How much Christmas can we squeeze into 3 days? Nov/Dec 2015 TR *NEW TR Link 5/18!*

[hokieinpa]

How cool! I've caught the mariachi band, but have never seen dancers there before!

I think it was part of the Christmas storyteller performances? Not sure since we just caught a glimpse.

Jealoussss! When I popped in here in December, the line was 5 miles long so I passed. BIG MISTAKE. Next time, I'll was for HOURS if I have to, I don't even care!

So worth the wait. The dark chocolate covered caramels with sea salt...yum.

Look at all those delicious carbs!!

And they were amazing!

Yeah, I learned that I'm not a fan either. But my Mom loves it, so if she holds up her promise to go with me next October, we'll probably be doing dinner here.

I think the fun atmosphere really helps too. And the pretzel rolls.

Aaaaand this will pretty much what I'll be sticking to myself.

Nothing wrong with that. The mac & cheese (or whatever the German version is called) was pretty amazing. And the berry compote was sooooo good. I may have had 3...but they are little miniature desserts. So totally justified.

SUPER PRETTY!

I loved all of the Christmas decor here!

that's really cool! i like that they incorporate that stuff into the holiday decor. Disney is the best!

The details that they work into everything are really amazing!

Looks like a regular Florida sky to me! Heehee.

I think I was spoiled with perfect, no clouds in the sky weather last October. We had a few rainy spells but it really wasn't bad in general!

Um, yyummy! That sounds delicious!

It was sooo good! I love the chocolate covered caramels!

WOW! You guys got great seats! I'm so curious about this show, maybe if I ever make it to Epcot...

I liked our little table off by ourselves! We all liked the music, especially when we got to sing along! The boys had a great time.

I'm not sure I'd know German food if I was eating it. But this sounds like a great meal, and a great time!

Lots of sausage and meat in general, it seems. Jim was in heaven! But the atmosphere is very fun!

Read up on the whole report today! Looks like such fun!

Thanks for joining in!

 

[ashw100]

Glad you had a good meal at Biergarden, I always wondered if it was something the boys could do, so it's good to hear they have kid friendly-ish option.

 

[hokieinpa]

Glad you had a good meal at Biergarden, I always wondered if it was something the boys could do, so it's good to hear they have kid friendly-ish option.

I was a little worried since the boys like pretty basic stuff. But there was plenty for them to eat. Of course, the pretzel rolls were their favorite. So it may not have been the most balanced meal but they ate and were entertained. Not much more you can ask for with 3 boys, right??

 

[hokieinpa]

Caballeros, Acrobats, and Kaki Gori

*We're 3 weeks away from our next trip! I'm going to do my best to finish up this TR before we leave!*


After our late lunch at Biergarten, we headed back out to explore the World Showcase. It had rained a bit during our meal so I was glad we had parked the strollers inside. It was still drizzling some but we all decided to forgo any ponchos because it was also very hot and humid!

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We stopped in Norway for a restroom stop and to explore the little church that is there. We looked through the Frozen exhibit in there but didn't take any pictures.

But of course, we had to get this shot of the brave boys!

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And I saw the walls hiding the construction for Frozen Ever After!

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We made our way back to Mexico and decided to start there again and loop around the World Showcase. It began raining harder at this point, so we parked the strollers and covered them before heading inside the pyramid.

My plan was to get right on the Gran Fiesta Tour but we saw the Duffy coloring station and the boys asked to stop. They had a really good time decorating their bears and were excited to get them stamped in each country!

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Jake's attention span meant he colored for about 1 minute and then we went exploring around the lobby area. He really liked this huge carving...thing. I can't remember what it's called.



And with a Jake for scale.

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Duffy's colored, we headed down for the Gran Fiesta Tour and walked straight on (of course) for our ride.

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The boys love spotting Donald on this ride!

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Nate is not a fan of these guys, no matter how festive they look! I don't think I'll ever get him on Haunted Mansion or Tower of Terror.



