A Mother-Daughter Trip! Now with BONUS BIRTHDAY Trip! (Final Thoughts Coming Soon!)

[amandaw]

What a fun meet & greet with Ariel! Seems like Willow really got to spend a lot of time with her!

I do like the idea that Space Mtn. has side by side seats there.

I can't wait to see & hear all about y'all meeting Mary Poppins!

 

[katt789]

Ah!! Oh my goodness that was a great surprise video!! Eeek! She’s so adorable! I love that she turns to Bolt too!! That really sucks about your flights being not so great! I’ve always been so worried about that happening flying out and into Canada in the winter, but it seems to always work out!

Those birthday surprises are fantastic! Such great stuff Disney can do for you! Wow that dress is amazing! Absolutely incredible! I wish that I could make stuff like that for me size!

I’m interested to see how the characters work at DLR, as I’ve heard a lot about most of them kinda just wandering, and not with handlers, especially that I’m taking a solo trip down in the next couple of weeks, and it might be kinda tough to get pics? How cute that the cm at the carousel made sure DD got to ride on Mary’s horse, that’s awesome!!

Eeek! As if you got that much awesome time with Ariel! So jealous!! That’s definitely some Disney magic!! I’m excited to read more & enjoy your DLR trip!!

 

[pas130]

I can't wait to check out Mary and Willow together

How lovely that she got so much time to really hang out with Ariel

I agree about SM, but since the refurb it didn't seem as jerky last summer, before that I actually had a headache after the ride. I SO want to check out DL now

 

[katefl]

I won't be making a DLR trip until either Christmas time of this year or march of 2013, as I'm finishing up school and what not. I'm a huge planner and last time I only had 1 day at DLR and did both parks but skipped out on stuff we have at WDW, thinking I wasn't missing anything. BOY WAS I WRONG!

I love her with Ariel but I have to ask something. Is it just me or do most of the Ariel's look like they should be Cinderella's step sisters? The one you just posted is the most normal looking (and friendly, from what I hear) Ariel I have ever seen!! Can't wait to see her meeting Mary!

 

[RGirl]

What a fantastic interaction with Ariel! I love the picture of Willow running toward her. I can't believe that no one else stopped!

You girls got sooo much done in that first hour. That's amazing. I feel like that would be a full day for us at MK

Yay for Willow riding SM!!! Maddie is still annoyed that she's not tall enough

I can't wait to see the pics of Willow, Mary, and Bert!

We definitely had such a nice time with Ariel - it was so special to find her all alone like that. And I could not believe it when I was writing this and realized how much we did in less than an hour! Wow - it was really NOT busy!

I have to jump in now and say that I have finished the first tr that's in here & I fully enjoyed it. You guys looked like you had so much fun! Your DD is adorable, I'm excited to read the next part of the TR.

Hello! Thanks for reading along! We did have a great WDW trip.

What a fun meet & greet with Ariel! Seems like Willow really got to spend a lot of time with her!

I do like the idea that Space Mtn. has side by side seats there.

I can't wait to see & hear all about y'all meeting Mary Poppins!

Yeah, Ariel and Willow were just hanging out forever - I started getting a little bored.

The side-by-side SM cars were awesome - I don't think I would have done it if they were like the ones at WDW.

I can't wait to share our Mary meet!

Ah!! Oh my goodness that was a great surprise video!! Eeek! She’s so adorable! I love that she turns to Bolt too!! That really sucks about your flights being not so great! I’ve always been so worried about that happening flying out and into Canada in the winter, but it seems to always work out!

Those birthday surprises are fantastic! Such great stuff Disney can do for you! Wow that dress is amazing! Absolutely incredible! I wish that I could make stuff like that for me size!

I’m interested to see how the characters work at DLR, as I’ve heard a lot about most of them kinda just wandering, and not with handlers, especially that I’m taking a solo trip down in the next couple of weeks, and it might be kinda tough to get pics? How cute that the cm at the carousel made sure DD got to ride on Mary’s horse, that’s awesome!!

Eeek! As if you got that much awesome time with Ariel! So jealous!! That’s definitely some Disney magic!! I’m excited to read more & enjoy your DLR trip!!

Thanks for continuing on with the DLR TR! It was so fun to surprise DD with the trip and then the presents at the hotel. And, of course, the dress!

You know, I was a little freaked out by the lack of scheduled meets and handlers at first, but then it just became super-fun! We met so many characters completely by surprise instead of having it all worked out in advance. BTW, however, you can go ask at city hall (or whatever it is called ) about meeting a specific character, and there are CMs around from time to time with pins on that state they know where characters are, so you can ask them too.

