A fearless trip report- May 12-18th 2011

[lbuzz52]

we really enjoyed the new queue at HM too!

i can't wait to hear what you do by yourself- sounds like a dream!

 

[DisneyMomma09]

They were amazing! I was joking with my DH that we've going to just have to take another trip in about a month, because I don't know where else to get his hair cut! Sounds perfect to me!

I tried that, but it didn't fly with DH! Maybe if we save enough money by me cutting his hair myself we can stay an extra day or something...

 

[CandleontheWater]

I have been lurking but had to come to say I am really enjoying reading your trip reports. You are so funny and Everett is sooo cute. I love his "big boy" haircut.

Thank you so much! I think he is very handsome with his new 'do!

Great update! I was thrilled to see all of the pics from the new queue at Haunted Mansion because I didn't get to experience it on our trip. I really wanted to go on Haunted Mansion since it's one of my favorite rides, but I figured Reid would not like it & would probably be in hysterics. Oh, and all that talk about cheese sauce at Pecos Bills has me hungry, thank you very much! Can't wait to see what you did next!

Glad I could provide you with a little haunted mansion fix! I'm not looking forward to Everett getting to the point where he is afraid, but I know we are headed there. Just another fear to tackle at some point.

I laughed at your picture of the Dumb-o sign, we have pretty much the exact same picture!

Seeing the pictures in your current TR, I can't say that I am surprised

Joining in! Your TR rocks! Can't wait to read more!

Thank you so much! I hope you stick around, we're just beginning!

we really enjoyed the new queue at HM too!

i can't wait to hear what you do by yourself- sounds like a dream!

I had the chance to take many solo trips when we lived in Jacksonville, so I've been lucky enough to have that privilege before. When DH would deploy, I would do a weekend trip every month as a way to count down the months until he returned and to keep my spirits up. If would, of course, have been better if he were with me, but I did have some wonderful solo adventures

I tried that, but it didn't fly with DH! Maybe if we save enough money by me cutting his hair myself we can stay an extra day or something...

If not a whole day, at least it would cover a few extra Mickey Bars!

Alright, I'm going to be off line for a few days because we are leaving tomorrow to go home to CT for my SIL's engagement party. I'll be back and up posting again on Monday, and hopefully my photopass CD will arrive before I get back so I can work those photos into my next update!

Have a nice weekend everyone!

 

[pinkxray]

I just can't believe you don't like Winnie the Pooh. He is just so cuddly and adorable I don't remember ever riding the ride they replaced though. I am sure if they tore down my favorite ride to put WTP there I might feel otherwise.


The first haircut looks great. It is always sad to see those cute baby curls go, but then you have a little boy instead of a baby,

Great pictures at HM. We went through the new queue but everyone was walking through it so fast we didn't really see much. I loved the leaking water and everything I did see looked pretty cool.

 

[PirateKate]

Ah, the Disney first haircut. Carter got his done there and also refused to wear his ears. Landon has an appointment in October. I love how the barbers at Disney are so good with the little kids. Everett's haircut looks wonderful. He looks very grown up.

I don't know what's in those yogurts, either. Maybe it's magic.

 

[brookelizabeth]

I'm joining in Marissa - and LOVING your TR! You are such a great writer! You had me laughing so many times I can't even count! Everett is such a cutie too--but you already know that.

What is up with baby to toddler in 5 minutes flat in a barbershop??? Henry pulled that same thing during his first hair cut there!

Glad to hear you survived Crystal Palace without beating up Pooh Bear.

This may be my favorite of the trip

or this one!

These made me tear up!!!!!! Ahhhh, I'm such a dork. But seriously...how can they not? Absolutely precious pictures!


I think I might have to check out the Podcasts of the celebs you are traveling with! I don't get much time to listen to Podcasts, but sometimes one or two here or there (generally while on a plane to/from Florida ).

 

[MeMom]

Right before I was about to call her to find out her whereabouts, she appears from inside the Emporium carrying a bag. She had bought Everett one of the spray bottle fans, since he loved the spray bottle in the barber shop so much. I wasn’t exactly sure how I felt about Everett having the ability to spray us now for the entire vacation, but DS was over the moon with his new toy.

