A fearless trip report- May 12-18th 2011

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

How nice of your Mom to get you that present.

 

[amandaw]

I have to say that I'm with DH on the whole Beirgarten restaurant. I just do NOT like that place.

What a great surprise from your mom! And the purse is super cute!!! Now you have me wanting one. Oh well, too many other things I need to buy for our new house. Your mom reminds me so much of my mom; from taking Everett at night, to her obsession with shopping & buying you the purse. Moms are great!

 

[fitgirl36]

You got the purse! I knew you'd get the purse as a gift from your mom! Great mom! Sounds like such a fun trip so far sans the rude people! That'll be anywhere though I guess, never taught manners maybe. I SO wish my parents would take a trip with me, DH and DD to Disney, but there is no convincing them to get on a plane. (sigh) I keep trying, maybe someday!

 

[MeMom]

I picked up the perfect purse and showed it to my mom

Me: “Look, this one has 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, the Animal Kingdom logo and Pluto, this is exactly what I would be looking for.”
Dmom: “Ok, that sounds good” and she takes the purse from my hands and starts to walk over to the cash register.

I stared at my mom, dumbfounded.

Me: “Oh no, I can’t let you buy that, its too expensive, I don’t need it, it’s just wishful thinking!”

Dmom: “Nonsense, I have to get you something for your five year wedding anniversary, and five years has got to be leather, or something like that. I’m sure a purse would fit just perfectly with tradition. (with a wink) now you can’t say I never got you anything.”

I thanked my mom over and over again, I couldn’t believe that I was actually coming home with the purse I had been dreaming of. I know that I am incredibly lucky to have such generous parents. They have worked very hard at their jobs, and have been very lucky to have had much success in their careers and they have always believed that their luck should be shared with the people they care about most. They have always been very generous to me and my two brothers, not spoiling us, but loving to surprise us if there was something special that caught our eye. I was always very thankful for everything that they did for us as children, and I’m still thankful for the gifts they surprise us with today.

This started my day off with a smile. I want to buy Jill everything she ever looks at when we are shopping, but on a teacher's budget, that doesn't work. I scrimp and save on a regular basis, though, to at least pay for the room/rooms on every trip, so that's my 'gift' to whichever of the kids want to go on any of these trips. They get a free room, and I get to spend time with my favorite people in my favorite place.

That purse will be near and dear to your heart. I'm glad you found the one that was perfect for you.

I know people like your parents that have been extremely blessed financially, and they are always giving their money for many different things. What a blessing they are to others, and what a good feeling it must be to be able to feel that joy of giving so often!

 

[disneydreamingdebby]

Marissa, congratulations on your bag! It has wonderful placement! I'm sure your mom enjoys getting you gifts as you are so appreciative.

They get a free room, and I get to spend time with my favorite people in my favorite place.

Memom- time spent with family is a memory more powerful than gifts.

 

[PrincessBetsy]

I'm joining in. I found your trip report and just couldn't stop reading - I'm loving it so far! And Everett is so adorable, especially with his new haircut! It's sweet that your mom got you that D&B purse. I absolutely love it!

 

[jdd]

subbing - I love trip reports

Never had any of my boys do their first haircut on Main St, but what a great idea!!! I've taken the kids at all ages, and each trip is so special to see how they react to everything.

Really enjoying your report so far - thanks for taking the time to give me a Disney fix.

 

[afwdwfan]

I'm glad that you finally found the perfect purse you were looking for. That was awesome of your mom to do that for you!

 

[NancyLuvsMickey]

Love the bag!!! And your Mom totally rocks!!!

 

[cadek]

Love your D&B! I like how Walt is right on front too! Your Mom just seems awesome, even before this purchase!

It's great that Everett is sleeping so well for your Mom! Maybe you should hide that plane ticket!

 

[tammy]

Another great update. I love the purse! I was at the Taste of Reston on Saturday and thought of you.

 

[CandleontheWater]

What a wonderful present from your mom. Looks like you had a great day so far.

