Disney Has the Best Chicken Nuggets Ever! - Update Dump - Finally Completed!

[afwdwfan]

Ok, I think I'm all caught up!

That was fast!

I might be in the same boat next summer, so I might need to pick your brain about how to handle all of this!

Good luck... it's nothing but mush at this point. Fastpasses... Adrs... get them. Good luck.

I'm sorry to hear that. I think one reason why we don't do Disney every year is that we're afraid of the magic/novelty wearing off.

I don't know that the magic or novelty wore off. I mean I got a pin code in my e-mail earlier this week and it was like Hey! Let's go back.

We didn't, but a month removed, I'd be ready to go back. By the end of our trip while we were there, I just wasn't feeling the magic though, if that makes sense.

She should stop being vague and let you know how she feels.

She's going to get a vacuum cleaner for Christmas if she can't clarify things better.

This sounds...ominous.

No single big meltdowns surrounding it, but they were each given souvenir money and we had to keep looking for Moana things and there were none... anywhere. And she did want to meet Moana and frequently asked. We told her we could meet her if we ever see her...

Nice! Time for some long road trips!

By myself? Yes!

This photo tickles me for some reason.

Is that how you decided you wanted to be a civil engineer?

I would venture to guess that all of that, including the rain, was the DOT's fault.

Well duh!

Well...ok, then. Are you sure those guys worked for Disney?

If they didn't they're pretty crappy thieves because they took it right into the resort.

Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot.

Exactly

This sounds like ominous foreshadowing, too.

I could get out and walk faster than that!

When we were pulling into the bus parking area at MK, people walking from Contemporary on the sidewalk were passing us. True story.

That seems really pointless.

It is, but with the security checkpoints moved back to the exit of the bus area it's just how it has to be, I guess.

Nice work. Because that's what you do.

Sorry the service was so crappy. That sounds like a clear issue with the server. I wouldn't have wanted to tip that high, either.

Yeah it was definitely all on that one server.

Neutral counts as a win!

I saw a sign along the road recently that read,
"Karma is pronounced HA HA HA HA."

I knew it!!!!

How close were you to calling for management?

I was close to finding somebody to settle our checks and get us out of there. I wasn't in complaint mode at the time and frankly I was tired enough that if I had complained I'd have probably done it in a not very Disney like way. I try not to be that guy. We weren't in a hurry and we were talking about plans for our first park day. So it wasn't the end of the world. But looking back at how long we sat there combined with the other problems we had it was unacceptable.

Well...there was nowhere else to go but up. So you had that going for you, which is nice.

Huh? Oh, sorry. I meant to say, yes, I agree.

Yeah, whatever.

There you go! Finally, something went right!

That usually does the trick. Count on the kid to save the day.

Awesome. Glad the day could end on a positive note.

 

[afwdwfan]

He is too cute!

He is

Ugh. I feel your pain! My youngest DD loved Jasmine and there was nothing for her. Nothing to buy. WE were able to meet her, so we had that, but that was it, really. My DD's will make up toys they want and I will say that I don't think they make that, and they will just say that they will ask Santa, then.

Oh yeah... that's a struggle!

Man, that's bad. I feel like I can never understand the waiters in Via Napoli, between the accents and the noise in there.

We must have had some good ones there on our visits, but it is pretty loud in there!

That is so strange.... Wonder what the deal was with that?

I don't know! It isn't like we don't like dogs.

He looks so interested! So cute!

He liked watching them and checking them out!

OMG, my oldest DD would def followed suit if she saw that actually happen!

I HATE when that happens at restaurants. My girls are ALWAYS so ready to leave too. Making it worse waiting.

I think we made about 5 or 6 trips to the restroom just because they couldn't sit still so they had to go...

We were able to watch fireworks waiting for the bus once. My girls still talk about it. It was super memorable for some reason.

It really is a nice way to end the evening.

Sounds like it was touch and go getting checked in and your first meal. I hope you def had better days.

Could have been worse, could have been much better. But yeah, we had better days.

