DIS-Meet Junior – June 2014 Girls Trip ~ Updated 1/21: See Ya Real Soon!

[Dugette]

Aria fell asleep on the short drive over and Izzy may have too - but they were both fast asleep in the strollers upon entering EPCOT.

I can't remember if Izzy was asleep on the drive, but I do remember her falling (back?) asleep while we dealt with the FP kiosks. Boring scenery knocks her out. Also, random, but my notes mention that Spaceship Earth had a long line, so we passed that up for the time being.

Not sure which one Dugette ordered, maybe the avocado?

I'm pretty sure you're right.

It was packed at that point and I don't think they wanted to let her back in but she convinced the CM that her DD was sleeping inside haha

Yes, they were NOT allowing anyone in and I had to explain "my baby is napping in there with my friend" and they finally relented, but I'm not entirely sure they were convinced.

We enjoyed our margaritas and the chips and the girls got a really good nap in

The only thing I remember about this time is asking for potty training advice. (Yes, we are super cool and fun! )

Looks like I may have purchased some things from Mouse Gear for her (I have a terrible tendency to buy her things while she is asleep).

I think you did. I remember I was on the phone with Dug inside and I'm pretty sure I saw you in the checkout line. Also, I am now realizing why Aria continued napping so well for so long over the years of Disney trips...

I took this photo. Them somehow we completely FORGOT to take our treats with us?!?!?!

Oh my gosh, HOW did we even take a PICTURE and still forget them?! I should have used that picture when I went to redeem them, as I'm pretty sure it was an ordeal with proving what we had purchased and showing receipt and the manager got involved.

Soon afterwards the girls started stirring and Dugette wanted to check out the "new" American Adventure restrooms she'd read about...well the ones we went into weren't anything special LOL but she figured out later that the neat ones are on the right hand side, and we went to the left. Oh well!

Yep, I had read in a TR that there were new American Adventure restrooms that were quite nice...but failed to realize they meant on the RIGHT side of the pavilion. Oh, and we did actually go there with a purpose other than looking at restrooms - the girls needed a wardrobe change.

We made it to France and started with Izzy and P!

Izzy's Papa is a retired French teacher, so this was the clear choice. She's also wearing her "Minnie in France" outfit.

RIP Maelstrom!

And hello FEA!

Is the troll gone now or did they keep him around?

This picture CRACKES ME UP. Look at that angry face.

I don't even remember Aria being in a mood, but clearly she is!

Another must-do was meeting Duffy!! Not sure if RIP Duffy works here as he still meets in a few locations but not at WDW or DL So sad!

I am so glad we managed to get in a meet with him on our Aulani trip in January! So far as I know, he still meets there.

Aw, they're so cute!

I guess Aria went up first

Yes, because Izzy was being character shy again. I have some video and will post in a bit. I had to shut it off to wrangle Izzy towards Duffy.

 

[Dugette]

Epcot Afternoon Pics & Video

A few bonus features to add...

Caramel apples and strawberries being made at Karamell Kuche:



We also had a Photopass photographer take some shots for us at the fountain in France (including some letter ones):







From Aria’s photo shoot, this one cracks me up:



It's a hat!

This one’s kinda funny too:



Just that look on her face.

Donald’s Boat Ride queue selfie (I think we had a short wait?):



I like how the lady behind us here is smiling for the camera:



Plus you can see Aria's sweet little Daisy. Maybe that's what you got at Mouse Gear, Lauren??

This one just made me laugh:



I think Duffy wants a hug!

And we have some Photopass from that too. This first one looks like she’s thinking, “I’m grumpy and I’m just going to lean on this giant bear”:



This one she appears to just be having an introspective moment, though:



And the group shot with border:



Finally, I have some video. I had to shut it off to go pick Izzy up and bring her near Duffy (apologies for the poor videography, as you hear me trying to convince her to come up and get a bear hug):

(click to watch)

Thanks for doing the update, Lauren!

 

[Dugette]

Shortest PTR Update Ever

I got a box in the mail today:



I know, one's missing:



We also broke out the bag of old Magic Bands and made our countdown chain. We have to wait another 5 days to start taking them off, though (only 17 MBs and 22 days to go). I did have this Frozen Advent Calendar I'd grabbed for dirt cheap on clearance a few years ago with the thoughts of using it for a trip countdown, so that one is up and we can actually use it right away:



Only 3 weeks and a day left for us!

