4 Parks + 5 Staples in the Baby's Head = 9 Magical Days!! (9/17 The Last Hurrah!)

Yay! Yay!!! :yay: :yay: Another installment! Dinner sounded so yummy, and like a romantic place. Glad the kids could hold out without any meltdown moments. I like Canada, not my favorite, but nice and relaxing. Seeing the movie is on my definite list of things to do next time. Sorry you couldn't take that in. But maybe next time when the kids are a little older. My kids LOVED the Kid Stops too. They didn't like the masks so much, but did like to collect the charms that hang on them. They were a nice addition to our scrapbook.
 
I just found your report today and spent the last hour reading it (when I should be cleaning my basement!) I have enjoyed getting to know your family! Can't wait for more! Off to the basement for me!
 
Yay! Yay!!! :yay: :yay: Another installment! Dinner sounded so yummy, and like a romantic place. Glad the kids could hold out without any meltdown moments. I like Canada, not my favorite, but nice and relaxing. Seeing the movie is on my definite list of things to do next time. Sorry you couldn't take that in. But maybe next time when the kids are a little older. My kids LOVED the Kid Stops too. They didn't like the masks so much, but did like to collect the charms that hang on them. They were a nice addition to our scrapbook.

The kids ADORED Kidcot.
And, as you'll see in the next segment, DS collected & created interesting things of each charm while DD loved her mask and even posed with it!

I just found your report today and spent the last hour reading it (when I should be cleaning my basement!) I have enjoyed getting to know your family! Can't wait for more! Off to the basement for me!

Welcome aboard! Basements can always wait until later! ;)
 
Can't wait to see the next installment! You have me on pins and needles !
 

Haha, "does the line ever get that full?" Yes, yes it does. But it's still only a half hour wait.

We were there on 12/26 (I know, I know, ok?) and we snaked through the entire thing. And it backed up outside. Fun. Oh it was fun...
 
Wow! What a great report...Great pictures and what a beautiful family!!
Thank you for sharing and making me feel like I"m there!!!! :thumbsup2
 
Today was “sleep-in” day.
Which, of course, meant setting the alarm for 6:30 (7:00 for the kids) instead of 5:30.

In addition, we decided to hand out some goodies this morning.
So after Stitch woke us up and the kids headed to the bathrooms to wash up, I snuck into their room and laid out some gifts.
When they returned, DD found a PVC set of fairies from the Disney Store:
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and DS found a PVC set of WALL-E
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Meanwhile, X was hard to wake-up and even tried to fall asleep in Mom & Dad’s bed while we tried to get ready.
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When he finally woke up, he got the PVC Mickey Mouse Clubouse set :earsboy: (and LOVED it) but I forgot to take a picture.

We were making good time on the way out the door so I stopped for a picture of Roger Rabbit right outside our door.
This pic gives you a good idea of just how big he actually is (or how small DS really is) ;)
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Our first appointment was the Princess Storybook Breakfast as today was our venture around the World Showcase.
It also started our foray into the world of princesses princess: (as we would be meeting many of them today).
DD was dressed accordingly with an adorable dress Mom ordered showcasing several of the princesses.
That fact allowed us to meet several of them without requiring costume changes. :goodvibes
She also had a matching hairbow and we gave her a special pink Mickey necklace to complete her attire.

At the entrance to EPCOT, with “Alice in Wonderland” once again ringing from the speakers, we found the Princess Breakfast entrance and headed inside.
Since this was one of the princess days, it seemed worthy of a princess photo.
However, Photopass wasn’t set up yet this morning so I had to take the pics on my camera.
First we traded cameras with another “royal family” and they took one of use before I returned the favor:
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Then it was time for the princess herself:
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I zoomed in a bit to show off the dress for Mom...
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This morning was a new experience. EPCOT opened at 9 today and World Showcase opened at 11:00.
But since our breakfast ADR was 9:05 and it was about 8:50 or so, we had an empty EPCOT to ourselves (and the other family that walked in alongside us).
The path towards the World Showcase was roped off allowing entrance for only breakfasting princesses and their entourages.

We headed to the World Showcase Lagoon and then past Mexico onto Norway.
We were early so I wanted to get some nice shots before the kids got all messy.
DD kept holding her dress up like a real princess.
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And, of course, the Viking Ship (which I hear is no longer there so I’m glad we got this one):
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About that time, Mary Poppins emerged from Akershus for a meet-and-greet by the lagoon.
We quickly got in line behind our “partner family” since Mary is one of Mom’s favorites.
DD ran up first showing off her dress and new pendant...
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...before getting a big hug
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Then Mom jumped in and asked Mary if she could say “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” backwards.
Mary responded without missing a beat, “Of course! Can you?”
Mom was prepared and responded as per the movie (and our segment title) which impressed Mary.
But it was a great way to spin the question around in case Mary really couldn’t do it. And totally in character!
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Now that the morning pictures were complete, it was on to Akershus Castle!
Be prepared - lots of pictures coming with that one (I'm even still going through them all!)
 
