See what a little Wishin' can do? A very ENGAGING January 2015 trip! *COMPLETED 10/9*

[NittanyKK]

I'm a little late to the party but just read your trip report and have loved it so far! My boyfriend and I are going in October and it's his very first time. You gave me hope that his slight excitement might just become absolute love of Disney!! Fingers crossed...

Loved your engagement story too. Congratulations!! What a sweet proposal! I'm not at all jealous...

And you've definitely given me the idea of researching tips on getting high scores on Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin. I love that ride but my scores are definitely not Galactic Hero worthy. Go Joe!

 

[Cando86]

you got some great ride photos from Buzz! Congrats to Joe, oh, excuse me Mr. Galactic Hero Joe!

Glad you enjoyed your time with Talking Mickey - definitely is a cool concept.

Hehehe sometimes he really does insist on me referring to him as Galactic Hero...I am DETERMINED to gain that namesake next month!

Talking Mickey was so amazing! Definitely won't miss it next trip.

Welcome back! Congratulations on Joe for becoming a galactic hero! That's one of my goals when we go next. I had the kids watching you tube videos on all the secret spots so we can beat Daddy! Haha he won't know what hit him. You getting wet on BTMRR made me laugh my dh and dad had the same thing happen on EE.

Joe is STILL excited about becoming a Galactic HeroIt is DEFINITELY one of my goals next month too! I watch the videos and read the guides too - I found this on Reddit, haven't read through it all so I'm not sure how helpful it is but I had to save it! http://www.reddit.com/r/disney/comments/3fs63r/beat_all_your_friends_at_toy_story_midway_mania/

Congrats on the new job. And on AKL Club Level & an extra day - so exciting!

I like your bison joke ... even if they didn't use it. Sometimes they just don't pick the funny jokes!

Rain on BTMRR ... holy cow! Crazy!

Huge congrats to Joe on becoming a Galactic Hero ... and congrats to you for getting it on camera (just as important!)

Since I've never achieved Galactic Hero status, I have to ask ... do they give you the button or did you just get a button and write Galactic Hero on it?

Thank you! Ugh, I am SO EXCITED about AKL Club Level - I think I've read every possible thing there is to read about regarding Club Level and AKL in general

So glad SOMEONE appreciated my bison joke!

So for the Galactic Hero button they actually have them all written out and ready to go behind the desk - you just go up and tell them and they hand you the button all ready! It's awesome

YAY!!!

That's amazing! AKL is such an awesome resort!

I love this shot, is this a panorama on an Iphone?

I love this show. I find as I get older, I enjoy it more, it might also be that the jokes have gotten better in the past years! I just think the technology they use for it just makes it such a unique experience.

The best types of hugs!

Now, THAT is some Disney magic! This is why the characters at Disney are amazing.

Too cute!

This sounds really cool, especially at night!


Whoohoo!!!!

I'm SO EXCITED about AKL! I've read WAY too much about the resort. We plan on spending the whole day there just swimming and exploring (and eating lots of 'free' club level food)!

Yep, it was a panorama on the iPhone - I LOVE this feature in Disney!

Galactic Hero! Yay lol my gf doesn't believe me that its possible, but in January we are going to try!

Oh, it's possible! If you look it up on YouTube or just google tips for it it will help you a TON!

I'm following! Even though I'm very late, I'm all caught up! I can only dream that my proposal will be as magical as yours, congratulations! I'm also heading to Disney on September 22! I'm super excited. I can wait to read your HDDR review as I'm going to a show for the first time in September!

YAY! I'm so glad you're here reading!

Oh YAY so you're trip is coming up soon too! Where are you staying? I'll be writing about HDDR hopefully in the next post or two!

Congrats on the new job and for adding an extra day where you get to stay at AKL Club Level - Awesome!!!!

Love this picture! Looks like Joe is sleeping and you are blowing kisses. It is great how you guys were determined to get the ultimate score.

Hilarious! This would have been a shocker!

