Love the trip report so far. I especially loved the "dog bonding"
I can't wait to read more.
I know, he had me rolling on that one too, like father like son : )
I'm so glad you started! Your family's so cute and I'm glad your first three days of vacation were already fabulous. Can't wait for more!
Glad you are enjoying it so far.
FABULOUS update guys!! OK going back! LOVE all the morning semi-empty park pics! That one of Luke and Tim is PRECIOUS! OK Tim you can tell your knee is still great at this point because you are RUNNING towards the castle!!! We love CP breakfast too! Love that all kids are included waking up Tink, how cool!!! OK I got tears in my eyes thinking of Lauren's squeaky little voice meeting the Fairies!
HOW AWESOME, thanks for the video! OF COURSE Tim was playing jokes while people were meeting Jasmin and Alladin(I would expect NOTHING less!) I had to laugh about your visor comment because I think that is the ONLY time I saw you with one on, I on teh other hand am wearing one NON STOP!! LOVED the pictures from Teppan Edo, this restaurant will always be special to us now What a JAM PACKED day!
Yes, TEppan Edo is special to us too : ) You're too quite about Lauren and the fairies. Yes, Tim's knee was in tip top shape at the start of the trip, I was thinking the same thing as I posted this.
Lesley
AWESOME, Lesley!!! I am so happy that you bring disney to
me through your TR's, its as close as I'll get to going back
to the happiest place on earth (for now at least!) For some
reason I can't view several of your pics, theres an X in the
upper corner?? I want to
see ALL the pics!!! The videos are great!!! Tink is adorable
and the "wake up tink" is so neat!
Glad I can bring Disney close to you! Glad you are enjoying the videos and photo's so far. I don't know what is up with the x's on your end, I see them fine, I haven't had anyone else say they couldn't see them??
Great report so far.. I said it before and I will say it agin.. this is as close as I am going to get to Disney
, except for being there of course!!! And that is just not happening anytime soon so this is so great... All of this wonderful reporting and fantastic picture taking takes a lot of time and patience.. and it is so nice that you and Tim do it.. I know there must be a whole lot of people who look forward to your reports
... including me... so THANK YOU.. I am still waiting for my Disney Vacation Club DVD to come in the mail.. but a quick question... do they offer lager rooms at AKL we have 5 kids plus my husband and I.. I am praying he likes what he sees on the DVD
.. Thanks again!!!!
Well, glad you are enjoying the report. yes, it does take a lot of time but appreciative people like you make it all worth it. Yes, AKL has large suites that accommodate large families, enjoy the DVD ; )
love your TR subscribing!
Thanks!
Lesley, just have to comment on the update....
Great pictures, great videos, but we would expect nothing less!
I had the roast beef at LTT AND 50's PT.........same effect.... but it didn't slow me down for long, it looked like Tim perked up after a little break too.
Interesting about the pot roast, very suspect : )
I am loving your TR! You are all soooo lucky to have been able to spend so much time in Disney!
Love the Tim & Luke/Walt & Mickey shots! And that's so cool that Luke and Lauren got to wake Tink up!
The "10 minutes I'll never get back" comment was freaking hilarious! I did the Treehouse with my family one time when I was a teen and I've never done it again. They really need to put something a little more interesting in that spot.
I would love to try Teppan Edo but I know my oldest won't eat anything there (at least not yet) and not sure about my youngest.
Can't wait to read more!
I'm glad you are enjoying it and we could bring some laughs your way. Teppan Edu is so good, hope you get to try it sometime.
We were there that morning too at CP. It was weird having to line up to get in, we had been at MK two days earlier and watched people walk right in, so who knows.
I wish I would have seen you and been able to tell you about the Fairies and how early the opened TT. Sorry that lunch did not settle well... and I wish we had gotten wetter on Splash... it was sure hot, and I was barely wet every time we rode!
So crazy you guys were there too, did you see us? What time was your ressie???
I love the video and the pictures with the fairies. After reading your report of the roast beef I think I will go with the turkey this year. I agree with you about the toffee cake, it is one of my favorite.
Glad you enjoyed it, yeah turkey is a safe bet ; )
Love it! Trying to get caught up!
Good luck getting caught up, thanks for reading
Wow on page nine already! I can't wait for more.
I know, crazy huh!?!