So cutesy, cutesy! Love that little pink dress! :cloud9: :cloud9:

I'm curious is she ever really said it backwards?? Or did only Mom??

I'm looking forward to the next installment very much! We did the princess lunch last April, but were actually pretty disappointed with the amount of time each party got. It must have been something like about 10 seconds. THat is no joke or exageration! I think the longest we got with any one of them was about 1 minute- that was the longest. But we LOVED the food- especially on the salad/appetizer bar. The dessert (the rice pudding thing) was fabulous. The others were so-so. But our server was great! so fun to engage her with talk of her country.

Until next time,
 
So cutesy, cutesy! Love that little pink dress! :cloud9: :cloud9:

I'm curious is she ever really said it backwards?? Or did only Mom??

I'm looking forward to the next installment very much! We did the princess lunch last April, but were actually pretty disappointed with the amount of time each party got. It must have been something like about 10 seconds. THat is no joke or exageration! I think the longest we got with any one of them was about 1 minute- that was the longest. But we LOVED the food- especially on the salad/appetizer bar. The dessert (the rice pudding thing) was fabulous. The others were so-so. But our server was great! so fun to engage her with talk of her country.

Until next time,

Mary is very sneaky - she got only Mom to say it backwards.
Her response was simply "Of Course" and Mom didn't press the issue.

As for interactions insides Akershus, some of the princesses were a bit hurried (mostly because there was another one waiting behind them).
But, for the most part, we had good interactions.
Mulan's was definitely the best (and longest) and she stopped twice.
I actually very much appreciated that she came back for DS.
The others did not take the time to do so (not that he cared).
Snow White was pretty good too but you'll hear all about all that in the next segment!

I think it also helped that we re-arranged the kids.
They usually try to put the kids on the end.
With the highchair there and Mom having to sit next to the highchair,
one (or both) of the kids were relegated to sitting by the window (or, in other restaurants, the other side).
What this means is that when each character stopped by, the kids had to get up and go over to them.
This takes more time and allows a conversation to develop with the character while they waited for the kids to make their way over.
This happened in all of the restaurants.
Sometimes the chararcters would pay even more attention to X in his highchair while he waited for the other two (which was fine by me!)
Mom was always worried that they would pat X's stapled head too hard. :)
 
I love reading your TR! Your DD is adorable in her princess dress and the picture of X on the bed is precious (my DS 15mo is never that laid back). I can't wait to read more! :goodvibes :goodvibes :goodvibes
 
After our visit with Mary, I checked us into Akershus Castle and I secretly asked the host which princesses would be there.
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I knew Belle was usually greeting people at breakfast but I hoped Ariel would be making the rounds in her wedding dress as Ariel is DD’s favorite.
Unfortunately, it was not to be.
DD knew some princesses may stop by for breakfast and I prepared her by letting her know that not everyone comes for breakfast.
She was so looking forward to Ariel that she was asking daily about going to Ariel's Grotto.
I think the divers at Coral Reef and the balloons at the hotel were just enough to hold her off a little bit more.
I distracted her a bit by allowing her another princess pose:
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We got online to enter the restaurant which I knew meant pictures with Belle.
The kids were getting restless and didn’t understand the wait but I told DD it would be worth it.
The line snaked around so that you couldn’t really see Belle until it was our turn and, boy, did DD’s eyes light up when she saw who was waiting.
She was smirking and shy as Belle walked her to the picture area
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But soon got over it and posed like the princess she is:
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Photopass was there and got an additional shot which I enchanced with the Photopass Belle Border:
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And, of course, we could not leave until we received a royal hug:
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Then we had to wait a couple of minutes for our table and I was able to snap this shot of our princess on her throne:
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I’ve had lunch at Akershus before the transition to the princess dining and it was pretty good but the breakfast here was great!
In addition to the standards (eggs, bacon, sausage, and potato casserole served family style),
the cold buffet bar included smoked salmon and croissants (mmmmmm).
To top it off, Akershus Royal Banquet Hall itself is beautiful from the adornments on the ceiling...
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...to the nice little out of the way alcove surrounded by windows that we were seated in:
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The interior is definitely fit for royalty and some may say it even rivals that of Cinderella’s Castle.
We began eating and soon our private alcove was joined by some other families.
Then the princesses began to arrive.
By now, DD was busting with excitement to meet each and every one!
The Sleeping Beauty herself was first (one of DD’s top three) so Aurora received a big hug:
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And then came Snow White who mistook X for one of the dwarves.
We should call him “Hungry” Dwarf – I think he was mad in this picture that we interrupted his breakfast.
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I love DD’s face in this one:
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Mom and DS headed for the restrooms which signaled “Wave 2” of the princesses.
Mulan led the charge stopping by X first who, of course, pointed out “Daddy” to Mulan.
X was making a habit this trip to point out the rest of his family to everyone he saw whether or not they really cared.
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Mulan stayed for a bit talking about where we lived, where she lived, and even asked DD if she was teaching X how to fight.
DD responded “of course she was” and that her older brother was helping too. It was too cute.
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Jasmine was next. It amazes me to see just how happy DD was throughout this experience.
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After Mom and DS returned, Mulan circled through again to check on DD’s big brother.
Mulan explained to Mom what DD had told her earlier and was, once again, very pleasant. In fact, she was by far, the best princess of the morning.
DS then stood up and announced he wanted a picture.
This was surprising as he had refused all princesses before this.
I then realized that he picked Mulan because she was the “fighting princess.”
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In addition to the meal, we received a nice Birthday card from the princesses pre-printed with all of their signatures.
It even included Ariel, Cinderella, and Mary Poppins who were not present.
I guess that's the nice part of having it pre-printed - no matter who showed up, you get all the signatures.
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As we were getting ready to go, I started checking when things opened (seeing if anything opened a bit earlier than the assumed 11:00.)
X grabbed the schedule and started writing.
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He was so serious, it really looked like he was rearranging the actual Disney schedule. So I provided a voiceover.
“Today, China will open at 10:30 – no, how about 10. And Maelstrom will wait until 12:30. Make that 12.
And I think Germany will open at 9:30. Yes, that’ll do.”
It was hilarious and the kids joined in describing what else X should change.
X definitely was my little boy – a planner in training.

