Yes, why is it that men don't listen to their wives????? :confused: Oh Shocker......... are you out there? I think you are my only male reader. Maybe you can enlighten us.:rotfl:

Joining on board! Enjoying your report so far!

It's sad that your DD face got ruined, but look at the positive, you still have one less thing to clean up in her room!

Can't wait to hear more!

Yes that's true, but it would have been nice if it would have lasted a little longer for $15! And she wanted to do it all over again after it got messed up. I should have made DH pay for her to get it done over!

I like this picture. I think it shows the bewilderment in your daughter's mind that that was really her in that mirror!

Nice that you gave 'props' to the wonderful cast member who decorated her up. :thumbsup2

We are Dinosaur fans here, too, but I do see why some people would be scared. I'd probably laugh at you praying if we were riding together, though. :laughing: Brooklynn has wanted to ride it, but hasn't yet. We want to make sure she is tall enough the next time, since she was so disappointed at not making the mark last time we tried. She may come out looking like your daughter. She thinks she wants to ride it, but ten seconds into it, she may change her mind. :eek:

Wow! I just cannot believe how many of you Dissers like Dinosaur. You all are making me feel like a BIG chicken!:lmao: I honestly could not look at it. I starred at my feet the whole time!:rotfl: And I really was praying! :rotfl2: Man I really need to toughen up!

I don't know Brooklyn personally, but I think it might scare her just because she is very young and a girl. My neighbors little boy went on it when he was five and it didn't bother him one bit. But I guess each child is different. From my experience, I would say ride it last so she won't be scared to ride other stuff afterwards. Now that I think about it though.......... after that picture of her on Barnstormer, I think she would be just like my DD. :rotfl2:

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

LOVE the face paint!! Sooo pretty!! :lovestruc Poor thing, though! I'm sorry that ya'll didn't enjoy Dinosaur. My DH took my oldest DD (who was 4 at the time) on that ride in May! I was sooo nervous the entire time I was waiting on them! But when they came out she had this huge smile on her face--she had LOVED it!! I was shocked!

I'm shocked too. That's amazing. She is one tough little girl! That's bad when a 4 year old is braver than I am!:rotfl2: Boy, I am way more of a chicken than I thought I was! :rolleyes: Maybe my TR title should have been "Why does a ride chicken go to Disney World?" :)

[disneybarbie]

Subscribing! popcorn::

Just read all 9 pages so far -really enjoying it, the Pirates cruise looks so much fun! pirate:

Emma princess: x

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Subscribing! popcorn::

Just read all 9 pages so far -really enjoying it, the Pirates cruise looks so much fun! pirate:

Emma princess: x

:welcome: Glad you are enjoying it. The pirate cruise was fantastic! Thanks for reading along!

[stace208]

That face paint was gorgeous!!! Poor baby that it got messed up! My dd likes that stuff but it always seems to make her itch.

DD and I are with you on Dinosaur. I have never ridden it and probably won't until she wants to give it a try. I imagine that will be a looooong way down the road. Or I hope so anyways...:rolleyes:

[Charleston Princess]

Everyone asks DD, "So, did you have a good time at Disney?" and she always replies, "Yes, except my Daddy tricked me into riding Dinosaur!" :lmao::lmao::lmao:

I have a friend whose girls HATED riding Dinosaur when they went. The rest of the trip, if the girls started misbehaving, Amara would say, "Do we need to go ride Dinosaur?" and they were instantly better behaved. :lmao:

[OhMari]

I was at WDW last year, with those exact same dates. Looking forward to reading how the weather was this year.

[MaryAz]

Beautiful face paint. Why do Dh's not listen? Avery hated it too. I would not touch it with a ten foot pole. I am also a ride chicken. Though I have braved Space Mount at Disneyland and really liked it.

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

That face paint was gorgeous!!! Poor baby that it got messed up! My dd likes that stuff but it always seems to make her itch.

DD and I are with you on Dinosaur. I have never ridden it and probably won't until she wants to give it a try. I imagine that will be a looooong way down the road. Or I hope so anyways...:rolleyes:

Well, I told DD just to close her eyes if she got scared but that doesn't work. It is so loud and jerky that you have to participate whether you want to or not!:lmao: I would definitely wait until she wants to ride it and not push her to do it. It's not worth the drama.:rotfl:

I have a friend whose girls HATED riding Dinosaur when they went. The rest of the trip, if the girls started misbehaving, Amara would say, "Do we need to go ride Dinosaur?" and they were instantly better behaved. :lmao:

Oh dear!:rotfl2: DD was so upset that I tried not to even mention it anymore for the rest of the trip. If I had said that to her, she probably would have started crying!

I was at WDW last year, with those exact same dates. Looking forward to reading how the weather was this year.

We went the same dates last year too. We loved it so much that we decided to go back for the same dates in 09. The weather was PERFECT this year!! It never rained on us, it was overcast almost everyday, and the temps were about 70-72 all week. It could not have been any better!!

Beautiful face paint. Why do Dh's not listen? Avery hated it too. I would not touch it with a ten foot pole. I am also a ride chicken. Though I have braved Space Mount at Disneyland and really liked it.

I do not know. That is one of those mysteries that we may never have the answer to.:lmao: We saw a show one night on the History channel that said that men have some gene that still exsists in them today that was present in cavemen. It makes them act impulsively sometimes to satisfy their most basic instincts. The scientists called it their "lizard brain!":rotfl: I am NOT KIDDING!!! So every time DH does something rediculous, I always look at him and say, "Focus, Focus, Quit using your lizard brain!":lmao: This was definitley a lizard brain moment!:rotfl2:

[VAisforDisneyLvrs]

Off topic, but did you get any snow last night? We got a dusting-it's half melted already! But, it was enough for a two hour delay at school. I am just about to leave to take Faith and Ruby to school now. (Ruby's lunch is usually at 10:50 and she doesn't have to be at school until 11:05 so I guess she'll be going straight to lunch! :lmao:)

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Off topic, but did you get any snow last night? We got a dusting-it's half melted already! But, it was enough for a two hour delay at school. I am just about to leave to take Faith and Ruby to school now. (Ruby's lunch is usually at 10:50 and she doesn't have to be at school until 11:05 so I guess she'll be going straight to lunch! :lmao:)

We got NOTHING! As usual! :sad2: They always get our hopes up and we end up dissapointed. And it has been so cold here. If its got ot be this cold, I want some snow! ;) I'm sure your daughter won't get a thing done at school today. I know when I taught school, even the mention of snow had the kids spazzed! :teacher:

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Miraculously, DD managed to pull herself together after the Dinosaur debacle so we forged on!;)

The next stop on the trail was Kali River Rapids. We love that ride. :love: Thank goodness we wore our ponchos because the water poured down on us at every turn! It just wasn’t warm enough to walk around wet!

After an exhilarating ride on a raging river, it was finally time to walk the Maharajah Jungle Trek. I was so looking forward to this as it was another attraction that we missed last year. We couldn’t wait to see those gorgeous tigers.

But first, a few monkeys..........

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Oh the temptation! :idea: She decided she didn’t want to get her clothes wet though.

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We loved the bat cage.

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Such a beautiful trail

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What awesome creatures!

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Peek-A-Boo! I see you!

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DD was educating some kids with her guidebook. :laughing:

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We all loved the trails. I think most people really overlook them, but they are jewels and shouldn’t be missed.

Continued in next post.........

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

DD had to throw a penny in the fountain. I bet she wished that she would never have to ride Dinosaur again! :lmao:

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Somehow me missed Rafiki’s Planet Watch earlier that morning so we walked our very tired feet back to Africa. :tiptoe:

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Then we saw Pocahontas standing all by herself. I was giddy because I love Pocahontas! :hyper:

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Rafiki was all alone too. Where was everybody? :confused:

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DD loved the petting zoo area.

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Someone’s hungry! I bet this tasted about like our lunch! :rotfl:

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AK wipes us out every time. We walked ourselves to death this day and DD was pooped! :faint:

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I had one last objective before calling it quits. We never made it to Camp Minnie Mickey last time so I really wanted to head over there and see what characters were out. I was really hoping they would be wearing their Christmas outfits, but they weren’t. :sad1: We timed it perfectly though because the parade started just a few minutes after we made it in. There was almost no one else back there, and we all but had the characters to ourselves. :thumbsup2

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Cont. in next post..............

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Minnie was so cute. :cutie: She came running down to greet DD and took her by the hand to lead her back to the greeting area.

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These two were acting very silly.

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We never waited for any of the characters. If you don’t want to watch the parade, it really is a great time to go to CMM.

The last showing of the Lion King was about to begin. We had to leave the show early last year to make our ADR at Rainforest Cafe so we thought we should take this opportunity to see the entire show. It was a nice break for our feet and just as good as I had remembered. Sorry, but I didn’t take any pictures so that I could just sit back and really enjoy the performance. I took a ton last time anyway.

When the show ended, we headed for the exit. We had a dinner reservation to get to far across the ocean on the exotic continent of Africa! A very unique feast awaited us at.............

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We enjoyed our meal very much. popcorn:: The soups, salads, and appetizers were our favorite items. They also had fantastic desserts. And I finally got to try the famous zebra domes! It was all very tasty and a perfect way to end an Animal Kingdom day. :cloud9:

We took a very quick stroll around AKL. It was just beautiful but we were so exhausted that we just wanted to get back to the room. I really would like to go back there during the day and explore it better.

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So this day ends with full, happy bellies, dog tired feet and no more drama! :woohoo: We slept like babies that night! :littleangel: I had sweet dreams of finally seeing my beautiful MK all decorated for Christmas the next morning! :santa:

Firsts tally: 28 (Maharajah Trail, Rafiki’s Planet Watch, Pocahontas, Camp Minnie Mickey, Brer Bear, Brer Rabbit, visiting AKL, & Boma)

Up Next: A Big First for DD and Another Near Blubbering Moment for Mom! (I'm sensing a pattern here.)

[Charleston Princess]

Your tiger photos are awesome!!!! They just capture the majesty of those beautiful creatures!!! :lovestruc

How adorable that Minnie came running down to get DD! You really saw a lot of characters at Camp Minnie Mickey!!!

We love, love, love Boma! So many good things to eat there!

[stace208]

Yay for an overall fantastic day! Glad to hear your good review of Boma as we are eating there in June. None of us are adventurous eaters so it's a bit different for us!

[ladybugmom]

Sounds like a fabulous day!! :goodvibes WOW--your DD got to meet a ton of characters!! YAY for Pocahontas and Rafiki!! I wonder why they didn't have on their Christmas outfits CMM?! :confused3 I love the pics with Minnie especially!! So tell me about Boma--I'm a pretty picky eater--do they have a good variety of food there? Is is weird food or a mixture? I'm very curious b/c I've heard a lot of people who love it there!! :goodvibes

[Lovemy3babes]

I love those sleeping tigers! What pretty animal photos you were able to get. How fun that Minnie took your daughter's hand. Little special things like that are moments you'll remember forever. :)

[MouseTriper]

Hi...I stumbled upon your TR and am loving it so far! You little one is such a cutie! Shame on your DH for tricking her into riding Dinosaur...LOL. Glad to hear she was not scared for life.

Looking forward to reading more!

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Your tiger photos are awesome!!!! They just capture the majesty of those beautiful creatures!!! :lovestruc

How adorable that Minnie came running down to get DD! You really saw a lot of characters at Camp Minnie Mickey!!!

We love, love, love Boma! So many good things to eat there!

Aww, thank you. I stood there for a long time and watched them so I could get some decent pictures. They are just so beautiful!! I am so glad they were active. Cats tend to be very lazy and I have never seen the lions up moving around. I thought the tigers might be the same way but one of them was on the prowl the whole time we were watching. The others slept the entire time though. I am just always amazed watching such majestic animals as those. It really is an awesome thing because we would never get to see one of those animals if it wasn't for places like Animal Kingdom. Such a fantastic learning experience for kids!

Minnie was great. I love it when you run into CMs that really go out of their way to make things special.

Boma was very good! The food is very unique but we loved it. :thumbsup2

Yay for an overall fantastic day! Glad to hear your good review of Boma as we are eating there in June. None of us are adventurous eaters so it's a bit different for us!

It really was a great day. Even the drama makes for some funny memories after the fact!:lmao: I'll be honest with you on Boma........ you may not like it if you are a picky eater. I am certain that you could find something that you like, but you may not have a large variety of things to eat. It is very unique food. We loved it, but we are not picky and we like to try new things. I would tell anyone to try it at least once though because you might really like it.

Sounds like a fabulous day!! :goodvibes WOW--your DD got to meet a ton of characters!! YAY for Pocahontas and Rafiki!! I wonder why they didn't have on their Christmas outfits CMM?! :confused3 I love the pics with Minnie especially!! So tell me about Boma--I'm a pretty picky eater--do they have a good variety of food there? Is is weird food or a mixture? I'm very curious b/c I've heard a lot of people who love it there!! :goodvibes

Yes, we hit the character jackpot! I think we missed the Chrismtas outfits by a few days!:sad2: But we just didn't want to use another day at AK, so something else for next time! Minnie was fantastic. I love the CMs that love their job! It makes things so special.

I will be VERY honest with you on Boma. We loved it but we are not picky and we like to try new things. If your family is not like that, you may not enjoy it. I thought 75% of the food was very unique and different from anything I had ever eaten before. We liked probably 80% of the food that we tried and we sampled almost everything on the buffet between the two of us. The soups and salads were very good and probably the most "Americanized" food they had. The main dishes were very African though. But it is a large buffet and I am certain that you could find something that you like to fill you up. You just might not get the variety that you want from eating at a buffet if you don't like half of what is offered.

