Show Me Your Smolder! October 2012 B-Day TR NEW 4/1 Trip Wrap Up & NEW PTR LINK!

[khertz]

So a quick life update before getting back to the TR! DS had minor surgery on Friday to have ear tubes put in and his adenoids removed. I'm really hoping this means the end of the very frequent ear infections/fever (had his first in March of this year, and then has had 4 since August!). A couple of days before the procedure I noticed he had yucky stuff coming from his nose on the right side and a lot of discharge from his right eye when he woke up, and sure enough, when she went to put the tubes in, that ear was full of pus again! So I definitely feel like we made the right decision getting the tubes because we were already on our way back to another ear infection with fever! The little patient recovered well over the weekend and is back to business as usual at daycare. It was a very easy procedure, and he was soooooo funny to watch after they gave him the Versed! I have definitely never seen my little guy so loopy!

Anyway, on to the update!

Day 3 Continued: Monday October 22nd

After splitting up from my parents (they were going to use their Soarin' FPs obtained earlier), we decided to head over to the character meet we had passed before to see how the line looked. It was not too bad, so we joined up at the end. DS was happy to play in the bushes while we waited!

Soon enough, it was our turn to meet those mischievous little chipmunks, Chip & Dale!

After a cute meet and greet with them, we decided to head over to World Showcase. We had an early ADR for lunch, and we wanted to try to meet Belle before going to check in at the restaurant. Along the way, DH decided he wanted to stop at Club Cool to see what all the fuss about Beverly was, so in we went. Of course, he wanted DS to try some too!

Video of DS trying Beverly​

I took a taste too, and oh my goodness, that stuff is TERRIBLE!!!! We also tried the watermelon one from (I think?) China, since I have read that people usually like that one, and it was okay. I think the issue for me mostly is that I like my drinks very cold, so I don't think I'd even enjoy a small cup of regular Coke straight from the fountain without ice that much!

DS was not happy about leaving Club Cool for some reason...

But we got him back in the stroller and continued our walk to World Showcase, passing the cool cranberry bog! We liked that from last year, so it was cool to see it brought back.

We had to go the long way to get to Italy so that we could stop in France along the way to meet Belle, but we didn't mind. We were not really in a hurry! We got through Canada and UK before being stopped at the International Gateway entrance since it was not quite 11:00 am yet.

American Pavilion across the water

​

While we were standing at the rope, DH overheard a couple of girls talking to the CM asking him to radio over to the other entrance to WS to see how many people were over there waiting to run over to the American Pavilion and get in line for Hanson! And yes, when they finally dropped the rope at 11, those girls took off ahead of the crowd, hellbent on being first in line! DH was so amused that he took a picture of them.

I had told DH from the beginning that while yes, I did want to see Hanson perform (I was even wearing one of their tour shirts that day!), I couldn't imagine wanting to sit outside in Epcot all day waiting for a 30 minute set that wouldn't start for 6 1/2 more hours! Have I ever spent all day outside waiting for Hanson? Not gonna lie, yes I have, but it was 10 years ago when I was in high school! lol I especially did not want to miss out on time with DH and DS in the park just to wait for the show!

Anyway, we walked over to France just in time to see Belle coming out for her meet & greet. We were behind another family that was literally jogging to be one of the first ones over there. We walked at a normal pace and there was only one other family besides them ahead of us. Talk about needing to CALM DOWN!!

CMs welcoming us into France!

Such a beautiful pavilion

Here comes Belle!​

Now, this was the first character meet where we realized DS and this autograph book were going to be a problem! He would happily interact with the characters until he saw them signing the book, and then he WANTED. THAT. BOOK. So most of the time, we could not get him to take a decent posed picture because he was crying and freaking out that he wanted the book! Belle was the first interaction where this happened. It didn't happen every single time, but more often than I would have liked. Belle was very patient though.

"Hey, Belle, how are ya?"

Signing the book...

"Hey, I wanted that!!"

"GIMME THAT FREAKIN' BOOK!!!!"​

I did remember to tell her that we love her movie so much, we named our new puppy after her, which she seemed to enjoy. Overall, not a great first experience with a face character, but I was glad we had met her and gotten her autograph in the book!

We moved on after that and stopped in America so I could get a picture of this...

​

And so DH could take another picture of those girls sitting in line for Hanson already...

Continued in next post...

 

[khertz]

Day 3 Continued: Monday October 22nd

With still a little time to kill before our ADR, I wanted to make a quick potty stop. I couldn't find a restroom in the Italy pavilion so we went to the next one over in Germany. This turned out to be a great decision because while I ran in to use the restroom, DH didn't have to do much to keep DS busy since there was a train to check out!