I agree - I like a lot of things about the app, but the drawback is having your phone in your face more than you intend. Especially with a group your size!

I love the ability to add and change Fastpasses, but it also feels like the only way you can avoid long lines is if you're constantly changing and rearranging to get a fastpass as soon as possible.

Ugh, I can absolutely imagine that...I know we've talked about our DD's being similar before and it seems to still be the case. I read "Raising Your Spirited Child" recently and could relate to a lot of it - there's even a whole chapter about tantrums.

Yeah... she just goes off for no reason too. This morning getting ready for school was ugly. She didn't want to eat breakfast, she had to change her mind 3 times what she was wearing, she didn't want to brush her hair. I threatened to put her on the bus with no breakfast in her underwear and told her she's waking up at 5 tomorrow so we have time for her to keep screwing around. I'm as hard headed as she is and it doesn't always work well. But she did eat some breakfast, put some clothes on, brush her hair and make it to the bus just in time this morning. She might not have been happy and I might not have been happy, but I'm counting it as a win.

Thanks for writing about it! I always enjoy following along.

Thanks for joining in!

Yay, glad it worked out so well!

It worked better here than it did at WL, but I was happy with it!

I always think I want to go back to AKL, but on some we-don't-have-park-tickets trip (that never seems to happen) - no worries about buses then.

I agree. Some non park time to enjoy the resort, see the animals and eat at the restaurants.

Glad that timing worked out so well! I hope you told the group it was all something you planned for them.

One thing I will say is that they've certainly shown appreciation for the effort I put into planning things and how well it worked out. Might have burned me out a little bit, but it worked.

I don't think this is weird at all. And I think we have some traits in common...being a strong introvert that has a skill at appearing to be an extrovert, when needed. But, yeah, that solitary time is so important to recharge - maybe that's why we're both big fans of solo park time. And I agree on the travel with extended family thing - on our Hawaii trip with Dug's family, it was nice that we each had our own rooms to return to, even if we spent a lot of the day together.

Extroverted introverts in da house! In our own separate quiet rooms.

 

[docsoliday1]

No single big meltdowns surrounding it, but they were each given souvenir money and we had to keep looking for Moana things and there were none... anywhere. And she did want to meet Moana and frequently asked. We told her we could meet her if we ever see her...

Good cover! Taking notes.

If they didn't they're pretty crappy thieves because they took it right into the resort.

Let's take their stuff. We'll hide out in their room...perfect place to hide. Oh crap, they found us!

When we were pulling into the bus parking area at MK, people walking from Contemporary on the sidewalk were passing us. True story.

I bet that driver was almost off and if he'd started another run, he would've had to finish that one, so he was delaying the MK route as long as possible.
Just a theory.

 

[docsoliday1]

He is

I don't know! It isn't like we don't like dogs.

Maybe he was worried you like dogs like I like venison. Bambi always runs from me.

He liked watching them and checking them out!

As previously stated by others...not crying is a win! Just watching and checking them out...SCORE!!!!!!

Yeah... she just goes off for no reason too. This morning getting ready for school was ugly. She didn't want to eat breakfast, she had to change her mind 3 times what she was wearing, she didn't want to brush her hair. I threatened to put her on the bus with no breakfast in her underwear and told her she's waking up at 5 tomorrow so we have time for her to keep screwing around. I'm as hard headed as she is and it doesn't always work well. But she did eat some breakfast, put some clothes on, brush her hair and make it to the bus just in time this morning. She might not have been happy and I might not have been happy, but I'm counting it as a win.

Did you learn the bus without breakfast in her underwear from another Disdad or is that just in the dad's handbook? Remember telling my daughter that once or a thousand times. There was one time she wanted to throw a tantrum, so I put her on the back porch and said have at it. Stopped pretty quickly. Another thing we did...tell them an hour before bed time to pick out clothes for next day. The longer they take to pick out clothes, the less time they have for TV/video games/whatever.

One thing I will say is that they've certainly shown appreciation for the effort I put into planning things and how well it worked out. Might have burned me out a little bit, but it worked.

