Dining Adventures with Character, March 8-14

[jenseib]

great reviews - thanks for sharing!

Dawn

Thank you!

 

[lisalonglash]

Just saw this review today and had to join in! LOVE the pictures and detail of your reviews - great stuff I'm looking forward to reading more!

PS: How on earth do you cope with late sleepers? I set up the Mickey/Stitch wake-up call for our room at 6:30am every day and my boys took turns answering the phone This trip, I already told dh that we'll be hitting rope drop as often as humanly possible (I haven't told the boys yet, but they don't know about the trip yet, so I can't LOL). My hat is off to you for being way more patient that I am!

 

[jenseib]

Just saw this review today and had to join in! LOVE the pictures and detail of your reviews - great stuff I'm looking forward to reading more!

PS: How on earth do you cope with late sleepers? I set up the Mickey/Stitch wake-up call for our room at 6:30am every day and my boys took turns answering the phone This trip, I already told dh that we'll be hitting rope drop as often as humanly possible (I haven't told the boys yet, but they don't know about the trip yet, so I can't LOL). My hat is off to you for being way more patient that I am!

Thanks for joining.
If it was DH sleeping in, I would just go, but Claire needs sleep or she will super cranky and or get sick, so I suffer for that reason. LOL! She would need to go to bed really ealry to get up early enough for openings, and that doesn't usually happen. I just have learned to be a bit patient. Last year I actually did go to AK for opening while they slept and then came back once they woke up.

 

[meanmom121]

I am just loving your pics of Claire, she is such a little princess herself with those big rosy cheeks. I bet she was so excited about the tea party. I can't wait to her about it. I am so bummed about the wait staff you've had though.

 

[jenseib]

I am just loving your pics of Claire, she is such a little princess herself with those big rosy cheeks. I bet she was so excited about the tea party. I can't wait to her about it. I am so bummed about the wait staff you've had though.

Thank you.
I am about to post ther first installment of the tea aprty. Then we have to color eggs. I promised we would do it tonight, so I suppose we should get started. LOL!

 

[jenseib]

Off to the Wonderland Tea party. It is held at 1900 Park Fare in the Grand Floridian. So we bused to MK and then boated over to GF. I was told to get there about 1, but when we got there no one was there to check us in. I noticed another lady and little girl walking in the area too. So we just roamed the lobby a bit till someone came. Of course the camera was out and ready!

About 1:15 two CM’s came out and we checked in. The girls that had gathered started to become instant friends. I talked to the CM’s a little bit along with a grandmother of another girl. They seemed really nice and fun. They truly seemed to enjoy their job.
At 1:30 they gathered at the door and it was time to go in.

They got to go in and pick a seat. They also were allowed to bring in their autograph books. Good thing I remembered to pack it!

The tables were set up so cute.

 

[dancemomnj]

My girls are saying they want to go to the Wonderland Tea Party. Could you tell me if there were any girls as old as 9 who enjoyed it? Thank you!

 

[jenseib]

There was one older girl. I think they will have fun not mattter what. It is just goofy old fashion fund. Claire kept laughing about how the mad hatter had such bad manners. She still talks about that part alot. LOL!

 

[jenseib]

Back to more tea party pictures!

The CM told them to take their napkin and put it on their lap.

And then they told them to put there hand in the air.

Now wave it and tell your parents goodbye! LOL!

So I kept taking pictures on my way out and Claire said “mom, you need to go”

I don’t know if you all know this or not, but parents CAN”T stay for the party. I was so sad I was missing out on what they would be doing and getting pictures of it. But I knew she would have fun.


So I got her settled in and left. I decided to go upstairs to Mickey’s Mercantile and see if they had the tinkerbell figure to exchange. I walked around and spotted them! YAY! But my bag with broken tink was down in my stroller. So I walked back to get it and as I approached I heard some banging.
When I walked near 1900 PF I see it is Alice and the Mad Hatter banging on the doors to the tea party. Then when the CM would open it they would run to another door and bang on that. They kept doing it and then finally they went in. You could hear the kids all laughing.

I was kind of mad at myself for leaving and missing some great shots. I only got these by just quickly lifting my camera and they were going so fast. LOL!

 

[MelanieC]

Great reviews- loving them!!

 

[dancemomnj]

There was one older girl. I think they will have fun not mattter what. It is just goofy old fashion fund. Claire kept laughing about how the mad hatter had such bad manners. She still talks about that part alot. LOL!

Thank you so much! It sounds fun! I love your reviews! Claire is adorable! You had me laughing with the part about your husband going to HDDR!

 

[meanmom121]

Oh, It is kind of a bummer that you don't get to stay and get pics of all the fun they are having. We will have to get Claire's review on what they did. The table looked so cute. I miss my kids being younger. They are a lot of fun now but it's just different.
Hugs, Karen

 

[jenseib]

Great reviews- loving them!!

Thank you!

Thank you so much! It sounds fun! I love your reviews! Claire is adorable! You had me laughing with the part about your husband going to HDDR!

We had alot of good times. Even with DH being a pain. I'm sure he had some choice words about me at times too!

Oh, It is kind of a bummer that you don't get to stay and get pics of all the fun they are having. We will have to get Claire's review on what they did. The table looked so cute. I miss my kids being younger. They are a lot of fun now but it's just different.
Hugs, Karen

I wish they did photopass there. That would be great. It seems like they try to keep a secret. Claire talked alot about it. Mostly how the Mad Hatter had such bad manners. That made an impression on her. LOL! She said he would burp and not say excuse me, and the he threw grapes at people. And she was excited because she got hit by one. Crazy kid.