Love riding Haunted Mansion at night - it does feel eerier.

Love this picture - Joe is pumped and is a Galactic Hero!Practice and Determination pays off!

THANK YOU! I'm super SUPER excited about it all - maybe more excited about AKL Club Level than the new job...shhh

Haha that picture on Buzz is ridiculous. I have NO idea what Joe was going for. We were SO determine to get that score - though I failed miserably NEXT TIME.

Just joining in and loving your TR! Congrats on your engagement! It sounded like the most beautiful proposal!! Can't wait to hear about the rest of your trip!

I'm SO glad you're here !!! Thank you so much! It really was a great proposal, he did such a great job. More is on its way !

I'm a little late to the party but just read your trip report and have loved it so far! My boyfriend and I are going in October and it's his very first time. You gave me hope that his slight excitement might just become absolute love of Disney!! Fingers crossed...

Loved your engagement story too. Congratulations!! What a sweet proposal! I'm not at all jealous...

And you've definitely given me the idea of researching tips on getting high scores on Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin. I love that ride but my scores are definitely not Galactic Hero worthy. Go Joe!

Hey, better late than never !!! So glad you're reading !

Oh wow, you are going to have a BLAST!!! Where are you staying? Just make sure to plan plan plan (do I even need to tell that to people on the Dis?). I feel like that helped a lot in making sure our trip was so great that it converted Joe...! Hehehe

Joe did such a good job with the proposal. We were just retelling the story this weekend, I still love it just as much!

Definitely research tips on Buzz! That was the only way we would've been able to do it. They help a TON!

 

[Cando86]

I really need to get this TR finished! We leave for WDW in *42 DAYS*!!!

Have I mentioned I'm EXTREMELY excited?! We have our plans pretty set in stone. I'm still hoping for a BOG dinner on our MNSSHP night. I ended up scoring one for 6:35 but that's too late for a party night. We also should probably actually GET our MNSSHP tickets, huh?

OH! I'm also going WEDDING DRESS SHOPPING Saturday with some family and friends and I cannot wait. I've been watching way too much Say Yes to the Dress much to Joe's chagrin...

Onward with this TR!

January 12, 2015 - Sleep, Eat, and Breathe

Today was another 'off' day. I cherish these days in Disney. While loving the parks is obvious, I also love so much more about Disney. And a lot of this you can really only accomplish on days off from the parks. So while we wouldn't be Soarin' away or Mine Train'ing it up, I was excited for today!

We woke up bright and early at...

10:40. Oops.

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Sometimes sleeping in is very necessary in Disney!

I had hoped that we would have time on this trip to walk over to Art of Animation to explore and get a meal at some point since we were staying just across the way at Pop. Today was that day!

We were hungry after our long slumber so it was to Landscape of Flavors first!

From the walk over...

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The lobby at AoA is amazing. I had seen lots of pictures but it is very cool in person.

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It was 11:30 and at this time they only had two lunch counters open as the rest were still breakfast. We also were able to confirm that you are able to use your refillable mugs at other resorts as we were able to use ours here.

I went with the build-your-own-pasta with bow tie noodles, shrimp, garlic, peas, onions, and parmesan. Spoiler alert: I LOVED this! Joe got the surf and turf burger. We used the dining plan here so we each got a dessert and were pleasantly surprised that the desserts included ANYTHING in the pastry case. And there was a TON of stuff! We went with a brownie and a seven layer bar.

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Check out that brownie. It was SO GOOD! Oh! Also, the pasta dish came with this little breadstick that you can see on top of the pasta and it was...wow. Ridiculous and I mean that in the best way possible.

So we proceeded to use our manners and politely and delicately eat our lunch.

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Not.

Oh, one more thing about this lunch. When we were checking out and using the dining plan, we had our refillable mugs but they told us we could get anything else to drink in the beverage case which was really awesome. We got two Odwalla's to go with our meal too. To, ya know, replenish our vitamins. Or something.

The food here was also served in real dishes which was a nice touch I thought.