That's cool. At least they recognized how hard it was and the amount of effort and appreciated it. Where's mom?

Extroverted introverts in da house! In our own separate quiet rooms.

I'm an IT guy and a joke I've enjoyed and told for years...
Do you know how to tell the difference between an extroverted IT person and an introverted one?
.
.
.
.
.
.
The extrovert looks at YOUR shoes when talking to you.

 

[pkondz]

Well, it is just due to where the security checkpoints are now. Since they backed it up to the buses and the boat docks, they've essentially had to make it so that you enter a secure area once you walk out of the completely fenced in area that leads from the buses. So to exit the bus parking area you have to go through security so that you can then turn right, walk a few feet and turn right again to head for the Contemporary. It doesn't make sense, but it kind of does. They'd have to put in some other type of fence or barricade to move people from one area of the other to keep the secured area secure.

Okay... Think I got it. Still.... pain in the butt.

Yeah, me too. But it is a buffet so might as well try one of everything, right? And when I tried it... I went back for more.

I suppose so. Shocked that it was good, though.

If it was me, he'd have been stabbed in the hand.

They got excited about them at times and other times they didn't want to mess with them. We had them given to us so it was fine, I certainly wouldn't put time or effort or money into doing it again though unless they express more interest.

Gotcha.
Let 'em ask for them next time.

I don't know what Pluto's deal was.

Bad dog.

There's so much truth to that statement...

I don't think I've ever given a zero, but I've definitely cut it back quite a bit.

I've only done it once. And it was richly deserved.

If only it were that easy. Believe me, I tried. They still asked.

Yeah... thought so.

Oh... nah, that was good. We were in different rooms and we had help with the kids and getting back to the room at night. I'll never complain about that.

Good! I was worried that you'd be "I need to get away from them!" or something.

Do you know how to tell the difference between an extroverted IT person and an introverted one?
.
.
.
.
.
.
The extrovert looks at YOUR shoes when talking to you.

 

[Terra Nova guy]

Joining in! Work has been keeping me very busy lately so I don't get as much time for commenting, but I'll follow along as much as I can.

 

[Pooh's-Honey-Pot]

Joining in! Looking forward to more!

 

[Poolrat]

Finally catching up here.

Looks like you were off to the races with this trip, everything that could hold you up ... did.

You DID make to Chef Mickeys and experience a little extra there...

In the end good timing for fireworks so even dead tired I assume all ends with fireworks.


Looking forward to ride even if it is a little bumpy. Part of the memories!!!

 

[vamassey1]

I'm a little late but I'm here. I'll try to get caught up this weekend.

 

[QueenJen]

Joining in - not too far behind. Just read page 1 - commenting and will be back later to read more.

If you're not counting, that's 11 people total with 9 tickets and connected FP+ to keep track of.

I was not counting - but since you pointed it out.....You sir, are better than I. That is quite a job.

ignore the cute kid and look in the background

Impossible to ignore the cute kid.....now what did you want us to look at?

20 minutes later one finally shows up.

Definitely not good bus mojo to start the trip.

On top of having a long wait, our bus driver was slow. Really slow. 28 minutes after we boarded the bus at AKL, we were finally getting off at MK.

We had one of those....DH actually hung back, making sure I was exiting as he had to tell the bus driver that he saw a turtle pass us. I was in ear shot and it struck me as really funny. The family behind got a good laugh as well. He wanted to make sure I had exited as he thought I would be mad. It was really a slow ride.

I put DD on my shoulders and BiL put Niece up on his shoulders

Such a cute photo.

We got to sit down on a bus that was about half full for our ride back to AKL.

Well...that kinda made up for the lack of good bus mojo earlier. Yay for seats.

 

[Steppesister]

I’m glad to have you.

I'll try very hard not to make you sorry for that statement.

We had kids to corral and I was the main trip planner for a group of 11 people.

I felt like I was constantly checking and updating things on the app or explaining where we had to be and when. I just didn’t have very many of those opportunities to get a picture, or just enjoy the moment.