Poor Donald pinata!

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Adios, Three Caballeros!

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The pyramid was looking very pretty when we headed out.

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Donald was not meeting in his spot due to the rain (we had seen him inside but the line was closed) so I decided this would be the perfect place for another picture of the boys.



Or not.

Making our way back through Norway, we caught a few minutes of the storyteller from Norway.

https://flic.kr/p/Dfr7SD
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(continued in next post)

 

[hokieinpa]

(continued from previous post)

Our next stop was China.

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You can see Jim pushing a stroller in front of me in this picture. I had purchased battery operated Christmas lights before our trip and we had strung them on both strollers. Festive and they made them easier to identify!

We made our way to the shop in China and were on a mission to get their Duffy bears stamped.

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Mission accomplished!

We explored the store a bit.

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With a stop to look at the swords, of course.

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Jake was just DONE at this point and had taken his shoes off in protest. I had to backtrack around the store to find one that he had thrown off when I wasn't looking. So that was fun.

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Next we went inside the temple and found the terracotta soldier display.

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And somehow stumbled into some kind of acrobatic and dance show? I'm not sure if this is the show that normally takes place outside or what. But we really enjoyed it!

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The seats were all full but we found a place on the floor and got really close to the action!

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The boys loved the show and we were pretty amazed by these guys!

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After the show, CMs were directing people into Reflections of China but we decided to head back out to make our way around the World Showcase.

We stopped for a quick PhotoPass picture in front of the temple. And the boys refused to get out of the strollers, so we just went with it!​

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Next we pretty much skipped over Germany and Italy. Actually, I think my mom and I may have sat down on some benches in Italy while Jim and my dad took the boys inside to get their Duffy's stamped. I snapped some pictures while we waited for them to finish.

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And I loved these Santa Mickey heads with Spaceship Earth in the background!

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Our next stop was a quick breeze through the American Adventure. Of course, NPH was the Candlelight Processional narrator during our trip. If I didn't have 3 wiggly little boys, I would have been all over a CP package. But I had to settle for a quick listen from the outside while the boys were kept momentarily happy with fruit snacks!

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A quick look back at Italy.

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And on to Japan. Here we tried a new treat - Kaki Gori! We found a little bench to enjoy our treat and took a break. I'm going to be honest...it was good. But not all that different from any other snow cone I've had.

It was about 7:00 at this point and I just knew that we couldn't hold on for 2 more hours until Illuminations. We were all exhausted! So we made the decision to finish our walk through the World Showcase and then head back to Pop.

We breezed through France.

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And the UK.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/CNBgfK][/URL]​

Stopped for a quick hi to a Disney duck!

[url=https://flic.kr/p/DeQe6v]​

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https://flic.kr/p/DeQe6v

And made our way back to Future World. It looks like I found a Goofy and Donald topiary as well and manged to get this quick picture.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/CNz9JT]​

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https://flic.kr/p/CNz9JT

We did make a stop for the boys to play on the sparkling sidewalk. Nate remembered this from our last trip and he was very excited to see it again!

[url=https://flic.kr/p/CPcC4F]​

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https://flic.kr/p/CPcC4F

And I just love Spaceship Earth at night (or in the morning, the middle of the day...) so I made sure to get a few pictures before we left.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Dd9SbE]​

[url=https://flic.kr/p/DjNNCE][/url]​

[url=https://flic.kr/p/DjNNCE]

We had a short wait for a bus and made our way back to Pop shortly after 8. I have discovered that we are not people who can do the parks all day. The boys still need down time back at the resort in the middle of the day if we are going to make it to any form of nighttime entertainment.

This sad note was also waiting for us in our room, meaning our trip was almost over.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/CNUni2]​

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https://flic.kr/p/CNUni2

But it just started!!

Quick baths and into bed for everyone before 9! We had a big day - breakfast with the cutest alien around and MVMCP! Oh and our additional guests make another unplanned appearance!


