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

[momabaarjo]

Scrapbook Pages for TR Chapter:

Dervish & Banges and Diagon Alley Together?

 

[momabaarjo]

Scrapbook Pages for TR Chapter:
Decisions of a Teenage Tight Wad

 

[natebenma]

Great Safari! Nice picture of the hippo heads.

My boys are not big fans of It's Tough to Be A Bug. When we took them, I clued my DH about the stinging seats and scurrying roaches, but "forgot" to tell the boys. They refuse to go back.

As someone commented on my TR- Nate will ride RNR, Hulk, Manta, Dueling Dragon. But he won't go into ITTBAB!

 

[petals]

luvin the update and scrap book pages!

 

[NalaBelle]

I just read as much of your trip report and pre-trip report as I could, I'm sure I missed tons of details!! I love your ideas for your family. I have an Abby dealing with many of the same issues your Ab did. I'm using your family bonding night ideas and we are doing our first Dinner and a Movie tomorrow night. Your scrap book pages are amazing and I'm loving your trip report, I can't wait to hear more. We are hoping to plan a Universal trip next summer.

 

[FosterA]

First off....your scrapbook pages are amazing!!!

secondly....I LOVE LOVE Animal Kingdom so I'm so happy you are at that portion of your report. Safari is my fave! Can't wait to hear more!

 

[BrerMama]

I'm caught up and anxious to read what happens next!

 

[momabaarjo]

Great Safari! Nice picture of the hippo heads.

My mom laughed at the picture of the hippos...I have a huger fear/dislike of the creatures. When I was about 3 we were at a zoo in Colorado Springs and one of the big males decided to raise up out the of water with mouth wide open and snorting right in front of me...that was back in the day that there was not much between you and the animals...

My boys are not big fans of It's Tough to Be A Bug. When we took them, I clued my DH about the stinging seats and scurrying roaches, but "forgot" to tell the boys. They refuse to go back.

I purposely did not sit in one of those seats...but elected not to tell my family. The boys thought it was so cool...

As someone commented on my TR- Nate will ride RNR, Hulk, Manta, Dueling Dragon. But he won't go into ITTBAB!

luvin the update and scrap book pages!

I just read as much of your trip report and pre-trip report as I could, I'm sure I missed tons of details!! I love your ideas for your family. I have an Abby dealing with many of the same issues your Ab did. I'm using your family bonding night ideas and we are doing our first Dinner and a Movie tomorrow night. Your scrap book pages are amazing and I'm loving your trip report, I can't wait to hear more. We are hoping to plan a Universal trip next summer.

You humble me that you would even attempt to read 10 months of ramblings of my PTR! Love your dd name...mine is Abigail or Abb "ie". It has been a really rough 4 years and we finally gave up. She is transferring to another private school (where you knows most of the girls anyway) that should of been where we were at all along, but I had this stupid loyality issue going on with the Catholic Schools. It is sad that her former school did not care to want to do anything to retain their top student or live up to its Catholic/Christian Teachings. We are all looking forward to a new start. I hope things get better for your Abby...I know how stressful it is on the entire family!

First off....your scrapbook pages are amazing!!!

I take that as a big compliment, coming from you because I have seen your work! Everytime I post, I see little flaws that I had not seen before!


secondly....I LOVE LOVE Animal Kingdom so I'm so happy you are at that portion of your report. Safari is my fave! Can't wait to hear more!

I'm caught up and anxious to read what happens next!

You are so close to your trip....I am so jealous! I am ready to go back!!! Really I think I am just ready for all the excitement and fun planning and sharing with great people on the DIS.

 

[momabaarjo]

That was Freakin Awesome​

After leaving Africa, it was finally time to experience what the kids were most looking forward to during our day at Animal Kingdom…Expedition Everest.

Along the way we stopped to watch the monkeys, enjoy the theming and take a few photo pass pictures (with those darn sunglasses on, what a way to ruin the best family picture of the trip).

When we make our way to the ride entrance, I notice that the wait time is only 20 minutes so I make the call to go through the regular line to enjoy the theming that I have read about and use the Fast Passes after we get off for a 2nd ride.

The kids are really excited about EE ever since we watched a Disney Park Video about it and began telling Jeff about the things they had learned about the building of EE. As we make our way through the theming and into the area devoted to the Yeti, Goo starts to get really nervous about the things he is seeing and the ride.

Thankfully the line moves fast and before he can find the “too cool for the ride” exit (thanks Amy for this name) we are loaded onto our train for the ride and what a ride it was!

