A Gem of a trip-quality, clarity, color and "Cut that out!" completed 8/4

[Diamondintheruff]

I've got the Disney planning bug. It has attached itself to a major organ (my heart) and I will be cursed with it for life. If this rings true with you and you love to read about other people's trips and more importantly getting a glimpse into the inner workings of other people's families than I invite you to read on.

I went to WDW many times as a child and a few times with DH as adults pre-children. My children are not the most outgoing sorts and we wisely waited until they were older to begin their initiation into WDW. Our first family trip was August 2007 and my parents joined us. Since my oldest will be ten this year. That is how I convinced my hubby to do Disney two years in a row. My problem now that this second trip is coming up soon I'm already panicking wondering how to work in the next trip. Any tips?

But back to this year's trip, There are 7 of us going. One too little to be a grand gathering but too many so that we have to have our gratuity factored in at 18% at restaurants even if the service doesn't warrant it.

There is me DW, a part-time teacher who can't even think about looking at the castle without getting a "teary eye". Diamonds are my birthstone and I used to be a guide leader for Sparks (girls aged 5-7) where they named me Diamond. Since then my kids have picked up on the concept and last trip during our first castle sighting my DD asked "If those were tears or diamonds in my eyes because my eyes were so sparkly".

My DH, who works for himself and truth be told whose idea of a perfect vacation includes a lot of lounging and napping at a beach somewhere. He often bucks when I try to enforce my touring plan but promises to follow it this year. I'm considering getting him to sign a contract to that effect.

My DS9 but will be turning 10 about two weeks after we get home. Yeah for me for not having to pay adult rates. He is my Eeyore. He has a hard time seeing the silver linings in life. Change doesn't come easy to him nor do crowds or flashing lights. With lots of prep he conquered his own anxiety (we call it his dragon) and he rode Splash Mountain last year. This year we are going to try Thunder Mountain. We'll see how it goes. He does love the shows and parades though. We're heading to LaNouba and I can't wait to watch him watch it. He dances competitively and loves to sing and act. Is it wrong to hope that he will dance in one of the shows at Disney when he grows up so I can feed my fetish of visiting more often?

My DD (7) whom I call my fashionista. I'm going to call her Cindy after Cinderella because she is the princess who knows how to design clothing. My daughter spends a lot of time drawing outfits and changing her own outfits. Makes for a lot of laundry for me though. She also has a stubborn streak in her but when she gets mad/angry she shuts down and won't put her feelings into words. Of course there won't be any breakdowns at the happiest place on earth so it won't be a problem. She is my child who "gets" my Disney obsession the most. She had a few "teary eye" moments of her own last trip. The first was on the magical express. "Mommy can you believe we are actually here?" she whispered in my ear as the bus drove off. She has a mothering quality to her. It seems that wherever we go younger children (usually girls) flock to her. She was often in the kiddie pool last trip with her latest admirer.

My DS (5) who will be having his 6th birthday during our trip. If you ask him, He thinks this is HIS trip. That could be because he is a third child and wants to make sure that we all remember HE is here. He is my Jedi Knight in training. He has his own anxiety dragons to slay. He is a rule abider and heaven help those that break with tradition. He is starting to read and now a whole new world of rules are opening up for him in signage to follow and enforce (insert musical interlude from Aladdin the song A Whole New World). The other day I parked under a no parking sign to run a letter out to a mailbox. I was parked there for less than 30 seconds. He was NOT pleased with me and kept looking out the back window for the inevitable police vehicle that must be on it's way. I suppose it is a good thing that he is a stickler for the rules because with his big blue eyes, curly mop of hair and the social awareness of a younger sibling all he has to do is tilt his head just so and grin and he could get away with just about anything. That is his own special brand of "The Force".

My Mom and the kid's Grandmother DGM. I don't think I should post her age. She recently retired from Air Canada and loves any excuse for getting on an airplane. Or even near one. It is a long-standing joke in our family that DGM would pick up strangers and offer them rides to and from the airport just to be close to the planes. She loves watching all the stage shows at WDW and the shopping so I am often reminding her to step lively and keep up. Perhaps I will make it a "rule" that we all must keep up and then the Jedi Knight would take over the responsibility of making sure the shopping didn't slow us down.

