17 Days of Wishes Come to Life- A Sept. 08 WDW and DCL Adventure 3/27 new link posted

[jaycns]

Great update! 3 trips on Everest in an hour! I'm envious. I got to ride twice for the entire day we were there. And so cool for the CM to give you the quick ride. I loved how much downtime you guys had at the start of your vacation. Mine was so GO, GO, GO!!!! there was no breathing room. It's definately going on my list of things to do next vacation.

I had no idea how enticing downtime could be until I was forced to plan a lot of it in last year. It's amazing how there is enjoyment to be found outside of the parks.

Loving every word, Jay. Wasn't that soup at Artist point fabulous? One night, all I ate was that soup, and dessert. SO good.

You find the neatest stuff - the Everest Bell website was fascinating! Wish I could afford one of those beautifully turned bowls - but that's practically a Disney trip, right there.

Can't wait for the next installment

YES, that soup was amazingly fabulous. It really was one of the very best soups to ever pass through my lips.

I thought that Everest Ornament/Bells/Bowls was fascinating. I loved the bowls as well. Sadly, they cost SO MUCH. I like the price point of the ornaments much better. $15 is so much better than starting at around $1500! I do still have a bowl or bell made by him on my "Life Wish List". I keep a big list of items I would adore, experiences I want to have, things I want to learn and places I want to travel so that I have things to aspire toward. Those cool bells/bowls made my list. One should always have dreams

What a neat story about the ornament! How do you find this stuff, Jay?!

The picture of the little prince with Pluto is so cute, thank goodness your DH thought to have them take a picture! He looks so happy too, not the slightest bit nervous!

AND, I'm so jealous you got to ride EE 3 times! It's my favorite ride at all of WDW! I have motion sickness issues too like your DH, but if I take my Bonine in the morning I'm fine to ride

Great update, looking forward to more!

I just so happened to see an article on the artist. I didn't have any idea he would have his stuff at WDW but it was really cool to know the back story, learn more about him and the containers, have gotten a letter back from him and then to find an ornament to purchase!

Dh wondered that....if he took Bonine, how would he do on EE. He didn't try it. I will have to pass on your experience to him. Maybe he will try it on our next trip.

I am so enjoying your TR. The pics are wonderful of your beautiful family. Its so neat to see the Little Prince's reaction to all the sights. Next year we will have a new Little Prince or Princess of our own. So I can't wait to take him or her next year too. By the way, thanks for the good cry this morning during the sappy section. That was beautiful. For some reason I have those kinds of moments too at DW. Its usually during Wishes with all kinds of people next to me though. So its usually embarrassing. It should be really interesting when we go next month being pregnant and a little on the emotional side.

Congratulations!! What an exciting time for your family. I really cherished his every facial expression. It was so much fun to see everything for the first time again through his eyes. Don't forget to take TONS of pictures when you make it there with your very own little prince or princess! I promise you will never grow tired of looking back at them!

I am such a sap. I have teared up during Wishes too. And I don't even have the good grace to be embarassed...but I should!

Make sure you give yourself permission to take it VERY easy on your next trip. Allow your comfort level to set the pace of your days. Going to WDW while pregnant is still TONS of fun! You just might be surprised at all of the little details that you notice for the first time (slowness does have a positive side!). Have fun! And congratulations again!

You are impressive....your updates are coming so fast! I loved that you guys passed on the Disney magic and then the CM noticed! That makes it even better!

Fast?! I feel so slow. It takes me forever and a day to say anything. But I am trying to post at least an update a day. It's what I am enjoying spending my infrequent down minutes on doing. I love reliving the magic!

Wow, i'm like a week behind here!! Have to play catch up!!

1st - glad that housekeeping was able to finally get the room clean to your and Aladdin's specifications!! Me too! I still shudder thinking of that first night.

2 - Glad you liked the Wave! ya know, i look over menus, and never find anything that sounds good, but man the pictures and your descripitions sure can change a mind quick! Dh said that about the Wave before we went. When he looked at the menu in advance I mean. He did however end up loving it!

3 - congrats to your DH for winning his puzzle! He was so funny. I think he misses playing college basketball more than he lets on. He needs an outlet for his competitive nature. I just cannot help laughing at how excited he got over a $25 puzzle!

