Back from Wonderland:wAlice,Madhatter,ChesCat&White Rabbit 11/11Thank You

[Mickey_Mom]

Double upgrades! Wonderful way to get started!

 

[tiggrbaby]

What a great view! We are booked CL for our trip in Nov., and I am hoping to get a view like that!

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

I will be more than happy to suggest away!!!

Jackie-I'm going to PM you to take you up on that offer...it seems that DH who is planning this as a "surprise" is having a hard time finding accomodations that he likes?-like he can't find a cute B&B or hotel in all of Charleston? hmmm...don't think so...

Those poor poor cupcakes...I think I might have tasted them you know just because well I'm an icing lover too LOL!!!

You guys had such a great time in NYC I loved living vicariously through you!!!!!

Hmmm...me love some Kansas City BBQ...that place sounds yummy!!

Oooh departure day is right around the corner YAY!!! Can't wait to hear about the Disney side of your trip!!

I know it's all about the icing...

The BBQ was awesome and extra so because I knew we weren't going to Whispering Canyon Cafe...so I needed a BBQ fix...

ooooooooooooooooooo, you must have been sad. I would have been too, but then that sugary goodness would have been way too powerful to me


We keep talking about it as we haven't been back to NY since we moved back to Chicago about ten years ago. I'd love to see Rock of Ages, and DH agreed to see it as well. I'm thinking if it doesn't tour next year, we'll end up heading out for a weekend.

Well if you plan to do NY-you know you have plenty of people to ask about it on these boards...

btw...dh would like to do a trip to Chicago sometime...

for the double upgrade. What an awesome way to start a trip!!

Your DD and I would certainly be a pair on a plane...I think the other passengers might chip in to give us our own private one!

I have to admit it was a pretty great way to start our trip...

Yep-I actually thought about you on the plane-I can just imagine having you on one side and Em on the other...

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

YAY for arriving at AKL and what an upgrade you got...seriously concierge and savannah view...give me some of that pixie dust LOL!!!!!!

I am making it my goal this time to try some Zebra Domes I have heard much about them and I want to try them for myself...we're having dinner at Sanaa so I'm hitting up Mara on my way out of AKL!!!!!

Great update!!! I really can't wait to hear more!!

I'm still amazed and grateful for that upgrade-it was very special...

I have to say at the risk of being flamed that although I do like ZDs-they aren't my favorite dessert of all times...but they are sort of iconic of the AKL...you definately should try them...

Ahhh Sanaa-absolutely adored it...-they should take good care of you there-we went there-I'm going to write about it in loving terms...but its toward the end of our trip...the setting is delightful, the food yummy and the serving was attentive...an overall great experience...

Woo Hoo for the double upgrade!!!

I'm going to have to figure out a way to try those Zebra Domes in December...

Denise

Doubly upgraded?!! that's like a ton of pixie dust!!!!

We were upgraded in March 08 from a garden view room at GF to concierges! It was truly magical! I can't wait to stay club level at AKV at some point!!All the amenities of club level were such a treat!!!

I must agree with you on the zebra domes. I like them just fine but they aren't my favorite thing in the whole world! SIL and BIL on the other hand rave about them and would probably be willing to be charter members if your DD started a ZB fan club!!!

I can't wait to hear about you experience in DTD! Especially TrenD! I can't wait to go there!!! I'm not planning on a DTD trip in Oct but I'm all over it in Jan!!!

I will let Em know to contact them via you when she gets the ZD fan club going...DTD and TrenD coming up next-lots of fun...

I often wonder if Connor will decide to try on a new identity at an inopportune time as well!

Ahhh, how I loved your description of entering the AKL and Em's picture says it all, doesn't it?

Holy Awesome Double Upgrade!!! Concierge Savannah??? You are so lucky!!!

Chelsea and I want to sign up to be charter members of the zebra dome fan club!

Trust me I'm just waiting to see what David comes up one day...Anakin Skywalker, Spongebob, something totally made up...

I"ll have Em start making those ZD fan club membership forms today...

HOLY PIXIE DUST BATMAN!!!

I've always wanted to be on the Conceirge level (okay, always since I first heard about it....like last week on jaycns thread)! We got upgraded to Savannah the one time we were at AKL (we'd had a standard view), but I'd heard that happens a lot (there just aren't many standard view rooms there). But wow, conceirge. COOL!

We're doing Boma this time and I'm looking forward to trying the zebra domes myself. 5 out of 8 (for me-6 out of 8 for Matt) of the restaurants we are doing are new to us, so I'm excited.

