Chased By a Bear and a Trip to Urgent Care - A Very Merry Dis-mas 2016 TR! **Complete 2/23**

[xlsm]

Happy Valentine's Day, Loves!



Valentine's Day is one of those things that loses a little something as you get older. Probably because the days of school parties and candy overload are over. That's enough to dull the sparkle, right?

This is the first year that there has been no Valentine box building, no class parties, no hour long sessions of kids scribbling names of classmates on carefully chosen (or randomly grabbed) cards...

But we still try to do some special things around here!

I hope this day brings you a little joy! Hug your kids, or spouse, or partner, or dog, or cat, neighbor, co-worker, or monitor lizard...heck, even your UPS guy (or girl). Before DH and I got together, I dated my UPS guy...just make sure you remain on good terms if you ever split up, so your packages still arrive on time!



Ready for more Disney fun??

Chapter Eight Part Two

X had just tracked down his phone, and we were headed west...to the WILDEST RIIIIDE in the Wilderness!






This was definitely a must do with one of our FPs from the DVC tour!

What do you think we followed it up with??

Splash Mountain!

Up, up, up we go...










There went our final FP! The park was getting SUUUUPER crowded, and we were ready for a break. We did have one more must do on the list for the Magic Kingdom, though, so we made our way to...



Adventureland!

There was a snack left on our list that we really needed to check off.




Hell-O Citrus Swirl Yum!! There's something about the very tart orange mixed with the creamy vanilla that is irresistible. Plus, Orange Bird. Right? He's just the cutest thing.

That was it for our Magic Kingdom visits this trip. Isn't that sad? On the way out, I wanted to take one more family picture in front of the castle, but L of all people started whining about not having time to swim (I didn't think it was warm enough to swim, but what do I know), which made me upset, so I just marched us out of the park.

Not exactly the way you want to say goodbye to the Magic Kingdom

Yes, I could have pulled the mom card and made them do it anyway, but I did not do that mature responsible thing, I did the gut reaction mad thing. It happens. I've never claimed to be a perfect parent. I'm not sure those exist, anyway.

We got to the bus stop, me annoyed and not speaking, L feeling guilty and sad, X happy that he wasn't the one who did something to irritate me, and DH trying to diffuse the situation. Merry Christmas, happy holidays.

Once we were back at the Boardwalk, the kids got in their swimming trunks and I took them down to the quiet pool again, where they froze and turned blue upon exiting. But I have to hand it to them, they stuck it out and stayed in the water for the whole time we were out there. We got up the stairs to our floor when X realized he wasn't wearing his shoes...he had left them at the pool...so back down he went, while L and I headed on into the room to start cleaning up and getting ready for our big night out.

I made everyone wear real clothes tonight because we were on our way to a special dinner. We had a couple things to do before we made it to our reservation, though!



We walked around to the Beach Club, which we'd never visited before. The view across the water of the Boardwalk was stunning.

There was a specific reason why we picked this night to check out the holiday decorations over on this side of the lake. Characters were meeting in the Beach Club lobby on this evening, so I timed this visit carefully. The night we checked out the clown pool at our own resort, Mickey and Minnie were meeting in the lobby, but they were wearing the same outfits as they did at Animal Kingdom, so we skipped it. I was hoping we'd find them in something different over here.

But we'll get to that in a minute, first, it was time to get an eye full of this beachy beauty.







Can I please have a working chocolate and gingerbread carousel in my house?? Please?? I'm asking so nicely!!

As we walked around with our eyes bulging out of our heads at the carousel, I saw the line for Mickey and Minnie, and OMG! Their outfits were so cute, and something I'd never seen before!

We all got in line and struck up a conversation with a man behind us. He was asking about our trip, and telling us about his...and he told us all about how much he loved owning DVC, and how great it was...he was incredibly nice, but later on, I joked with DH that Disney was tracking us and planted him in line with us after our DVC tour that morning, LOL!!

Soon, it was our turn to visit with our holiday pals...









Aren't they adorable?? Their blue snowflake outfits went perfectly with the beachy decor in the Beach Club lobby. Way to do things right, Disney! It was a fun meet, and the mousey power couple were sweet and gracious. It was so fun to see the characters outside of a meal or park. There was something extra special about it.

Dinner time was creeping closer, so we left the Beach Club for the Yacht Club







Something a little magical happened when we walked inside...

It felt like home.

It felt a little like the Wilderness Lodge to us. We were beginning to fall in love with the Yacht Club...maybe love at first sight is real after all!















Would the feelings last?

Find out next time!

