GooniesAndy
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2011
October 19, 2015: Ensenada (or Not!)
We woke up around 7:00 to the boat shaking and the sounds of what I have to assume were ropes being lowered to tie us to the dock in Ensenada (a place that was fun when I was in my early 20s, but I no longer need to visit). It went on for a good 10-15 minutes and no one could sleep through it. Oh well! We had 8:30 Frozen Meet & Greet tickets, so it was almost time to be up anyway.
We got dressed and went up to Beach Blanket Buffet for breakfast. I grabbed scrambled eggs, corned beef hash, breakfast potatoes, fruit, and a croissant, plus a cup of coffee and a glass of passion fruit-orange-guava juice (my favorite!) I had planned on a light breakfast, but oh well! I do love the buffet breakfast! As we sat down outside I remembered that I needed to get my Mango Mountain Hike smoothie from Goofy's Galley, so I ran out to grab one to bring back in. Those are so delicious and I am sad to say this is the only one I had on this trip!
DSC01235 by Erin Brown, on Flickr
The kids were amused by the seagulls all over the place. Lots of, “Mine! Mine! Mine!”
DSC01237 by Erin Brown, on Flickr
DSC01236 by Erin Brown, on Flickr
DSC01238 by Erin Brown, on Flickr
After breakfast we went down to Animator's Palate for the Frozen Meet & Greet. We were in the first group of the day so we only had a few people in front of us and very little wait. We were there when Anna, Elsa, and Olaf arrived, which was fun. Alison loves Elsa, and she was dressed as her, so it was pretty cute. She had brought the Elsa-themed Mickey ears door magnet I'd given her, to show Elsa. Elliott and Lucas decided they didn't want to get their pictures taken, but Oliver was game!
DSC01243 by Erin Brown, on Flickr
DSC01244 by Erin Brown, on Flickr
DSC01246 by Erin Brown, on Flickr
DSC01247 by Erin Brown, on Flickr
When all the pictures had been taken we walked down to the atrium for our 9:00 Princess Meet & Greet, where we discovered that the Pumpkin Tree had magically grown overnight!
DSC01242 by Erin Brown, on Flickr
Alison was beyond thrilled to discover that her other favorite princess, Rapunzel, was there, as we had believed she was no longer onboard. Jason went to get her Rapunzel dress so that she could change.
We were about 15 minutes early, but the last two families in line told me they were there for 9:00 so we hopped in. A few minutes later a cast member came over and said that they were still working on the 8:45 people, so could we step to the side. For some reason the 8:30 and 8:45 people were really not showing up and soon we were told we could begin to line up. Of course all the people that had arrived after us rushed the line, but it still wasn't long. Elliott, Lucas, and Oliver all announced that they would like to go to the club and not meet princesses. Thank goodness for there finally being a little girl in the family!
Since I had my own ticket for the event but no family, I decided that I would pixie dust someone, as on our last cruiseI had witnessed tiny girls being seriously disappointed when they found out they couldn't meet the princesses. I saw a man and a little girl standing nearby and went to ask them if she would like to meet the princesses. The man told me his wife was in line with his other daughter, but they hadn't realized they needed tickets. So, I let them come with me and they were my surrogate family for the meet & greet. I even took their pictures for them to make it more official!
Alison completely loved meeting the princesses, Rapunzel, Ariel, and Cinderella. After we walked away she told me, “Ariel is the best.” I guess they are good friends now.
DSC01249 by Erin Brown, on Flickr
DSC01253 by Erin Brown, on Flickr
DSC01254 by Erin Brown, on Flickr
DSC01258 by Erin Brown, on Flickr
DSC01261 by Erin Brown, on Flickr
I left them and went to get my Kindle from the room, where I also found a gift in our Fish Extender, and it was for me! It was two tubs of chip dip, with a note saying that I should bring it to Diversions or Promenade Lounge to enjoy with the chips they provide at night. The note wasn't signed, and I had no clue who knew my room number since I hadn't signed up for the FE.
10181539 by Erin Brown, on Flickr
I then headed up to Outlook Cafe with Larry to get a tea press of chai, which is one of my cruise traditions.