I so understand this! Been there and done this so many times.

Cue the solo or small group trips.

but DD had some serious behavior issues throughout the trip which were really draining on us.

Ruh roh....

I don’t even think I turned around to take one last look at the castle this time.

Oh dear.

When it was all said and done, we were away from home for just over 12 days.

BUT, a respectably long trip, nevertheless.

We left the evening Fri July 7, meeting up with everyone at 8 pm at a Mc Donald’s about an hour from home to grab some food and hit the road. Our drive quickly hit a snag. Within a few miles of getting on the interstate, we hit a construction zone, then we followed that up with some heavy rain in Louisville and an accident south of there. Based on the GPS arrival time, we lost about 2 hours before we ever got out of Kentucky. It wasn’t the greatest start.

I’m normally a cheapskate, but we had so much crap to haul in that I decided to tip bell services and request their help. They loaded a cart up and walked away with our stuff while I was still getting the last few things out. I ended up just going and parking and loading the stroller up with the things they didn’t take.

This was a brilliant and responsible use of a few bucks. Good move!

I walked into the lobby and stopped for a bit just to take in the view. It was my first time seeing the inside of AKL and I had to just take a moment to absorb it. The lobby certainly is beautiful! I don’t have any pictures because I’m sure you’ve seen them. And I had my hands full and therefore didn’t get any. But a rain storm had just moved through so the sky behind that large window was dark and overcast and it actually made it look even more impressive, I thought.

I can imagine it would have!

We ran into Mom and Sis1 on the way to the pool. Apparently, there was an issue with the computer system at AKL. It was past check in time at this point, and Sis1 had gone to the front desk because she never got a text. They told her that they can’t see in the computer what rooms housekeeping had ready so they couldn’t give her a room and didn’t know when they’d be able to get her into her room. She was pissed. I could see the steam coming out of her ears. I just told her that since we requested rooms near each other I was pretty sure they would be in one of the rooms near us and Mom and I didn’t see any housekeepers working on our floor so it was probably already cleaned. I suggested walking down the hall and tapping her band on doors until one opens and then see if it is clean. She didn’t appreciate in that idea, so I let it go.

I totally would have done this! Another smart idea. Although it'd be just my luck to have it mis-assigned or changed and me walking in on an... ummm, awkward moment.

The bad news… I’m planning this frickin trip and organizing FP’s and nobody in my room got one.

That bites. Out of courtesy, they should have offered them to you.

Wow, I hope the buses aren’t this bad all week.

Yeah, whatever. If I'm not mistaken you are mortal like the rest of us and crappy bus service 99% of the time.

Not that big of a deal, but kind of frustrating to take an extra couple of minutes when you ultimately don’t even want to enter the secured area to begin with.

Know exactly where you're talking about. 100% do NOT understand this set up AT ALL. Yes, frustrating time waster.

This is a meal we’ve done a few times now. I enjoy it. The kids love the characters, the food is good… it isn’t worth the price you pay for it, but we all know you’re paying for the experience. Honestly the food this time was probably about the best we’ve had there. I’m always skeptical of something like ribs on the buffet, but I went back for more a couple of times because they were so good and tender.

I ended up stuffing myself.

Because buffet.

Buffets = Spend too much, eat too much.

Trying to be diplomatic here… I don’t have a problem with someone coming from another country to work here. But if you’re in a customer service role, speaking English, to me, seems like a pretty basic requirement. We ran into a couple of different servers of a couple of different nationalities over the course of this trip that didn’t speak English as a first language and were hard to communicate with. That isn't something I've ever experienced at Disney World and this trip, I saw it more than once. It definitely caught my attention. I mean when we went to Via Napoli to be served by someone from Italy and we were thrilled we could have a conversation with her… well that tells you something.

Ummm, ok. Just no. Especially with that tip you're gonna get dinged with.

I know that large groups can be a pain for a server so I usually don’t mind that mandatory 18% tip… especially when I normally would tip more for good service anyway, but this is a rare case where I didn’t feel like that 18% tip was earned or deserved.

