All We Want Is To Spend Halloween With Mickey! w/MiniTR Oahu Makapu'u Lighthouse 9/13

[MommaPeel]

Looking forward to another TR from you and some more AMAZING MNSSHP pictures!!!!

After reading your TRs I've already purchased tickets to one party and I'm debating on doing a double party this year in my 17 day trip!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Looking forward to another TR from you and some more AMAZING MNSSHP pictures!!!!

After reading your TRs I've already purchased tickets to one party and I'm debating on doing a double party this year in my 17 day trip!

Thank you so much for following!

With 17 days, you have to do two parties! I think it'll also makes things much more enjoyable because you won't feel as pressured to try to do and see everything in a single night.

 

[ZehnJahren]

I am in for this; I love your photography and you have such a sweet family that it's hard not to enjoy your trs! I have never been in for a PTR before, so I just wanted to let you know I'm here!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

I am in for this; I love your photography and you have such a sweet family that it's hard not to enjoy your trs! I have never been in for a PTR before, so I just wanted to let you know I'm here!

Welcome and thank you so much for the kind words! I'll try to make your first PTR experience worthwhile!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July yesterday! We just came back from Williamsburg, VA after spending a couple of nights there celebrating Independence Day. DW and I are about to head back out on the road again for dinner and a one night stay at The Inn at Little Washington to celebrate our 10th anniversary! (DFIL graciously offered to babysit the kids tonight.) I'll post a full report on this weekend when I return but in the mean time here are a couple of pictures I took from Colonial Williamsburg yesterday.

 

[LB1122]

Awesome photos and Happy Anniversary

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Awesome photos and Happy Anniversary

Thank you!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

We live just a mere 15-minute drive from that National Mall. The realtors when selling homes in our neighborhood like to point out that without exaggeration we have just one traffic light between us and downtown DC thanks to the easy acess onto the GW Parkway. Yet after 6 years we have yet to have watched “A Capitol Fourth” in person. With our kids being so young, the thought of camping out on the Mall all day in the heat and insane crowds leading up to the evening celebration and the exodus afterwards that would probably make the Wishes exodus feel ike a stroll in the park, gives me shudders each year I sit down to plan our July 4th plans. So, over the years I have actively looked for an alternative way to celebrate Independence Day and this year was no different. Although, I have to say that I was shuddering a lot less at the thought of A Capitol Fourth this year as the kids are getting a little older. Who knows? Maybe next year?

A couple of years ago we had a wonderful 4th of July experience at Colonial Williamsburg so I decided to book another short trip. DFIL would be joining us. We stayed two nights in Williamsburg. This year DW and I were also celebrating our 10th anniversary. It’s easy to remember our anniversary date since it’s the day before Independence Day. So I also planned a one night getaway just DW and I to Washington, VA after returning from Williamsburg while DFIL watched the kids for us.

Our trip to Williamsburg and the Historic Triangle (Jamestown and Yorktown makes up the other two corners) didn’t disappoint and we all had a great time. Our first day, we visited the Jamestown Settlement. It was our first visit to this spot and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised on how well it was done. There’s a fairly extensive exhibit in the museum chronicling the earlier years of the settlement. On this particular day, it also provided a great respite from the intense heat (96 degrees was the high, heat index somewhere around 105!). While DW and DFIL were exploring the exhibit and a film, I took the kids to the outdoor portions which includes recreations of a Powhatan village, three ships docked on the James River, and a fort.





There are numerous staff members dressed in period costumes roaming these areas and interacting with the guests to answer questions. Despite the heat, the kids had a great time exploring the Powhatan huts, learning how to take the fur off of a deer hide to prepare for clothing, going up and down below of the ships, and watching a demonstration of a canon firing at the fort while trying on 17th century armor and helmets.





I treated them some ice cream treats at the café while the other adults finished up their guided tour. After spending three hours at the Jamestown Settlement, we drove to our hotel in Colonial Williamsburg and checked in.