My Dad and the kid's Grandfather DGF. My children call him Poppa. He is a quiet presence in the family. He is happy to just be with us and follow along. He is the kind of grandfather that always has a surprise in his pocket for you. When the kids have sleepovers he camps out with them in the basement. Usually under blanket tents that they have designed together. He is not a shopper nor a thrill rider and will often fall asleep during any shows but still there is a magic about Disney that has touched him and he appreciates just watching the kids breathe it all in. At the airport last year on our way home from Disney, he put his hand on my shoulder and thanked me for planning the trip. He's the original "teary eye" in the family. Usually his eyes give away his emotion so much so that he doesn't need to say the words. Still, I'm glad he did that time and will treasure that moment.

We are all heading to POR from August 18th-27th.

Thanks for reading so far and I'd love to have you follow along for our trip.

Now I've got to figure out how to post some pictures....

August 13-21 2007 trip recap
August 12 http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=25930893&postcount=15

August 18-27 2008 trip recap starts here.
1)Sun Aug 17 We leave our house http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=27728796&postcount=202
2)Sun Aug 17 Hotel Check in http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=27789563&postcount=211
3)Mon Aug 18 Flight http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=27838146&postcount=219
4)Mon Aug 18 Check in at POR http://www.disboards.com/showpost.ph...&postcount=229
5)Mon Aug 18 Photopass pictures http://www.disboards.com/showpost.ph...&postcount=242
6)Mon Aug 18 DTD http://www.disboards.com/showpost.ph...&postcount=257
7)Tues Aug 19 Early morning http://www.disboards.com/showpost.ph...&postcount=275
8)Tues Aug 19 First Castle sighting http://www.disboards.com/showpost.ph...&postcount=285
9)Tues Aug 19 Family Magic Tour http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=28296625&postcount=292
10)Tues Aug 19 Lunch at Cosmic Rays http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=28381378&postcount=307
11)Tues Aug 19 Crystal Palace http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=28428558&postcount=319
12)Tues Aug 19 MK evening http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=28484767&postcount=332
13)Tues Aug 19 DTD evening http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=28585894&postcount=343
14)Tues Aug 19 photopass photos http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=28622411&postcount=351
15)Wed Aug 20 Birthday Breakfast http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=28709379&postcount=356
16)Wed Aug 20 Battle at MK http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=28710207&postcount=358
17)Wed Aug 20 Haunted Mansion & Dole Whips http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=28764337&postcount=369
18)Wed Aug 20 Forgotten MK afternoon http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=28911868&postcount=383
19)Wed Aug 20 Birthday Luau http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=28942944&postcount=395
20)Thurs Aug 21 Epcot Rope Drop http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=28987417&postcount=405
21)Thurs Aug 21 To soar or not to soar http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=29062386&postcount=422
22)Thurs Aug 21 The Sea, the Princesses and the Potato http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=29124607&postcount=430
23)Thurs Aug 21 Norway-The kids discover Kidcot http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=29200811&postcount=444
24)Thurs Aug 21 Mexico-How much can Nanny shop? http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=29253604&postcount=454
25)Thurs Aug 21 Tea in Wonderland http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=29297369&postcount=460
26)Thurs Aug 21 Post-Tea http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=29356386&postcount=471
27)Fri Aug 22 The Plan for DS http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=29496101&postcount=482
28)Fri Aug 22 The Plan according to Nanny http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=29558469&postcount=499
29)Fri Aug 22 The Family Plan http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=29620011&postcount=516
30)Fri Aug 22 The quest for Vader http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=29730858&postcount=527
31)Fri Aug 22 The Dark Side of the Force http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=29851453&postcount=533
32)Fri Aug 22 The afternoon at the studios http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=29893532&postcount=548
33)Fri Aug 22 Dinner at Wilderness Lodge http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=29932632&postcount=556
34)Sat Aug 23 Sleeping in! http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=30015969&postcount=569
35)Sat Aug 23 Mommy meltdown #1 http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=30024319&postcount=575
36)Sat Aug 23 Nanny's Last Supper and Cindy talks to a Turtle http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=30030126&postcount=578
37)Sun Aug 24 The Pirates cause a Mega Mommy Meltdown http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=30079066&postcount=587
38) Sun Aug 24 Afternoon at French Quarter's http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=30144853&postcount=599
39)Sun Aug 24 Dinner in a Canadian basement http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=30325798&postcount=613
40)Mon Aug 25 Snail's Trail to Sea World http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=30395340&postcount=618
41)Mon Aug 25 How not to touch a Penguin http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=30524118&postcount=635
42)Mon Aug 25 Lost at Sea World http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=30607393&postcount=642
43)Mon Aug 25 Finding Jedi http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=30663917&postcount=653
44)Mon Aug 25 Backstage at Believe http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=30727466&postcount=668
45)Mon Aug 25 The Believe (Shamu) Show http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=30766914&postcount=676
46)Tue Aug 26 Animal Kingdom morning http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=31005976&postcount=695
47)Tue Aug 26 Our last character interaction http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=31022144&postcount=698
48)Tue Aug 26 Riding the Rapids at AK http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=31077736&postcount=708
49)Tue Aug 26 The Lion Roars and Later Sleeps http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=31084790&postcount=712
50)Tue Aug 26 Cirque du Soleil http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=31149977&postcount=728
51)Wed Aug 27 Departure Day http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=31239285&postcount=746