I'm really torn between what to tell you because we really enjoyed it and I think everyone should try it at least once. But then again, for the price of the meal it would be really bad if you didn't like it. Maybe you should check out the menu really well on allears.net and see what you think. Here's the link: http://allears.net/menu/menu_bomadin.htm If the dinner menu sounds too adventurous for you, then try breakfast. I think breakfast is always a "safer" meal when you aren't sure about the cuisine! :thumbsup2

I love those sleeping tigers! What pretty animal photos you were able to get. How fun that Minnie took your daughter's hand. Little special things like that are moments you'll remember forever. :)

Aren't they beautiful! I could have stood there and watched them all day.

Minnie did a wonderful job. I love the CMs that really care about putting that special touch on your experience.

Hi...I stumbled upon your TR and am loving it so far! You little one is such a cutie! Shame on your DH for tricking her into riding Dinosaur...LOL. Glad to hear she was not scared for life.

Looking forward to reading more!

:welcome: So glad you can come join the fun! I am having the best time reliving our trip and chatting with all these other Disney lovers.

Yes, shame on him. He learned his lesson though. He didn't pull that stunt anymore!

[Lady Lallie]

So much to comment on....

The tiger pictures are just beautiful. You got some really good shots.

DD's face paint is gorgeous! I'm so sorry that she was duped on going on Dinosaur. Bad DH. I chuckled when he didn't get to go on EE. Hehehe.

I want to try Boma someday, I've heard such good things about it.

That is a great tip about meeting the characters during the parade, I would have never thought of that!

[dvc4life]

Great update. Your daughter's face paint was so beautiful. Your DH should hang his head about bribing your little girl to go on that ride. He also should have had her face redone since it was ruined by that ride. I have ridden it twice and never, ever, again. That is the one ride that I absolutely hate!

Your photos are amazing. So nice and clear. Thanks for posting so many.

Can't wait for your MK day.

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

So much to comment on....

The tiger pictures are just beautiful. You got some really good shots.

DD's face paint is gorgeous! I'm so sorry that she was duped on going on Dinosaur. Bad DH. I chuckled when he didn't get to go on EE. Hehehe.

I want to try Boma someday, I've heard such good things about it.

That is a great tip about meeting the characters during the parade, I would have never thought of that!

Thank you so much. I wish I had more time to stand there and watch those tigers. They are just amazing. Beauty beyond words.

Yeah, I thought that was pretty good payback for DH. He wanted to ride EE so bad! I was only going to ride it for them b/c I am a ride chicken, so it was fine with me that we missed it. :rotfl2:

We really enjoyed Boma. It is so different from anything else at WDW. We like trying new things and this was very new for us! Their desserts were over the top good! popcorn::

We saw the parade last year so I wanted to focus on doing something new. We just happened to go to CMM while it was going on but it was just perfect. All the characters were walking around looking for someone to meet with. It was great! The crowds were so low this day anyway though. Early November is a fantastic time to go.

Great update. Your daughter's face paint was so beautiful. Your DH should hang his head about bribing your little girl to go on that ride. He also should have had her face redone since it was ruined by that ride. I have ridden it twice and never, ever, again. That is the one ride that I absolutely hate!

Your photos are amazing. So nice and clear. Thanks for posting so many.

Can't wait for your MK day.

I'm totally with you on Dinosaur. Everything else at WDW is so fun or it is just a little scary but nothing terrible. I just thought Dinosaur was terrifiying. I knew none of it was real, but it is sensory overload! DH learned his lesson the hard way that day!

Thank you for your comments about the pictures. :hug: Glad you are enjoying it!

[DisneyJo]

I love the photo of your DD showing the other children her guide book, so cute :goodvibes

Also great photos with all the characters, you found so many your DD must have been thrilled :)

[lmillercrew]

I'm in! Following you over from another thread.
Your trip sounds amazing so far! So many firsts completed and marked off your list.
I can't even ride Dinosaur without peeing my pants! I went on it with DH in 2007 and hid my face after the first 30 seconds. :rotfl:Did your DD have nightmares after that?

[jess20k]

I am loving your trip report, thanks for sharing!I love the pirate cruise report, I had a tear in my eye reading it. It really was a special moment! :wizard:

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I love the photo of your DD showing the other children her guide book, so cute :goodvibes

Also great photos with all the characters, you found so many your DD must have been thrilled :)

She loves to "mother" other children!:rotfl2: I don't think they always appreciate it though!:laughing:

We were thrilled with all the charaters. You can't beat seeing that many at once with no waits!

So is your snow still hanging around? I know your kids are loving it! I can't even imagine how beautiful England would be all covered in snow!!:cloud9:

I'm in! Following you over from another thread.
Your trip sounds amazing so far! So many firsts completed and marked off your list.
I can't even ride Dinosaur without peeing my pants! I went on it with DH in 2007 and hid my face after the first 30 seconds. :rotfl:Did your DD have nightmares after that?

:welcome: So glad to have you along for the ride!

That's what I did. I just looked at my feet the whole time. I just couldn't handle it. I'm glad to hear that I am not the only chicken out there!:lmao: Thankfully, DD did not have any nightmares. I think we were too tired that night for her to dream about anything!:laughing:

I am loving your trip report, thanks for sharing!I love the pirate cruise report, I had a tear in my eye reading it. It really was a special moment! :wizard:

:welcome: Thanks for reading along! The pirate cruise was beyond wonderful. It was a very special night that I will never forget!

[Mndisneygirl]

Wonderful pictures and update! Makes me want to go to AK now!! We missed going on our last trip, but hope to get over there next time! If it is warm enough - Kali RR here I come!!

I was also curious about Boma. I know I would love it - I love all kinds of foods. My DH is more meat and potatoes and Italian. My DDs are typical picky kids, chicken strips, hot dogs and hamburgers are mostly what they eat. Would there be something there for them? Is there some kid menu section on the buffet? It might just have to wait until their palates get more developed and discerning.

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Wonderful pictures and update! Makes me want to go to AK now!! We missed going on our last trip, but hope to get over there next time! If it is warm enough - Kali RR here I come!!

I was also curious about Boma. I know I would love it - I love all kinds of foods. My DH is more meat and potatoes and Italian. My DDs are typical picky kids, chicken strips, hot dogs and hamburgers are mostly what they eat. Would there be something there for them? Is there some kid menu section on the buffet? It might just have to wait until their palates get more developed and discerning.

If I recall correctly, every buffet that we have eaten at had a kid's section with the typical stuff that kids eat. Boma did as well. I really don't remeber what DD ate other than salad and bread. She LOVES salad and will eat that at every buffet we go to. I know she also ate quite a bit of fruit. I don't remember what she ate for a "main course" but they did have a kid's section. The menu link that I put up in an earlier reply said they have spaghetti with meatballs and chicken nuggets. I think you could find enough food to fill them up, but it probably wouldn't be their number one choice for dinner. I had lots of stuff planned for DD, so this was a treat for the adults. She did fine though.

[ladybugmom]

Yes, we hit the character jackpot! I think we missed the Chrismtas outfits by a few days!:sad2: But we just didn't want to use another day at AK, so something else for next time! Minnie was fantastic. I love the CMs that love their job! It makes things so special.

I will be VERY honest with you on Boma. We loved it but we are not picky and we like to try new things. If your family is not like that, you may not enjoy it. I thought 75% of the food was very unique and different from anything I had ever eaten before. We liked probably 80% of the food that we tried and we sampled almost everything on the buffet between the two of us. The soups and salads were very good and probably the most "Americanized" food they had. The main dishes were very African though. But it is a large buffet and I am certain that you could find something that you like to fill you up. You just might not get the variety that you want from eating at a buffet if you don't like half of what is offered.

I'm really torn between what to tell you because we really enjoyed it and I think everyone should try it at least once. But then again, for the price of the meal it would be really bad if you didn't like it. Maybe you should check out the menu really well on allears.net and see what you think. Here's the link: http://allears.net/menu/menu_bomadin.htm If the dinner menu sounds too adventurous for you, then try breakfast. I think breakfast is always a "safer" meal when you aren't sure about the cuisine! :thumbsup2

Thank you so much for sharing about Boma!! I will check out the menu--thanks so much!! :goodvibes

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Thank you so much for sharing about Boma!! I will check out the menu--thanks so much!! :goodvibes

You are very welcome. I don't know if that helped any though.

[BrooklynnsMommy]

Okay so I really thought I had already posted and subscribed over here because I distinctly remember your first post, but apparently not. So now I am all caught up and here for the duration.

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Okay so I really thought I had already posted and subscribed over here because I distinctly remember your first post, but apparently not. So now I am all caught up and here for the duration.

:welcome: again! :lmao: I've done that a few times myself! Don't worry about it. Glad to have you back with us!

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

After a long, tiring day at Animal Kingdom, our crew slept in on this fine Monday morning. This became a pattern from here on out. Last year, I was commando mom, but this time we all were so relaxed and tried to act more like we were on vacation than in boot camp! :laughing: We slumbered around in our room for a while but eventually managed to get presentable and head for our chariot!

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We were filled with anticipation knowing that we were on our way to the Magic Kingdom. We all adore MK and I knew the Christmas decorations would be out in full force by now. :santa: As soon as you enter the Magic Kingdom at Christmastime the sights, sounds and smells transport you to a holiday wonderland. There is nothing that can compare to it. Main street is decorated to the nines, carols fill the air, and everything has extra pixie dust sprinkled on top! :wizard: All of this was just setting the stage for another emotional meltdown moment to come for me. :rolleyes:

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We were all ready to head for the rides, but first, I had a little surprise in store for DD. I know most of you will be shocked by this, but she had never had a real haircut. I know what you are thinking, but yes, she is five and has never had a real haircut! Her hair has always been so thin that I have never taken her to a salon for a styled cut. She just hasn't had enough body in her hair for that yet. I've always just kept the ends trimmed up myself. But, over the last year her hair has really thickened up, so I thought what better moment for her first time in the big chair than now! Welcome to the Main Street Barber Shop!

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She was so thrilled! I mean this made it official to her that she was one of the big girls now! What an exciting experience this was for her, but it was tough on me. As I stood there watching her last little milestone happen before my eyes, I couldn't help but wonder if I had really been putting this off because of her thin hair or because I wasn't ready for the last of these precious moments to occur. It was a bittersweet moment for me. How perfect for it to happen in such a magical place, at the most special time of the year, yet how heart wrenching it is to see your baby grow up so fast, with no way to slow time down. Before I knew it, that darn lump in my throat was back and I was choking back the tears yet again! And the Christmas carols from my childhood playing in the background were not helping me one bit!

The CM clipped the first lock of hair, wrapped it up in a napkin and handed it to me for a keepsake. Then she chose a pair of Mickey ears from her cabinet and placed them on DD's head. I had to take this picture over three times because my eyes were so full of tears that I couldn't tell what was showing in the LCD screen of my camera.

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DD chose to have an "up do" with pink and purple "highlights" and lots of confetti. She loved how it turned out. Here she is proudly posing for me with her certificate in the barber shop window.

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This was a wonderful experience, and I would recommend it to anyone. We did the BBB last year so this was something new and fun. And best of all, it is only $14! What a bargain! :thumbsup2

By this point, I was desperately in need of a distraction to get my mind off of my baby's childhood flashing before my eyes. So we headed down Main Street and took in a little entertainment from the performers.

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They were very talented! I loved the backside of their overalls! I got a few odd looks when I was taking this photo of their rear ends!

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Since we slept in late, we decided to skip breakfast and eat an early lunch. Well by this time, our bellies were talking to us so we took a quick vote on where to eat. It only took us about 5 seconds to decide on.......................................

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Columbia Harbour House!! YUM! popcorn::

We had eaten there last year and DH had been talking about their fish ever since. We all love the food here. It is very good quality and so fresh. DH got the fish fillets and DD and I got the shrimp. SOOOOO GOOD! And do you see that little apple tart thingy..................... HEAVENLY! :cloud9: This place is top notch for counter service!

Continued in next post............

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

As soon as we walked out of CHH, Tiana's Showboat came sailing by on the river. The show looked like fun, but we decided to pass on it for right now because we had a date with some hitchhiking ghosts!

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That ride is always fun!

As we were passing through Liberty Square on our way to lunch, DD saw the fancy umbrellas and thought that would be a good purchase with her souvenir money. So we ordered one with her name and a pink butterfly painted on it, and the CM told us to come back in 30 minutes. So it was now time to go back and pick it up. It really was pretty. They did a great job and DD was very happy with it.

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The umbrella stand was right next to.......................

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I was so glad that we could see this. Last year it was closed because Obama had just been elected and had to be added. WE LOVED IT!!! (ok, DD didn't love it, but we did!) I am such a red-blooded, all-American girl! This attraction is so great. I had chills the whole time we watched it. It made me so proud and thankful for the blessing of living in this great country.

Now it was time to get down to business. There was a land of fantasy calling to us!

First up, we made a little music in 4D at the Philharmagic! :3dglasses I am so in love with this attraction!

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Then we sailed around the world in about 5 minutes or so!

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Then an evil queen fed us a poisoned apple!

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These fine fellows serenaded us as we waited in line. They were VERY good. They played lots of Disney tunes.

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It was now snack time. We got a strawberry shortcake sundae from Ms. Pott's Cupboard. Man was that thing good!!!! DD's huge grin and full cheeks are proof of that.

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Then an adventure with Pooh and friends

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OK, I have established the fact that I am a major ride chicken. Well, Splash Mountain struck the most fear in my heart. I did pretty well on all the coasters last year, but SM just did me in. In fact, I told them both last year that I would never ride it again. I just hate that feeling of leaving my guts at the top of the hill and feeling as though I am plummeting to my death. :scared1: And it is a shame because other than the drops, it is such a cute ride.

Well anyway, DH and DD were ready to ride it. By now it had gotten dark so I had the bright idea of thinking that maybe it wouldn't bother me so bad if I couldn't see the drop coming. HA! Yeah right!