I'm not a complainer or grumpy either for the most part, at all, but I think I'd be inclined to write a letter of complaint after the trip on this one. Management usually does care.

But the highlight of dinner… I got to see a kid projectile vomit.

It was disgusting and impressive. Almost like a firehose.

And it was at the table that stole Pluto.


Payback.

Karma's often a beautiful thing.

but then DS started pantomiming what he saw so explanations were needed.

Disney did handle that well. That table basically disappeared. Like literally I look away and look back and the table was gone. I don’t know where it went or how they moved it out of a crowded restaurant so quickly. They managed to secure and completely block the area from view while they cleaned the floor. Had I not seen what happened when it happened, I’d probably never even know.

You want to know how long it takes for Disney to clean up puke, set a clean table and seat another party at that table?

Apparently about half an hour less than it takes our crappy server to bring out and then settle our checks.

I think they’d managed 2 or 3 trips to the buffet before we ever left.

Lame. Another case of, "I'm getting an 18% tip no matter how crappy my service is, so why bother?"

 

[Steppesister]

Yeah, sorry. I didn't send any PM's. I figured a link in the old TR was good enough. Maybe not.

Yeah, sorry about that, Andy. I honestly haven't been on anyone's threads lately. Just really frickin' busy right now with coordinating the trip to Sierra Leone. But, I'm caught up now.

 

[vamassey1]

Welcome to my latest trip report!

Yeah, I'm so glad you're doing a report.

It will likely be wordy with pictures few and far between. I’m not gonna lie. This trip had its challenges.

Story telling at his finest. I want to hear the good and the bad.

While I love MDE, I spent so much time looking at my phone changing FP times or adding a FP that it left me with some very strong love/hate feelings towards the app.

I felt the same way in May. Lots of time spent on MDE.

All in all, I left Disney World satisfied, but not in a hurry to come back.

I've had trips like that too. Give it a little while, I'm sure you'll be wanting to go back again. It's in your blood.

Great family picture! I can't believe how much your kids have grown.

Once again, thanks for joining me and I look forward to sharing this experience with everyone!

I'm looking forward to reading it.

Based on the GPS arrival time, we lost about 2 hours before we ever got out of Kentucky.

Happen to us before too. It wasn't road construction but an accident. Before that we were making great time.

We made it to Tifton, GA before stopping for breakfast at Cracker Barrel.

Cracker Barrel is a great choice for breakfast. I hope everyone got to stretch their legs.

I got a text that our room was ready at about 10:30 am.

I love getting those texts! Sorry your sister didn't get hers.

It was my first time seeing the inside of AKL and I had to just take a moment to absorb it. The lobby certainly is beautiful! I don’t have any pictures because I’m sure you’ve seen them.

I've only seen it once but I'm hoping we'll get a chance to explore a little bit more in February. Right now we have a diner at Boma booked.

When I made it to our room, I was glad to see that we got a room in the area of Kudu trail that we had requested using the Touringplans room request fax service. It worked out really well, and we actually ended up having all 3 rooms right next to each other with standard view rooms overlooking one of the savannas.

I've never done this but I'm thinking about trying it on the next trip.

We ended up meeting up with everyone out here every morning.

Great meeting spot. That's really a good idea when you're traveling with a group. Less chance of missing each other.

And it did turn out to actually be an adjoining room to Mom & Dad. The good news, since Mom went to the desk with her and Sis1 didn’t physically harm anyone, they gave everyone in Mom’s room and Sis1’s room 2 anytime FP’s for the following day at MK.

Bummer about the room snafu but I'm glad they tried to make up for it.

The bad news… I’m planning this frickin trip and organizing FP’s and nobody in my room got one.

That really stinks!

Wow, I hope the buses aren’t this bad all week.

Sounds like your bus luck was as good as ours in May. We flew in so didn't have much of a choice but to take the bus.

We didn’t take strollers for just a quick trip to dinner. I put DD on my shoulders and BiL put Niece up on his shoulders and we took off walking as fast as we could.

