Escape from the North - A Week at the Yacht Club - April 2015- Complete* 1/5

[kastoney]

I'd fallen behind (dang work), but I'm all caught up now.

Aidan's scared face looks completely sarcastic. I really committed to the whole thing but everyone else just phoned it in.

Love this. Maybe the eye roll was really him just looking up at the ghosts ; )

Bear grease. That's the answer.

That's what I've been missing all these years. Gotta get me some of that.

One of the ways I got the boys to agree to meet Merida, aside from guilt and threats, was the fact that they would get to try out a bow and arrow and shoot at a target.

How cool. We've never met Merida (my daughter is just figuring out who she is) so I didn't even know this existed.

They're terrified!

Scary for them, but hilarious pictures for us. Total blackmail picture for future years

We loved this! But I think I would enjoy listening to Morgan Freeman recite the phone book.

Go you getting some culture in

Sammy had jumped on the bandwagon and purchased a Pluto hat for signatures.

This is great. Now I want one

Love all the topiary pictures. So beautiful.

 

[cinderkelly]

Holy update palloza, I'm behind !
Just a couple of comments before my pre menopause brain forgets what I just read....
Love your PP pic in front of HM, it's always the mom that gets most into the acting isn't it? Exactly the same with our family!
I'm a big Merida fan too!
The pic of you all on 7dMT cracked me up! You were all " heck yea, this is amazing!" And your boys were all " get me off this crazy thing!" I love it

 

[ursalita]

Yeah. That's it. His camo works too well. It's not that I'm an idiot. Sure. Let's go with that.

Yeah, he's supposed to blend into the ground. It's not your fault.

Looking forward to hearing more about Epcot Sorry about your IRL house troubles....it can be really hard to find people to do the work..at a fair price...and also do what they say they will...shouldn't be that way...but sadly...often is. Good choice of FP+ for Crush....Epcot is a tough one to figure out what to use your FP+ on...

The tier system for Epcot FPs definitely makes it tough.

But.... I read the above and the first thing that pops into my (admittedly warped) head?
"Trouble with renos, so she sold it all and bought a complex."

Meh. Some day, someone's going to ride it with a hangnail and somehow try to sue Disney. Then they'll add that to the list too.

Maybe someone will spill hot coffee on themselves while riding.

For the screaming, I presume?

That or the grabbing.

You're expecting a good ride, right?
And I love the hair. It looks (and is) windblown by the ride.

Windblown. Sure. We can go with that.

While you had crème brulée I hope?

Sadly no. I don't do sweet for breakfast.

:: "Empty fountain"

It was full but the area was empty.

I'm surprised they allow guests to dig in the garden.

You were having fun with my word choices.

Good luck finding a contractor. We've found that since lots of people went out of business during the recession, now anyone good is totally swamped. You may need to be patient, ashard as that is. Direct referrals may help, so keep asking around.

Thanks. I'm finding that many of the guys here are doing roofs and other repairs from the awful winter we had. I've gotten 3 estimates so far so I think I'll have to go with that.

As for coincidences, that is too funny! Especially the matching hats! I was ssurprised we didn't see anyone we knew, considering it seemed everyone in Illinois was down there for spring break! (We did run into a family from school on our first trip.)

I guess I shouldn't be too surprised we saw someone we knew since everyone was on spring break. But the classmate and the hat at around the same time was pretty funny.

 

[ursalita]

I feel your pain though. Our house is even older than that. We aren't sure exactly how old, but it has been added to over the years and we think the main part of it might be pushing 150+ years old. That also happens to be where our kitchen is now located. And it needs some major work.

Old houses are beautiful the way they made them back then but they definitely have issues that a lot of contractors don't like dealing with. We updated our kitchen a few years ago and I love it. It's not an easy process but I cook a lot so it was worth it.

Well, I'm glad you finally had a chance to ride it! Always one of my favorites!

I'm glad I got a chance to ride a classic, it was so fun.

Nobody's perfect.

Don't I know it. I was a Red Sox fan when we met and it was fun for awhile but I eventually stopped following them because Jamie is sooooo into the Yankees.

I don't think I mentioned it, but I think I still have an old Goofy hat at home that my parents got me on a trip when I was 4.

That's awesome. I wish I'd kept more things from when I was a kid.

So sorry for all the home repair drama...ugh!! We just had our carpets cleaned and new furniture delivered for our living room and that was enough of a headache...I can't even imagine the stress of major home repairs!