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I kept telling myself that I wasn't going to scream because it doesn't help anyway. Well, that logic flew right out the window along with my stomach as soon as the log tipped over the peak. That's us in the back row. I know the poor people in front of me had permanent hearing loss after riding with me!

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OK, I braved Dinosaur and Splash Mountain. I am SO DONE!!! No more for me!

DD browsed in the SM gift shop.

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Big Thunder Mountain was next. DD and I are crazy about this ride. DH says it isn't thrilling enough. What?!?! :confused:

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We had a perfect day. The weather was fantastic, and crowds were manageable. We went back to Pop and grabbed some dinner from the food court. When we got back to the room, DD had to call her Nanny and Pa and tell them all about our adventures.

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First tally: 31 (Main St. Barber Shop, street performers, Hall of Presidents)

Up Next: No Crowds, No Lines, No Waiting........ Pinch Me, I Must Be Dreaming!

[VAisforDisneyLvrs]

It looks like you had a great day at Magic Kingdom! I haven't ever ridden Splash Mountain. The two times we have been there as a family I have had the excuse that Johanna wasn't tall enough. I think that excuse will be out the window this summer! :sad2: Maybe Jo will be too chicken to ride! I don't know why I am worried about riding it. I have ridden all of the other rides-Space Mountain (which I hate and won't ride again), Tower of Terror (my sister forced me :laughing: but it was okay), Rock and Roller Coaster (my sister forced me on this, too, but I liked it fine), Expedition Everest (sister again-are you sensing a pattern :rotfl:)

I have to tell you this story: I was sharing some of your TR with my two older daughters. I showed them the face paint/Dinosaur fiasco, and my middle daughter, Ruby, said (while shaking her head) "That is just so sad. That is just so sad. It's just SO sad." She really felt bad for your daughter. I thought that was cute.

[Mndisneygirl]

Love the haircut story and the hair do!!! My DD8 got her first haircut before she was a year old! (mostly to cut bangs!)
I couldn't tell, but was your DD just putting up with you taking pictures? She has a sort of look that's not quite the big smile, so I wondered if she was thinking, "enough pictures Mom!" She's so cute!
What a great MK day! We really enjoyed Columbia too - it was our first time trying it.
I love how she called the grandparents! My kids do that too!

[BrooklynnsMommy]

Brooklynn is due for a haircut this summer. It will be her 4th one there. Bella is also going to get her first haircut there this summer!

[MaryAz]

Such great updates! Ah, the first haircut!

[Charleston Princess]

While it was so bittersweet for you to have DD get her first haircut, having it done at the Magic Kingdom is just so cool! Love the ears and the updo! Was getting the confetti and gel out of her hair a pain?

Lots of fun rides and good food during your day! Love all the Christmas decorations! So pretty!

[MeMom]

Cute hair-do. They do not skimp on the colored 'glop', do they? Brooklynn immediately stuck her fingers up in her hair to feel it and got a handful of goo. :laughing:

I very much enjoyed taking a trip through Magic Kingdom this morning before I go and face my Monday school day. We'll have lots to make up for from being out for snow days, but the snow days were still great! :banana:

I've never tried a strawberry shortcake sundae from Mrs. Potts, but it sure sounds good.

The umbrella is very cute.

Hope you got to see the Tiana showboat later. It was a cute show.

[Lady Lallie]

I love the sparkly hair do. I so want one but I think I'd feel like a fool. :rotfl2:

Good for you for braving Splash Mountain. I've been on it once and you can barely see me at all because my face is buried in my Mom's shoulder. I didn't really like it. But I'm like you....I want to go on it because it is a cute ride. I was going to brave it this trip but it's down for refurb. Shucks. ;)

[DisneyJo]

How sweet that your DD got her first haircut in the MK and then to have it all glittery too, very pretty :goodvibes

Sounds as though you got to ride lots of attractions and well done for riding Splash even if it was your last time :rotfl:

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

It looks like you had a great day at Magic Kingdom! I haven't ever ridden Splash Mountain. The two times we have been there as a family I have had the excuse that Johanna wasn't tall enough. I think that excuse will be out the window this summer! :sad2: Maybe Jo will be too chicken to ride! I don't know why I am worried about riding it. I have ridden all of the other rides-Space Mountain (which I hate and won't ride again), Tower of Terror (my sister forced me :laughing: but it was okay), Rock and Roller Coaster (my sister forced me on this, too, but I liked it fine), Expedition Everest (sister again-are you sensing a pattern :rotfl:)

I have to tell you this story: I was sharing some of your TR with my two older daughters. I showed them the face paint/Dinosaur fiasco, and my middle daughter, Ruby, said (while shaking her head) "That is just so sad. That is just so sad. It's just SO sad." She really felt bad for your daughter. I thought that was cute.



You should try SM at least once. Then you will know for yourself if you like it. It is a very cute ride, but that drop KILLS me! The coasters don't really bother me as long as they don't have a drop. That's why I like the ones at Disney.

That is so sweet of your daughter to sympathize with my DD like that!:rotfl2: How funny! She was pitiful, but I am so glad that she bounced back.

Love the haircut story and the hair do!!! My DD8 got her first haircut before she was a year old! (mostly to cut bangs!)
I couldn't tell, but was your DD just putting up with you taking pictures? She has a sort of look that's not quite the big smile, so I wondered if she was thinking, "enough pictures Mom!" She's so cute!
What a great MK day! We really enjoyed Columbia too - it was our first time trying it.
I love how she called the grandparents! My kids do that too!

I know we were VERY late with the haircut thing. I thought the lady at the Barber Shop would look at me like I was crazy when I told her it was her first, but she didn't bat an eye over it.

No, DD doesn't mind the pictures at all. She has had a cmaera in her face since birth so she doesn't really even notice it too much. She didn't smile big much on this trip b/c she has lost 6 teeth in the last year and she is kind of self conscious about it. She either has holes where the teeth have recently fallen out or the permanent teeth are coming back in at different times which makes her teeth all different sizes right now. She doesn't like it at all. She's ready for all the permanent teeth to completley come in. I feel bad for her b/c her baby teeth were so perfect and straight. She deosn't understand that this is just part of growing up.

Brooklynn is due for a haircut this summer. It will be her 4th one there. Bella is also going to get her first haircut there this summer!

Aww, so sweet. Bella doesn't look like she even has much hair yet! My DD was like that too. And Brooklyn's little hair do was what inspired me to wait and have it done at MK. Her do that she got on your last TR was so cute!

Such great updates! Ah, the first haircut!

Yes, better late than never I guess!

While it was so bittersweet for you to have DD get her first haircut, having it done at the Magic Kingdom is just so cool! Love the ears and the updo! Was getting the confetti and gel out of her hair a pain?

Lots of fun rides and good food during your day! Love all the Christmas decorations! So pretty!

It was very special having it done there. No, the gel washed out very easily. Most of the confetti was gone by the end of the day anyway since we were riding BTMRR and stuff like that. I kept some of it though for my scrapbook! But you don't have to get the hair gel. They will do whatever you want. They do boys also and have special stuff to put in their hair as well.

Cute hair-do. They do not skimp on the colored 'glop', do they? Brooklynn immediately stuck her fingers up in her hair to feel it and got a handful of goo. :laughing:

I very much enjoyed taking a trip through Magic Kingdom this morning before I go and face my Monday school day. We'll have lots to make up for from being out for snow days, but the snow days were still great! :banana:

I've never tried a strawberry shortcake sundae from Mrs. Potts, but it sure sounds good.

The umbrella is very cute.

Hope you got to see the Tiana showboat later. It was a cute show.

Yes, they go heavy on the gel! I remember reading that about Brooklyn so I told DD upfront "DO NOT TOUCH IT!" It takes a long time to dry too. It really stayed wet all day. But I really wanted her to do it after seeing Brooklyn in your last TR b/c hers was so cute. Maybe messy, but very cute!

I'm glad you got a little MK fix before heading out to school. That's the worst part about snow days........... you have to make them up!! :sad2:

I should have taken a picture of the sundae. It was the best snack I think we have had at WDW.

We did see the showboat later in the trip. It was a very good show.

I love the sparkly hair do. I so want one but I think I'd feel like a fool. :rotfl2:

Good for you for braving Splash Mountain. I've been on it once and you can barely see me at all because my face is buried in my Mom's shoulder. I didn't really like it. But I'm like you....I want to go on it because it is a cute ride. I was going to brave it this trip but it's down for refurb. Shucks. ;)

You get your hair done if you want to! It's Disney, no one looks like a fool! ;)

I was VERY brave on this trip if I do say so! :) But I won't ride it again. I've done it twice, that is enough. Good for you for trying it one time though! At least you know for yourself how it is. That drop is killer!:scared1:

How sweet that your DD got her first haircut in the MK and then to have it all glittery too, very pretty :goodvibes

Sounds as though you got to ride lots of attractions and well done for riding Splash even if it was your last time :rotfl:

It was a very special place to get a first haircut.

It was for sure my last time on SM. I now know that I am not cut out for SM, Dinosaur or TOT. I've never ridden TOT but I know the drop would kill me so I won't even attempt it. I can handle everything else though so that isn't too bad. I've seen worse ride chickens than me! :rotfl:

[khertz]

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These fine fellows serenaded us as we waited in line. They were VERY good. They played lots of Disney tunes.

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We saw those guys too while waiting in line for Snow White. They were GREAT! They had the whole line singing Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! Even though it wasn't a very long line, it made the wait more fun anyway. They should have performers like that for some of the really long lines! :laughing:

I'm loving your TR so far. Your DD is just too cute!

[DisneyJo]

So is your snow still hanging around? I know your kids are loving it! I can't even imagine how beautiful England would be all covered in snow!!:cloud9: Sorry I just realised I never replied to this, I hit the multi quote button but by the time I'd read your new post I'd forgotten so just quick replied :sad2: I'm sure I need to borrow some of my Grandmothers Alzeimers tablets :rotfl2:
We do still have snow, it is beginning to melt and my DD's are due back at school tomorrow, they've only been back 2 days since Christmas, well actually since December 11th as we went to WDW before Christmas :thumbsup2 The countryside does look gorgeous but we're not equipped for it so it causes so much chaos, it is pretty though :goodvibes

[Lovemy3babes]

What a fun morning in the MK! Your daughter's hair is adorable. I cannot believe it was only $14! That's a bargain compared to the BBB for sure. ;) We have never eaten at CHH, maybe next time. Sure looks good!

[Ellester]

Great report! I love all the pictures, my kids have been over my shoulder oohing and aahing! They loved the face paint and sympathized with her Dinosaur experience.

I'm glad your dd survived Dinosaur. We win the bad parent award though. Against my better judgment I let my dh bring our then 2yo son on Tower of Terror a few years ago (he was only a couple of months from 3, but really, what were we thinking!?!?!). He did NOT enjoy it. He was a good sport though and tried it again right before he turned 5, but still no go. I'll be interested to see if he's willing to try it next trip. Our two older girls are thrill junkies; our son, not so much.

Loved the haircut pix! I may have to consider that for our youngest. If all goes as planned she'll be nearing two on our next trip and may be ready for a haircut by then.

Keep it coming!

[lmillercrew]

Awww! What a great way to get a first haircut!
That's funny that you will ride BTMRR but you won't ride SM. :rotfl: I'm not a big thrill ride person either. In fact, I don't usually ride them at all. The first time DH took me on RRC, I was SO mad at him because it does a loopy loop thing. I LOVE ToT! The way my tummy feels when you drop down just makes me laugh. I will go on RRC now and in fact last time DH and I were there, we went on it 5 times in a row. Just keep going on SM and you might grow to like it. :confused3 ;)

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

We saw those guys too while waiting in line for Snow White. They were GREAT! They had the whole line singing Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! Even though it wasn't a very long line, it made the wait more fun anyway. They should have performers like that for some of the really long lines! :laughing:

I'm loving your TR so far. Your DD is just too cute!

They really were talented. It certainly did make the time pass faster. They do need them on the slow rides like Dumbo and Soarin'!

Glad you are enjoying the TR!

Sorry I just realised I never replied to this, I hit the multi quote button but by the time I'd read your new post I'd forgotten so just quick replied :sad2: I'm sure I need to borrow some of my Grandmothers Alzeimers tablets :rotfl2:
We do still have snow, it is beginning to melt and my DD's are due back at school tomorrow, they've only been back 2 days since Christmas, well actually since December 11th as we went to WDW before Christmas :thumbsup2 The countryside does look gorgeous but we're not equipped for it so it causes so much chaos, it is pretty though :goodvibes

I need those pills to! I always say I have Momnesia b/c my brain is so overloaded all the time!

That is a long time to be out of school! I bet they don't even want to go back!

It is like that here in the South too. We don't get snow often so it causes a lot of problems when we do get it. But it is still fun!

What a fun morning in the MK! Your daughter's hair is adorable. I cannot believe it was only $14! That's a bargain compared to the BBB for sure. ;) We have never eaten at CHH, maybe next time. Sure looks good!

Yes, $14! That is a deal for Disney!

CHH is fantastic. You should try it for sure!

Great report! I love all the pictures, my kids have been over my shoulder oohing and aahing! They loved the face paint and sympathized with her Dinosaur experience.

I'm glad your dd survived Dinosaur. We win the bad parent award though. Against my better judgment I let my dh bring our then 2yo son on Tower of Terror a few years ago (he was only a couple of months from 3, but really, what were we thinking!?!?!). He did NOT enjoy it. He was a good sport though and tried it again right before he turned 5, but still no go. I'll be interested to see if he's willing to try it next trip. Our two older girls are thrill junkies; our son, not so much.

Loved the haircut pix! I may have to consider that for our youngest. If all goes as planned she'll be nearing two on our next trip and may be ready for a haircut by then.