He just LOVED watching that train go around and around on the track! Eventually we managed to peel him away from it to go back to Italy and have a few minutes before checking in for some pictures.

I love the buildings in this pavilion, mostly because I want to go to Italy SO BAD! In just (approximately) 21 months I will be visiting the real thing! (Not that I'm counting or anything...)

Finally it was time to head into Via Napoli to check in for our 11:30 am ADR.

I wish I could remember our server's name, because she was really great! All of the servers were, actually, and our water glasses stayed full and there was never a time we had to flag anyone down to ask them for something. We decided to stick with what we had enjoyed so much last year, so DH ordered the pepperoni and I ordered the 4 cheese white pizza. We didn't order anything special for DS because we figured he could eat off of our pizzas since we couldn't finish them last time!

While we waited, we took out that darn book to let DS look at it because he was still upset over us not giving it to him earlier. lol

DH playing with the settings
​

Since we were there pretty early, it didn't take long at all to get our food. We each cut up a slice of our pizza for DS and he loved it! This kid is CRAZY about pizza now!

Our food!​

What an absolutely delicious lunch! I had really hoped I could restrain myself and maybe try dessert, but I just kept eating my pizza. lol Even with sharing some with DS, I still had a piece left over to take home with me!

After lunch, we decided we had time for one more thing before we needed to leave for our break, so we stopped in Norway to ride Maelstrom.

The standby line was listed at about 20 or 25 minutes, but something really amazing happened when we walked up...The CM gave us one of the red cards to time the wait and directed us through the FP line even though we didn't have FPs! Cut our wait from a possible 20-25 (which it looked like would be accurate) to less than 5 minutes!

DS was not a huge fan, and it probably didn't help that he was getting tired. But we made it through and ran past the theater so we didn't get stuck watching the film and decided it was time to head out of the park.

We had to trade off carrying him to the front of the park and out to the car because he was falling asleep in the stroller. We made it back to Bonnet creek in no time and put him down for a nap in the second bedroom. He was out almost immediately. Our break was a typical boring break. I did make a run to Wal-Mart for a couple things we had forgotten at Publix, and took a short nap on the couch myself when I got back.

I had a few pics to share of my parents adventures after we left them. They rode Soarin' first, then apparently rode Living with the Land and stopped for some Photopass photographers.

I'm not sure what all they did during our break, but they stayed around World Showcase and had a CS lunch somewhere (I either forgot to ask or just didn't put it in my notes!).

UP NEXT: It's Hanson Time!

 

[MEK]

I can see a few of your pics and they are so cute. I didn't watch the video because I know it won't load here - so I'll be back. Can't imagine why Paxton didn't want to leave Club Cool. I mean, come one, sugary soda. Yum!

I haven't pulled the Beverly trick on anyone in a while. I need a new victim.

I loved my lunch at Via. I thought the pizza was great. So good I'd like to head back there this summer!

 

[CandleontheWater]

I can't believe those girls were going to sit outside in the heat for hours to wait for Hanson! That is serious dedication. We saw people doing that one year for Boys II Men also. Bands like Starship don't seem to get the same level of love.

You guys had a great morning in Epcot! Paxton took some great pics with the characters! I'm sorry that the whole autograph book was causing some issues, but he still seemed like he was enjoying himself.

That 4-cheese white pizza is right up my alley! I'll have to remember it when we (eventually) make it to Via Napoli!

 

[khertz]

I can see a few of your pics and they are so cute. I didn't watch the video because I know it won't load here - so I'll be back. Can't imagine why Paxton didn't want to leave Club Cool. I mean, come one, sugary soda. Yum!

I haven't pulled the Beverly trick on anyone in a while. I need a new victim.

I loved my lunch at Via. I thought the pizza was great. So good I'd like to head back there this summer!

Actually, I think what did it was he had so much fun going up the steps while I was pushing the stroller up the wheelchair ramp and racing each other to the top. We had that same meltdown more than once...that boy loves steps!

I have loved both meals we've had at VN. It's now a must do for me when in Epcot!!

I can't believe those girls were going to sit outside in the heat for hours to wait for Hanson! That is serious dedication. We saw people doing that one year for Boys II Men also. Bands like Starship don't seem to get the same level of love.

You guys had a great morning in Epcot! Paxton took some great pics with the characters! I'm sorry that the whole autograph book was causing some issues, but he still seemed like he was enjoying himself.

That 4-cheese white pizza is right up my alley! I'll have to remember it when we (eventually) make it to Via Napoli!

We could not believe it either! I have seen girls camp out overnight at the House of Blues for Hanson many years ago, but I really wouldn't have expected it smack in the middle of Disney World. I hope they were all AP holders because I can't imagine paying park admission to sit out in line all day for a FREE concert!! I knew from reading the boards that people lined up early for Hanson, but I was pretty surprised at just how early!