DSC01265 by Erin Brown, on Flickr
I was soon joined by Meghan, Jason, and Ming, as they had dropped Ali off at the club, and then Ryan and Christa a few minutes later. We had a lot of fun chatting and just hanging out, though poor Larry was trying to read. I asked Ryan if they had left the dips in my FE and he started quizzing me about them, asking if there had been a note, and then finally he admitted that it had been him. He can't stand the fact that the thing just has chips, salsa, and sour cream on it, so he figured it was a good idea to bring something to liven it up. Did I mention that these guys are awesome?
A little while later Meghan got the page that Alison wanted to be picked up from the club. After this she unfortunately was not too keen on the club, but there were a couple of times when she just had to go. It became tricky! Meghan also picked up Oliver and Elliott, and send Elliott off to the open house at the Edge, which is one of his favorite things. After a while she showed up with all the kids but Lucas, so I went out to meet them and we decided to wander up to the buffet. It wasn't quite open yet, so we got sandwiches and fruit at Goofy's Galley. I decided to try the bacon and brie panini that I've heard so much about, but I wasn't too fond of it so didn't eat very much.
We ran into Ryan and Christa, who told us that Elliott was now hanging out with Ava. I knew they would feed themselves, so that was just fine. Larry decided to take Oliver in the Mickey pool, so I thought I would go check out the lunch buffet and get a little snack. I ended up in line right behind Ming, so we sat together to eat. Ming, Jason's mom, lives in Virginia and so I don't see her very much, and it was really nice to sit down to a meal one-on-one and get to talk. I really felt like I got to know her a lot better on this trip! She's a really fun lady!
As we sat down I got a text from Larry in the Navigator app letting me know that they had been about to go in the Mickey pool when it was suddenly closed down. Yup, someone's kid pooped in the pool. Happens almost every trip. There is always someone who takes their un-potty-trained kid in the pool, despite the rules! Oliver was very upset, but Larry took him to the arcade for a while instead (instant cheering up) and then they saw Meg in the spa and Ollie hopped in with her. Elliott and Ava showed up at the pool, too, and they all enjoyed some swimming time.
I got a text from Ryan and Christa saying that they were in the adult area, so I went up to try to find them. I ran into Elliott and Ava in the hallway right outside. I sent Elliott to find Granddad, who was still with Oliver, because Ava said she wanted to go to the Edge, which was no longer in open house. I then headed into the cafe and apparently Ava followed me in, because someone came running over to yell at me, telling me kids aren't allowed. I promised her that I would find her parents and let them know she had gone to the Edge.
Soon it was time for the Nightmare Before Christmas Sing & Scream, which I was really excited about. In reviewing Navigators from years past I had always seen it as starting at 10:30pm, so a midafternoon show was great, and they even repeated it later in the week. We got our favorite seats in the Walt Disney Theater, on the right side of the theater right on the aisle, close to the front. You have a great line of sight on the stage from there, with no people sitting in front of you blocking the view. It's great for little ones! Plus, the center section usually fills up first, so it is easy to get seats there.
Alison was a little bit scared during the movie, but not enough for trouble. They had some cool effects, making it 4D: strobe lights, bubbles, snow, fog. And at the very end Jack and Sally came out of the stage and headed out to take pictures in the foyer. I knew this was coming and that the line gets crazy long, so while everyone was struggling up the main aisles I went out the side of our row and was able to get a good spot in line. Luckily everyone got to me in time, because I was maybe the sixth or seventh person in line!
As usual, Elliott and Lucas didn't want to get their pictures taken, but Oliver went right on in.
DSC01268 by Erin Brown, on Flickr
DSC01270 by Erin Brown, on Flickr
Alison was a little bit scared, but Sally came over and got her.
DSC01272 by Erin Brown, on Flickr
DSC01273 by Erin Brown, on Flickr
DSC01274 by Erin Brown, on Flickr
It was pretty adorable. Jack and Sally were fun, because they were actually allowed to talk. Jack was spot on, doing the laugh and the voice. The kids loved it!
DSC01275 by Erin Brown, on Flickr
The boys then went back to the club (surprise!) and I decided that I would try to take a nap until dinner. That didn't work out, but I still had a nice little rest. Luckily I hadn't fallen asleep, because it wasn't long before Oliver had me paged to come pick him up, and Elliott and Lucas decided they were ready to leave, too. They just wanted to hang out in our room, so I texted Meghan to let her know I had Lucas, and we headed back to the room via the drinks station.
The kids settled in to watch TV and, mean mom that I am, I made Elliott work on his homework. He absolutely hates doing homework and I knew he would regret it if he left it all until the last minute.