Keep it coming!

Wow, I didn't even realize they would let a 2 year old on TOT. I haven't checked the height requirement for that one b/c we aren't riding it anyway. Good thing kids bounce back easily. And it is good that they don't remember stuff from early on when they are grown!:lmao:

I would save the first haricut for MK if you can. It was really special to have it done there. Something you will never forget! :wizard:

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Awww! What a great way to get a first haircut!
That's funny that you will ride BTMRR but you won't ride SM. :rotfl: I'm not a big thrill ride person either. In fact, I don't usually ride them at all. The first time DH took me on RRC, I was SO mad at him because it does a loopy loop thing. I LOVE ToT! The way my tummy feels when you drop down just makes me laugh. I will go on RRC now and in fact last time DH and I were there, we went on it 5 times in a row. Just keep going on SM and you might grow to like it. :confused3 ;)

Yes, I am an odd individual! :lmao: It really is just the drop that gets me. I can take the speed, loops, whatever, but the straight drop just kills me. That little feeling in your tummy that you mentioned...... I HATE THAT SO BAD!!!! :rotfl: It feels like death to me! :lmao: I really have narrowed my "can't handle it" list to Dinosaur, ToT and Splash Mountain. So that isn't too bad. My DH is like yours, he'll ride anything, so he can take DD and I will browse in the gift shop!;) Good for you for conquering your fears and riding the big rides though. You're right, you never know if you will grow to like something if you never try it.

[ladybugmom]

Oh how precious!! The 1st haircut!! I didn't cut Ally's hair until she was almost 4 b/c it took her sooo long to even get hair!!! :lmao: But I'm planning on getting Claire's hair cut in May when we go since she's not quite old enough to do BBB yet!! :goodvibes

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Oh how precious!! The 1st haircut!! I didn't cut Ally's hair until she was almost 4 b/c it took her sooo long to even get hair!!! :lmao: But I'm planning on getting Claire's hair cut in May when we go since she's not quite old enough to do BBB yet!! :goodvibes

Oh thank goodness! I was starting to wonder if I was the only one who waited so long on the first haircut! That makes me feel better (and more normal :rotfl2:). My DD's hair was the same way. She was almost bald for the longest time and then when she finally got some hair, it was so thin and whispy that you couldn't do anything with it. We had to use the velcro bows for a long time!:rotfl:

I would definitely say do the first haircut there for your little one!:thumbsup2They just make it such a special event. Bring some kleenex though.:rolleyes:

[ladybugmom]

Oh thank goodness! I was starting to wonder if I was the only one who waited so long on the first haircut! That makes me feel better (and more normal :rotfl2:). My DD's hair was the same way. She was almost bald for the longest time and then when she finally got some hair, it was so thin and whispy that you couldn't do anything with it. We had to use the velcro bows for a long time!:rotfl:

I would definitely say do the first haircut there for your little one!:thumbsup2They just make it such a special event. Bring some kleenex though.:rolleyes:

No--you're not the only one!! :goodvibes Ally didn't get hair until well after she was 2! And yes, it was VERY thin when it came in! Now she has a beautiful head of thick, blonde hair!! There might not be a whole lot for them to cut but I'm definitely doing it for Claire!! At least to trim up the ends! I will be sure to pack some kleenex--thanks!! :sad1:

[VAisforDisneyLvrs]

Waiting patiently (sort of) for a new chapter! ;)

[Stasieki]

Great update! I love the barber shop pictures. OH my - you were right beside my friends (but can't see them). While my DD was getting done at BBB, our friends daughter (the one dressed as Sleeping Beauty) had her picture taken with those musicians in that exact spot right when they finished playing. Now, I have to try to post a picture. I can't of our friends DD without her permission, but I will of Abby right when she came out of BBB and into Tink's Treasure to meet our friends when you think you may have seen them.

Do I have to have the picture uploaded to a particular site (Snapfish?) or can I just upload it from my hard drive?

[DisneyCP08]

subscribingpopcorn::

I found your TR while trying to kill some time before class and ended up being late:scared1:. After class I came home and went straight back to the computer to continue readingprincess:. We had a similar experience with my little brother on our 1st trip in 2004. Dad talked him into doing Space Mountain and he was screaming "I want mommy" the entire ride.:scared1:. I am also from NC, I go to school at UNCW. Can't wait to read more:surfweb:

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

No--you're not the only one!! :goodvibes Ally didn't get hair until well after she was 2! And yes, it was VERY thin when it came in! Now she has a beautiful head of thick, blonde hair!! There might not be a whole lot for them to cut but I'm definitely doing it for Claire!! At least to trim up the ends! I will be sure to pack some kleenex--thanks!! :sad1:

Isn't it strange how different kids can be? I see babies born with more hair than my DD had when she was three!:rotfl2:

I hope you will do another TR for your upcoming trip! I'd love to read it.



Waiting patiently (sort of) for a new chapter! ;)



:rotfl:Since you asked so nicely.............;)

Great update! I love the barber shop pictures. OH my - you were right beside my friends (but can't see them). While my DD was getting done at BBB, our friends daughter (the one dressed as Sleeping Beauty) had her picture taken with those musicians in that exact spot right when they finished playing. Now, I have to try to post a picture. I can't of our friends DD without her permission, but I will of Abby right when she came out of BBB and into Tink's Treasure to meet our friends when you think you may have seen them.

Do I have to have the picture uploaded to a particular site (Snapfish?) or can I just upload it from my hard drive?

Post away, I'd love to see it. :thumbsup2 I'm not sure if this was the day I saw them in the store or not. My pictures from TT are later in the week, but I think we went in there another day too.

I always use photobucket. It is free and very easy to use. I don't know of any other way to put pictures on here. You probably can, I just don't know how.

subscribingpopcorn::

I found your TR while trying to kill some time before class and ended up being late:scared1:. After class I came home and went straight back to the computer to continue readingprincess:. We had a similar experience with my little brother on our 1st trip in 2004. Dad talked him into doing Space Mountain and he was screaming "I want mommy" the entire ride.:scared1:. I am also from NC, I go to school at UNCW. Can't wait to read more:surfweb:

:welcome: So sorry I made you late for school! :rotfl:

Not another child torture story! Poor thing! Why do men do that to those poor babies!:rotfl2:

We are BIG Tarheel fans in this house! And Wilmington is such a beautiful place! We are about 2 and 1/2 hours from there. You are so lucky to be going to school at the beach! I'd never go to class if it was me!:rolleyes1

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Once again, this morning started out slow and easy. These two handsome fellas greeted us each day as we headed out. She looks like an ant standing next to them! :laughing:

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A Memom inspired photo! Notice how it is crooked and half cut off? I had a feeling the people walking by me might think I was nutty for taking a picture of a drink machine, so I never stopped walking as I took the picture. No offense Memom. I really do understand, but sometimes "others" don't get it! :rotfl:

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The decade I was born in..........

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The decade of my childhood............

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And the rest of the decades would have to wait for another day because DH was getting hungry. Keeping him fed is a top priority because when his belly ain't happy, ain't nobody happy! popcorn:::drinking1

We grabbed a bite in the food court, and DD pressed a few pennies in honor of Pop. We're not big into pressed coins, but we like to do one each year that represents our resort. This time we made a Jungle Book penny since we were staying in that building.

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DD bought that stuffed Eeyore in the Splash Mountain gift shop the night before. He tagged along on all our adventures for the next several days!

So, what park would we be visiting today with NO lines, NO crowds, and NO waiting? Betcha can't guess! :hyper:


























Nope, not that one! Guess again!





























Sorry.................wrong answer!

















Ok, I'll tell you. We were spending another glorious day at ..........................

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Are you shocked that MK was the empty park? :eek: I certainly was!

As you can see by the sign, there was a MVMCP tonight. Well, when it comes to my Disney trips, I am very analytical. I check all the calendars for times and special events, I check Touring Plans for "best days" recommendations, and I spend endless hours reading and taking notes on the DIS. Yes, I am one of "those" planners. :rolleyes:

Why do I do all that? Because I am highly allergic to crowds. Seriously. When the hoards move in, I start to hyperventilate, my throat swells shut, sweating begins, I have convulsions , and occasionally break out into a full fledged temper tantrum. :furious: OK, that may be a slight exaggeration, but you get the point.

Well, I had a theory that I just had to test. My hypothesis was that maybe, just maybe, crowds would be lighter on MVMCP days because people who were not attending the party wouldn't want to have to leave the park early. So I planned two MK days back-to-back to test this idea.

The previous day, Monday, had been pretty crowded. It was manageable, but by far the most crowded day of our entire trip. :crowded: Well, my, my, what a difference a day can make! Tuesday, it was like a ghost town! It was such an incredibly awesome day to be at the MK! No offense to everyone who was there on Monday, but I was pretty glad that most of you were, well........................... gone! :lmao:

So, shall we take a stroll down Main Street U.S.A?

OK, you must use all your imaginative senses and fully immerse yourself in the moment in order to get the full effect here.............

Don't those Christmas carols sound wonderful? I believe that is Andy Williams singing White Christmas, isn't it?

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Ooooh, do you smell the cinnamon and vanilla aromas coming from the bakery? They must be baking some of those warm, gooey Christmas cookies.

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Listen! Do you hear the Christmas bells ringing? Look, it's coming from the carolers!

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I bet if you come back with me tonight, that pretty garland and those shop windows will be all aglow with twinkling Christmas lights!

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Wasn't that fun! Makes me ready for Christmas all over again!

Continued in next post..................

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Being filled with the spirit of the season, we head on towards the castle. The Dream Along With Mickey show had just begun. DD LOVED this show last year so we stopped to watch it.

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Some adjustable seating was needed for the shortest one in our group.

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Look it's the same Peter Pan from our cruise!

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And just WHO invited HER to the party? Oh that's right, no one did. She's just a party crasher! pirate:

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And good triumphs over evil yet again! :banana:

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She was sooooo into this show!

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Cont. in next post............

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Goodbye everyone!

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Now didn't I tell you there were NO lines, crowds, or waiting today? Aren't the strollers, scooters, and tourist at a minimum? So what are we waiting for? There are empty rides awaiting us!!! Let's go!

We passed by a queen with a fondness for beheadings on our way to Tomorrowland.

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Our first ride of the day was the Speedway! We never rode this last year. DD was sooooo excited that she got to drive. When the CM handed her a driver's license, she said in the most serious voice, "But I'm not old enough to drive!" :laughing: She laughed hysterically the whole time. What great moment!

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And how long did we wait? Oh yeah............... WE DIDN'T!

Up next was a Buzz Lightyear marathon!

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This was my score. I don't know much about the scoring, but I'm pretty sure this is bad!

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Look, it's Indiana Jones on the Buzz Lightyear ride!

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So what did we ride next? Buzz Lightyear! And after that? Buzz Lightyear! And then what? Yeah, Buzz Lightyear! Why? Because we could! We walked on this ride time and time again until we just didn't want to ride anymore.

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Once we had thoroughly defeated Zurg, it was time for a tour of Tomorrowland on the TTA.

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Cont. in next post.............

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

We also rode the Carousel of Progress for the first time. DH and I really enjoyed it. Again, no waiting. :woohoo:

We watched Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor also. When the show was getting started, they were putting random pictures of people in the audience up on the big screen. We always sit on the very back row to try to avoid being singled out. :cool2: Well, that strategy didn't work this time! DD was sitting in the middle of us and her picture popped up on the screen with the caption, "Sitting between two monsters"! :lmao: We all got a good laugh out of it. DH was just thankful that he wasn't chosen as "that guy"!

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Space Mountain was closed for refurbishment, so the monsters and the one on the middle decided that it was time to leave Tomorrowland for something more "adventurous".

On our way out we could see Santa's elves getting the park ready for the Christmas party. :santa: I wondered if it would start to get crowded as it got closer to 7:00.

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Firsts tally: 34 (More new Street Performers, Tomorrowland Speedway, Carousel of Progress)

Up Next: Can we ride it again, Mama? And a hootin', hollerin' good time at dinner!

[Mndisneygirl]

First - my kids were those babies that had more hair at birth than most do by age 2. All of it was really dark too!

Second - YAY for a second MK day and no crowds!! I will have to go back and figure out your dates. We went on a non party day and it was nice until around noon and it got crowded after that.

Great pictures!! My DD8 got to drive on the speedway (our first time too) and we were cracking up the whole time. Mostly because she was such a BAD driver!! Banging into that rail the whole time!!!

[Charleston Princess]

I think a day at Magic Kingdom with no crowds would be just about perfect!!!

Thanks for the walk down Main Street -- balloons, the smell of vanilla and cinnamon, and the sounds of caroling all add up to a magical walk towards the castle! :goodvibes

[khertz]

Man, nothing beats an empty MK! :thumbsup2 We tried that theory a couple of times while we were there (going on a MVMCP day), and it didn't work. I guess once you get into December, there's no such thing as empty parks! :confused3 But we had fun anyway. Looks like y'all did too! The pics of your dd driving the car are just too cute. Great post!

[VAisforDisneyLvrs]

:rotfl:Since you asked so nicely.............;)




Thank you! We have never ridden the Speedway. It has always seemed to have a long line. :confused3 Loved the picture of your daughter driving, but I especially loved the picture of her on her Daddy's shoulders!

Maleficent is my sister's favorite character-You got a great picture of her!