4 - Artist point, again, didn't really find anything good! How did the buffalo taste??? Was it tough? That's a restaurant i would like to try! the desserts and atmosphere look so good!! The buffalo was like a great cut of beef. It was VERY moist and tender. It didn't taste wild or gamey to me at all. The waiter did warn us that our usual "medium well" might bring out a bit of toughness in the buffalo meat as it was naturally more dry than beef as it had a much lower fat content. We both chose to order it medium rare instead. I enjoyed it so much that I ordered buffalo meat from a local organic buffalo farm. I hope I can prepare it half as well as they did at Artist Point! And if you like mushrooms, the soap and truffle fries both taste out of this world!

5 - Yeah for riding EE 3 times!! WOO HOO!! And yeah for spreading pixie dust around AND getting rewarded for it too!! See, it pays to be a good person!

can't wait for more!! I'm loving all your pictures! Spreading pixie dust is so much fun! We loved watching that couples face as they realized that they weren't going to have to wait in a 30 minute line!

My comments are in red.

 

[jaycns]

what can i say.... such awesome memories... i just love how you describe everything in great detail your family always seems to have such a wonderful time doing just the basics and also when you "go all out"...

thanks for taking us along for the ride...i just love reading your reports...

I am glad someone appreciates the detail, I am terrible at weeding things out and just stating the basics. For instance if you asked dh about the same morning he would say he that he got up, grabbed breakfast on the run, went to DAK where the first rides the family did were Dinosaur and EE. He MIGHT mention that somewhere in there they saw Pluto...but I doubt it.

 

[Blessed_wth_Triplets]

Hi! Just found your TR and LOVE it! It's so nice to see another family can actually DO wdw with FOUR kids! We are expecting in June, and not sure when our next trip will be. Do you mind me asking how much your room costs per night?

 

[xoktenox]

Wow how lucky were you that day? Its making up for the time you lost on rides last yr while you were pregnant! Great update looking forward to more.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Hey Jay! I was at the mall this afternoon and saw a bunch of those voodoo doll things you were talking about, it made me think of you and your boys.

 

[jaycns]

After our triple ride on EE, Kali River Rapids was the next "thrill ride" on my list of previously skipped ones. Dh had grabbed us all fast passes while he was waiting for us to get done exploring Mt. Everest. We had a few minutes to pass before our KRR fast pass window opened so we let the boys do some pin trading as we made our way back to Dinoland and let the kids play in the Boneyard. After about 20 minutes of play, it was time to head back to KRR. When we got there we inquired about baby swap and were given a baby swap pass. This was a BIG help for our family. Without it, I would have been riding alone. Instead, I could use the baby swap pass to bring the boys back on the ride with me. The pass was good for up to three guests so that combined with my fast pass gave us enough passes to get the boys two rides on one set of fast passes!

Since dh had sat out the two previous rides I encouraged him to take the first journey down the Kali River. He and the boys disappeared after all of them rejected my advice to wear a poncho so they would not get soaked. Remember that, I did offer, ask, try and cajole them into wearing a poncho.

While dh and the boys were riding the rapids, the Little Prince and I struck up a conversation with another mom and baby. They were from the UK and I loved her accent. I really could have listened to her talk for hours. While she and I visited the babies cooed, smiled and giggled at each other. Before I even started to expect them, my soaking wet men folk were back and it was time for me to take a turn braving the rapids. I (having some sense) did grab a poncho and put it on right before we got to the boarding platform.

Here are some pictures I took while on KRR. I love how much anticipation you can see on the boys' faces and how happy everyone looks. We all think this ride rocks!

Goofy and Aladdin looking back in anticipation of a big drop...

And laughing at themselves and the others who got soaked after the drop.

It was sort of hard to get a good picture of Stitch being as we were belted in the same double seat.

At the very end of the ride, I did get one decent one of Stitch and I by holding the camera out as far as I could.