 

[jenseib]

So after the unexpected sighting of Mad Hatter and Alice I picked up the Tink toy and went back upstairs to return it. It was a smooth exchange with no problems. I browsed a bit and kept myself from buying the cool light up Spinning Mickey toy that Brookelizabeth talked about getting her son. It was super cute, but I didn’t want to get one without Claire there. LOL!
I wandered in and out of some shops and took random pictures.

I then decided I was tired of taking pictures with the bag (holding the tink toy) in my hand, so I went down to the stroller to put it in t here.
AGAIN, I lucked out and got a great surprise!
The Mad Hatter had just opened the door and was marching out. At first I thought it must be time for him to leave, but NO! All the kids followed out too.

And her comes Claire, a little unsure, but giggling! And she has those dang fingers in her mouth. A new habit she has for some reason. UGH!

To be continued in the next post!

 

[jenseib]

So of course the grandma that was waiting and I both grabbed our cameras and ran like wild paparazzi and followed them. LOL! I’m sure we had a crazed look on our faces.

And Alice brought up the rear.

Out through the lobby of the Grand Floridian.

I asked the guy CM if this normally happens. He didn’t say yes or no, but kind of made it sound like it doesn’t all that time. What he said was “well let me tell you the last time we came out the lobby the Mad Hatter jumped in the bird cage.” LOL! He said he was pretty crazy.

Look at this guys face. He is totally clueless as to what is going on. LOL! I’m sure he had a story to tell later.

The Mad Hatter was also being really loud and obnoxious. It was funny.

And look at the joy on my little girls face!

 

[jenseib]

After the parade around the lobby they went outside to the little court yard. The handler stopped me as I was following (the grandma had already gone through) and asked me if I was with this party. I told her well yes, that my DD. She says well we really don’t want you taking pictures. UMMMMM TOOOO BAD!
Don’t tell me she wouldn’t be snapping pictures of her own DD if she was in the same position.
I turned around and just went out another door and snapped away again. LOL!
The grandma was talking to a manager looking guy from GF and was asking if she was enjoying herself. She went on and on how it was so neat to get these pictures and he said he was so glad that we got to see it. I’m going by what he said. LOL!

So on to the outside pictures.

They then did individual pictures of them. The guy CM took their pictures on a point and shoot digital camera. I, of course, shot some of my own.

And this is the one they took.

Claire has a hidden Mickey on her cheek!
(it was a flyaway strand from the pink hair)

And then it was time to go back in.

 

[jenseib]

After they went in the grandma and I sat and started talking. She said that family had come a few minutes after they had shut the doors and just started banging on the doors. They had an ADR for dinner, but they thought it was for lunch at 1:30. They looked it up and it was for 4:30. I guess these people were really nasty and demanded to be let in, but of course were told a private party was going on and they don’t serve lunch here.
I guess they left really mad.

We also just talked a lot about all things Disney! It was a nice chat. She got a call then, so I went and walked a bit.
I saw this sign that I had missed the night we ate here for dinner, so I took a picture of that.

Skip called me then and asked if we were done yet. It was only 2 and the party wasn’t over till 2:30. I reminded him if that. He said he was already at AK. He grumbled how this was his least favorite park and he was there early and by himself. LOL!
Oh well, the agreement had been that I would call him as soon as we were heading over there. Not my fault he went early.
I told him to go on some bigger stuff that Claire couldn’t ride till we got there.

I went back and chatted some more. We could hear laughing and all sorts of excitement in the room. I tried to peak through the window. It looked like Alice and the Mad Hatter were gone. It also appeared they were playing hide and seek. The kids were having a blast.

Before long the other parents were returning back to pick up the kids.
The guy CM came out to tell us it was time to get the kids, but he had gotten them to sleep, so walk in quietly.

As we walked in the girls were giggling and shaking from holding in their laughter.

Then they all lift their heads and yell surprise! And they have flowers for their parents. It was so sweet.

Look at this baby face. I just love this picture of her. She’s still my baby in this picture.

We then gathered up her stuff. She showed me her picture and her autograph book.

This party was worth every penny. $42.60. The joy it brought my DD and the joy it brought me to see her enjoying it. Plus I got some pictures that most normally don’t get.

We were then off to AK

 

[jenseib]

We headed out to the bus stop to catch the bus to AK. I asked Claire about the tea party. She was just so excited about it. She said the Mad Hatter had such bad manners. He would burp and not say excuse me. He took a drink and gargled it, and threw grapes around the room at them. He even hit her, which was a highlight, I guess. LOL!
Alice kept scolding him.
I asked her if she ate anything and she said she tried everything. I couldn’t believe that. We had just had breakfast for one, and I was sure she would be to excited to eat, which is one reason I made sure she ate before we went. I told her I bet she was lying. The grandmothers GDD said “No, she did, she ate a bit of everything, but I didn’t eat a thing”. LOL!

She did play with some of the tea party friends too while we waited to go over to AK. I swear the bus took over 30 minutes to come!

 

[Vility]

that looks like a great time!
From what it looks like the one at 1900 was better then the castle.
Also now we are defently doing the hoop dee doo!

 

[jenseib]

Booth were good dinners, but the wonderland tea party was probaly the best of them for Claire!
Hoop Dee Doo is fun. I really like it alot. Are you guys doing the regular plan or going deluxe this time around? I know you had talked about possibly going deluxe at one point and time. I think it would be really cool to go deluxe, but came to the conclusion this trip that we would never be hungry enough to eat all those meals. LOL!