Glad you got enjoy Space Mountain...it's one of my favorites. Your pictures of Epcot are beautiful!

It's all stressful! It's a classic and I'm glad I got the chance to do it. Thank you!

Good luck getting a contractor!! We are in the process of finishing our basement, which is about a ten by ten area and it's taking us forever so we might look into getting someone to do it for us.

Glad you got to ride SM!! We love that ride!

Love the morning pictures of EPCOT. I have a lot of the same pictures coming up in my next update! Love the fun ones of the family, those are the best!

We can tackle small projects ourselves - we just installed some new closet doors - but we leave the bigger things to professionals. It's awesome that you guys are handy enough to work on that stuff yourselves. I'm so glad I got a chance to ride the classic! Thank you! The topiaries are so beautiful.

Love this. Maybe the eye roll was really him just looking up at the ghosts ; )

Ooh, that's the story I can tell him later!

That's what I've been missing all these years. Gotta get me some of that.

If that would make my curls look like hers I'd consider getting myself some.

How cool. We've never met Merida (my daughter is just figuring out who she is) so I didn't even know this existed.

It was a fun meet and then the kids get to shoot a bow and arrow.

Total blackmail picture for future years

I hadn't thought about that but you're right.

Go you getting some culture in

I can tell Aidan's teacher that he missed 2 days of school to learn about the presidents.

This is great. Now I want one

Great for shielding the sun and covering the frizz.

Holy update palloza, I'm behind !
Just a couple of comments before my pre menopause brain forgets what I just read....
Love your PP pic in front of HM, it's always the mom that gets most into the acting isn't it? Exactly the same with our family!
I'm a big Merida fan too!
The pic of you all on 7dMT cracked me up! You were all " heck yea, this is amazing!" And your boys were all " get me off this crazy thing!" I love it

I've been updating fast because I don't want to forget anything.

I think I was critical of Memory Maker but we did get some great pics.

 

[ursalita]

It sounds like you had a pretty good day at MK despite the rain and wet shoes - yuck! Hooray for getting to see some of the opening show. Getting that timing right is SO hard!

It was a great day. We definitely had our timing off because we'd always been close to MK when we stayed at WL. We should have been earlier to account for delays. Maybe next time we'll do better.

I have never seen pictures of the Fantasyland Goofy and Donald. I guess it is magician themed. Donald looks odd to me with that big hat. I can't decide if I like it.

I like that they do the different outfits so even though you're meeting the same character it feels a bit different. But I definitely see your point, the original character is more appealing for sure.

I LOL at the boys wanting to stay at the GF because it is fancier, because you had the much cooler pool!

I was so surprised that they were even interested in that stuff. They kept asking about where we were going to stay next time. We talked about all of the possibilities and I think they'd be happy with anything. We won't be at GF so I hope they aren't too disappointed.

I am glad it was easy to get the MB replaced. It is tough for kids without sensory issues to keep track of those.

I thought so, too. I would think they'd have a work around for kids who can't/won't wear it. I did see parents wearing two bands or have them attached to their park bags. I didn't do that so I can't speak to it but the CMs are probably pretty flexible with the kids FPs.

"Bear grease" - that's creative!

I think it was her handler who came up with that one.

The boys certainly looked *concerned* on SDMT. I am glad they joined you though.

I love those pictures so much! I think Sam actually enjoyed the ride.

Sorry about your shrimp dinner. My kids have been stealing my food since day 1. I almost never get all of my own food.

I'm used to it. Sammy ate my lobster on Xmas Eve.

I am pretty impressed that you managed an "8 AM open until the parade" day. That would be about 13 hours, right? It looked like a pretty fun day - you hit attractions in every land I think!

Yeah, I think we did pretty well considering how hard the day before was. We probably should have take a mid-day break to put on dry shoes but it worked out ok.

 

[Elevationist]

I love this picture! You look like you're having so much fun!

The hat he was wearing was the Single-A Charleston RiverDogs so I thought it was pretty unusual that he met someone with the same hat. What a small world!

The irony here for me is that the Riverdogs are one of our home teams in this area. Charleston Riverdogs an hour and half to the north, and the Savannah Sand Gnats an hour to south. I see their hats and tshirts all the time. If I had passed all in the parks and seen his hat, I would have just assumed ya'll were from my neck of the woods!

We headed over the bridge towards France to get breakfast. I'm pretty sure I'm required to post this:

As many times as I've passed this, I've never stopped to get the shot. Next time!!

