"Stop squeezing Mickey's nose!" - An October 2014 TR *COMPLETED!*

[hokieinpa]

Great parade pics! Can't wait to hear about Merida!

Thanks! We really loved the parade! And meeting Merida was amazing!

 

[hokieinpa]

Brave Warriors!


After fighting our way through the post-Hallowishes crowd, we raced over to meet one of the boys favorite characters - Merida!


She wasn’t out when we arrived but there was a line forming. I decided to go stand in line while my parents and Jim took the boys for a bathroom break right around the corner.

Soon we saw her...Merida! The boys were jumping with excitement!!

We were let into the meeting area and Merida walked by the line. She stopped to play with Jake for a few minutes (it’s the glasses, I tell ya!) and tickled his belly.

We were the 5th family in line so we moved up pretty quickly. Soon we were there!




Jake got some more Merida love!




I think Nate was showing her a glow stick I had given him while we waited for the parade.




She was so very patient with the boys and really listened to everything they had to say. Colin really enjoyed checking out the archery station and Merida spent quite a while talking to him about her bow and arrow!

Merida asked the boys what they like to do for fun. I think Nate talked about his toy swords at home and showed off some of his sword fighting skills with his glow stick. Then Merida told Colin and Nate that she could tell they were brave warriors and that the next time they were in Scotland they could come help her battle a bear. They were just both open-mouthed, totally enthralled!

Love the shots with both boys!





See Nate's sword??

And then there’s this one.




Be still, my heart.

This was, hands down, the absolute best meet of the whole trip. She spent so much time with the boys and we didn’t feel rushed. She listened to them and answered all their questions. And she was so funny!

Here she is talking about her little brothers. We pointed out that we have 3 brothers in our family, just like her!




After our awesome meet, we decided to head over to Tomorrowland! We had some space rangers ready to take a ride!



Next up


To Infinity...and Beyond!

 

[ememtingle]

It looks like y'all had a really productive first few days! Your boys are adorable!
I've always wanted to go to MNSSHP, but we didn't get the chance last year.
I love seeing all of the pictures from AoA. And isn't seeing the castle the best feeling ever. I love it so much!!

 

[MissMaryQC]

Hey! Just found your TR, subbing in. I'll come back and catch up real soon.

You have a beautiful family.

 

[MissMaryQC]

All caught up!

AoA looks wonderful! The theming is great and I'm so glad they have pool stuff for all your adorable boys to play in.

Glad your Epcot day was such a success. I agree that you need an adults only trip to F&W maybe even just a date night with DH on your next trip?

MNSSHP started out great! You guys got some good riding done before the parade. And a great spot to view everything too! Good job mama!

I've heard such great things about the Merida M&G glad you guys had such a wonderful experience.

Had to say again, you have a beautiful family. All your boys are so cute!

 

[missangelalexis]

Such cute pics with Merida!! I'm glad it was such an awesome interaction!

 

[hokieinpa]

It looks like y'all had a really productive first few days! Your boys are adorable!
I've always wanted to go to MNSSHP, but we didn't get the chance last year.
I love seeing all of the pictures from AoA. And isn't seeing the castle the best feeling ever. I love it so much!!

We really loved MNSSHP! The short lines were great and the atmosphere was just amazing! And I agree, the castle is total magic!

Hey! Just found your TR, subbing in. I'll come back and catch up real soon.

You have a beautiful family.

All caught up!

AoA looks wonderful! The theming is great and I'm so glad they have pool stuff for all your adorable boys to play in.

Glad your Epcot day was such a success. I agree that you need an adults only trip to F&W maybe even just a date night with DH on your next trip?

MNSSHP started out great! You guys got some good riding done before the parade. And a great spot to view everything too! Good job mama!

I've heard such great things about the Merida M&G glad you guys had such a wonderful experience.

Had to say again, you have a beautiful family. All your boys are so cute!

Thanks for joining!!

We really enjoyed AOA - great rooms, great pool, great food court!

Yes, a F&W date night! We're going in May 2016 so maybe F&G date night since they have outdoor kitchens??

I was pretty proud of how much we got done before the party! And the Merida meet was amazing! She was so great with the boys!

Such cute pics with Merida!! I'm glad it was such an awesome interaction!

Thanks! We did get some great shots with her - she was awesome with the boys!

 

[MnNsmom]

It looks like you had an awesome start to the party! Thanks for including the video. I haven't told the kids about that part, I can't wait to see their faces!

Merida sounds fantastic! I've been contemplating this meet. Do the boys get to shoot? It seems like I remembered some archery in another TR.

 

[hokieinpa]

It looks like you had an awesome start to the party! Thanks for including the video. I haven't told the kids about that part, I can't wait to see their faces!

Merida sounds fantastic! I've been contemplating this meet. Do the boys get to shoot? It seems like I remembered some archery in another TR.

The parade was great. The anticipation for the headless horseman was intense! I'm sure they will love it!

