I made up the plan. It is MY plan! - A March 2015 TR - update 6/30 Epcot morning

[ksl5f123]

Love the finished products!! So pretty!! Sorry the room took so long to get ready...that is a bit of a pain!

Thanks! Their FGIT did a nice job. C's eye shadow was a little too dark for my liking, but it wore off quickly. I liked the rest.

I actually really liked seeing all of the pictures from the process ... by my first trip to Disney I was already too old for BBB, so I've never seen the inner workings of how it's done, and I enjoyed seeing that.
C looks like she was loving the princess makeover ... J looks a little more like a teen who is just doing this to indulge her mother.

The princess makeovers are great and the girls look beautiful!

Sorry to hear the room wasn't ready ... that's a bit of a bummer. At least you had somewhere to hang out and dump your bags!

They really have it down to a science. It is amazing how they can get different lengths and textures of hair to all look identical in that little bun! C did love it. She is my girly-girl. J insisted that she wanted to do it, but I think she just didn't wan't C to get something she didn't get.

That parking deck sounds awesome! I love the BBB pics! I am really looking forward to that on our trip!!

It is so fun! I love BBB. I am sorta sad that my girls will outgrow it soon.

I also liked seeing the pics of the girls in BBB! With 4 boys we never did it and never will.......unless we end up with granddaughters And boy am I hoping!

My girls were the first in 3 generations on DH's side (DH has one brother who has 2 boys, his dad has one brother who has one son, etc). MIL loves spoiling them - although BBB is my thing.

 

[ksl5f123]

When we left off, the girls were looking all pretty and we were getting ready for supper. We had a little extra time, so we decided to wander around the Contemporary for a little while.

Notice, J now has her bangs out. I do think it is a better look for her. Soon, it was time to hop on the resort monorail and head out for some food! We made our way to - The POLY!

We got there a little early, so we found some chairs and enjoyed looking at the new lobby. I bought D some children's Claritin to try and deal with his VERY itchy rash. It seemed to help him to stop scratching a little bit, but he was still really irritable.

About 5 PM, were were told we could head down to Luau Cove. We each received a lei and they took some group pictures.



It felt like quite a while before we were seated, but I think it was only about 15 minutes. As soon as we did sit down, the food arrived! The first platter is several salads

Here is the list of salads - Pineapple-Coconut Bread (YUM!!), Mixed Greens with Honey Lime Vinaigrette (good), Mango Slaw (OK), Soba Noodle Slaw (good), Fresh Pineapple (good)

The entrees soon followed. DH and FIL asked for the fish plate which they both said was good.

As seen in the above picture, D spent the entire evening asleep on FIL's shoulder. He missed supper and all of the show.

The entrees are: Aloha Pulled Pork (fatty and not very good), BBQ Pork Ribs (YUMMY!), Roasted Chicken (a little dry), Vegetable Medley (fine).

The storyline of the show is a little corny and kind of hard to follow. However, eventually they get to the part where they demonstrate dances from each of the Polynesian island groups. That is very interesting and lots of fun to watch. It was hard to take pictures from our spot in the shade out to the actors in the sun, but I tried.

The final course, which was served about 1/2 way through the show was a pineapple bread pudding. Several members of my family LOVED it, but it wasn't my thing. I generally don't do dessert unless chocolate is involved.

Beer and wine are included in this meal, so it was really nice to just walk to the monorail and get a ride back to the Contemporary when the show was over. We attended the 5:15 PM show which ended right around 7:30. I can't believe they turn over all those tables and do it again at 8 PM!

 

[irene_dsc]

I think I love that statue. So cute! We've never gotten to the Contemporary. Maybe someday.

And yes, I agree that that bangs + bun is a better look.

 

[SarahDisney]

I love that Mickey statue thing. Now I have to go to the Contemporary and see it for myself!

The dinner show looks/sounds really interesting ... but very pineapple-y.

 

[KathyM2]

Looks like a fun show!....I'm not sure the food would be my thing either...although the ribs do sound pretty good. And with your sleeping little one it's a good thing it was easy to get back after dinner!