Next up

Ohana means family! [/url][/url][/url][/url][/url][/URL]

 

[kastoney]

Looks like a great evening in the world showcase. I've always wanted to try Biergarten but with so many other WS choices, I've yet to find my way there.

Glad to see the boys all having a fun time. We struggled with Casey liking WS for a while, but with the kidcot stations and now shopping (hello girls) she's finally come around. Love the Christmas lights on the strollers, such a festive touch.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

I love the sparkly sidewalks at Epcot, so pretty!

 

[Dugette]

Looks like a lovely evening in World Showcase. I love being able to roam around and enjoy the atmosphere, especially during the holidays. Very cool that you found the acrobatic show happening too - sounds like fun! I know that feeling with the Magical Express note appearing when you feel like you've just arrived.

 

[BlvInMagic]

I love all the Christmas topiaries in Epcot -- so pretty! I've never seen the acrobats in China before... very cool find. How exciting is it that your next trip is so close?!?!!!

 

[missangelalexis]

I loved all your World Showcase pictures! It sounds like such a fun evening strolling around!

I do believe the show you stumbled upon in China is the one that's usually outside!

I'm sure you were all tired! Can't wait to hear about the next day!

 

[Elevationist]

Great photo! So pretty!

You can see Jim pushing a stroller in front of me in this picture. I had purchased battery operated Christmas lights before our trip and we had strung them on both strollers. Festive and they made them easier to identify!

I keep threatening to do this to my ECV one of these trips...

I still haven't made my way back to see this! I never explore WS as fully as I would truly like to. I'm going to work on correcting that in October!

After the show, CMs were directing people into Reflections of China but we decided to head back out to make our way around the World Showcase.

I never stick around for the films Ever.

Stopped for a quick hi to a Disney duck!

I love Disney ducks!

We did make a stop for the boys to play on the sparkling sidewalk.

This sidewalk is still magical to me at 35 years old.

Gorgeous photo! Postcard worthy!

 

[hokieinpa]

Looks like a great evening in the world showcase. I've always wanted to try Biergarten but with so many other WS choices, I've yet to find my way there.

Biergarten was a last minute add when we changed up our park days. It was a good choice with lots of variety that pleased Jim (who loves German food) down to the boys. And the decorations and music made it a really fun meal!

Glad to see the boys all having a fun time. We struggled with Casey liking WS for a while, but with the kidcot stations and now shopping (hello girls) she's finally come around. Love the Christmas lights on the strollers, such a festive touch.

I always worry about keeping them entertained in the WS. But the Duffy thing was a nice distraction. I think I'm going to get those passports for them in a few weeks.

Sigh, the boys are totally into shopping...if it's for toys for themselves.

The lights were really nice when we had parked our stroller somewhere and we needed to find it after a CM moved it!

I love the sparkly sidewalks at Epcot, so pretty!

They are such a nice extra little touch! The boys love playing there for a few minutes at the end of the night!

Looks like a lovely evening in World Showcase. I love being able to roam around and enjoy the atmosphere, especially during the holidays. Very cool that you found the acrobatic show happening too - sounds like fun! I know that feeling with the Magical Express note appearing when you feel like you've just arrived.

It was a nice, relaxed evening. We liked checking out all of the decorations and hearing the music as we walked around.

And the acrobatic show was such a good find! Total accident since I had not looked at a Times Guide at all!

And yes, that ME notice came way too early for my liking!

I love all the Christmas topiaries in Epcot -- so pretty! I've never seen the acrobats in China before... very cool find. How exciting is it that your next trip is so close?!?!!!

I had no idea there would be topiaries for Christmas - such a fun surprise! And we all loved the show in China! I hope we can see the full, outdoor version in a few weeks!

I loved all your World Showcase pictures! It sounds like such a fun evening strolling around!

