Better Late Than Never, Right? A Sept/Oct 2009 TR **FINISHED 3/25/10!!**

[Mommy2LittleVols]

Well....I was in the midst of typing an update, but my kids just woke up from their nap. So it will have to wait until after I get home from work tonight. Stay tuned!

 

[Mommy2LittleVols]

Day 3: Epcot!

The day started out really well. We made it to Epcot super early and after the rope dropped, we joined the throng of people heading towards The Land. Our plan (along with every other person in the park, I guess ) was to get FP for Soarin' and then ride it. Well, I don't know if you've ever tried it, but let me just tell you - attempting to navigate that chaos with a double stroller is not easy. People kept cutting in front of us, or stopping in front of us, or tripping over it and by the time we reached The Land, we decided to just let the crowd around Soarin' die out a bit, so we grabbed a bite to eat at Sunshine Seasons. After that, we headed to Soarin' and got our FP, and then went ahead and rode since the standby line was fairly short. After that, DNephews really wanted to ride Mission: Space, so Mam and Pap took the babies to MouseGear so that the rest of us could ride together. The boys were not at all interested in taking the green route, so orange it was. Honestly, it was not nearly as bad as I was expecting. I was in no hurry to ride it again, though. After that, believe it or not, it was already time for us to head over to Germany for our 12:00 ressie at Biergarten.

On the way there, I snapped a quick picture with Snow White. Unfortunately, I looked horrible in it, so I won't be posting it.

For some reason, I didn't take any pictures at the restaurant. This ended up being MIL's favorite meal of the week. Her family is of German descent, so a lot of the dishes were things that her mother used to make when she was growing up. I'm not an adventurous eater, and I am really NOT a fan of buffets (unless they're breakfast), so it wasn't really my cup of tea. I was very glad that we ate there, though, because she (and most everyone else) enjoyed it so much. We stayed for the show, and it was really good. Very funny!

After we finished our meal, we all rode Maelstrom and Gran Fiesta Tour. Then the boys wanted to do Test Track (we had picked up some FP earlier), so we split up again. Once again, my wonderful IL's took the babies so that Darren and I could ride with the boys and DSILs.

Here's our Photopass pic from that ride. (Random q: Is this the only ride that lets you upload the ride pic to your PP? ) How enthused are we?

After that ride, I decided that I needed some different shoes because my Crocs flip-flops had given me blisters. So I headed over to MouseGear and bought some Mickey Crocs. Much better! While I shopped, DNephews went on Test Track again (through the singles line), and then DH and I used our two extra FP (since MIL and FIL didn't want to ride) to ride TT again.

Here we are. Same expressions as last time. Did we really like this ride?

Then it was time to head to Japan for dinner at Teppan Edo.

I have to say - as I mentioned before, I am quite the picky eater, so I wasn't so sure how well I was going to like a Japanese steakhouse. BUT I LOVED IT!!!!! It was my favorite non-character meal of the week, hands down. I didn't take any pictures of the chef or the food, but I got some of our group around the table.

Kristy, Cynthia and Landon

Sarah Kate

Darren and MIL

When we left the restaurant, we saw a great photo op and while I was getting everyone lined up so I could take it, a passerby offered to take one of all of us. Please ignore my disheveled appearance. I was definitely dressing for comfort that week, and this was the day that DH informed me I looked as if I was wearing my pajamas in the park. Of course, he failed to mention that until we were already at the park.

After dinner, we parted ways again. DSILs and the ILs wanted to explore the World Showcase, and I knew the kids were getting antsy and weren't up for wandering through shops and such, so Darren and I decided to head towards the exit and we would take in any attractions we came across on the way. I can't remember if both DNephews came with us, or just Zach, but here is a picture of him with Aladdin and Jasmine in Morocco.

