Blended O'HANA: lights, water fountains, and characters OH MY!

[mFont23]

Yay another update!!! Don't tell anyone... but yours is my favorite to follow

THANK YOU!!!!! Well I'll likely post LOTS of updates soon because I am determined to FINISH this dang report before the end of the year. Also because we are planning our NEXT trip. Originally wanted a September getaway with the hubs, but instead we are opting for a trip with my parents next December. So all my free time will be dedicated to googling how to take a TODDLER to Disney LOL

Love the sleeping baby pic, too cute!!

I see this baby and I miss him! He's about to turn 19 months and is all kinds of crazy. Funny, we just had Gia's mom and them over on Thursday and the boys were playing and JP just mauls over poor Christian. He is much more timid than JP, and I thought back to this trip and how even when they were littler, this was their relationship.

This is hysterical! Her face is priceless.

THEY ARE THE BEST!

 

[smilie]

I see this baby and I miss him! He's about to turn 19 months and is all kinds of crazy. Funny, we just had Gia's mom and them over on Thursday and the boys were playing and JP just mauls over poor Christian. He is much more timid than JP, and I thought back to this trip and how even when they were littler, this was their relationship.

They change so fast, especially when they're young. But each stage is so fun and new. Maybe you have a football player on your hands!!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

That is a big team!

I just try not to tell people, because it reminds me of what a loser I thought my brother was growing up. I guess old habits don’t die easily.

Ha! Sybling love at it's best!

Lover her face.

Sounds like the best Starbucks stop ever!

 

[pkondz]

I always meant to post an update once a week.. but, you know, life!

Yup. Get it.

I miss Gia when she’s not with us, and I know Jimmy does, but it sure is easier to get out the door when she’s with her mom.

Funny how much quicker you can move, no?

I really just wanted to get there in time to take some pictures, shop around, and get COFFEE… and ENJOY it! That’s exactly what we did.

Good for you!

Their group photo!

Big group!

Also, today was MARDI GRAS! If you don’t know what that is

... then you must live in a cave.

The colors of mardi gras (purple, green, and gold) represent Justice, Faith, and power.

Did not know that, however.

You can see elements of Mardi Gras year-round at either Port Orleans resort…

Especially POFQ.

That being said, we’ve seen enough actual Mardi Gras.

It used to be on my bucket list... but now I'm just not that into it. Don't have an urge to be squished in a massive, drunken crowd.

and Mom wore beads!

Heh. Did she earn them?

Cute photo op.

I strapped him to me and we went through no-bag security so I could keep moving, and put him to sleep.

And it looks like it worked.

They even had us take a “shhhh, baby is sleeping” picture. Love those Photopass people!

awww...

Before we found out how to get in to Starbucks, in came the stormtroopers. I was a little too excited for this. The excitement wore off when we saw it every hour while we were in the park, but it was still really cool!!!

Glad you enjoyed it.

Over


and


over



and




over

I just try not to tell people, because it reminds me of what a loser I thought my brother was growing up. I guess old habits don’t die easily.

Back to Starbucks. Jimmy and I were in line and waiting when we got some side entertainment…

Those guys are great!
Possibly the best part of DHS.

Nice shot!

One of my favorite things about Disney is their ability to create entertainment, even in the simplest forms, EVERYWHERE. And to really put complete attention to even the smallest details of that.

G actually found us right after we had gotten starbucks, and naturally she wanted some, too. Yes, we let her get frozen coffee drinks. She hardly drinks any of it, so we get to finish it off, and it just makes her happy to be a big girl. She’s spoiled, what do you want me to say?

That you're a good mom for indulging her in that.

Plus, i’m just a beast on that ride.

Oh? Do tell!

No offense to anyone that loves DHS, but with Gia’s performance around 5 in Downtown Disney, we had to pick a park that we could stand to only spend half a day in.

I agree. Maybe when SWL opens it'll be worth a longer stay. But right now... half a day is fine.

I did enjoy seeing the characters leave the stage. I totally fan-girled! But..you know.. I’m not super into that sort of thing. *crickets* *crickets*

Daisy and Donald?

 

[mFont23]

That is a big team!

It was, but they were broken up into many small groups.

Sounds like the best Starbucks stop ever!

BASICALLY!

Funny how much quicker you can move, no?