 

[Gracefulskinny]

catching up! Good updates! Bummer that the little one was having such a hard time of things!

 

[KatMark]

Doing a quick fly-by trying to catch up before I leave.

I love the pictures at the BBB...so pretty are the girls.

I have the same pictures at the Contemporary of my kids in the ears of MM when we stayed there a gazillion years ago.

We've never done the luau...believe it or not. It looks like fun.

 

[ursalita]

T-Rex looks like a fun restaurant for the kids. I love their shirts! AoA looks beautiful!

Despite the rain it looks like you had a good day at AK. The meet and greets look so fun, love the pic of your son dancing with Daisy.

Oh wow. It must have been cool to see the birds just hanging out there. Your safari looked like fun, lots of animals up close. I remember the two-week bit from our safari last week, maybe the CMs change it up a bit to keep it interesting. We missed FoW, I'm glad you got the chance to do it. The trails are so interesting and the CMs really have a lot of knowledge about the animals.

Everything at Yak and Yeti looks and sounds so good! Oh, the pics of D with Goofy and Pluto are so precious!

That parking garage sounds so cool! I'd be geeking out about it, too.

I love seeing the BBB princess pictures so much! The girls look beautiful.

I'd love to stay at the Contemporary! The monorail and walk to MK is so great. Sorry D had a rash, poor guy! The luau looks fun!

 

[ksl5f123]

I think I love that statue. So cute! We've never gotten to the Contemporary. Maybe someday.

And yes, I agree that that bangs + bun is a better look.

The grounds of the Contemporary are just beautiful. We have gone there to take pictures when we were staying at Ft Wilderness in the past.
I agree, the bangs work better for her.

I love that Mickey statue thing. Now I have to go to the Contemporary and see it for myself!

The dinner show looks/sounds really interesting ... but very pineapple-y.

I love it too! It is just outside the back doors on the ground level as you head toward the pool. You should check it out!
Yeah, lots of pineapple.

Looks like a fun show!....I'm not sure the food would be my thing either...although the ribs do sound pretty good. And with your sleeping little one it's a good thing it was easy to get back after dinner!

The dancing was really entertaining and the music was excellent. The food was OK, but not awesome. The little guy slept through the whole thing. I planned this specifically for while we were staying at the Contemporary and just a monorail ride away! That was a great feature!

catching up! Good updates! Bummer that the little one was having such a hard time of things!

He has the worst luck! I have been off the boards this week because he broke out in another strange rash. It looked like a sunburn that blistered and it was all over him. Turns out it was just hives caused by a cold, but it took 2 pediatricians to figure that out!

Doing a quick fly-by trying to catch up before I leave.

I love the pictures at the BBB...so pretty are the girls.

I have the same pictures at the Contemporary of my kids in the ears of MM when we stayed there a gazillion years ago.

We've never done the luau...believe it or not. It looks like fun.

I hope you are having a great trip! They got some great BBB pictures. I am happy we chose to do it again.
We have taken pictures there a few times. The kids love it.
I would never have considered the luau but MIL really wanted to do it. It was fun, but certainly not something we need to do more than once.

 

[ksl5f123]

T-Rex looks like a fun restaurant for the kids. I love their shirts! AoA looks beautiful!

It is a fun place and it wasn't as loud as I feared. I really enjoyed making those shirts. Surprisingly, they were the only ones we didn't get any comments on.

Despite the rain it looks like you had a good day at AK. The meet and greets look so fun, love the pic of your son dancing with Daisy.

You never know with 2 year olds. I was so worried he would be afraid of the characters, but he jumped right in there and had fun!

Oh wow. It must have been cool to see the birds just hanging out there. Your safari looked like fun, lots of animals up close. I remember the two-week bit from our safari last week, maybe the CMs change it up a bit to keep it interesting. We missed FoW, I'm glad you got the chance to do it. The trails are so interesting and the CMs really have a lot of knowledge about the animals.