Absolutely stuffed, we headed out to explore AoA and maybe work off some of those carbs.

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Continued in next post...

 

[Cando86]

January 12, 2015 - A Relaxing Afternoon

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We had a lot of fun exploring AoA. It really is a very cool resort. The Cars section was probably my favorite; you really felt like you were immersed in the movie. It was fantastically done.

We headed back to Pop and picked up our Hoop Dee Doo tickets from the front desk for that night! We followed this by some relaxing by the pool which was great. It wasn't too warm unfortunately and I found myself bundling up in my towel at certain points. It even sprinkled a bit while we were out there. Nonetheless, this was one of those times I was most relaxed during our trip. Joe was enjoying swimming and I was enjoying watching him!

Perhaps some of that relaxation had to do with the Big Island Iced Tea I had in my hand...

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If you recall, which you probably don't because it was 178 months ago, my good friend had sent us a really cool gift basket when we first arrived on property. One of the things included was this awesome towel I was able to use

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You can see my name engraved at the top too! I love this!

And a panorama of my view...

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Up next...Hoop Dee Doo and the rain rain rain came down down down

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[Bubbenstein]

Officially joining in!

AOA looks like such an amazing resort, I would love to go there just to explore someday.

Have you done a MNSSHP before? We'll be doing our first in October. Counting down the days!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

We did the same thing last trip and explored AoA - it really is a fun resorts. And Landscape of Flavors I thought was really good for a "value cafeteria" I had gotten the surf and turf burger and was rather surprised by how good it was. That's awesome that you could get anything from the pastry area and form the beverage are! That's a pretty good deal for the dining plan

sounds like a relaxing afternoon - too bad about the weather though

 

[BibbitybobityLu]

Okay I am super duper late to this party and I'm still catching up but I just wanted to say I am loving your TR so far! Hey that rhymed!
Okay off to get caught up!

 

[Sailormoon2]

Completely lost this thread, but obviously refound it, and have spent the morning getting all caught up. There is tons I could add, but it feels all so delayed, so I'll just say that we have both pre-park breakfast and lunch at BOG booked for the same day in 2 weeks. I was feeling slightly "weird"/greedy about this but, since reading this TR am sooo glad to be dong it!! Congrats on such an amazing trip and phenomenal report!

 

[SarahDisney]

The lobby at AoA is amazing. I had seen lots of pictures but it is very cool in person.

It's definitely one of those things that looks more amazing in person than it does in pictures!

We had a lot of fun exploring AoA. It really is a very cool resort. The Cars section was probably my favorite; you really felt like you were immersed in the movie. It was fantastically done.

Totally agree on this. The whole resort is amazing, but the Cars section especially is just like walking into the movie.

If you recall, which you probably don't because it was 178 months ago, my good friend had sent us a really cool gift basket when we first arrived on property. One of the things included was this awesome towel I was able to use

That towel is adorable!

 

[briellemary]

YAY! I'm so glad you're here reading!

Oh YAY so you're trip is coming up soon too! Where are you staying? I'll be writing about HDDR hopefully in the next post or two!

Yes I am so so excited! I haven't been to Disney world in 5 years and I'll be staying at POP. I've never stayed on site either so my excitement is honestly through the roof hahaha.

 

[NittanyKK]

Oh wow, you are going to have a BLAST!!! Where are you staying? Just make sure to plan plan plan (do I even need to tell that to people on the Dis?). I feel like that helped a lot in making sure our trip was so great that it converted Joe...! Hehehe

Yes, he is finally getting excited which I think is a good sign! My Disney madness and crazy planning is converting him already.

We are staying at Port Orleans Riverside which will be my first time there and only my second time staying at a Disney resort so... reeeeally exciting! Plus we're going with my best friend and her husband and she is mega planner with spreadsheets for eeeeverything. We are ready to go!

As a side note, completely obsessed with your personalized Ariel towel!! She is my absolute fav... your friend has good taste!! Can't wait to read more of your TR.