This picture of the girls in their matching outfits being treated like royalty is soooo cute.

Not that big of a deal, but kind of frustrating to take an extra couple of minutes when you ultimately don’t even want to enter the secured area to begin with.

That stinks. We got tired of waiting for a MK bus and took an Epcot bus with plans to take the monorail to MK. We had to go through security to get on the monorail which wasn't pleasing at the time, but we did avoid security when going into the park.

I ended up stuffing myself.

Because buffet.

DH does the same think. If it's there he has to eat it.

Our service this time was pretty lousy though.

Hate to hear this. Seems like it's happening more and more.

Pictures were being taken by DW and Sis2. This is what we have. Goofy visited us. We actually had fun with him. And I can’t find any pictures anywhere… oh well.

You did get some great shots of the kids with the characters. Sorry Goofy's seemed to go missing.

But the highlight of dinner… I got to see a kid projectile vomit.

Yuck!

I’m not always this grumpy.

Are you sure? DH's nickname is Grumpy.

But then again, I'd been up 26 straight hours at this point and had only had a 2 hour nap in the previous 38 hours. So it didn't take much.

This would make anyone Grumpy, you're excused.

We went right to bed so we could rest up for our first park day!

Good choice. Looking forward to your first park day and LG's first park visit.

 

[afwdwfan]

Did you learn the bus without breakfast in her underwear from another Disdad or is that just in the dad's handbook? Remember telling my daughter that once or a thousand times. There was one time she wanted to throw a tantrum, so I put her on the back porch and said have at it. Stopped pretty quickly. Another thing we did...tell them an hour before bed time to pick out clothes for next day. The longer they take to pick out clothes, the less time they have for TV/video games/whatever.

No, it just seemed like the natural thing to do. She's stubborn, I'm stubborn and it often leads to things like this happening.

I'm an IT guy and a joke I've enjoyed and told for years...
Do you know how to tell the difference between an extroverted IT person and an introverted one?
.
.
.
.
.
.
The extrovert looks at YOUR shoes when talking to you.

Okay... Think I got it. Still.... pain in the butt.

Good! I was worried that you'd be "I need to get away from them!" or something.

No, everything was all good.

Joining in! Work has been keeping me very busy lately so I don't get as much time for commenting, but I'll follow along as much as I can.

Welcome! Not a problem at all, I've had a hard time keeping up around here too.

Joining in! Looking forward to more!

Thanks for joining!

Finally catching up here.

Looks like you were off to the races with this trip, everything that could hold you up ... did.

It could have been worse, but we did have a few challenges.

You DID make to Chef Mickeys and experience a little extra there...

Something like that.

In the end good timing for fireworks so even dead tired I assume all ends with fireworks.

fireworks are always good.

Looking forward to ride even if it is a little bumpy. Part of the memories!!!

Thanks! And you're right. It all is part of it.

I'm a little late but I'm here. I'll try to get caught up this weekend.

Welcome!

Joining in - not too far behind. Just read page 1 - commenting and will be back later to read more.

I'm glad you joined!

I was not counting - but since you pointed it out.....You sir, are better than I. That is quite a job.

Herding squirrels...

Impossible to ignore the cute kid.....now what did you want us to look at?

Ah... who knows?

Definitely not good bus mojo to start the trip.

Not really.

We had one of those....DH actually hung back, making sure I was exiting as he had to tell the bus driver that he saw a turtle pass us. I was in ear shot and it struck me as really funny. The family behind got a good laugh as well. He wanted to make sure I had exited as he thought I would be mad. It was really a slow ride.

That's awesome!!!

Such a cute photo.

Thanks!

Well...that kinda made up for the lack of good bus mojo earlier. Yay for seats.

Seats at the end of the night are always a good thing.

 

[afwdwfan]

I'll try very hard not to make you sorry for that statement.

I won't hold my breath.

I so understand this! Been there and done this so many times.

Cue the solo or small group trips.

I'd love that... but the guilt...

Ruh roh....

She can really be a pain in the butt at times.

BUT, a respectably long trip, nevertheless.