Thank you, I was speechless when she told me that she was going to give it to me as a gift

What a cool new purse! I love how all the best parts are right on the front. It was so nice of your mom to get it for you.

It was really wonderful of her, I am so thankful

Joining in! Love your TR so far, and I'm glad your little fight was taken care of early in the trip and hopefully there will be no others.

Awesome present from mom!

Everett is just a cutie and I love his 1st haircut pictures!

Thank you about Everett, his haircut went just about perfectly!

The purse was an unbelievable surprise!

How nice of your Mom to get you that present.

It was wonderful of her, and I hope that she knows just how much I love and appreciate it!

I have to say that I'm with DH on the whole Beirgarten restaurant. I just do NOT like that place.

What a great surprise from your mom! And the purse is super cute!!! Now you have me wanting one. Oh well, too many other things I need to buy for our new house. Your mom reminds me so much of my mom; from taking Everett at night, to her obsession with shopping & buying you the purse. Moms are great!

I'll let DH know that he isn't the only person who doesn't like Biergarten. Its a favorite in my family, so he's had to eat there much more than he'd like.

I'm glad to hear that you have an awesome mom too! Mom's are such treasures and I think that a good mother/daughter relationship is just priceless.

You got the purse! I knew you'd get the purse as a gift from your mom! Great mom! Sounds like such a fun trip so far sans the rude people! That'll be anywhere though I guess, never taught manners maybe. I SO wish my parents would take a trip with me, DH and DD to Disney, but there is no convincing them to get on a plane. (sigh) I keep trying, maybe someday!

Thank you, I know I am really lucky! I'm sorry that your parents don't like to fly. My dad isn't a great flier either (although there are times I think he just hams it up for attention ) Maybe someday you can convince them, or maybe they'll decide to drive or take the train.

 

[CandleontheWater]

This started my day off with a smile. I want to buy Jill everything she ever looks at when we are shopping, but on a teacher's budget, that doesn't work. I scrimp and save on a regular basis, though, to at least pay for the room/rooms on every trip, so that's my 'gift' to whichever of the kids want to go on any of these trips. They get a free room, and I get to spend time with my favorite people in my favorite place.

That purse will be near and dear to your heart. I'm glad you found the one that was perfect for you.

I know people like your parents that have been extremely blessed financially, and they are always giving their money for many different things. What a blessing they are to others, and what a good feeling it must be to be able to feel that joy of giving so often!

I know that your family loves everything that you do for them!

My parents always taught me that you should judge success in life by how much you help others; some people do this through financial contributions, but others through their time and talents. By this rubric, though all the time and work you put into helping children succeed academically, you are one of the most successful people I know!

Marissa, congratulations on your bag! It has wonderful placement! I'm sure your mom enjoys getting you gifts as you are so appreciative.


Memom- time spent with family is a memory more powerful than gifts.

This I 100% agree with! The memories we have made at Disney over the years are WAY more valuable then any material item. I think that is probably a sentiment that all Disney fans share!

I'm joining in. I found your trip report and just couldn't stop reading - I'm loving it so far! And Everett is so adorable, especially with his new haircut! It's sweet that your mom got you that D&B purse. I absolutely love it!

Thank you, I think he does look very handsome with his big boy haircut!
Thank you for reading along! I do love my purse very much, it is very special to me. Every time I take it out to use it I think back on what a special, magical day it was!

subbing - I love trip reports

Never had any of my boys do their first haircut on Main St, but what a great idea!!! I've taken the kids at all ages, and each trip is so special to see how they react to everything.

Really enjoying your report so far - thanks for taking the time to give me a Disney fix.

Thank you for reading along! It is so much fun to take Everett, each trip has had its challenges, but I wouldn't trade the memories for anything! I can't wait to watch him "grow up Disney"!

I'm glad that you finally found the perfect purse you were looking for. That was awesome of your mom to do that for you!

It was a dream come true!

Love the bag!!! And your Mom totally rocks!!!

Thank you! There are so many ways that my Mom is wonderful, it would be tough even to try and list them all!