Merida was a great meet. We didn't get to do the archery. I think that's only during the day. We're going to try and meet her during the day next trip so we can try that. I've read about it on a few TRs and I think my boys would love it!

 

[hokieinpa]

To Infinity...and Beyond!


I left off right after our awesome Merida meet last time. After being totally awed by her, we decided to head over to Tomorrowland for some rides and to check out the dance party!

First up was a spin on the Astro Orbiter. No pictures from this but we really enjoyed it and it we waited less than 5 minutes.

Next up, one of our absolute must dos for the boys - Buzz Lightyear!

We have some serious Toy Story lovers and Nate had been looking forward to this ride since we started talking about the trip.

I rode with him the first time!




Nate was intense!

A shot of our ride photo!



Phone in my hand, naturally.


The boys loved this so much that we went ahead and rode 2 more times. There was no wait - we walked right through the queue and onto our ship. On our last spin through, we stopped in the dump shop. I really wanted to get a shot of the boys in the cage but there was a big group of families together and they had like 15 kids between them. Each kid was taking a turn inside alone so it was taking FOREVER!

Nate finally got a pair of ears though! Colin got a pair of Woody ears at MouseGear the night before. I tried to convince Nate to get the Buzz ears then but it wasn’t until he helped defeat Zurg that he felt he really earned them, I guess.

Right as we left the dump shop, we saw this guy with NO line!



I like this shot of both boys with their ears meeting Buzz!

Nate was excited!



And Jake just wanted to hug Buzz’s leg.



Jim stepped in to try and get a decent group shot. But then Jake started crying and Colin is doing something weird. We have pictures issues, clearly.




Lotso was meeting right next to Buzz. We walked right up, no wait!



Remember that nose squeezing deal? I think this is nose squeeze #4!




And no ones looks terribly thrilled in the group shot. It is Lotso, though. That guy is totally questionable!




After our Toy Story time, we heard a beat that we just couldn’t ignore. It was dance party time!



Next up


Nate the Dance Machine

 

[missangelalexis]

Lots of Toy Story fun!! The boys look so cute with their ears!

 

[MissMaryQC]

Your ride photo from Buzz is too cute; mom's got the phone, Nate's focused on his targets!

Sorry you couldn't get a shot of the boys in the jail cell with Zerg. They really need to move that photo spot, having it right at the exit doesn't seem too smart tome.

Little Jake, glasses or no he's a cutie. I kinda love the picture of all your men and Buzz, even if the baby is crying and Colin is making a weird face.

Lotso! We call him Strawberry Bear, and are of the opinion that the harsh world made him evil! He's too cute not to love, but I could see where little folks would be a bit apprehensive about hugging him.

 

[arrical8]

Meeting Merida is on my list for our November/December 2015 trip! I love her! Her meet sounds fabulous!

 

[ememtingle]

I love the ride photo from Buzz Lightyear! Also I love love love the boys Halloween outfits, so adorable with the matching Mickey ears!
That's so cool y'all didn't have to wait to meet Lotso! I haven't met him or Buzz before!
Can't wait to read more!

 

[hokieinpa]

Lots of Toy Story fun!! The boys look so cute with their ears!

I love those ears! We'll see if they want another pair next trip. Nate was interested in the Star Wars ones on our last HS day!

Your ride photo from Buzz is too cute; mom's got the phone, Nate's focused on his targets!

Sorry you couldn't get a shot of the boys in the jail cell with Zerg. They really need to move that photo spot, having it right at the exit doesn't seem too smart tome.

Little Jake, glasses or no he's a cutie. I kinda love the picture of all your men and Buzz, even if the baby is crying and Colin is making a weird face.

Lotso! We call him Strawberry Bear, and are of the opinion that the harsh world made him evil! He's too cute not to love, but I could see where little folks would be a bit apprehensive about hugging him.

I feel like that phone was in my hand almost the entire trip. I guess that's the deal when your phone is your camera too!

A shot of all 3 boys with Zurg is on my must do for next trip! There seems like a pretty big area right outside the dump shop - that would be the perfect place for him!

We really enjoyed the meets with Buzz and Lotso! Even if Lotso is considered a "villain" he seems pretty cuddly!

Meeting Merida is on my list for our November/December 2015 trip! I love her! Her meet sounds fabulous!

Merida was great! She answered all the boys questions and spent lots of time chatting with them! We didn't feel rushed at all. I want to try and meet her during the day next trip so maybe they boys can do the archery stuff!

I love the ride photo from Buzz Lightyear! Also I love love love the boys Halloween outfits, so adorable with the matching Mickey ears!
That's so cool y'all didn't have to wait to meet Lotso! I haven't met him or Buzz before!
Can't wait to read more!

The Halloween t-shirts and ears matched up perfectly. Now if we would have been able to meet Woody too, that would have been amazing!

 

[Sarahgracie]

We were loving MK so far! And how else would we learn such important information unless it was shared here?? Bathroom reviews are a must!