I also took some selfies that I posted to Facebook to make my friends jealous.

This is the the BEST, isn't it?

Aww, somehow I missed this topiary. He's so cuuuuuute!

 

[pkondz]

That or the grabbing.

You were having fun with my word choices.

I always do.

 

[ursalita]

Day 4
Epcot Part 3

Before I start this next update I was wondering if anyone has made photo books of their trips to Disney and if so what site they would recommend. I've always made albums of our trips. The first two years I bought Disney albums, last year I made my own with some Disney stickers from a craft store. This year I'm thinking about a photo book but just some browsing around on the sites has me pretty overwhelmed. Just wondering if anyone has any advice...

So when we last left off we'd walked to Future World from the World Showcase. We hadn't tried to be early on this day but the park looked empty as we entered.



Our first FP was for Turtle Talk with Crush. This was one of my must-dos since we'd never done it and I thought the kids would enjoy it. They didn't. I think it was the fact that it wasn't a ride and the long wait but they were really cranky when we entered and they were still cranky when we left. They were seated up front and I'm pretty sure I saw Sam put his hand up but he didn't get to ask a question.

There really aren't that many options for FPs at Epcot but I didn't think this was a good choice. When we arrived a group had just gone in so when we entered it was fairly empty. But once you were let into the "holding area" there was no designation between FP and standby so by the time we entered the theater and everyone had pushed their way to the front we ended up with bad seats. The boys were way off to the side and we were way in the back. I don't care where we sat but I wish they hadn't had to sit at the very edges and probably weren't very visible. I don't have a problem with how they do it I just don't think it's a good use of a FP. Then again, there aren't many choices at Epcot anyway. I don't know if that makes any sense.

After the show they were too cranky to explore the Seas so we headed to:



For our Soarin' FP. I'd ridden this with Aidan 4 years ago and I thought everyone would enjoy it since there aren't any drops. We were a little early so we hung back for a few minutes before we headed in and watched some entitled guest behavior.

When it was our turn we headed in and were lucky enough to get the front row. Unfortunately the boys got scared over the warnings so when they let us into the ride this is pretty much what happened:



They disappeared. So a rode it by myself and there were a few empty seats next to me. I had an amazing time. I was reminded of what an awesome ride it is! When I exited the ride a CM ran up to me and gave me a rider switch pass (I think that's what it's called) so we could ride it again. I thought that was so nice of her since I hadn't asked for it.

What happened is that Aidan started to get a little nervous. Jamie agreed to take Aidan out the exit and at the last minute Sammy decided to go with Daddy instead of staying with me. Jamie works long hours and I'm a SAHM so I totally understand them spending extra time with him.

I exited the ride and found that Aidan was in tears. He's really sensitive and he felt bad about leaving me on the ride by myself. Of course I wasn't upset with him because I don't blame him for being scared. Next we rode a ride we all - if not enjoyed, at least tolerated.



This was around the time we hit a low point in the day. Aidan was still a little bummed and Sam was cranky. We had a little time to kill before our next FP at Character Spot. They wanted to ride Spaceship Earth but the wait was something like 30 minutes. We browsed around Art of Disney.



Love this!

When it was time we headed into the line for Character Spot. Sammy was whining at this point because he didn't want to meet characters. We'd already met Mickey and Goofy and I was sick of listening to him so we just walked out the way we'd come.

It was at this point I decided that a distraction was in order. I led them into Club Cool and poured Sammy a cup of Beverly.



He liked it! He didn't like it exactly but he didn't hate it and didn't make a face. He tried a few sips and when I tried to get him to sample some more he said he didn't really like the soda. I had to tell him they didn't all taste like the first one.

Aidan enjoyed trying them, too.



I've never seen these before.



This was just enough to put the day back on track. We headed over to the WS to spend the afternoon exploring the countries and sampling the food booths.

On the way we stopped at one of the DVC booths. I can't remember why, I think maybe the boys spotted some pins. DVC is something I've considered and researched a little so we chatted with them. They explained that we could go see a presentation and the boys would be offered ice cream IIRC. They could pick us up anywhere and drop us back of about an hour later. In return they would give us 4 FP. Unfortunately I had all our days pretty planned out so we declined but I wish I'd known about it that first day because the FP would have come in handy.



We started off in Mexico. We didn't like anything on the menu at the food booth so we headed into the Mexico pavilion and browsed around a bit. We rode the Three Caballeros ride and spotted these guys:



I've reached my picture limit.