I can't wait to check out Mary and Willow together

How lovely that she got so much time to really hang out with Ariel

I agree about SM, but since the refurb it didn't seem as jerky last summer, before that I actually had a headache after the ride. I SO want to check out DL now

You know, I rode it after the refurb and still found it to be crazy-jerky. But I hadn't ridden it before, so I don't know what it was like then!

Can't wait to tell you about Mary!!!

I won't be making a DLR trip until either Christmas time of this year or march of 2013, as I'm finishing up school and what not. I'm a huge planner and last time I only had 1 day at DLR and did both parks but skipped out on stuff we have at WDW, thinking I wasn't missing anything. BOY WAS I WRONG!

I love her with Ariel but I have to ask something. Is it just me or do most of the Ariel's look like they should be Cinderella's step sisters? The one you just posted is the most normal looking (and friendly, from what I hear) Ariel I have ever seen!! Can't wait to see her meeting Mary!

Planning is half the fun! You will have a great trip!!!! Definitely don't skip the stuff that is the "same" as at WDW - I think the only attraction that was 100% the same was Star Tours. I was really surprised.

about Ariel. We have definitely had some not-so-friendly Ariels on past trips, but we had amazing experiences with her on this one.

 

[RGirl]

9. Mary and Bert and Mary

When I left off, we had scrapped our plans to head over to CA and instead were making our way back to the Hub to wait for Mary and Bert! When we got to the Hub, a PP guy spotted us and immediately started going crazy about how we HAD to meet Mary, etc. I assured him that we were there for that very purpose. haha Nonetheless, he insisted that we go over to the little guest relations booth and just make certain of what time Mary would be there. He also pointed out the direction from which Mary and Bert would emerge. (BTW, did you know that PP does not appear with Mary because they are not allowed to take PP pics of her due to copyright??? I had no idea!)

We checked with guest relations and were assured that Mary and Bert would be strolling about the Hub at 11:0. We took a little break, and DD enjoyed a snack.

Soon, it was 11:00 and we started watching carefully for Mary. And soon we had the most magical Disney experience we have ever had! It makes me all teary to think about it now!

DD was standing up on a bench watching for Mary. Soon I spotted Mary and Bert - no handler or anything - coming around a corner. DD soon spotted them too and was waving. As they got closer, I could hear Bert asking Mary where they should sit today, etc. Then I saw Bert see DD. He nudged Mary, and she looked and then beckoned for DD to join them. Soon the three of them were parading through the Hub together, chatting away.

They talked about where to go and decided to cross a little bridge and find a spot to the side of the castle.

Once they found a spot to sit, they just sat and chatted and chatted with DD. They asked her what kinds of sweets she liked. They talked about how DD had the Mary Poppins movie. They talked about dancing. Mary even told DD that her friend Ariel had told her to look for DD!!!!!! Unbelievable!!!

Even when a line started forming, Bert and Mary showed no signs of ending their conversation with DD. Finally, they staged some photos - Mary even loaned DD her umbrella so that she could get her picture with Bert. As we were leaving, they asked DD to come back tomorrow because they would be doing a little show by the castle and wanted DD to dance with them.

Up Next: 10. Fun at CA and a Birthday Lunch
​

 

[mousetravel]

The birthday surprise video is soooooo cute!!!

LOVE the interactions with Ariel and Mary, that was just amazing!!!!

 

[shan23877]

How incredible! That interaction right there is what keeps all of us going back to Disney time and time again. I'll bet that Willow will not forget that meeting for a very, very long time-if ever! I love that Ariel had told them about Willow too! Amazing.

I so hope that Willow got to back the next day to dance

 

[partyof2]

I'm loving seeing Disneyland!

It seems much more laid back than WDW; I was genuinely surprised by the size of the castle, you can barely see it from the beginning of Main Street. Also it seems as though there was a lot more fun little kid stuff in Fantasyland, or maybe it just feels like that to me as I'm hearing about rides I've never seen before.

I'd much prefer two-person carts on Space Mountain, I feel really vulnerable in the carts at WDW, almost as though I'm lying down.

The character interactions have been fantastic, Willow looks so happy in the pictures, very special memories for her.

 

[pas130]

It seems like Willow, Mary, and Bert had a lovely time I thought the dress was amazing befoe, but next to Mary, the dess is even MORE amazing!

 

[amandaw]

Best. Character. Interaction. EVER!

How sweet that they just took Willow for a little walk. And then sat & chatted for so long. And I am loving the fact that Ariel told Mary to look for Willow. She is never going to forget her 5th birthday for sure!