[MeMom]

A Memom inspired photo! Notice how it is crooked and half cut off? I had a feeling the people walking by me might think I was nutty for taking a picture of a drink machine, so I never stopped walking as I took the picture. No offense Memom. I really do understand, but sometimes "others" don't get it! :rotfl:


I have tears in my eyes as I look at these pictures and miss my home, Pop, and my happiest of happy places, which is all of Disney World! I've seen your pictures and Brook's this morning. Yeah, you guys are reeeeeeally helping me fight off a spring break trip that I can't afford. :rolleyes: Thanks a lot! :upsidedow

I am sure that many people all over the U.S. and various countries have given me strange looks as I have stopped for a picture of a Coke machine or a crack in the sidewalk. I couldn't care less. :laughing: It's their loss that they didn't get that coveted picture of talking corn dog nuggets or a row of stuffed Nemos or a gigantic chocolate, caramel, and peanut covered apple. Yep, their loss. I have those pictures to enjoy forever! :cool2:

I should get a WILL MAKE SUDDEN STOPS FOR PICTURES shirt made. ;)

[If U Had Wings]

I love that you had no crowds. I religiously followed the UG plans my trip, and hit nothing but crowds everywhere. You really had a pixie sprinkled day didn't you? :)

[Mndisneygirl]

I should get a WILL MAKE SUDDEN STOPS FOR PICTURES shirt made. ;)


I'd bet you could sell them to a lot of us!!! I'd buy one!

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

First - my kids were those babies that had more hair at birth than most do by age 2. All of it was really dark too!

Second - YAY for a second MK day and no crowds!! I will have to go back and figure out your dates. We went on a non party day and it was nice until around noon and it got crowded after that.

Great pictures!! My DD8 got to drive on the speedway (our first time too) and we were cracking up the whole time. Mostly because she was such a BAD driver!! Banging into that rail the whole time!!!

I think the parks are more crowded in general after Thanksgiving. The week that we went is light on crowds according to most sources I've read. Maybe that was the difference. But that Monday at MK was even more crowded than the parks had been over the weekend, which was Jersey Week. So that made Tuesday seem empty to us.

That speedway is pretty funny with a little one driving! My DD did pretty good for a five year old, but I know what you mean about banging the rail!:lmao: Really makes you nervous about them turning 16, doesn't it?!:rotfl:

I think a day at Magic Kingdom with no crowds would be just about perfect!!!

Thanks for the walk down Main Street -- balloons, the smell of vanilla and cinnamon, and the sounds of caroling all add up to a magical walk towards the castle! :goodvibes

I can't think of anything more perfect than that either!

You're welcome for the stroll. Too bad it was virtual reality and not true reality!:rotfl:

Man, nothing beats an empty MK! :thumbsup2 We tried that theory a couple of times while we were there (going on a MVMCP day), and it didn't work. I guess once you get into December, there's no such thing as empty parks! :confused3 But we had fun anyway. Looks like y'all did too! The pics of your dd driving the car are just too cute. Great post!

Yeah, I think December is going to be kind of crowded no matter what. That's why we like to go in early November so we can still get all the Christmas cheer without the huge crowds. But I don't know if it was empty because of the party or not. Who knows. There are probably lots of things that factor into crowd levels.

We have a good laugh on the speedway for sure!:thumbsup2


Thank you! We have never ridden the Speedway. It has always seemed to have a long line. :confused3 Loved the picture of your daughter driving, but I especially loved the picture of her on her Daddy's shoulders!

Maleficent is my sister's favorite character-You got a great picture of her!


I think the speedway is more for the little ones. The cars are just way too slow. But it was perfect for DD. She couldn't hardly drive it slow, so I know we would have crashed if it had gone any faster. :rotfl: I don't think adults would like it though.

I love that picture of her on DH's shoulders. So sweet. I don't think he will be able to do that much longer.:sad1:

Maleficent is your sister's favorite?:lmao: That's pretty funny! I can't imagine her having a big fan club!:rotfl2: Just kidding. I know every story has to have a good villian! pirate:

I have tears in my eyes as I look at these pictures and miss my home, Pop, and my happiest of happy places, which is all of Disney World! I've seen your pictures and Brook's this morning. Yeah, you guys are reeeeeeally helping me fight off a spring break trip that I can't afford. :rolleyes: Thanks a lot! :upsidedow

I am sure that many people all over the U.S. and various countries have given me strange looks as I have stopped for a picture of a Coke machine or a crack in the sidewalk. I couldn't care less. :laughing: It's their loss that they didn't get that coveted picture of talking corn dog nuggets or a row of stuffed Nemos or a gigantic chocolate, caramel, and peanut covered apple. Yep, their loss. I have those pictures to enjoy forever! :cool2:

I should get a WILL MAKE SUDDEN STOPS FOR PICTURES shirt made. ;)

I feel for you on the homesickness. But you are still so lucky to get to go often!:cloud9: And what a blessing it is that your grown children enjoy having your company and want you to travel with them. So many kids nowadays move away and just forget their parents for the most part. You really are blessed to be so involved with your kids and grandkids.:lovestruc

And so sorry if I am being an enabler for you on a spring break trip! Believe me, I want one too!!!!!

I am totally with you on the pictures! I take some odd ones too, but I like to remember the little details. My memory is so bad that if I didn't take tons of pictures, I wouldn't remember a thing about my trips in 10 years. So keep snapping away! I love your creative photography! ;)

You absolutely need to make that shirt at the new design your own t-shirt place at DTD! :) Sorry! I just encouraged you spend more money, didn't I? :)

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I love that you had no crowds. I religiously followed the UG plans my trip, and hit nothing but crowds everywhere. You really had a pixie sprinkled day didn't you? :)

Yes we certainly did! pixiedust: You know, as much as I want to believe in Touring Plans and all the other stuff I use, I really think it is just being in the right place at the right time. There doesn't really seem to be a pattern to the crowds. Just when you think you have it figured out, then it gets crowded again and you are back to square one. :rolleyes:

I'd bet you could sell them to a lot of us!!! I'd buy one!

I'd take one too! ;)

[DaisyLynn]

Just found your TR and I'm all caught up! :thumbsup2 You have an adorable family...your DD is such a doll. Can't wait for the next installment!

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Just found your TR and I'm all caught up! :thumbsup2 You have an adorable family...your DD is such a doll. Can't wait for the next installment!


Aw, thank you very much and :welcome: Glad you are enjoying it. Doing a TR is helping me with my Disney withdrawals! We still have 6 1/2 more days of this trip though, so stick around for the rest of the ride!

[DisneyJo]

How fantastic to have MK so empty and to ride everything as many times as you want. We've been in MK when it's been very empty too but it was in the middle of hurricane Faye so not quite so nice :rotfl:

What your DD said on the Indy Cars was so sweet :goodvibes

[praisehisname]

I'm working on getting caught up!


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She looks adorable!


I had read so many positive reviews here on the Dis about Flame Tree BBQ that I really wanted to try it........Maybe it was just an off day, but I don’t think we would eat there again. :confused:

We weren't really that impressed, either. Someday I'd like to give it another try, but there are so many other places to try first!


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Oh no! Poor thing!


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One wrong move, and he'd be rolling off the edge! :rotfl:


Someone’s hungry! I bet this tasted about like our lunch! :rotfl:

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:rotfl2:

Going back to catch up on the rest!

[praisehisname]

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She looks so cute!


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That's a lot of goop! How hard was it to wash out?


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Love it!


By now it had gotten dark so I had the bright idea of thinking that maybe it wouldn't bother me so bad if I couldn't see the drop coming. HA! Yeah right!

:rotfl2: I love it even more when it's dark!


Big Thunder Mountain was next. DD and I are crazy about this ride. DH says it isn't thrilling enough. What?!?! :confused:

I would have to agree with your DH, unless you're riding at night. :rolleyes1

[praisehisname]

The Dream Along With Mickey show had just begun. DD LOVED this show last year so we stopped to watch it.

I loved all your pictures from the show; you got some good ones!

I can't believe how empty MK was! I've never seen the Speedway look so deserted!


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What a beautiful picture!


I should get a WILL MAKE SUDDEN STOPS FOR PICTURES shirt made. ;)

Do it! That would be awesome! :rotfl2:

[Stasieki]

That was a great update. I loved that walk down Main Street. We went to the party that night so didn't go to MK during the day (I used all the touring guides theory to stay away on party nights - boy were they wrong). The rain started promplty at 7:00 PM when the party started:).

I am going to try to post this picture of Abby right after we were in Tink's Treasure on Monday (after those guys sang).

http://i738.photobucket.com/albums/xx30/stasieki/AbbyDisney.jpg

Well, it worked, but sorry so big:). If you saw the little Tiana in Tink Treasure on Monday, it may have been my DD. I still think it is so neat that we were so close even if we didn't see each other.

[Ellester]

Wow, I didn't even realize they would let a 2 year old on TOT. I haven't checked the height requirement for that one b/c we aren't riding it anyway. Good thing kids bounce back easily. And it is good that they don't remember stuff from early on when they are grown!:lmao:

I would save the first haricut for MK if you can. It was really special to have it done there. Something you will never forget! :wizard:

It's 40", we are tall people and he was just at 40" at 2 years and 10 months old when we were there. I'll have to try to hold my DH off with the haircut. He thinks she needs one now! She barely has any hair at all yet!


Yeah, I think December is going to be kind of crowded no matter what. That's why we like to go in early November so we can still get all the Christmas cheer without the huge crowds. But I don't know if it was empty because of the party or not. Who knows. There are probably lots of things that factor into crowd levels.

You have me rethinking our next trip. I was thinking the week AFTER Thanksgiving before the December crowds arrive, but now I'm thinking earlier in November might be better. Hmmm.....


Love all the pictures! They are great! The ones with Minnie with her eyes closed are a little creepy though. It's like she has Hello Kitty eyes or something!

Keep it comin'! :thumbsup2

[BrooklynnsMommy]

It's 40", we are tall people and he was just at 40" at 2 years and 10 months old when we were there.


That sounds just like my oldest daughter. She was able to ride Splash Mountain and Soarin both this summer at 2 years and 11 months. She conquered Test Track in October and wants to add Big Thunder, Dinosaur and Tower of Terror in July when we go back.

[Tiggerrn2]

New to your report, and it is lovely. Thank you for sharing. Looking forward to reading more.

[VAisforDisneyLvrs]

Love all the pictures! They are great! The ones with Minnie with her eyes closed are a little creepy though. It's like she has Hello Kitty eyes or something!


I'm glad you said it! I was thinking the same thing. That picture of Minnie with her weird eyes and Goofy looking, um, half-baked, cracked me up.

[Mndisneygirl]

I'm glad you said it! I was thinking the same thing. That picture of Minnie with her weird eyes and Goofy looking, um, half-baked, cracked me up.







I had to go back and look again, I didn't even notice that! I never knew they could even blink!! Do they all do that? I feel so dumb! It does look odd in that picture!

[VAisforDisneyLvrs]

I had to go back and look again, I didn't even notice that! I never knew they could even blink!! Do they all do that? I feel so dumb! It does look odd in that picture!



I am pretty sure I read somewhere that the characters in that show are the only ones that can blink. I think their mouths move, too.

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

How fantastic to have MK so empty and to ride everything as many times as you want. We've been in MK when it's been very empty too but it was in the middle of hurricane Faye so not quite so nice :rotfl:

What your DD said on the Indy Cars was so sweet :goodvibes

Oh dear! I don't think I would want to be there in a hurricane. I bet you did have the place to yourself though!

Yes, she was so serious about that driver's license!:rotfl2: Kids are so funny!

I'm working on getting caught up!

Boy you were behind!




She looks adorable!

Didn't the CM do an awesome job! So much talent!



We weren't really that impressed, either. Someday I'd like to give it another try, but there are so many other places to try first!

I agree. I have lots of other places I want to try before going back to FTB.



Oh no! Poor thing!

Yes. She still tells people about that incident and it has been 2 months ago!



One wrong move, and he'd be rolling off the edge! :rotfl:

I thought the same thing! But cats are so nimble. He'd probably catch himself before he hit the ground.




:rotfl2:

Going back to catch up on the rest!

She looks so cute!

It was a very precious moment. I'm so glad the CM didn't act like I was nut for having her first hair cut at five!




That's a lot of goop! How hard was it to wash out?

Yes, they pile it on. But it came out really easily. I wouldn't want to deal with it everyday, but it was fun for one day while at MK. It just stays wet a long time so you have to be careful not to smear it.




Love it!

I was pleased with most of her purchases on this trip. I like practical things that can be used and the umbrella is so pretty.



:rotfl2: I love it even more when it's dark!

:scared1: You can have it!




I would have to agree with your DH, unless you're riding at night. :rolleyes1

Wow you are a thrill junkie! I think the TTA is thrilling!:lmao:

I loved all your pictures from the show; you got some good ones!

I can't believe how empty MK was! I've never seen the Speedway look so deserted!

We love that show. It is so cute and has so many characters in it.

Yep, an empty MK is a beautiful thing.




What a beautiful picture!

That castle is gorgeous no matter what, but when you add the Christmas touches, it is just awesome!




Do it! That would be awesome! :rotfl2:

::yes::

That was a great update. I loved that walk down Main Street. We went to the party that night so didn't go to MK during the day (I used all the touring guides theory to stay away on party nights - boy were they wrong). The rain started promplty at 7:00 PM when the party started:).

I am going to try to post this picture of Abby right after we were in Tink's Treasure on Monday (after those guys sang).

http://i738.photobucket.com/albums/xx30/stasieki/AbbyDisney.jpg

Well, it worked, but sorry so big:). If you saw the little Tiana in Tink Treasure on Monday, it may have been my DD. I still think it is so neat that we were so close even if we didn't see each other.

Aww, she is just a doll baby! I love her little dress! I wish my DD would wear them longer but after 10 minutes she says they are itchy. So cute! I don't know if she is the little girl I saw or not, but she is a cutie either way. There is no telling how many times we crossed paths that week!

It must have rained while we were in the HDDR, because we never got wet. That started right at 7:00, so that would be about right. That's too bad that it rained on your party. We never got wet all week. I am so thankful for that!

It's 40", we are tall people and he was just at 40" at 2 years and 10 months old when we were there. I'll have to try to hold my DH off with the haircut. He thinks she needs one now! She barely has any hair at all yet!