It was “optional dress-up night” so Meghan came to get Lucas so that all of us could get into our fancy duds. We got some pictures taken on the stairs in the atrium and then just walked straight on in to dinner at Triton's, for the rotational menu.
CCI10232015_0001 by Erin Brown, on Flickr
I ordered the Onion Soup Gratinee (French onion soup), the Red Wine Bosc Pear Salad, and the Chateaubriand-Roasted Filet Steak, rare. When my steak came it was more like medium (and that's being generous), which I pointed out to Mike. I was told that it was a different cut of meat and that's just how it looked, but come on... someone who orders a rare steak every night probably knows the difference. I pointed out that Larry's steak (which had been ordered medium-rare) was much pinker than mine. I suspect that they had mixed them up, since it seems like the steaks are almost always a bit more cooked than you order. I am not a person who usually sends food back, but I think a medium steak is a ruined steak, so I did ask for a new one. The one they brought me was much better, and it was delicious.
I actually talked Elliott into trying the Iced Lobster and Jumbo Shrimp, which he loved. Both kids did refuse to try the escargot.
Alison needed to use the restroom, so I volunteered to take her. On the way back into the dining room, she told me, “Aunt Erin, I feel a little unwell. I think I should sleep in your bed.” My heart melted! She is so darn cute, and she is a little pistol. She's going to be quite a handful!
I started to feel a little migrainey, so I asked Larry to bring my Grand Marnier Souffle back to the room for me when they were done. I wanted to go lie down, because the next day was a big one and I couldn't take any chances that I wouldn't be feeling well! Sometimes a migraine will upset my stomach and I had Palo AND Halloween to look forward to. I found what was either a towel elephant or maybe anteater, and the kids' trick or treat bags for the next day.
DSC01297 by Erin Brown, on Flickr
Larry brought me my souffle, which was a bit dense. I should have ordered the crème brulee! He then took the boys to see the Golden Mickeys while I rested up. I took a nice shower, got in my pajamas, and watched the TV broadcast of the Golden Mickeys.
Soon they all returned and we watched movies until everyone was ready for sleep.
We woke up around 7:00 to the boat shaking and the sounds of what I have to assume were ropes being lowered to tie us to the dock in Ensenada (a place that was fun when I was in my early 20s, but I no longer need to visit). It went on for a good 10-15 minutes and no one could sleep through it. Oh well! We had 8:30 Frozen Meet & Greet tickets, so it was almost time to be up anyway.
We got dressed and went up to Beach Blanket Buffet for breakfast. I grabbed scrambled eggs, corned beef hash, breakfast potatoes, fruit, and a croissant, plus a cup of coffee and a glass of passion fruit-orange-guava juice (my favorite!) I had planned on a light breakfast, but oh well! I do love the buffet breakfast! As we sat down outside I remembered that I needed to get my Mango Mountain Hike smoothie from Goofy's Galley, so I ran out to grab one to bring back in. Those are so delicious and I am sad to say this is the only one I had on this trip!
DSC01235 by Erin Brown, on FlickrThe kids were amused by the seagulls all over the place. Lots of, “Mine! Mine! Mine!”
DSC01237 by Erin Brown, on FlickrDSC01236 by Erin Brown, on FlickrDSC01238 by Erin Brown, on FlickrAfter breakfast we went down to Animator's Palate for the Frozen Meet & Greet. We were in the first group of the day so we only had a few people in front of us and very little wait. We were there when Anna, Elsa, and Olaf arrived, which was fun. Alison loves Elsa, and she was dressed as her, so it was pretty cute. She had brought the Elsa-themed Mickey ears door magnet I'd given her, to show Elsa. Elliott and Lucas decided they didn't want to get their pictures taken, but Oliver was game!
DSC01243 by Erin Brown, on FlickrDSC01244 by Erin Brown, on FlickrDSC01246 by Erin Brown, on FlickrDSC01247 by Erin Brown, on FlickrWhen all the pictures had been taken we walked down to the atrium for our 9:00 Princess Meet & Greet, where we discovered that the Pumpkin Tree had magically grown overnight!
DSC01242 by Erin Brown, on FlickrAlison was beyond thrilled to discover that her other favorite princess, Rapunzel, was there, as we had believed she was no longer onboard. Jason went to get her Rapunzel dress so that she could change.