Next up we continue exploring the World Showcase.​

​

 

[irene_dsc]

Thank goodness for Club Cool, is all I can say!

 

[KathyM2]

I know what you mean about not knowing what to do with your FP+ at Epcot...I'm trying to figure that out...sigh. You had some ups and downs on this day it seems!! I guess it happens, sadly even on vacay lol. For photobooks...I use Mixbook.com....and I love it. Every year, I make an album and then at Christmas I order copies for us and all our family of our yearly album. I do my best to keep up with working on it during the year and then in December it's not a lot of work to order. I also like it because there is no software to download and once your pics are uploaded you can work on it from any computer. I'm not sure if this will work...but hope so..if you want to see our album from last year just out of curiosity

 

[Sailormoon2]

All caught up. I love how cleverly you keep refocusing your sons!!!

 

[SarahDisney]

It looks like I'm expecting in this photo and I won't even mention the hair. The ride was awesome, I'm so glad I got a chance to do it. I thought I'd get to ride EE solo but Space Mountain was a great alternative.

Yeah, Space Mountain pictures aren't always so great ... but I'm glad you enjoyed!

They'd also met someone with the same hat as Jamie. Some background: Jamie's a rabid Yankee fan and he has caps for all of the Yankee farm teams. The hat he was wearing was the Single-A Charleston RiverDogs so I thought it was pretty unusual that he met someone with the same hat. What a small world!

That's crazy!
I can't believe I didn't catch that he was wearing a RiverDogs hat ... that's one of the few teams I haven't seen, so maybe that's why I didn't recognize the logo (although I have seen the logo in programs from the teams I've been to).

I got some pics of the topiaries here.

I love all of the pictures!

I also took some selfies that I posted to Facebook to make my friends jealous. They let me know that it had snowed at home that morning. We were so smart to go to Disney.

"When it snows at home" really is the best time of year to go to Disney!

The bright sun was really bothering Sam.

Poor Sammy! I hate when that happens ...

There really aren't that many options for FPs at Epcot but I didn't think this was a good choice. When we arrived a group had just gone in so when we entered it was fairly empty. But once you were let into the "holding area" there was no designation between FP and standby so by the time we entered the theater and everyone had pushed their way to the front we ended up with bad seats. The boys were way off to the side and we were way in the back. I don't care where we sat but I wish they hadn't had to sit at the very edges and probably weren't very visible. I don't have a problem with how they do it I just don't think it's a good use of a FP. Then again, there aren't many choices at Epcot anyway. I don't know if that makes any sense.

The FP+ system at Epcot is rough, and some of the attractions it doesn't really seem to help much.
We usually do Spaceship Earth & Character Spot, but you don't always need it for Spaceship Earth ... it's a rough decision to make.

He's really sensitive and he felt bad about leaving me on the ride by myself. Of course I wasn't upset with him because I don't blame him for being scared.

Poor Aidan!

This was just enough to put the day back on track.

Yay! It's definitely rough when the day goes bad, but it's always nice when you can get it back on track!

 

[Glittercat]

I thought it would be interesting (for me which means you guys have to suffer through it ) to compare what my plans were for each day and what we actually did.

Terrific idea!

I was tempted to tell them it was because I burned my fingerprints off that time I robbed a bank.

I overheard a CM saying "Happy Earth Day." I hadn't planned it that way but it was perfect to be at AK on Earth Day.

How absolutely awesome to be at Animal Kingdom on Earth Day!

Then we got some photos:

Great photo of all of you!

We stopped at Pizzafari for some breakfast.

We may try it for lunch on our AK day!

Then we were lucky enough to see this guy:

He's new to the park, I think the CM said he's been there for a few months. They are trying to get the females used to him. I believe she said he came from a zoo in Portland where he'd been a successful mate so they're trying him out here.

So that's where our tiger went!

The birds were pretty but a couple of them dive-bombed my giant freak head.

Umm please note: yes the bird looks pretty but you have a lovely normal sized head not a giant freak head.

Their safety speeches are a version of this:



It's funny but the attitude continues throughout the flight. It borders on rude.

I would be irked by that, can't abide rudeness even if in "jest." When I flew to Vegas this was this was the Safety announcement...

It was great fun, and everyone on board the plane was friendly and sassy some of them even danced! Truly the best flight I ever have had!

He also talked about the 4 Northern White Rhinos left on the planet who are under armed guard 24 hours a day. It is so sad.

I did not know this.