We really enjoyed October! Great weather, decent crowds. And of course - Halloween!



Wow wow wow! How crazy is that? I'm sure Nate loved chatting with you - he loves meeting new people and is not at all shy about sharing his many experiences and opinions!! Were you on a solo trip, no kids? I do remember him talking someone's ear off and all I could think was "She's kid-free! I hope Nate isn't bugging her!" Thanks for taking the time to talk to him!

Glad to have you following along!!

He was no problem at all! I was indeed on a solo trip (which I highly recommend to anyone who even has an inkling of interest- it was beyond fantastic). If I'd wanted peace and quiet and no kids, I would have picked just about anywhere but Disney World I'm so glad your family had a great trip, and I'm enjoying following along.

 

[MnNsmom]

Your MNSSHP sounds perfect so far. It's likely because I also have 3 boys, but I'm considering copying your plan from the parade on. Except Merida, the boys have vetoed her

 

[Dugette]

Jake is freaking out because I moved away from him. He was in a big Mommy-only phase at this point (always, maybe?) and cried whenever I was out of his reach.

Ha, yeah, I understand that. Izzy was in that stage on her first trip (Dec. 2013) and it made it really difficult for me to ever wander off. She's still a big mommy fan, but doesn't usually lose her mind when I go anymore.

Sounds like a really great experience of all the party events - the parade and castle show and fireworks. Love all of that stuff!

This was, hands down, the absolute best meet of the whole trip. She spent so much time with the boys and we didn’t feel rushed. She listened to them and answered all their questions. And she was so funny!

So glad you had such a wonderful character meet! We've never met Merida, but sounds like she went above and beyond with your boys. Those really can be magical moments for little ones and their parents.

I like this shot of both boys with their ears meeting Buzz!

That's super cute with their Buzz and Woody costumes and ears and then meeting Buzz!

 

[hokieinpa]

He was no problem at all! I was indeed on a solo trip (which I highly recommend to anyone who even has an inkling of interest- it was beyond fantastic). If I'd wanted peace and quiet and no kids, I would have picked just about anywhere but Disney World I'm so glad your family had a great trip, and I'm enjoying following along.

We really did have a great trip. So looking forward to our next one even if it seems forever away!

I was actually just talking to my mom about a solo trip in a few years. With 3 kids, these things have to be planned out. So I'm thinking summer 2017 - Disney all by myself!!

Your MNSSHP sounds perfect so far. It's likely because I also have 3 boys, but I'm considering copying your plan from the parade on. Except Merida, the boys have vetoed her

Tomorrowland was EMPTY! Plus there were a few TOT spots so that was nice too! The dance party was really the only busy area. I think I barely squeezed in Anna/Elsa and Merida this trip since they were really too young to complain. I might just put my foot down and we'll have to meet Ariel next time too. Princesses are hard to come by when you have all boys!!

Ha, yeah, I understand that. Izzy was in that stage on her first trip (Dec. 2013) and it made it really difficult for me to ever wander off. She's still a big mommy fan, but doesn't usually lose her mind when I go anymore.

Sounds like a really great experience of all the party events - the parade and castle show and fireworks. Love all of that stuff!


So glad you had such a wonderful character meet! We've never met Merida, but sounds like she went above and beyond with your boys. Those really can be magical moments for little ones and their parents.


That's super cute with their Buzz and Woody costumes and ears and then meeting Buzz!

We had a great MNSSHP! We didn't meet as many characters as I planned on (that was kind of a theme - we didn't do nearly as much as I thought we would) but I really enjoyed our few meets!

 

[Sarahgracie]

We really did have a great trip. So looking forward to our next one even if it seems forever away!

I was actually just talking to my mom about a solo trip in a few years. With 3 kids, these things have to be planned out. So I'm thinking summer 2017 - Disney all by myself!!




Tomorrowland was EMPTY! Plus there were a few TOT spots so that was nice too! The dance party was really the only busy area. I think I barely squeezed in Anna/Elsa and Merida this trip since they were really too young to complain. I might just put my foot down and we'll have to meet Ariel next time too. Princesses are hard to come by when you have all boys!!




We had a great MNSSHP! We didn't meet as many characters as I planned on (that was kind of a theme - we didn't do nearly as much as I thought we would) but I really enjoyed our few meets!

Going solo was fantastic! Most of the people I talked to about it thought it sounded great- a few people thought I was crazy. I would do it again in a minute if I could, but this year my hubby gets the "solo" trip (he's actually just going to visit his brother in Arizona). Going during Food & Wine Fest was a great time to go, too. It was so nice eating small bits around the world. You also have something built-in to talk about. I often looked at what the people around me were eating, and we'd compare notes, which was nice. It was also so nice to just sit by the pool for 4 hours with a magazine, my Kindle, and an adult drink. My 2 park days (1 Epcot, 1 MK) I got there before rope drop and stayed until after the evening entertainment, and didn't leave in the middle of the day. Good luck making your solo trip work! It was wonderful for my sanity!