We were about 15 minutes early, but the last two families in line told me they were there for 9:00 so we hopped in. A few minutes later a cast member came over and said that they were still working on the 8:45 people, so could we step to the side. For some reason the 8:30 and 8:45 people were really not showing up and soon we were told we could begin to line up. Of course all the people that had arrived after us rushed the line, but it still wasn't long. Elliott, Lucas, and Oliver all announced that they would like to go to the club and not meet princesses. Thank goodness for there finally being a little girl in the family!
Since I had my own ticket for the event but no family, I decided that I would pixie dust someone, as on our last cruiseI had witnessed tiny girls being seriously disappointed when they found out they couldn't meet the princesses. I saw a man and a little girl standing nearby and went to ask them if she would like to meet the princesses. The man told me his wife was in line with his other daughter, but they hadn't realized they needed tickets. So, I let them come with me and they were my surrogate family for the meet & greet. I even took their pictures for them to make it more official!
Alison completely loved meeting the princesses, Rapunzel, Ariel, and Cinderella. After we walked away she told me, “Ariel is the best.” I guess they are good friends now.
DSC01249 by Erin Brown, on FlickrDSC01253 by Erin Brown, on FlickrDSC01254 by Erin Brown, on FlickrDSC01258 by Erin Brown, on FlickrDSC01261 by Erin Brown, on FlickrI left them and went to get my Kindle from the room, where I also found a gift in our Fish Extender, and it was for me! It was two tubs of chip dip, with a note saying that I should bring it to Diversions or Promenade Lounge to enjoy with the chips they provide at night. The note wasn't signed, and I had no clue who knew my room number since I hadn't signed up for the FE.
10181539 by Erin Brown, on FlickrI then headed up to Outlook Cafe with Larry to get a tea press of chai, which is one of my cruise traditions.
DSC01265 by Erin Brown, on FlickrI was soon joined by Meghan, Jason, and Ming, as they had dropped Ali off at the club, and then Ryan and Christa a few minutes later. We had a lot of fun chatting and just hanging out, though poor Larry was trying to read. I asked Ryan if they had left the dips in my FE and he started quizzing me about them, asking if there had been a note, and then finally he admitted that it had been him. He can't stand the fact that the thing just has chips, salsa, and sour cream on it, so he figured it was a good idea to bring something to liven it up. Did I mention that these guys are awesome?
A little while later Meghan got the page that Alison wanted to be picked up from the club. After this she unfortunately was not too keen on the club, but there were a couple of times when she just had to go. It became tricky! Meghan also picked up Oliver and Elliott, and send Elliott off to the open house at the Edge, which is one of his favorite things. After a while she showed up with all the kids but Lucas, so I went out to meet them and we decided to wander up to the buffet. It wasn't quite open yet, so we got sandwiches and fruit at Goofy's Galley. I decided to try the bacon and brie panini that I've heard so much about, but I wasn't too fond of it so didn't eat very much.
We ran into Ryan and Christa, who told us that Elliott was now hanging out with Ava. I knew they would feed themselves, so that was just fine. Larry decided to take Oliver in the Mickey pool, so I thought I would go check out the lunch buffet and get a little snack. I ended up in line right behind Ming, so we sat together to eat. Ming, Jason's mom, lives in Virginia and so I don't see her very much, and it was really nice to sit down to a meal one-on-one and get to talk. I really felt like I got to know her a lot better on this trip! She's a really fun lady!
As we sat down I got a text from Larry in the Navigator app letting me know that they had been about to go in the Mickey pool when it was suddenly closed down. Yup, someone's kid pooped in the pool. Happens almost every trip. There is always someone who takes their un-potty-trained kid in the pool, despite the rules! Oliver was very upset, but Larry took him to the arcade for a while instead (instant cheering up) and then they saw Meg in the spa and Ollie hopped in with her. Elliott and Ava showed up at the pool, too, and they all enjoyed some swimming time.
I got a text from Ryan and Christa saying that they were in the adult area, so I went up to try to find them. I ran into Elliott and Ava in the hallway right outside. I sent Elliott to find Granddad, who was still with Oliver, because Ava said she wanted to go to the Edge, which was no longer in open house. I then headed into the cafe and apparently Ava followed me in, because someone came running over to yell at me, telling me kids aren't allowed. I promised her that I would find her parents and let them know she had gone to the Edge.