 

[totebagg]

I went with the build-your-own-pasta with bow tie noodles, shrimp, garlic, peas, onions, and parmesan.

This looks AH-MAZING! I had the build your own pasta at POR and it was delish! It was huge too.

We had a lot of fun exploring AoA. It really is a very cool resort.

AOA looks like such a fun resort and what wonderful theming. That is one thing I love to do is visit other resorts - last year we visited Coronado Springs at night and it was beautiful.

Can't wait to hear about Hoop De Doo Review!

 

[Cando86]

Officially joining in!

AOA looks like such an amazing resort, I would love to go there just to explore someday.

Have you done a MNSSHP before? We'll be doing our first in October. Counting down the days!

YAY !!! So glad you're reading along

AoA was truly amazing. It's worth making the trip over for sure just to see the grounds but also to eat at Landscape of Flavors!

I have not done a MNSSHP! I'm SO excited about it though! I actually had a Disney dream (nightmare) last night that I went and it took place inside of a warehouse, we ate a Mickey bar, and then they made an announcement that it was over. No Hallowishes or Boo to You or anything! I woke up happy that was a dream haha! We're going October 1! When are you going?

We did the same thing last trip and explored AoA - it really is a fun resorts. And Landscape of Flavors I thought was really good for a "value cafeteria" I had gotten the surf and turf burger and was rather surprised by how good it was. That's awesome that you could get anything from the pastry area and form the beverage are! That's a pretty good deal for the dining plan

sounds like a relaxing afternoon - too bad about the weather though

Isn't AoA such a great resort to explore? While I love the values, there aren't many I would make a specific trip for but AoA is definitely one. You got the surf and turf burger too! Joe loved his. I was also surprised how good the food was - I still think about that pasta dish!

It was definitely a relaxing afternoon but thankfully (or not...*spoiler alert) most of the rain held off until HDDR.

Okay I am super duper late to this party and I'm still catching up but I just wanted to say I am loving your TR so far! Hey that rhymed!
Okay off to get caught up!

Hey, better late than nevr !!! That happens to me all the time. Find a TR and realize it's been going on for months and spend the next couple hours playing catch up

Completely lost this thread, but obviously refound it, and have spent the morning getting all caught up. There is tons I could add, but it feels all so delayed, so I'll just say that we have both pre-park breakfast and lunch at BOG booked for the same day in 2 weeks. I was feeling slightly "weird"/greedy about this but, since reading this TR am sooo glad to be dong it!! Congrats on such an amazing trip and phenomenal report!

You have no idea how many times I've done that with TRs!

Oh, please don't feel greedy about having multipel BOG ADRs! They're such different experiences (well, I guess I can't speak for breakfast yet but lunch and dinner are completely unique experiences!).

It's definitely one of those things that looks more amazing in person than it does in pictures!

Totally agree on this. The whole resort is amazing, but the Cars section especially is just like walking into the movie.

That towel is adorable!

Oh I completely agree about AoA! I thought the pictures looked neat but the way it immerses you in the experience, especially the Cars area, is fantastic!

Thanks about the towel! I'm actually glad I found that picture because it reminded me to add it to my packing list for September!

Yes I am so so excited! I haven't been to Disney world in 5 years and I'll be staying at POP. I've never stayed on site either so my excitement is honestly through the roof hahaha.

FIVE YEARS Oh *I* am excited for you!!! Pop is incredible. It is a great resort. Staying on-site will be such a new experience. You really get immersed in the Disney magic for the whole trip. Once you stay on-site, you'll never do it any other way! I hope to hear a TR when you return...!

Yes, he is finally getting excited which I think is a good sign! My Disney madness and crazy planning is converting him already.

We are staying at Port Orleans Riverside which will be my first time there and only my second time staying at a Disney resort so... reeeeally exciting! Plus we're going with my best friend and her husband and she is mega planner with spreadsheets for eeeeverything. We are ready to go!

As a side note, completely obsessed with your personalized Ariel towel!! She is my absolute fav... your friend has good taste!! Can't wait to read more of your TR.