I tell people that all the time. They're like yeah, having a baby is tough. I'm like... baby? He's easy! Getting the 8 year old out the door is the hard part!

Did not know that, however.

Learn something new everyday.

Heh. Did she earn them?

Glad you enjoyed it.

Over


and


over



and




over

Those guys are great!
Possibly the best part of DHS.

That, and FANTASMIC of course.

I agree. Maybe when SWL opens it'll be worth a longer stay. But right now... half a day is fine.

We are planning to go next December, and hopefully it'll be up and running. With G in school we will probably only do 3 park days, and my husband wants a full day in DHS this time because of Toy Story Land! We actually only did a half day in DHS for our wedding, too. I'm excited for it to get more interesting again.

Daisy and Donald?

YES!!! Funny, I think either Mom or Jimmy said the same thing in that moment.

 

[mFont23]

Happy Mardi Gras from Disney Hollywood Studios! Part 2


Last we left off, Gia’s mom was meeting back up with us after we had done TSM and they had done Rockin Roller Coaster. We had a fastpass for the Frozen Ever After show at 11:30. My parents had done it the May before and just raved about it. Gia wasn’t still super into Frozen, but we all thought it was a good idea. And since it was a half day, better to plan our day around fastpasses we could use and be sure we got a lot done.


You know how these shows work… you go in between 11 and 11:15, then wait another 15 minutes to be seated inside. So we had some time together before the show. SNACK TIME. Of course, with babies, isn’t it ALWAYS snack time? It also gave the babies a chance to get out some energy before sitting again.


And they were adorable!

My little hot-mess of a child!


Before you know it, it was SHOWTIME! WHAT A FUN TIME!!!!!! Spoiler alert, it may or may not snow...

We just loved it. The kids loved it. It was good fun for us all. I guess I’ll get over the loss of American Idol.


After that, it was time to split. G had to get back to the resort and get ready for her performance, and we stuck around the park a little while longer.


We decided to get more pictures before leaving Jimmy with the baby so Mom and I could ride Tower of Terror. It’s her favorite.

I had take off my Maleficint kimono by this time. IT WAS STINKIN HOT! It made me sad. My entire outfit that day revolved around it. And JP tried to wear his hat. He’s better about it at his age now, but back then not so much. Oh well, it was cute while it lasted.

Our “Hollywood” pose!


While we were in the area, we witnessed more cast member fun! Someone got a TICKET!

So of course I took a picture!

We did some light shopping and parted with Jimmy and JP near the bathrooms on Sunset.

 

[mFont23]

Continued...

As a good daughter, I had to indulge my mother in her favorite ride. Now, it’s been a hot minute since I’ve done a thrill ride and something about this ride in particular gives me the hibby-jibbies. Mainly, it’s the film. I’m more afraid of ghosts than I am of the drop. Because you SEE the drop coming, but not knowing the depth of where I am or how to get out... that’s enough Terror for me. Not gonna lie… I nearly had a small panic attack here. But, I had my mommy! So I was, eh, okay.


Next, it was time to EAT! After scrolling through the app, we decided on some counter service pizza at the old pizza planet. That was one of the first places we ate at on my first trip in 1999. JP had fallen asleep again and we let him sleep while we made the walk over towards the Muppets. Star Wars Land is coming, but for now there’s just this giant picture… So naturally, there’s a photopass person in front of it. We got a few snaps in before lunch.

He told us to use the force? So I guess that’s how you use it?

Idk about Mom and Jimmy, but I was starving. So much so that I just ordered ahead to pick up so I didn’t have to wait in line. Well, joke was on me, there was no line and I paid out of pocket through the app instead of using a CS credit because I still hadn’t figured out how to use the app in conjunction with the dining plan. Womp womp wommmmmp. Oh well, we had food!


So the place is now called PizzaRizzo’s. It’s named after the Muppets “Rizzo the Rat”. I don’t really relate, but it sure was yummy!

I really liked the cup of salad they offer.


So, that was our food, but what made for an interesting lunch was the ATMOSPHERE! We went upstairs into this banquet looking room. My husband is Italian, and I was like, “Jimmy. It’s like an italian wedding. Like, did we just step into the Godfather? Where are all the Peters and Paulys with envelopes of money?”