A least Sammy stopped complaining for a little while.

lol I have one go those too, only he's 9 now

I was on a mission to see a gorilla and nothing was going to stop me.

Love this!

I really wanted to see a gorilla as they are one of my favorite animals. I love them.

Awww

I was mortified but also kind of happy that he used the word in the proper context.

You guys. I can't believe I was lucky enough to see this!!

How perfectly sweet!

I loved this ride. I was laughing the entire time but the boys and Jamie were not fans. Poor Aidan was terrified. When we got off the ride he said, "When I saw that big dinosaur my mouth went completely dry." I felt bad that he was scared but it was funny.

Hehe I get this, Dinosaur is a fun ride, my family did not love it as much as I did!

Goofy offered to sign Aidan's hat which we hadn't thought of but it kicked off a hunt for signatures.

What a terrific souvenir!

but Jamie said that since I'd really wanted to see a show we should go to FOTLK and the boys could just deal with it. Gotta love that guy.

It sounded something like this: "Turn the thingy and then press that doohickey right there."

hehe my daughter understands this language as well i can "thingymabob" and 8 times out of 10 she knows exactly what I'm referring to!

It was a beautiful night and I wrote at the end of my notes for the day, "I am so happy!" I wish I could bottle that feeling.

I also underestimated how long it would take to get to MK by bus. I think this was because we'd always stayed at WL and it's a lot closer to MK. It looked like we weren't going to make it for the welcome show. That's when one of my favorite moments of the trip happened.

I try not to post pictures of strangers on Social Media but I can't not share this. The girl sitting next to them started talking to them about their pins. She gave them two pins each and spent the whole bus ride listening and talking to them. Not once did she look over for me to translate something Sammy said (this happens a lot). I just sat back and enjoyed watching them. I could tell they felt really special.

We ran into her later in the day in line for a ride and I finally had the chance to talk to her. I told her how great she was with them and wondered if she worked with kids because if she doesn't she should. She was a lovely person. Aidan told me later that he felt sad because when you make friends at Disney you never see them again.

truly magical moments! (also i have the shirt she's wearing)

And were quickly told to stop climbing the statue.

While I was there the walls didn't bother me too much but they really stand out to me in the photos.

such a fun picture!

We were passing through the castle and I took a little time to admire these:

oh my goodness so pretty!

Sammy found another Stitch stuffy that he wanted. He was trying to build a Stitch army. The CM that rang up his purchase knew a lot about Stitch and explained that the more Stitches there are the weaker they get. IDEK.

I'm a huge Stitch fan too I understand his collection. lol.

I am happy to report that I had the best score by a lot.

Something about this game just brings out the competitive nature in everybody! I like to beat my family at it too!

He stayed cranky through the show and refused to admit that he liked it. I did catch him reaching out to touch the 3-D images.

hehe.

Up until now the boys were sure that we were staying at the "fanciest" resort. They quickly realized that GF was fancier and they want to stay there next time.

GF has a 24 HOUR POOL!!! For that reason it is on my dream wishlist now!

Pirates had a short wait so we visited this guy:

Even animatronic Captain Jack is handsome and full of personality!

Once the parade had passed we continued on to the Haunted Mansion. We got this family photo on the way out.

This photo totally makes Memory Maker worth it!

We then stopped and used the famous Tangled facilities and I snapped a required photo:

.

Oh no is this really all there is for Tangled? Bathrooms? *cries a little*

It was now I decided that I was going to meet a princess and the boys would just have to deal with it. I really wanted to meet Merida because we have some things in common. And I thought they would enjoy it because they could try out a bow and arrow in the queue.

Aidan was irritated that he had to meet a princess and I loved how she responded:

love her attitude!

By the end of the meeting she'd charmed both of them:

Adorable!

I was very anxious to ask her how she managed her long, curly locks in the Florida humidity.

Bear grease. That's the answer.

Such a cute photo!

One of the ways I got the boys to agree to meet Merida, aside from guilt and threats, was the fact that they would get to try out a bow and arrow and shoot at a target. Boys and their weapons. What are you gonna do?

Unfortunately I didn't get to see Aidan's shot because I was still crushing on a princess but I managed to see Sam shoot.

Now that is the right kind of interactive queue! The kids and I shoot, but my daughter is by far the best of us!

The CM goes, "It says here that you're 7 hours late."

Maybe that CM had just clocked in because she seemed to have no clue what was going on. Another CM let us through and by the time we reached the 2nd kiosks our bands were green.