 

[Wannabe Belle]

Hi Diamondintheruff,

You've already commented on mine so I thought I would come on over to yours!! I love your story already and I'm going to keep up with it all the way!

And to post pics just download pics onto photobucket.com then copy and paste the code that is at the bottom of each pic onto your post.

Can't wait to hear and see more.

 

[kadesha]

Can't wait to follow your report. Your DH sounds a lot like mine. He'd rather be in the mountains laying on a hammock or fishing! That's SO not happening! lol! Your kids are going to have a great time! Hope to see your pics soon!

 

[Diamondintheruff]

My first attempt at adding pictures. These are from a photo session we had done for my parents for Christmas.

Here is DS(9) Eeoyre or not....

Here is DD (7) Cindy

Here is DS (5) Jedi

And here is the five of us.

 

[kadesha]

My first attempt at adding pictures.

Here is DD(9) Eeoyre

<a href="http://s268.photobucket.com/albums/jj22/diamondintheruf/?action=view&current=Tar85J.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj22/diamondintheruf/Tar85J.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

you need to use the bottom code, the IMG code.

 

[Diamondintheruff]

You've already commented on mine so I thought I would come on over to yours!! I love your story already and I'm going to keep up with it all the way!

And to post pics just download pics onto photobucket.com then copy and paste the code that is at the bottom of each pic onto your post.

I'm tuned in to your trippie too! Thanks for the technical advice. Hubby is or rather was an IT guy so I usually defer to him. But he's not here night. He tries to stay over at his parents one night a week to help them out. His Dad is diagnosed with terminal cancer. It started in his prostrate and moved into his bones. We heard a few weeks ago that it has moved from his hips into his spine. He's in alot of pain and I feel bad for him. We're not as close to his parents and there is a fair bit of drama there but nontheless he is my DH father and the grandfather of my children. I wouldn't wish his fate on anyone. Boy I got a bit off track there. Sorry!

you need to use the bottom code, the IMG code.

By my fourth time I finally got it. Now I have to work on making my images a tad smaller. I always hate it when I have to scroll to the side to see the whole trip report because the images are so big. Do you know how to do that?

Welcome to my report kadesha and thanks for joining it. I'm on my way over to yours now. What's this about a lizard?

 

[Diamondintheruff]

Last year we stayed at the family suites at ASmu. We really enjoyed them. My parents got a regular room and although they were not connecting (none of the suites connect to any other room) they were side by side. My parents got a great deal with a room only public discount that came out but alas the discount did not apply to the family suites.

Here are some pictures from the suites

I had gambled and booked through a Travel Agent Specializing in Disney in hopes that we would get free dinning. Again, alas although I had booked dates that were included in free dinning in 2006 the dates pushed back for 2007 and I lost out on that too.

So this year in hopes of getting some discount I booked through CAA (which is the Canadian name for AAA). At least this way I would GET A DISCOUNT. I have a membership anyway. Although I will say that dealing with the Disney Specialist TA was way different than dealing with the CAA TA. I know some CAA/AAA TA's know what they doing around Disney but my local chapter has no frigging clue. They didn't know what an ADR was. I had to tell them they had special CAA/AAA character greeting times. It was very frustrating

I decided to try the POR because there aren't that many choices for families of five. It was either two rooms at a value or POR. The deluxes just aren't in my price range at this moment in time. I kept changing my mind every few days and would call up Disney and move my ressie from the family suite to POR. Can you imagine the kind of confusion this caused with my CAA TA. The poor girl was beside herself everytime I did it. Finally the suites were completly booked and I had to remain at POR.