My mother lives for shopping for Everett so she was in her glory, and Bryan and Amy are expecting their first child in Sept, so they wanted to buy some baby things also.

My mom picked up a set of Cars bath toys, and a pirate outfit and pirate Mickey PJs for Everett. Bryan and Amy bought their little boy-to-be the same pirate outfit and also a stuffed animal. My mom also came back with a starter pin lanyard and a tote bag, because they were the promotion with purchase, and she couldn’t decide between the two.

Do you know how much Disney World loves people like me and your mom?!?!?

They see us coming in the gates and think:

grandma + cute kids = $$$$$

 

[CandleontheWater]

I'll be back tonight to post a new update and do individual replies, but I thought I'd let you all know that I posted some new pics from our photopass in post #63!

 

[CandleontheWater]

I just can't believe you don't like Winnie the Pooh. He is just so cuddly and adorable I don't remember ever riding the ride they replaced though. I am sure if they tore down my favorite ride to put WTP there I might feel otherwise.


The first haircut looks great. It is always sad to see those cute baby curls go, but then you have a little boy instead of a baby,

Great pictures at HM. We went through the new queue but everyone was walking through it so fast we didn't really see much. I loved the leaking water and everything I did see looked pretty cool.

Yeah, I know I'm going against the norm with my dislike of Pooh, but you know whats even worse- I don't like Tinkerbell either!

I still get a little sad when I see pictures of him with his sweet curls, but I know they are still there, just shorter!

Thanks for you picture compliments! I am actually pretty awful about taking pictures (I know, what kind of Diser am I?) so I really tried to remember this trip. I hadn't see the queue before, so I figured others might be interested also.

Ah, the Disney first haircut. Carter got his done there and also refused to wear his ears. Landon has an appointment in October. I love how the barbers at Disney are so good with the little kids. Everett's haircut looks wonderful. He looks very grown up.

I don't know what's in those yogurts, either. Maybe it's magic.

I'm sure Landon will have a great time as well! I was very impressed with how talented the stylists were, now I need to find someone half as good here in Virginia!

I am actually a little afraid of those yogurts, dairy products that don't need to be refrigerated are an aberration of nature!

I'm joining in Marissa - and LOVING your TR! You are such a great writer! You had me laughing so many times I can't even count! Everett is such a cutie too--but you already know that.

What is up with baby to toddler in 5 minutes flat in a barbershop??? Henry pulled that same thing during his first hair cut there!

Glad to hear you survived Crystal Palace without beating up Pooh Bear.


These made me tear up!!!!!! Ahhhh, I'm such a dork. But seriously...how can they not? Absolutely precious pictures!


I think I might have to check out the Podcasts of the celebs you are traveling with! I don't get much time to listen to Podcasts, but sometimes one or two here or there (generally while on a plane to/from Florida ).

Thank you for your kind words about Everett, we're rather partial to him!

It seems like it is a dis-baby rite of passage to have a haircut at the barber shop!

About Pooh Bear- well, it was touch and go for a few moments...

Every time I look at those pictures of me and Everett at the castle it just makes me so happy. Its like that picture encapsulates all the wonderful feelings and memories I have of Disney!

Do you know how much Disney World loves people like me and your mom?!?!?

They see us coming in the gates and think:

grandma + cute kids = $$$$$

Ha ha, you aren't kidding! My mom can go really bananas when it comes to Everett. I know its because she loves him so much that she wants to spoil him, and if you can't be spoiled by a doting grandparent, who can you be spoiled by?

 

[CandleontheWater]

Episode 12: The update where we get a little goofy

Well, here I was all alone with the World literally at my feet, and what do I do? I call my Mom. I know, I should have taken advantage of some solo time, but I’ve been there and done that, and I what I really wanted this vacation to be about was time spent with family and friends.

I called my Mom and it was perfect timing, my little monkey boy had just woken up, and my mom was actually headed my way, since it was almost parade time and she didn’t want to get trapped on Main Street (although I’m sure getting stuck in the Emporium would not be my mother’s idea of a nightmare scenario).

We ended up running into each other on the bridge to Tomorrowland, and as luck would have it, there was a photopass guy standing right there. Since I had joined the swap, I wanted to maximize my photo taking so we headed over to get some more castle pics.