I was surprised to see the birds (macaws, I think). I know they aren't native so I don't know how they got there. We love talking to the CMs on the trails. I have learned so much from them

Everything at Yak and Yeti looks and sounds so good! Oh, the pics of D with Goofy and Pluto are so precious!

That parking garage sounds so cool! I'd be geeking out about it, too.

I love seeing the BBB princess pictures so much! The girls look beautiful.

I'd love to stay at the Contemporary! The monorail and walk to MK is so great. Sorry D had a rash, poor guy! The luau looks fun!

The food at Y&Y was good and they had a nice variety.
D loves Pluto. Right now he has plush Donald, Daisy, Mickey, and Pluto in his bed.
I can geek about anything. Cool technology in a parking garage - sure!
Thanks! C is really excellent at smiling for cameras.
I loved the convenience of the Contemporary, but it was a HUGE change from the theming at AoA. MIL asked which we liked better and I really couldn't answer which sounds strange since we were comparing a value to a deluxe!

 

[ksl5f123]

When we last left off, the luau had just ended. We had gotten a text about 30 minutes into it to come to the front desk at the Contemporary to receive our room assignment. We took the monorail back and stopped at the desk. They just wanted to test our Magic Bands for us to make sure they would work. All set, we headed up to our room!

This little day bed was just awesome. It was C's spot while we were here.

This was quite a change from the very intense theming at AoA, but at least this guy was in our room

We got into our room at about 8:30 PM. Our plan for the evening was to sit on our balcony and watch Wishes in our pajamas! Here is the view

Fireworks! This is another point were I was really missing my DSLR camera. So, sorry for the blurry pictures.

I was hoping that we would be able to hear the music. I read that they used to broadcast it on the television, but we couldn't find it. We could just barely hear it from where they pipe it in for one of the observation platforms.

As soon as Wishes was over, we were off to bed. We had an early morning planned the next day!

 

[KathyM2]

Wow, what a great view of the fireworks!! Too bad about the sound...but that is a huge draw for the CR, to be able to be in your room and watch Wishes...without having to stay late in the park....The room looks pretty nice and that daybed is great!!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I can imagine that being a bit of a juxtaposition on theming coming from AoA to the Contemporary. I liked it though it definitely doesn't scream Disney ... well, until you look out the window at least.

Sounds just wonderful to be able to check in and change into you pajamas and watch Wishes - very nice end of the day (despite lack of music)

 

[SarahDisney]

I love the pictures of the room! It may not be as over the top themed as AoA, but I love the little touches (like the pillows) and the modern look (the black tiles in the bathroom actually look like the same exact tiles I have in my bathroom at home...).
The view from the balcony is beautiful! It must have been amazing to go out and see MK! I'm sure it would have been great to hear the Wishes music, but it's definitely still nice to be able to see them from your room!

 

[ursalita]

Your room looks awesome. I love that pillow.

What a great way to enjoy the fireworks.

 

[KatMark]

Thank you...we had a great trip.

Wow...I've not stayed at the Contemporary in over 23 years...it sure has changed. What a great spot to watch Wishes from.

 

[ksl5f123]

Wow, what a great view of the fireworks!! Too bad about the sound...but that is a huge draw for the CR, to be able to be in your room and watch Wishes...without having to stay late in the park....The room looks pretty nice and that daybed is great!!

I really thought we would be able to play the music on the TV somehow. It was OK though. I loved the little daybed! It was a great addition to the room

I can imagine that being a bit of a juxtaposition on theming coming from AoA to the Contemporary. I liked it though it definitely doesn't scream Disney ... well, until you look out the window at least.

Sounds just wonderful to be able to check in and change into you pajamas and watch Wishes - very nice end of the day (despite lack of music)

Exactly. It is the view that makes it. Aside from a few hidden Mickeys (that the girls looked for obsessively), it could be a nice business class hotel anywhere - then you look out the window.

I love the pictures of the room! It may not be as over the top themed as AoA, but I love the little touches (like the pillows) and the modern look (the black tiles in the bathroom actually look like the same exact tiles I have in my bathroom at home...).
The view from the balcony is beautiful! It must have been amazing to go out and see MK! I'm sure it would have been great to hear the Wishes music, but it's definitely still nice to be able to see them from your room!