Soon it was time for the Nightmare Before Christmas Sing & Scream, which I was really excited about. In reviewing Navigators from years past I had always seen it as starting at 10:30pm, so a midafternoon show was great, and they even repeated it later in the week. We got our favorite seats in the Walt Disney Theater, on the right side of the theater right on the aisle, close to the front. You have a great line of sight on the stage from there, with no people sitting in front of you blocking the view. It's great for little ones! Plus, the center section usually fills up first, so it is easy to get seats there.
Alison was a little bit scared during the movie, but not enough for trouble. They had some cool effects, making it 4D: strobe lights, bubbles, snow, fog. And at the very end Jack and Sally came out of the stage and headed out to take pictures in the foyer. I knew this was coming and that the line gets crazy long, so while everyone was struggling up the main aisles I went out the side of our row and was able to get a good spot in line. Luckily everyone got to me in time, because I was maybe the sixth or seventh person in line!
As usual, Elliott and Lucas didn't want to get their pictures taken, but Oliver went right on in.
DSC01268 by Erin Brown, on FlickrDSC01270 by Erin Brown, on FlickrAlison was a little bit scared, but Sally came over and got her.
DSC01272 by Erin Brown, on FlickrDSC01273 by Erin Brown, on FlickrDSC01274 by Erin Brown, on FlickrIt was pretty adorable. Jack and Sally were fun, because they were actually allowed to talk. Jack was spot on, doing the laugh and the voice. The kids loved it!
DSC01275 by Erin Brown, on FlickrThe boys then went back to the club (surprise!) and I decided that I would try to take a nap until dinner. That didn't work out, but I still had a nice little rest. Luckily I hadn't fallen asleep, because it wasn't long before Oliver had me paged to come pick him up, and Elliott and Lucas decided they were ready to leave, too. They just wanted to hang out in our room, so I texted Meghan to let her know I had Lucas, and we headed back to the room via the drinks station.
The kids settled in to watch TV and, mean mom that I am, I made Elliott work on his homework. He absolutely hates doing homework and I knew he would regret it if he left it all until the last minute.
It was “optional dress-up night” so Meghan came to get Lucas so that all of us could get into our fancy duds. We got some pictures taken on the stairs in the atrium and then just walked straight on in to dinner at Triton's, for the rotational menu.
CCI10232015_0001 by Erin Brown, on FlickrI ordered the Onion Soup Gratinee (French onion soup), the Red Wine Bosc Pear Salad, and the Chateaubriand-Roasted Filet Steak, rare. When my steak came it was more like medium (and that's being generous), which I pointed out to Mike. I was told that it was a different cut of meat and that's just how it looked, but come on... someone who orders a rare steak every night probably knows the difference. I pointed out that Larry's steak (which had been ordered medium-rare) was much pinker than mine. I suspect that they had mixed them up, since it seems like the steaks are almost always a bit more cooked than you order. I am not a person who usually sends food back, but I think a medium steak is a ruined steak, so I did ask for a new one. The one they brought me was much better, and it was delicious.
I actually talked Elliott into trying the Iced Lobster and Jumbo Shrimp, which he loved. Both kids did refuse to try the escargot.
Alison needed to use the restroom, so I volunteered to take her. On the way back into the dining room, she told me, “Aunt Erin, I feel a little unwell. I think I should sleep in your bed.” My heart melted! She is so darn cute, and she is a little pistol. She's going to be quite a handful!
I started to feel a little migrainey, so I asked Larry to bring my Grand Marnier Souffle back to the room for me when they were done. I wanted to go lie down, because the next day was a big one and I couldn't take any chances that I wouldn't be feeling well! Sometimes a migraine will upset my stomach and I had Palo AND Halloween to look forward to. I found what was either a towel elephant or maybe anteater, and the kids' trick or treat bags for the next day.
DSC01297 by Erin Brown, on FlickrLarry brought me my souffle, which was a bit dense. I should have ordered the crème brulee! He then took the boys to see the Golden Mickeys while I rested up. I took a nice shower, got in my pajamas, and watched the TV broadcast of the Golden Mickeys.
Soon they all returned and we watched movies until everyone was ready for sleep.
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Disgust Costume (Inside Out)
Disgust Costume (Inside Out)
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Odd Squad Family Costume
Disgust & Sadness Costumes from Inside Out
Captain McCrae (Wall-E) costume, with DCL officers
Sadness Costume (Inside Out)