Our second day was the 4th. Colonial Williamsburg had added a couple of extra activities to their schedule to celebrate Independence Day. In the morning, we watched “Salute to the States” – each time I heard this title I kept hearing in my head “A salute to all nations, but mostly America!” This was a celebration of the 13 original states in the form of a special militia muster that included music by the Fife and Drums and firing of muskets.







Each flag of the 13 states was presented accompanied by firing of the canons and music representing each state. I thought it was very well done and the it definitely held the kids attentions.



We spent the rest of the morning touring Colonial Williamsburg and doing a scavenger hunt for the kids. They give out maps with scavenger hunt items listed on it. If you can find 7, the kids get a Williamsburg pin. Both DD and DS got a kick out of this. It even got them to venture into the jail cells of Colonial Williamsburg. We also visited the encampment of the militia,



the brickmakers where the kids got to take off their shoes and socks to walk on clay, the blacksmith, a couple of gardens, and the magazine. Once they got their pins, we ended our morning tour by watching the reading of the Declaration of Independence in front of the Courthouse.



We took an afternoon break so that the kids could get a couple of hours of naptime. I had bought tickets for the evening activities that included a buffet dinner, some game and activities, and most importantly reserved chair seating by the Palace Greens in front of the stage to watch and listen to the Fife and Drums followed by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra for about an hour before the fireworks started. We had a great time although the kids weren’t as interested in the orchestra concert.



While the seating was great for viewing the orchestra, it wasn’t as great for viewing the fireworks. We were so upfront that part of the lighting steel frames for the concert partially obstructed the lower fireworks going off.



Plus, I would have much preferred to have the Governor’s Palace in the foreground of the fireworks. So while we all ooo and ahh’ed at the beautiful fireworks, I probably won’t book this ticketed event again as they are plenty of places to view the fireworks from. The fireworks were also pretty short for 4th of July standards clocking in at just 12 minutes.

Next morning, we drove back home but before we did I had the crazy idea of waking up at 4:30am to walk around Colonial Williamsburg by myself for some photography. I spent about two hours walking around taking photos. There was Colonial Williamsburg police car patrolling the streets which made me feel safe and a little nervous at the same time since I was the only one out when it was still dark out between 5-6am. I did my best to make myself look as unsuspicious as I could by having my camera and tripod plainly visible. And although we never exchanged any conversation, the officer was very nice and at one point stopped his vehicle while I was taking a shot to avoid blocking the shot. Once the sun started coming up, a few more people joined me on the streets. Most of them were joggers but I did spot a couple of people with camera in their hand.





Since this was the morning after the Independence Day celebration, there were a lot of trash mostly in bags lining the streets and grass. On a few occasions, I had to reposition those trash bags for my shots. Even though it takes quite a bit of effort to drag myself out of bed, I absolutely LOVE doing photo shoots at dawn. There’s almost nobody around. The 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after sunrise usually provides the best and most beautiful lighting, and there’s never anyone else around so I can frame the shots without worrying about anyone photobombing the shots.

We had an uneventful drive home from Williamsburg. Once I got a couple of hours of rest time from driving, DW and I headed out to Washington, VA to celebrate our 10th anniversary. Instead of exchanging any gifts to mark the occasion, we decided to spend the money with a one night stay and dinner at the famed The Inn at Little Washington. It’s been on our bucket list and we’ve been waiting for a special occasion which we thought our 10th qualified. I didn’t take any pictures in the restaurant or our room since this was about spending time with DW and enjoying the moment and I tried my best to keep photography at a minimum. The food was absolutely wonderful and the service was impeccable.

After our dinner, we took a stroll around the Inn during which I did take a couple of photos. It would have been a miracle if I had taken zero photos during the trip, right?





That about wraps up our weekend. DW and I got back home this morning. DFIL is on his way home to Ohio. Hope everyone had a great weekend!

 

[ElenaJane]

You make Colonial Williamsburg look so good! You should sell your photos to them! I have only been once, a few years ago and would love to go back sometime in the fall.

The Inn at Little Washington is on our bucket list too! It is about an hour north of us. Maybe for our tenth anniversary!!

 

[LB1122]

Looks like it was a nice trip and if the fireworks were not your favorite the stars...well WOW!!!