I wish someone had told me I still had mickey stickers stuck all over me, I felt like one of those people that leaves a conference and goes into the grocery store with the “Hi my name is ____” stickers stuck to their shirt.

Mickey stickers notwithstanding, we got some good photos, Everett even seemed pretty cooperative after his nap and was (mostly) looking at the camera.

After we did the castle background, my mom asked if he could also take some photos with the Tomorrowland sign in the background. She has a photo of her and my Dad on the bridge to Tomorrowland from their honeymoon (long before the refurb, when there were those weird white columns at the entrance), and thought it would be cute to get one of her, Everett and me. A sort of then and now shot. The photopass dude was very accommodating and snapped quite a few photos.

(I also have a secret weakness for photopass pictures gone wrong, there should be a thread on here devoted to celebrating the dud photopass pic- here's one)

There is that guy waving in the corner, I'm trying to get Everett's hand out of his mouth, my mom is working her biceps with her 700 lbs purse- priceless!

After our photoshoot, my mom asked me what I wanted to do. I hemmed and hawed, suggesting we go do something with Everett, but my Mom told me I should take advantage of this time and go ride some of the big kid rides. I did have those Splash Mountain fastpasses, and I had two! I offered that I would go ride Splash and then we could switch, but my mothers response was “no way you’re getting me on that ride!” Of course I knew that it had nothing to do at all with the drop and everything to do with getting her hair wet!

I remembered that there was a little playground underneath the frontierland railroad bridge, so I figured that I could head into my laughing place and Everett could have fun running around and sliding down slides, it seemed like an excellent compromise.

We needed to really make tracks because we were getting close to parade time, and if we didn’t make it to the other side of the park soon, we’d be trapped.

Luckily we got over there right before parade step off, just to find that Splash was down! Bummer, but the wait time for the Wildest Ride in the wilderness was only 20 mintues, so I left my mom and Everett and headed over to Big Thunder Mountain. When I got in line, I saw that most of the queue was roped off, and we made it into the loading gates in no time.

I do have to say that I find the Thunder queue to be one of the hottest in all of WDW. You’re really high up, and packed in like sardines and there is no air circulation. They have those paltry ceiling fans, but I think that they are there mostly to taunt you. I swear I can almost hear them saying as I sweat in line-, “I could be cooling you off right now, but seriously, I’m not working that hard”. Needless to say, I was one happy camper we were down in the blissful AC in the loading area lickety-split.

The ride was the same as ever, but I did notice that the cactus with the bobcat was missing. It was very strange, they still had the wild boar out, but they were circled around and looking up at nothing. It was a bizarre sight as I whizzed by. I guess they don’t figure the average guest is looking that hard. I’m sure the cat cactus is just under refurb and the scene will soon get back to normal instead of looking like the boars are lined up for some crazy square dance.

Once I had recovered my hat and glasses (from the pouch in front of me) I went back over to find my mom and Everett. I looked around, but there were no where to be found. It isn’t a large area, so its not like I could miss them. Hmmm…. Of course the next place I looked was in the gift shop- but- shocker!- they were not there. I decided to try a little farther afield and check in the Splash dump shop, but I figured I’d stick my head in the restroom just to check.

There they were, my mom was just finishing up changing my little poopy pants. Apparently he pooped not once but twice while I was on the ride. Great timing little dude, Mommy got to take a pass on two dirty diapers. Disney really is the most magical place on earth.

After he was all cleaned up and we avoided a near altercation over a changing table (when we took Everett off, one lady put their child up to change them, but apparently she cut in front of another lady, who took it very personally. Seriously, I thought they were going to come to blows- over a changing table! You see something new every day .) We headed back out, just in time to see Goofy coming out for a meet and greet. It was perfect timing because there was no line. I guess with Splash being down, there just weren’t too many people back there.

We took full advantage of the opportunity and Everett got to meet another character. He didn’t seem as interested in Goofy as he did in the Pooh characters, and I think that is because Goofy wasn’t as soft and fuzzy as the Pooh characters. I guess Goofy was just wearing too many clothes to appeal to my toddler.

add this to the annals of photopass fail- what on earth are we doing here? Appreciating the foliage?

