There's No Place Like Home......

[thornton0511]

When Meeting Royalty



On our trip before this one we had FP+ scheduled for Enchanted Tales with Belle. It was scheduled for later in the week that trip, and by the time we had gotten to that particular day we were so tired of having everything so scheduled that we just decided to forget it all and live in the moment. And while that was wonderful and very much needed for sanity’s sake at that point in the trip, it also meant that we had to miss one of the experiences both Syd and I were very much looking forward to.

Well this time we were definitely making time for this! And I guess that the newness of this has worn off by now because there was hardly a wait at all.

Funny thing about this is that I was not very forth coming with information as to what exactly this was with the boys because I knew that they would whine and try to weasel their way out of if lol.



Unfortunately for me Cory picked up pretty quickly as to what this was all about while in Marice’s workshop and when they told the kids to all huddle up at the front he was not to happy that I had dragged him in to this as you can tell from this picture. His less than thrilled attitude would soon have some karma attached to it however lol.



I got really excited when the magic portal started to open and forgot all about DS and his “I will get you for this” looks he was giving me lol.


WOW! How do they do that?! So cool!



So then we got to the wardrobe and they started picking out parts for everyone to play. Sydney’s overly shy instincts kicked in superfast and she ducked behind me as fast as she could. Poor baby she hates this kind of attention.

Cory unfortunately was not as quick as his sister. Remember that karma I was talking about?



It came in the form of a knight. Bahahahaha !!! Sorry I know it’s not good parenting to laugh at your child’s misfortune but oh well. This was too funny!



We proceeded into the library where the story time with Belle took place. It was really well done and Lumiere was amazing!



After the show they allowed all of the children who took part in it the opportunity to take their picture with Belle. They also let any of the kids who did not participate the chance to meet her, which I liked because it gave my ever so shy daughter the opportunity to meet Belle. She also received a bookmark which was neat too!



And you would probably assume that our teenage son was pretty upset with us at this point right? Well after he realized that another teenage boy had been dragged in to play the other knight, and he got to have some 1 on 1 time with a very pretty Belle, let’s just say…….



He got over it. I’m not quite sure what she said to him but whatever it was he was sure happy about something lol.

So after this it was now time for us girls to split from the boys because we had a very special FP+ to get to…..



At Princess Fairytale Hall



For I had scored a meet and greet with the sisters!!!



And I had one happy camper here!



We walked right in and in no time Sydney was taking her picture with Elsa. She was very nice and elegant.



But this girl’s heart belongs to another princess



Anna is my favorite too and her character was spot on too. She was wonderful with Sydney! She kept commenting on her funny looking antlers (Minnie ears). Very cute!

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Someone was very smitten!

After meeting Anna and Elsa I texted DH to get their location. While we had FP+ for the sisters, they had FP+ scheduled for BTMRR.



Apparently it was not needed as they said they rode multiple times while waiting on our text.

We decided to meet them in Frontierland for our next upcoming FP+. On our way however I spotted my favorite stranger of the day……

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He was rocking that Donald hat! Love it!!!

Onward to Frontierland!!!!​

 

[BellaBaby]

Anna is my favorite too. We may try to get a FP+ to meet them, but if we don't no big deal. My DD11 would be the most interested out of our family, but she hasn't asked or anything, luckily!

 

[MnNsmom]

I love that your DS ended up enjoying ETwB! Now I want to drag my 13yo (when we leave) along! He did make a point to tell me he "wouldn't mind meeting Mike W." Of course, he told me this when he and I were alone and spoke quietly, lol. Silly kid.

 

[MEK]

I'm glad you son actually enjoyed his time with Belle! You never know with teenage boys. My older son probably would have died if he got asked to play a night. But Belle is pretty cute!

Great pictures of both of the kids. Yay for multiple BTMMR rides while you were off meeting princesses!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

I have still only experienced Enchanted Tales one time, but WOW, this is some next gen effects for sure. Disney Magic at its finest.

Hahahaha, Cory got picked!!!! What are kids for if not to have someone to laugh at and embarrass???