 

[Diamondintheruff]

So no one feels sorry for my DH being dragged to WDW when he would rather be lounging around. Each March Break we head down to Myrtle Beach with a bunch of other families and do just that. Lounge around. I get bored. Day after day of nothingness.

I almost want to take up golf. At least then I would have something to do. Here is my DH lounging.

Every summer we head out to cottage country and spend some time at the beach. My parents just bought a cottage this summer so there will be lots of lounging around by the lake going on.

 

[Diamondintheruff]

Yesterday I hosted a Volunteer Tea for 80 people at my school. Today I'm hosting a bridal shower for my sister-in-law today. Just taking a few minutes break before I go into total bzerwk last minute clean up blitz. Wanted to get a quick Disney fix in. Would have loved to do the shower Disney themed. Saw some really great stuff on the "creative disigns" boards. She's not a big fan of the mouse so I refrained.

Of course, I love any reason to browse through the "creative Disigns". I haven't made them yet. Would you believe DH just bought a black and white only printer? What was he thinking? I've got at least a dozen shirts to do. I'm going to borrow my Mom's one day.

 

[stagemomx3]

I'm joining you for the ride. My dd is a fashionista as well.

 

[Diamondintheruff]

Two more days of school to go! One with the kids and one with the new principal. She's already sent us a detailed schedule of our day. I'm a bit a scared already. After that I can concentrate on the real important things.... like DISNEY!!!

 

[Diamondintheruff]

I'm joining you for the ride. My dd is a fashionista as well.

So glad you joined! My DD heard I was heading off to Target in two weeks and she has started a shopping list for me. I only get there a couple times a year (It's a three hour drive to Buffalo for me) and usually only with my girlfriends for a weekend away. But last year when we headed to disney my daughter experienced Target for herself the first time. I think it was the shoe section that really DID it for her. She was in love.

 

[Nemo32]

I am here for the adventure that will ensue! And stagemomx3 is here too!

It's like a reunion. I'm enjoying so far, your kids are adorable and I can't wait for more!

 

[Diamondintheruff]

your kids are adorable

Glad to see you again Nemo. Been going into a sort of withdrawl now that your trippie is completed.

My kids are not so adorable at the moment. Last day of school (again they are at the school where I teach) today and we had playday all morning and class parties this afternoon. An end of school pool party at a friends house and DS9 had a piano recital complete with more sugar and goodies at the end of it. The three of them are spun so high I had to take a time out.

 

[Diamondintheruff]

Since I had promised to post my pictures of me at the BBB I thought I might as well attempt to recap our entire trip last year. It could be a trial run of sorts for me. So here goes.

We left for Buffalo on Sunday August 12th to stay over at the Best Western. I was nervous crossing the border because I have been questioned by the border guards a few times. Sounds a lot more exciting than it actually is. I went to Teacher's college in Buffalo in 2004 and I never handed back in my student paperwork when I was finished. I thought once it expired I was to just shred it. However, I was wrong and have spent a few hours being detained and questioned at the border wishing I had thought to ask more questions about that paperwork. I went ahead and registered with Homeland Security so it should be smooth sailing from now on.

So all six of us were in the family van crossing our fingers that I would be pass through security. I had all the paperwork I could get my hands on. Letters from my college saying I was finished and didn't owe them any money, letters from my employers saying I was gainfully employed and Police checks from both the provincial and municipal levels. We crossed the border around 7 pm and all was well. They never asked me for anything. Three months later when I crossed again with three girlfriends on black Friday they detained and questioned me again so I am nervous passing through for this year. So far this is not very brief so I will try to get back on track again.

The six of us in the van were my DH my three kids my father and myself. My Mother worked for Air Canada and had plans to retire the next month. She wasn't sure how much of the trip she could make it for so my Dad traveled with us and she joined us later. Plus since she works for Air Canada she refuses to fly out of Buffalo. "How would that look to my colleges?" she asked me. I thought it would look fiscally responsible. It was going to cost us $600 each to fly Air Canada when I could sent us through Buffalo for $140 each? So my Dad traveled with us and my Mom meet us there.

Here's a picture of my Dad from Father's day in 2007 with his five grandchildren. Only three of them are mine.

We checked into the Best Western. My DS8 stayed with my Dad in his room. Finding Nemo was on TV. Nemo was my DS4 favorite Disney character until he discovered Stitch this trip. I prefer Nemo. I had popped out to pick up some colored goldfish (we don't have these in Canada) so we all got our jammies on, ate some goldfish and watched Nemo. A perfect pre-Disney departure night.