I love how Everett is really giving Goofy the once over in this one


Next up-who doesn’t want to ride the train?

 

[disneydreamingdebby]

The best part about being fashionably late is that I didn't have to wait for the main course to be served! (Does that metaphor work? It is getting late.. )

I am enjoying your report. I too have had my dh say we couldn't return when our then 7 year olds couldn't fall asleep after a late flight into Orlando. (That was a scary scene, and I had to tour CSR to find some pixie dust. Maybe I should have bought dh a peace offering...)

I admire not only your ability to take a toddler, but to incorporate others into your trip! I am worried about someone messing with my pixie dust. Good for you to squash the voice and to recognize the importance of spending time with family and friends!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Love that you still had the Mickey stickers all over your shirt.

Photopass pictures gone wrong, I have a few of those.

 

[amandaw]

Wonderful photopass pictures in the update & the ones you added to the earlier post! I think it's great you put in the not-so-great pictures as well. Those can be so fun to go back & look at. Yay for your pixie dust on Everett doing his business twice while you were on BTMR! That is true Disney magic!

 

[CandleontheWater]

The best part about being fashionably late is that I didn't have to wait for the main course to be served! (Does that metaphor work? It is getting late.. )

I am enjoying your report. I too have had my dh say we couldn't return when our then 7 year olds couldn't fall asleep after a late flight into Orlando. (That was a scary scene, and I had to tour CSR to find some pixie dust. Maybe I should have bought dh a peace offering...)

I admire not only your ability to take a toddler, but to incorporate others into your trip! I am worried about someone messing with my pixie dust. Good for you to squash the voice and to recognize the importance of spending time with family and friends!

Thanks for joining in! I'm glad to hear that your DH didn't go through on the threat either! Sometimes they can be all bark and no bite

Taking a toddler has its challenges, but when the alternative is not going to Disney at all, really, there is no alternative I also find that it is easier the larger number of people you have with you. More hands to help you schlep around all the baby stuff!

Love that you still had the Mickey stickers all over your shirt.

Photopass pictures gone wrong, I have a few of those.

Not only did I wear the stickers all day, but I proceeded to forget about them when I did the laundry, and ended up with Mickey sticker bits all stuck in the dryer's lint trap!

Wonderful photopass pictures in the update & the ones you added to the earlier post! I think it's great you put in the not-so-great pictures as well. Those can be so fun to go back & look at. Yay for your pixie dust on Everett doing his business twice while you were on BTMR! That is true Disney magic!

I think that the photopass fail pics are really funny. Sometimes I'm wonder what on earth the photopass people must be thinking to keep snapping away when no one is ready and things are all off kilter!

 

[tammy]

Awww...Everett is so cute. Thanks for another great update!

 

[CandleontheWater]

Episode 13: The update in which there will be no train riding

Once we had finished meeting and greeting with Goofy, I noticed that people were once again being let on Splash. I was all ready to skip it and head onto something else, but my mom insisted that I go ride, so I left them again at the playground and got into the fastpass line.

Everett was not in the least perturbed about waiting, in fact when we rolled the stroller up to the playground he started shouting, “Pay, Pay” (Play, Play), and was trying to get climb out of the stroller.

Since the ride had just started back up again, the line was moving very quickly. Two families behind me though, I started to hear some commotion. “I don’t WANT to ride the train” a small child was screeching. I looked behind me, and the mother was asking the family directly behind them to tell her son that this was, in fact, Splash Mountain. They reassured the child, but he was having none of it. The mother then saw me looking over and asked me to also tell her son that this was a boat ride. “Yup” I told him,” you get in those little log boats you see right over there.” He still didn’t seem entirely convinced, thinking, I’m sure, that all adults were conspiring together to trick him onto the train.

Thankfully the screeching stopped (I really felt for the family, I’m sure Everett will be there in a few years), and everything was moving along- that is until we passed through the barn, right before the turn by Brier Frogs lair.

You see, at that very moment, the train pulled into the Frontierland station, and you can see it very clearly right at that corner. The small boy took one look at the train, and completely lost it. “I told you I didn’t want to ride the train! I’m not getting on the train! I want to go on a boat ride!”

I felt really bad for the mother, but at the same time, it was pretty funny! She ended up having to take him out of line because he wasn’t moving another inch closer to that train.