Until then, have a happy happy Valentine's Day full of love and fun (and candy!)

 

[Anesthesia Fine]

We got to the bus stop, me annoyed and not speaking, L feeling guilty and sad, X happy that he wasn't the one who did something to irritate me, and DH trying to diffuse the situation. Merry Christmas, happy holidays.

oh man, "X happy that he wasn't the one who did something to irritate me" made me laugh right out loud, because that's 100% what my two younger kids do. The youngest even points it out. "I'M doing what you asked me to do aren't I, Mom?" (And then I get irritated about that. Parenting: not for sissies.)

Anyway: I feel you.

How cute are those character outfits?!?! I love it! That's absolutely perfect. We need to get over and check out those resorts at some point.

 

[Stasieki]

We are making our first December trip this year... same dates as you. How did you find out the character meets in the lobby? Think Moderates do these too this time of year?

 

[MrsPMcD]

Brand new to DIS boards but loving your trip report, suffering some major PDD so have totally binged on your report! Thank you for sharing and a happy Valentine's Day to you too!

 

[missangelalexis]

Happy Valentine's Day to you too!

I always love doing the double whammy of Big Thunder & Splash back to back!

Aw man, saying goodbye to MK always stinks

OMG those outfits on Mickey & Minnie are the cutest!! Such a great photo!

Love seeing more of the resort decorations, they are so beautiful.

 

[xlsm]

oh man, "X happy that he wasn't the one who did something to irritate me" made me laugh right out loud, because that's 100% what my two younger kids do. The youngest even points it out. "I'M doing what you asked me to do aren't I, Mom?" (And then I get irritated about that. Parenting: not for sissies.)

Anyway: I feel you.

How cute are those character outfits?!?! I love it! That's absolutely perfect. We need to get over and check out those resorts at some point.

Oh, that sounds like my boys too!! L is always quick to point out that he's being the "good" one. To be fair, both of my boys are good, but there is always a higher chance that if anyone is complaining or being a pain, it's X. He was happy to not be the one in the direct line of mom's death glare

The outfits they were wearing were so perfect! If you ever have a chance to get over there and see those resorts, it's worth it. This was our first time ever being in the Epcot resort area, and it's all so beautiful!

We are making our first December trip this year... same dates as you. How did you find out the character meets in the lobby? Think Moderates do these too this time of year?

Awesome! I think it was a great week to go, and everything was so beautifully decorated!

I looked over the resort activity schedule for our resort (Boardwalk) and saw character meets on there, and then decided to check the other resorts too. I feel like a couple of the mods had characters, but I can't say for sure. Kenny the Pirate had some of the info too. It was such a fun surprise and felt like a great holiday bonus!

Some resorts also have entertainment...Boardwalk had carolers, but I never saw them. DH and L did, though!

Brand new to DIS boards but loving your trip report, suffering some major PDD so have totally binged on your report! Thank you for sharing and a happy Valentine's Day to you too!

to the Dis and welcome to my report! I'm so happy you're here hanging out with me! I understand PDD allll too well, and I use trip reports to help me cope, too!

Happy Valentine's Day to you too!

I always love doing the double whammy of Big Thunder & Splash back to back!

Aw man, saying goodbye to MK always stinks

OMG those outfits on Mickey & Minnie are the cutest!! Such a great photo!

Love seeing more of the resort decorations, they are so beautiful.

Big Thunder and Splash go together so well! Sometimes I switch up the order...because if you get too wet on Splash, you can try to dry off on Big Thunder
Or in this case...if it's chilly, Splash goes second so you don't freeze when the wind from Big Thunder blows on you! They are two of my very favorites, and I was glad to get a ride on Splash since the first day we were in MK it was too cold.

I feel like Mickey and Minnie knew their outfits were special. They had a little extra pizazz in their movements and reactions to things. Minnie was so excited when I commented on how much I loved her dress. I think she was just as excited to be wearing it as we all were to see it!

I looooved all of the decorations! Beach and Yacht Club both looked so nice, and I think it was a great way to see both resorts for the first time.

 

[coloredimage]

The bunny on the end of the boat looks like it's terrified of the drop lol

Hell-O Citrus Swirl

<3 <3 <3 that's my only comment here lol

Those outfits are so cute! I love them!

 

[xlsm]

The bunny on the end of the boat looks like it's terrified of the drop lol


<3 <3 <3 that's my only comment here lol


Those outfits are so cute! I love them!

Haha, YES! I thought I'd be the only one to notice that. It looks like he is about to face impending doom...and he is!