They have done a nice job updating it. I like the look. We had a pretty great view of the fireworks - no chance of seeing Tink, but the best part was not having to stake our claim or defend it. We had chairs and plenty of elbow room!

Your room looks awesome. I love that pillow.

What a great way to enjoy the fireworks.

The Mickey pillows were adorable. If they came in another color, I might need one.

Thank you...we had a great trip.

Wow...I've not stayed at the Contemporary in over 23 years...it sure has changed. What a great spot to watch Wishes from.

It was the first time for all of us. I am feeling a little spoiled by that theme park view!

 

[ksl5f123]

Well, it has been another busy week. The kids are down to just 8 more days of school! Of course, that means all of the traditional end of year stuff. All of my Girl Scouts bridged to the next level on Saturday and we had our big annual awards banquet on Monday night. We had the spring band concert on Thursday and the room mom for J's class put on a "We survived middle school" party tonight! Such fun and 39 of the 45 students were there!

Gabe and I are both done with work for the summer! OK, he will still go in and do research, but I am done. Hopefully, we will get a few things done around the house before the kids get out for the summer.

OK, back to the TR! We are now ready for Wednesday - our MK day! Of course, this was strategically planned so we could walk in from the Contemporary! It really is a very short walk! I think it took us only 3-4 minutes before we were where buses to the MK drop people off. Awesome!

We had a pre-park opening ADR at Crystal Palace at 8:20 AM. We arrived at the main gates just before 8 and were sent to the ADR line. Right at 8 AM, we were allowed inside and made our way down Main Street. It was very overcast this morning. We could barely even make out the castle from our room. The reason for a pre-park open ADR = pictures of an empty main street!

 

[ksl5f123]

We make our way up Main Street

and get checked in at Crystal Palace by about 8:05. We wait and take some pictures.

and then we wait some more. We finally get called in around 8:30. We were escorted to our table and informed that the characters work on a 90 minute cycle and that we should expect to be there at least that long! Um, no!! We don't work that way! We grab everyone some food and Tigger and Piglet quickly arrive.

By this point, it is already 8:50 and the streams of people outside have been going past for the last 5 minutes! We decide to let the kids finish eating, and then just go. We miss Pooh and Eeyore by doing this. MIL and FIL agree to stay behind and settle the bill. So, you may be wondering what I was thinking with this ADR. Well, we have done a pre-park meal at CRT before. We saw every princess, had our food served to us, and STILL got outside before rope drop! I made the very poor assumption that the same thing could be done at CP - nope! I wanted this ADR because we have eaten lunch there at each of our trips for the past 9 years. I have pictures of C, for example, at 8 months, 2 years, 4 years, 5 yeasr, 6 years, and 7 years old all at CP. It was a tradition to get pictures here. So, I wanted those, but we didn't want the lunchtime ADR, so I tried breakfast. It just didn't work for our style. If we go back, it will be for lunch.

OK, enough of that! The first attraction on our plan is Peter Pan! We arrive at 9:07 to a 25 minute wait! I am trying to hold it together, but let's just say this messes up the entire touring plan! Now, that said, the new queue is awesome!!! None of my pictures came out, but it was so fun to walk through the Darling's house and interact with Tink. It will continue to be a must-do for us!

We exit Peter Pan at about 9:25 and meet back up with MIL and FIL. The next stop on our plan was Winnie the Pooh which now has a 20 minute wait. Ugh. Don't let anyone tell you that those first few minutes aren't important!! We were only a few minutes behind getting to our first attraction, but we are now almost 45 minutes behind the plan and it isn't even 10 AM!

Looking on the bright side, D loves the queue here

and the big kids enjoy getting in on the fun!

Love this one!

Up next, we need a solution to our "WAY behind the plan problem". What do we cut?

 

[KathyM2]

Ugh...I'd be annoyed that the breakfast at CP took so long too...kills precious morning time in the park...sigh....But you at least got your pictures with some characters for tradition!