At the end of the soaking ride I simply peeled off my disposable poncho and handed it to a grandma who I heard worrying about getting wet as we made our way back to meet dh at the ride entrance. After handing my poncho off, I took a look at my watch and saw that it was time to head over for another Disney dining first for our family, we were going to have lunch at Anandapur Yak and Yeti in the table service section of the restaurant. As we made our way over, I was really nervous about what this meal would be like. I had made our initial reservation here because of the name (yes, I am yeti crazed). After reading a few not so favorable dining reviews I almost changed our lunch reservation...once again, I was OH so glad that I had not! We found our new favorite park restaurant! What great luck we were having with dining! A new resort favorite restaurant and a new park favorite restaurant all in one trip. Our dining explorations were proving to be a very positive experience!

We loved the atmosphere. The decorations were so beautiful. Even the mosaic tables were mini works of art.

All of our boys were happy to find chopsticks at our place settings. Our Little Prince chewed on his for most of the meal.

In fact, Goofy may have been a wee bit too excited.

Here comes the "I told you so!". I couldn't help myself. Dh and the big boys were freezing because of them being soaking wet and us being in an air conditioned building. So learn from dh and the boys...don't ride a ride that can get you wet before a sit down meal at WDW or if you do, use a poncho! If you don't heed this advice, you will be cold during your meal as well!

Now on to the food!! Dh chose to have the pork pot stickers. They were pan seared and came with soy lime dipping sauce. Dh gave this appetizer two thumbs up!

Aladdin chose the minced chicken breast, chopped veggies, maple tamarind sauce, and crisp lettuce cups. It was garnished with lots of cilantro which oddly went VERY well with the lettuce cups (I guess I just associate cilantro with being a Mexican or South American taste usually). I loved his appetizer and even though I loved my own as well, I helped myself to two lettuce cups. YUMMY! Once again, sorry for not snapping the picture BEFORE we dug into it. It smelled to delicious to hold ourselves back!

Goofy and Stitch both started their meals off with carrot sticks.

Now on to my own amazing appetizer choice. Oh how I wish I had a plate full of these right now!! I chose the wok-fried green beans. They were battered and then deep fried and served with a sweet Thai chili sauce. DELISH! Everyone in my family (including the baby and non green bean lovers) really liked this dish. We fought over who would get the last few on the plate. They were finger licking good!

As for our main dishes, they were just as good! Dh chose the baby back ribs. That consisted of slow roasted ribs, hoisin BBQ sauce, chicken fried rice, and sweet chili slaw. Dh said it was his best dish of the entire trip.

Aladdin really liked his choice, sweet & sour chicken. It was tempura chicken, garlic, bell peppers and pineapple served with steamed white rice and sweet chili slaw and once again garnished with cilantro. I am going to try garnishing my next Asian meal with cilantro here at home. It really blended well with the other tastes on the plate.

Both Goofy and Stitch chose the same thing (surprise, surprise, I think these two share one brain sometimes!). They had chicken bites, chicken fried rice and french fries. It was really funny to watch them eating french fries with their chopsticks and both of them loved every single bite of this meal. They said it was one of their favorite meals of the trip.

My main dish was outstanding. I chose the Shaoxing Steak & Shrimp dish. It was skirt steak, tempura-battered shrimp, jasmine rice, stir-fried veggies, a dusting of sweet chili slaw and and chili plum dipping sauce. Once again, cilantro made an appearance and I loved it! The steak was my favorite. Although I am a big shrimp fan, there was nothing special about the tempura shrimp...it was just that, good tempura shrimp like I get from the local Chinese place, but nothing special. The steak however was amazingly tender (almost enough so that you could just cut it with your fork) and perfectly flavored. The entire dish was very tasty!

By the time we got around to ordering dessert, the big boys (including dh) were all freezing. Despite being cold, dh and Aladdin both ordered the Chocolate Brownie Sundae. It had chunks of brownie, vanilla ice cream, chocolate and caramel sauces mixed together and it was topped with fresh whipped cream. Dh and Aladdin each said it was very good!

Goofy and Stitch were too cold to order the kid's sundae and they didn't want the fruit. We told the waiter they were just going to skip dessert. After he inquired why, we explained about them being wet and cold and not being in the mood for fruit. He offered to see if he could locate cookies for them even though they were not on the menu. Two thumbs up for that great service moment! Over all, the service we received during this meal was excellent.