Citrus Swirl is Yum, yum, yum!!

I loved them too, and I'm pretty sure Minnie was VERY proud of her fancy, special outfit!

 

[Raeven]

Happy Valentine's Day, Loves!

Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

Can I please have a working chocolate and gingerbread carousel in my house?? Please?? I'm asking so nicely!!

I want one too!

Soon, it was our turn to visit with our holiday pals...









Aren't they adorable?? Their blue snowflake outfits went perfectly with the beachy decor in the Beach Club lobby. Way to do things right, Disney! It was a fun meet, and the mousey power couple were sweet and gracious. It was so fun to see the characters outside of a meal or park. There was something extra special about it.

So cute! I love their outfits!

 

[xlsm]

Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

I want one too!


So cute! I love their outfits!

Thank you!! We kept it mostly low key around here...I may have eaten a bit *too* much candy

They give us the recipes for their gingerbread things...surely we can recreate it, right??

They seemed to be feelin' pretty fancy in their cute cute snowflake suits!!

 

[ariane37]

Too bad you were in MK when your patience ran out ( although you really didn't lose it at all) or you could have just gotten some sangria like I did Chris will often point out that's he's not annoying me if Ricky is, and I just tell him "right, you're not annoying me this minute" Glad they stuck it out in the pool so they didn't have to hear you say I told you so about it being too cold!
Those snowflake outfits are just adorable! I would've been all over meeting them!

 

[xlsm]

Too bad you were in MK when your patience ran out ( although you really didn't lose it at all) or you could have just gotten some sangria like I did Chris will often point out that's he's not annoying me if Ricky is, and I just tell him "right, you're not annoying me this minute" Glad they stuck it out in the pool so they didn't have to hear you say I told you so about it being too cold!
Those snowflake outfits are just adorable! I would've been all over meeting them!

I was honestly just glad my patience has lasted so long in general, LOL!! This was a weird trip, but I think I held it together pretty well...but whining about one last castle pic pushed me over the edge! If only MK had a sangria vendor outside the gates for angry mom moments. They would rake in the cash!!

They were determined not to complain about the water temp after the MK incident.

I loved getting to meet Mickey and Minnie in such unique outfits! It made up for some of the others we missed out on during the other parts of the trip!

 

[xlsm]

Hello again!!

Another busy week around here! Parent/Teacher conferences were yesterday, and were successful. Lots of meetings for me this week, which are never much fun. My Odyssey of the Mind team competes next Saturday...we discovered there are only four teams in our division with our problem, so it looks like they will move on to state no matter what. We are not telling the kids, because I want them to score well and earn their place, not move ahead just because. It's stressing me out a little! I'm ready for competition to be over!!

moving right along to...

Chapter Eight Part Three

We were at the Yacht Club and the kids were wearing button down shirts, so you can probably guess where we were headed.



What a beautiful restaurant! We checked in, had a very short wait, and were taken to our table.

We were in a rounded room off to the side overlooking Stormalong Bay





The view of the pool is a big selling point. The kids were in love with Stormalong Bay, and are really wanting to stay at the Yacht Club! They're conflicted though...L is pretty in love with the Grand Floridian, and X has been wanting to stay at the Poly since our first family visit, so where in the (walt disney) world will we end up the next time we visit as a family?? (My money is on Yacht Club, with a Wilderness Lodge running second!)

Our server (who was AMAZING, we loved him!) took our drink order while DH and I checked out the cocktail menu, and we stared at the pretty restaurant some more



I ordered a Smoked Turkey, which is Wild Turkey 101, a cherry bourbon, a couple of mixers I can't remember, a dash of hickory smoke, and a cherry garnish. YUM!!



I feel like DH ordered a drink, too, but can't remember what it was and I have no pictures...if I had to guess I'd say it was some kind of mule. Our server took our meal order and it wasn't long before the first things came out.

The kids and DH ordered apps...no pictures, are you shocked?

DH had the artisanal cheese plate and the kids had French Onion Soup. I tried a few of the cheeses and accompaniments, and a couple of them were quite good.

L somehow managed to spill almost the entire bowl of (VERY HOT) soup all over himself. He was so embarrassed, and it hurt...I felt really bad for him. I had to stop X from taking pictures of him. So much for brotherly compassion! It was a big mess, but the staff was right on top of things and took care of it all quickly. They were so kind to L, who was just feeling so bad. They were going to replace his soup, but he said he didn't want it. I didn't see the bill, so I don't know if they charged us for it or not, but I have a feeling they didn't.