Oh, one other note: the Jingle Bell Jingle BAM show and party started today. Based on initial reviews, I think I'm going to drop that party on our arrival night and just spend that day at Epcot. We'll see the show (without the party) the next night with Lauren and girls. The party just doesn't seem as worthwhile as the Star Wars one did for us. But, yay, that's $177 back in my pocket, which means I think I have enough Disney Gift Cards now to pay for the whole trip!

 

[Dugette]

Back to the future, I wanted to comment on our dining plans because, well, I'm really excited. We haven't been eating out as much lately as Maya is a peach (lol) and we've just been so busy we haven't had time! (Good dining near us requires going into the city, either Providence or Boston or so).

So I am going to look through the menus and comment about each restaurant, hope you don't mind! <3

Thank you for doing all these food updates - I love them! However, I need to go to bed, so I'll have to come back and comment tomorrow or something. I did read the DFB review of Minnie's Holiday Dine tonight, though, and there are SO many things that look/sound delish!

 

[FantasiaMagic]

Hi Duggette and Lauren! I am here and really enjoying your TR so far!

Main bedroom and master bath (Lauren and Aria):

Kitchenette, my bedroom, patio:

The condo is really nice! So spacious!

Waiting at the gate

She's so cute Lauren! I love her suitcase!

That's great you were able t get some pool time in that afternoon.

Aw! The poor thing looks a little scared!

Cinderella went over much better though!

Such a great shot with Cinderella!

I do remember the drinks a bit more:

Those look yummy!

OH, and here are the Photopass pictures from when we checked in:

Great group shot!

After the ride, what could be more fun than a toddler in a dump shop? TWO toddlers in a dump shop full of Pooh bears :

At least Pooh was getting a lot of love!

Looks like both girls felt it was important to have their hands on their faces for the group shot:

Another great group shot! Wow, back then I remember it being super hard to get A&E Fps, so thumbs up to you two!

Apparently, neither of us felt inclined to take Wishes photos (we both have just a few already…), so this is all we’ve got from this showing:

I know the feeling. Every time I see it now, I get a few "new" shots and I'm happy.

Great picture!

Another great shot!

You can see, Aria was thrilled to be taking photos.

Aw the girls look like such sweet little friends!

@Dugette is hilarious and added this funny border...

While Aria was checking out his tail

Tigger does have a great tail!

Izzy loved Dumbo:

Such a cute photo!


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am loving all the plans so far for your December trip - Especially the ADRs you have planned

Dugette, I also love all the outfits you have for Izzy - especially that Tsum Tsum dress. As for suggestions, for Minnie's Dinner, I think the obvious choice would be to wear something Minnie related, and for the Akhersus meal, maybe wear the Cinderella dress. I remember when I went there she greets guests, so that would be very cute!

Looking forward to reading more about the trip and PTR plans!

 

[FantasiaMagic]

I got a box in the mail today:

Just noticed you posted an update now, that is so exciting you got the Magic Bands!!! You are getting so close!

 

[Dugette]

Hi Duggette and Lauren! I am here and really enjoying your TR so far!

Thanks for coming over! You've been busy - I think I saw you comment on all my other TRs too!

The condo is really nice! So spacious!

I loved having all that space - very nice!

Those look yummy!

Great group shot!

Thanks!

At least Pooh was getting a lot of love!

He sure was!

Another great group shot! Wow, back then I remember it being super hard to get A&E Fps, so thumbs up to you two!

We stalked like crazy to get them! This trip was planned on such short notice (maybe a month or so?) that we were well within the window where they are gone. But we kept on hitting "refresh" and nabbed some...twice!

Aw the girls look like such sweet little friends!

I can't wait to get them together again, now that they can both interact at a higher level.

Such a cute photo!

Thanks! I had so many of that Dumbo ride - she was just grinning the whole time!

I am loving all the plans so far for your December trip - Especially the ADRs you have planned

It's going to be a ADR heavy trip for sure! Looking forward to it, though!