There was a dance floor in the middle of the room, colored strobe lighting, and songs like “YMCA and Boogie Shoes”. Then we noticed this outside the doors:

We were just tickled with this! And the music… YOU CANNOT HELP BUT DANCE! And my son, like me, has the music in him. There was one other family seated in this area with young boys, so he was fascinated with them, and they were fascinated with him. What do you do in this situation? YOU DANCE TOGETHER! Don’t mind my face, they were kind of rough and I was slightly worried. And still very much hangry.

Please forgive my “I’m pretending to be interested in what this kid is saying” face. I still hadn’t really gotten to eat. #Motherhood


We really did enjoy that, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat knowing we can have our own, free, wedding reception LOL


After lunch, we really only had a few other things we wanted to do before heading to downtown Disney. We wanted to see some Star Wars things, a few photo ops, and to meet Kylo Ren at the Launch Bay (privileges of Disney Visa Card). We also hoped to catch Beauty and the Beast before we left.


So what’s the first thing we do? Play in another fountain, of course.

 

[mFont23]

Continued again...

Those pictures, my Mom took. But JP was being so cute and silly that a nearby photopass person just started snapping some pictures and then came and clicked mom’s magic band. That was sweet! My favorite pictures are of the moments. They’re not always the best, but they are the most genuine.

Back to our list: Star Wars Photo Ops… and they did not disappoint! I wanted this for Jimmy and JP, and the whole reason they were both in Star Wars shirts this day.

JP wasn’t feelin the force, but he sure was giggling about something.


Then on to the Launch Bay!

We walked around a bit, trying to find our way. I miss when it was the animation area, but this was really cool. They had the inside setup a lot like scenes from the movies, and of course, so many photo ops!


With my Dad being such a fan, we saw a small line to take pictures with a lightsaber. WE JUST HAD TO! JP loved it but didn’t know what to do with it. Again, these people love to tell you to use the force.

 

[mFont23]

Continued once more...


Then… IT. WAS. TIME.


Time to find our way into the secret area you get into with your Disney Visa to meet Kylo Ren.


It was a maze back there. Wasn’t really sure where we were going. Then our CM guide told us to keep quiet and beware. That he may try to turn us to the dark side. We walked towards a long hallway, and at the end of the hallway, so dark only the few red spots of his costume shown… was Kylo Ren! He motioned, ever so dramatically, for us to follow him.


Once we got into the light, the photo area, of course, JP was entranced. He almost LIKED Kylo Ren. He spoke to JP about how he could use his forces on the dark side and we, dramatically, were like NOOO JP! TELL HIM NO, NO, NO. JP could care less about us. Then Kylo Ren said something along the lines of “take my hand, come with me” and I swear to you, my son grabbed his hands. All I could think was “uhhhhh. This just got weird. This better not be some sort of premonition.”

Now, I gotta say the experience was cool, but who designed the photo op? He’s in all black, barely visible, in front of nearly an all black background. The picture-nazi in me was not thrilled. But it was a cool experience!

We explored the Launch Bay some more before heading out.

JP, seriously? You almost went ROGUE and joined the darkside, now you want to play with Darth Vader? *you see what I did there?*


After all that excitement, we kind of called it a day. I didn’t NEED to see Beauty and the Beast and felt better about heading out now and taking our time getting to Downtown Disney. So that’s what we did.


We did a LOT in a short amount of time. We left the park probably before 3pm and we did TSM, Frozen Ever After, Tower of Terror, lots of great pics, a fun lunch, and lots of exciting Star Wars happenings and WITH A BABY! I’d call that a win.

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Our “Hollywood” pose!

I love this pic. JP is happy but he kind of has this look like, yup, these girls are my family. There crazy but I still love them.

This is hilarious! I would have taken a photo also!

JP's face is amazing! Big Kids!!!!

Please forgive my “I’m pretending to be interested in what this kid is saying” face. I still hadn’t really gotten to eat. #Motherhood

I am sure I have made that face before...

JP wasn’t feelin the force, but he sure was giggling about something.

Love it! Great father son picture!

I didn't know they did this! I WAS going to say, maybe he is a future little jedi... but... I kept reading...

The progression of photos is awsome, From look how fun this is to wait... you want to go to the dark side...

JP, seriously? You almost went ROGUE and joined the darkside, now you want to play with Darth Vader? *you see what I did there?*

I don't know... He really seems to like the dark side. Becareful!