 

[RGirl]

The birthday surprise video is soooooo cute!!!

LOVE the interactions with Ariel and Mary, that was just amazing!!!!

Hello! Thanks for checking in again. We really had some character magic! How was your trip???? I need to check out your report - Oops!!

How incredible! That interaction right there is what keeps all of us going back to Disney time and time again. I'll bet that Willow will not forget that meeting for a very, very long time-if ever! I love that Ariel had told them about Willow too! Amazing.

I so hope that Willow got to back the next day to dance

It truly was the most magical Disney experience we have ever had or ever could have hoped to have. The fact that Mary said that about Ariel telling her to look for Willow was, for some reason, just incredible to me. The whole experience made the trip for me - it didn't matter what happened after that!

I'm loving seeing Disneyland!

It seems much more laid back than WDW; I was genuinely surprised by the size of the castle, you can barely see it from the beginning of Main Street. Also it seems as though there was a lot more fun little kid stuff in Fantasyland, or maybe it just feels like that to me as I'm hearing about rides I've never seen before.

I'd much prefer two-person carts on Space Mountain, I feel really vulnerable in the carts at WDW, almost as though I'm lying down.

The character interactions have been fantastic, Willow looks so happy in the pictures, very special memories for her.

DLR is definitely more laid back, which was really nice for this trip after our bigger planned-to-the-hilt WDW trip in October. Fantasyland at DL is definitely awesome - it is amazing how many attractions are packed in there.

It seems like Willow, Mary, and Bert had a lovely time I thought the dress was amazing befoe, but next to Mary, the dess is even MORE amazing!

It really was just incredible!

Best. Character. Interaction. EVER!

How sweet that they just took Willow for a little walk. And then sat & chatted for so long. And I am loving the fact that Ariel told Mary to look for Willow. She is never going to forget her 5th birthday for sure!

It was just so special. I felt really blessed that we were given such a gift - Willow was on . The whole day was just fantastic, but the time with Mary and Bert - neither of us will ever forget it.

 

[mousetravel]

Hello! Thanks for checking in again. We really had some character magic! How was your trip???? I need to check out your report - Oops!!

We had a great trip! I'm almost finished with my TR. We're thinking about going back in June, but haven't made any definate plans yet.

 

[RGirl]

We had a great trip! I'm almost finished with my TR. We're thinking about going back in June, but haven't made any definate plans yet.

Oh, I am so glad you had a great trip!!! I am going to go check out your TR now.

And I am so jealous of a possible trip in June!

 

[RGirl]

10. Fun at CA and a Birthday Lunch (First Installment)

After DD’s amazing time with Mary and Bert, we were finally ready to head over to ToT so that DD could ride her favorite ride on her birthday. Oh, but wait! Who’s that over there? Is that Mickey? Well, obviously, DD had to stop so that she could thank him for the birthday presents in her room last night.

Finally, we headed over to CA. And discovered another notable difference between WDW and DLR. DLR does not have the little finger-scanning things when you enter the parks. So when you want to hop from one park to the other, you have to get your hand stamped. Well, we had no idea! And no one stamped our hands on our way out of DL. The CM at CA didn’t seem too sure what to do and just kind of chatted with us for a while. After a minute or two, I realized that she was trying to get enough information from DD to satisfy herself that we *should* have gotten our hands stamped at DL (i.e., that we had just been there and didn’t need to use another day of our tickets). So I pulled out my camera and showed her pictures of DD minutes ago with Mary. She let us in. So strange.

Once finally in the park, we headed for The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure. There was no line at all; we walked right through the queue and onto the ride (just like every other attraction that day). It was a fun ride! I noticed how much better the animatronics are, but by the end of the day, I had noticed that most of the animatronics at DL seem to be better - including in the attractions that appear at both parks. What is that all about? I still wonder if these things were all in my head. But why would I be imaging such things? It’s a mystery!

After visiting with Ariel under the sea, we marched on over to TSMM. Now this was REALLY different. TSMM at CA does not have the FP option. However, it was 11:30, and there was NO wait whatsoever. There was also no awesome queue, but I guess there would be no point with no wait, right? I’m sure there are waits sometimes, but we sure were lucky.

(Second Installment Coming Up Soon)​

 

[amandaw]

Cute pictures of Willow & Mickey!

That is so weird about the CM holding y'all there to pull info out of Willow! I cannot wait for the Little Mermaid ride to get to WDW! At first, when I booked our trip this year for the 2nd week of Dec, I was really confident that we'd get to see it. Now that we've moved to the 1st week of Oct, I'm not as confident.