Dugette, I also love all the outfits you have for Izzy - especially that Tsum Tsum dress. As for suggestions, for Minnie's Dinner, I think the obvious choice would be to wear something Minnie related, and for the Akhersus meal, maybe wear the Cinderella dress. I remember when I went there she greets guests, so that would be very cute!

Thank you - I love that tsum tsum one too! I was actually just looking in Izzy's closet tonight and thinking the Minnie "Happy Holidays" tee would make a lot of sense at Minnie's Holiday Dine. And I like the Cinderella dress at Akershus...seems like the most appropriate place to wear it. I think that Belle was greeting when we went there in 2015, though. But still good!

Looking forward to reading more about the trip and PTR plans!

Thanks!

Just noticed you posted an update now, that is so exciting you got the Magic Bands!!! You are getting so close!

3 weeks from today!

 

[Dugette]

Garden Grill Dinner

We parked our strollers and headed into The Land to check in for our Garden Grill reservation. While we waited, I took Izzy into the nearby restroom and got her changed into a new outfit. My notes say there was a line – I’m guessing that meant that I had to excuse myself right by all the folks waiting for stalls in order to get to the changing table. Either that or I had to wait for a changing table – take your pick.

I put her in her Minnie dress, as we were doing the Character Spot later:



(In fact, this technically wasn’t a Minnie dress, it was just a non-Disney dress from Target that she got as a gift, but sure looks good next to Minnie in her red dress! )

This trip took place during a time period where the Garden Grill was, unfortunately, NOT rotating. I think they were fixing something or having some problems? I don’t recall anymore, but we knew going into it that it was probably immobile. Still okay, as we were there for the characters. We got a table near the entryway without much of a view. We were at one of the booths, as they are usually better for views – but in order to do that, I had to have Izzy sit in the booth instead of a high chair (no high chairs allowed at the booths). This ends up being a very messy meal for me and Izzy.

But starts off nicely enough with her calmly seated in her booster:



Aria changed into her Chip and Dale dress, of course:



Oh, well, here’s our view:



(Side note to Lauren: I have about a bazillion little unused sticky placemats like that leftover from those days – would they be useful for Maya? If so, I can bring some. I think they are princess and maybe Nemo themed?)

Our first character visit was Farmer Mickey, who made the unwise decision to try to sit next to fearful Izzy :



Aria was a bit more receptive to his kindness:





Izzy needed the safety of Mommy, apparently:



Our bread and butter arrived and I guess Aria approved:





And then Pluto came to pay us a visit:



This was apparently as close as Izzy got to him:



By the way, it seems I did not take any video of these character meets. I usually do, but I guess my hands were a bit full. Oh, well. I didn't take any of the Character Spot, either, due to holding Izzy.

Looks like our salad came, as well as Dale:





And this is where we start to see the chipmunk magic, as he even won over Izzy enough for a coveted high five:



I look pleased that Izzy handled that meet fairly well:



Also, our main food platter arrived:



Way off to the side, you can also see the kids’ platter with mac and cheese (topped with goldfish crackers), sweet potato fries, and I think broccoli?

I don’t know if Aria was being tickled or what, but she was clearly having fun :





And then Pluto returned for another visit:





The nice thing about that second photo is that, despite the lack of head, you can still tell who it is by the name tag.

Izzy started the interaction fairly eager to see Pluto:



And then it turned to fear :



It looks like she thinks he’s going to eat her or something.

Also, you can see she’s entirely on my lap at this point, which explains why I ended up covered in food by the end of this meal.

I think this is the wall with the Hidden Mickey that I have so much trouble seeing:



At any rate, Chip finally made it over and took the time to play with the crayons:



And give hugs:



Then eat his :



Say grace :



Okay, really, I have no idea what he’s doing, but my notes do say something about a green crayon being a hit with the kids.

And then he started coloring on Aria:



And one more smile for the camera:



And all of his antics earned him the prestigious Izzy High Five:



And, impressively, Izzy offered up her green crayon (now that note makes sense!):



Izzy was pleased with his acceptance:



Looks like he even got a second high five:



Chip and Dale really are miracle workers. Our best meets are often with them.