You have me rethinking our next trip. I was thinking the week AFTER Thanksgiving before the December crowds arrive, but now I'm thinking earlier in November might be better. Hmmm.....


Love all the pictures! They are great! The ones with Minnie with her eyes closed are a little creepy though. It's like she has Hello Kitty eyes or something!

Keep it comin'! :thumbsup2

My DD is tall like that too. She's been able to ride everything except RNRC at HS.

Yes, wait if you can on the haircut, especially if she doesn't really need one anyway. You will be so glad you did.

Early November is such an awesome time to go. The weather has been fantastic and crowds mostly low. I love it! I want to go back every November. Wait until the second week though. The first week is usually Jersey Week and none of the Christmas stuff is out yet. You won't get to see all the Christmas decos, but probably 75-80% of it will be done. Some of the resort stuff and the Candlelight Processional won't be available. I'm willing to sacrifice that for the benefits of Nov. If you time it right like we did, you can do Food and Wine and the Christmas stuff!

:rotfl2: I do hate it when I catch the characters with their eyes closed!

That sounds just like my oldest daughter. She was able to ride Splash Mountain and Soarin both this summer at 2 years and 11 months. She conquered Test Track in October and wants to add Big Thunder, Dinosaur and Tower of Terror in July when we go back.

She THINKS she wants to ride Dinosaur. I want to see how that one ends!:lmao:

New to your report, and it is lovely. Thank you for sharing. Looking forward to reading more.

Well, thank you and :welcome: I'm glad you are coming along for the ride!

[stace208]

AACK! I got so far behind but I caught up. I am not sure why my principal expects me to be prepared...doesn't he realize it impacts my DIS/Disney time?? Geesh.:confused3

Anywho, after a long and stressful week, THANK YOU for those wonderful pictures! They really brightened my night and now I can have Disney dreams and tomorrow is Friday!:thumbsup2

I can't believe how lucky you were on your MK day!! Even on our two January trips we had more folks than that!

I'm gonna show my DD the pictures of your DD's hair. She did BBB in June so we won't be doing that again but my DS is doing the pirate thing this year (it wasn't open yet when we were there in the summer) so I am going to see if she'd be interested in that. At $14 it's a real bargain! Your DD is just as cute as a button!!

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I had to go back and look again, I didn't even notice that! I never knew they could even blink!! Do they all do that? I feel so dumb! It does look odd in that picture!

I looked at that picture for a while and thought about leaving it out but I thought it was too funny to omit! I have taken lots of pictures with closed eyes! Not sure if they all do it, but some do.



I am pretty sure I read somewhere that the characters in that show are the only ones that can blink. I think their mouths move, too.

Maybe so. I'm not sure on that. I know I have taken several pictures where I caught their eyes closed and it is creepy!:rotfl2:

I'm glad you said it! I was thinking the same thing. That picture of Minnie with her weird eyes and Goofy looking, um, half-baked, cracked me up.






That's why I kept it. I almost deleted it but it was too funny to get rid of. I wonder how they make it blink!:lmao:

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

AACK! I got so far behind but I caught up. I am not sure why my principal expects me to be prepared...doesn't he realize it impacts my DIS/Disney time?? Geesh.:confused3

Anywho, after a long and stressful week, THANK YOU for those wonderful pictures! They really brightened my night and now I can have Disney dreams and tomorrow is Friday!:thumbsup2

I can't believe how lucky you were on your MK day!! Even on our two January trips we had more folks than that!

I'm gonna show my DD the pictures of your DD's hair. She did BBB in June so we won't be doing that again but my DS is doing the pirate thing this year (it wasn't open yet when we were there in the summer) so I am going to see if she'd be interested in that. At $14 it's a real bargain! Your DD is just as cute as a button!!

Yes, I often wonder why real life has to get in the way of my Disney time!:rotfl2:

:cool1::banana::woohoo::yay::cheer2: Hooray for Friday!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, it was unreal to be at the MK like that. I just kept thinking that this just can't be real. I think we just hit it on the right day and got really lucky!

I think the barber shop is a great thing to do if you don't want to do the BBB. I think older girls would like to do it too where they might not want to do BBB. Heck, I wanted to do it and I am 30 something! And the $14 included everything, even the Mickey ears!:thumbsup2 I did tip her though just because she did a great job and she made my day! :lovestruc

[pmama]

Oh, so jealous you got to see the carolers in MK. We had seen video of them but never saw them in photos. Great pics. Love the face paint.:thumbsup2

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Oh, so jealous you got to see the carolers in MK. We had seen video of them but never saw them in photos. Great pics. Love the face paint.:thumbsup2

I think they are normally there but were just singing Christmas songs right then. I don't know what that instrument was they were playing but it sounded like bells.:confused:

The face painting rocks! Isn't it amazing how something so common as face painting can be turned into something so awesome at Disney World?! :wizard:

[ShannonMB]

I'm just joining in on your TR and loving it. Your DD is a little darling! We were at WDW the week before Thanksgiving, overlapping a lot of your days!!! I also went with the theory that MK might be quiet on the day of a party, and boy, were we right!!! Walked on to everything! What a great time of year to go, huh??!!!!

Sorry for your dinosaur experience! I sorta feel bad for your DH, I know he MUST feel guilty for talking his ladies into riding that! I enjoy it myself, but I do scream in actual terror at least a couple times whenever I ride it -- and my DD (a little older than yours, but a serious ride chicken) would be scarred for life if she rode that thing! :laughing: I was laughing at how you told the story!

Lots of great firsts here!! Amazing how much there is to see and do! I am on the DISboards pretty much every day and I didn't even know about the Pirate and Pals Fireworks Cruise! Don't know how I missed it, but it looks AWESOME!!!!

Sorry so long, but I'm totally into this TR! :laughing: Can't wait for more!

[BrooklynnsMommy]

She THINKS she wants to ride Dinosaur. I want to see how that one ends!:lmao:




We shall see this summer. She also added Space Mountain to the list last night. I'm not sure if she'll be tall enough for that one because I think it is 44 inches. But if she is we will let her ride.

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

:rotfl:I'm just joining in on your TR and loving it. Your DD is a little darling! We were at WDW the week before Thanksgiving, overlapping a lot of your days!!! I also went with the theory that MK might be quiet on the day of a party, and boy, were we right!!! Walked on to everything! What a great time of year to go, huh??!!!!

Sorry for your dinosaur experience! I sorta feel bad for your DH, I know he MUST feel guilty for talking his ladies into riding that! I enjoy it myself, but I do scream in actual terror at least a couple times whenever I ride it -- and my DD (a little older than yours, but a serious ride chicken) would be scarred for life if she rode that thing! :laughing: I was laughing at how you told the story!

Lots of great firsts here!! Amazing how much there is to see and do! I am on the DISboards pretty much every day and I didn't even know about the Pirate and Pals Fireworks Cruise! Don't know how I missed it, but it looks AWESOME!!!!

Sorry so long, but I'm totally into this TR! :laughing: Can't wait for more!

:welcome:I'm so glad you are enjoying the TR! You go ahead and post away as much as you want to! That's why we all DIS, to chat with other Disney addicts. :hyper2: It's kind of like a support group, don't you think? :rotfl2:

Yes, early November is a fantastic time to go. I am so spoiled with it that I don't want to go any other time! But shhhhhh, let's keep it our little secret!:ssst: If word gets out, our favorite time of year will be ruined! ;)

Yeah, I think DH has some lingering guilt about Dinosaur. I don't feel sorry for him in the least though!:rotfl:

We were at Disney the same time last year for 12 days. We really thought we had done alost everything in those 12 days. Even I was amazed at how many new things we were able to experience this time. I think we could go back for 10 more days and still find lots of new things. That is one of the many reasons that I love Disney World!

The Pirates and Pals Cruise has just recently been opened up to the general public. Until July of '09 it was only available to resort guests doing a Grand Gathering. That is probably why you hadn't heard about it. But it absolutely rocks! You must try it out one day! pirate:

We shall see this summer. She also added Space Mountain to the list last night. I'm not sure if she'll be tall enough for that one because I think it is 44 inches. But if she is we will let her ride.

Well, if you do take her on Dinosaur, you have GOT to tape it! I want to see that video posted on your TR as SOON as you get back! I just think that will be hilarious! :lmao: Poor baby just has no idea what torment you have planned for her!:rotfl:

[Lovemy3babes]

I missed an update! Back to catch up. Don't you just love an empty Magic Kingdom? That is definitely the way to do it! I can't imagine standing in line for hours to ride anything; I am just not that patient. LOL!

November has been my favorite time to go too. We tried early December this time and it was just not as great as November. Oh well, live and learn.

It looks like you got a lot done with little waiting. Isn't Monsters Inc the funniest show? I just adore it! :)

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I missed an update! Back to catch up. Don't you just love an empty Magic Kingdom? That is definitely the way to do it! I can't imagine standing in line for hours to ride anything; I am just not that patient. LOL!

November has been my favorite time to go too. We tried early December this time and it was just not as great as November. Oh well, live and learn.

It looks like you got a lot done with little waiting. Isn't Monsters Inc the funniest show? I just adore it! :)

We love going in November. The weather and crowds are perfect. I wish I had another trip planned for Nov. 2010, but no such luck!:rolleyes:

Yes, Monsters Inc. is hilarious! We love it. That is as long as we aren't part of the show!;)

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

When I left you in our last episode, we were saying goodbye to Tomorrowland and looking for some adventure. Well we found it here of' course!

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%204%20MK/IMG_1155.jpg

We made a b-line for the Dole Whip hut. Look, they made it in red and green for Christmas! :santa:

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DH left DD and I to share this little cup of pineappley heaven while he went off in search of "real food". :rolleyes: He returned in a few minutes quite disgruntled because he couldn't find anything "manly" to eat like a giant turkey leg or a rack of ribs! Yeah, I don't get it either. :sad2:

With two of us feeling refreshed, and one of us getting just a little bit grumpy, we decided to go soaring, tumbling, and three-wheeling on a magic carpet ride. So, did our luck follow us to Adventureland? Yep! No line! Just come on down folks! :woohoo: Look at the queue in the background! There is no one in it!

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We loved gliding over Agrabah! DD and I were soaking up all the festive scenery of Adventureland from up high! But what was DH doing in the back? The first thing he said when we got off our magic carpet was, "I didn't see anything to eat in this whole section!" What!? Seriously? You were scoping out food stands during the ride? :rolleyes2

We forged on in hopes of stumbling upon something to satisfy DH's hunger before he had a meltdown.

There was no wait for the Jungle Cruise, so we thought we should go on and ride it just incase the crowds picked up as it neared MVMCP time.

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I just love the humor of the CMs on this ride. They really make it fun. The guy we had kept telling all the kids on the boat how important it is to get an education and go to college or you will end up driving a boat on a fake river for a living! :rotfl2: Then he said, "Yeah, my parents are really proud............................................. ......................................... of my brother!" :rotfl: He was a nut!

As we moved along, we saw the Pirate Tutorial up ahead. The show was wrapping up but we saw a few minutes of it.

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%204%20MK/IMG_1174.jpg

Once again, Pirates of the Caribbean was a walk on, so I asked DH if he thought he could hold out for one more ride before eating. He grumbled, but obliged.

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%204%20MK/IMG_1184.jpg

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http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%204%20MK/IMG_1177.jpg

Weighin' all me silver and gold matey! pirate:

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%204%20MK/IMG_1179.jpg

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http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%204%20MK/IMG_1182.jpg

One of the many reasons I love my husband........... he always keeps us laughing! Although, DD looks like she is enjoying that just a little too much. Hmmmm, perhaps she was having a Dinosaur flashback!

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%204%20MK/IMG_1183.jpg

Continued in next post......................

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Speaking of DH, he was now on the verge of starvation and getting more unpleasant by the moment. I am not kidding when I tell you that it is of the utmost importance that you keep this man well fed. So we left Adventureland to see if there was any "man food" to be had on the frontier. Surely, the land where cowboys roam, must have some hardy vittles!

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%204%20MK/IMG_1187.jpg

And what do you know, as soon as we rounded the corner, we indeed found a cowboy! This was a good sign, right? We had never met these two so we hopped in line while DH continued in his search of something meaty. There was only one family in front of us. Gotta love it when you don't even have to wait for the characters!

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%204%20MK/IMG_1189.jpg

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Is it just me, or does Woody have his shoes on the wrong feet? And his head looks a little off center as well. :rotfl:

DH returned empty handed once again. I could see it in his eyes. He was fading fast! Poor thing. At this point he just decided to wave the white flag of surrender and wait on dinner since it was about 5:00 anyway.

DH and DD pondered riding SM again but chose not to chance getting wet since it was going to get cool quickly with the sun going down. You know I was heartbroken about that. :rolleyes1

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We saved the best for last. I just knew there was no way that BTMRR would be walk on, but we went to check on it anyway. Well, guess what? The sign said "5 minute wait"!!! You know what that means.............. that it's going to take you less than 5 minutes to walk through that long, empty queue!! I just could not believe it. How was it possible that we had walked onto every ride all day long? It just felt too good to be true. :worship: But sure enough, we walked straight through and were immediately seated on the wildest train in the West!

Do you think DD was just a little bit excited? :hyper:

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%204%20MK/IMG_1193.jpg

I tried taking a few pictures on the ride but, of' course they were all blurry. I don't care though. They totally captured the pure joy of my little one being on her favorite ride at Disney World!

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%204%20MK/IMG_1197.jpg

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We had the BEST time. I think we rode it four times in a row without any wait! DD wanted to keep going , but DH couldn't take anymore jiggling and turning on an empty stomach. It was time for us to head out anyway since it was time for the party to begin. We also had a special dinner reservation to get to soon.