He always loved meeting the characters, but getting pictures was hit or miss. Looking through some of our character pics, it was so frustrating for some because he was absolutely loving it at the moment he met them, but when it was time for pictures he wouldn't smile!

Ooohh, writing about that pizza (at lunchtime no less) was a killer! It's sooooo delicious, I can almost taste it now! I can't wait to eat there again next trip!!!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

That sequence of pics with DS and Belle was pretty cute! Ahhh, the priorities of a toddler- reminded me of our DS last year whenever we would go shopping at Target or the grocery store, he would get so upset when we had to take something that he picked out to hand over to the cashier to get it scanned.

 

[khertz]

That sequence of pics with DS and Belle was pretty cute! Ahhh, the priorities of a toddler- reminded me of our DS last year whenever we would go shopping at Target or the grocery store, he would get so upset when we had to take something that he picked out to hand over to the cashier to get it scanned.

Oh yes, Paxton does that too! Happened just last week, actually, when we were picking up some cute little Disney cups from Wal Mart that he was holding while we were shopping! And he once had an epic meltdown over a toy duck I was buying for a friend's little boy for his birthday. There we are in the checkout as Paxton is wailing, "DUUUUUUUUCK!!!!"

 

[afwdwfan]

As we were driving over to the parks, my dad told me that my mom had been very adamant with him about getting up and out of the room by a certain time (my mom is notoriously late for everything!) because if not, I wouldn't wait around for them and they would have to pay a "$14 fine" for being late because they would have to pay for parking! Whatever the threat was, it worked, because they were ALWAYS ready on time!

That is awesome! Whatever it takes to get them moving.

Since Bonnet Creek is SO close to Epcot, we were there in no time and parked in the very first row of the parking lot.

I'm sure I've driven by Bonnet Creek several times and just never paid attention to it before, but having become familiar with it from your TRs, I did notice it this time. Not a bad location at all.

I was disappointed to see not all of the Fab 5 there, but we were still getting to meet Mickey, Minnie, and Pluto.

Last week, Daisy and Donald were out at the front of the park to the right hand side as you enter from the turnstyles. We never went to the Character Spot though. I saw a sign in one place that said it was closed, and then another sign by Club Cool that said Character Spot and had an arrow pointing to a side entrance, but we never really explored it.

He was still a little hesitant at first this time, but no tears! Yay!

As we passed through the gift shop, I spotted all of the shirts with the seagulls proclaiming Mine! Mine! Mine! Oh how I wish they had had it in a toddler size (and not a onesie) because I so would have gotten one for DS. This is now his mantra.

Sounds like our toddler.

I know it is not a popular opinion, but I actually really like Journey Into Imagination.

I do too, but it is more from nostalgia. I loved Figment when I was little so I always have to go back and see him. I definitely miss the original ride though. I really want Dreamfinder to come back!

So a quick life update before getting back to the TR! DS had minor surgery on Friday to have ear tubes put in and his adenoids removed.

I'm sure it will be well worth it. Anything to keep from having all the ear infections and fevers.

I took a taste too, and oh my goodness, that stuff is TERRIBLE!!!!

It's not that bad. My favorite is the orange flavored stuff from Germany.

I had told DH from the beginning that while yes, I did want to see Hanson perform (I was even wearing one of their tour shirts that day!), I couldn't imagine wanting to sit outside in Epcot all day waiting for a 30 minute set that wouldn't start for 6 1/2 more hours! Have I ever spent all day outside waiting for Hanson? Not gonna lie, yes I have, but it was 10 years ago when I was in high school! lol I especially did not want to miss out on time with DH and DS in the park just to wait for the show!

Ok, that made me laugh... I thought it was funny with the whole set up about making fun of the girls waiting all day to see Hanson and then admitting you've done it.

Anyway, we walked over to France just in time to see Belle coming out for her meet & greet. We were behind another family that was literally jogging to be one of the first ones over there. We walked at a normal pace and there was only one other family besides them ahead of us. Talk about needing to CALM DOWN!!

Maybe they thought they were headed to Toy Story Mania.

I love the buildings in this pavilion, mostly because I want to go to Italy SO BAD! In just (approximately) 21 months I will be visiting the real thing! (Not that I'm counting or anything...)

And I'm jealous...

I wish I could remember our server's name, because she was really great! All of the servers were, actually, and our water glasses stayed full and there was never a time we had to flag anyone down to ask them for something. We decided to stick with what we had enjoyed so much last year, so DH ordered the pepperoni and I ordered the 4 cheese white pizza. We didn't order anything special for DS because we figured he could eat off of our pizzas since we couldn't finish them last time!