We made the decision that after dinner, L and DH would go back to the Boardwalk to change, and X and I would go on to Hollywood Studios, and we'd all meet up there.

Our dinner came out and we were ready to eat!

DH and I both ordered the 12oz prime New York strip with gratin potatoes and peppercorn brandy sauce



This was honestly one of the best steaks I've ever had in my life!

Both boys had the 6oz black angus filet with mashed potatoes and cabernet wine sauce...but they both asked for it with no sauce, so their plates looked pretty plain:



It looks pretty spartan, I know, but it was cooked perfectly and they cleaned their plates in record time!

We also ordered truffle macaroni and cheese for the four of us to share



Hey! Lookie there! A copper mule mug, I was right! That is what DH ordered for his cocktail!! (It's his usual choice, so it wasn't much of a guess)

We finished our meal and and prepared to split up - DH and L headed back to Boardwalk to change clothes (L was soaked with soup, bless his heart!) and X and I were going to catch a boat to DHS. We got a couple more pictures of the Yacht Club on the way out:






Once we were outside the resort, the boat was at the dock, so X and I started running over toward it, shouting "see you in a bit!" to DH and L, and a few minutes later, we arrived at Hollywood Studios.



We had a Fast Pass for Fantasmic, and had a little time to kill, so we just looked around for a little while





As we made our way closer to the check-in, we noticed that they were letting FP holders in already, so we decided to go on in and just save seats for DH and L.



Seats were filling in pretty quickly, and I was panicking a little. A nice couple next to us said they'd help us save spots, and they spread their stuff out on the bench too, which was so nice!





We had pretty good seats, but I wish we'd been a little more to the right...but you know how they always say, "please go all the way down the row".

DH was keeping me updated via text, and they were really pushing it on time, but they arrived just in time! He sent L to sit with us while he stayed up top to get drinks. He sat down with us just as the show was starting.

Here are a few terrible pictures of the show:















We were so glad to get all the way through the show this time! The last time we did Fantasmic in 2015, there was a problem during the Pocahontas scene, and it was stopped for awhile. We got tired of waiting and left...just in time to see/hear the finale while in line for our bus back to Wilderness Lodge! I was glad DH and the boys were able to see it all the way through this time.

That's it for now! I'll try to get the next update posted later this afternoon!!

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

So sorry that L spilled his soup. I'm sure he was embarrassed. I'm glad he didn't get burned in the process. The restaurant looks really nice. I've never been there but heard wonderful reviews.

 

[missangelalexis]

Your food at Yachtsman sounds really great. I'm sorry about the soup incident though, I'm sure DS was super uncomfortable

I'm glad you guys all got to see Fantasmic in its entirety! That's a fun way to end the night!

 

[ariane37]

Steve and I went to Yachtsman for our anniversary dinner on our first kid-free trip and had one of our best on-property meals there. In fact, last Nov. while staying at BC, we were visiting Yacht and happened to walk by the restaurant. I mentioned that I'd like to return soon and now you're making me want to return REAL soon I assume you had their bread with the garlic cloves
I have to say I'm surprised you aren't planning to stay at WL on your next family trip without question, given that by that time you'll have 3 non-WL stays under your belt! I know how much you love it. As a matter of fact I remember wondering WHY you loved it so much when I started reading your reports lol, because I saw no appeal! But you got me curious which is why I checked it out and why now it's my favorite

 

[mkate9]

Your dinner at Yachtsman looks great, in spite of the soup spill! How was the macaroni and cheese? It looks delicious, but then again, most macaroni and cheese does to me

We missed Fantasmic on our last trip, so it's a must do for our upcoming trip. It's one of my favorites!

 

[coloredimage]

Oh that does look yummy!

L somehow managed to spill almost the entire bowl of (VERY HOT) soup all over himself. He was so embarrassed, and it hurt...I felt really bad for him

Poor kid! I would feel bad for him too and I'm sure he was super embarrassed. Such a sad way to start dinner for him!

 

[xlsm]

So sorry that L spilled his soup. I'm sure he was embarrassed. I'm glad he didn't get burned in the process. The restaurant looks really nice. I've never been there but heard wonderful reviews.

I was so glad he wasn't badly burned! The soup was very hot and it was painful, but it was quick at least I felt so bad for him!

The Yachtsman was beautiful, and I'd absolutely recommend it to anyone. I liked that it feels both upscale and casual at the same time. It was a really great experience and the food and service were incredible!

Your food at Yachtsman sounds really great. I'm sorry about the soup incident though, I'm sure DS was super uncomfortable

I'm glad you guys all got to see Fantasmic in its entirety! That's a fun way to end the night!

