A No Snooze Bar Christmas, Harry & Mickey are Waiting..it is done

[momabaarjo]

I get those commercials too. Until I had a trip booked I felt out of sorts. Maybe you just need to have a trip booked.

Great updates! I am sorry that AB felt ill your last night before moving over to BWV.

Too cool that you got selected as the family of the day!!!

Love all the resort hopping. I really appreciated the ease of touring the deluxe resorts at Christmas. The mods were not so easy...

I love all the pictures... makes me want to be there now!

I know I wanna book a trip NOW! But you know my situation with Ab and Boo...and that trip down under. Just when I have Jeff agree to the whole cruise and WDW trip! I just have to get all of you to nail down a date so I can put a ticker on my signature!

I thought of you all they time we were at the WL. Thinking "Ann and Zoe were just here seeing all this!"

Thank goodness Ab felt better the next day...I think she was just tired. She is a lot like me and NEVER gets sick. Hmmmm...better never say never!

 

[annmarieda]

I know I wanna book a trip NOW! But you know my situation with Ab and Boo...and that trip down under. Just when I have Jeff agree to the whole cruise and WDW trip! I just have to get all of you to nail down a date so I can put a ticker on my signature!

I thought of you all they time we were at the WL. Thinking "Ann and Zoe were just here seeing all this!"

Thank goodness Ab felt better the next day...I think she was just tired. She is a lot like me and NEVER gets sick. Hmmmm...better never say never!

I think nailing down an exact date for a girls trip will be hard until this fall. I would suspect that we will be planning around the ToT run again (Ashley and I talked about it and the discount you get for tickets..etc) Sooooo, you should put in a ticker for the end of September 2013

 

[momabaarjo]

I think nailing down an exact date for a girls trip will be hard until this fall. I would suspect that we will be planning around the ToT run again (Ashley and I talked about it and the discount you get for tickets..etc) Sooooo, you should put in a ticker for the end of September 2013

I was hoping for that weekend...and thinking maybe I could start running. Ab's new school has cross country and they have already asked her to participate since they are taking her currents school #2 long distance runner, so that means she has to train! TOT sounds like so much fun...maybe just the 5K...not sure if this old lady could do the 10 mile.... to you!

That really would be the best weekend for me! I am not worried about nailing down a date yet and know that we are dealing with 8 different schedules, plus the fact it looks like AKL which we will not be able to narrow down until probably around Thanksgiving.

Last spring seemed to drag, but this spring has flown by. I can hardly believe that the kids only have 3 more weeks of school...sadly I have until July 1st on contract....but get this...I have 4 weeks in July this year for vacation...not holding my breath because I am sure that training will be coming up for July but as of now NOTHING from the time I land back home on July 1st from training in Nashville until July 30th. Now the kids in July is a whole different story!

 

[momabaarjo]

Mickey is Cooking Breakfast​

It does not take long for a boat to appear to take us back across the lagoon to the Contemporary Resort. As we are making our way across, Jeff spots something that I wish he hadn’t…

“Why didn't you tell me there was fishing here? I could be doing that!” Ugh, the dreaded bass boat and someone fishing. The reason I did not tell you was that I wanted 1 vacation that did not involve a fishing pole and you taking off by yourself and I tell him maybe next time we come he can arrange a fishing trip (notice how I have already started dropping “Next Time” hoping that this will not be the once in a lifetime trip). At the Cont we unload and walk up towards the resort, where we find the metal sculpture that I was wondering where it was located at

and stop to take some fun pictures before ushering everyone inside for our first ADR of the trip and a chance to meet up with the mouse himself. After checking in at Chef Mickey’s and getting the picture taken

the kids are relieved to have a few minutes of lying around to watch cartoons before being called to be seated.

Once seated, our server explains the lay out and of course the kids are starved by now and head off to the buffet. It does not take long before plates are filled and everyone is happily eating away. I had heard both the good, the bad, and the ugly about Chef Mickey’s so I was not sure what to expect, but I thought it would be a great place to see Mickey and start our trip at WDW. I was also worried, because my husband hates buffets. Thankfully, the selection was good, the amounts plentiful, and VERY TASTY. Ab was especially happy with all the fresh fruit and yogurt. The boys loved the Mickey Waffles and I found myself drawn to Pluto's cheese blintz.