Okay, where are all the lobby pics? I LOVE AKL too. I'm seriously thinking of renting DVC there for when we go in June. We did it for Will's 4th birthday and it was amazing.

Looking forward to DTD.

I know-I need some more lobby pictures..., I don't know what happened-I have to go back I have some better ones from our last trip there I'll have to put up and when we do the photoshoot-I'll have some...

Boma is great-go hungry...

Double upgrades! Wonderful way to get started!

What a great view! We are booked CL for our trip in Nov., and I am hoping to get a view like that!

You are going to have an awesome time-and I will be able to live vicariously through you...

 

[dismagiclover]

Double upgrade! This is going to be one Magical trip I can just feel it. I had to chuckle at your comment about your DH going type A in airports. Mine is the same way! I don't know why they don't recognize that this is not something we need to waste our energy organizing a plan for every possible contingency. We save that for when we get to Disney World Can't wait for more

 

[mousescrapper]

[SIZE="]


ON the Bus we go hi ho & now the excitement is REALLY building...am I the only one who gets all excited on those buses with the red starred upholstery and that corny film that shows all the Disney characters checking into the the Grand Floridian-you know the film where Scrooge McDuck is checking in with Donald and Daisy and Huey, Duey and Louie? Plus all the other characters, Lilo and Stitch, Belle and the Beast, Genie, etc, etc, etc. (I love that film-because it means we're getting even CLOSER...)

[COLOR="seagreen"]I love the bus ride too....I'm usually have butterfiles in my stomach until we are on the plane, then again walking thru MCO, but when I'm on that Magical BUS... we are here!!!!

Oh and I love the pre-monorail thing at the airport too....



Bliss...Oh how I've missed you AKL...your gorgeous lobby with its 5 story atrium...your warm, earthy colors evoking an African savannah and the colors of lions and giraffes...your many cozy seating areas that call out to be sat on...your enormous stunning winding letting in the light and allowing a view out onto the savannah...that fabulous mildly smoky, curry spice scent that seems to gently waft throughout the buildings...I am totally and completely blissed out...I could lay on the floor in the center of the floor and weep with joy...but I'll suppress the urge...

I just love how you described this!!!! would make anyone want to stay here

then I hear something that pulls my attention away from the atrium and focus directly on the CM...UPGRADED...


But UPGRADED and not just one Upgrade but technically 2-we are being upgraded to a Concierge Savannah Room...Concierge is one upgrade and Savannah is one upgrade so in effect -WE HAVE JUST BEEN DOUBLY Upgraded...Bliss, Bliss, Bliss...

OH WOW!!!! Patricia that is beyond awesome....I would love something like that to happen to us....so very awesome!!!

Up next: We will not let the rain ruin our shopping trip...Lightsabers and Legos, TrenD and lots of yumminess...
[/SIZE][/COLOR]

looking forward to hearing it all....

btw...dh would like to do a trip to Chicago sometime...



oohhh I could be your TOUR GUIDE!!!!!!

*Zoo's

*Buckingham Fountian

*Millenium Park and the Bean

*Museums

*Sporting Events

*Navy Pier

*Shopping (or at least some window shopping)

*Beaches in the Summer

*Ice Skating outside in the Winter

*Sears (Willis) Tower or Hancock Building

*Boat or River Tours

*Come out to the Suburbs and there is more....

I like my town...


[[/SIZE][/COLOR]

J-

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

Double upgrade! This is going to be one Magical trip I can just feel it. I had to chuckle at your comment about your DH going type A in airports. Mine is the same way! I don't know why they don't recognize that this is not something we need to waste our energy organizing a plan for every possible contingency. We save that for when we get to Disney World Can't wait for more

Yep...normally since I know he's going to go all Type A in the airport I decide to just save my energy for a more important battle...

looking forward to hearing it all....
That's right I forgot you live out in the Chicago area.......

I'm glad I"m not the only one who grooves on the Magic Express...





J-

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

LIGHTSABERS & LEGOS, TrendD & YUMMINESS

We left the lodge after freshening up with one destination in mind: Downtown Disney...

I had thought we'd try DTD as our first stop while at WDW for a variety of reasons...

1. The White Rabbit had money burning a hole in his pocket from his birthday the week earlier...He was interested in Lego, making a Jedi light saber and a Mr. Potato Head. He also had a burning desire to hit Goofy's Candy Co.