Love your D&B! I like how Walt is right on front too! Your Mom just seems awesome, even before this purchase!

It's great that Everett is sleeping so well for your Mom! Maybe you should hide that plane ticket!

I really wished that my Mom could have stayed the whole time, but unfortunately she had to get back to work. Both her and my Dad were taking a week off at the end of May to attend the Preakness (their horse, King Congie was racing in it), so she had to cut Disney a little short.

Another great update. I love the purse! I was at the Taste of Reston on Saturday and thought of you.

Thank you! Taste of Reston must have been fun! There are so many festivals and fun things to do in the DC area, its tough to stay on top of everything! Glad to hear that you had a good time!

 

[wendy3]

Subbing Everett is soooo cute!! Loved your previous trip report where Everett is teething and no one got any sleep. This one is just as fun to read! Thanks

 

[CandleontheWater]

Episode 16: The update that is hummus flavored

When it comes to CS in the World Showcase, there is pretty much only one place for DH and I, the Tangerine Café in Morocco. We both LOVE middle eastern food, and the Tangerine Café isn’t too bad. The only problem with this plan was that I doubted that my Mom would find anything she liked, since she is not a very adventurous eater.

When we suggested Morocco, she said that was fine. She would take a look at the menu, and if there wasn’t anything that caught her fancy, she would just head over to America and get a salad. That seemed like a fine compromise and we headed off into the World Showcase.

At this point, I completely slacked on picture taking. I was hungry and wanted to get there, and DH really hates when I dawdle for pictures. In his own words “Why are you taking a picture of something we already have pictures of at home”. He just doesn’t get it! I figured I’d be able to sneak a few photos later on, when he had a full belly and was a little more amenable, but you’ll see what happened.

We walked by the new Cars topiaries, and even though we definitely DIDN’T already have pictures of those, I was good and didn’t stop. They were pretty cool, and I’m sure that you can find plenty of photos in other people’s trip reports or on the DIS, but I’m sorry to leave you hanging.

We made our way over to Morocco, just enjoying the ambiance of the World Showcase. I sometimes daydream about what I would do if I lived in Orlando, and one of the things I’ve thought about is coming to Epcot every morning, and walking around WS (before it opened) for exercise. I do enjoy my morning walks along the Potomac River and in scenic Old Town Alexandria, but I think the World Showcase would definitely take the cake.

Since it was still pretty early, WS wasn’t crowded and we made it over to Morocco in no time. We entered into the Tangerine Café, my mom took one look at the menu and walked right back outside. No hummus for her, thank you very much!

She told DH and I that she would stroll around with Everett, and we could eat, and then we’d walk over to America and switch off. Despite her dislike of Moroccan food, she has no dislike of Moroccan shopping, and we saw her headed into the Bazaar as we placed our order.

I always order the Sliders platter. It consists of a Lamb, chicken and Fafalel pita, served with lentils, hummus and tabbouleh. This is perfect because I can never decide between falafel and lamb, and then when I do decide, by the time my food comes I always end up wanting what I didn’t order. It is a lot of food, but I never seem to have any trouble packing it away!

Yummy!


DH ordered the Falafel wrap, which I thought was a little odd because he usually gets the lamb shwarma platter. When the food came I asked him why he didn’t get the lamb, and he looked down at his plate, confused and said “oh, that’s what I meant to order”. I said “How could you confuse lamb with falafel? Lamb says ‘baaa’ and chickpeas say…….. ummm, well never mind”

DH ate his falafel and said it was very good, but also said that I was in charge of ordering for him from now on, since I know what he wants to eat better than he does.

The food was all very good, but my only complaint was that the hummus tasted a little funny. DH said it was fine, but I have a very sensitive stomach so I took no chances and didn’t eat it. I certainly didn’t want a repeat of the great Fish and Chips debacle of ’06, where I got so sick I thought I was going to die. I was so sick that DH threatened to take me to the hospital. I wasn’t missing any precious Disney days (!) so I locked myself in the bathroom. Good times! As a side note I was fine the next morning, and back up to full commando speed by the next afternoon!

