Oh the places We Go, The People We see

[jenseib]

After chilling out near Norway for about 20 minutes or so, we decided to go and check into Akershus for our dinner. The line was darn long there too, but it did move fairly fast.



After checking in we waited probably less than 5 minutes for our name to be called.



We then got in line for Belle.







I decided this time I was going to be in the picture as well. I usually just have Claire do the photo ops, but I decided I needed to be in some here and there too.

I look pretty decent in the first one, but unfortunately Claire is looking away. This is the one they gave us in print form.



The 2nd one is much better of Claire, but I blinked ….darn it.



I walked away while Claire got her book signed and I was happy they took this one as well.



I tried to get one more pic, but it was pretty awful.



Belle really liked Claire’s outfit, which of course made her happy. This was another borrowed outfit from my friend Janet. I am so grateful for all the things she loaned us.

We were then seated and we made our way up to the cold bar and got a few items.



As we sat there I noticed that Cinderella had different hair. I quickly texted my friend Janet and tried to take pictures on my phone from afar. They weren’t great, but I gave her the idea at least. I know people are mixed about the hair and dress, but I really like the new hair.
I also found out that the wifi worked much better inside Akershus than anywhere else in the park that night.

It wasn’t long and Cinderella had made her way to our table. I eyed her hair quite a bit, and I really like it.





Aurora was on her heals and we had a meet with her next.





The music started and Aurora grabbed Claire’s hand. They were going to do a parade around the restaurant. I was happy that Claire actually joined in. She did kind of hem haw around about it at first.









When she came back, our food was served. She went wild again tonight and got a hotdog.



I had the Traditional Kjottkake. I had this last time too and I enjoyed it. It kind of has a kielbasa taste to it. However this time around it wasn’t quite as tasty as the first time. I enjoyed it still, but it seemed to be a little lacking this time. It didn’t lack later on though, where I continued to re-taste it for the rest of the night.



Ariel came next, another favorite of Claire’s.

[jenseib]

And then Snow White, who really liked Claire’s red bow.







After our character visits we enjoyed our dinner.



Claire’s birthday is in Dec and this was the closest we have ever been to Disney to that date, so I had noted her birthday on many of our reservations. They brought her out a cupcake.



And the dessert.



The chocolate mousse was delicious; the rice stuff just isn’t our thing. I don’t remember what the 3rd thing was. All ears lists as something apple, but I don’t remember if that is what it was or not. Nor do I remember if we liked it or not.

After we ate and paid we made a bathroom stop and then Claire wanted to head towards Spaceship Earth. While walking I think I texted our friend that we would be meeting up with for Illuminations.
We spotted the Cranberry Bog on our way.









We had just enough time to ride Spaceship Earth so we got in line.



I took pictures while on the ride, but they are basically the same ones I always take and these didn’t come out as good as some of my past ones, so I’ll skip posting those.
We did however have fun taking pictures of our silly pictures. I made a dumb face, but Claire went for the smile.









After we got off we went and looked for our pictures.





I emailed myself the video, which I don’t think I ever watched, but I might have. It’s been so long ago. I know I saved this picture off the email though.



We were running short on time now so we made another bathroom stop and worked our way towards world showcase. We saw a photopass photographer and made a quick stop.







Then we headed to find our friends. Tonight we were meeting up with my Dis/facebook friend Tim and family. (That’s nice is his Dis name) He has a daughter named Juliana who is a year younger than Claire and Claire has been dying to meet her as well over the years. They also have a son Christopher who was on his very first trip to Disney. Tim’s wife, Mel and his mother were also on this trip.
We texted back and forth and he told me where he was standing. I can’t remember for sure, but I think it was near the Greece food booth.
We arrived in the area and I kept looking and just didn’t see him. Finally I saw him. He’s pretty tall and I had seen a guy that looked similar to him but he didn’t have the “right” family with him, so I was pretty sure he wasn’t him. LOL.
We walked over and said hellos and he introduced us to his Mom and Juliana. Mel and Christopher were tired and had gone back to the resort.