I love that place... I can still taste the pizza I had last Thursday.

 

[amazingact21]

I had to laugh at the girls running to be first in line at the Hanson concert. Reminded me so much of being a preteen/teen and having those bands I LOVED.

The pictures with Belle pre-autograph book incident are really cute. I'm glad your DS enjoys character interactions and wasn't freaked out by the costumes. That's always a good thing.


Via Napoli is amazing, those pizzas are like an Italian lover's dream. To this day, I crave that 4 cheese white pizza!

 

[khertz]

That is awesome! Whatever it takes to get them moving.

Apparently, when threatened with having to pay $14/day in parking, my parents can be motivated to leave on time!!

I'm sure I've driven by Bonnet Creek several times and just never paid attention to it before, but having become familiar with it from your TRs, I did notice it this time. Not a bad location at all.

It is really great for being "offsite." It is especially convenient and close to MK and Epcot. The furthest away is AK, and that isn't even that far of a drive either.

Last week, Daisy and Donald were out at the front of the park to the right hand side as you enter from the turnstyles. We never went to the Character Spot though. I saw a sign in one place that said it was closed, and then another sign by Club Cool that said Character Spot and had an arrow pointing to a side entrance, but we never really explored it.

We never did see Donald out and about in his regular outfit! It would have been great to see him and Daisy meeting together there. The entrance to the temporary area was near Club Cool, yes. Not sure what they are doing with the regular area.

Sounds like our toddler.


I do too, but it is more from nostalgia. I loved Figment when I was little so I always have to go back and see him. I definitely miss the original ride though. I really want Dreamfinder to come back!

I wish I had seen that version, everyone seems to love it!

I'm sure it will be well worth it. Anything to keep from having all the ear infections and fevers.

I really hope so! It was getting really out of control...he was miserable all the time it seemed like. And he usually didn't tell us that his ears were bothering him until they were really infected!




It's not that bad. My favorite is the orange flavored stuff from Germany.

Blech! I don't think it was as bad as I had imagined, but it was definitely NASTY! I didn't try the orange one, maybe next time I'll try that one. One at a time every trip until I eventually try them all.

Ok, that made me laugh... I thought it was funny with the whole set up about making fun of the girls waiting all day to see Hanson and then admitting you've done it.

Of course I did...when I was 15!!! And I wasn't paying anything to sit out on the sidewalk either. I can't imagine paying to get into the parks just to sit there all day!


Maybe they thought they were headed to Toy Story Mania.

I guess I needed to politely inform them they were in the wrong park!



And I'm jealous...



I love that place... I can still taste the pizza I had last Thursday.

Oh man, so can I, and it was almost 2 months ago now!! I wish I could bring dozens of them home with me...It is seriously the most delicious pizza I've ever had, and it is a really good option for TS since we always pay OOP for those meals. It is really inexpensive for being in Epcot especially!

I had to laugh at the girls running to be first in line at the Hanson concert. Reminded me so much of being a preteen/teen and having those bands I LOVED.

The pictures with Belle pre-autograph book incident are really cute. I'm glad your DS enjoys character interactions and wasn't freaked out by the costumes. That's always a good thing.


Via Napoli is amazing, those pizzas are like an Italian lover's dream. To this day, I crave that 4 cheese white pizza!

Oh yeah, I remember those days! I was so bummed the year Hanson came to New Orleans on the first day of freshman year, and my mom was so mean and wouldn't let me skip school to sit outside all day so I could be right at the front! At least, that's what I thought at the time. As an adult, I can now see how sitting outside the House of Blues all day instead of going to school is not a good choice.

I was glad we at least got a few cute shots before he flipped out over that book! He was not afraid of any of the characters, and a few of them were pretty surprising since I thought a kid his age might be a little freaked out by some of them!

Ohhh, that 4 cheese....SO DELICIOUS!!!! One of my all time favorite Disney foods.

 

[debrapagliasotti]

I cant believe those people getting in line that early to see Hanson...or anyone for that matter.

20-25 min wait for Maelstrom!!?? Thank goodness you guys were able to go through FP line!

 

[skier_pete]

So funny with your son getting all upset over things. (Well, not really "funny" at the time I'm sure, but I guess cute is more the word.) We were looking through out pictures from our DD first WDW trip the other day, and I took a picture of her lying on the ground outside Hollywood and Vine having a temper tantrum. I knew someday we would get laughs out of it. It only took 6 years.

I don't even get the logic of sitting all day for Hanson (or anyone), even if you really, really want to be in the front row. Because in this scenario of showing up at 11 AM, it really only gives you front row seats for the first show.