And one of just Aladdin and Jasmine

We made our way through France, the UK and Canada, and then we decided that since it was getting late, we needed to decide which attractions we still wanted to visit. Dakoda loves Nemo, so we headed for The Seas. After that, we visited Turtle Talk with Crush (very cute show!). The kids were really getting cranky by this point, but we just couldn't leave without riding Spaceship Earth, now could we? Luckily, there was no line and we got right on. Illuminations was starting as we left SE, but we knew our kids were DONE. So we called it a day and headed for the bus stop. When we got back to the room, Zach hung out with us until everyone else got back, and then we all hit the sack. It had been a long day!

Next up: What was I thinking scheduling a Tusker House breakfast on an EMH morning?

 

[miabellarose]

That picture of all of you in front of the pagoda turned out really good! What a great photo!

 

[that's nice]

Isn't it crazy how fast time flies but while you are in WDW? I love the TT pics. It looks like you guys are staring into space. LOL

I wouldn't mind beirgarten for the drinks and the entertainment but I'm not too sure about the food. I didn't realize it was a buffet.

How did the kids like Spaceship Earth? Juliana loved that last March.

 

[Mommy2LittleVols]

That picture of all of you in front of the pagoda turned out really good! What a great photo!

Thanks! It's the only one we got of the whole clan all week, and I was really happy with how it turned out!

Isn't it crazy how fast time flies but while you are in WDW? I love the TT pics. It looks like you guys are staring into space. LOL

I wouldn't mind beirgarten for the drinks and the entertainment but I'm not too sure about the food. I didn't realize it was a buffet.

How did the kids like Spaceship Earth? Juliana loved that last March.

The entertainment was really good at Biergarten. DSILs got some sort of Beer Flight and really enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend giving it a try at least once.

The kids (well, Dakoda - SK didn't really know what was going on ) really enjoyed Spaceship Earth! Of course, he enjoyed pretty much every dark, moving ride with A/C.

 

[KathyRN137]

Would you believe that was the only day we actually left the park for a nap? The rest of the week we just kept going until we dropped!

Oh my goodness! Did the kids snooze a bit in the stroller?

Here's our Photopass pic from that ride. How enthused are we?
Here we are. Same expressions as last time. Did we really like this ride?

You're just "focusing" that's all!

Sarah Kate

Oh, she is such a little doll! Makes me want to have one all over again!

...I was definitely dressing for comfort that week, and this was the day that DH informed me I looked as if I was wearing my pajamas in the park. Of course, he failed to mention that until we were already at the park.

Men!
BTW, you look just fine. It's a theme park, not a fashion show! Comfort is paramount...

Hope the new Crocs helped.


Kathy

 

[Mommy2LittleVols]

Oh my goodness! Did the kids snooze a bit in the stroller?


Hope the new Crocs helped.


Kathy

Yeah, they snoozed in the stroller quite a bit. I was surprised at how much they actually did sleep in that thing. It was a lifesaver!

Oh, and the new Crocs did help. A LOT!

 

[Mommy2LittleVols]

Day 4, Part 1: Tusker House Breakfast on an EMH morning? Never again!

I had made an 8:10 am ADR at Tusker House for my family of four at the 90-day mark. At that time, AK was not projected to have EMH that morning. But, as so often happens, things changed. And it turned out that this was an EMH morning at AK. Which was both a good and a bad thing – good because it meant that there was an AK bus waiting for us at the bus stop. Bad because once we got to AK, we had to fight our way through a mob of people to try and get to Tusker House. If memory serves correctly, we ended up being about 5 mins late for our ressie. We had to wait a few minutes to go in, but not long at all. While we were waiting, we had our picture taken. (Sorry for quality – it’s a scan.)

We had SUCH a great time at this breakfast. The character interaction was fantastic, and the food was DELICIOUS!! This was #1 on our must-do ADR list for our upcoming trip. Here are some character pics. Again, Sarah Kate loved them; Dakoda hated them.