I always heard initially that ONLY those who participated met Belle, but when I was there last year and in reports I've read, it seems they do let others do it as well. I think this is a wise choice. How do you tell your kid that didn't get picked that he/she can't meet Belle?

Not only a meet and greet with the sisters... but THE CROWN!!!!!! (They have now changed the signage splitting Anna and Elsa). I guess too many complaints when the crown wasn't there.

That is totally the Anna I met!! Next to Ariel, my fav princess now.

 

[thornton0511]

Anna is my favorite too. We may try to get a FP+ to meet them, but if we don't no big deal. My DD11 would be the most interested out of our family, but she hasn't asked or anything, luckily!

Yeah Anna rocks! I honestly was not even trying to get the FP+ but when I logged in to make my selections it was available so I grabbed it! Good luck to you

I love that your DS ended up enjoying ETwB! Now I want to drag my 13yo (when we leave) along! He did make a point to tell me he "wouldn't mind meeting Mike W." Of course, he told me this when he and I were alone and spoke quietly, lol. Silly kid.

oh that is so sweet! Teenage boys are so funny. He endured ETwB and with a good attitude so there you go lol!

I'm glad you son actually enjoyed his time with Belle! You never know with teenage boys. My older son probably would have died if he got asked to play a night. But Belle is pretty cute!
oh he was definitely not too thrilled to say the least but he was a good sport about it all and I think having the other boy also chosen to participate make it not as dreadful. I just happened to catch him being flirty with Belle there at the end lol!
Great pictures of both of the kids. Yay for multiple BTMMR rides while you were off meeting princesses!

thank you! yes my family will ride BTMRR until they throw up if you let them lol

I have still only experienced Enchanted Tales one time, but WOW, this is some next gen effects for sure. Disney Magic at its finest.
yeah it was really neat. not sure if it was something we would ever to again but you gotta appreciate that Disney magic for sure!
Hahahaha, Cory got picked!!!! What are kids for if not to have someone to laugh at and embarrass???
oh I know right?! I was dying when he got selected lol!!
I always heard initially that ONLY those who participated met Belle, but when I was there last year and in reports I've read, it seems they do let others do it as well. I think this is a wise choice. How do you tell your kid that didn't get picked that he/she can't meet Belle?
yes I agree. I think the reason they make the exception is that they tell the other kids that they were "villagers" and so that way they can meet Belle if they want. I do think this is important because like with Sydney she is very very shy in social situations and it would have made her sad if that is what kept her from getting to meet Belle. Does that make sense? Anyways I'm glad that they allowed it
Not only a meet and greet with the sisters... but THE CROWN!!!!!! (They have now changed the signage splitting Anna and Elsa). I guess too many complaints when the crown wasn't there.
oh my goodness Rob when I took that picture I was totally thinking about your TR and how you got to meet "the crown" you are too much!!!
That is totally the Anna I met!! Next to Ariel, my fav princess now.

Really?! how awesome is she?! I am telling you she was spot on and maybe the best character interaction we have had. Well Ariel and Cinderella on our first trip would be a close second, but she was awesome!

 

[thornton0511]

The One Where I Don’t Have to Throw Someone off Splash Mountain



For our second FP+ of the day I had chosen Splash Mountain again in the afternoon. It had worked out so well to do this type of ride at this point in the day last time. Hopefully it would prove to do the same today.



We had arrived a few minutes before our scheduled time so we just kind of stood over to the side for a bit. While we were waiting a woman came up behind us and asked if we were waiting in the fastpass line. I told her no, that we still had a few minutes until our time, and so we were just waiting. Then she points out to us, in case we didn’t know, that you don’t have to wait until your time and that they will let you in early. Oh if only she could have read my mind at that very moment. I kindly half smiled at her and said, thanks for letting us know but we were going to wait. She kind of shrugged and murmured something and then proceeded to the FP entrance. This is when things got interesting.