 

[pkondz]

I tell people that all the time. They're like yeah, having a baby is tough. I'm like... baby? He's easy! Getting the 8 year old out the door is the hard part!

We are planning to go next December, and hopefully it'll be up and running. With G in school we will probably only do 3 park days, and my husband wants a full day in DHS this time because of Toy Story Land! We actually only did a half day in DHS for our wedding, too. I'm excited for it to get more interesting again.

I won't go anywhere near DHS when SWL opens. I think the crowds will be, well... insane. I'll wait a bit for things to settle down.

 

[pkondz]

So we had some time together before the show. SNACK TIME.

Of course!

Of course, with babies, isn’t it ALWAYS snack time?

My little hot-mess of a child!

But cute photo!

Before you know it, it was SHOWTIME! WHAT A FUN TIME!!!!!! Spoiler alert, it may or may not snow...

So you're saying... not.

Love this shot of the two of you.

Mom and I could ride Tower of Terror. It’s her favorite.

Your mom is smart.

Our “Hollywood” pose!

Great shot!

While we were in the area, we witnessed more cast member fun! Someone got a TICKET!

I wonder what they thought when they came back out?

Continued...

Perfect!

something about this ride in particular gives me the hibby-jibbies. Mainly, it’s the film. I’m more afraid of ghosts than I am of the drop.

Awwww.... you poor thing.

I nearly had a small panic attack here. But, I had my mommy! So I was, eh, okay.

Can't... breathe...

Idk about Mom and Jimmy, but I was starving. So much so that I just ordered ahead to pick up so I didn’t have to wait in line. Well, joke was on me, there was no line and I paid out of pocket through the app instead of using a CS credit because I still hadn’t figured out how to use the app in conjunction with the dining plan.

Well, you're ahead of me. I've no idea how to use it. Probably should see if I can figure it out before May.

I really liked the cup of salad they offer.

Not now. That's romaine lettuce, isn't it?

So, that was our food, but what made for an interesting lunch was the ATMOSPHERE! We went upstairs into this banquet looking room. My husband is Italian, and I was like, “Jimmy. It’s like an italian wedding. Like, did we just step into the Godfather? Where are all the Peters and Paulys with envelopes of money?”

Cool!

Took me a minute to figure out that it wasn't an actual wedding.

We were just tickled with this! And the music… YOU CANNOT HELP BUT DANCE! And my son, like me, has the music in him. There was one other family seated in this area with young boys, so he was fascinated with them, and they were fascinated with him. What do you do in this situation? YOU DANCE TOGETHER! Don’t mind my face, they were kind of rough and I was slightly worried. And still very much hangry.

"Take one step closer and you die!"

Please forgive my “I’m pretending to be interested in what this kid is saying” face. I still hadn’t really gotten to eat. #Motherhood

Someone get this woman some food! Stat!

Awww...

My favorite pictures are of the moments. They’re not always the best, but they are the most genuine.

Nice keepsake shot of the two of them.

Ugh! Can't... Breathe....

Time to find our way into the secret area you get into with your Disney Visa to meet Kylo Ren.

Well! Aren't we special! All private meetings and stuff.

Then our CM guide told us to keep quiet and beware. That he may try to turn us to the dark side.

ooohhh.... this is scarier than TOT.

He almost LIKED Kylo Ren.

uh oh...

He spoke to JP about how he could use his forces on the dark side and we, dramatically, were like NOOO JP! TELL HIM NO, NO, NO.

Then Kylo Ren said something along the lines of “take my hand, come with me” and I swear to you, my son grabbed his hands. All I could think was “uhhhhh. This just got weird. This better not be some sort of premonition.”

Yep. He's lost to you. I'm sorry. It's over. He's gone over to the dark side.

Now, I gotta say the experience was cool, but who designed the photo op? He’s in all black, barely visible, in front of nearly an all black background. The picture-nazi in me was not thrilled.

That is a very good point. Sheesh!

JP, seriously? You almost went ROGUE and joined the darkside, now you want to play with Darth Vader? *you see what I did there?*

Did he say "Father!"?


asking for a friend.