We took the train back up to the front of the park.

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Can you tell by this picture that DD was not happy about leaving. :sad1: She just kept asking, "Can't we ride it again, Mama?" Poor baby. I don't blame her. I wanted to stay too, but our dinner was prepaid and nonrefundable, and no way was DH doing anything else until he got some sort of animal product in his belly!

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I took this on the way out. Goodbye for today MK.

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We took the ferry to our dinner destination. DD was still pouting.

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So would DH finally get his beloved protein? Oh yes, and in abundance! We were dining at the Hoop De Doo Revue tonight.

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We started out with salad and the best cornbread and butter on the planet. Seriously. It rocked! DH was getting jittery so I told him to "Calm down! Real food is coming soon enough!" Well it wasn't long before they brought out BUCKETS of fried chicken, ribs, mashed potatoes, and baked beans. You should have seen the look on DH's face. He was like a kid in a candy store! His response was, "Now that's what I'm talking about!" We didn't hear another sound uttered from his lips for the next 20 minutes!

For dessert, they bring out an awesome strawberry shortcake, just like my Grandma used to make. You also drink out of Mason jars which brought back fond childhood memories as well. Is there anyone born and raised in the South that didn't drink out of a Mason jar when they were little? :drinking1 I sure did!

We thought everything was fantastic except the ribs and beans (they were just ok). Overall the food was excellent. DH was very happy!

DD really got into the entertainment. She got up and danced and sang along with the performers.

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OK, I am going to whisper this so that no one hears except for you, so listen carefully. :listen: 99.9% of the reviews I have read here on the DIS for HDDR have been totally positive. People LOVE this show. So I fully realize that I am the odd ball here, but I didn't really care much for it. Please don't throw rocks and stones at me! Everyone is entitled to an opinion ya know. I just thought it was long and not all that funny. Sorry, for those of you who are fans. DD had a fantastic time, but DH pretty much agreed with me. Even though the food was very good, I am almost positive that we would not go back. We still had a good time, it just wasn't really our thing. But don't let my opinion keep you from trying it if you've never gone. Everyone has different taste and so, so many people love it. Maybe we are just weird.

Regardless of our dinner entertainment, this day could not have been more perfect. In fact, as soon as we got on our bus headed for Pop, the bottom fell out of the sky. It poured rain and thundered and lightened all the way back "home" and as soon as the bus pulled up to the drop off in front of Pop, it was like someone turned the faucet off. We never felt a drop. It was just one of those fairytale Disney days that was perfectly magical from beginning to end!

Firsts tally: 39 (Pirate Tutorial, Jessie, Woody, Fort Wilderness, Hoop De Doo Revue)

Up Next: We save the world one country at a time, and we eat at a rat infested restaurant!

[Lovemy3babes]

Oooo, what a perfect ending to an already perfect day!!! A Dole Whip float has got to be my favorite snack at the World. Yum.

I noticed Woody's shoes and poor Jessie looks like she has no neck! Hahaha.

I'm so glad you enjoyed your food at HDDR (we've never been) and avoided the rain!

[BrooklynnsMommy]

I totally understand about keeping the men in your travel party well fed in order to keep them happy!

[Charleston Princess]

You really just had a wonderfully magical day all around!!! I can't believe how little of a wait you had for any of the rides! That's awesome!

I love that the Dole Whips were tinted red and green -- yet another reason I want to go at Christmastime! :laughing:

Poor DD not wanting to leave the Magic Kingdom! I always feel like that! ;)

Poor DH unable to find anything to eat, but at least he was able to stave off hunger at the HDDR! :lmao:

Looks like a good time there, but I have to admit -- I have never really wanted to do it. Maybe one day.

[ladybugmom]

Isn't it strange how different kids can be? I see babies born with more hair than my DD had when she was three!:rotfl2:

I hope you will do another TR for your upcoming trip! I'd love to read it.

It really is!! Both of my girls didn't start to really grow hair until they were 2 years old! Yes, I will definitely be doing a TR for our May trip!! :goodvibes

[Mndisneygirl]

Great update!!! I can't believe you were so lucky with the rides and characters. What a great day! Your DD is so cute - pouting b/c she wanted to keep riding!

I'm not sure I'ld be into HDDR either. We've not really considered it much.

[ladybugmom]

What an incredible MK Day!! I can't believe that every ride you rode was a walk-on! I'll have to remember your MVMCP theory for our trip!! Very smart! :thumbsup2 Don't feel bad about not liking HDDR--I've never really wanted to try it--maybe someday but for now I just don't have the interest. Glad you had such a magical day!! :wizard:

[wigdoutdismom]

Wow, I'm so far behind, sticking in my bookmark at page 11.
The Pirates and Pals Cruise looked like so much fun, very cool that your little sweetie got picked by Capt. Hook to walk with him to the boat! Great pictures!
Your pictures on the Safari were awesome, you must have clicked between bumps!
The make-up was dazzling until the tears.
Darn Dad and Dinosaur! Shocker isn't a fan either, way too bumpy for him but he still rides with us...
We love Boma! Breakfast and Dinner both!
I'll be back tomorrow to get caught up!

[DisneyJo]

What a wonderful day at MK, my family loves BTMRR so would have loved to walk on that many times in a row :thumbsup2

I can't believe your poor hubbie couldn't find any food anywhere but at least he had lots of room for the HDDR food :goodvibes

We really enjoyed HDDR but don't think we'd go back but we preffered the show to the food rather than the other way around :rotfl:

[VAisforDisneyLvrs]

Your daughter looks cute even when she's pouting. :laughing:

Looks like you had a great day! Looking forward to EPCOT...

[wigdoutdismom]

Just commenting on the sweet picture of you dd's first haircut in the Mickey ears, just precious, I don't blame you one bit for getting a lump in your throat and tears in your eyes!
Back to read about your empty, magical MK day....

[wigdoutdismom]

I love it that my 11 year old son and your dd share the same favorite ride! :lmao: Both can ride it over and over again. We need to get them together some day!
I'd say you had a perfect day at the Magic Kingdom! Sorry about DH's empty tummy and I'm glad he survived until dinner. I'm with you about the show. I loved the chicken and mashed but that was about it for me....:confused:
Glad we had the experience but probably won't be a repeat for us either.
Back to reading....
Almost caught up!

[wigdoutdismom]

Oh never mind, I am caught up!:lmao:

[Eeyoreblues]

Hello.... I have to say that I throughly enjoy your trip report and can't wait to read more. Your DD is way to cute, your Disney enthusiasm matches mine, and our husbands could be twins. I had warned my husband before we got married how much of a Disney nut I am since I grew up near Disneyland, but I don't believe he really knew until we had to compromise on how often to go back to WDW. I want to go every 3 years and him every 5 years.... so like in every marriage I try to push the trip to as close to 3 years as possible, but it is more like every 4 years.:surfweb:

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Oooo, what a perfect ending to an already perfect day!!! A Dole Whip float has got to be my favorite snack at the World. Yum.

I noticed Woody's shoes and poor Jessie looks like she has no neck! Hahaha.

I'm so glad you enjoyed your food at HDDR (we've never been) and avoided the rain!

DD and I really like the Dole Whip too but DH didn't care for it. I just don't know what's not to like!

Yeah, not sure what was going on with Woody. Maybe that CM should be greeting people at the entrance instead.:lmao:

Yes, food is good at HDDR, but entertainment, not so much.

I totally understand about keeping the men in your travel party well fed in order to keep them happy!

What is it with men and food? I am just the opposite. If I am having a good time, I don't want to stop to eat. Yet I am the one who gains the weight!!! It is just so WRONG!:headache:

You really just had a wonderfully magical day all around!!! I can't believe how little of a wait you had for any of the rides! That's awesome!

I love that the Dole Whips were tinted red and green -- yet another reason I want to go at Christmastime!

Poor DD not wanting to leave the Magic Kingdom! I always feel like that! ;)

Poor DH unable to find anything to eat, but at least he was able to stave off hunger at the HDDR! :lmao:

Looks like a good time there, but I have to admit -- I have never really wanted to do it. Maybe one day.

Yes, why can't it be like that at MK everyday! I just cannot for the life of me figure out why all those people want to go there all the time and spoil it for the rest of us. :rolleyes1

The dole whips really were more pink and mint green, but I still appreciated the thought!

It really did stink to have to leave there that night. I wanted to pout and cry myself.

My DH is a nut! He tells everyone that he goes to Disney for the food!:lmao: So when he couldn't find any, that rocked his apple cart. I didn't even tell him that he could have gotten a trukey leg while we were in Tomorrowland! That would have really ticked him off.

If you don't like corny humor, you won't like HDDR. That is 90% of what the show is about. That's just not my thing. I did enjoy watching DD have a good time though, so all wasn't lost. And we went for free so that helped too. If I had paid the $130 ish to go, I'd have been really dissapointed. I mean, I live in NC. I can get fried chicken and baked beans everday to the week if I want. So the food wasn't reason enough to go (or to go back).

It really is!! Both of my girls didn't start to really grow hair until they were 2 years old! Yes, I will definitely be doing a TR for our May trip!!

Yeah! I will keep an eye out for it for sure!

Great update!!! I can't believe you were so lucky with the rides and characters. What a great day! Your DD is so cute - pouting b/c she wanted to keep riding!

I'm not sure I'ld be into HDDR either. We've not really considered it much.

It was the best Disney day ever! I dream about doing it all over again!!!

Like I told CP, if you don't like corny humor, don't go! That's about all there is to it.

What an incredible MK Day!! I can't believe that every ride you rode was a walk-on! I'll have to remember your MVMCP theory for our trip!! Very smart! Don't feel bad about not liking HDDR--I've never really wanted to try it--maybe someday but for now I just don't have the interest. Glad you had such a magical day!!

It was so awesome! I don't know if my theory is correct all the time, but it certainly worked on that day.

On HDDR....... I had read all about it, so I knew what kind of show it would be and honestly, I didn't think I would like it. But I just wanted to know for myself what all the fuss was about. I figured we would try it while we could go for free on the dining plan. I'm glad we tried it b/c now I know for myself and it didn't cost me a dime. But I don't care to go back. There are so many other better places.

Wow, I'm so far behind, sticking in my bookmark at page 11.
The Pirates and Pals Cruise looked like so much fun, very cool that your little sweetie got picked by Capt. Hook to walk with him to the boat! Great pictures!
Your pictures on the Safari were awesome, you must have clicked between bumps!
The make-up was dazzling until the tears.
Darn Dad and Dinosaur! Shocker isn't a fan either, way too bumpy for him but he still rides with us...
We love Boma! Breakfast and Dinner both!
I'll be back tomorrow to get caught up!

P&P cruise is beyond fantastic!

I have no idea how I got clear safari pictures and others where DD was standing still were blurry!:confused3 Go figure! I have a new camera and really haven't figured it all out yet.

I'm with Shocker! Dinosaur is TOO much! Next time DH can ride alone or if we're at Disney at the same time, he can hitch a ride with you guys!:laughing:

I REALLY want to try Boma for breakfast. I bet it is awesome!

What a wonderful day at MK, my family loves BTMRR so would have loved to walk on that many times in a row :thumbsup2

I can't believe your poor hubbie couldn't find any food anywhere but at least he had lots of room for the HDDR food :goodvibes

We really enjoyed HDDR but don't think we'd go back but we preffered the show to the food rather than the other way around :rotfl:

BTMRR is an awesome ride. It is just enough thrill for chickens like me without being too much (like ummmm......... Dinosaur!)

Yes, he ate WAY too much at HDDR! It was insane! I'm sure there was plenty of food to be had in the park, but he wanted meat!

I can imagine that someone from England might not be crazy about the food at HDDR. It is very much Southern (US) type food. You know where everything is fried or drowning in BBQ sauce!:lmao: We are very used to that sort of thing though!

Your daughter looks cute even when she's pouting. :laughing:

Looks like you had a great day! Looking forward to EPCOT...

She is a mess! I don't blame her for pouting. We could have stayed there all night long!

How in the world did you guess we were going to Epcot?:rotfl:

Just commenting on the sweet picture of you dd's first haircut in the Mickey ears, just precious, I don't blame you one bit for getting a lump in your throat and tears in your eyes!
Back to read about your empty, magical MK day....

The haircut was such a great moment. I'm a sap when it comes to my DD. I just can't help it. I normally am pretty tough, but I am like a marshmellow at a campfire over her!:laughing:

I love it that my 11 year old son and your dd share the same favorite ride! :lmao: Both can ride it over and over again. We need to get them together some day!
I'd say you had a perfect day at the Magic Kingdom! Sorry about DH's empty tummy and I'm glad he survived until dinner. I'm with you about the show. I loved the chicken and mashed but that was about it for me....:confused:
Glad we had the experience but probably won't be a repeat for us either.
Back to reading....
Almost caught up!

Well then Baylor has great taste in rides! BTMRR is so awesome! I love it at night too. We will definitely ride together if our trips ever overlap. And as often as you go, surely that will happen someday.:lmao:

I'm glad to hear that someone else wasn't crazy about the show. I just kept thinking that I must be strange to be the only person on Earth who didn't like it.:confused: It probably has the best reviews of any restaurant at Disney though. And not just on the DIS but other sites as well. I don't get it????

Oh never mind, I am caught up!:lmao:

:rotfl:

Hello.... I have to say that I throughly enjoy your trip report and can't wait to read more. Your DD is way to cute, your Disney enthusiasm matches mine, and our husbands could be twins. I had warned my husband before we got married how much of a Disney nut I am since I grew up near Disneyland, but I don't believe he really knew until we had to compromise on how often to go back to WDW. I want to go every 3 years and him every 5 years.... so like in every marriage I try to push the trip to as close to 3 years as possible, but it is more like every 4 years.:surfweb:

Well, thank you and :welcome: I'm so glad you are jumping on board.