Boo came off saying “That Ride was Freaking Awesome” (have no idea where this came from),

Ab enjoyed it while Goo quite the opposite reaction, he hated the ride. Ab and Boo decide they want to ride again, Jeff and Goo decide once was enough and go to find a place to sit while we use the Fast Passes for a second ride (where when we met up with them found him visiting with some people who live in the same area we do...). After our second ride, Ab and Boo want to pick up more fast passes for EE later in the day (which we now can do, because the KS fast passes I picked up before we went on the safari show we are now in the time frame for more fast passes).

Looking at my touring plan, I find that we are still way ahead of our plan and Goo wants to know if we can go back to Dinoland. I notice that the first showing of Nemo is about to take place and we still have plenty of time before our lunch ADR that I decide to adjust the plan some and move Nemo up to now and then hit Dinoland on our way to lunch. Ab is really excited when she hears it is Nemo time, her FAVORITE Disney movie (and 1st on my list as most annoying). We make our way to the theater and again find that the crowds are not as heavy as expected.

We find a nice seat in the middle above the 1st section and watch the show. Of course my children can recite almost every line, but overall the show was enjoyable even if I wanted to slap Dory.

After the show we make our way into Dinoland where again there are few lines to contend with and Boo goes on Primeval Whirl while Goo, Ab and I ride Triceratops Spin.

After a couple of rides, our stomachs are telling us it is lunch time and so is the clock...so we depart Dinoland with rumbling tummies and the hope that the ADR I have made will be a winner...so far at Disney I am batting 1 Great and 1 Okay...

 

[BrerMama]

Someone else who finds Nemo annoying. I just can't stand that movie. We haven't seen the show for that reason, but it's sort of on my list for this trip. I just want to smack Marlin upside the head and tell him to quit being overprotective and see Nemo's strengths. It reminds me too much of sitting in meeting with parents.

Anxious about your ADR. AK is a tough park for eating. We're doing Tusker House one day, but I'm worried about the other...

 

[petals]

another great update date...oh adr next waits patiently

 

[momabaarjo]

Are you ready for another scrapbook page...?

TR Chapter: By Van, Bus & Boat

Mousescrappers.com has a weekly template challenge that I am using to learn to scrapbook this way. All I do is click in pictures and then click in my embellishments and paper...the layout work is done!

 

[natebenma]

Glad to hear your schedule at AK is working well! We all love EE. Except Ben.

My boys don't really dig the shows at Disney, so we have only seen Nemo once. Visually stunning. I can pass on the songs.

Thanks for sharing your scrapbook pages- very inspiring!

I'm headed off to Disney in the morning for a few days with my son for his class trip. Taking a quick DIS break before I get back to my mile-long To Do list- mostly prepping my DH who will be staying home with Ben this week.

Have a great week!

Dee

 

[Nalshersmom]

I am loving the updates! That really is a great family picture, and I think the sunglasses just show personality! I can't wait to hear about lunch.

 

[momabaarjo]

Dining with a Yak & Yeti

​

With tummies rumbling and ADR time approaching we make our way back past the Tree of Life and into Asia. I have selected lunch at Yak & Yeti and hoping that the food is a “HIT” today as it seems from the message boards I have been stalking that Y&Y is hit or miss on their food. We like Asian style food and I have ready poured over the menu and know exactly what I am having, I just hope that we are seated soon because I have now discovered where the crowd is at. We make our way inside for check in and are told that it will be a 10-15 minute wait, no problem because there are so many neat artifacts to look at in the waiting area.

Before long we are called for our table, which happens to be in the back of the restaurant right in the traffic flow of both the doors to the kitchen and the bathroom. Not a great place to sit, but at least we are sitting and about to eat, sometime soon. Tonya, our server arrives with her high pitched whiney baby voice (just about as annoying as Dory) and takes our drink order where I order…

I have been dreaming of this frozen concoction for months and now it is time. Jeff and the family pour over the menu as I explain to them the DP works at a non buffet meal, we each get an app, main course, and dessert on the main menu while the Goo will make his selections on the kids menu. Having done the dxDP before I know how much food this is, and suggest that Ab and I split a meal (even with leaving a few credits unused at the end of the trip we will still come out ahead on the $$$...trust me I have ran all the numbers). Tonya arrives back with our drinks, takes our order, and is gone. While waiting I take a sip of my Yak Attack, not what I was expecting...too sweet and too mango-y (I am not sure why I thought I would like this drink because I do not like Mango), Jeff takes a sip and decides he likes it and it is his! For app’s we decided on egg rolls (double order) and lettuce wraps

We loved both app’s. They were a great lighter start to the meal. Ab especially loves the lettuce wraps and thought they were better than the place we usually get them back home. No complaints. Then for our main course Jeff ordered the ribs, Ab & I ordered the honey chicken, and Boo ordered the tempura shrimp.