Glad they honored it and fixed the mistake. (also Jennifer Lawrence GIF love)

They're terrified!

Sam actually enjoyed it, he told Jamie it was awesome. Aidan said he needed some time to get the spit back in his mouth.

We loved this! But I think I would enjoy listening to Morgan Freeman recite the phone book.

totally understand this

I like this one because Aidan was trying so hard to get Goofy to see him in his Goofy hat and when Goofy waved at him he was thrilled!

awww!

I felt that I was starting to get blisters and Aidan already had one. I was really hoping that this wouldn't put a damper on our trip.

Ouchie! Did you have moleskin? I carry cut up pieces for Walkers friends, family, and sometimes strangers that look like they are walking on hot coals.

We didn't stay for Wishes because feet.

This guy gave me a giggle! Love that expression!

When it was our turn we headed in and were lucky enough to get the front row. Unfortunately the boys got scared over the warnings so when they let us into the ride this is pretty much what happened:

They disappeared. So a rode it by myself and there were a few empty seats next to me. I had an amazing time. I was reminded of what an awesome ride it is! When I exited the ride a CM ran up to me and gave me a rider switch pass (I think that's what it's called) so we could ride it again. I thought that was so nice of her since I hadn't asked for it.

FUN!

I exited the ride and found that Aidan was in tears. He's really sensitive and he felt bad about leaving me on the ride by myself. Of course I wasn't upset with him because I don't blame him for being scared. Next we rode a ride we all - if not enjoyed, at least tolerated.

What a sweetie.

He liked it! He didn't like it exactly but he didn't hate it and didn't make a face. He tried a few sips and when I tried to get him to sample some more he said he didn't really like the soda. I had to tell him they didn't all taste like the first one.

he LIKED Beverly *shudder* I think I can still remember the taste from almost 5 years ago! When we go back though I'll taste it again.

So, caught up with your fabulous picture filled trip report, and loving it! Have a great day!

 

[ksl5f123]

I think his non-reaction to the Beverly is pretty funny just because it is so unexpected. I am so happy that turned your Epcot day around.

I have to say, I am not a big fan of Turtle talk. We always seem to get in the show with the kid with a 20 minute long story before he gets to his question. Ugh!

Too bad you all didn't get to ride Soarin' together. Given that I do it, it really is a mild ride.

 

[afwdwfan]

Our first FP was for Turtle Talk with Crush. This was one of my must-dos since we'd never done it and I thought the kids would enjoy it. They didn't. I think it was the fact that it wasn't a ride and the long wait but they were really cranky when we entered and they were still cranky when we left. They were seated up front and I'm pretty sure I saw Sam put his hand up but he didn't get to ask a question.

I'm sorry they didn't really enjoy it. I can see that though. It is a fun show, but if you're standing the whole time a show is in waiting for the next one it can be frustrating. And I totally get how they felt about it not being "a ride." Sometimes you just aren't in the mood for a show.

I also kind of wondered about Aidan... did he feel like it was something for younger kids, or was he ok with the concept... you know, aside from the other reasons mentioned?

There really aren't that many options for FPs at Epcot but I didn't think this was a good choice.

Totally agree. I don't think it is something you're typically going to need one for anyway. And if you would need one, I think I'd be ok skipping it.

I don't have a problem with how they do it I just don't think it's a good use of a FP. Then again, there aren't many choices at Epcot anyway. I don't know if that makes any sense.

Definitely makes sense.

We were a little early so we hung back for a few minutes before we headed in and watched some entitled guest behavior.

OOOOH!!! Entitled guest behavior???? Do share!

When I exited the ride a CM ran up to me and gave me a rider switch pass (I think that's what it's called) so we could ride it again. I thought that was so nice of her since I hadn't asked for it.

Well, that was nice of them!

I exited the ride and found that Aidan was in tears. He's really sensitive and he felt bad about leaving me on the ride by myself. Of course I wasn't upset with him because I don't blame him for being scared.

That's nice that he felt so bad about it. I mean, totally no reason to feel bad, but it definitely shows he cares.

It was at this point I decided that a distraction was in order. I led them into Club Cool and poured Sammy a cup of Beverly.

Yeah, that'll end the grumpy moods.

He liked it! He didn't like it exactly but he didn't hate it and didn't make a face. He tried a few sips and when I tried to get him to sample some more he said he didn't really like the soda. I had to tell him they didn't all taste like the first one.