We love TSM! I can't even imagine what it would be like to walk up to it at WDW & see no wait. Guess it would mean it was closed!

 

[RGirl]

Cute pictures of Willow & Mickey!

That is so weird about the CM holding y'all there to pull info out of Willow! I cannot wait for the Little Mermaid ride to get to WDW! At first, when I booked our trip this year for the 2nd week of Dec, I was really confident that we'd get to see it. Now that we've moved to the 1st week of Oct, I'm not as confident.

We love TSM! I can't even imagine what it would be like to walk up to it at WDW & see no wait. Guess it would mean it was closed!

The low-tech way of tracking park-hoppers was just plain hysterical!

We really enjoyed TLM attraction. I have an update coming later with TONS of non-flash pics from the ride, but there is fair warning if you want to skip over the pics in order to experience it for the first time when it comes to WDW. What is the latest on when the FL expansion will open????

You would have gone on TSMM over and over and over. It was crazy how different it was. DD loves the ride, but she never has an interest in doing it over and over (apparently she saves that for ToT, SM, and BTMRR in order to cause her mommy many headaches and whiplash symptoms????). I was kind of disappointed because I really would have liked to get a little practice on that game!

 

[RGirl]

11. Fun at CA and a Birthday Lunch (Second Installment)

After TSMM, DD was getting very grumpy. We had some whining and snottiness - mostly from DD. It was getting close to our lunch ADR, but there was some time to kill, so I agreed to go on the Silly Symphony Swings - I detest these kinds of rides because of my fear of heights, but I try very hard not to let my irrational fears stop us from doing things (I did draw the line at that horrible giant ferris wheel - I believe it’s called Mickey’s Wheel of Doom or something like that ).

DD is very eager to be able to do this little ride, however:

Unfortunately, we did eventually make our way to those horrible Swings.

After that horrific ride, we walked around to Ariel’s Grotto where we would be enjoying a special birthday lunch with princesses.

After check in, we spent some time window shopping while waiting to be let in.

​

(Third Installment Coming Up Soon!)

 

[amandaw]

The low-tech way of tracking park-hoppers was just plain hysterical!

Very low-tech!

We really enjoyed TLM attraction. I have an update coming later with TONS of non-flash pics from the ride, but there is fair warning if you want to skip over the pics in order to experience it for the first time when it comes to WDW. What is the latest on when the FL expansion will open????

I love spoilers...bring on the pictures! I am constantly looking at pictures of the construction going on in FLE. My DH says, "Don't you want it to be a surprise when you see it done in person?" I'm like, "It's ok, don't worry, I'll still be like a kid in a candy store!" According to the FLE thread on these boards, Storybook Circus will open mid to late March. But, it won't have the water play area open & only 1 Dumbo will be running. I don't know about that. I would think they'd have both Dumbos running. Snow White is now closing on May 31st so they can start turning that into the princess meet & greet place. Most people are thinking that'll open around the same time as most of the stuff in the main part of the FLE (Beauty & the Beast area, Little Mermaid). As far as an opening date for the main FLE area, I've heard everything from August to October to November or December. So, who really knows. With my luck, it'll all open the week after we're there. But, I'm hoping it's August so we can see it. The 7 Dwarves Mine Coaster will open in the beginning of 2014, I think.

You would have gone on TSMM over and over and over. It was crazy how different it was. DD loves the ride, but she never has an interest in doing it over and over (apparently she saves that for ToT, SM, and BTMRR in order to cause her mommy many headaches and whiplash symptoms????). I was kind of disappointed because I really would have liked to get a little practice on that game!

I sure would have! My whole family would've done that ride until it was time for lunch! Thanks to a lot of pixie dust by 2 different CM's, we were able to ride it 2x in a row on our last trip.

The whole reason why we've moved our trip for this year is so that Ed can run the 10 mile Tower of Terror race. Well, I'll be buying tickets for Reid & I to be in DHS for the race that night. They're having a Villains Bash party - lots of villains will be out for meet & greets and the major rides will all be open (ToT, RNRC, Star Tours, Muppets & TSM!!!!) Only thing is that the race is VERY late that night (starts at 10pm). I'm going to try to get Reid to nap a lot so that he can stay up later. But, I told Ed, if he's asleep when we get into DHS, I'm waking him up to ride TSM & then he can go back to sleep while I wait for you to cross the finish line! I'm such a good mom, right? Now, where's my "Mother of the Year Award"?

 

[shan23877]

Where are all of the people??? Are they all at WDW? No wait for TSMM--now that's amazing!

I can't wait for the Little Mermaid ride at WDW, so I'm excited to see your pics!