A Winter Escape to the Enchanted Forest-Jan'13 TR:**5/21 Parting Thoughts/New PTR!

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Oh my gosh!!! your photos are AMAZING! Your Disneyland Trip link caught my eye and then I saw this and wow! Seeing the Discovery Space Shuttle - such a great piece of history - reminded me that we were on the beach in CA last September when the Endeavor flew over on its way to the LA Science museum. It was so thrilling.

My apologies for getting side-tracked...back to commenting on your actual TR... How adorable that DD asked if Disney World was the capital of Florida. I agree with your response. I have so much more to read but I am looking forward to it!!!

Welcome! And thank you!

When Discovery was brought over to DC last April, they also did fly-bys over DC skies. We were in Disney when this happened! Wish I could have seen it, but between that and our Disney vacation, there was no contest.

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Sunday, January 27th - 3:00pm

Around 3:00pm, while trying to console a still tearful DD, we walked over to the Seas Pavilion. The rest of the gang was standing in front of the Mine Mine Mine Seagulls while I parked the stroller.


IMG_6115 by DaveinFallsChurch, on Flickr

Then we all got in our seashells and rode into the pavilion.


IMG_6116 by DaveinFallsChurch, on Flickr


IMG_6120 by DaveinFallsChurch, on Flickr


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We were really going into the pavilion for one thing: To meet Crush. The past two times, DD really wanted to be picked to ask Crush a question and was disappointed when she wasn’t picked. So I wanted to be in front of the line so that she could place herself either along the aisle or in the front row where the CM could easily reach her with the microphone. She was very hesitant at first when I told her to grab a seat up front, but once she saw the other kids file in to the room she got more comfortable and placed herself in the second row right next to the center aisle. The show started and Crush went through his usual introductions of Turtle Talk which is always hilarious. When it came time to ask questions, DD was the first one to be picked!!


IMG_6145 by DaveinFallsChurch, on Flickr

Her question for Crush: “How many friends do you have?” Crush told her he had lots of friends and talked about Dori as an example. He then turned the question around and asked DD how many friends she had. I think this threw DD off a little in that she wasn’t expecting to have to answer a question. She thought about it for a couple of seconds and initially answered “Well I have two neighbors that are my friends.” Crush and the CM thought that was the answer and Crush started saying something when DD continued “One of them is in my class and the other one is younger than me and he came over to our house last week and we had a play date.” To which Crush replied without missing a beat “That was awesome. Thank you for the super-specific answer” and she got a cheer and a round of applause from the audience. Afterwards when the show was over, DD was so excited that she got to talk to Crush directly.

The rest of the show was pretty funny as well. One of the other kids asked him how many children he had. I can’t remember the exact number he quoted but it was a LOT. He then went on to explain “They are all boys. Do you know why? When the temperature of the sand where the eggs are laid is warm, then they are born all girls. But if the sand temperature is cold, then they are born all boys. That is why dudes are cool and chicks are hot.” I just love this attraction. There's always something different each time.

We didn’t have much more time to explore the Seas Pavilion since it was already 4:00pm and we had an ADR at Le Cellier at 4:25pm……for 9 people! So we started our stroll to Canada and at 4:15pm we checked in at the podium. Wouldn’t you know it? DS fell asleep in the stroller so we asked the hostess for a table where we could bring the stroller in. While we were waiting for our table to be ready, DD and DW’s aunt went over to the Kidcot station.

Some of the other adults waited by the entrance, chatting, and enjoying the scenery.


IMG_6146 by DaveinFallsChurch, on Flickr


IMG_6147 by DaveinFallsChurch, on Flickr


IMG_6150 by DaveinFallsChurch, on Flickr

DD and her great aunt worked on coloring Duffy on a Stick AND to my pleasant surprise, Agent P on a Stick! About 10 minutes later we were called in and seated at a single table that fit all 9 people including DS’ stroller at the end of the table. Well, actually I think they put two tables together but it still worked!