 

[TheLittleKatie]

That being said, we spent half of our trip with Gia's mom (Ashley), stepdad (David), and other little brother (Christian). I believe we are what some would call a “blended family.” But honestly, after all the hard work and love we all had to put in to making this work, I consider it more of a “contouring family”. *WHERE MY LADIES THAT DO GOOD MAKEUP AT?! YOU KNOW WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT!* Obviously not an ideal family situation, but we do our best as parents to make life as seamless and easy as possible for a little girl that lives in two different houses any given week. So you know what?! We Disney'd together. Yep. That happened! And you know what else?! We had a lot of fun! I just hope that she looks back one day and remembers how great her childhood was because she didn't have to choose between parents or sides. That she could have everyone she loved be in one place and it be okay. And it's not easy, but we all put a lot of effort into it and make it work.

Hi Michelle! I've just read through your trip report so far, it's so fun, thanks for sharing! As someone who had a split family as a kid, I would have LOVED for everyone to go to Disney together! It's so sweet of you to plan all of that, and I bet Gia will have really appreciated it

How was your layover in Atlanta? Did everything run smoothly? I'll be doing this for the first time in Feb (my first ever non-direct flight!) and I'm a little nervous.. it will be a bit different as we'll be coming over from the UK so we'll go through a bunch of security first, but hopefully the layout of the airport is easy enough to navigate and find our next flight?!

I also love your pictures from Port Orleans Riverside, thanks for sharing! I love it there Looking forward to hearing about the rest of your trip!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Brilliant updates! Love all the details about Mardi Gras (we Irish may also enjoy a party,any party lol)
Gia looks so cute in her dance costume and in her wee photo shoot. It's so great that you guys make it work sharing and celebrating with her whole family circle . You should be so proud of yourselves
You got some fantastic photos this day and definitely got a lot done in a short space of time and without anyone being frazzled though I did laugh at your hangry photos Your expressions are just priceless and I love that you "own" them

 

[mFont23]

They change so fast, especially when they're young. But each stage is so fun and new. Maybe you have a football player on your hands!!

My husband would love that too much. He played all the sports, but went the furthest in football. He actually played on the 2003 LSU national championship team. He is my own piece of memoribillia. Not saying I would push my son to go there... buttttttt... GEAUX TIGERS!

There crazy but I still love them.

story of my life.

This is hilarious! I would have taken a photo also!

we were just-a-gigglin over it. Part of me thinks it's not really for a person, but rather just a prop. STILL FUNNY!

I didn't know they did this! I WAS going to say, maybe he is a future little jedi... but... I kept reading...

We stumbled upon this and so glad we did.

I don't know... He really seems to like the dark side. Becareful!

I think we've all got a little dark side in us... although my husband does have that evil laugh... uh oh! maybe JP has more darkside than I anticipated.

I won't go anywhere near DHS when SWL opens. I think the crowds will be, well... insane. I'll wait a bit for things to settle down.

VERY good point. We are so excited about toy story land that we can't miss it, but with star wars land so busy, maybe the rest of the park will be less crowded when we go? eh.. a girl can dream.

So you're saying... not.

duh.

Love this shot of the two of you.

me too!

I wonder what they thought when they came back out?

I don't think it was actually for a person. I think it's a prop, really. But a very well placed prop!

Can't... breathe...

HAHAHAHHAHAHAHH!!!!

Well, you're ahead of me. I've no idea how to use it. Probably should see if I can figure it out before May.

YES! My experience is that phone never get great service in Disney so I never wanted to rely on the phone. But I guess technology has come a long way, and the apps were life savers, really.

Not now. That's romaine lettuce, isn't it?

NO ROMAINE, PLEASE!

Took me a minute to figure out that it wasn't an actual wedding.

you and me both.

"Take one step closer and you die!"

too obvious?

Yep. He's lost to you. I'm sorry. It's over. He's gone over to the dark side.

no more star wars for this baby.

That is a very good point. Sheesh!

I always feel guilty complaining about anything in Disney, but this was silly to me. Especially because it was a "special" thing.

Did he say "Father!"?


asking for a friend.

luckily that word was not yet in his wheelhouse. that would've gotten reaaaaaal awkward reaaaaaal quick.

Hi Michelle! I've just read through your trip report so far, it's so fun, thanks for sharing! As someone who had a split family as a kid, I would have LOVED for everyone to go to Disney together! It's so sweet of you to plan all of that, and I bet Gia will have really appreciated it

Well thank you! So glad you're reading along. I promise to get my story rolling more. There's only ONE PARK DAY left in my story and some resort hopping. But I'd like to finish it soon. Already planning the next one! Split families are hard for everyone, but we always thought it was our job as parents, and his job since he had split from her mom, to make life as easy as possible for her. She still has to clean her room and respect adults, but she should never have to choose sides. And selfishly, working with her mom makes our life so much easier than working against her. I wish more people understood that.