 

[afwdwfan]

Ok, I love the idea of an Independence Day trip to Colonial Williamsburg. I mean, what better way to celebrate the birth of a nation than to go back to the time in which it was born?

I'm sorry the fireworks location/length were a little less than spectacular, but all in all, it looks like a great way to spend the holiday.

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

You make Colonial Williamsburg look so good! You should sell your photos to them! I have only been once, a few years ago and would love to go back sometime in the fall.

The Inn at Little Washington is on our bucket list too! It is about an hour north of us. Maybe for our tenth anniversary!!

We took a weekend trip down to Williamsburg last October and the fall colors were absolutely gorgeous.

Feel very fortunate that we got to cross The Inn off of our bucket list already. Hoping to go back again for our 15th or 20th Anniversary.

Looks like it was a nice trip and if the fireworks were not your favorite the stars...well WOW!!!

You're absolutely right. The views of the stars in the night sky were beautiful.

Ok, I love the idea of an Independence Day trip to Colonial Williamsburg. I mean, what better way to celebrate the birth of a nation than to go back to the time in which it was born?

I'm sorry the fireworks location/length were a little less than spectacular, but all in all, it looks like a great way to spend the holiday.

We had a great time. Sometimes I have to separate the photographer side of me (the side of me that was a bit disappointed about the fireworks view) in order to enjoy the moments with my family and I was able to do that. I had a blast with the kids and that's what matters the most.

 

[ZehnJahren]

I'd love to come to the east coast some time; looking at your photos makes you feel like you're there. Colonial Williamsburg seems amazing; I'd love to see it in person.

I had to look up the Inn; wow, what an amazing place!

 

[LuvEeyore]

The Inn is wonderful...Williamsburg great. I loved living in Dinwiddie County several years ago when I could drive to Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown, Richmond all within 2 hours.

Sometime in a couple of years, go to Pamplin Park in Dinwiddie County. It is Civil War Related but done very well depicting both sides of the war and all the issues in addition to slavery. Great place for the kids to try on life in the 1800s This is one place I had an annual pass as this is where I took all my friends and family that came to visit(It was 15 minutes from my house)

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

I'd love to come to the east coast some time; looking at your photos makes you feel like you're there. Colonial Williamsburg seems amazing; I'd love to see it in person.

I had to look up the Inn; wow, what an amazing place!

We are not originally from the East Coast, but I love living here! Being a DC metro area resident and with NYC just 4 hours away and so many other interesting places in between, we've really enjoyed the last 6 years! You should make a big trip out this way

The Inn is wonderful...Williamsburg great. I loved living in Dinwiddie County several years ago when I could drive to Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown, Richmond all within 2 hours.

Sometime in a couple of years, go to Pamplin Park in Dinwiddie County. It is Civil War Related but done very well depicting both sides of the war and all the issues in addition to slavery. Great place for the kids to try on life in the 1800s This is one place I had an annual pass as this is where I took all my friends and family that came to visit(It was 15 minutes from my house)

I'll have to look into Pamplin Park. Sounds very interesting!

I have to say that most of the time when I finally visit a very hyped up restaurant I find myself slightly disappointed after the meal because I had such high expectations. I had no such feelings after our meal at the Inn! It was perfect!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Picking out places to eat is one of my favorite travel planning activities. I love the idea of sampling the best cuisine each destination has to offer especially if it's something that I'm unlikely to find back at home. So you can imagine my glee whenever our 180 day mark comes around for our Disney trips as I literally drool over the possibilities and the idea of trying out new eateries. For this upcoming trip, however, I found myself staring at a rather anemic list of ADRs when it was all said and done. Attending two MNSSHPs really hampers scheduling any major sit down meals - I don't want to lose out on prime party time. So, for this trip I reluctantly came to acceptance that our dining experience will not be as diverse as they have been in past trips. All in the name of having some Halloween fun Here's what I have at this moment.

Be Our Guest Lunch: This will all depend on whether I can find FP+s for lunch on our first park day. If there are no FP+s then we'll eat at another QS. We've already done dinner here in January so it won't be the end of the world if we can't make it in although I would really like to try and see if we can land a table in the West Wing.