Jeff loved it all, and it turned out to be one of his favorite meals of the trip. Throughout breakfast we had a lot of great character interaction, which is always fun.

I was again shocked how much Ab got into the character meetings…I figured it would be Goo but I think she liked the characters best of all! Even Jeff got into the characters; I think he has a secret thing for Minnie.

We even got into the napkin twirling.

Finally, a meal without any complaints. After breakfast the boys found the penny smashing machines while Ab and I checked out the Gingerbread display…

the gingerbread store was open, but I elected to wait…that will prove to be a mistake. Then it was off to the monorail

and to our first park…Epcot where my touring plan will go into thrust into overdrive, or will it?

 

[BrerMama]

Oh, your pictures make me a little sad. This is our 4th trip with all 3 kids and the first one where we're not going to Chef Mickey's. I'm going to miss it. Pretty sure no one else will miss it, but I will. It looks like you had a great time! Can't wait to hear about Epcot!

 

[sjs314]

I just came across your TR and read the last two pages. Loving all the pics. We are making our first visit during Christmas this year and I am in the process of trying to plan touring of the resorts. Staying at BWI.

 

[Lampoon2012]

Hi there,

I'm new here and joined after following your TR. I love how you did your surprise. I am currently planning a Christmas Surprise for my kids for this year. I could use all the tips you have to spare. You did such an amazing job. As a matter of fact, I plan on using your method of surprise!

The trip I am planning will include not only my family of 4 (Myself, DH, DS 9, and DD 7), but will also be my brother his wife and son (10), my sister and her son (6), and possibly our parents. We are all doing it as a gift to the Kids Christmas morning (flying out at 1030a). So I really loved the way of getting the kids ready while they were opening the gift!

I am so excited. Thanks for this awesome review. Can't wait to hear and learn more.

 

[MickeyLuvrLauren]

Hi!

Im really enjoying your TR so far! Im so happy you guys have finally arrived at WDW...you must have been so excited! Your Grand Floridian xmas pictures were gorgeous and it made me so jealous that I could have been there!

I can't wait to hear more about this 2nd part of your trip...

 

[kaileighbug]

Yummm Chef Mickey's for breakfast.....we did this on our last trip and really enjoyed it. We had dinner there on our first trip, but I don't know if it was any good. I was .

 

[momabaarjo]

First and foremost...thank you to all the new people that are joining on my commando Christmas trip...so glad you have joined and we are not even half way through the trip...you have not missed much because I am wordy and I like to take pictures...​

I just came across your TR and read the last two pages. Loving all the pics. We are making our first visit during Christmas this year and I am in the process of trying to plan touring of the resorts. Staying at BWI.

So excited for you taking your first Christmas trip...is it so beautiful that time of year...and jealous you are heading to the Boardwalk...

Hi there,

I'm new here and joined after following your TR. I love how you did your surprise. I am currently planning a Christmas Surprise for my kids for this year. I could use all the tips you have to spare. You did such an amazing job. As a matter of fact, I plan on using your method of surprise!

Steal away...I am sure I stole tons of ideas along the way, anything to make it magical.

The trip I am planning will include not only my family of 4 (Myself, DH, DS 9, and DD 7), but will also be my brother his wife and son (10), my sister and her son (6), and possibly our parents. We are all doing it as a gift to the Kids Christmas morning (flying out at 1030a). So I really loved the way of getting the kids ready while they were opening the gift!

It was a great way to get everything done that I needed done before heading out the door that morning without raising eye brows. I love surprises and the kids have already requested that if we ever go back, can it be a surprise again.

I am so excited. Thanks for this awesome review. Can't wait to hear and learn more.

Hi!

Im really enjoying your TR so far! Im so happy you guys have finally arrived at WDW...you must have been so excited! Your Grand Floridian xmas pictures were gorgeous and it made me so jealous that I could have been there!

I can't wait to hear more about this 2nd part of your trip...

Welcome...I love the GF...I have a secret desire to stay at the Coronodo in San Diego which it reminds me of so much! It is beautiful...

Yummm Chef Mickey's for breakfast.....we did this on our last trip and really enjoyed it. We had dinner there on our first trip, but I don't know if it was any good. I was .

Sorry you were sick...we loved Chef Mickey's and I would go back in a heart beat for breakfast...no such much dinner or lunch...too many other places in Disney for that!