IMG_6161 by DaveinFallsChurch, on Flickr

DFIL opened his menu and out of the corner of my eye I noticed this white-bluish glow coming from the menu! I opened mine and it lit up. It was as if I was staring at a Kindle menu!

I ordered the Filet Mignon which was the first time I was trying it. When the server asked how I would like my meat cooked, I immediately said MEDIUM! I didn’t want to have a repeat episode of medium-rare-ititis again that night. Also had the lobster salad as the appetizer. Everything was great. A couple of folks at the table ordered short ribs which were also very well received. I initially had thoughts of ordering the poutine fries, but decided not to overdo it this time. The appetizers came out quickly, but that was followed by a long lull before our entrees came out. In fact it was at least 30 minutes between the appetizers and our entrée. DS woke up during that time so we ordered him a side of lobster mac and cheese which he didn’t end up liking all that much but DFIL had no problem polishing that bowl off clean. I think it was because we had such a larger order with different types of meat. We were all too stuffed to eat dessert.

When I was signing the check, I asked our server CM why Le Cellier decided to take the House Burger off the menu. He said it happened because they were combining the lunch and dinner menus into a single all day menu. I’m guessing that since they couldn’t possibly charge 30-40 dollars for a burger, they decided to get rid of it despite it being one of the more popular items. I’m just glad I had a chance to try it last year.

The whole dining experience took us about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Yes. That took a lot longer than I had anticipated. It was 6:15pm when we walked out and I no longer had the time take the group over to some of the countries in the World Showcase. Since we had about 30 minutes before our FP window for Soarin opened, I led the group to Figment’s attraction. We walked into a nearly deserted pavilion with no one else in line. It was eerie to walk into a Disney attraction that was that empty. It just feels like ghost town especially when you reach the post-ride area. There’s so much empty space with very little to do. I wonder how much longer before this pavilion finds a decent sponsor and gets a major overhaul. The kids enjoyed it a lot and Figment always provides good entertainment.


IMG_6175 by DaveinFallsChurch, on Flickr


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IMG_6182 by DaveinFallsChurch, on Flickr

Around 6:45pm we made our way over to the Land Pavilion. We got a Rider Swap pass for DS and split the groups into two with DD being able to go on the ride with both groups back to back. I was in the first group with DD, DW’s aunt and uncle who had never been on Soarin, while DW took DS and the others on the Living with the Land boat ride before it closed at 7pm. Always enjoy seeing Puddy give the safety instructions in the loading area. I still got the goosebumps when our seats were hoisted in the air. Between the last trip to WDW and my solo trip to Disneyland, this was the 4th time I’ve been on this ride and I have yet to have scored a top row seat. Something to shoot for. DW’s aunt and uncle really enjoyed it as well. Aunt said that it made her want to visit California again. DD was pretty cute before the ride giving helpful pointers for her great aunt and uncle.

We walked out and the rest of the group was waiting for us. I sent off the second group with DD and then took the rest of the gang with DS over to Mouse Gear. We browsed through the toy section and DS found a Zurg action figure. That was going to be his souvenir for the day. I don’t think I had mentioned yet what DD had been asking for alllllll day long. She wanted one of those disposable cameras. The ancient cameras that still run on Kodak film. Actually, don’t know what’s more obsolete these days. Camera films or Kodak. Couldn’t resist. DD had been wanting to take her own pictures and I had forgotten to pack my old point-and-shoot digital camera that she could have used. Anyway, I used this opportunity to buy her disposable camera set.
We waited for the second group to rejoin us in front of the Future World fountain.


IMG_6196 by DaveinFallsChurch, on Flickr


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Once we regrouped, it was time to say our goodbyes and head out the park. We walked past Spaceship Earth with it’s beautiful nighttime reflections and lightings.


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Said bye to DW’s relatives and headed back to our resort. I wished we could have stayed for Illuminations but we had a very long and big day planned for the following day in Magic Kingdom and I wanted the kids to get some rest. We walked into the room and found a new towel animal for the day.