Continued in next post…

 

[Dugette]

Continued from previous post…

And then Farmer Mickey dared to give it another go:



Peek-a-boo:





I have no idea what went on, but it totally looks like Mickey hit her in the face here :



To my memory, he didn’t. She seems happy enough:



I like that the people being led to their table in the background posed :



I guess these two left on good terms:



And Dale came back one more time:



I guess Izzy just looked on this round:



And then it was time for dessert. Cobbler for the table:



And the girls got these great little chocolate mousse cones:



And I remember I ended up wearing some of Izzy’s, as did she.

It appears Aria was much more careful about handling her treat:



Just hanging out:



And then Chip stopped by one last time to say farewell:



The character interaction is always so great at Garden Grill. It’s a bit crazy and overwhelming, but very fun. I can’t wait to try breakfast here in a few weeks!

As we left, we saw that Living with the Land was closed, so we headed back out to the wet stroller parking. Aria was looking cool :



This trip really was all about ponchos and stroller covers:



We rode Nemo next:









Then the girls ran around checking out the aquarium for a bit:





And I mean literally running around the aquarium at times :



Izzy was having a good time:



And here you can see me capturing that good time :



Aria could reach this thing:



Izzy not so much:



We headed out of there soon and made our way to the Character Spot.

Up next: Mickey, Goofy, Minnie, and Spaceship Earth!

 

[Dugette]

Back to the future, I wanted to comment on our dining plans because, well, I'm really excited. We haven't been eating out as much lately as Maya is a peach (lol) and we've just been so busy we haven't had time! (Good dining near us requires going into the city, either Providence or Boston or so).

We haven't been out too much lately, either - except when my dad and step-mom take us out, like the other night.

I LOVE pretzel bread, so I hope they still have these

Mmmm, I love it too!

although they do have Caprese salad which I love.

Yum!

And a roasted butternut squash soup.

Also yum!

Going to skip right past the shrimp, the collard greens...the pork...Brussels sprouts...Maybe try some salmon.

I second this, but switch the pork and salmon. DFB said it was apricot pork - sounds good!

Ooh excited to try their pumpkin ravioli

Yum too!

Aria will ask for a plate ful of these

Izzy will too! She loves marshmallows and chocolate.

Plus for every meal I will carry around fruit/veggie pouches so she definitely won't go hungry!!

Makes sense at that age - I think Izzy really only nibbled on most stuff, but loved her pouches.

At the buffet are pastries, cheeses, etc. I've never found anything up there that Wowed me, but all still good and filling.

I like that they have cheeses up there. Something a bit different at breakfast.

Another option might be the AristoCrepes but it seems to open and close randomly, so not even sure it'll be open? I really enjoy crepes though - the Turkey one sounds good!

I just read something today about it re-opening with only the sweet crepes and another place at DS has the savory ones.

One further option is Frontera Cocina. I have a major hankering for Mexican food, so this would satisfy that very well. They have multiple guacamole options, a chicken tortilla soup, a chipotle chicken tostada, yummy tacos, enchiladas. I could find a LOT here!

I can't salivate too long over the cocktails but the food does sound amazing.

Queso fundido served with warm corn tortillas

Yum to all of this! I haven't read a full review or checked the menu yet, but I think I'd be on board with it.

I like to round out my plate with a croissant or two.

I just got half a leftover croissant at work yesterday.

Aria will likely enjoy a Mickey waffle, bacon and fruit (much more well-rounded, I think!).

Sounds like Izzy's plate too.

YES, baked dairy allergy means she can have that, I tried it out this weekend with no hives!! woohoo!

That's great!

The old go-to favorite (I've been ordering this since 2007?)
Sonoma Goat Cheese Ravioli - Tomato-Fennel Broth, crispy Mushrooms, Tiny Basil, Benziger Estate Olive Oil

I've had this too. I remember it being a really small portion, though - like one ravioli? But tasty!

This looks really good, but some of the other menu items appeal to me too. I have to figure that out for our pre-order.

Anyway, all this is to say, this pregnancy is kicking me in the butt because I can't DO or THINK or SMELL Asian, indian, etc. So Tiffins is sort of scaring me. But I'm going to go with it anyway!

I hope it works out well!

Chermoula-rubbed Chicken - Couscous, Dried Fruits, Picholine Olives, Preserved Lemon, Harissa Yogurt - $34.00

This sounds pretty good.