After we finished our breakfast, we met up with Mam, Pap, Zach and Landon. (Kristy and Cynthia decided to sleep in since this was their last day.) Kilimanjaro Safari was the top choice on everyone’s list, so we headed that way. The standby wait wasn’t bad, so we opted to go that route. I have no pictures from the safari because I was manning the video camera. I was going to post a clip from the video, but I got motion sickness watching it so I won’t torture you. A videographer I am NOT! Ha!

Once we finished with the Safari, the big boys wanted to try Kali River Rapids. I wasn’t in the mood to get wet, so I volunteered to run and get us some FP’s for EE while Mam and Pap sat with the babies. I think they let Dakoda get out and run around a little bit. Bless them!

I made it back with the FP’s about 10 mins before the boys made it off the ride. Darren and Zach got soaked. For some reason I didn’t take any pictures. We had a while to wait before our FP time and we wanted to do something that everyone could enjoy, so we decided to check out Finding Nemo. Well, as anyone who has ever traveled with a large group will tell you, it is not possible to get anywhere quickly. By the time we made it to the theater, the show had already started. So we decided to check out DinoLand USA while we waited for the next one. We rode Triceratop Spin for the babies, and then the big kids rode Dinosaur. Then it was time for Nemo, which Darren, the boys and I enjoyed, and Mam, Pap, and the babies slept through.

After the show, it was finally time for EE, which we ended up riding (somehow) twice in a row while my poor babies sweated to death in the stroller. I think what happened is that Kristy and Cynthia arrived at the park while Darren and the boys and I rode the first time, and then the boys wanted them to ride, so we ended up going again. At any rate, it felt like it was a million degrees in the park that day, and since the kids were getting cranky, we decided to try another cool, air-conditioned show. We consulted the Times Guide, which showed that Festival of the Lion King would work nicely.

We traipsed back across the park and got in line for the show. Oh, how I love that queue. It has those wonderful misting fans that feel soooooo good on a hot day. We didn’t have to stand in line for very long, but those fans were awesome. We used the GAC since we were hoping the kids would nap in their stroller again (obviously this was our first FOTL experience), so we got to go in early and had great 2nd row seats in the Lion section. I cannot say enough about how much we enjoyed that show! I think it was the hands-down favorite of the week amongst our group. I worried that the kids would get scared by the loud music and fire, but they loved it! It was just what we needed to put everyone back in a good mood.

Hidden Mickey between Discovery Island and Camp Minnie-Mickey!

Once the show ended, the boys wanted to ride Dinosaur again with K & C. It was almost time for Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade, so Mam and Pap found a shady spot to stand with the babies while the rest of us ran over to Dinoland to ride. We made it back just as the parade was starting. It was the only afternoon parade we caught all week, and Dakoda LOVED it! We will definitely be watching more of those next time.

After the parade, it was time to head back to the hotel to freshen up for dinner. We were headed to Downtown Disney for a 6:30 ADR at Fulton’s Crab House. YUM!!

Next installment

 

[KathyRN137]

Aww, great pic of Dakoda and his daddy! Makes up for the hiding-his-face pix at Tusker House! (Billy hated the non-face characters when he was that age, too.)

Oh well, how could you have known about that EMH morning when you made the ADR? Sometimes our best-laid-plans...

FOTLK is my favorite show in all of WDW! So glad the whole family loved it.

Great Hidden Mickey in the pathway... I will hunt for that next time!


Kathy

 

[Mommy2LittleVols]

Aww, great pic of Dakoda and his daddy! Makes up for the hiding-his-face pix at Tusker House! (Billy hated the non-face characters when he was that age, too.)

Oh well, how could you have known about that EMH morning when you made the ADR? Sometimes our best-laid-plans...

FOTLK is my favorite show in all of WDW! So glad the whole family loved it.

Great Hidden Mickey in the pathway... I will hunt for that next time!