I chose the fried wontons. Basically it was skewers of fresh pineapple and cream cheese wontons with vanilla ice cream with honey vanilla sauce drizzled on top. It was garnished with fresh strawberries and mint. It was not my favorite dessert. However, it was not a bad dessert. I misunderstood what it was. I thought the pineapple would not only come in chunks on the skewers but also be mixed in with the cream cheese that stuffed the wontons. For me, it was too "cream cheesy" to bite into a wonton and have nothing but cream cheese in it. However, the ice cream was very tasty, the pineapple was very good and the honey vanilla sauce was amazing!

To be continued...

 

[Illini4ever]

Okay I'm officially hungry now! Everything looks so good! I think we'll have to try that place next time we go.

It sounds like you guys had a great day at Animal Kingdom. My family loves that park, especially my son because Expedition Everest is his very favorite ride. The kids were having Disney withdrawal syndrome (DWS) a few months ago, so I got a crazy idea and lined up our kitchen chairs like we were on a roller coaster. After I found video of EE on youtube, I placed my laptop on the table and we all pretended we were on the ride and we held up our hands and everything. My husband went to work the next day and announced that his wife had officially lost it. Oh well.....the kids and I enjoyed it!

 

[starrzone]

This was the closest to a "drooling" icon I could find; your meal looked amazing! I love Asian food (with the exception of anything to do with seafood; despite coming from New Brunswick, what is often considered the seafood capital of the East Coast of Canada, I have yet to try lobster...or fish...or mussels...or crab...!) and try to eat it as often as possible, given the limited selection where I live.

Stitch had such a huge grin in your Kali pics; dare I say that I think he and the Little Prince look the most alike out of your 4! You are going to have SO much fun riding Kali as a family of 6 a few years down the road!

 

[KittyKat08]

Hello, just finished reading your TR up until this point. Your trip sounds positively wonderful, with the exception of the housekeeping incident.

Love all your pictures and your family is adorable. I know your sons pain when it comes to asthma, I am also a long time sufferer of the illness and it is not fun.

So looking forward to hearing about the cruise portion of your trip, keep it coming can't wait.

 

[LindaBabe]

Your description of Yak & Yeti had ME drooling, too! Unfortunately for us, our reality was 'not so much' either food OR service when we dined there during the first week of September. You almost convince me to give them another chance, Jay.

 

[SoonerGirl]

This was the closest to a "drooling" icon I could find

Here ya go!

And, I agree - the meal looked great! You're giving me all kinds of new places to try on our next visit, Jay!

 

[brookelizabeth]

I have since double checked with dh and he said that no coffee dessert was on the menu (he's a stereotypical man though, very limited memory for details, especially of WDW stuff) however, he is a coffee lover, so if he had seen one, I am thinking he would have ordered it. You might want to post a question on the dining board. I have my fingers crossed for you. Just curious, what was the dessert?

It was Mochaccino Bread Pudding and Vanilla Latte Creme Brulee (the lower plate).

I wish I had gotten a better picture!

I just looked at the allears menu again, and it IS listed under the Chef's Northwest Selection Fixed Price Dinner...so, maybe, just maybe....




Great updates! Two times in a row on Dinosaure and three times in a row on EE! I love the pictures of Yak & Yeti too - we have a lunch reservation for it and I too have read mixed reviews on it...hopefully our experience matches yours!

 

[Figment's Friend]

How fun is Kali River Rapids?! I loved the picture of you and the boys on the ride, all smiles!

I was thrilled to hear how great Yak and Yeti is! We will be dining there for lunch (first time) on one of our AK days and have been looking forward to it! I'm glad you all enjoyed your meal so much! I still don't know what I'm going to order, but I know the Fried Wontons are definitely on the list! I can't wait for more, Jay!

 

[SkyGirl]

I'm so excited ... everything you ordered at Yak & Yeti, is what I am planning on ordering!!! Seriously yummo!

Love the picture of the boys eating french fries with chop sticks!!! Serious fun!!!

 

[NotSoEvilStepmother]

You know a meal's good when you have a vegetarian drooling over it. Seriously. Those dishes look AMAZING. I so cannot wait for the next installment.

 

[busymomma123]

You are making me rethink about adding Y&Y to our ressies. If I can talk everyone into it. There are seven of us going. My mom is the least adventurous, but those pics make everything look sooooo yummy.

Glad to see you wore a poncho on Kali River Rapids. I made the mistake of not wearing one two years ago, and haven't made it back on the ride since. I was so soaked, that I had to wring out my underwear even.