I do believe the show you stumbled upon in China is the one that's usually outside!

I'm sure you were all tired! Can't wait to hear about the next day!

It was really nice to see all of the decorations and the music in each pavilion. Catching a few minutes of NPH wasn't bad either!!

That makes sense. It had been raining and I'm sure too slippery for them to perform outside. Plus it was dark! I guess they move inside every night?

We were totally worn out. We're break/nap people for sure!

Great photo! So pretty!

Is it bad that all I could think of was that guy climbing it at F&W??

I keep threatening to do this to my ECV one of these trips...

Go for it! It would look awesome!

I still haven't made my way back to see this! I never explore WS as fully as I would truly like to. I'm going to work on correcting that in October!

I think this is what I'm most looking forward to in October - really exploring each pavilion! So much to see and do...and eat.

I never stick around for the films Ever.

No! Seriously, I'm dying to watch the films - near the top of my to do list for October!

I love Disney ducks!

Me too! So cute!

This sidewalk is still magical to me at 35 years old.

I may have stomped on those squares once or twice...

Gorgeous photo! Postcard worthy!

That's one of my favorite pictures!

 

[missjackiemcg]

Looks like lots of fun World Showcase surprises while you were wandering that night. I love how beautiful it looks there at night with everything all lit up. And even though he was being rascally, I love Jake with his little toes out--I totally get being DONE with shoes!!

How awesome to even get to HEAR NPH at the Candlelight Processional!! My Mom and I had John Stamos on our first ever Christmas trip and it was AAAAAAMAZING. He was so phenomenal. My Mom actually shouted, "We love you Uncle Jesse" at him...I was horrified, but he actually smiled and waved over our direction saying, "Love you, too!" We've never had another one like that!! Maybe this year--fingers crossed!

Oh, no! Not the Tragical Express information!!!! That is the saddest part of my trip besides actually going home

 

[hokieinpa]

Looks like lots of fun World Showcase surprises while you were wandering that night. I love how beautiful it looks there at night with everything all lit up. And even though he was being rascally, I love Jake with his little toes out--I totally get being DONE with shoes!!

The World Showcase is beautiful all the time but it is especially nice at night with all the lights! That with the Christmas decorations and music made it even better!

And Jake is done with shoes all the time - literally as soon as we get in the car they are off his feet. So I always have to keep at eye on those things at Disney!

How awesome to even get to HEAR NPH at the Candlelight Processional!! My Mom and I had John Stamos on our first ever Christmas trip and it was AAAAAAMAZING. He was so phenomenal. My Mom actually shouted, "We love you Uncle Jesse" at him...I was horrified, but he actually smiled and waved over our direction saying, "Love you, too!" We've never had another one like that!! Maybe this year--fingers crossed!

NPH was amazing, even from outside the theater! I think he's usually there the week after Thanksgiving so if I ever get a chance to visit then again, I'll be on the lookout for a CP pakcage! And who doesn't love Uncle Jesse? That's hilarious!

Oh, no! Not the Tragical Express information!!!! That is the saddest part of my trip besides actually going home

Isn't it? Even though you have a full day left, it really makes it seem like the end.

 

[Leshaface]

Jake's attention span meant he colored for about 1 minute

Yep that sounds familiar!

You can see Jim pushing a stroller in front of me in this picture. I had purchased battery operated Christmas lights before our trip and we had strung them on both strollers. Festive and they made them easier to identify!

Such a good idea! I'd heard of people doing this but I can never find those battery operated ones. I need to look better for next time.

After the show, CMs were directing people into Reflections of China but we decided to head back out to make our way around the World Showcase.

We stopped for a quick PhotoPass picture in front of the temple. And the boys refused to get out of the strollers, so we just went with it!​

And honestly, sometimes it's just easier to keep them in there!

And on to Japan. Here we tried a new treat - Kaki Gori! We found a little bench to enjoy our treat and took a break. I'm going to be honest...it was good. But not all that different from any other snow cone I've had.