 

[Lampoon2012]

First and foremost...thank you to all the new people that are joining on my commando Christmas trip...so glad you have joined and we are not even half way through the trip...you have not missed much because I am wordy and I like to take pictures...​

Thanks. We surprised our kiddos last year with a scavenger hunt that ended on a ship. Their very first "real vacation", a cruise. I really can't wait to surprise them again. Especially since they have been begging to go to Disney for a while now. This is their first trip. We are staying at POR in the newer rooms. If time would just ff a little

 

[annmarieda]

So glad to hear that your first ADR was a hit!!

I am so glad that you are on your WDW part of your TR. I have really enjoyed your US part...and another TR I am reading is about US too... and both have made me wonder if I might want to go there. However... quite honestly... my heart belongs to WDW.

 

[natebenma]

Mickey is Cooking Breakfast​

and stop to take some fun pictures before ushering everyone inside for our first ADR of the trip and a chance to meet up with the mouse himself. After checking in at Chef Mickey’s and getting the picture taken

What a fantastic picture of the kids in the sculpture!!!

So, based on where the kids are looking for the Chef Mickey photo, I am guessing this one is a "redneck"

All of the character interaction photos from the breakfast are great, too. I wish they had one Photopass photographer at this meal roaming the tables to at least get one shot of the whole family with a character.

We asked a family at another table to take our picture and we did the same for them.

 

[momabaarjo]

There's Lots of Christmas Stories Waiting in Epcot, Right?​

When planning our trip I wanted the kids not only to see Cinderella’s Castle first (even though MK was not the best park) but I wanted them to enter into Epcot via the main entrance with Space Ship Earth. So I arranged breakfast so that we would ride the monorail into Epcot.

There is something about seeing the castle and Space Ship Earth to know that you are really there. There reaction was priceless, and exactly what I hoped for when we pulled around Space Ship Earth. After departing the monorail it was quick through the entrance and then a couple of pictures in front of SSE and the Epcot Christmas tree

before kicking my touring plan into full drive. I had spent hours the last couple of weeks in planning how to get as many Christmas Story Tellers in before our dinner reservations and the CP later that evening (actually I had about 3 different plans in case my family decided to walk slow or our room at BWV would be ready at different times). On Christmas Eve I double checked the schedule with Steve Soars website just to make sure that the times for each story teller had not changed for the week of Christmas, so I thought I had all my bases covered. With plan in hand I race the family from the Epcot Tree to France. Yes, I know that is completely to the other side of World Showcase and we had 15 minutes to do it in and I pre-warned the family that today is going to involve A LOT of fast walking. With touring plan in hand and family in tow we set off for France. Jeff is not happy and by the time we make it to the bridge at the International Gateway entrance. He is complaining and of course for that he gets the dreaded teacher look from me. We are almost there I tell him, and then he can rest (for about 15 minutes before I race him to the next country). We get to France with about 5 minutes to spare and I look around for the story teller sign, which was not too hard to find but I notice that with 5 minutes to go there is no crowd yet gathered. Could I have gotten the time wrong? I look hastily at the schedule that I picked up along with the map, nope the time is correct. Where is everyone? We wait around for a few minutes, but it seems that no CM or Pierre Noel around. What is going on? So we head into Impressions of France, where I ask the CM if I have the right place for the Storyteller and in her very French Accent she points me back to where we were waiting. By this time my DH is not so darling anymore, and is getting quite annoyed at me and tells me to check the schedule one more time. It was then that I noticed the dates…through December 29th. We missed the storytellers by one day. What the heck? Why would today be the last CP, but the storytellers ended yesterday. I am heartbroken; I had been looking forward to the storytellers even since I learned about them. Of course I am getting the glares from Jeff. There goes my entire touring plan for the day? What are we going to do? I decide I need time to think and I head the family back into Impressions of France for the movie, giving me time to think of an alternative touring plan. We spend our wait time until the next show looking at the displays about the Cathedral of Notre Dame.

The time quickly passes and we make our way into the theater…which the family loves, because they can sit down and thinks it is cool that everyone working in a country is from that country. Before the movie starts, I tell them that there is a hidden Mickey in the movie and describe where to find it. With the theater darkened, the family sits back to enjoy the show while I get to work on a new touring plan. When the movie finishes, I am confident in my new plan and decide that while in France, tour France (even though I did not have that scheduled for a couple more days).