No, some of them are really very good! But I get that. I've never been as disgusted by Beverly as I'm supposed to be. I mean, don't get me wrong. If I was going to go into a gas station and fill one of those huge cups with soda, I certainly wouldn't choose Beverly. But I can tolerate it. It is ok and I could drink it if I had to. And I'm certainly more than capable of downing enough of it with no ill effects to bait others into doing so.

This was just enough to put the day back on track.

I'm glad that it worked out in your favor!

 

[ursalita]

The irony here for me is that the Riverdogs are one of our home teams in this area. Charleston Riverdogs an hour and half to the north, and the Savannah Sand Gnats an hour to south. I see their hats and tshirts all the time. If I had passed all in the parks and seen his hat, I would have just assumed ya'll were from my neck of the woods!

That's funny! It's a small world. We're used to seeing Yankee hats everywhere but not the farm teams.

This is the the BEST, isn't it?

It is. And it wasn't even Disney I thought they'd be jealous about. It was the sun.

Aww, somehow I missed this topiary. He's so cuuuuuute!

He is. I got a shot of him at night, too.

Thank goodness for Club Cool, is all I can say!

It was a lifesaver.

I know what you mean about not knowing what to do with your FP+ at Epcot...I'm trying to figure that out...sigh. You had some ups and downs on this day it seems!! I guess it happens, sadly even on vacay lol. For photobooks...I use Mixbook.com....and I love it. Every year, I make an album and then at Christmas I order copies for us and all our family of our yearly album. I do my best to keep up with working on it during the year and then in December it's not a lot of work to order. I also like it because there is no software to download and once your pics are uploaded you can work on it from any computer. I'm not sure if this will work...but hope so..if you want to see our album from last year just out of curiosity

FPs are tough at Epcot. I think that once you've gotten your Tier 1 it's hit or miss.

All caught up. I love how cleverly you keep refocusing your sons!!!

Thank you! I definitely think it's less about me being clever and more about getting lucky occasionally.

That's crazy!
I can't believe I didn't catch that he was wearing a RiverDogs hat ... that's one of the few teams I haven't seen, so maybe that's why I didn't recognize the logo (although I have seen the logo in programs from the teams I've been to).

We see the Yankees caps everywhere but not usually the minor league teams. We've never seen them either. We see Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in Pawtucket and we've gone up to Portland, ME to see the Trenton Thunder.

I love all of the pictures!

Thank you.

"When it snows at home" really is the best time of year to go to Disney!

It definitely is. Who knew I'd be saying that at the end of April.

The FP+ system at Epcot is rough, and some of the attractions it doesn't really seem to help much.
We usually do Spaceship Earth & Character Spot, but you don't always need it for Spaceship Earth ... it's a rough decision to make.

Besides the Tier 1s I think it's hit or miss for FP at Epcot.

 

[pkondz]

Before I start this next update I was wondering if anyone has made photo books of their trips to Disney and if so what site they would recommend.

Sorry, no.

We hadn't tried to be early on this day but the park looked empty as we entered.

<cricket><cricket>

This was one of my must-dos since we'd never done it and I thought the kids would enjoy it. They didn't.

Oh. And I was so sure you'd be writing "They loved it! We were all laughing!"

Apparently, not so much.

Too bad. It's so well done.

they were really cranky when we entered and they were still cranky when we left.

That's a sign, for sure.

And not a good one.

They were seated up front and I'm pretty sure I saw Sam put his hand up but he didn't get to ask a question.

Shoot. That probably would've made a world of difference.

But once you were let into the "holding area" there was no designation between FP and standby so by the time we entered the theater and everyone had pushed their way to the front we ended up with bad seats.

Really? So... what's the point then?

We were a little early so we hung back for a few minutes before we headed in and watched some entitled guest behavior.

Such as? Details! We want details!

When it was our turn we headed in and were lucky enough to get the front row.

Score!

So a rode it by myself and there were a few empty seats next to me. I had an amazing time.

I find it funny how you finally got some alone time and it was amazing!

When I exited the ride a CM ran up to me and gave me a rider switch pass (I think that's what it's called) so we could ride it again. I thought that was so nice of her since I hadn't asked for it.

Nice! But... did you ride it again?

I exited the ride and found that Aidan was in tears. He's really sensitive and he felt bad about leaving me on the ride by myself.

Aw. Poor guy.

Next we rode a ride we all - if not enjoyed, at least tolerated.

Yeah. That's about the right description for that one.

Love this!

Can't imagine why.