This was a brilliant and responsible use of a few bucks. Good move!

It made sense... too much stuff to haul!

I can imagine it would have!

Looking back I wish I'd have taken the time to stop and get a picture then.

I totally would have done this! Another smart idea. Although it'd be just my luck to have it mis-assigned or changed and me walking in on an... ummm, awkward moment.

That bites. Out of courtesy, they should have offered them to you.

Yeah, but then again, I wasn't there. I'm sure they could have seen the reservations were connected, but I had pretty much said screw it and was letting Mom and Sis deal with it while I went swimming so...

Yeah, whatever. If I'm not mistaken you are mortal like the rest of us and crappy bus service 99% of the time.

I'm not @pkondz

Know exactly where you're talking about. 100% do NOT understand this set up AT ALL. Yes, frustrating time waster.

I understand it to some degree, but it is frustrating when you don't even want to go to the park.

Buffets = Spend too much, eat too much.

Ummm, ok. Just no. Especially with that tip you're gonna get dinged with.

I'm not a complainer or grumpy either for the most part, at all, but I think I'd be inclined to write a letter of complaint after the trip on this one. Management usually does care.

Yeah, I probably should have. I didn't even keep the receipt or get the server's name though. If I'm going to complain about something that horrible I at least want to have specifics to let them know who/what the problem was.

Karma's often a beautiful thing.

Lame. Another case of, "I'm getting an 18% tip no matter how crappy my service is, so why bother?"

Exactly!

Yeah, sorry about that, Andy. I honestly haven't been on anyone's threads lately. Just really frickin' busy right now with coordinating the trip to Sierra Leone. But, I'm caught up now.

Nope, I get it. Been there myself!

Yeah, I'm so glad you're doing a report.

Thanks!

Story telling at his finest. I want to hear the good and the bad.

It's all part of it.

I felt the same way in May. Lots of time spent on MDE.

It's changed the way we tour the parks for the better and the worse.

I've had trips like that too. Give it a little while, I'm sure you'll be wanting to go back again. It's in your blood.

Yeah, I mean it wasn't a "bad" trip, it just wasn't that usual "feel the magic" experience.

Great family picture! I can't believe how much your kids have grown.

Thanks!

'm looking forward to reading it.

Thanks!

Happen to us before too. It wasn't road construction but an accident. Before that we were making great time.

It always makes it frustrating! Honestly for all our trips we've been really lucky that we haven't had any major time loss situations like this one before.

Cracker Barrel is a great choice for breakfast. I hope everyone got to stretch their legs.

Yeah, always nice to get out of the car for a while and eat a nice big breakfast.

I love getting those texts! Sorry your sister didn't get hers.

I'm a big fan of the online check in!

I've only seen it once but I'm hoping we'll get a chance to explore a little bit more in February. Right now we have a diner at Boma booked.

It really is a beautiful resort. I liked it a lot.

I've never done this but I'm thinking about trying it on the next trip.

It really worked great. Simple to use and even if it doesn't work, it is worth a shot. We had better luck with it at AKL than we did at WL.

Great meeting spot. That's really a good idea when you're traveling with a group. Less chance of missing each other.

And on top of that it was a nice area to sit and watch animals while waiting.

Bummer about the room snafu but I'm glad they tried to make up for it.

That really stinks!

I get it, but it was frustrating!

Sounds like your bus luck was as good as ours in May. We flew in so didn't have much of a choice but to take the bus.

I hate buses. I like not having to drive, but the service can be so frustrating.

his picture of the girls in their matching outfits being treated like royalty is soooo cute.

Thanks!

That stinks. We got tired of waiting for a MK bus and took an Epcot bus with plans to take the monorail to MK. We had to go through security to get on the monorail which wasn't pleasing at the time, but we did avoid security when going into the park.

I get the reason for the change, but it can be frustrating when you aren't trying to go into a park.

DH does the same think. If it's there he has to eat it.

Buffet = Challenge

Hate to hear this. Seems like it's happening more and more.