Claire had taken off her Mickey ears, but Juliana had a pair on, so I noticed Claire going through the bag quickly to put hers back on.
Soon Illuminations had started, so we stopped talking and enjoyed the show.

[KatMark]

Great update, Jen. Too bad that you blinked and Claire looked away.

Is it me or are some of the Princesses NOT really looking like the princesses anymore?

I a so jealous that you got to meet Tim and Juliana. Tim was one of my very first DIS friends and I am determined one of these days we will hook up.

[Kathy Jetson]

That sounds like a really good day at Animal Kingdom! I'm sure it was all the better for Claire having a friend to share it with.

How brave of Claire to try EE! I haven't been that brave yet I'm afraid of stomach drops.

I'm so glad you got to see the Jingle Jungle parade! We saw it in 2007 and 2008 and I didn't get hardly any pictures of it. I hadn't gone digital yet.

[jenseib]

Originally Posted by KatMark

Great update, Jen. Too bad that you blinked and Claire looked away.

Is it me or are some of the Princesses NOT really looking like the princesses anymore?

I a so jealous that you got to meet Tim and Juliana. Tim was one of my very first DIS friends and I am determined one of these days we will hook up.

I have to agree. We saw some not so pretty princesses this trip. I thought our Cinderella here was pretty decent, but the rest were just meh. I think Aurora looked old and not very pretty at all.

Our meet was great. I was so happy to have the chance to finally meet up with him. I have had certain people on my hope to meet list and both he and Brook were on it and I have been lucky to meet both of them.

Originally Posted by Kathy Jetson

That sounds like a really good day at Animal Kingdom! I'm sure it was all the better for Claire having a friend to share it with.

How brave of Claire to try EE! I haven't been that brave yet I'm afraid of stomach drops.

I'm so glad you got to see the Jingle Jungle parade! We saw it in 2007 and 2008 and I didn't get hardly any pictures of it. I hadn't gone digital yet.

It was really a lot of fun to have her cousin with her. I knew she would like it, but I just didn't know how much till it came to the point of changing some plans so we could do more with them.

I love EE, but it does have a few tickle the tummy moments.

I love digital. It's so different now. Back in the film days I would bring like 2 maybe 3 roles of film and was very selective on what pictures I took and then only about half would com out decently. Now I can take 10 of the same thing and usually get at least 1 good one.

[jenseib]

Illuminations!!!!
I'm going to let you in on a secret. I like Illuminations, but I don't LOVE it like many people do. I also don't love Wishes. Ok stop throwing things at me!!!
I like them but they are not must sees. I do enjoy them when I see them though.
Here are a few of the pictures I took of the show this evening. We were under a tree, so it made it hard to get some photos and of course, without a tripod you cant get decent ones anyways.











After the big finale we all talked some more. I had a little gift for Juliana and I gave that to her and she opened the bag and checked out her goods. Claire and she seemed to be kind of at least interacting a bit. That was a nice change.

Tim then told me a bit of big news. Mel was pregnant with their 3rd child. I felt so privileged to have some inside info. I want to congratulate the happy family who recently gave birth to Gabriella! She's a real cutie! And he is a very busy dad these days too.

We then decided it was time to get a picture. We had his mom take them and it did take her a few minutes to get the hang of my camera, but she did a good job!



Juliana started playing with some things from her bag and she invited Claire to play along. It was so nice to see them getting along so well.



What was also nice is that Claire wasn't bugging me about leaving. She was having too much fun.

I think we chatted for about 20 minutes or so and then we decided it was time to get heading out. Epcot was thinning out fast. The girls didnt want to leave, which was a nice change, but they did come along and we all said goodbyes.

I was really happy to meet Tim. I have been following his TR's for a few years and we have been at Disney at different times, but sometimes only missing each other by a few days. He was one of those people I had on my bucket list to meet. He's a super nice guy and has a great family.

Claire and I then headed towards our backdoor exit.