That's the beauty of being a crazy mad planner...they kind of don't have a choice but to love it

Ooo you'll have to report back on POR! I debated staying there in September - it looks so beautiful and relaxing!

Isn't that towel so cute? I actually have no idea where it is...better find it before September!

This looks AH-MAZING! I had the build your own pasta at POR and it was delish! It was huge too.

AOA looks like such a fun resort and what wonderful theming. That is one thing I love to do is visit other resorts - last year we visited Coronado Springs at night and it was beautiful.

Can't wait to hear about Hoop De Doo Review!

I still think about that build your own pasta! It really was fantastic! And yes, HUGE too! No way I could finish that alone.

AoA is truly amazing and definitely worth a trip! Visiting other resorts has become one of my favorite Disney activities! They are all so different and unique.

Hoop De Doo is on its way !

 

[Cando86]

So as if I couldn't be more excited about our upcoming trip, something amazing happened a couple nights ago! Joe said to me at dinner "so, can we make a trip to Target? I want to get something but it's a surprise." OKAY! So, we head there and the surprise was he wanted to get Toy Story...think I have a convert? While any Disney purchase is exciting, that wasn't the exciting part. EVERY time we are in Target or anywhere with electronics I check out the cameras. I've had a (crappy) point and shoot for years and I've wanted a nice, DSLR camera for longer than I can remember. Every now and then I'll spend time researching cameras, deciding on one and then realizing it was simply out of my price range.

Until this day. We, per usual, swung by the electronics department and that was when I spotted it.

A DSLR on sale for...$75. From $300.

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After googling the brand and seeing the great reviews it got, my decision was made. Until. The electronics staff member went to grab one and they were gone. I knew it was too good to be true. He was fantastic and called around to three other Target locations only to be told the same thing - none of them had my camera I was SO bummed.

But then I heard these beautiful words: "wait, why don't I just sell you the display model?" YES PLEASE!!! And so, I got my camera!!! For an additional 10% off since it was the display model. Ended up scoring the camera for right around $70 and at more than a 75% markdown. I sung "there's a great big beautiful TODAY" all the way to car as Joe stared. I am STILL so excited!!! Can't WAIT to try it out in Disney!

OKAY! Thanks for reading that if you did I got a little carried away.

January 12, 2015 - Strawberry Shortcake and Have You Ever Seen The Rain? We Have

Onward! We left the room at 4:40 for the 6:15 HDDR show. Which should be plenty of time right?

Wrong.

Thanks for nothing rain.

It was ... horrible.

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Except minus the romance and with ALL THE RAIN.

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Lotta Wayne.

The bus to MK took forever. Finally got to MK. The water taxi? Took even longer It was pouring and there was lightning so the water taxis couldn't run. I honestly lost track of how long we waited there for. But it was slightly miserable. You know how they say "a bad day at Disney is better than a good day at work"? I think this situation proved that wrong. Sort of kidding only.

We finally made it over to Fort Wilderness right about 6:15. When the show was scheduled to start. Thankfully, it looked like others had the same fate as us and I guess we weren't truly late as long as we're just comparing ourselves to others.

Luckily, and I'm not sure if this is the case every time or if it was due to the weather delaying peoples' arrivals, they started SEATING at 6:15 and the show didn't actually start then. We stood in a "line" that was more like a mob of people than any sort of organized line. We also didn't get a picture out front and I'm assuming that is due to the rain unless they've stopped doing that. I think we exchanged our tickets at a window outside and got our table number and then waited in the "line" to get in. We were seated at 6:25 and there was salad and cornbread already waiting for us. Which was a great sight to two people who just crossed the Atlantic Sea on a ten day journey to get here.

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We were on the second floor. The dining plan allows you to do category two or three seating but two was gone by the time I made the reservations. I will say I regret this. I felt very removed from the action and I think it, along with the rain, really affected our opinions on HDDR.

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At 6:30 the show started!