Apparently she did not have a FP for this ride. But she had some bull crap “I’m entitled to use this entrance because you people made an exception for me last time” reason. I honestly do not even remember what her story was. All I know is that she was making a scene and embarrassing herself to no end. I felt so bad for the CM’s as they tried to reason with her in the beginning telling her that she would not be allowed in for whatever reason she felt she was entitled to, but in the end she just kept on and on and got louder and louder. So they let her in. I get that they should pick their battles but at the same time I don’t like seeing this kind of behavior accepted. If it had been me I would have her escorted out of the park and thrown in the bushes….but this is why I would not make for a successful theme park owner either lol. I get it. Still makes me sad. But anyways all I could think about was how she was telling us basically “it’s okay to break the rules, nudge, nudge” and I am so glad that we are a family who chooses to not break the rules and follow them because it’s the right thing to do. I’m not saying that we always do everything correct 100% of the time because we don’t, but I will never ever be a person who raises cane and throws a hissy fit because I am knowingly not wanting to follow the rules. End of rant.

The funny thing is after she was let in there were, at this time, several of us who were standing off to the side apparently waiting for the appropriate time to enter, and no one wanted to go in immediately following this woman. Clearly no one wanted to get stuck in a log with this woman lol. Someone finally vocalized what we were all thinking and we all had a good laugh.



Eventually we did get in line and thankfully we did not have to share a ride with that lady. Although if we had it would have been a shame if she had accidently fallen out of the log…..in the laughing place….cause no one can hear your screams over the laughing….just sayin…..

We had a great time and went poncho free once again and managed to escape the briar patch without getting soaked once again.

Continued next post……
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[DisneyKid4Life]

I can confirm the 5 minute "early" FP time since I tried that just out of curiousity. But Oh... My... Word... This lady. This is the type of thing that makes my blood boil. Being a huge lover of Cast Members, I just detest when they are put in a position like that. I'm with you Jenn, into the bushes (or Seven Seas Lagoon perhaps).

I love that you all had the same idea of avoiding this woman. There's been many a time I've waited before entering a line just because I do not want to be near the people that would be ahead of me.

And dang, I so wish I had the ability to do a selfie and not look like I'm in pain. Great photo of you all on Splash.

One interesting observation regarding your ride photo. Now you have the hands up, but it looks right. Like woohoo Splash Mountain. Dude in the front somehow looks like he's being robbed.

 

[accountingbabe08]

Great reviews. ..thanks for sharing

 

[cstorm65]

Oh that lady! Why do people think they can get away with doing something like that? I'll never get it. Glad you got to enjoy a good ride on Splash anyways!

 

[FantasiaMagic]

Splash Mtn in one of my favorite rides in Disney World! Glad that lady didn't ruin the fun for you and your family. Some people sometimes...jeez...

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

Ugh about that women getting into the fast pass line without one. I guess CM's would rather give into someone like that then have to deal with them for a ridiculous amount of time. Last time I rode Splash I got absolutely soaked however it wasn't on a drop it was from one of the water canons yo see shoot water in the air when a log goes down, I got completely soaked going up the lift hill beside the big drop. The first time I rode it in Disneyland I was completely dripping wet nothing was dry but that time a huge wall of water came right over the boat as we dropped into the tunnel after the big drop there.

 

[MnNsmom]

I can understand why the CMs let her through, but it's really frustrating that she was basically rewarded for being a *not-so-Dis-friendly word.* But I'm glad you guys didn't have to ride with her.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

I thought I'd replied to your last post - I guess not!

I really want to try Enchanted Tales with Belle next time! It was new when we went in 2013 so it was MOBBED almost all the time! I almost convinced Anika to give it a try during EMH, but to no avail. I don't really want to be picked (and Anika sure wouldn't want to!), but I'd love to see the cottage and the special effects.

Although I really liked Frozen, I think I would've joined your husband and son on BTMRR. However, I'm glad Sydney enjoyed meeting the princesses! I know Elsa is the queen, but Anna is just fabulous!

Goodness, some people are ridiculous! Good for you that you played by the rules and ignored that crazy lady. It's amazing to see how "entitled" some people think they are. I do find it pretty hilarious, however, that all the people around you thought exactly the same thing and you all had a bonding moment!

Great picture on Splash! (And I agree with Rob - it does look like the guy in the front is being robbed!)