IMG_6215 by DaveinFallsChurch, on Flickr

I just have to say that we had a wonderful Mousekeeper for this trip. Each day we came back from the parks, we would find at least one if not more towel animals which was such a welcome sight especially for the kids after a long day at the parks. The kids stuffed animals would be nicely placed on the bed, sometimes posing. Our toiletries would be neatly organized on the sink. And she would always leave a handwritten thank you note for the tip we leave in the morning. All three beds were once again neatly made. I made a point when we got back from our trip to highlight our Mousekeeper efforts to guest relations at Disney. Lights were out by 10pm and we all quickly fell asleep in anticipation for our visit to New Fantasyland.

Next Up: Eating Waffles with the Fab Five.

 

[emilyindisney]

School's been driving me up a wall but I finally have some time to catch up on everything I missed.

First off, your Festival of the Lion King pictures are brilliant! Such a colorful show and your shots really capture it. I didn't see that when I was last there but I sort of wish I did!

That was one of the problems we had with the big tours groups. They weren't rude/obnoxious but just excited groups who tended to stop and go right in the middle of the paths.

Your Nemo pics are also great. The music is really catchy- some of my favorites in the park!

I've never caught the AK parade but would really like to. As an adult, I think I always under rate the parades and forget how fun they are. The floats are always really great!

I thought the baby Simba's were adorable! I just wanted to hold one up and go 'Simbbaaa'

The ToT pictures look great in black and white! The attention to detail on that ride is just fantastic.

We tried the Piggy Bank game for the first time this trip and it was a lot of fun. We choose to save up for our dream vacation and made it!

Love the towel lobster! How cute!

Can't wait to hear what's coming up next!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

School's been driving me up a wall but I finally have some time to catch up on everything I missed.

First off, your Festival of the Lion King pictures are brilliant! Such a colorful show and your shots really capture it. I didn't see that when I was last there but I sort of wish I did!

That was one of the problems we had with the big tours groups. They weren't rude/obnoxious but just excited groups who tended to stop and go right in the middle of the paths.

Your Nemo pics are also great. The music is really catchy- some of my favorites in the park!

I've never caught the AK parade but would really like to. As an adult, I think I always under rate the parades and forget how fun they are. The floats are always really great!

I thought the baby Simba's were adorable! I just wanted to hold one up and go 'Simbbaaa'

The ToT pictures look great in black and white! The attention to detail on that ride is just fantastic.

We tried the Piggy Bank game for the first time this trip and it was a lot of fun. We choose to save up for our dream vacation and made it!

Love the towel lobster! How cute!

Can't wait to hear what's coming up next!

Hope you get a chance to take a breather from your school work. You should definitely check out FotLK next time around. I think it's the best live show in all of WDW!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

IMG_7501-2 by DaveinFallsChurch, on Flickr

DD rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad for the first time during this trip and instantly fell in love with it. As she and her grandfather went on this runaway train several times, I found myself staring at this view for quite a long time as I waited for them by the exits.

 

[emmysmommy]

Wow! Awesome photos! Better than the postcards that we purchased on our recent trip. The fountain photo is amazing! Oh, and my photos of the The Seas ride are all blurry horrible. I didn't stoop to the tactics a lady a few clamshells from us did and use my flash!

So cool that the Le Cellier menus are backlit. It is so dark in there that that is a great enhancement.

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Wow! Awesome photos! Better than the postcards that we purchased on our recent trip. The fountain photo is amazing! Oh, and my photos of the The Seas ride are all blurry horrible. I didn't stoop to the tactics a lady a few clamshells from us did and use my flash!

So cool that the Le Cellier menus are backlit. It is so dark in there that that is a great enhancement.

Thank you!

Yeaa for no flashes on the camera! Just like almost everyone else on DIS it's a pet peeve of mine on dark rides. Not only because it's inconsiderate to your fellow riders but also because the flash I think almost never helps. Sure you get to light up whatever it is you're trying to take a picture of but in the process you lose all of the gorgeous lighting, colors, and ambiance of the display by bathing your pictures in white light! I'm sure the camera pros have a way of using flashes to avoid that but I'm guessing they're considerate enough not to pop those flashes. And don't get me started on the ipad users for photos or videos on PotC!!