2. Alice is a shopping fiend. She can go into and browse in a drugstore and get a happy little shopping buzz...I thought a trip to DTD might take the edge off her need to frantically shop the first day in the parks...she also had read about TrenD, Basin and the make your-own treats at Goofy's.

3. I assumed that if we could get over to DTD in the afternoon vs. waiting until the evening it would be less crowded-this would make me happier (due to lighter crowds) as well as Hatter who does not really normally view shopping as a recreational activity but more as a "hunting" activity-ie if you tell him you need to buy a pair of shoes-he very literally takes it that you are going to the store-straight to the shoes-to bag a pair and bring them home...the concept of shopping for pleasure and browsing-evades him somewhat...he is a perfect example of the difference between shopping as a hunter vs. a gatherer...

4. We weren't starting out in the morning and I wanted our first park experience to be the MK for rope drop...corny but that's what the Cheshire Cat wanted and since she planned it...that's the way she/(I )planned it...(I was also anxious to get to the Pin Trader being on a hunt for Alice in Wonderland pins...)

So off we made our way on the bus...it was drizzly but we were all in a spirited moods...we settled in for our short ride to DTD...

We arrived and Hatter and Alice both grabbed maps and decided that they each had the best plan for touring DTD-(we would be strictly staying in the Marketplace this trip...)

While they where engaging in whose plan was the better, I snapped a photo of my ever easy going White Rabbit with these guys...(we both love what we've seen of Fantasia on utube...)

I believe I then suggested we head to Once Upon a Toy so we could made a light saber...


Once Upon a Toy has darling theming...

It was a real delight to watch Rabbit and Hatter made light sabers (you notice I said sabers-Hatter decided that he should make one two so Rabbit would have a dueling partner-it seems there is some shopping that Hatter enjoys.) Rabbit wanted to make Obi Wan's saber and thought that Hatter should make Darth Maul's saber...

While they were working on that, Alice and I noticed some Disney books nearby and we both thought a book on Disney Villains
was particularly fun-I encouraged her to buy it...(it was $15 dollars and she looked at me slyly and said "well maybe if it was $10 but I have a limited money supply..."...she knows how to work it...since I wanted to look at it in detail too-I agreed to throw in the extra $5...

After the sabers were done, Rabbit decided he wanted to make a Darth Vader Mr. Potato Head...again Hatter found a shopping activity he enjoyed...after I mentioned that they had a Mad Hatter Head and Tea Cup for Potato Head- my Hatter took it as his personal challenge to manage to get the accessories to make a Darth Potato Head and a Mad Hatter Potato in the same box...(you get your box-and your potato and you pick out the accessories to personalize and basically whatever you can get in the box you get)...

Next up...next door-TrenD-Alice had been saying for the past weeks how the one store she really wanted to go into was TrenD...so while the boys paid for their purchases we got a head start...over into TrenD. TrenD is a sort of cross between one of the clothing emporiums in the park but a little cooler, a little hipper, just a little bit urban...I have to admit it was a fun store-it isn't huge and it kind of blends on the one side into Team Mickey Athletic Club-which sells sporty Disney clothing...DD did a lot of squealing-she finally settled on a short pair of Jungle Book themed PJs-she is a huge Jungle Book/Baloo fan... She also got a cute little sailor pirate themed necklace with a hidden Mickey on it...she encouraged me to buy an orange- peace kind of Asian inspired mickey tee shirt-(I'll be wearing it in later pictures-I did see this in a few other park stores) as well as some Alice tea...(Finally as a future "surprise" for her October birthday-OMG-my baby is going to be 15-we bought these Alice earrings to put away...) Done with our purchases it was time to move on...

When we looked outside the sky was a very ominous grey and I thought it best that we make it over to the Lego store ASAP and basically just as we made it in-the water just started falling from the sky in seeming bucketfulls...the Lego Store was pretty full of people trying to escape the rain...for anyone who is a Lego fan-this is a must do...outside of Legoland- I'd never seen such a large selection...after some debate between a Star Wars vs a Rock Monster set...Rabbit went with the Rock Monster set since it was an exclusive set that he had never seen...while he and Hatter were paying Alice and I checked the various exits deciding which way would be the best to go -ie how could we stay the driest... I could see The World of Disney right across the way and decided that I was willing to get wet to get over there since I had no idea how long it would rain and frankly I wanted to go in there...