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At the end when they give you the washboards, Joe decided to get way more into it than was necessary.

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Just engaged, guys. Happily...or something.

When we got the 'check' that was really the receipt for using the dining plan we noticed that gratuity is included and that is why the show requires two dining credits.

I hate to disappoint anyone and I feel like we're committing some sort of Disney crime but...we weren't huge fans of HDDR. I think I liked it more than Joe did and we both admitted that our experience was likely tainted by our experiences traveling to Fort Wilderness with the rain and the transportation issues. I know Joe mentioned he felt like it took a lot of work to get over there and that his clothes, especially his socks, were wet the whole time which affected his feelings on it.

So after HDDR they have a few buses waiting to take you back to your respective resorts which is nice. The experience we had on the bus ride back...wow.

Let me first say I don't judge anyone's parenting. I've been a nanny, I've babysat for multiple families, both my undergraduate and graduate work revolves around child development and various family and parenting styles. When I think back about what I saw on the bus, I feel regretful that I didn't do more. It broke my heart and was completely and utterly awful. There was a mother with two children. One was about two and the other about one. The two year old was...being two and having a difficult time listening. Like I said, I KNOW how it feels when a child isn't listening. It's frustrating, it makes us want to pull our hair out, and we even sometimes lose our cool a bit and regret the way we acted. This was not that. She was SCREAMING, I mean absolutely SCREAMING to the point where her voice was hoarse as she was yelling to "god ****** SIT DOWN!!!!!!!!" Pulling SO hard on this little boys arm to make him sit. More SCREAMING. Over and over again. It was making everyone on the bus SO uncomfortable. If this was the way she was acting in front of people, it kills me to think how she treats him at home. Then, she straight up DROPPED and I MEAN DROPPED her other child. Head hit the floor, you could hear it, everything. And she said nothing about it! Even acted irritated that it happened, like it was the child's fault. The whole thing was honestly was one of the worst things I've ever seen in my life. I wish I could reiterate how truly awful the situation was but I also don't because I wouldn't want to put anyone else through that.

That likely tainted our experience as well.

We made it back to AoA by 8:50 and probably crashed immediately from the day and everything. Sorry to end the day on such a crappy note but it WAS crappy unfortunately. I can only hope that mother was having a VERY VERY VERY bad day but even still...

I promise fun things are ahead. Til next time (which should be soon!)...

 

[totebagg]

First of all - Wow what a horrid experience from the weather to witnessing the udderly bad parenting! I hate that you guys didn't like HDDR but I had a similar experience last year at Via Napoli. We were drenched and really wanted to head back to the resort but had an ADR for Via Napoli at 6 pm and it was only 4:30. So we decided that we would stop by and asked if there was a chance to be seated earlier which they did. We were soaked, exhausted and had the most obnoxious couple sitting beside us, so needless to say we really hated Via Napoli which is blasphemy as well. It really tainted us and we will not likely go back anytime soon so I know how you feel!

 

[SarahDisney]

Sorry to hear that your HDDR experience wasn't great - rain really screws things up sometimes!

And that bus story ... I will be the first to say that I'm not a kid person and I lose my patience with kids very easily. But seriously ... that is not a way to treat any human being, whether it's your child or a random stranger. I can't even grasp what this woman was doing ... it makes no sense to me. I really hope that she was just at the end of a terrible day and that's not her normal way of handling the kids.

 

[Chrystmasangel]

Hello. I am coming in late for the party! Because of that, this will be a long post to get me caught up. =) I found your TR link from another that I was reading. So glad I did.

I am in that "between trips" funk and have been taking advantage of other peoples magic! My last trip was in December this past year... and my next isn't until Avatar land opens in 2017.(if it opens then!) DH say's I have to go somewhere else for 2016! I tried to argue with "where else can you go and visit 9 countries in 1 week" but it didn't work. He loves Disney and all, but he says he would also like to go else where sometime too. I just don't understand that statement! So Disney withdraw begins! But 2017 will be a HUGE trip as it will be my DD's 18th birthday so we are going to do a lot of "only on special occasion" things and first time things and it is going to be around a 12 day trip since it will be our DD's last trip with us as officially one of the kiddies.