Yes, I watched the videos, and loved Tim's comments at CP. Being alone at the table, and the one about dumping everyone's children on the other side of the restaurant.
Glad you enjoyed them, I didn't know what he had said on them until we watched them back yesterday and he was cracking me up!
Lesley,
Wow, lots of great pictures and fun on your 2nd day. I love the MK, love CP early entry, and yes that was a lot of people walking down Main St with you. Love looking at the castle during breakfast, and the food is so good too.
I have never been to rope drop in Fantasyland, but I don't travel with small children. I did enjoy the story of waking Tink, and esp appreciate you letting everyone in on the new procedure. (I think that is why we all love to read your TR, always full of inside information) The pictures of the kids enjoying the day are so precious. The Fairy area looks so cute, and so adorable that Lauren looked so nervous, I could tell that from the video.
I also think the Swiss Family Treehouse is boring, but I have seen pictures taken from the treehouse at night that look so pretty.
Thanks for all the wonderful details in your TR.
Glad you are enjoying it so far, rope drop at Fantasyland is incredible. Yes, the fairy area is just unreal. I haven't seen night time pics from the treehouse, I bet they would be pretty.
Wow! You packed a ton of great stuff into this day!
I LOVE the pic of Tim and Luke facing Walt & Mickey. What a priceless photo!
The way they wake up Tink now looks wonderful - so many get to enjoy it, now.
I wish we would have stuck around in the hour long fairies line, now. I'm impressed by how much personal attention they took with you and Lauren.
Great shots from the wait in line for Aladdin - Tim is such a kill! It's great that you got tons of great character attention there as well!
Looking forward to what the next day will bring!
Yes, we certainly did pack a lot in. That pic of Tim and Luke facing the castle is one of my favorite trip pics. Yeah, the fairies are certainly worth the wait. Glad Tim could make you laugh with the line pics, sure had me rolling at the time, and I only captured a little of what he was doing on film.
Oh my Tim is such a hoot! And yes I did watch the video, have your kids heard the comment about no kids at the table?
Your pictures a so beautiful. And I'm jealous. We waiting in line on the Wednesday to meet the fairies and we only got 2. Danielle's favorite character is Tinker Belle but she really wanted to meet Fawn. We had Silvermist and Tink. We did have the same Tink and she was so cute and spunky. Danielle was turning 10 the next day and she told her she had to hurry and run away to Neverland because the cut off age was 11.
Can't wait for the next update.
Glad you are getting some laughs at Tim's expense : ) That stinks about only seeing 2 fairies, so Tink must be the only constant. Lauren wanted to see Fawn and Silvermist also, oh well, we can always go back again. Too funny about the Tink comment : )
Oh such a fun day for you guys where to start? Surprised the kids agreed to rope drop before characters but with Tink waiting to be woken from slumber I understand. We have never done that so may have to check that out!
My girls were looking at your report with me tonight and my youngest(4) noticed all sorts of things in the pictures:
You are wearing matching t-shirts,
Luke's hands are out and Aladdin's hands are in for the pose,
Lauren's hands are in and Jasmine's hands are out,
She loved Iridessa's hair,
and I think that's it.
Love Splash Mountain too! That soaking must have felt good in that heat!
You all have a dewy glow about you, I can't even imagine the heat and humidity
Yes, we certainly had a dewy glow, that lasts most of the trip. That's funny how your girls picked up on those things, they are right on! Yes, Splash Mountain felt GREAT int he heat!
So now of course I need to know, which do you prefer the AKL or WL?? I still like the WL a smidge more.
I'll be eating at Crystal Palace on my birthday in october i can't wait!! We used to do the early ADRs but now I don't see a benefit. As a matter of fact they are so stressful when its 8:45 and pooh still hasn't come to the table! We decided last trip to try doing a late breakfast at CP (Be at rope drop, see the MK opening--awesome by the way! Take advantage of that first hour in the park, get some FP we can save etc. We make the latest possible ADR (usually about 10:30-10:40) go have a relaxing breakfast out of the heat, and when we are done use those FP we had gathered and do the non-line attractions like haunted mansion, small world, pirates etc. You should give it a try!!
I almost feel like we've watched your kids grow because I remember the first TR i read and Lauren was barely speaking I think she was under 3! Its amazing how much they look like you guys respectively as they get older!