Couldn't you show up at say 4:30 PM, and be first in line for the SECOND show? Plus, then you would get to listen to the first show while you wait in line for the second?

Of course, maybe by being in the first row for the first show, it lets you go and get in line to be up front for the THIRD show. OR maybe if you are an local AP holder, going to the parks isn't so special.

In college they had this tradition called "hockey line" where you and 7 of your closest friends would stake out a spot for a month to get hockey season tickets for the college team. Only one person had to be in the spot at any one time, but they're had to be someone there at all times, regardless of the weather. The whole thing was a leftover from when they had these huge posts in the arena that would block sight lines, but they pulled the posts out, yet hockey line remained. The funny thing is, you could get in line the morning tickets went on sale (which is what my friends and I did) and get tickets no problem, so there was no point at all to the line. (It has since died completely, they apparently don't do it anymore.)

I assume before the end of this day we are going to see some Hanson pictures, right?

 

[khertz]

I cant believe those people getting in line that early to see Hanson...or anyone for that matter.

20-25 min wait for Maelstrom!!?? Thank goodness you guys were able to go through FP line!

I know!! I couldn't believe it either. I had read on the boards that for certain acts, people begin lining up really early, but I never imagined that would mean people lining up at 11 am!

It was some serious for sure. I think had we waited in the standby line, a toddler meltdown may have been in our future.

So funny with your son getting all upset over things. (Well, not really "funny" at the time I'm sure, but I guess cute is more the word.) We were looking through out pictures from our DD first WDW trip the other day, and I took a picture of her lying on the ground outside Hollywood and Vine having a temper tantrum. I knew someday we would get laughs out of it. It only took 6 years.

I don't even get the logic of sitting all day for Hanson (or anyone), even if you really, really want to be in the front row. Because in this scenario of showing up at 11 AM, it really only gives you front row seats for the first show.

Couldn't you show up at say 4:30 PM, and be first in line for the SECOND show? Plus, then you would get to listen to the first show while you wait in line for the second?

Of course, maybe by being in the first row for the first show, it lets you go and get in line to be up front for the THIRD show. OR maybe if you are an local AP holder, going to the parks isn't so special.

In college they had this tradition called "hockey line" where you and 7 of your closest friends would stake out a spot for a month to get hockey season tickets for the college team. Only one person had to be in the spot at any one time, but they're had to be someone there at all times, regardless of the weather. The whole thing was a leftover from when they had these huge posts in the arena that would block sight lines, but they pulled the posts out, yet hockey line remained. The funny thing is, you could get in line the morning tickets went on sale (which is what my friends and I did) and get tickets no problem, so there was no point at all to the line. (It has since died completely, they apparently don't do it anymore.)

I assume before the end of this day we are going to see some Hanson pictures, right?

Now looking back on things, it is kind of funny the things he was scared of. I think I will get a kick out of telling him when he was older that he was once scared of the carousel!!

Ah yes, the line situation...I'll have more info on that in the update I'm about to do, but basically, yes, you're correct.

A MONTH for hockey tickets?!?! I can't even wrap my brain around that one. Reminds me of the episode of Saved by the Bell when they spent days in line at the mall for concert tickets.

First night of Hanson, coming up!!

 

[khertz]

Day 3 Continued: Monday October 22nd

First off, I forgot to share this stitched together World Showcase panoramic that DH took in my last update!

We got up and moving from our break and left Bonnet Creek around 3:45 to head back to Epcot! As we walked through the gates, we debated jumping in line for Daisy, who was out at the entrance, but we were worried about cutting it too close for the Visa Meet & Greet at Innoventions, so we went there first. The line looked pretty long, but it seemed to be made up of a few large groups, so we decided to wait it out. Soon enough it was our turn, and we were eager to see who we would be meeting!

​

He seemed to really LOOOOOOVE Goofy this trip, which will be evidenced later on when we meet him another time. This time, he especially loved giving him lots of high 5's!

After our time with Goofy, we went back outside for Daisy only to find she was already gone. Boo! Since we were right there and had wanted to ride earlier, we went ahead and got on Spaceship Earth! I did my best to hold DS up for the camera in the beginning before we went into the ride, so I was eager to see how our ending would look.

DS was a little nervous in the beginning where it's really dark, but as soon as we started getting to the real scenes, he was better. But again, he was really NOT a fan of the going backwards part, and he held on super tight. But before, I get there, we did take some pictures through the ride.

Our Build Your Future segment started off funny, when DH's picture popped up.

And then it was even more unintentionally funny when what was supposed to be DS's picture came on the screen!

I guess DH is going to be spending his future with a little black boy? lol I thought at first that maybe I had not put DS in the right spot for his picture to be taken, but DH said he noticed on the screen in front of us that the same thing happened, so I guess one of the cameras was just not working right.