I haven't talked about this much (I'm feigning ignorance of the amazing cocktails at these places) but I am excited about Tiffins' non alcoholic specialties, which include a Zingiber Fizzie - passion fruit puree, mint, ginger beer, lime juice, and the Hibiscus Henna - watermelon, hibiscus, soda water, lime juice. Maybe I'll order both and share them with Aria (and Maya, not sure what she'll think of the fizz).

These sound great too!

Sometimes she can be a PITA eating out too (behaves well, but doesn't want to eat)

Yep, I get that. When my dad and stepmom took us out the other night, Izzy barely touched her food and spent the whole time coloring. And she drew an ice cream making machine.

However the options are fairly limited IMO, with family style servings of eggs, bacon, sausage, mickey waffles, potatoes, and bread?

I remember there being biscuits and fruit too. Last time, we asked for more raspberries for Izzy and they brought her a whole bowl!

I'll enjoy the potatoes and crossing my fingers they have some good hot sauce (not tabsasco).

Am I imagining it or did you say they can get sriracha from Kona?

mickey waffles (WITH a chocolate hazelnut sauce)

Mmmm, love chocolate hazelnut!

including lunchtime at H&V

Do you mean at the Studios? Not H&V, though.

 

[Imagineer5]

Thanks for the updates!! GG was a lot of fun, but definitely not easy w/ an under 2 yo not in a high chair for you. Thanks for already agreeing to a regular table to Maya can be in a high chair lol! Not sure how I would handle Maya in my lap trying to eat all my yummy stuff and trying to cut up aria's plate too. But, looking back at the food at GG, Maya would have loved the sweet potato fries and broccoli! I'll have to remember that for the next trip, depending on our breakfast here it might have to be visited twice - LOVE Chip & Dale too, I think they are the best characters for M&G's.

Glad the food post sounded yummy hahaha, I guess I was hungry at work!!

I mentioned asking for sriracha when we go to Ohana, knowing that Kona has it I am hoping that Ohana will give it too (vs the standard hot sauce). I used to carry around little packets of Frank's red hot sauce (which I also like) but the packets went bad and I never bought more of them. boo! I need to keep my eye out at places if they put out yummy packets of hot sauce though because they were really nice to have! Breakfast potatoes PLUS good hot sauce = heaven for me!! (I think I'll go look online to see what I can find lol)

Yes, sorry, I meant at DHS when we get there around lunchtime. The menu at the BDL doesn't look amazing (although I would be happy to swing by and hand you the TiW card if they'll take it) and I don't think either girl will be up for a sit-down meal anyway, but just something quick to grab. I looked at WDWinfo website yesterday and noted some things in each park that looked good (at CS places) - didn't find much at DHS, but Rosie's has a fried green tomato sandwich with jalapeno ranch supposedly, so I might veer that way upon entering. Either that, or a Mickey pretzel and popcorn lol!

oops, adding: I never really used the placemat things for aria so haven't even tried them for maya - but I do have a small stack to bring. thanks!

 

[FantasiaMagic]

Garden Grill Dinner

Garden Grill looked like so much fun!

I loved all the pictures with the characters and the food looked very yummy!
The aquarium seems like a great place for the little ones to let out some energy and run around for a bit!

Looking forward to reading more!

 

[Imagineer5]

Garden Grill looked like so much fun!

I loved all the pictures with the characters and the food looked very yummy!
The aquarium seems like a great place for the little ones to let out some energy and run around for a bit!

Looking forward to reading more!

Kind of funny to have GG dinner here and GG bf over on my tr, but characters were awesome both times!

Yes, esp in the rain, running around the aquarium is so much fun for kids. I can't wait to see Maya toddling around it now, I bet she will LOVE the aquariums.

 

[khertz]

Great update from Garden Grill. At least Izzy doesn't seem like she freaked out over the characters, even if she was a little wary of them. The dress is SUPER cute!! I have something similar for Delilah that I got from Old Navy, but the red isn't quite the right shade like Izzy's is. Adorable!

Okay, I'm so sorry, Lauren, but I just cracked up at those photos of Aria not cooperating with the letters. I'm sure that was frustrating at the time, but it makes for some funny photos now!