Nicole Nicole, with your difficult questions : ) I have given this a lot of thought and I have to go with AKL for the following reasons:
1). The pool at AKL blows WL's out of the water
2). The levels of the resort at AKL how the restaraunts are hidden away,etc. makes the theming so awesome
3). The animals- you just can't get that anywhere else.
4). The size of Mara, and the choices there. WL's foodcourt is just so stinkin' small.
I do miss the proximity and boat at WL desperately, if I could put AKL on the water then I would be SO excited!!!
Great Crystal Palace idea, we'll have to try that!
Oh my goodness, where to start?!
Fantastic family pictures in front of the castle, hilarious video in Crystal Palace, if you listen to Tim. Too cool that they changed the Tink ceremony (for the better imho). You got so much done before lunch!!
Oh my goodness, the pictures and video of Lauren with the fairies was so sweet!! I bet that even though Tim enjoyed the rides he wished he'd been there too.
On one of our MK days in Sept. we are scheduled for crystal palace prior to opening and LTT for lunch also. I was looking forward to trying the pot roast. Now, I'm not so convinced.
LOVED Teppan Edo! Great food, great show, and oh so yummy! Lauren looked so adorable in her dress and your family photo is outstanding. Had to laugh at all the Tim photos when you were trying to get your "couple" shot!!!
Lastly, oh my gosh, I was laughing so hard when I got to the dog bonding picture!! That is too hilarious!! Tim is teaching Luke well to entertain his audience!! Way to go!! So looking forward to more!!
Glad you are liking things so far. Yes, those couple shots were halarious, I was dying laughing each time I'd review them on the camera. Yes, Luke is so funny, he gets funnier every day, glad you liked his joke!
Lesley
Thanks!
Ha ha! Awesome day!
BTW, you and I can fight for the Fairy Godmother role -- I always say I'm either going to be her or Mary Poppins in my later years!!!
Glad you had good transportation during your AKL visit. We'll be using the buses for our entire trip pretty much for the first time this September. We're BWV and then VWL - we ALWAYS have a car but are trying to save some $$$ this time. I'm nervous!
Sorry to hear about the pot roast -- glad he seemed to recover.
Pics are great! Bring on some more!!
O.K, we can duke it out : ) Mary Poppins is much younger, I'd put her late twenties, early thirties based on the ones we saw. The AKL transportation was great.
Lesley
What a perfectly awesome first day at the Magic Kingdom! Your pictures always make me want to be back there right this very moment -- even your photo of the walk to the bus stop made me long for the AKL (I have a feeling I am going to be saying that a lot as your TR progresses). Didn't you just love how close all the bus stops for AKL were to the front of the parks?
Waking up Tinker Bell sounds so cute -- I think that will need to go on the next-time list. We didn't get to meet the fairies this year (the wait was 75 minutes), but next year, I am getting in line at 9:00 (even if it says 10:00). You pictures are just so great!
Tim was cracking me up while you all were waiting in line for Jasmine and Aladdin!
Teppan Edo is one of our favorites as well!
You know, it was a perfectly awesome day! Yes, you are right, the AKL bus stops were quite convenient, I liked that a lot and missed it when we switched to SSR. You need to do the fairies next time, worth the wait!
Lesley
Enjoying your trippie. Glad you enjoy DVC. We bought into SSR, but my daughter and I were able to go to AKL last week because her AAU basketball team qualified for Nationals. Lasted until Monday and didn't have to fly back until Thursday so we got a studio at AKL.
Only spent a full day there but 2 nights. Totally enjoyed it. We're now planning our next trip. Using DVC, we're going to stay at OKW and then head out on the Wonder for a 3 night cruise. My 3 kids are over the edge right now and we have 7 months to go.
Love my DVC!!!
Can't wait for your next post.
Glad you are enjoying the report and your DVC, I know we sure do. You'll have to let me know how you like OKW, since we can stay in a studio there and we would both have beds instead of the pull out couch.
Lesley
Your family is just great. AKL looks AMAZING! I can't wait to be there in 72 days!!! 
Sorry the waitress was so mean on Father's Day...that really stinks. But it's great that you were able to go back and hang out at such a gorgeous resort 
Priceless shot!
not being able to