How was your layover in Atlanta? Did everything run smoothly? I'll be doing this for the first time in Feb (my first ever non-direct flight!) and I'm a little nervous.. it will be a bit different as we'll be coming over from the UK so we'll go through a bunch of security first, but hopefully the layout of the airport is easy enough to navigate and find our next flight?!

The layover went very well. My son is a morning person, so morning flight was the best. Then the layover gave him a chance to get some energy out, eat, play, mingle with strangers. It was maybe an hour and a half? I'm not positive. Long enough for us all to eat and stretch our legs. Then he slept the entire next flight. We are planning to go to Phoenix in May and that's a 3 hour flight for us, direct. So i'm planning to do some flight hopping because my son can't make it all in one trip, even if it makes it easier on us. I kinda think all airports are the same and easy to navigate. Mostly everything you need should be in your concourse or easy to find.

I also love your pictures from Port Orleans Riverside, thanks for sharing! I love it there Looking forward to hearing about the rest of your trip!

Thank you! We LOVE it there!!!! I recently saw that they are doing weddings there. Makes me want to get married again LOL

(we Irish may also enjoy a party,any party lol)

MY KIND OF PEOPLE!

It's so great that you guys make it work sharing and celebrating with her whole family circle . You should be so proud of yourselves

Thank you. But as I said before... selfishly, it makes our life easier, too. But you know what, I am really proud of us! So thank you.

I did laugh at your hangry photos Your expressions are just priceless and I love that you "own" them

Oh yes! HAVE to own that!!! 2 things I don't do well. That's hungry and tired. NOT PLEASANT.

 

[mFont23]

Mardi Gras in Downtown Disney.


We left DHS in the mid-afternoon range. Gia’s dance was at 5:15 in Downtown Disney. We brought our special shirts with us to change so that we didn’t have to do much stopping from park to DTD. The forecast showed a little rain coming, so we had ponchos as well, and just kind of hoped for the best. I want to say it took us a while on the bus to get to DTD. Long enough to lull most of us to sleep. I’m pretty sure that’s the wall I hit, because it was only tired from that point forward.


We got off the bus near all the shopping. The stage Gia would be on was across from the World of Disney (EVERYONE’S FAVORITE SHOP!). But we wanted to shop some and get some goodies while we were down there. Even though the bus felt like forever, we got to DTD in PLENTY of time. We went into the Harley Store, of course (My husband is General Manager of a Harley dealership). We spent plenty of time, back and forth, over and over in the WOD. That’s actually where we ran into my in laws! Now, remember they were going to surprise Gia. They, too, had their special shirts on. They just flew in and were staying that night, doing a romantic dinner at DTD, and coming to MK with us on Valentine’s Day then heading home.


At this point they keep JP like once a week, and they see him often, so they were missing the kids and so excited to see him. They took him all over the world of disney, buying him whatever he could get his hands on. I think they managed to walk away with just a stuffed Olaf, but I’m sure there were other things they had in their bags. That’s what grandparents are for, right? Heck, I was just glad me, Mom, and Jim had a chance to get changed and a moment to kind of recoup before more excitement. There’s also a tea shop near WOD that Jim and I were hoping to caffeinate before shopping more, while JP was busy.


As luck would have it, it started to rain while we were in WOD. But even better than that… it only lasted a few minutes AND cooled the place down. And not long before the girls arrived to perform!


Before we go any further, I should probably show my favorite picture from shopping. Because you HAVE to take pictures, right? Also… my husband lives in a Fantasyland all the time. So this was fitting.

After the rain, but before the girls arrived, we set out to find some quick treats. We happened along a stand with Poutine (fries, gravy, and mozzarella). AND OMG MY LIFE CHANGED IN THAT FIRST BITE! Mom also had been dying for a sprinkles cupcake, and I was entirely too tired to go with her, so she and Jim went to get that while I sat with the in laws enjoying my poutine.

Told you… too tired.


That’s about the same time we ran into Gia’s mom and them. Touched base. She told us the girls were showing up soon. So we all finished our treats and headed back to the WOD area, near the stage.