 

[thornton0511]

I can confirm the 5 minute "early" FP time since I tried that just out of curiousity. But Oh... My... Word... This lady. This is the type of thing that makes my blood boil. Being a huge lover of Cast Members, I just detest when they are put in a position like that. I'm with you Jenn, into the bushes (or Seven Seas Lagoon perhaps).

I love that you all had the same idea of avoiding this woman. There's been many a time I've waited before entering a line just because I do not want to be near the people that would be ahead of me.

And dang, I so wish I had the ability to do a selfie and not look like I'm in pain. Great photo of you all on Splash.

One interesting observation regarding your ride photo. Now you have the hands up, but it looks right. Like woohoo Splash Mountain. Dude in the front somehow looks like he's being robbed.

that is interesting about the 5 minutes early thing. I knew that sometimes there is a grace period attached to the end of your time but I did not know you could get in early. pretty cool! oh my goodness we do this all the time with rides and shows if the people are misbehaving or whatever lol! Whatever Rob I have seen many a Rob Selfie and yours always look good. I do horrible selfies, or pictures in general, which is why I am usually the one taking the pictures lol! Bahahahaaha COKE guy in the front does look like he is being arrested!!!

Great reviews. ..thanks for sharing

thank you for reading!!!

Oh that lady! Why do people think they can get away with doing something like that? I'll never get it. Glad you got to enjoy a good ride on Splash anyways!

I know some people just try to ruin it for everyone

Splash Mtn in one of my favorite rides in Disney World! Glad that lady didn't ruin the fun for you and your family. Some people sometimes...jeez...

yes we love Splash!! that lady however.....

Ugh about that women getting into the fast pass line without one. I guess CM's would rather give into someone like that then have to deal with them for a ridiculous amount of time. Last time I rode Splash I got absolutely soaked however it wasn't on a drop it was from one of the water canons yo see shoot water in the air when a log goes down, I got completely soaked going up the lift hill beside the big drop. The first time I rode it in Disneyland I was completely dripping wet nothing was dry but that time a huge wall of water came right over the boat as we dropped into the tunnel after the big drop there.

oh my goodness I know exactly what you mean! We have had a few close calls with the water shooting out of the cannon right as you make your way around the briar patch in the beginning lol!! I'm always saying "go, go, go!" when we come around and I see a log at the top about to take the plunge! Ha ha good times

I can understand why the CMs let her through, but it's really frustrating that she was basically rewarded for being a *not-so-Dis-friendly word.* But I'm glad you guys didn't have to ride with her.

yeah I know that they have to pick their battles, it's just sad that any battles have to fought at all in Disney especially

I thought I'd replied to your last post - I guess not!
oh my goodness did you and I just miss it somehow?! If I did I am so sorry....trying to get used to this new format is kind of tricky
I really want to try Enchanted Tales with Belle next time! It was new when we went in 2013 so it was MOBBED almost all the time! I almost convinced Anika to give it a try during EMH, but to no avail. I don't really want to be picked (and Anika sure wouldn't want to!), but I'd love to see the cottage and the special effects.
you should definitely do it at least once! If you don't want to get picked just look down and don't make eye contact, which is normally what I do lol, or be like my kiddos and dive behind an adult
Although I really liked Frozen, I think I would've joined your husband and son on BTMRR. However, I'm glad Sydney enjoyed meeting the princesses! I know Elsa is the queen, but Anna is just fabulous!
Anna is fabulous for sure and yeah I have to admit I was a little jealous of not being on BTMRR at that time lol
Goodness, some people are ridiculous! Good for you that you played by the rules and ignored that crazy lady. It's amazing to see how "entitled" some people think they are. I do find it pretty hilarious, however, that all the people around you thought exactly the same thing and you all had a bonding moment!
yes people can be something else but it was funny how we were all thinking the same thing!
Great picture on Splash! (And I agree with Rob - it does look like the guy in the front is being robbed!)

oh my goodness yes he was spot on with that description lol!!!

 

[thornton0511]

Magic Kingdom Goodies and Character Selfies



After Splash we made our way to Main Street stopping first at Aloha Isle.