After a quick stop at the camera store to pick up our free 5x7 from our meet with Goofy, we decided to start heading to World Showcase. I wanted to start making my way over to the America Gardens Theater so I could hopefully catch the first Hanson show at 5:30, but I was starting to get a little nervous that it was already going to be full by the time we got there. However, I had made the decision early on that I didn't want to miss out on anything with DH and DS just to stand in line.

We saw a lot of this when DS would INSIST on walking...for about 10 seconds!

Continued in next post...

 

[khertz]

Day 3 Continued: Monday October 22nd

As we entered World Showcase, DS got very excited to see Duffy dressed as a pumpkin! So since the line was not too long, we went ahead and got in line. I think the only reason I am not totally and completely anti-Duffy is because we bought a book on the trip we took when I was pregnant about Mickey and his "Disney Bear" (Duffy but not called that) spending a day in Magic Kingdom, and we read it all the time. Although I will not be shelling out the money for the stuffed Duffy and his multitude of outfits, I don't mind meeting him in the parks!

DH's pictures:

And the Photopass versions!

By the time we finished meeting Duffy, we now had to hurry over to the American Pavilion to get in for the show. Now I was pretty nervous that we wouldn't make it into the first show and I'd have to stand in line for the second one instead. We finally made it over there and found a wait of maybe 10 or 20 people. I was immediately confused, especially when I asked the girl at the end of the line if she was in line for the 5:30 show (it was about 5:15), and she assured me it was. But then I pulled out my phone and saw a text from my mom that they were in the theater holding a seat for us! I went up to the CM at the entrance to the theater to make sure the theater was not full and that they would let us in to meet my parents and they waved us on through without a problem. DH went back to tell that lady at the end of the line, and we all quickly figured out that the girls in line were purposely waiting for the second show so they could be in the front row!

We quickly spotted Nonni & Poppi and went over to join them. We were towards the back of the theater, but the whole thing is so small that you really can't have a bad spot unless you are directly behind a tree or something. We actually were near a tree, which ended up making it easier for DS to sit on the ground and play while waiting.

He found some big leaves that were a nice source of entertainment​

Now that I was sitting there, I was getting really REALLY excited about seeing them perform there! My FB status that morning was, "Today two of my favorite things collide...seeing Hanson tonight in Disney World!!!!"

Finally, it was time!

(Please know, this is only a TINY FRACTION of the pictures I took because I know most of you are not at all interested in Hanson... )

​

I had brought DS's headphones in case we decided to stay for IllumiNations, but they were great for the concert too!

For any Hanson fans interested, I did keep track of the set list!

Where's the Love
Mmmbop
A Minute Without You
Thinking 'Bout Something
Give a Little
Waiting for This
Penny & Me
​

I did have one moment before Thinking 'Bout Something that made me laugh when Taylor said we needed more cowbell!! (If you don't get this reference, check my signature! That was the title of my DLR Anniversary TR!). I had the BEST time, singing and dancing and just having a fantastic time rocking out to my favorite band with my favorite people! DH spent most of the show taking pictures and video for me, DS spent most of it playing with leaves and his Thomas trains, except for the couple of songs I picked him up and he had fun dancing with me.

In case anyone is interested, I have a video of them performing Give a Little

Continued in next post...

 

[khertz]

Day 3 Continued: Monday October 22nd

After the show let out, we decided to grab some food nearby at Liberty Inn. DH, Poppi and myself had burgers, DS had the mac & cheese with yogurt and grapes and my mom got the kids grilled chicken planning to share some with DS. I think all he ended up eating was the yogurt and couple bites of mac & cheese and chicken. The whole meal, I just kept thinking about how much fun the show had been and how much I wanted to go back for the second one! My parents said that they would take DS for a little while DH and I went and then we could meet up after the show. After a little prodding, DH agreed (don't let him fool you, he actually likes some of their newer music!).

After a potty break, we split up so we could head back to the theater. Since it was close to showtime, we were again to the back, but we still had a decent view. There was a guy on one of the bench by himself and a gap before the next group, so we asked if he minded us sitting there. He struck up a conversation with me about Hanson, and I just had to laugh and shake my head as he tried to tell me "facts" (mostly incorrect) about them. Seriously, dude? You obviously have no idea who you are talking to!!

​

It was another great set! There did perform some of the same songs, but they changed it up too. Yes, I kept track of the second set list too!

Mmmbop
Thinking 'Bout Something
And I Waited
Thinking of You
Waiting For This
This Time Around
Lost Without Each Other (!!!!)​

As you might be able to tell from the multitude of !!!!!!! I was super excited about that last song since it's probably my favorite Hanson song EVER EVER EVER, so needless to say, I was SO happy we had ended up at the second show!