 

[kaysmommie]

Jaycns,
I'm finally all caught up with your trip report . Sorry about your nasty room at WL. That stinks that they didn't do the allergy cleaning after you doing everything to make sure it was done. Your family is adorable as always. The little Prince is getting so big and he is just beautiful. i loved reading about your sappy moment and your Anniversary dinner too. Blueman Group sounds like a must see, wonder what ages of kids would enjoy it most? Loved all your AK pics! Unfortunately KRR was having technical problems when we were there. It's one of DD's favorites.

 

[lborne]

Most TRs don't keep my attention long. But I'm always checking for updates on yours.

Thanks for making the effort to write one.

 

[jaycns]

Hi! Just found your TR and LOVE it! It's so nice to see another family can actually DO wdw with FOUR kids! We are expecting in June, and not sure when our next trip will be. Do you mind me asking how much your room costs per night?

That room was a deluxe room at the WL. They used to be called junior suites (or vice versa, I can never keep that straight in my head). It had a sitting room area with two chairs, a sofa that pulled out into a double bed and a flat screen tv sitting in an stand with a large drawer in the bottom of it. There was also a coffee table, a table with two chairs (like a small kitchen table type thing) and a mini bar area with a sink and frig. There was also a hall area with a large double long closet. The bathroom was made so that you could walk through the sink area into the bedroom (you could close them off if needed with pocket doors).

The bedroom consisted of two queen size beds, a large wardrobe with both hanging space and drawers and a large dresser with attached tv hutch with a flat screen tv. Off of the bedroom was a small balcony.

There were french doors separating the sitting room and the bedroom. Off of the sitting room was a large balcony with two chairs and a small table.

I know you didn't ask all that, but I wanted to describe what it was you got for what you were paying. The price tag also comes with concierge service (ie it's a club level room). We paid about $400 a night for the room itself (and that was with a discount). I am not sure of the exact amount since we also had the deluxe dining plan and park tickets attached to the same bill. I did have it all broken out in a planning worksheet at one point. If I can find it, I will be sure to post it. HTH.

Traveling with four was no "harder" for us than traveling with three kids (other than the obvious baby to take care of stuff).

Wow how lucky were you that day? Its making up for the time you lost on rides last yr while you were pregnant! Great update looking forward to more.

I know! I was excited to have six thrill rides under my belt in under three hours! Those lucky little boys of mine had seven (due to the rider switch at KRR)!

Hey Jay! I was at the mall this afternoon and saw a bunch of those voodoo doll things you were talking about, it made me think of you and your boys.

YOU DID?! Which store? Does the store you saw them in have a website?! I NEED (well, want is more like it, but I want very much) to find more of them to stuff stockings with! TIA for any info!

Okay I'm officially hungry now! Everything looks so good! I think we'll have to try that place next time we go.

It sounds like you guys had a great day at Animal Kingdom. My family loves that park, especially my son because Expedition Everest is his very favorite ride. The kids were having Disney withdrawal syndrome (DWS) a few months ago, so I got a crazy idea and lined up our kitchen chairs like we were on a roller coaster. After I found video of EE on youtube, I placed my laptop on the table and we all pretended we were on the ride and we held up our hands and everything. My husband went to work the next day and announced that his wife had officially lost it. Oh well.....the kids and I enjoyed it!

That is a GREAT ride. It's my favorite ride at DAK. And it is right up there with my other favorite, Splash Mountain. There are actually so many great ones...it's hard to single one out...but EE is awesome enough to do so!

I LOVE IT THAT YOU DID THAT! And doesn't your dh know it just means he should book another trip for you guys?! Good job with raising kids smart enough to enjoy it! If only every child had such a good upbringing!

This was the closest to a "drooling" icon I could find; your meal looked amazing! I love Asian food (with the exception of anything to do with seafood; despite coming from New Brunswick, what is often considered the seafood capital of the East Coast of Canada, I have yet to try lobster...or fish...or mussels...or crab...!) and try to eat it as often as possible, given the limited selection where I live.

Stitch had such a huge grin in your Kali pics; dare I say that I think he and the Little Prince look the most alike out of your 4! You are going to have SO much fun riding Kali as a family of 6 a few years down the road!