The next morning http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=25931144&postcount=16

 

[Diamondintheruff]

The Best Western had a complimentary breakfast including make your own waffles! My DH was pretty pumped about that. He was up early and made many trips to the breakfast room. He is also known as the enforcer. He is adamant that the kids get their required fruits and veggies every day. He will debate for hours over two peas. Needless to say, most meal times are NOT fun and I had hoped that the enforcer would let down his guard a bit on vacation but alas it was not to be so.

It was also the first that my kid's anxieties made their appearance. They've been on planes before (thanks to my Mom and her Air Canada employee status) but we've never done such a big family vacation together. The three of them seemed to be doing just fine and we all got dressed and prepared to join DH on his second trip down to breakfast. For some reason the moment all three of them entered the breakfast room they just shut down. I think it was the big bowl of fruit in the entrance of the room. The enforcer started out with "pick a piece of fruit and eat it first".

Breakfast took way longer than it should have. I was eager to pop out to Target. I still needed to pick up travel size toothpaste or at least that is what I told DH. He came up with a plan to slow me down though. He pulled the "Why don't you take one of the kids with you?" card. I took DD6 my fashionista. We managed to pick up some toothpaste along with a few other necessities like new shirts and new shoes and made it back to the Hotel for our 10:45 am shuttle.

Here we are ready to load the shuttle. Notice a frown on my DD6's face. She was either way up or way down today.

Close up of the boys. DD6 wouldn't pose for a picture.

We ate at Burger King in the airport for lunch. DS4 managed to spill his drink on his carry on and his Winnie the Pooh stuffy. Pooh is up there in his favorites too. There was no one at the check-in line at southwest but a busload must have arrived by the time we crossed security. I had to take out my M&M container filled with pennies and quarters for the penny press. The coins spilt out and all that time I had taken to pack them two quarters to one penny was lost as the guards just shoved them back at me and I jammed the coins into my purse.

I really dislike southwest boarding policies. Luckily DS4 allowed us to be one of the first families in. We placed an empty seat between DS8 and DD6 so that my Dad who was the last one on the plane could sit with us. My Dad kept the older two occupied and DS4 slept so it was quite a nice flight.

Due to all my standing by status on flights using airline employee benefits I am very aware how easy it is for your luggage to go missing. My DH wanted to give magic express a fighting chance. I gave in. However, we all had our PJ's, our bathing suit and at least one chance of clothes in our carryons. I also took pictures of us all standing beside our luggage just in case we needed to describe it later. Turns out I needed those pictures.

On to happier times, we grabbed our small children by the hand and made the trek to the red carpet. On our way there we ran into another family from the next town over. We chatted as we made our way to the big waving Mickey Hand.

I think DS4 thought Mickey was actually going to be there. He kept trying to pull us to the windows and look for characters. I kind of wish we had seen one because his excitement was coming out as courage as opposed to the next day when he hid from them. He seemed to be satisfied with the Mickey on the side of the bus as we loaded up (with one backward glance at where I thought my luggage would be) and prepared to be immersed in the magic of the Disney marketing starting with their advertisements for Disney Adventures. I'm sounding a bit cynical about it but truly in the moment I was brimming with tears. For my DD6 turned to me and whispered "Are we really here Mommy?" and squeezed my hand tightly. That is one of my most favorite moments of the whole trip and we weren't even there yet.

We checked in uneventfully. We all feel in love with ASMU. We loved the family suite and the kids were bouncing around the furniture pointing things out to each other. Of course we turned on the TV and were mesmerized watching the top seven countdown. We went for a quick dip in the pool and than headed out for the Hoop-de-doo Revue.

We had our first castle sighting. The kids kept asking me why I was crying. I told them they were happy tears. My DD6 said "they must be Disney tears then, the kind that give your heart a hug right Mommy?" I gave her a big hug and we stood in silence for a just a moment. Then the heat overcame us and we had to move on.

We took the boat over to Fort Wilderness. It was really neat for my Dad as we had stayed here numerous times growing up. We went to the petting zoo and browsed through the shops. When I was around 9 and my brother was 7 he hounded my parents for one of the old fashioned shot guns at the trading post store. When my DS4 picked up the very same gun and pleaded with me all those memories came shooting back. I have a rule about no toy guns at home but somehow I forgot all about it and let my DS4 buy that gun with the money his other grandparents had given him. My Dad laughed out loud when he saw me and DS4 walking back to them with that gun.