Loving your TR. My kids and DH have been laughing their butts off at me as I sit and read and they glance over and I am wiping tears off my cheeks. So where to begin!

First and most important!
Congratulations to both of you on the engagement! How exciting to have it happen at your favorite park during you favorite show! Something you will never forget.

Then to recap...
So scary about the car and thinking you weren't going to be able to go!

Raglan Road... I have not been there yet, but it is on my list. I just have never been sure if it would be something my kids would enjoy or a proper environment for them. I tend to stay away from the restaurant/pub environments with them.

You have convinced me that I need to add Boma to my next trip as well

BOG is just amazing. We went in December and requested the West Wing for dinner. I am so glad we did. The whole atmosphere in there is a bit different. Even the waiter we had fell into the "scared of the beast" role. It was something to experience. Some people don't like it because it is darker and a bit louder... but the ambiance is so worth it.

Loved your pics of Minnie. LOL I never tried the animation academy. I was going to in December, but I crammed way to much in to our trip and we missed it. Was going to go for sure next trip... but now that isn't possible with it being closed. I went to 50's Prime Time when I was there as a teen...have been debating going back. The food did not impress me then and I am afraid my kids would not be impressed now. The atmosphere is amazing and I am sure they would enjoy that part of it, but the fear of leaving hungry with the cost has kept me from going back. So cool that Joe was the Rebel spy! I will have to have my DS try your trick next time we go!

Epcot has always been one of my favorite parks. Just something about the wonder of walking in and seeing that amazing ball. From the first time I stepped into that park in 1989 I was mesmerized. Contrary to your fiance (doesn't that sound amazing!) I grew up ( I say that... but yet I was 15 the first time I laid eyes on that beauty) LOVING Figment! However, this version of the ride is nothing like it used to be. I also remember spending hours in the imagination works back when it was 2 floors and playing in the water fountain outside.

Sorry your Qwest experience wasn't what you thought it would be. I have never, nor have any of my kids, had any interest in it, but I have read a lot of people who have enjoyed it. At least it gave you the opportunity to take it easy a bit.

Cali Grill meal looked amazing, but not to sure how a meal watching MK fireworks could be bad. It could taste like rubber tires and probably wouldn't notice. LOL

I had to see Enchanted tales with Belle 1 x too... just for that mirror! Other than that, I can leave it. Nice Knights in shinning armor though!

I am sorry about the rain delays you had and that it put a damper on your mood! I have found one of my fondest memories to be in MK when it was a down poor. Our July of 2012 trip was rain after rain day. the rain was so bad when we got back to our resort one night, they had people at the concierge desk asking for refunds because they could not leave for days at a time. (amazingly, they could not refund the cost of park tickets, but they were giving them refunds for their hotel costs due to the weather??? WHAT???) The one day we went to MK, I just laughed, pulled up my hood on my poncho and I and the family waddled along like ducks in a row. It was the weirdest feeling to be walking around MK and no one else was around. I mean NO ONE. It was raining so hard it was like sheets of rain and we just kept going. WE walked on EVERY ride at MK in seriously 7 hours. Because we were the only ones, the CM's were making such a big deal out of the kids because they were the ONLY GUESTS. There was not a single wait any where! Then as we were walking up to leave....there was a CM standing under his umbrella in front of the castle and I asked him why he was standing there and he said "Have to control the fireworks crowds" with a great big grin. I couldn't believe my ears. Fireworks???? In this Monsoon... He said, "RAIN OR SHINE, The show must go on!" I couldn't believe it. So My DD, Myself, and a friends daughter that was there with us, stood right smack dab in front of the castle, NO ONE ELSE to be seen but the CM and watched the fireworks (the lights didn't go, but the music did) through the down poor. It was our own private viewing of the fireworks. I wish I could have taken pictures of the empty park and watching the fireworks, but it was raining so hard, I didn't even want to try with my phone let alone my camera. It just took something that could have been so awful because of the weather and made it the best memory ever!