I've always wondered if it tastes any differently. I thought that maybe it would have a creamier taste or something but I guess not. So guess i'm not missing out much!

This is my FAVORITE part of Epcot at night!! I'm still asking DH all the time to install these in our walkway!

 

[DonnaBeeGood]

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[hokieinpa]

Yep that sounds familiar!

Such a good idea! I'd heard of people doing this but I can never find those battery operated ones. I need to look better for next time.

I found these at Walmart. I think Jim used zip ties to secure them to the stroller. And if you do decide to decorate your stroller with them, turn them off if you're on a bus at night. A bus driver fussed at us one time because they were on. I think they made it hard for him to see.

And honestly, sometimes it's just easier to keep them in there!

Yes! The unbuckling, positioning, etc. is just a pain sometimes. I swear we spend almost 10 minutes after each attraction getting them back in the strollers, finding water bottles, etc.

I've always wondered if it tastes any differently. I thought that maybe it would have a creamier taste or something but I guess not. So guess i'm not missing out much!

Well it was a really good sno cone! And maybe the ice was chopped a little finer than like a fair or carnival sno cone? But probably not on my repeat list unless I need a cool treat for the boys on a hot day. Mommy will take a margarita.

This is my FAVORITE part of Epcot at night!! I'm still asking DH all the time to install these in our walkway!

Isn't it fun? I love it!

Lol - the wait was 30 minutes when I was there! And you were very good at finding all of those hidden Mickeys!

We had a long wait last October so the lines can get long! And I love the Hidden Mickey's on that ride!

Glad you enjoyed Biergarten - it was very packed when I walked by one evening.

It was a really nice meal - good food, fun music, pretty decor. And I think it was more relaxing since we were on the second level and at our own table.

Good thing DH didn't think of this, or he would have been barefoot the minute we entered Magic Kingdom!

I'm always a fan of no shoes, too!

 

[hokieinpa]

Ohana means family!


It was Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party day!!

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AKA our last day.

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We were all pretty well rested after our somewhat early night. We woke up and let the boys watch some TV while I started packing.

We had a 10:00 ADR at Ohana and planned on heading down to the bus stop around 8:45 to head over the Magic Kingdom and monorail it over to the Poly. After breakfast, our plan was to check out the decorations and gingerbread displays at the Grand Floridian and the Contemporary.

So it’s about 8:15, I’m packing up our stroller bag and getting everything ready for our day when Jim gets a text from his sister…

Remember the one who decided to join us at the last minute for our TRex ADR? With her husband and her cousin? Turning our party of 7 into a party of 10? I had a sinking feeling in my stomach.

So it turns out, my sister in law and her husband want to join us for the day. Not just breakfast at Ohana, they also want to come to MVMCP too. And every part of me was screaming “No, no you can’t! Make some advance plans people! You’ve known about this trip for 6 months!” I (somewhat) calmly said “That’s fine, I’m sure it will all work out.” Because really, what else could I say?

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So they met us in our room just before 8:45 (I was thankful that they were there on time at least!) and all headed down to the Magic Kingdom bus stop.

We had a short wait and nice ride over to MK. Here is my sister in law, her husband, Nate, and Colin on the ride over.



After arriving at MK, we walked over to the resort monorail and got on the blue monorail.

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I snapped some shots of MK on our way over.

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You can see from those pictures that it had rained during the night. Luckily, everything had cleared up by the time we headed out for the day!

Shortly we had arrived at our destination!

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Now, this was my first visit to the Polynesian so I have no idea what the lobby was like prior to the most recent refurbishment. But I thought it was really lovely!

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And we headed over for our breakfast destination - 'Ohana!

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So with our 2 added guests, I headed up to the stand to check in. We had arrived about 10 minutes before our ADR so I hoped this would help out and we wouldn't have to wait long. I gave our name to the CM and said "We also have 2 more joining our party, so it will be 9 instead of 7."