:rollleyes:

We'd already met Mickey and Goofy and I was sick of listening to him so we just walked out the way we'd come.

Oh, dear. Not quite the way you were planning on doing that.

I led them into Club Cool and poured Sammy a cup of Beverly.

That'll learn him! Mess with momma bear will you?

He liked it!

Figures!

I've never seen these before.

I wonder what Coke flavoured lip balm tastes like.

They could pick us up anywhere and drop us back of about an hour later. In return they would give us 4 FP. Unfortunately I had all our days pretty planned out so we declined but I wish I'd known about it that first day because the FP would have come in handy.

Good to know, though. I might do it just to see.

Next up we continue exploring the World Showcase.

Looking forward to it!

 

[SarahDisney]

We see Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in Pawtucket and we've gone up to Portland, ME to see the Trenton Thunder.

We've been to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre once and Trenton a few times. We also go to Staten Island sometimes (they're the closest team to us - and we've also seen them play in Brooklyn). And, of course, we try to go to Yankee Stadium at least once each season.
I'd love to go back to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but it's a not-so-easy 3-hour drive, so we're probably not going back any time soon.

 

[ursalita]

We've been to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre once and Trenton a few times. We also go to Staten Island sometimes (they're the closest team to us - and we've also seen them play in Brooklyn). And, of course, we try to go to Yankee Stadium at least once each season.
I'd love to go back to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but it's a not-so-easy 3-hour drive, so we're probably not going back any time soon.

We're going to take the boys to Yankee Stadium for the first time this year. I actually prefer to see the minor league teams - the prices are so much lower, you're closer to the field, it's family friendly. We went down to Norwich, CT to catch a random game (not a Yankee affiliate) Fourth of July last year and it was so much fun.

Yeah, 3 hours is a lot. That's why we don't go to Yankee games more often. You could probably make it up to Pawtucket in 3 hours if you time it right.

 

[ursalita]

So that's where our tiger went!

Oh, no. You can visit him next year!

Umm please note: yes the bird looks pretty but you have a lovely normal sized head not a giant freak head.

You're so sweet. Thank you.

It was great fun, and everyone on board the plane was friendly and sassy some of them even danced! Truly the best flight I ever have had!

That's so fun! I hope I get to fly with that airline someday.

I did not know this.

It's very sad.

lol I have one go those too, only he's 9 now

Do they grow out of it?

Hehe I get this, Dinosaur is a fun ride, my family did not love it as much as I did!

I was glad I got to try a bunch of rides that were new to me even if it made my family uncomfortable.

What a terrific souvenir!

It was. I'm so glad Goofy (or the CM, I can't remember) offered to sign the hat because I never would have thought of asking.

hehe my daughter understands this language as well i can "thingymabob" and 8 times out of 10 she knows exactly what I'm referring to!

That's how Jamie is. He understands my nonsensical word vomit most of the time.

GF has a 24 HOUR POOL!!! For that reason it is on my dream wishlist now!

I did not know this. Maybe I need to figure out a way to make this happen.

Even animatronic Captain Jack is handsome and full of personality!

He really is. I think I read somewhere - It's probably not true - that Johnny Depp has actually crashed the ride so I kept my eyes peeled.

This photo totally makes Memory Maker worth it!

You're right. I was critical about Memory Maker but the photos are priceless.

Oh no is this really all there is for Tangled? Bathrooms? *cries a little*

Oh, do you want more pics?

Now that is the right kind of interactive queue! The kids and I shoot, but my daughter is by far the best of us!

Do you do archery? I was thinking about signing Sammy up because he loves weapons of all sorts.

Ouchie! Did you have moleskin? I carry cut up pieces for Walkers friends, family, and sometimes strangers that look like they are walking on hot coals.

No. Would you believe I've never seen it and wouldn't know where it get it. Usually we don't have trouble with blisters, it was just the wet shoes. And I really lucked out because I think I just missed out on getting them. It's definitely good to have some around, for sure.

This guy gave me a giggle! Love that expression!

It's amazing how they can form expressions like that.

What a sweetie.

He really is. He doesn't like it when feelings are hurt.

he LIKED Beverly *shudder* I think I can still remember the taste from almost 5 years ago! When we go back though I'll taste it again.

So, caught up with your fabulous picture filled trip report, and loving it! Have a great day!

I don't think he liked it but he didn't hate it. And he had to try it a few times to decide how he felt about it.

I actually don't mind it. It reminds me of Campari.

I can't believe you read through my whole trip report. Thank you for commenting.