I hear ya on the menus at LC. I almost didn't want to give up the menus back to the servers after ordering!

Hope you have a fun trip in Vegas!!

 

[khertz]

Wow that photo of the Epcot fountain at night is stunning!!

Great updates. Glad everyone had a good time on Soarin'.

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Wow that photo of the Epcot fountain at night is stunning!!

Great updates. Glad everyone had a good time on Soarin'.

Thank you! Had to improvise a little with that fountain picture since I don't have a tripod by bracing the lens/camera on the railings. Gave me something to do while waiting.

DD has been telling DS how much he'll LOVE Soarin' when he gets to try it next year. He should be tall enough, I hope.

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Spring break is coming up next week for the kids. DW and I had planned ahead and set aside vacation time to coincide with the kids' week off. We were planning on visiting Columbus, Ohio where my in-laws are from Wednesday-Sunday. Nothing big planned. Just time with friends and family and maybe a trip to the zoo. I was looking forward to a more relaxed pace of vacationing.

Last Friday, I happened to be perusing through the coverage schedule for our division at the hospital and saw my name listed as the person working the Easter weekend! At first I thought this clearly had to be a mistake. But then it finally dawned on me. In order to free up the weekend back in January for our Disney trip, I made a swap with a colleague of mine. I had totally forgotten about it because I never updated my personal calendar AND the switch was arranged waaaaay back in October. So now I won't be traveling with my family to Ohio. DW and the kids will still drive out to Ohio from Wednesday through Sunday. I was pretty bummed.

After much sulking, I've decided to make the most of it. I'm still going to take those vacation days minus the weekend I have to work. I'm going to put together an itinerary geared towards food and photography as if I'm a tourist in DC.

There are soooo many restaurants I've been wanting to try which I'll line up over three days. I'm also going to visit a couple of museums that I haven't had a chance to see even after living in the area for 5 years. A couple of mornings I will head out early to catch the scenery at sunrise and in the morning hours. Cherry Blossoms should be nearly peaking so will probably head out to the Tidal Basin one morning. Another morning, thinking about strolling down the Potomac on the Virginia side to catch the sunrise. And I'll probably fit in a few more visits to the memorials during the day. Finally, I think I will visit Arlington Cemetery which I have yet to have done.

I'll be posting mini-TRs on here of my solo time in DC. With pictures of course!

 

[arbolita]

That's so exciting that your DD was finally able to talk to Crush! What a great memory for all of you to have =)

Woah, that towel animal is amazing!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Woah, that towel animal is amazing!

Isn't it? It pained me to even move it. I had no idea you could make so many different animals with towels!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Monday, January 28th - 7am

As you can tell from the title of my TR, this day was supposed to be the highlight of the trip. The day we visit Magic Kingdom is always special for the kids. But on top of that, we had New Fantasyland to look forward to! All of us were filled with anticipation. Before the day officially began, I talked it over with DW about our afternoon plans. DD and DS have been asking to spend some time at the pool for the past couple of days. I felt bad that we never had a chance to go back to the pool after leaving prematurely on our first day thanks to my forgetfulness of not bringing my swimsuit. This was our last full day at WDW so we decided to try to make time for an afternoon break at the pool for the kids. Mentally I scrapped a good chunk of what I had planned for the afternoon.

First on the agenda was breakfast at Chef Mickey’s! The Fab Five were part of a handful of characters that DS was not intimidated by during our last trip. And given the short duration of the trip, I thought it would be better if we did the character meal to save us time in meeting all of them. Our ADR was for 7:35am with hopes that we could make it to MK gates in time for the opening ceremony show.