Every 4 years isn't too bad. I want to go every 3 months but that will never happen!:lmao: Whenever I want to pout about it, I just think about how blessed I have been to be able to go twice already. If I never get to go again, I have two wonderful trips full of great memories to think on. I think it is great that your DH will even agree to go over and over. A lot of men won't go at all or don't want to go back on a regular basis. My Dad would NEVER go to Disney and my Mom wants to go so bad so I feel for her. My father-in-law is the same way. So I guess we are both pretty lucky. :cloud9:

[wsushocker]

Well then Baylor has great taste in rides! BTMRR is so awesome! I love it at night too. We will definitely ride together if our trips ever overlap. And as often as you go, surely that will happen someday.:lmao:


I believe her goal is to accumulate enough points to stay there from Memorial Day until the middle of August, a long weekend in October, a week at Christmas, and a week for Spring Break! :worship:

[wigdoutdismom]

I believe her goal is to accumulate enough points to stay there from Memorial Day until the middle of August, a long weekend in October, a week at Christmas, and a week for Spring Break! :worship:

I don't see a problem...;)

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I don't see a problem...;)

Well then why don't you just move to Florida and vacation in Kansas!:lmao: I think that might be cheaper!

[wsushocker]

I don't see a problem...;)

May 30th to August 13th at a 1BR at BCV is 2,844 points. We are getting close....:cool1:

[wigdoutdismom]

Well then why don't you just move to Florida and vacation in Kansas!:lmao: I think that might be cheaper!
I might not appreciate Disney properly if I was there too much.
May 30th to August 13th at a 1BR at BCV is 2,844 points. We are getting close....:cool1:



I don't think I would want to know how much the maintenance fees would be on those points!:eek:

[stace208]

Wow! What a wonderfully magical day! Really loved all your pictures.

Guess we are the oddballs here in that we really liked the HDDR and are going back in April. My DS, 9, really got a kick out of all the corny stuff and my DD liked it a bunch too. I thought it was amusing but loved seeing how much my son enjoyed it. Maybe me liking it had something to do with the magically refilling mason jar of sangria too??:rolleyes1

[praisehisname]

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%204%20MK/IMG_1156.jpg

I found this to be a huge "mind over matter" situation. The color really threw me off!


The first thing he said when we got off our magic carpet was, "I didn't see anything to eat in this whole section!" What!? Seriously? You were scoping out food stands during the ride? :rolleyes2

:rotfl2:


We had the BEST time. I think we rode it four times in a row without any wait!

Awesome! :thumbsup2


OK, I am going to whisper this so that no one hears except for you, so listen carefully. :listen: 99.9% of the reviews I have read here on the DIS for HDDR have been totally positive. People LOVE this show. So I fully realize that I am the odd ball here, but I didn't really care much for it.

I've actually read more bad reviews than good. I still want to try it, though. :rotfl:

[Mndisneygirl]

I think it is awesome that your DD loved BTMRR! Neither of my kids was interested last year. We watched some you tube videos, now they're at least considering trying it next time! I've never been on it, but really want to! I am kind of a ride wimp, but like basic roller coasters okay. Even DH has been on it (why he and I never got to go on it pre-kids is beyond me!) and he is a BIG ride wimp!

I told my girls that your DD went on it 4 times in a row and she's ony 5, so they think they might do it!! They will be at least 9 and 7 by the time we get back.

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I believe her goal is to accumulate enough points to stay there from Memorial Day until the middle of August, a long weekend in October, a week at Christmas, and a week for Spring Break! :worship:

Sounds like a good goal to me. :banana: As long as I don't have to pay for it! :scared1:

May 30th to August 13th at a 1BR at BCV is 2,844 points. We are getting close....:cool1:



:eek: We couldn't afford five points right now! Maybe after DD is in school full time and I go back to work............. then I might be able to afford 10 or 20! :rotfl2: Until then, I'll live vicariously through you! ;)

I might not appreciate Disney properly if I was there too much.

Do you think that is possible?:confused3


I don't think I would want to know how much the maintenance fees would be on those points!:eek:

Maintenance fees!:scared1: We had a timeshare sort of membership once before at a lake and that was the part that I HATED! And they always came due in December. Who has maintenance due money in December?:mad:

Wow! What a wonderfully magical day! Really loved all your pictures.

Guess we are the oddballs here in that we really liked the HDDR and are going back in April. My DS, 9, really got a kick out of all the corny stuff and my DD liked it a bunch too. I thought it was amusing but loved seeing how much my son enjoyed it. Maybe me liking it had something to do with the magically refilling mason jar of sangria too??:rolleyes1

:rotfl: That is quite possible. If I had one of those, I might have liked it too!:lmao: It seems that kids really do enjoy it though. But everyone is different. Just like with Flame Tree BBQ......... so many good reviews but it wasn't good to us. It all depends on your personality and taste buds I guess. I'm glad we tried it though. I like to check things out for myself.

I found this to be a huge "mind over matter" situation. The color really threw me off!

I had the same reaction at first. I was expecting it to taste like strawberry or watermelon b/c of the color, but it was the same pineapple goodness as always!

Awesome! :thumbsup2

Yes it was!! I would love to take a ride on it right now!

I've actually read more bad reviews than good. I still want to try it, though. :rotfl:

Really?!?! I rarely read any negative comments on the show. I read comments on lots of other site as well. You should still go though. You never know until you try something for yourself. It wasn't BAD, it just would not have been worth the price of admission if I had paid out of pocket. And I kind of hated that we used 2 table service credits even though it was free.

I think it is awesome that your DD loved BTMRR! Neither of my kids was interested last year. We watched some you tube videos, now they're at least considering trying it next time! I've never been on it, but really want to! I am kind of a ride wimp, but like basic roller coasters okay. Even DH has been on it (why he and I never got to go on it pre-kids is beyond me!) and he is a BIG ride wimp!

I told my girls that your DD went on it 4 times in a row and she's ony 5, so they think they might do it!! They will be at least 9 and 7 by the time we get back.

OH MY!!!:eek: You MUST try BTMRR!!! You just must! I am the biggest ride weenie on the planet but I love it. :lovestruc It's not super fast and there are no loops or drops. It is just fun, fun, fun! Tell your girls that my DD rode it several times last year too and she was only 4 then. And if your girls won't ride it next time, then you just need to ride it alone. It is so much fun. I think it is the perfect ride chicken roller coaster! :lmao:

I've got to get over to your TR tonight and get caught up. I know you have another update by now! As soon as DD is in bed, I'm there!

[Ellester]

Maintenance fees!:scared1: We had a timeshare sort of membership once before at a lake and that was the part that I HATED! And they always came due in December. Who has maintenance due money in December?:mad:

DVC dues are due in January. Right when the Christmas bills are coming in! No way we could pay it, I'm so thankful my mom has chosen to do that.

I've also read how so many on here love the HDD. I've never been, but I must admit that it doesn't appeal to me at all. I live in middle Georgia, I can get my dose of country hicks anytime I want to go to Wal-Mart!;)

Still debating on the early November timing for our next trip, so keep the report coming so I can decide! :goodvibes

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

DVC dues are due in January. Right when the Christmas bills are coming in! No way we could pay it, I'm so thankful my mom has chosen to do that.

I've also read how so many on here love the HDD. I've never been, but I must admit that it doesn't appeal to me at all. I live in middle Georgia, I can get my dose of country hicks anytime I want to go to Wal-Mart!;)

Still debating on the early November timing for our next trip, so keep the report coming so I can decide! :goodvibes

:rotfl: I totally agree. Our Wal Mart is full of characters that could have been in the show! I am a country girl through and through, but I'm not a "hick". Maybe that's why I didn't care for it since I have heard all those country hick jokes my whole life and I encounter the real thing on a daily basis!:rotfl2:

:banana::woohoo::yay: Hooray for mom picking up the maintenance dues tab! What a nice treat! I guess that means she gets to go on the next trip with you!;)

I think the rest of this TR will convince you to go in November, but that's all I can say for now! :)

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Stay tuned everyone! I have another update almost finished but all three of us have the day off today, so we are heading out for some family fun!:banana: I'm sure I will get it up by tonight though. But Photobucket is telling me that my bandwidth is almost up for this month so my updates will have to be a little shorter each time until February rolls around. I hope everyone has a great day!!! I'll be back in a bit!

[Charleston Princess]

Have a great time with family fun today!

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

How I waited until the 5th day our trip to visit World Showcase, I'll never know. I ADORE WS! I am completely fascinated by the cultures, history, and architecture of the world so I was thrilled to be headed for Epcot. It was Wednesday, November 11th, which meant it was Veteran's Day. I was pretty certain that we would not have a near empty park as we did at MK the day before since many locals would have this day off.

As every morning before, Baloo and Mowgli greeted us with smiles.

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The empty pool looked so inviting but it hadn't been warm enough yet for us to swim. Everyday had been around 70-74 degrees and overcast. PERFECT for touring, but not for swimming.

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http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%205%20Epcot/IMG_1230.jpg

Well there wasn't really a line at the entrance. Maybe it wouldn't be as crowded as I thought.

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Our passport was ready to go! DD was flipping through it looking for the first country that we would visit. She really enjoyed having her passport stamped and signed and it makes an awesome souvenir.

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%205%20Epcot/IMG_1232.jpg

We sat there on that wall and waited for DH to run into The Land and get fast passes for Soarin'. We just had to ride it again.

With fast passes in hand, we walked on towards World Showcase.

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%205%20Epcot/IMG_1233.jpg

So what country did we explore first? Canada you say?

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%205%20Epcot/IMG_1236.jpg

No! We just stopped for a quick picture at the photo op there. We had an early lunch reservation to get to so we passed on Canada for now. But we would be back!

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%205%20Epcot/IMG_1234.jpg

We had about thirty minutes before our reservation time so we took in all the sights and sounds of Paris!

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Suddenly, DD was feeling very French and fancy. :laughing: She thought she should take the opportunity to do a little modeling while in such a beautiful city. :rotfl:

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%205%20Epcot/IMG_1242.jpg

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Continued in next post............

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I have no idea what got into her, but I played right along. However, this gal came out of nowhere and stole the spotlight from DD!

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%205%20Epcot/IMG_1249.jpg

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%205%20Epcot/IMG_1251.jpg

No one else was even around! We had her all to ourselves! :cloud9: We chatted with her for a while until DD caught a glimpse of her favorite Aristocat.

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%205%20Epcot/IMG_1253.jpg

We love The Aristocats! And incase you were wondering where my odd user name came from, it is the part of the song that Marie sings in that movie.

Posing in front of Bistro De Paris. No, this was not our lunch destination but you're getting warm.

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%205%20Epcot/IMG_1255.jpg

I just wanted a picture of the Beauty and the Beast stained glass window, but DD insisted that she needed to be in the picture as well. :laughing:

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%205%20Epcot/IMG_1256.jpg

So what was this rat infested restaurant that we would be dining at? :eek: Gusteau's of' course! Well, technically, Les Chef's De France, but today, for my DD, it was to be Gusteau's. I told her that if we were very "lucky", Remy might whip up something magnificent for us. :rotfl2: :scared1:

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/timandheatherh/Disney-%20Day%205%20Epcot/IMG_1257.jpg

More modeling mademoiselle? :cutie:

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Finally , we were seated before DD filled up an entire memory card! We were given the exact spot that I wanted! We sat next to the window with a great view of the courtyard. So pretty!

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Still no crowds. This could be a good sign! :thumbsup2

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DH and I both ordered off the three course menu. I like this because you get an appetizer and a dessert even on the regular dining plan. DH started with the Lobster Bisque (which he joyfully grunted over the entire time) and I had the french onion soup. Both of us were very happy! :) In fact, the soups were the best part of the meal. They bring you salad and bread as well. For our main course, DH had the quiche and I ordered the fancy mac and cheese. Both were good, but not mind blowing. For dessert we both had the crème brulee which was crusty, crackly, creamy, smooth and sweet all at the same time! YUM! DD had a burger that I don't think impressed her all that much. She mostly ate the salad.

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We had the best time with our silly French waiters! Francois (on the right) was in training and he had no idea what he was doing! Poor guy! He was so nice though and he was trying really hard to please us. We just kept joking back and forth with him so he wouldn't feel so awkward. They were such a hoot that I snapped a picture of them. I think they kind of liked it judging by the smiles they gave me!

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OK, enough of Francois, bring on the real star of this show!

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You should have seen the look on DD's face when he lifted the lid on that tray! :eek: She couldn't believe her eyes! He did look so very real and his movements were very convincing.

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DD asked me over and over again if Remy really cooked the food. It seemed that thought was intriguing, exciting, and yet, quite disturbing to her! :lmao:

Overall, we had a very good time at Chefs De France and the food was tasty. Seeing Remy was such a special treat since he had been scheduled to leave in September. I don't know why they changed their minds, but I am so glad we were able to see him while he was still available. Another, wonderful first for us on this trip!

Now, we were supposed to be saving the world one country at a time after lunch, remember? Well, photobucket has other plans for this trip report. Therefore, our Kim Possible mission is Kim Impossible for now. Never fear though, we can't be held off but so long. More adventure is coming soon!

Firsts tally: 41 (Chefs De France & Remy)

Up Next: Our world tour continues......We help Kim with her mission, but I have a few of my own too!

[BrooklynnsMommy]

Great update. I love you just happen to be in the right place at the right time to see Aurora and Marie.

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Great update. I love you just happen to be in the right place at the right time to see Aurora and Marie.

I think we were posting at the same time. I added another post on while you were commenting.

Yes, I love it when you just run into characters and there is no line!:banana:

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Have a great time with family fun today!

Thank you. We did!

I see that your ticker says exactly 6 months!:cool1::banana::woohoo::yay: That will be here before yuou know it!