You have never had CRAB?! Or fish?! Or LOBSTER?! Or mussels?! Hmmm...well, I guess that leaves more for me! You sound just like dh (other then he grew up land locked and in the USA). He will not touch seafood. His motto is "Nothing from the sea!".

Have you ever had cilantro with Asian food before? That was such a good flavor combination (and a new one to me).

And yes, most people (myself included) think that our Little Prince and Stitch do look just like each other. Other than Stitch has a darker complexion and is a few years older. That said, I can find pictures of all of the other boys at the various ages of our Little Prince and find "twin shots" of each of them with him. Nobody could ever look at any of my boys and wonder if they were really brothers, that's for sure.

Hello, just finished reading your TR up until this point. Your trip sounds positively wonderful, with the exception of the housekeeping incident.

Love all your pictures and your family is adorable. I know your sons pain when it comes to asthma, I am also a long time sufferer of the illness and it is not fun.

So looking forward to hearing about the cruise portion of your trip, keep it coming can't wait.

Welcome! It's good to have you here! Thanks for all of the sweet remarks. I am going to post the cruise report smack dab in the middle of this one...so stay tuned. HA HA HA, sounds like I am a tv channel or Batman. "Same bat time, same bat channel."

Your description of Yak & Yeti had ME drooling, too! Unfortunately for us, our reality was 'not so much' either food OR service when we dined there during the first week of September. You almost convince me to give them another chance, Jay.

I have heard that MANY times. About the 'not so much' food experience and service experience there. That's what had me so frightened. I hope we didn't just have a fluke of service and food...I would be bummed to head back again and not receive the same quality on either side. It was a great meal for us!

Here ya go!

And, I agree - the meal looked great! You're giving me all kinds of new places to try on our next visit, Jay!

I LOVE that smilie! If you don't mind, I may borrow it for future installments.

It was Mochaccino Bread Pudding and Vanilla Latte Creme Brulee (the lower plate).

I wish I had gotten a better picture!

I just looked at the allears menu again, and it IS listed under the Chef's Northwest Selection Fixed Price Dinner...so, maybe, just maybe....




Great updates! Two times in a row on Dinosaure and three times in a row on EE! I love the pictures of Yak & Yeti too - we have a lunch reservation for it and I too have read mixed reviews on it...hopefully our experience matches yours!

Good luck on getting the Coffee Two Ways dessert! Make sure you let me know if you were able to order it. I think dh would really enjoy that one and I would like to be able to track it down for him in the future if it's available.

How fun is Kali River Rapids?! I loved the picture of you and the boys on the ride, all smiles!

I was thrilled to hear how great Yak and Yeti is! We will be dining there for lunch (first time) on one of our AK days and have been looking forward to it! I'm glad you all enjoyed your meal so much! I still don't know what I'm going to order, but I know the Fried Wontons are definitely on the list! I can't wait for more, Jay!

Be warned that the fried wontons are filled with only cream cheese. That surprised me. It was a very good meal! I wish you an even better one there on your trip NEXT MONTH! **OH WOW, you get to go next month!!**

 

[jaycns]

I'm so excited ... everything you ordered at Yak & Yeti, is what I am planning on ordering!!! Seriously yummo!

Love the picture of the boys eating french fries with chop sticks!!! Serious fun!!!

HA HA HA. It was seriously "yummo" (love that word Heidi!). Tell that MIA friend of ours, Barb, that I miss her. And then whip her tail until she shows up over here.

You know a meal's good when you have a vegetarian drooling over it. Seriously. Those dishes look AMAZING. I so cannot wait for the next installment.

That is too funny! They had some tasty sounding items that could easily have been made vegetarian (and if I am not mistaken, they had some meatless options listed on the menu as well).

You are making me rethink about adding Y&Y to our ressies. If I can talk everyone into it. There are seven of us going. My mom is the least adventurous, but those pics make everything look sooooo yummy.

Glad to see you wore a poncho on Kali River Rapids. I made the mistake of not wearing one two years ago, and haven't made it back on the ride since. I was so soaked, that I had to wring out my underwear even.

I am glad that someone else sees the point in wearing a poncho. I went once without one. I was soaked the rest of the day right down to my unmentionables as well!