I know what you are thinking. Listen I will be the first one to tell you that I am obsessed with pineapple soft serve and there are only a handful of opportunities that I have each year to get my fix. Don’t judge me lol!!



Now that mamma had her snack we continued towards Main Street USA. We then got distracted by the piano guy at Casey’s and stopped for a bit to watch him. If my Disney knowledge serves me correctly this guy has been playing the piano here since the park opened? If that is not accurate I at least know that he has been doing it for a very very long time. Anyways he was also kind enough to sing us a Happy Anniversary melody after noticing our pins, and I thought that was so neat!!



Our next stop brought us to the Main Street Confectionery where I spotted not only Mary Poppins but also one of her PENGUINS!!! GAH I love these guys!!! While I stood there and stared at him like a stalker the family went in the candy store.



I was headed in myself but then I got distracted by a Mickey pumpkin. I cannot say enough about the fall decorations….they are my favorite!



Eventually I made it into the store. Such a wonderful store filled with such wonderful things!!



I found the boys in line. Cory had apparently made his selection.



You can never go wrong with a Mickey Cake Pop! Especially when you find out that it’s red velvet…nom nom nom.



Now we were ready to head out and get back to the resort for a break. But then we got distracted once again on the way out lol! A certain white kitten was doing a meet and greet and this Aristocat is one of Sydney’s favorite Disney characters. So we got in line.



And Sydney finally got to meet Marie. Today was a good day for meet and greets for Sydney! She said that Marie was super soft too lol!

Meanwhile DH and Cory had split from us to get in the other character line across from Marie…..



And DH decided that a selfie with Pluto was in order lol! Love this guy!!!



We finally made our way out of the park and made a point to take one last picture of the kiddos outside the MK.



These two have grown up so much since our first trip to Disney in 2011! I wish I could freeze time….I just don’t want them to grow up!!



This place is truly magical. Thank you Walt and Roy for giving us a place to make such wonderful memories that I will cherish always. I might not be able to keep my kids from growing up but I am so very grateful to have these wonderful memories. We bid the Magic Kingdom ado and headed back to the resort for a break, but this was not goodbye yet, we still had a whole evening to spend at our favorite Disney Kingdom.
​

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Are you kidding??? I don't think anyone would judge you for a Dole Whip addiction.

I need to meet a Penguin!!!! I've yet to see Mary with any penguins whatsoever. Not fair.

Red Velvet Cake Pop? Mmmmmmmmmmm.

Ugh yeah, kids sure do grow quickly, especially at that age. Nice to have those photos through the years though.

Awww, THANK YOU for including Roy in your Thank You. And maybe you can rephrase it just a tad.

I might not be able to keep my kids from growing up

to "I might not be able to keep my kids from getting older but Disney is always there to keep us all from "growing up"."

 

[thornton0511]

Are you kidding??? I don't think anyone would judge you for a Dole Whip addiction.
lol true. I must have forgotten for a moment this is the disboards
I need to meet a Penguin!!!! I've yet to see Mary with any penguins whatsoever. Not fair.
there seemed to be a few "rare" characters out and about while we were there this time. not sure why but I was not complaining!
Red Velvet Cake Pop? Mmmmmmmmmmm.
Ha! Yes this was DS's new addiction
Ugh yeah, kids sure do grow quickly, especially at that age. Nice to have those photos through the years though.
I agree. I feel so blessed to have the memories here with them
Awww, THANK YOU for including Roy in your Thank You. And maybe you can rephrase it just a tad.
well of course! After all he did have something to do with the completion of WDW lol!
to "I might not be able to keep my kids from getting older but Disney is always there to keep us all from "growing up"."

ah, this is true! I like your wording better!!!

 

[thornton0511]

Dinner at Chef Mickey’s



Once we arrived at CSR we made a bee line to El Centro to try and find the manager who had managed to completely restore our faith in Disney 110%. Thankfully she was working and I all but climbed over the registration desk to give her a big bear hug of gratitude. Obviously I did not really do that. Seriously I had spent the entire morning in the MK. Giving someone a sweaty hug is not the way to show appreciation. But we did thank her so very much and introduced our kiddos to her and they thanked her for the Disney shirts they were wearing and for the snacks.