We stopped and sat on a bench as I was going to call Skip again. We noticed fireworks in the distance. At first I wondered if they were MK fireworks, but the timing was not right and then I wasn't sure if that was even the right direction. Then I figured it might be something from Fantasmic. I have never seen it myself, so I wasn't sure. It was actually today while editing these pictures that I realized Hollywood Studios had closed that day at 4Pm for a private event. I bet these fireworks were something for that event.







I took a few pictures of the window nearby too. So cute!



I was excited to see Christmas décor at Epcot as well.



We both talked to Skip a bit. Claire is a daddy's girl and she was missing her Dad. Thank goodness we didn't have any major issues. Over the past 2 years she has come home from a few overnight stays around 11 PM because she can't sleep without Daddy's kiss. I've kissed the guy a time or 2 and I dont think it is THAT special. LOL



We then headed back to the Beach Club. I tried calling my parents again. I had not gotten any response from them at all and I wanted to be sure they knew which room we were in. It went to voicemail once again. I then called Geoff and asked if he had seen them. Yes he had and they were dropped off at our hotel quite a while ago after dinner. Ok, then. I am assuming they got my messages and were in the room.

We made the trek back to the room and sure enough they were there. Dad was watching tv and mom was sleeping. Mom wasn't feeling the greatest either. She was pretty sure she had a sinus infection.
I got Claire ready for bed and then myself. Now this is embarrassing. I took my jeans off and noticed a tag. You know the kind that has the size that is kind of sewn on the waist band or pocket. These jeans were new and I guess I missed taking that off. Oops. Hopefully my shirt and jacket had covered that up all night long. Thank goodness I didnt have the tape thing that runs down the leg with your size on it left on there. That would've been way more embarrassing.

I settled in bed and surfed facebook for a bit while Dad watched TV till late in the night. Well actually he falls asleep while watching it. I think I took over the remote to turn it off at some point in time.

It was a very long day, but we had so much fun. We woke up on a ship and now are back to another resort, my 5th pillow of the trip. Oh the Places We Go!
We met up with Tim, Juliana, and Tims Mom. It was a wonderful meet and it made my day. Oh the People We Meet!
We had another busy day coming up and I soon drifted off to sleep.

[MEK]

Caught up again!

I just love the AK Christmas parade. I think its my all time fav and I really enjoyed seeing your pics.

Hmmm- wonder why you never got a text about your ready room.

I guess the end of F&W is NOT the best time to go to Epcot. I remember it being pretty darn crowded there in late September on a Sat night.

Great princess pics of Claire. She really is starting to look grown-up. I love her outfit.

What? No spaceship earth pictures? I take them every time I go simply so I can post them, but sometimes it is nice just to enjoy the ride and not worry about camera settings.

[MEK]

Wait - now I'm really caught up!

Yeah for a DIS meet for Illuminations!

I love that shot on the way out - very nice! And the windows - just perfect.

Too funny about leaving the tag on your pants. totally something I would do!

[jenseib]

Originally Posted by MEK

Caught up again!

I just love the AK Christmas parade. I think its my all time fav and I really enjoyed seeing your pics.

Hmmm- wonder why you never got a text about your ready room.

I guess the end of F&W is NOT the best time to go to Epcot. I remember it being pretty darn crowded there in late September on a Sat night.

Great princess pics of Claire. She really is starting to look grown-up. I love her outfit.

What? No spaceship earth pictures? I take them every time I go simply so I can post them, but sometimes it is nice just to enjoy the ride and not worry about camera settings.

I took a few, but they just weren't great. The lens I had on isn't really good for dark pictures....and honestly I have edited so many dang pictures lately, I just didn't feel like doing those.

Claire is really growing up. I keep telling her to stop and she gives me the evil eye. It won't be long and she wil lbe taller than me. Which is her goal right now.

Originally Posted by MEK

Wait - now I'm really caught up!

Yeah for a DIS meet for Illuminations!

I love that shot on the way out - very nice! And the windows - just perfect.

Too funny about leaving the tag on your pants. totally something I would do!