The playground at fort wilderness where we melted as we waited.

We really enjoyed the Hoop. I had been with my parents before but it is different to watch it through adult eyes. My DS8 started to go a bit red during the show. I thought maybe it was the heat and he told me to stop fussing. Upon closer reflection of him, my DH and I noticed that he was getting some of the more adult jokes. He would do a stifled sort of giggle a few seconds after the crowd, as his cheeks would go beat red. My DH and I enjoyed watching his reactions more than the actual show.

Out table at the Hoop. We were in the corner on the balcony.

Here's DS8 playing the washboard.

Here's DD4 looking pretty brave right here but he actually spent most of the night curled up in someone's lap.

Later that night I reflected on how quickly DS8 is changing into a tween before my very eyes and I felt compelled to sneak a peak at him while he was sleeping. I am not a great sleeper myself, so each night I would consult my unofficial guide or TGM stuff about the next day's activities.

It's a good thing I was awake that night because our grocery order arrived late. I had ordered some stuff-including beer and coconut flavored rum for me from a grocery delivery site. Because I ordered alcohol they couldn't leave it at the desk, they had to see ID from me. Then our luggage arrived around 11pm. All except for my Dad's and mine. I was up late unpacking everything and describing my missing luggage to the front desk and finally received it after midnight.

The first full day at Disney- Which park did we do? http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=25958799&postcount=20

 

[Nemo32]

Your son likes the Nemo movie! Kudos to him!

I love the excitement your DD had...gave me goosebumps to read it. That's how I feel every time I go...am I really here?

The balcony is the best spot for HDDR review, IMO...sounds like a good day...minus the missing luggage.

 

[Diamondintheruff]

I realized that since my Mom was leaving early that we would have three adult table meals left over.

I had heard good things about Boatwright's breakfasts and since we are a breakfast loving family I went ahead and made an ADR on our only rest morning. The ADR is for 10am and since we are staying at POR we can still sleep in. So really it's still a "rest" morning right? It means we will have to pay OPPs for the three kids at one of the meals and I'll have to remember to have two adult meals come off my Dad's room at other meals.

Anyone else have trouble leaving "rest" time in their schedules?

 

[Nemo32]

No time for rest at Disney, lol. Afternoon breaks work wonders and sleeping in on WP days.

 

[Diamondintheruff]

Tuesday August 14, 2007

Today was an Epcot day. The park opened at 9am so we grabbed the 8:20 bus. It was a few minutes after 9 by the time we got through the bag search and rented a double stroller. One of the biggest mistakes I made this whole trip was NOT setting rules for the double stroller. I got it for DD6 and DS4. I should have established who had each side and installed an imaginary wall between the two seats. The kind of wall where no body part should cross and only nice words can be heard. I was too busy showing the Men the Map so they could take the kids to Akersaus for our 9:30 breakfast and I could run off to soaring to grab fastpasses.

I got the fastpasses for all of us and was looking forward to a cool drink at breakfast. When I arrived at Norway the kids were in fine form. DS8 was in a corner by himself with his arms crossed, muttering something. DD6 was in the stroller with a frown and DS4 was wrapped around his daddy as tightly as he possibly could. What would have made my 3 kids this freaked out in such a small time you might ask. None other than their first character sighting. A Miss Mary Poppins was outside the restaurant. There was no one else in sight so Miss Poppins attempted to converse with my kids. It took about 10 minutes but the kids agreed to come close enough to have their picture taken with her. About now I was thinking this whole character princess breakfast was going to be a bumpy ride.

When we got called into the restaurant they suggested we take a family picture with Belle. We took a quick attempt at a family shot and headed straight to our table. The Breakfast itself was good, the adults really enjoyed the Potato casserole and the kids were thrilled with the refillable bacon plate. The Enforcer barely reared his ugly head as the kids consumed enough fresh fruit to keep him at bay.

DS4 detached himself from his Daddy to make his way unto my lap. The princesses arrived at our table on schedule and DS8 once he got some bacon and OJ into his system was pumped to have his pictures taken with each of them. DD6 took a bit of coaxing to get into the pictures but by the end was a pro at it and DS4 wanted nothing to do with the princesses. Snow white called him bashful and Jasmine called him a little monkey. He was pleased with these observations and rewarded them with his famous tilted head smirk of a smile.

Here are our princess shots. I put them in the next post because they are still so big. DS4 is missing so we took some of him at the table.

Up next our Epcot meltdown http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=26043142&postcount=31