The family behind me obviously thought it was pretty funny too, because the two teenaged children kept saying back and forth to each other, “I’m not riding that train!” We were all in the same log, and at certain points throughout the ride, one of them would say, “I don’t want to ride the train!” and we would all start laughing.

I was also really happy to see that the water cannon was not shooting the logs on this day. I did bring my poncho, and like the big dork that I am, I did wear it, but luckily I didn’t need it.

Wearing a poncho on a water ride also did not escape the attention of the teenagers behind me, and the family was teasing me good naturedly about wearing it. I told them that the reason I was riding alone was that no one in my family would ride with me in my poncho, and once we got past the water cannon and were bone dry they remarked, “I’d feel awfully silly if I was wearing a poncho right about now”. It was all in good fun!

One of the things I love about Disney is how much fun you can have with your fellow guests. I don’t know many other places where it is acceptable to talk to and tease the people waiting around you in line, its one of the many things that makes Disney so special.

Once I was finished with Splash, it was time for something we all could do! We decided to head toward Pirates!

Pirates is a special ride in our house, because it was Everett’s very first Disney ride ever. Also once we found out that Everett was a boy and before we decided on a name, we just called him “baby pirate”. My baby shower was pirate themed in honor of his nickname, and we decorated Everett’s nursery with a pirate theme. One of the Disney touches is a framed photo of the jail scene from POTC, that hangs right above his changing table. We spend a lot of time looking at that picture, and “dog” was one of Everett ‘s first words, because I would point the dog out to him multiple times a day.
When we took Everett at 4, 6 and 10 months, he didn’t seem to make the connection between the photo in his room, and the ride we were on, but I wondered if this would be the trip that he would recognize it.

On the way over to Pirates we had to make a quick stop. Apparently while I was on Splash and my mom and Everett were playing in the playground, a little boy had joined them with one of the bubble guns. Everett is obsessed with bubbles, and apparently went nutso for the toy, so of course, Grammy wanted to get him his own. I was trying to dissuade her, telling her that Everett didn’t need it, and he would be just fine without one, but my mother, the eagle eyes, spotted one in the gift shop on the back walkway between Frontierland and Adventureland.

Bubble gun in hand we moved onward to Pirates.

There was no wait at all for the ride, so I decided to risk it and not put him in the becco. I figured that it wasn’t one of those switch back queues, so even worst case, it wasn’t like he could run haphazard through the line, potentially clothes-lining himself on the chains. The worst he could do was try and run backwards, but with two of us, I figured we could heard him in the right direction, we did have the bubble gun, after all.

So, Everett walked through the line like a big boy, and had a blast checking out all the details. He did pretty well overall, we only had to drag him away at one point, otherwise he maintained a pretty orderly path through the queue.

We walked right up to the loading dock and got right on a boat. Does anyone else remember when there used to be crazy long waits for Pirates? Now, what, 20 minutes is considered really long? You can pretty consistently walk onto Pirates almost any time of day.

Well, Everett did enjoy the ride, as usual, but he did not seem to make the connection between the jail scene and his bedroom. Maybe next time, I think he just needs to get a little older.

After Pirates we decided to make good on those Buzz fastpasses I made Mark and Bryan get with me before they left. While walking over to Tomorrowland, I did stop and pick up quick fastpasses for Jungle Cruise, but even then I knew that it was over optimistic to think we’d get on, since it was getting late.

When we got over to Buzz the fastpass line looked pretty long, but it did move quick and before we knew it we were on.

see Everett looking for hidden mickey's? He is going to be such a great little Disney nerd!

Both my mother and I are abysmal at this ride, but Everett seems to really enjoy it. He loves watching the flashing red lights, and pointing at our scores. I think he’s trying to tell us that even he could do better, that we should hand over the guns. Our scores were a little less pathetic than usual, because we were stopped for a bit, so I got to actually figure out which red dot belonged to my gun and hit some targets. My mom didn’t realize that you could hit a target more than once, so I managed to beat her!

After the ride, we had to go take some pictures with Zurg. I used to think that you weren’t supposed to get in there with him, that it was compromising Disney property, but I’ve seen so many pictures on the Dis of people inside the bars, that I figure its OK. If enough Diser are doing it, I’ll give it a shot, because Disers are usually very aware of all the Disney rules.