Kathy

It is my new favorite show, too! (Used to be B&tB at DHS, but I didn't much care for it last time. ) We might have watched it again later in the week.

I that pic of those two. They both look soooo happy!

Looking back at my photos had made me realize that my children really need to wear shoes.

 

[that's nice]

I glad you liked Tusker House. We really tried to do this last March but it just wasn't in the cards. It's funny how the baby loved then and Dakoda hated them.

Those misters at the FOTLK are great arn't they! We loved the ones at Camp Mickey Minnie too!

That's a cool hidden Mickey you found! I never have seen it.

 

[Mommy2LittleVols]

I glad you liked Tusker House. We really tried to do this last March but it just wasn't in the cards. It's funny how the baby loved then and Dakoda hated them.

Those misters at the FOTLK are great arn't they! We loved the ones at Camp Mickey Minnie too!

That's a cool hidden Mickey you found! I never have seen it.

TH was so good! I forget, is it on your ADR list for March? Re: characters, I have a feeling our May trip is going to go one of two ways - 1) Dakoda will like them and SK will hate them, or 2) they will both hate them. I just have a feeling that they will scare her this time around.

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

I LOVE TH! I haven't ever been for breakfast, but I probably never will b/c i love lunch so much!

 

[that's nice]

TH was so good! I forget, is it on your ADR list for March? Re: characters, I have a feeling our May trip is going to go one of two ways - 1) Dakoda will like them and SK will hate them, or 2) they will both hate them. I just have a feeling that they will scare her this time around.

Unfortunately TH isn't on our list this time. We really aren't doing many breakfasts out because we have the house. But we will eat here sooner or later. LOL

Kids go through phases. Juliana was very tentative around the face characters when she was 2. She is sometimes a little shy now but she loves them all.

 

[racefanof88]

I love the update. If you get motion sickness a lot, the Walmart brand of motion sickness pills are wonderful. I will get nauseated at times for no reason and I can take one of them and I feel better in no time .

 

[Mommy2LittleVols]

I LOVE TH! I haven't ever been for breakfast, but I probably never will b/c i love lunch so much!

Ha! I'm the opposite - love it for breakfast so much that I'll probably never try lunch!

Unfortunately TH isn't on our list this time. We really aren't doing many breakfasts out because we have the house. But we will eat here sooner or later. LOL

Kids go through phases. Juliana was very tentative around the face characters when she was 2. She is sometimes a little shy now but she loves them all.

That's okay, you can eat there in December.

I love the update. If you get motion sickness a lot, the Walmart brand of motion sickness pills are wonderful. I will get nauseated at times for no reason and I can take one of them and I feel better in no time .

Thanks for the recommendation! I will definitely have to pick some of those up because I get carsick a lot, thanks to living in the mountains.

 

[Charlefours]

I thought I had posted but I have yet so hello ! I found your TR the other day and subscribed to it and read through it but never responded!

Your children are adorable! I love the picture of Dakoda and your DH! Adorable . I am looking forward to reading more about your trip--we are taking DD for her first trip in September.

 

[Mommy2LittleVols]

I thought I had posted but I have yet so hello ! I found your TR the other day and subscribed to it and read through it but never responded!

Your children are adorable! I love the picture of Dakoda and your DH! Adorable . I am looking forward to reading more about your trip--we are taking DD for her first trip in September.

Hi and to my TR! I saw that you will be celebrating your DD's 4th birthday on your trip. She will have SO much fun!! That is such a fun age to experience the magic!

 

[Charlefours]

Hi and to my TR! I saw that you will be celebrating your DD's 4th birthday on your trip. She will have SO much fun!! That is such a fun age to experience the magic!

Thank you!! I am so excited to take her down to celebrate her birthday and her first trip. It will be a fun six months leading up to it!!

 

[Mommy2LittleVols]

Okay guys, I know that I'm way behind on this TR, but I have some good news that will help me finally finish it. . . . . . . .

I'm getting a laptop!!

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