And the CM, of course, was all like "No problem! It should be just a few minutes. Here's a pager." Now like at TRex, I was really shocked that there were no issues with increasing our party size. But I'll take it!

We peeked around the gift shop a bit and Colin was channeling his inner cowboy here.

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And I took some pictures of the decorations near the entrance to 'Ohana.

https://flic.kr/p/Dd7aWW​

I think I picked up some pencils for Nate to bring back to his class at the gift shop as well. Our pager went off after about 15 minutes and we were led to a big round table.

We ordered milk for the boys and coffee for the adults in addition to the POG juice. Fruit and bread came out to the table quickly, which calmed the hungry boys.

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Soon, Mickey made his way over to the table!

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And I promise that Colin was in no way trying to harm his little brother in this picture. He said he was trying to get Jake to look at the camera. Jake was way more interested in eating versus characters this meal...a theme you'll notice through the pictures.

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And doesn't my dad look thrilled?

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And I had to get a picture with Mickey too!

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Right after Mickey left, the server brought our a huge platter!

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Pluto came by shortly and the boys had a really good time with him!

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Jake had no interest in getting out of his seat to visit with Pluto. He settled for blowing a kiss.
https://flic.kr/p/Dd7aWW

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Then went right back to his breakfast.

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Lilo was next. Nate and Colin got up for a picture but that Mickey waffle was way too good for Jake to even consider getting up.

https://flic.kr/p/CNCjMH
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The kids parade was next. My dad and Jim took the boys up so I could snap a few pictures.

https://flic.kr/p/CNCjMH

https://flic.kr/p/CNCjMH
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Stitch was the last to come by. I was surprised to see he had his own photographer! I took a few pictures as well.

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https://flic.kr/p/CViKRh

And here are the PhotoPass shots.

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https://flic.kr/p/FoeCtz

You will notice Colin is missing from this picture. He was in the bathroom with my mom, but I told our server that he had missed Stitch. She led us over to the photographer who pulled Stitch over between tables. So Colin got his own little meet!

Here are my pictures. He was fascinated with Stitch's nose, apparently.

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https://flic.kr/p/CVyxNj


And the PhotoPass ones.

[URL='https://flic.kr/p/GcDRUk'][url=https://flic.kr/p/Fo3Xiw][/URL][/url]https://flic.kr/p/GcDRUkhttps://flic.kr/p/GcDRUk​

[URL='https://flic.kr/p/Fo3Xiw']

We finished eating and headed out of 'Ohana. It was time to finish our Monorail resort tour and see some gingerbread displays!


Next up

"It smells so good in here!"[/url]

 

[DonnaBeeGood]

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[Elevationist]

t was Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party day!!

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YAAAY!

AKA our last day.

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BOOO!

I (somewhat) calmly said “That’s fine, I’m sure it will all work out.” Because really, what else could I say?

"Nope." That's what I would say, anyhow. But this is also probably part of why I stay single. I'm not big on compromise.

Now, this was my first visit to the Polynesian so I have no idea what the lobby was like prior to the most recent refurbishment. But I thought it was really lovely!

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It IS really lovely! This is probably my next dream Deluxe hotel after I do my Beach Club stay in October!

And the CM, of course, was all like "No problem! It should be just a few minutes. Here's a pager." Now like at TRex, I was really shocked that there were no issues with increasing our party size. But I'll take it!

Wow. You have GREAT luck with this kind of stuff!!!

And doesn't my dad look thrilled?

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His face, though... BAHAHA!

And I had to get a picture with Mickey too!

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I LOVE THIS!!!

Right after Mickey left, the server brought our a huge platter!

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Unnnnghhhhhh. GET IN MY BELLY.

Lilo was next. Nate and Colin got up for a picture but that Mickey waffle was way too good for Jake to even consider getting up.

Jake's got priorities, yo.