Once we had finished saving the Universe, it was getting close to 5 pm. Everett needed to eat dinner and we needed to get back to the resort so he could get to bed. I figured we’d hit up Jungle Cruise another time, and we decided to head over to Ray’s place for some grub.

I still hadn’t heard from either Bryan and Amy or DH, but I figured that they’d want to do dinner when we got back, so I decided to wait on eating. My mom decided on a chicken Caesar salad, and Everett got the kids chicken nuggets (sorry, no food pics!)

I got Everett all settled in, and the food arrived in no time. I was really shocked that it wasn’t crowded, even though we were entering prime dinnertime. We usually sit down by Sonny Ecslipe, but this time I was able to get a table on the upper level, right near a topping bar, which is much more convenient.

I was a little wary that Everett wouldn’t eat the nuggets, since he is touch and go about chicken at home, but I guess deep frying makes all the difference. He ate all his nuggets, his grapes and his applesauce. I was beginning to think that I should take him to Disney everyday, it certainly gets him to eat!

My mom did bring me a side order of fries, since she knows I cannot resist the siren song of cheese sauce, so I happily ate those.

Once our bellies were full, we headed out to the car, but not before we took another shopping pit stop. My mom wanted to show me these purses that she found during her shopping adventures while Everett napped.

She headed into Uptown Jewelers, and back into the Dooney and Bourke room. Sigh, yes I know all about Disney Dooneys, I even bought one of the sketch totes last year after saving up my birthday and Christmas gift cards.

The thing is I was really planning on buying one of the 40th anniversary print purses, and had settled on the letter carrier. I had been talking about it for months, but then the people who rent our house in Jacksonville Florida decided to move out. It was really poor timing, because they didn’t give us much lead time, and we had to find new people to move in. I was really afraid that we wouldn’t find anyone right away and have to float two mortgage payments for a few months. It would be doable, but it would involve tightening our belts, so no expensive purses this trip. I made the much more financially prudent choice to use the gift cards I had been saving for the purse for our hotel bill. I knew I had made the right decision, but I was still a little disappointed.

I told my mom the story, and she encouraged me to at least look at them. I asked if they had any of the 40th letter carriers, but that store did not have any instock. My mom asked where they might carry them, and the CM rattled off a list of different stores. I didn’t pay too much attention because I knew that I shouldn’t be torturing myself with something that was not to be.

After that slight detour, we headed out of the park and back to the parking lot. In my rush that morning, I didn’t write down where we parked, but luckily since we were there so early, we were one of the first cars in the lot and it wasn’t hard to find.

We headed pack to POR so Everett could go to bed and I could meet up with my friends.

Next up- Is everyone feeling better?

 

[fitgirl36]

So enjoying your trip report! Love the reference to the bicep curl with the 700 pound purse and not getting your hair wet from a ride! Must be the generation, my mom is the same way! Can I ask where you bought the MMC tablecovers for Everett? My Lily is really into that show and I have pooh table covers but not the MMC. Thanks!

 

[Thadine]

I love how Everett is really giving Goofy the once over in this one

"who's that dude next to my mommy??"

love the picture!

 

[afwdwfan]

I just saw the link to your new TR this morning. It looks like your trip was off to a great start, despite the little argument in the hotel room. Kind of funny how a vacation can make some of the greatest happy memories, but at the same time, the stresses can make for some ugly meltdowns from time to time too.

Everett really does look grown up with his new haircut. It looks like he's having a great time with the characters and really enjoying taking it all in. That is very nice of your mother to want to keep him in the evenings for you. I'm sure she is just happy to be spending some quality time with him, even if it is at the risk of losing out on some sleep.

By the way... your update from the Crystal Palace breakfast is making me really look forward to the 8:10 am ADR we have for our trip this fall. I love French Toast, and this is the first that I've seen anything about that specialty at Crystal Palace. I will most definitely be giving it a try.

 

[cadek]

Another great update. Everett is doing well and you all seem to be having a great time!

I have a feeling someone might be buying a Dooney & Bourke for you later in this TR. Or maybe that's just wishfull thinking. We shall see.