There is a long standing riff in our family about whether DH’s family is French or German. His surname comes from the region of France today known as Lorraine, which is long the border with Germany and depending on the time period it passes ownership back and for the between France and Germany. DH hates when people tell him that his family is French and prefers to be called German. IDK, it is just his thing and the kids and I like to tease him about being French. When we enter into the gift shop one of the flags flying is the Lorraine flag, which of course Ab has to point out to her dad and tell him…See we are from France.

To which he promptly goes and interrogates the poor French CM as to the history of Lorraine. While the poor guy is trying to remember all his French History, I get a text saying that our room is ready and I pull out a map of BWV…only to be disappointed in our location. Not where I was hoping to be, oh well it is just a room and with my touring plan we should not really need a view. After the poor quiz show with the French CM, Jeff finds a map of France in a window and gives us the lecture we have all heard hundreds of time before, but this time adding that the poor CM does not know his history…we all roll our eyes and walk away.

Sorry, if my TR is now offending all of France. It is a touchy subject with Jeff and the kids and I love to dig at him. I do have plans later today to pay homage to his German heritage…I decide that since our room is ready, it would be a good idea to go and get settled since I really have no touring plan and pressing things for us to do. As we depart through International Gateway, the Friendship Launch has just pulled up and I decide that this would be a great way for the kids to be introduced to the Boardwalk and to our resort.

Will they be as impressed as they were at the GF and Wilderness Lodge?

 

[momabaarjo]

So glad to hear that your first ADR was a hit!!

I am so glad that you are on your WDW part of your TR. I have really enjoyed your US part...and another TR I am reading is about US too... and both have made me wonder if I might want to go there. However... quite honestly... my heart belongs to WDW.

My heart belongs to WDW too...but USO is fun, too! For different reasons...mainly just for Harry though (okay really Ron...but it is called Wizarding World of Harry Potter, not WWof Ron Weasley!

First and foremost...thank you to all the new people that are joining on my commando Christmas trip...so glad you have joined and we are not even half way through the trip...you have not missed much because I am wordy and I like to take pictures...​

Thanks. We surprised our kiddos last year with a scavenger hunt that ended on a ship. Their very first "real vacation", a cruise. I really can't wait to surprise them again. Especially since they have been begging to go to Disney for a while now. This is their first trip. We are staying at POR in the newer rooms. If time would just ff a little

A cruise too, now I am offically really jealous...I had hopes for a cruise in 2013...but that has been dashed by Ab and Boo looking at a trip DOWN UNDER!

What a fantastic picture of the kids in the sculpture!!!

So, based on where the kids are looking for the Chef Mickey photo, I am guessing this one is a "redneck"

Oh yes...thank goodess I took on because the one at the start they took was awful.

All of the character interaction photos from the breakfast are great, too. I wish they had one Photopass photographer at this meal roaming the tables to at least get one shot of the whole family with a character.

That would be a nice touch. I would have liked a family picture with a real Mickey!

We asked a family at another table to take our picture and we did the same for them.

 

[BrerMama]

So sorry you missed the storytellers. I so now the pain of having a touring plan and having it crushed.

Very excited for checking out your room! Hope it's amazing!

 

[FosterA]

waaaaah. Heartbreaking about the storytellers. How in the world did the date slip by you since you were SOOO organized?
anyway....knowing you, you will work up a spectacular Plan B. I can't wait to hear what ya'll end up doing all day. Maybe a big huge rest/pool day?

 

[natebenma]

I can't believe you missed the storytellers! Yikes! At least you have CP to look forward too. And you are close to your resort, so that is good.

Great photos of your "French" family in France.

 

[Lampoon2012]

A cruise too, now I am offically really jealous...I had hopes for a cruise in 2013...but that has been dashed by Ab and Boo looking at a trip DOWN UNDER!

Australia?? I have always wanted to go there! How exciting. My kids love cruising, they just finished their second cruise last month. They have been known to say that they would prefer cruises to Disney. But, lately they really want Disney. And after the last cruise, we would all like a little change. We hope Disney will be great. I haven't been in 10 years.

 

[Valgoof]

I have been lurking and reading along, loving your TR. I had to comment on this one!! I had tears in my eyes when you realized your plan for the day was ruined. I know what it is like to have your plans changed at the last second. All that time you spend planning and then you have to come up with Plan B on the fly. Ug!!! Hope you still enjoyed this day and that the rest of your plans work out!