While we waited for the girls, we made some friends. My father in law has never met a stranger. So we ended up befriending an older couple that had come for a Disney wedding, ironically enough, and were from Louisiana and LSU fans, as well. They asked what was going to happen at the stage and we told him our girl (also from LA) was about to perform and that my husband used to play football for LSU, and they decided to stick around and watch with us to support the girls. It was really nice!


It was time. We could see the girls in their costumes all walking towards where we were. So my in laws hid with signs on their neck that said “PRANK”. When Jimmy and I caught Gia in the line of girls we ran to her to tell her how proud and excited we were and we had a surprise for her…

It was REALLY a great moment. She’s actually been invited to go again this Mardi Gras. Her mom is going, but we are holding out for a trip with my family in December 2019. But this set the bar pretty high, so she is kind of convinced we are all going to “prank” her. Sorry love, nope.


Once they got there, it was still a wait until they started, and each age group had their own little dance. We took some pics while we waited. I am still VERY sad we did not all get a picture in our shirts with Gia.

 

[mFont23]

Continued...

Finally Gia’s group! Now this is their recital dances, just with fewer girls. Gia’s group only had 6 girls, but I think they had a lot of fun!

After her performance, I think everyone had reached a really tired point. We could’ve gone to dinner, but nah. We could’ve gone back to their hotel to swim, but nah. She went back to play with her friends (yeah right, she totally went to sleep), and we did a little more shopping and called it a night as well.


We had to make it into the Christmas Shop, of course! In fact, I just searched the house high and low to find that stinking ornament we bought. Took all day, but I got it and it is ON OUR TREE! I know we stopped in the kitchen store and TrenD, too. Can’t remember any of the other big heavy hitters, but those are our favorites. I was so tired at that point that I don’t remember if we even bought anything.


We did take this picture before we headed back to the bus.

Once we got to the bus stop, we bagged up all the stuff and closed up the stroller and just SAT until a bus was going to come and take us hommmmmme.


And you know what we did? We went to BED! The next day was our last day, but it was a BIG day and it was VALENTINES day. So rest we shall.

 

[Steppesister]

Geez!! Looks like I"m 3 updates behind! I think I'm going to have to come back another night and spend a bit more time reading.... Looking forward to it though!!

 

[pkondz]

VERY good point. We are so excited about toy story land that we can't miss it, but with star wars land so busy, maybe the rest of the park will be less crowded when we go? eh.. a girl can dream.

Oh sure.
You can ride SDD over and over and over and....



… then I woke up.

NO ROMAINE, PLEASE!

no more star wars for this baby.

Bringing him back from the dark side will not be easy.

luckily that word was not yet in his wheelhouse. that would've gotten reaaaaaal awkward reaaaaaal quick.

Back to read the update later.
Gotta make brekkie.

 

[pkondz]

I’m pretty sure that’s the wall I hit, because it was only tired from that point forward.

World of Disney (EVERYONE’S FAVORITE SHOP!).

Of course!

We went into the Harley Store, of course

One must do this, mustn't one?

(My husband is General Manager of a Harley dealership).

And my BEST FRIEND!!!!!

They just flew in and were staying that night, doing a romantic dinner at DTD, and coming to MK with us on Valentine’s Day then heading home.

Whoa! Whirlwind tour!

They took him all over the world of disney, buying him whatever he could get his hands on

That could get verrrrrry expensive!

That’s what grandparents are for, right?

Right!

As luck would have it, it started to rain while we were in WOD. But even better than that… it only lasted a few minutes AND cooled the place down. And not long before the girls arrived to perform!

Good timing!

We happened along a stand with Poutine (fries, gravy, and mozzarella). AND OMG MY LIFE CHANGED IN THAT FIRST BITE!

On behalf of Canada... You're welcome.

Told you… too tired.

Awwwww....

My father in law has never met a stranger.

I'm sorry... What????

Love this shot!

But that one's even better!

Awww... they certainly look happy to be together.

Now this is their recital dances, just with fewer girls. Gia’s group only had 6 girls, but I think they had a lot of fun!

Good!
I've seen so many of those... I consider myself an expert now!

In fact, I just searched the house high and low to find that stinking ornament we bought.

If it stinks, you'd think it would be fairly easy to find.