Things were off to a rocky start. Although we tried to get everyone ready and leave by 7am, we really didn’t start driving out the resort until 7:10am. On top of that, I had miscalculated the time needed to get to Contemporary Resort when I didn’t build in enough time it would take for us to take the Resort Monorail from the TTC because I mistakenly thought that the Resort Monorail would go counterclock wise and we would be only one stop away from the TTC. In fact, it was the opposite. I’m ashamed that I didn’t think this through as someone on DIS. So, we got on the Resort Monorail at 7:25. It took us another 15 minutes for us to make stops at the Polynesian, Grand Floridian, and Magic Kingdom before we arrived at CR. It was pretty agonizing for me knowing that this was going to severely affect my touring plans in MK.

This view from the monorail eased my anxiety a bit.


IMG_6235 by DaveinFallsChurch, on Flickr

DW was keeping me calm though saying it will all work out. We checked in at 7:45am. And we were seated at 7:50am. The hostess led us to a completely empty section of the restaurant, so I figured we would be seated in a table where the characters would be the first to visit for this section. Instead, we were parked in a table that turned out to be one of the last tables to be visited in the rotation. Ok, enough of me telling you about my anxiety attacks.

The character meal itself was fun. The Fab Five came one by one. First it was Goofy. DD told him how the Barnstormer was her favorite ride. Goofy went on to demonstrate how he flies the Barnstormer. Next Minnie came over and gave kisses and hugs to both DD and DS. DS still talks to this day about how he got a kiss from Minnie. Whenever I ask him if he liked getting a kiss from her, his answer is always “No” with a mischievous smile. Mickey, Pluto, and finally Donald followed. Both kids had such a good time getting hugs and kisses from all of the Fab Five. Pluto did his ear flapping.


IMG_6286 by DaveinFallsChurch, on Flickr


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IMG_6306 by DaveinFallsChurch, on Flickr

And there was also the twirling of the napkins dance by all of the characters. I also spotted Donald patting and petting Pluto on his head when the two crossed paths.


IMG_6314 by DaveinFallsChurch, on Flickr

The food was decent although for me, Chef Mickey’s is not so much about the food but about seeing the Fab Five in one spot. In terms of the time the characters take with each table as well as the level of interactions, I think there are other character meals that are better. Ohana still remains my favorite in terms of character interaction. I think the differences are mostly due to the volume of guests they have to filter through. Ohana is nowhere as popular as Chef Mickey’s and Lilo/Stitch/Mickey/Pluto can go at a much more leisurely pace greeting each table. The sheer size of Chef Mickey’s in addition to how completely packed the place probably makes it difficult for the characters to spend any extended amount of time with the tables. When we finished our meal and met all of the characters, it was 8:45am. I knew there was no way we would be able to make the opening ceremony which was a bit disappointing.

We started our way down the path from CR to MK. Of course, halfway through, DD declares a restroom emergency and says she can’t walk much longer while crossing her legs. So I had to pick her up and carry her the rest of the way in a very brisk pace to get her to a restroom at the gates. I reeeealy got my cardio for the day with that walk. The time was 9:05am by the time we set foot on Main Street, and with all things considered, I thought that was a major success. I had initially planned on spending the morning in New Fantasyland starting with Enchanted Tales at rope drop. Obviously I had to throw that plan out the window as well as the rest of the sequence of rides I had planned. But it was okay. I started improvising a plan as we walked down Main Street and started rearranging the order of attractions in my head for this day and the following day. By the time we reached the hub, I had a rough outline for the morning drawn out.

We first walked over to Fairytale Gardens to see how long the line was for Merida’s meet and greet. It was 9:10am and it wasn’t bad at all. Based on the length, I estimated it to be about a 15 minute wait once the meet/greet began. So, I got in line with DD who really had her heart set on meeting the Scottish redheaded princess. DW and DFIL took DS over to the tea cups. We filed in and made the first cut when they opened the doors to the Gardens.


IMG_6317 by DaveinFallsChurch, on Flickr

One of the CMs directed some of the children to the table in the center of the Gardens where they could color some pictures of Merida while their parents kept their places in line. Very similar to how they did things with Rapunzel back in the day when she used to greet guests in this same location.