After we finished we met up with my Mom and headed over to America. On the way over Everett woke up, which was perfect timing for lunch. DH and I got Everett settled while my mom got her food and then I fed Everett while my Mom ate. Right around the time we were all finishing up I got a text from Amy letting me know that her and Bryan were done with lunch at the Biergarten and were ready to meet up. We let them know that we were in America, and they agreed to head right over.

As it turns out, Steve had joined them for lunch and he was also joining back up with the crew. The only person missing was Shane, who apparently was stuck outside of Epcot because all the card scanners went down and Disney wasn’t letting anyone in the parks. Apparently he waited outside for 45 mins, and then gave up and hopped the monorail back to the MK. I was very happy I was inside!

The first thing we decided to do was catch the Voices of Liberty, since their show was just starting. I noticed that there were some new members since our last visit and they were great! I must have seen the Voices of Liberty hundreds of times now, but each show is so incredible I keep going back. They do vary the songs, so there is variety, but even if they sang the same thing over and over I’d still go, they are that good. I love how they dedicate the last song of each set to the men and woman of the armed forces. As a Navy wife, its always good to hear the applause and appreciation, its very special.

After the show we headed on towards our main objective and a vacation tradition- Irish car bombs in the Rose and Crown. We always start our WS ramblings that way, its fun and silly.

We took a few stops before we got to England, the first in Morocco, so I could complete another vacation tradition, getting a henna tattoo. I do this every time we visit and I always get the same design (its called star, if anyone is interested). I am way to chicken to ever get a real tattoo, plus I don’t think I’d ever like anything permanent, but a two week henna tattoo is fun.

The woman who does them is very good, she does it all free-hand, and unlike if I were wielding the henna pen- she manages to get all the designs perfectly centered and straight. I’m sure she had done each of them thousands of times, but it is still art and I’m always impressed. She is really fast too, and I was done in under ten minutes and we were on our way.

We made one more stop on the way to England, to get the slushie drinks in France. I can never decide whether the Grey Goose Lemonade or the Lime/strawberry margarita is my favorite world showcase drink, and I usually manage to get at least one of both on every trip. Most of our party got a slushie, except Amy (who is pregnant) and Mark (who was waiting for a black and tan in England). I got the Grey Goose Lemonade along with Bryan, and Steve got the Orange Grand Marnier. Here is a tip is you are klutzy like me, I always ask that they put my drink in an ordinary cup instead of the fancy plastic martini glass they are usually served in. I always end up spilling some out of the martini glass because it is awkward to hold and walk at the same time, but the regular cup works much better.

We meandered over the bridge, and the next thing I know we were here- ready to get our vacation started!

 

[MeMom]

The first thing we decided to do was catch the Voices of Liberty, since their show was just starting. I noticed that there were some new members since our last visit and they were great! I must have seen the Voices of Liberty hundreds of times now, but each show is so incredible I keep going back. They do vary the songs, so there is variety, but even if they sang the same thing over and over I’d still go, they are that good. I love how they dedicate the last song of each set to the men and woman of the armed forces. As a Navy wife, its always good to hear the applause and appreciation, its very special.

I love to listen to them, too. They do a special show on the 4th of July with Disney characters dressed in red, white, and blue. It is very moving.

Count me in as one who can pass on the Moroccan food but is in for the Moroccan shopping.

 

[afwdwfan]

Walking around the World Showcase with a drink in your hand and friends by your side. Really, does it get any better than that?

 

[PirateKate]

Those sliders look really good. I love Mediterranean food, but also have a hard time deciding on what to get.

I agree, running around WS in the mornings before it opens would be awesome!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

I am with your Mom, Moroccan food is not my thing.

All the drinks you mentioned sound so yummy!

 

[EllaBean]

I love your trip report. My DH, DD (4) and I will be going on our very first Disney vacation in 9 days. We...I am soooooo excited.

I live on the DISboards...my husband thinks I am crazy...but I have learned so much that he'll thank me later.

How do you subscribe to a post...thread? I would love to read the rest of your teip report....I just figured it out