 

[Imagineer5]

Great update from Garden Grill. At least Izzy doesn't seem like she freaked out over the characters, even if she was a little wary of them. The dress is SUPER cute!! I have something similar for Delilah that I got from Old Navy, but the red isn't quite the right shade like Izzy's is. Adorable!

Okay, I'm so sorry, Lauren, but I just cracked up at those photos of Aria not cooperating with the letters. I'm sure that was frustrating at the time, but it makes for some funny photos now!

It's okay, I was cracking up at my desk too hahahah! it was REALLY infuriating at the time - I need Andrew to send me a photo of his DAD one to see which one I used lol. But looking back at the photos I get transported back to those moments and can laugh now Those looks she was giving me, wow!

 

[mousehappync]

Back from Disneyland and yours is the first report I am catching up on! What a fun trip-- and what DELICIOUS plans you have in a couple of weeks! YUM!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Obviously easy for me to say as not my trip but I think skipping the Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM dessert party for EPCOT and then just watching the show the next night. I mean, that is a decent chunk of change for something you aren't super excited about - hopefully your next trip they will have the Start Wars one back

The characters at Garden grill really are great - and the food we found to be pretty darn good too (though I do wish that was ice cream instead of juts whip cream on the cobbler at the end).

To bad it wasn't rotating though as, if nothing else, that can provide a periodic distraction for the kids

 

[Imagineer5]

Back from Disneyland and yours is the first report I am catching up on! What a fun trip-- and what DELICIOUS plans you have in a couple of weeks! YUM!

Thank you for catching up!! Dugette, you should check out her report! <3

Obviously easy for me to say as not my trip but I think skipping the Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM dessert party for EPCOT and then just watching the show the next night. I mean, that is a decent chunk of change for something you aren't super excited about - hopefully your next trip they will have the Start Wars one back

The characters at Garden grill really are great - and the food we found to be pretty darn good too (though I do wish that was ice cream instead of juts whip cream on the cobbler at the end).

To bad it wasn't rotating though as, if nothing else, that can provide a periodic distraction for the kids

Agreed, esp since we just added on the FoF Tiana's Riverboat ice cream social thing! LOL!

Ice cream on the cobbler would be much better IMO!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Agreed, esp since we just added on the FoF Tiana's Riverboat ice cream social thing! LOL!

Interested to here how the Riverboat Ice Cream social is. I like the concept but unsure how it will work out in practice as not sure of the view of the Parade from where the boat parks. And obviously not free so interested if you feel it is worth the cost

 

[Imagineer5]

Alrighty, Dugette left off with us heading out of the Seas, and over to the Character spot. I believe we had FP's for this and didn't wait too long.

Dugette was holding Izzy and she was excited to see her favorites right around the corner

Aria also was excited awaiting the upcoming meets

When it was their turn, Aria ran up to meet Mickey

Izzy started to then turned back around to Dugette..

But she got in there with her mom's help

Aria was playing shy with Goofy too, thumb sucking and all...

Pretty unimpressed by his hat

Izzy managed to get in there, was that a high five or just a happy smile

Oh yes there it is!

I think the CM was confused by our group, as another kid came up to meet Goofy in the middle of their meet.

Dad stepped in to take him away lol, but I think Izzy was done

And with Minnie, aria was a bit happier

Look at this GRUMP!

Until Minnie TICKLED her!!

And she finally got a smile out of her!

LOL I think she was amazed MINNIE was TICKLING HER!!

Izzy was excited to see her dress on Minnie, hehe

Aria was having fun with Minnie now!

She even went in for another hug

Our final stop for the evening was Spaceship Earth! No wait!

This is definitely a family favorite!

I was ready and waiting to take our photos of our future together...

But, apparently I don't exist in the future

Oddly enough I did make it onto the globe pics?

I think they had issues with Dugette & Izzys pics too

Back outside we took a few more photos

And made an attempt at some more letter photos

Those were apparently the best I got? Haha.

Photopass wasn't much better for Aria, Izzy was happy though!

Then Izzy wanted down and Aria was done. Plus some odd lighting by Dugettes head...

We hightailed it back to the car and headed straight for the condo and BED!!