IMG_6320 by DaveinFallsChurch, on Flickr

DD was excited about spending some quality time with the coloring activity. As Merida started meeting her guests, I looked around to look for some of the decorations. Found it amusing to find this arrow stuck all the way up there. Surely not an arrow shot by Merida who never misses her target. Probably by one of her suitors?


IMG_6318 by DaveinFallsChurch, on Flickr

When there was only one family in front of us, I called up DD to join me in the line. She brought the picture she colored so that she could show it to Merida. Merida was really good with DD. She took lots of time and never rushed through the meet and greet. She saw the picture DD colored and told her what a wonderful job she did. She then offered to sign the picture which of course DD said yes to. DD then asked what Angus and the Triplets were up to. Merida went on telling DD of all the trouble her brothers were getting into by sneaking desserts away from the kitchen at Cinderella’s Castle. She also told DD that Angus kept jumping into the moat around Cinderella’s castle for a swim. It was very sweet. Of all of the princess interactions DD had for the trip, this one was the best by a mile. Merida was so engaging and attentive.


IMG_6325 by DaveinFallsChurch, on Flickr


IMG_6336 by DaveinFallsChurch, on Flickr


IMG_6343 by DaveinFallsChurch, on Flickr

Really like this picture - she looks and acts like the Merida I know from the movie!

IMG_6349 by DaveinFallsChurch, on Flickr

Next Up: New Fantasyland, Finally!

 

[emilyindisney]

That monorail shot is gorgeous! Really beautiful!

I love that DD got to meet Merida! I love Merida and wish I met her, but DSis had never seen the movie and we never really got around to it. It looks like it was a great meet and greet!

 

[afwdwfan]

Ok, I've gotten a little bit behind. I'll start by commenting about Le Cellier. I love the landscaping around the Canada Pavilion and your pictures were very nice. As for the meal... you didn't order cheese soup???????

I love the fillet there, but I am a little bit disappointed that they've made it signature and kind of gone the direction that we have to make everything upscale and cost prohibitive. It would be great if they still had a burger that you could get there if you just want to go and have some cheese soup and eat a reasonably (well, relatively speaking to what it is now) priced meal.

Thunder Mountain is one of my favorite rides on property. Great picture.


I'm sorry about the rush and anxiety to get to/through breakfast and make it to the park, but I'm glad that it seemed to work out ok for you. Merida really does look like she was very good in the pictures.

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

That monorail shot is gorgeous! Really beautiful!

I love that DD got to meet Merida! I love Merida and wish I met her, but DSis had never seen the movie and we never really got around to it. It looks like it was a great meet and greet!

The line gets a bit long as the day wears on for Merida which is why we tried to do it first thing in the morning. The quality of the meet and greets for princesses can vary so widely depending on the CM. She was definitely my favorite face character for this trip.

Ok, I've gotten a little bit behind. I'll start by commenting about Le Cellier. I love the landscaping around the Canada Pavilion and your pictures were very nice. As for the meal... you didn't order cheese soup???????

I love the fillet there, but I am a little bit disappointed that they've made it signature and kind of gone the direction that we have to make everything upscale and cost prohibitive. It would be great if they still had a burger that you could get there if you just want to go and have some cheese soup and eat a reasonably (well, relatively speaking to what it is now) priced meal.

Thunder Mountain is one of my favorite rides on property. Great picture.


I'm sorry about the rush and anxiety to get to/through breakfast and make it to the park, but I'm glad that it seemed to work out ok for you. Merida really does look like she was very good in the pictures.

I was hoping someone from my table would order the cheese soup so I could take a few "bites" of it but no one did. And it's definitely too lactose-rich for my stomach to order one for myself.

Yup, everything worked out okay in the end making it to MK although during that 5 minute stretch where I was carrying my 6 year old daughter and walking briskly was pure physical agony.

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

IMG_6403 by DaveinFallsChurch, on Flickr

This was DD's first "rollercoaster" during our last trip and DS's first for this trip. It's such a short ride compared but the kids adore it.

 

[emmysmommy]

Gotta say... at least you checked the schedule! I hope you enjoy your staycation and I look forward to your photos and hearing all about your museum excursions!