Finally, at around 10:40, we headed out nicely stuffed and relaxed.
This was, by far, the best breakfast of the trip.
We were relaxed, the food was great, and the princesses actually spent time with us. DD was beeming.
The problem was that lunch wasn’t too far off and we hoped to snack at the various Food & Wine stops along the way.
Hopefully the walking will make us hungry again…

During final restroom stops, we found out something interesting.
The throne in the lobby was actually used in Pirates of Caribbean: At World's End when the Pirate lords gathered.
As soon as that information was revealed, DS jumped right in. Apparently, now it was "cool."
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Finally, before we left, I wanted one picture of me this morning with my princess:
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Included in the meal price (and on the dining plan) is a great portfolio so I scanned it in for everyone to see:

Here’s the cover:
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The inside:
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The picture that they provided
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And if you take it out, it even has it’s own matting:
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The back of the portfolio has a nice proclamation:
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It’s definitely a nice keepsake with the meal.
Tune in next time when the voyage around the World Showcase really gets under way - we come face to face with Vikings! :eek:
 
So sweet! I think my favorite is the pic. with Snow White! Her face is priceless! :goodvibes and she is obviously completely awed with the whole experience.

Epcot's WS is my fav. place in all the parks so I'm very much looking forward to the next installment! popcorn::
 
So sweet! I think my favorite is the pic. with Snow White! Her face is priceless! :goodvibes and she is obviously completely awed with the whole experience.

Epcot's WS is my fav. place in all the parks so I'm very much looking forward to the next installment! popcorn::

Hey All7OfUs! You always seem to be the first response - you must be laying in wait of my updates! :surfweb: I just hope they are worth the wait!

As for the World Showcase, I've always liked it myself and I'm glad the kids have something there they can get into.
As I keep mentioning, Kidcot was a great addition (which I never realized until I had kids), and they love all the characters we met throughout the showcase.
Mom and I were focused on the food and sights so it worked out for all FIVE of us (as opposed to your 7). :laughing:

I hope to get the next segment up tonite. See you then!
 
Wow, I didn't realize I had missed so many updates. See pics of little girls with the Princesses' always makes me wish I had one, but I love my boy.

You are correct, the Viking ship is gone. Have you heard if they plan on putting something else there, I miss seeing it.

I love that World Showcase emblem shot, even though it was on a trash can.:rotfl:
 
Hi...sorry I'm late!! I'm home sick today and just stmbled across your report. Looking forward to the rest. Great job so far!!
 
Okay the title drew me in, of course. Poor guy.

I'm glad his cut wasn't as serious as you initially thought. Im just at the beginning of the report..what a way to start off your trip. :eek:

Sitting down to read more....
 
Nice to see you again jmskinner!
Don't worry, I have some fun little "boy" shots coming up as well - while this was DD's birthday trip, I tried to make sure he had his moments as well.
And I have another World Showcase logo from yet another odd location. Stay tuned!

As for the other newbies, welcome aboard!
I'm glad everyone is enjoying the report.
It's almost as much fun to rewrite it and remember it than it was to be there!
Almost...
 
Well, let me explain... hubby is out of town, so you know the saying, "While the cat's away, the mice will play." I've had extra time to surf these last two weeks, and it sure has been fun. But seriously, I can only "be involved" with a few reports at a time. I have 4 or so bookmarked that I read regularly, if I try to follow more than that I get confused and can't really keep them all straight. Yours was just great, because: 1) You put as much planning and thinking into your trip as I would 2) Your family seems to enjoy the same things ours does 3) I LOVE your pictures and 4) Your writing is very descriptive.

So, thanks for letting me share your last trip with you! :surfweb: :yay: :happytv:
 












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