As anyone who has been in this store knows...it's hard to not be impressed by it...its decor, its selection, its size...it's very large and full of all manner of Disney merchandise...we looked around a bit but were all sort of flagging at this point-I enjoyed peeking into the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo Boutique-it was more than several years that Alice had visited and at 11 she had been pushing her princess years...I looked at her longingly and she gave me a severe no way, no how is that happening look...(she would later in the week however become a Pirate Empress at the Pirate's League -which is seemingly much cooler and acceptable at 14 -( & which honestly is basically a pirate princess...;-)...anyhow -I digress we needed sustenance soon so off we went to Wolfgang Puck Express...we had thought about the Earl but we weren't sure we wanted sandwiches...

So WPE here we come...we fortunately found seating...It turned out to be quite yummy-very good food-very good value if you are on the DDP-Alice, Hatter and I decided we were going to share so we ordered a Roasted Veggie Pizza, a Barbecued Chicken Salad and a Rigatoni w/Sausage in a Red Sauce (which came with a side Caesar Salad) Rabbit chose the kids pasta with the sauce on the side...We all had ice teas and Rabbit had a lemonade. We all were entitled to dessert and shared a couple of creme brulees and a fruit salad and Rabbit had a soft serve. I would highly recommend WPE-it has a large selection-the food was fresh, tasty and well prepared. You order put it is brought to your table-we had attentive servers and when we were done with the entrees-they brought out the desserts...

Happily restored...we left and headed to the Pin Trader-while there were lots of fun pins-sadly there was only one lone Alice so I decided to wait and look around in case I found anything else in the parks...I got some ideas for the kids and planned to look more during the week...(Where are all the Alice pins?)

We headed into Basin where I bought some bath salts and soup that had mickey heads in it-I thought it would be fun to use during the week...(along with a good book, good coffee, a good long soak in a scented bath is up there on my list...)...

Last but not least was Goofy's Candy Company. Our goal here was two fold-to purchase a Goofy Glacier with a make your own character cup for the White Rabbit and to make the make your own pretzel rods. We decided to hit the make your own counter first...(we had been planning on using some snack credits but it turned out that they had changed the rules several days earlier on August 16th...Hatter was still able to get marshmallows covered with chocolate and then butterfingers and chocolate drizzle using a snack credit & being a rule and law & order guy was hoping that Alice and I would follow suit by selecting the still dining plan covered marshmallows, large oreos and gingerbread mickey... ...however what Alice and I had settled on the pretzel rods dipped in dark chocolate then rolled in peanut butter couples and drizzled in chocolate was no longer covered...I didn't want to waste money and I normally don't have a wicked sweet tooth but I've always been a huge fan of the peanut butter/chocolate combo and with the salty pretzels ???-I was sorry to break rank but I needed to try out those pretzels...It was a whole production to watch the CMs make everything individually after you had filled out the form of what you wanted...they dipped and refrigerated and dipped again...we had hit the line at a good point...it started to get quite crowded indeed...finally our treats were go to go...

And they were very tasty indeed...they are very large and we had two orders-three rods in each orders...they lasted us the whole week (practically)...Rabbit was now free to make his Cup and get his Goofy Glacier, of course being a Goofy fan he selected the Goofy cup...

Well fed, carrying shopping bags and treats, we made our way to the bus stop...we had a 10 minute wait till we were back on our way "home" to the Animal Kingdom Lodge.



Up Next: The Magic of the Magic Kingdom

 

[dismagiclover]

What a busy DTD evening! Very impressive Love how the Hatter made the Light Saber for White Rabbit. I think we all know who really wanted that extra light saber And I would have done the same thing at Goofy's Candy Company. Even if they aren't on the DDP I'm getting my pretzel sticks dipped in chocolate with a topping and a drizzle. Yum! I may try the Peanut Butter cups next time. Those sound delicious Great update!

 

[Mickey_Mom]

I love those earrings! We got caught in the rule change at Goofy's too and found it kinda confusing what was and what wasn't covered anymore. I love how everyone was in on the playtime action and your description of Alice's nuh-uh, no way, no how look for the BBB.

 

[tiggrbaby]

Glad to hear your son had fun at the Lego store and was able to get something! My boys loved that store when they were young! Too bad the weather was not nice enough to play with the legos outside the store 9assuming they still have that!). And no pretzel rods on the DDP!!! I was so looking forward to them!