I completely understand about the anxiety of plans going awry! Especially when you are talking about FLE!! Your back up plan thus far looks great! Loved the Merida interaction. That's cool that she offered to sign your DD's picture. I noticed the stray arrow as well... totally agree, not Merida's! Last summer they had the brothers at the meet/greet in a cart. Last month it was gone... it was so cute so I'm not sure why they removed it??

I've debated booking Chef Mickeys in the past (Fab 5 is a great reason) but just haven't. We love 'Ohana breakfast as well. Stitch and his "smooches" are so cute.

Going back and reading your past posts.... years ago we bought the ToT movie with Steve Guttenberg and Kirsten Dunst... not sure it is a movie to go out of the way to see but I did like the back story. (BTW, when you did your solo trip to D-land did you make it to CA Adventure? If so, did you try their Tot? The ToT ride is definitely different in CA versus WDW - I like WDW much better!)

And finally... yeah about that Great Piggy Bank Adventure.... I'm rather like your DW's aunt/uncle as my poor kid was stuck with me to try and achieve her financial goal of a bedroom makeover. As you can guess, no bedroom makeover for her. Oops! I did redeem myself last time but I had to laugh when I saw your comment that the scoring should result in goals being achieved.

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Gotta say... at least you checked the schedule! I hope you enjoy your staycation and I look forward to your photos and hearing all about your museum excursions!

I know, it could have gotten very ugly if I hadn't checked my schedule ahead of time. I would have had to rented a car one way for an overnight 7 hour drive to get back home by myself. My solo three day staycation itinerary is all set including ADR....ummm....I mean reservations for three restaurants. Planning for two sunrise photography tours at Lincoln Memorial and the Potomac. Sunset photography tour around the Tidal Basin including the MLK Memorial. And picked out the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Portrait Museum, and the National Geographic Museum.

I completely understand about the anxiety of plans going awry! Especially when you are talking about FLE!! Your back up plan thus far looks great! Loved the Merida interaction. That's cool that she offered to sign your DD's picture. I noticed the stray arrow as well... totally agree, not Merida's! Last summer they had the brothers at the meet/greet in a cart. Last month it was gone... it was so cute so I'm not sure why they removed it??

I wish they kept the bears/brothers. Never got to see them.

I've debated booking Chef Mickeys in the past (Fab 5 is a great reason) but just haven't. We love 'Ohana breakfast as well. Stitch and his "smooches" are so cute.

I love Stitch. Need to show his movie to the kids one of these days.

Going back and reading your past posts.... years ago we bought the ToT movie with Steve Guttenberg and Kirsten Dunst... not sure it is a movie to go out of the way to see but I did like the back story. (BTW, when you did your solo trip to D-land did you make it to CA Adventure? If so, did you try their Tot? The ToT ride is definitely different in CA versus WDW - I like WDW much better!)

Kirsten Dunst was in it?? And yet her career survived despite sharing screen time with Guttenberg! Ok, I should really ease up on Guttenberg. He was in the Police Academy movies and Three Men and a Baby

I did go on ToT at DLR and enjoyed it. But I agree with you that I like the WDW version much more. I can't pinpoint the reasons though. I read somewhere that the DLR version does not have the computerized randomized drops like the one at WDW. One thing I did like about the DLR version - the hotel building itself blended into its environment much better. After all, it is the Hollywood Hotel

And finally... yeah about that Great Piggy Bank Adventure.... I'm rather like your DW's aunt/uncle as my poor kid was stuck with me to try and achieve her financial goal of a bedroom makeover. As you can guess, no bedroom makeover for her. Oops! I did redeem myself last time but I had to laugh when I saw your comment that the scoring should result in goals being achieved.

My DD always picks the bedroom makeover too! Next time, I'll make sure to pair up with her.

 

[alliebelle3]

Just joining in now and going through all your old posts. What a great TR! Awesome pictures.

Your AoA room looks AWESOME! I love the bubble light fixtures!