Columbia Harbor House: This is where we will eat our early 4pm dinner on our first MNSSHP evening. Hoping to find a quiet spot upstairs once again and try out one of the new menu items. Maybe a table by the window with a view of the Haunted Mansion will set the right mood for the rest of the night?

Chef Mickey's Breakfast: The morning after our first MNSSHP will surely be a lazy start. So I have a 9:40am breakfast ADR. The food has just been okay in the past. Between all of our Halloween party activities, we won't have any other opportunity to meet the Fab Five so thought this was a good way to get that done for the trip in a single setting. The two times we've eaten breakfast here we were rushing a little through our meal to try to get to rope drop. I wonder if the experience will feel any different since we'll be going in at a very relaxed pace.



Crystal Palace Dinner Before we begin our second MNSSHP on Halloween, I have a 4:30pm dinner scheduled. The kids love meeting Pooh and his friends at this restaurant. I thought it would be fun to have a character meal with the kids dressed up in their costumes for Halloween and see what kind of reactions and interactions we get from the characters. Since this is our second party night, our to-do list will be lighter and will be more focused on trick or treating and a few rides. So I thought a sit down meal would be a good idea. Plus, we'll still get done by 6pm well ahead of the official party start time.



Flame Tree BBQ: This has been our go-to QS lunch location at Animal Kingdom and I don't see why this trip will be any different.

Jiko: We had an absolutely wonderful dining experience in January. I think of all the restaurants I've tried at WDW, Jiko and bluezoo are my favorite restaurants. So I penciled in a repeat visit for dinner on our AK day. The challenge will be whether I order the same mouth-watering dishes as last time or venture into some new choices. Taste of Africa will surely be repeated. I'm pretty sure I won't be able to turn down a flatbread either. I had the short ribs for my entree which didn't disappoint but perhaps this time I'll try a different entree. Oh, and I'll most definitely be ordering a glass of South African red wine to go with my meal.



1900 Park Fare Breakfast: So after staring at a somewhat skimpy list of ADR on MDE for a few weeks I decided that a fourth TS meal was needed. The only available time to do this would be our departure morning for a breakfast. I was able to add this 1900 PF breakfast that we could do after we check out of our room and on our way to Port Charlotte, FL to DW's aunt's house. We've done 1900 PF dinners before but breakfast will be a first for us and I'm really looking forward to meeting Alice and the Mad Hatter both of whom we have yet to have done a meet and greet in all of our past trips.

So that's our list. I have a couple of breakfast plans at CR's QS where we will grab a quick bite on our way to rope drops.

 

[LB1122]

I think your ADR's look great and I will keep my fingers crossed for lunch FP+.

I think a slower morning for Chef Mickey's will be great and it is a perfect place to meet the fab five. It is one we go to over and over for that reason.

1900 Park breakfast is super fun - a great group of characters

Jiko is so on my list for the future.

 

[afwdwfan]

Great looking list of restaurants. Love me some Flame Tree!!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

I think your ADR's look great and I will keep my fingers crossed for lunch FP+.

I think a slower morning for Chef Mickey's will be great and it is a perfect place to meet the fab five. It is one we go to over and over for that reason.

1900 Park breakfast is super fun - a great group of characters

Jiko is so on my list for the future.

I've been reading about all of the fun meet and greet interactions with Alice and Mad Hatter that I thought it was time we tried it ourselves!

I think we'll enjoy Chef Mickey's a lot more at a relaxed pace.

Great looking list of restaurants. Love me some Flame Tree!!

I love their onion rings. I know they're nothing really special but I just love them.

 

[khertz]

I am so blown away by your Williamsburg photos! It seems like that is a really amazing way to spend Independence Day. I keep trying to convince DH to take a trip there, but he is convinced he and DS will be bored the whole time.
Maybe your pictures will help change his mind!

Seems like even with a short trip, you are fitting in some great meals. CP in your costumes sounds like a ton of fun! I can't wait to see the pics from that.