He did not like sitting there wet and soupy, that's for sure! The food was so good, it's going to have to be a repeat meal.

Fantasmic was a good ending to the evening. It also helped that the weather was comfortable!

Steve and I went to Yachtsman for our anniversary dinner on our first kid-free trip and had one of our best on-property meals there. In fact, last Nov. while staying at BC, we were visiting Yacht and happened to walk by the restaurant. I mentioned that I'd like to return soon and now you're making me want to return REAL soon I assume you had their bread with the garlic cloves
I have to say I'm surprised you aren't planning to stay at WL on your next family trip without question, given that by that time you'll have 3 non-WL stays under your belt! I know how much you love it. As a matter of fact I remember wondering WHY you loved it so much when I started reading your reports lol, because I saw no appeal! But you got me curious which is why I checked it out and why now it's my favorite

Yachtsman is the perfect place for an anniversary dinner! It was definitely number one for us on this trip, and we all want to go back!
Yes, we had the bread with garlic YUM!! Anytime Disney sets a dish of salted butter down on the table, I get really excited...to add the garlic? Well, I was sold!

As for WL on our next family trip...it's where I would pick! The kids are obsessed with Stormalong Bay right now, and every time I mention any of my upcoming trips, they say they want to stay where they can use "that huge fancy pool". But, that could be quite awhile from now, so they might change their minds! The next time we go as a family, it will be a longer 10 day stay with water parks thrown in, so I might just end up booking WL and telling them to deal with it, LOL!! They'll be old enough to do more on their own at that time, too, so staying at the Lodge will make me more comfortable with letting them go off without us.

Your dinner at Yachtsman looks great, in spite of the soup spill! How was the macaroni and cheese? It looks delicious, but then again, most macaroni and cheese does to me

We missed Fantasmic on our last trip, so it's a must do for our upcoming trip. It's one of my favorites!

Our dinner was so good!! The mac and cheese was great...I'm a fan of all things mac and cheese too!! If it's on the menu, I want it!

Oh that does look yummy!

Poor kid! I would feel bad for him too and I'm sure he was super embarrassed. Such a sad way to start dinner for him!

It was delicious! The cherry garnish was really good. They were almost candied or something. They were heavier and more substantial than a normal maraschino cherry, and I wish I had a bowl of them. I love any drink that combines bourbon with cherry!

It was a sad start to dinner, I felt so bad! He dealt with it like a champ though, thank goodness!

 

[xlsm]

Good morning!

I'm watching last night's episode of Riverdale on the DVR, and thought I'd get another update rolled out. We're almost finished up, can you believe it? I feel like I got through this report pretty quickly...I will get it wrapped up by next week, making it only two months from start to end. I don't think I've been that quick before.

Chapter Eight Part Four

I had one more Fast Pass booked for after Fantasmic, and the window was open...



(yes, it's a bad picture)

We rode the elevator up, up, up...and came down, down, down...and ended up with this terrifically awkward ride photo:



Fireworks from Jingle Bell or Star Wars were going off during the ride, and it was spectacular!

It was the perfect last hurrah for our trip.

Everyone was feeling a little sad as we made our way out of the park.



The lights and decorations were beautiful, and snoap was flying through the air. It was magical.





We said goodbye to the Christmas tree



and hopped on the Friendship boat back to Boardwalk.



Illuminations was going on at Epcot, so we got to see the fireworks from the boat on our way across the water





The Boardwalk was not the first stop for the Friendship Boat, but the Swan/Dolphin was. Even though my guys were tired, I made them get off there so I could do one more thing.



I wanted to see some of the holiday decorations there...I did it, @ariane37 !



Santa's favorite resort? That's an awfully bold claim!

We decided to make the Dolphin our stop.



Please know that the pictures I'm about to share do NOT do the decorations here justice!

First up is the HUUUUUGGGEEE tree made of white poinsettias.









This was my first time visiting either the Dolphin or Swan, and I was impressed! I didn't quite know what to expect, but WOW. It's beautiful inside.

We left and headed back to our temporary home



One thing we definitely loved at the Boardwalk was the photobooths...so we all crammed ourselves into the tiny booth.





We ended the night with a trip to the Boardwalk Bakery for some cupcakes...we got two strawberry and two oreo. Oreo for X and DH, Strawberry for me and L. Here they are from a couple angles...because they're so pretty!





Once we were back in the room, we ate our cupcakes and started getting things packed up for the trip home

Next up will be our departure day...we've almost made it!