 

[hhockman]

What a great DTD description! We're spending our first evening there too, but I was planning to ship Matt and the boys off to Disney Quest as soon as we finished eating so I could go do their "surprise". I'm thinking now that we will hang out in DTD for a little while and then they can go their way and I can go mine. I've never really cared anything about the "make your own" anything, so I can't claim extreme disappointment about the DDP change. That being said...I think I might have to try some pretzels myself. DDP or not. It sounds like the White Rabbit has a dream of a time spending his birthday money. Something most kids could only dream of.

Looking forward to MK (in your story...and in real life! )!

 

[mickeysmyboy]

Sounds like a great evening in DTD! I love DD's Alice earrings! I've never seen anything like them!! TrenD looks like a lot of fun!

Can't wait to hear about your morning in MK!

 

[jenjolt]

Another wonderful update!!! I love shopping updates because you find things you have been looking for.....example that Villian book I searched high and low both in January and May for that book! Now I know I need to go to Once Upon a Toy and check there...YAY!!

Love that your boys made light sabers and a potato head that could be both a Mad Hatter and Darth Vader...too cool!!!

WPE sounds so yummy!!!! I really need to try it sometime!!!

 

[Charleston Princess]

What a great evening of shopping at DtD! Too funny about DH making a saber for himself! Love, love, love the Alice earrings, and I know the exact pair of Jungle Book pajamas that DD bought because I was eyeing them myself at Tren-D! I love the vintage look of the print on the shorts!

 

[MrsSpratt]

I'm thinking you ARE Practically Perfect - DH, hunter that he is, ENJOYING shopping? I'm impressed!

Congrats on the (double) upgrade, and it sounds like your first day was a BLAST so far!

Can't wait for more -

Mrs. Spratt

ps - I was in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (1986? 1985?) AND the movie Annie. No joke. Glad your daughter loved it!

 

[Flossbolna]

The double upgrade is sooo wonderful!

I absolutely understand what you felt when you arrived at AKL - I will be the same in January. It is such a fantastic place. It's impressive but still feels like home. I am really looking forward to being able to go through the lobby every day during our vacation!

Oh, and I love the ME video as well. In 2008 our flight back to Germany was severely delayed (18 hours!! ) and our airline got us a hotel to stay for the night. They also organized the transport to the hotel and it was done by Mears, the company that runs ME for Disney. So we actually got onto one of those ME busses and it was soooo horrible, being on that bus that looks like Disney knowing that your vacation is over and having to deal with the delay... The bus was supposed to be a happy place. But if you are on your way to WDW, it is still that for me!

DTD sounded like fun. I am not sure wether we will go there in January. I hate it in the evenings and I don't know wether we want to use prime park time for it when the parks close early anyway in January...

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

What a busy DTD evening! Very impressive Love how the Hatter made the Light Saber for White Rabbit. I think we all know who really wanted that extra light saber And I would have done the same thing at Goofy's Candy Company. Even if they aren't on the DDP I'm getting my pretzel sticks dipped in chocolate with a topping and a drizzle. Yum! I may try the Peanut Butter cups next time. Those sound delicious Great update!

Oh...Hatter was all about that light saber...you should have seen him at DHS and Star Tours and Jedi Academy...I'm thinking we should have made him a "I Want to Be a Jedi shirt" too...

& those pretzels were pretty darn tasty...as a suggestion go with the dark chocolate dip and then the cups-I thought it tempered the sweetness-the pb cups already have plenty of sweetness...

I love those earrings! We got caught in the rule change at Goofy's too and found it kinda confusing what was and what wasn't covered anymore. I love how everyone was in on the playtime action and your description of Alice's nuh-uh, no way, no how look for the BBB.

I love those earring myself... Yep they changed the rules at Goofy's a couple of days before we got there and we hit the counter at a good moment-it started to get crowded after we got there and WOW people were getting a little bit tetchy about the snack credits... I believe there was even a long thread about it over on the restaurant board...

Glad to hear your son had fun at the Lego store and was able to get something! My boys loved that store when they were young! Too bad the weather was not nice enough to play with the legos outside the store 9assuming they still have that!). And no pretzel rods on the DDP!!! I was so looking forward to them!

Legos + White Rabbit =

We did see the Legos outside the store-we played for about 5 minutes but it seemed like everyone had taken cover there so we didn't stay too long...The Pretzel Rods are still on the DDP but only with a chocolate dip...no toppings...

What a great DTD description! We're spending our first evening there too, but I was planning to ship Matt and the boys off to Disney Quest as soon as we finished eating so I could go do their "surprise". I'm thinking now that we will hang out in DTD for a little while and then they can go their way and I can go mine. I've never really cared anything about the "make your own" anything, so I can't claim extreme disappointment about the DDP change. That being said...I think I might have to try some pretzels myself. DDP or not. It sounds like the White Rabbit has a dream of a time spending his birthday money. Something most kids could only dream of.