I have to say, although I danced my heart out myself, I had a good time laughing at some of the girls going absolutely nuts there. One of them DH even took a picture of because he thought it was so ridiculous (especially if you have listened to Pete's rants about this on the DIS Unplugged podcast!).

Check out the girl in the middle videoing on her iPad!​

But I think the one that cracked me up the most was the girl in front of me dancing and singing and when she turned to the side, I realized she was actually singing into a hairbrush!!

After the show, we met up with my parents and DS. While we were at the show, they had stopped to check out the gardens.

We decided quickly that none of us were up for staying for IllumiNations, so we started making our way out of WS. But we did end up detouring into Mexico to ride the Gran Fiesta Tour.

When we got in line, DS was freaked out about the boat! I guess Pirates really did have an effect on him. But when he realized it was all about Donald Duck, he quit whining. He spent the whole ride going, "Duck? Where are you?" It was hilarious!

A stop in Mouse Gears on the way out was mandatory! We ended up buying a plate & bowl set for DS, a Donald t-shirt for DH, and a Rapunzel shirt for me. It was the shirt I had seen in Disneyland and decided I would get it at World of Disney when were leaving on the park our last day, but then our flight got cancelled and we had to haul butt to the airport for an earlier flight, so we never ended up stopping in WoD again!

DS playing in Mouse Gears

I have this one of my parents, but no clue when they took it! lol

After making our purchases, we said goodbye to Epcot for the night and headed out to the cars and back to Bonnet Creek for the night.

UP NEXT: Where's THAT Attraction?

 

[disneybarbie]

Sounded like a great day in Epcot.. and two Hanson concerts! I can remember when 'mmm bop' came out (1996?), everyone at school loved it, it's sort of strange to see them now all grown up!


Emma x

 

[skier_pete]

Ha, what a great update. Guess those 6.5 hours you spent NOT in line were the right thing to do! Can't say I have strong feelings for Hanson either way, but certainly have had transcendent moments at a concert or to, so I'm glad to hear they played your favorite song and that you got to watch them twice.

This boy band talk makes me think that they announced Weds. that tickets for Justin Bieber at our local arena were going on sale today. Thank goodness my DD is too young or too un-hip to want to see him. $93 for prime seats. And to think in another 15 years he'll probably be playing food and wine for free. (And just to know that wasn't a shot at Justin or anyone, just a commentary on the fleeingness of pop culture fame, particularly tween/teen pop stars.)

More Off Topic: DD wrote this story in one of her journals about Justin Bieber stealing a bottle of water backstage at his concert and being sent to jail and how he was all sad to be in jail. Not sure where that came from though.

Too bad DS did not get in the video, that would've been cute. I've started trying to make the most ridiculous faces possible for the Spaceship Earth ride video. That video is 10 times funnier when your tongue is sticking out the whole time.

Lastly, that Disney M&G would've dissapointed me. The one time we did it, it was Goofy AND Minnie. I thought the cool thing about it was getting to see multiple characters. If it's just the one character, regardless of who, why's it any better than a regular M&G?

 

[afwdwfan]

First off, I forgot to share this stitched together World Showcase panoramic that DH took in my last update!

Nice Picture!

He seemed to really LOOOOOOVE Goofy this trip, which will be evidenced later on when we meet him another time. This time, he especially loved giving him lots of high 5's!

I'm glad he enjoyed Goofy so much, but I kind of agree with Skier Pete. That would be a bit of a letdown to only have 1 character there.

I think the only reason I am not totally and completely anti-Duffy is because we bought a book on the trip we took when I was pregnant about Mickey and his "Disney Bear" (Duffy but not called that) spending a day in Magic Kingdom, and we read it all the time. Although I will not be shelling out the money for the stuffed Duffy and his multitude of outfits, I don't mind meeting him in the parks!

I'm glad that you enjoy reading his book, but I personally refuse to even acknowlege his existance.

But then I pulled out my phone and saw a text from my mom that they were in the theater holding a seat for us!

Right next to the 2 girls from earlier in the day...

(Please know, this is only a TINY FRACTION of the pictures I took because I know most of you are not at all interested in Hanson... )

What would give you an idea like that?

I had brought DS's headphones in case we decided to stay for IllumiNations, but they were great for the concert too!

I agree.

For any Hanson fans interested, I did keep track of the set list!

Set list? There's more than 1 song????

Ok, Ok, I'm sorry. I just couldn't resist. Please don't ban me from your TR for it. Not a big Hanson fan, but I'm glad you got to enjoy their concert... not once but twice. That was really cool of your parents to get in there and hold seats for the first show, and to take Paxton so you could enjoy the second one as well.