The kids wanted to swim so we headed to the pool for a bit. We noticed some pretty bad storm clouds rolling through that had quite a strong wind attached to them so we had to cut our swim time a bit short. Instead we headed back to the room and were thankful that mousekeeping had already been there to clean. It rained quite a bit, and after we had cleaned up a bit, we just hung out in the room until it came time for us to head out for dinner.



We made our way to the bus stop and from one side it looked as though the storm had passed on….



Unfortunately the opposite direction told a different story. RATS! This was not ideal for our last MK evening, but there is nothing you can do about the weather but suck it up and make sure you have your ponchos lol!



Once we had made it to the MK we hopped on the monorail (EEEK favorites) and headed in a different direction. We had dinner plans before getting back to MK. I was hoping and praying that the storm would pass through while we were at dinner. That just looked miserable.

We made our way around the monorail track and got off at the Contemporary. This would be our stop for dinner.



We still had a bit of time before our check in time so we wandered around this fantastic resort.



Sydney noticed the model of the Disney Cruise Line ship and wanted a picture. Apparently she was also giving me her impression of King Louie lol.

Finally it was an appropriate time for us to check in for dinner. Tonight we were revisiting a place that we had not been to since our first Disney trip when my kids seemed ever so much smaller…..



Chef Mickey’s!!!

Surprisingly this was not one of my picks for this trip. I had asked the family to pick one restaurant that they wanted to do this trip and they all decided that a return trip to Chef Mickey’s should be in order. So here we were. I did pick an early dinner time and it seemed like a good choice. The place was not overly crowded and messy yet lol.

We were sat on a level that was up a small set of stairs but still within view of the buffet. I liked this location because we were not directly in the walkway of the buffet line, but we were still right in the middle of it all. Last time we had been put off in a separate room away from everything.

Our sever came and took our drink order and told us to sit tight before heading to the food because Pluto was about to come out. And he was right!



The kids seemed to be in a very goofy kind of mood which was great!

And because one selfie a day with Pluto is not enough…..



Obviously.

The server brought our drinks and soon after Donald made his way out.



The kids went for a normal one here I guess.



And of course this was in order too lol!

We then made our way to the buffet line. The food selections were not too shabby either. Nothing fantastic but honestly the food selections at Chef Mickey is not the major draw. I really don’t make it a deal to take food pictures at buffets because a lot of the time they don’t really look appetizing.



But I did take a few just because. I was happy to have corn dog nuggets and mac and cheese lol. Yes I am one of the adults that you will always find hovering over the children’s selections….no shame.

While we were getting our grub on Minnie made her appearance.



I believe that Cory was getting food at the time so he missed out, but not DH…..



Lol!



Let’s go ahead and make room for Goofy too!



You can’t take a normal picture with Goofy…..obviously!

We were all getting quite full but we still had not made our dessert selections so…..



I really had hopes for the bread pudding, but after Ohana and Raglan Road the bar is pretty high and unfortunately this fell short lol.

Well I reached my limits for photos on this post so to be continued lol....​

 

[thornton0511]

Dinner at Chef Mickey's Part II



Our server was also kind and brought a celebration cupcake for DH and I for our anniversary!

We had still yet to see one very important mouse at this point, but not to worry….



He made his appearance!

And then as to not break a new tradition……



We could now check all 5 off of the check list. The kids continued with their choice of desserts



And no meal is complete without DD hitting the ice cream bar lol!



I only made one appearance in this meal, picture wise, but a picture with my kiddo is just as special as one with a character IMO.



And then you have these two goof balls…..since it was apparent that Sydney had just about completely finished her ice cream cone, we were given the okay to go.



We made our way to the monorail. So glad they have signs otherwise I don’t know how we would find the monorail lol!


We made our way up the escalator



And in the line for our trip back to Magic Kingdom. We had a great experience this evening at Chef Mickey’s and now we were ready to get back to our happy place. Would the rain be a factor in our evening though?
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