I slipped another one in there!
I couldn't believe I had been walking around with the stupid tag on my pants for hours.

[Lovemy3babes]

First off I have to say that Claire seriously has the prettiest blue eyes! I noticed that in your photos today. She's a doll!

I think your Cinderella is very pretty! Your fireworks photos are awesome Jen! I won't say anything to you about not digging the fireworks if you don't say anything to me about not liking the parades. Shame, shame I know!

[KatMark]

Great Illimunations pictures; we never stay fo rit as it is our least favorite show, but your pictures turned out great. And how fun that Juliana and Claire hit it off. And good to see you got "proof" that you and Tim met up.

[JKSWonder]

Illuminations has never been our thing either. DS has never seen it though, so we are going to honor his request to see the show this time.

Usually, both kids have never been ok with the load bangs that go along with fireworks. I guess they are getting better with that now.

[ilovedevin]

I love love love Claires last dress it is so cute. That's what suck's about having boys no cute clothes like they have for girls.

[AquaDame]

Originally Posted by jenseib

We noticed fireworks in the distance. At first I wondered if they were MK fireworks, but the timing was not right and then I wasn't sure if that was even the right direction. Then I figured it might be something from Fantasmic. I have never seen it myself, so I wasn't sure. It was actually today while editing these pictures that I realized Hollywood Studios had closed that day at 4Pm for a private event. I bet these fireworks were something for that event.

If they went off around 10pm and were fairly short it might have been the start of the marathon! They blast a few off at the beginning for the runners - I am completely lost as to what day you are on though..!

I was one of those runners keeping you awake... sorry Jen!

[jenseib]

Originally Posted by Lovemy3babes

First off I have to say that Claire seriously has the prettiest blue eyes! I noticed that in your photos today. She's a doll!

I think your Cinderella is very pretty! Your fireworks photos are awesome Jen! I won't say anything to you about not digging the fireworks if you don't say anything to me about not liking the parades. Shame, shame I know!

Thanks. She does have beautiful eyes. When light hits a certain way they just sparkle. I am even jealous.
Thats ok, I know not everyone digs the parades ...they are wrong btw!

Originally Posted by KatMark

Great Illimunations pictures; we never stay fo rit as it is our least favorite show, but your pictures turned out great. And how fun that Juliana and Claire hit it off. And good to see you got "proof" that you and Tim met up.

I don't mind seeing it, but it's not a must do for us. We actually only started watching Illuminations on our 2011 trip. Skip has yet to see them. I know many years we saw it, or whatever they had back then in the late 90s when I took the older 2 but it was different.
It was a great meet up with Tim. He's such a nice guy.

Originally Posted by JKSWonder

Illuminations has never been our thing either. DS has never seen it though, so we are going to honor his request to see the show this time.

Usually, both kids have never been ok with the load bangs that go along with fireworks. I guess they are getting better with that now.

It is nice to at least see it once. Claire has always been ok with the loud bangs, but Alexis used to cry and cry as a child on 4th of July.

Originally Posted by ilovedevin

I love love love Claires last dress it is so cute. That's what suck's about having boys no cute clothes like they have for girls.

Thanks. That was a borrowed outfit from Janet (mom2rtk). I really socred with all the things she loaned me.
Not all girls like to dress up though. My oldest DD, Paige, was a jeans shorts and tee kind of kid. I tried and tried. now at almost 21 she likes to dress up though.

Originally Posted by AquaDame

If they went off around 10pm and were fairly short it might have been the start of the marathon! They blast a few off at the beginning for the runners - I am completely lost as to what day you are on though..!

I was one of those runners keeping you awake... sorry Jen!

This was the 8th. I don't think there was a race this day, but i could be wrong. It was around 9:30. I know on the 10th we heard a race and it was LOUD. I can't remember if there were fireworks off the top of my head (though I know once night we did watch random ones go off it was the 9th or 10th) but the DJ or announcer guy was so loud and lots of music playing and we could hear people cheering. I checked twice to see if our sliding door was truly shut tight because it was so loud.