He struck up a conversation with me about Hanson, and I just had to laugh and shake my head as he tried to tell me "facts" (mostly incorrect) about them.

I love sitting by "experts" like that. It gives you some quality entertainment when you're waiting for the main event.

Seriously, dude? You obviously have no idea who you are talking to!!

I hope you corrected him.

I realized she was actually singing into a hairbrush!!

I wonder how far around the world she managed to drink before the show.

But we did end up detouring into Mexico to ride It's a Small Mexico.

Fixed your typo.

 

[khertz]

Sounded like a great day in Epcot.. and two Hanson concerts! I can remember when 'mmm bop' came out (1996?), everyone at school loved it, it's sort of strange to see them now all grown up!


Emma x

It was a fantastic day to be in Epcot, and seeing them twice was so amazing! I had only planned on one show, but I was so happy my mom convinced us to go to the second one. It was 1997 when Mmmbop came out, and I've been a fan ever since! 15 years!

Ha, what a great update. Guess those 6.5 hours you spent NOT in line were the right thing to do! Can't say I have strong feelings for Hanson either way, but certainly have had transcendent moments at a concert or to, so I'm glad to hear they played your favorite song and that you got to watch them twice.

Absolutely!!! I didn't mind being in the back AT ALL (more room to dance ), so being able to walk right up before both shows was great! Got the best of both worlds, a great day in Epcot NOT waiting in line, and 2 amazing shows!

This boy band talk makes me think that they announced Weds. that tickets for Justin Bieber at our local arena were going on sale today. Thank goodness my DD is too young or too un-hip to want to see him. $93 for prime seats. And to think in another 15 years he'll probably be playing food and wine for free. (And just to know that wasn't a shot at Justin or anyone, just a commentary on the fleeingness of pop culture fame, particularly tween/teen pop stars.)

I remember the height of Hanson's popularity, it was pretty much like that. They were selling out huge arenas, and there was just a frenzy around getting into their shows! I actually like it better now that they aren't popular, the venues are more intimate and fun. I have only ever seen them at the House of Blues, and there is not a bad spot in the whole place! Better than being in the top levels of an enormous arena and watching the concert on the big screens.

More Off Topic: DD wrote this story in one of her journals about Justin Bieber stealing a bottle of water backstage at his concert and being sent to jail and how he was all sad to be in jail. Not sure where that came from though.

Too bad DS did not get in the video, that would've been cute. I've started trying to make the most ridiculous faces possible for the Spaceship Earth ride video. That video is 10 times funnier when your tongue is sticking out the whole time.

The best part for me was I was so concentrated on trying to get DS on camera that I didn't even notice the face DH made.

Lastly, that Disney M&G would've dissapointed me. The one time we did it, it was Goofy AND Minnie. I thought the cool thing about it was getting to see multiple characters. If it's just the one character, regardless of who, why's it any better than a regular M&G?

Yeah, I see your point. It's so much better when it's more than one character! I think this was the first time (in WDW at least) that we have only interacted with 1 character there.

Nice Picture!

Thanks!

I'm glad he enjoyed Goofy so much, but I kind of agree with Skier Pete. That would be a bit of a letdown to only have 1 character there.

Yeah, that's very true. It would have been better with more characters, because it's so much less chaotic than a regular meet, so it's great getting that one-on-one time with more than one character.


I'm glad that you enjoy reading his book, but I personally refuse to even acknowlege his existance.

I am very neutral about Duffy, although it's way too expensive to get the bear and all his accessories. Come on, Disney, really?!

Right next to the 2 girls from earlier in the day...

What would give you an idea like that?

Hmmm, I don't know...

I agree.


Set list? There's more than 1 song????

Ok, Ok, I'm sorry. I just couldn't resist. Please don't ban me from your TR for it. Not a big Hanson fan, but I'm glad you got to enjoy their concert... not once but twice. That was really cool of your parents to get in there and hold seats for the first show, and to take Paxton so you could enjoy the second one as well.

I have been a Hanson fan for 15 years, I don't think there's anything you can say that would offend me, I have heard it all!! I was really thankful they had saved the seats...I didn't even ask them to do that, they did it on their own!

I love sitting by "experts" like that. It gives you some quality entertainment when you're waiting for the main event.

It happens with Disney World to me all the time, it just made me laugh that it was happening IN Disney World but about Hanson!

I hope you corrected him.

A sample of a coversation:

Guy: I just read that Taylor the middle one just had his 4th kid.
Me: 5th.


I wonder how far around the world she managed to drink before the show.

The more burning question is why did she bring a hairbrush into the park in the first place?

Fixed your typo.

Appreciated!