The ribs were fall off the bone, cooked to perfection and seasoned nicely, the slaw was out of this world yummy (I wish I had a whole plate of just it), the rice was yeh. Our chicken was standard Chinese restaurant style, nothing out of this world. Boo’s shrimp were good, but standard tempura and the grilled veggies really nice.

While waiting for dessert Boo starts in begging to go on Kali River Rapids, to which I reminded him about the park video we watched and how wet we got back at Bilge Rat Barges a few days ago. No way is this on my touring plan today, the weather is a nice (low 70s) but I am in no mood to walk around drenched. Well, Boo does not take no for answer and keeps bringing it up and I keep putting him off.

For dessert it was 2 orders of Fried Wantons (another thing I had been dreaming about) and 1 order of Mango Cheesecake. I have to say that the dessert was really the highlight of the meal. I think we tried to lick the plates clean!

We leave Yak & Yeti full and happy, well almost all of us are happy (giving is a great rating for the food/good service)…Boo still is begging about KRR, will we give into him?

 

[momabaarjo]

Someone else who finds Nemo annoying. I just can't stand that movie. We haven't seen the show for that reason, but it's sort of on my list for this trip. I just want to smack Marlin upside the head and tell him to quit being overprotective and see Nemo's strengths. It reminds me too much of sitting in meeting with parents.

Dory sounds like my teachers.... Thank goodness the school year is over for them...it has been a tough year! Me on the other had have another month of training teachers and then I am attending some intensive professional development in Nashville.

Anxious about your ADR. AK is a tough park for eating. We're doing Tusker House one day, but I'm worried about the other...

another great update date...oh adr next waits patiently

Posted!

Glad to hear your schedule at AK is working well! We all love EE. Except Ben.

My boys don't really dig the shows at Disney, so we have only seen Nemo once. Visually stunning. I can pass on the songs.

I like the songs probably the best...

Thanks for sharing your scrapbook pages- very inspiring!

I'm headed off to Disney in the morning for a few days with my son for his class trip. Taking a quick DIS break before I get back to my mile-long To Do list- mostly prepping my DH who will be staying home with Ben this week.

Sounds like a great week for you...even if it is with a bunch of teenagers! Hope you DH and Ben have a good week too! I cant wait to hear about your adventures~

Have a great week!

Dee

I am loving the updates! That really is a great family picture, and I think the sunglasses just show personality! I can't wait to hear about lunch.

Thanks! Goo is quite the personality man, but when mama wants a good family picture that should trump sunglasses. I had no idea he had them even on until we saw the photopass pictures.

 

[BrerMama]

I think the majority of our family would love Yak & Yeti, especially after seeing your photos. Unfortunately, Dan would hate it and he's the budget man so no way am I going to manage Y&Y. Looks like you had a great meal, though!

 

[momabaarjo]

We are still doing Dinner & a Movies Nights...although it has really been scaled back. The kids love to watch the movies and a little themed dinner along with it makes for some good family time. I have decided to go back to the "Classic" movies that Jeff and I grew up on.

Dinner & a Movie Night
April 7, 2012
The Apple Dumpling Gang

This week we watched the Apple Dumpling Gang, another movie I can remember watching about the same age as Goo was. My favorite line "Mister, I gotta go." I love Donn Knotts and Tim Conway together. We happened to be at the cabin this weeked so we took the 4-wheelers out and rode up to an old gold mine near our property...although you cannot go into it is still a fun ride and neat to look at. I wish I would have thought to do this movie during the summer, we could have gone panning for gold and visited a ghost town.

Menu: Prospectors Chili, Nugget Corn Bread, Rootbeer and of Course Apple Dumplings (Made by Ab)

​

 

[Disneychix]

I"m all caught up! Wow, your pics and easy touring (on a 9.8 day!) make me want to give AK another try. We haven't been to that park in 4 years. It's just not a favorite of ours.

I haven't thought about the Apple Dumplin gang in forever. I think they used to play that on THE Disney Channel back in the day-before it became Disney Channel!

And your food pics are making me hungry!

 

[momabaarjo]

I"m all caught up!


It amazes me that anyone would want to read my ramblings...thanks for coming along!

Wow, your pics and easy touring (on a 9.8 day!) make me want to give AK another try. We haven't been to that park in 4 years. It's just not a favorite of ours.

I really think the key of dealing with that level of crowd was the EMH that morning which started at 7 am. Not alot of people want to be out in the parks that time of day. It was also New Year's Eve and I am sure people were jockeying for spots at the other 3 in the afternoon...only 1 time did crowds become an issue for us on this day...which is up in a couple more chapters.

I haven't thought about the Apple Dumplin gang in forever. I think they used to play that on THE Disney Channel back in the day-before it became Disney Channel!

And your food pics are making me hungry!

I looked at those darn wontons this morning and now that is all I can think about!