Looking forward to MK (in your story...and in real life! )!

This was probably the best time we've ever had in DTD since we had "planned" it so Rabbit could spend his birthday money...and I think we had more energy than when we normally go -since it was the beginning of the trip and not late one night after the parks...when I'm sometimes wanting to just relax and swim more than shop...I'd say he was a pretty lucky guy...

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

Sounds like a great evening in DTD! I love DD's Alice earrings! I've never seen anything like them!! TrenD looks like a lot of fun!

Can't wait to hear about your morning in MK!

TrenD is really cute-definitely worth a pop in...

I'll probably post Magic Kingdom tomorrow...as much as I love all the parks the Magic Kingdom will always symbolize WDW to me...

Another wonderful update!!! I love shopping updates because you find things you have been looking for.....example that Villian book I searched high and low both in January and May for that book! Now I know I need to go to Once Upon a Toy and check there...YAY!!

Love that your boys made light sabers and a potato head that could be both a Mad Hatter and Darth Vader...too cool!!!

WPE sounds so yummy!!!! I really need to try it sometime!!!

Hey Jen...I was just on one of your TR's... and I really do have photo envy of your photos...they are very good...actually I'm thinking you should do a photo webinar...

Once Upon a Toy has a nice little book section-hum...there were a couple of other good ones I saw there...(there's also a nice little selection of books when you come out of the Animation Academy in DHS...

Potato Head can also be made into a pretty cute Mary Poppins...that was tempting...

WPE=yum....

What a great evening of shopping at DtD! Too funny about DH making a saber for himself! Love, love, love the Alice earrings, and I know the exact pair of Jungle Book pajamas that DD bought because I was eyeing them myself at Tren-D! I love the vintage look of the print on the shorts!

I know and I convinced her to purchase the pjs-I think they were a little more than she wanted to spend but she is such a Jungle Book fan & Baloo was really the main character she wanted to track down on this trip...

I'm thinking you ARE Practically Perfect - DH, hunter that he is, ENJOYING shopping? I'm impressed!

Congrats on the (double) upgrade, and it sounds like your first day was a BLAST so far!

Can't wait for more -

Mrs. Spratt

ps - I was in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (1986? 1985?) AND the movie Annie. No joke. Glad your daughter loved it!

Well thank you for thinking that I am practically perfect...:I think I'm just going to have to use that the next time the Mad Hatter and I aren't seeing eye to eye on something...I'll just tell him that Mrs. Spratt thinks that I'm practically perfect so I win...

YOU WERE IN THE MACY'S PARADE AND ANNIE......no way...(Alice will be so excited when I tell her...

The double upgrade is sooo wonderful!

I absolutely understand what you felt when you arrived at AKL - I will be the same in January. It is such a fantastic place. It's impressive but still feels like home. I am really looking forward to being able to go through the lobby every day during our vacation!

Oh, and I love the ME video as well. In 2008 our flight back to Germany was severely delayed (18 hours!! ) and our airline got us a hotel to stay for the night. They also organized the transport to the hotel and it was done by Mears, the company that runs ME for Disney. So we actually got onto one of those ME busses and it was soooo horrible, being on that bus that looks like Disney knowing that your vacation is over and having to deal with the delay... The bus was supposed to be a happy place. But if you are on your way to WDW, it is still that for me!

DTD sounded like fun. I am not sure wether we will go there in January. I hate it in the evenings and I don't know wether we want to use prime park time for it when the parks close early anyway in January...

Well you know I think the AKL is magical-it manages to be warm and majestic at the same time...and it really has such a lovely scent to it...

I'm sorry to hear about the delay-that's horrible......the glamour days of airplane travel are definitely behind us...

I agree with you that DTD is a time commitment... and it's all about prioritizing what's important to you that trip...we don't do it everytime...you really can't do everything in each trip or you'll burn out and that's definitely no fun...

 

[cjackearl]

Ok, all caught up. Double upgrades?! WOW!! Congratulations. Looking forward to seeing some concierge pictures.

What an adorable picture of DS in the ME. Cute dimples.

I LOVE those Alice earings. I'm sure DD will love them, too. And if she doesn't, I'll PM you my address.

So smart of DH to make a second light saber. Every good jedi needs a foe to battle.