 

[Chipmunks2271]

Let me first say I don't judge anyone's parenting. I've been a nanny, I've babysat for multiple families, both my undergraduate and graduate work revolves around child development and various family and parenting styles. When I think back about what I saw on the bus, I feel regretful that I didn't do more. It broke my heart and was completely and utterly awful. There was a mother with two children. One was about two and the other about one. The two year old was...being two and having a difficult time listening. Like I said, I KNOW how it feels when a child isn't listening. It's frustrating, it makes us want to pull our hair out, and we even sometimes lose our cool a bit and regret the way we acted. This was not that. She was SCREAMING, I mean absolutely SCREAMING to the point where her voice was hoarse as she was yelling to "god ****** SIT DOWN!!!!!!!!" Pulling SO hard on this little boys arm to make him sit. More SCREAMING. Over and over again. It was making everyone on the bus SO uncomfortable. If this was the way she was acting in front of people, it kills me to think how she treats him at home. Then, she straight up DROPPED and I MEAN DROPPED her other child. Head hit the floor, you could hear it, everything. And she said nothing about it! Even acted irritated that it happened, like it was the child's fault. The whole thing was honestly was one of the worst things I've ever seen in my life. I wish I could reiterate how truly awful the situation was but I also don't because I wouldn't want to put anyone else through that.

I CANNOT Imagine what that was like! I'm an educator, former nanny, lots of grad work in behavior and child development, too. Sometimes I really want to step in, and wonder "What if I don't know the whole situation"? and hesitate. It's so awkward, and tragic.

That stinks that you're HDDR was such a crappy experience. I've never done it (one of the few shows I haven't seen) and have always wanted to. The trip to Ft. Wilderness is certainly time consuming - they should consider shuttles to resorts, just like they do from the show back "home". Can't wait to see how your next day redeems this rainy, child abuse, cloudy filled day.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

first, glad to hear the conversion is going well .... and nice timing getting Toy Story now knowing Toy Story land is coming.

Congrats on getting the great deal on the camera! Hope it works out well for you for the upcoming trip!

Ugh, that rain sounds terrible. I always go into a WDW vacation knowing rain will happen but there is like normal Florida rain and like the rain Noah is used to seeing. Glad it seems like you weren't really late in the end and while it sounds stressful to be at your table at 6:25 (with some food waiting) seems pretty good!

Definitely can understand what you are saying about the seating. I think it is good they have the balcony seating for people who want to be more observers than "in" the show but I can get how that might make you feel less involved.

We have yet to do HDDR as kinda waiting until my kids were a little older. I hear very great things especially from people who love the "classic" Disney vibe - but I definitely think if my first experience was like yours it would sour me as well. Seems like one of those things you have to really commit to going with and if you are "off" or distracted by the weather, not prime seats, wet socks, etc. it's just not going to be the same. Maybe give it another try in a few years when, hopefully, things will be a little dryer

and wow, that situation on the bus. It's always tough as an outsider to truly know what was going on and what led to that point, but yeah, seems over the top no matter what and can understand wanting to do more .... though (and this probably isn't an excuse) but what would she have said/done to you if you tried to do something? If that is how she treated her kids how would she treat you? Honestly, not sure what the best course of action is? Maybe instead of trying to correct or fix just ask the mother if she could use a hand or something? I don't know - tough situation, especially coming off the not so great dinner experience.

Oh well, hopefully this just helped shine a light on how great the other days were

 

[Bubbenstein]

This makes me a bit worried for our Mickeys BYBQ in October! I've never been to Fort Wilderness but I can imagine it takes up a pretty decent chunk of time, especially having to make the trek in the rain!

Hopefully Joe's washboard solo made it all worth it...? lol

I hate seeing children getting screamed at in Disney. Not exactly "magical".