I would hope not, but I'm afraid you are right.

You did get some great shots of the kids with the characters. Sorry Goofy's seemed to go missing.

Not sure what happened with Goofy.

Are you sure? DH's nickname is Grumpy.

DW might have a certain opinion on this.

This would make anyone Grumpy, you're excused.

 

[QueenJen]

Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot.

When we were pulling into the bus parking area at MK, people walking from Contemporary on the sidewalk were passing us. True story.

These two things made me laugh out loud. Thanks!

This morning getting ready for school was ugly. She didn't want to eat breakfast, she had to change her mind 3 times what she was wearing, she didn't want to brush her hair.

I don't have children - but reading this makes me want to call my mom and say sorry for my actions 30+ years ago.

 

[afwdwfan]

I don't have children - but reading this makes me want to call my mom and say sorry for my actions 30+ years ago.

 

[afwdwfan]

Duck!

I woke up early Sunday morning and headed down to the Mara to grab some breakfast. We had some cereal, breakfast bars, etc, but with the QSDP, we knew we’d have a few credits to use so I decided to fill our mugs and grab a breakfast platter for us to all share to supplement our other food. On my way, I finally took a picture of the lobby.

Which turned out to be a blurry cell phone picture.

Sorry.

I ordered our food and chatted with the CM for a bit. She asked how much longer we’d be there and I told her we just got in the day before and would be there all week. She was excited and said she usually asks people that question on their last day. We talked a little bit about the changes taking place and she made a point to tell me how awesome the thought Flight of Passage is. It was a nice little interaction.

I quickly got our food and headed back up to the room. While DW was getting ready, the older 2 kids and I went out to the balcony to enjoy our breakfast with a view. We didn’t always have animals out there, but we did see a giraffe from time to time as well as some other animals and there was an ostrich that seemed to patrol that area most of the time.

We met up with everyone a little bit after 7:30, a little later than we planned, as we were going to MK and wanted to try to get there early and be close to the front for rope drop. We had our standard ~20 minute wait for the bus followed by 20+ minutes driving and arrived at MK at around 8:30.

I had a situation here with security that put me off a little bit. I had the stroller with DD and LG in it. This was kind of our standard procedure for the week while DS would go with DW. Anyway, they sent us all through metal detector. And, of course, they said the kids didn’t have to go through and asked us to push the strollers off to the side of the detectors until we went through. They had enough people going through that there was a bit of a line. I pushed the stroller to the side of the detector and went back to empty my pockets and wait my turn.

After I went through the detector and gathered my things, I saw something out of the corner of my eye and turned to see DD and niece had climbed out of the strollers and wandered off by themselves. I had to tell DW to stay with the stroller once she got through and I took off running to catch them. It kind of bothered me that they separated us from the kids, even if just temporarily and obviously security never had eyes on them while they had us distracted going through their security checks. I get why security is there and unfortunately is needed. But after this, I refused to push the stroller to the side for the rest of the trip until I had emptied my pockets and I was getting ready to step through the metal detector myself. I had a few security officers who didn’t seem to like the fact that I kept my stroller in the way of the line, but I simply told them the stroller was staying with me until it was my turn to go through the detector and they didn’t really push the issue.

Our next adventure happened at the tapstiles. Everyone got through except for DS. The CM said he didn’t have a ticket!

What the heck?????

I started freaking out thinking it was an issue with MDE. They called a supervisor over and she scanned his band on her iPad and checked our account.

Turns out, DS wanted to wear a blue band (his was green). That means he put on LG’s band instead of his that morning. So it took a little bit of time, and I snapped at him for putting on the wrong band. I was in the wrong and probably a little too hard on him, but the CM who came to help got him a card to use for the day and it didn’t end up being a big deal.

When we got in we decided to stop by the restroom and take some time to do that before heading farther into the park to start our day. I felt bad for getting on DS like I did when it was just a simple mistake, so I asked him if he wanted to get a Star Wars Magic Band so that he could actually use an MB instead of a card all day. We went into the Emporium and picked one out. It took a few minutes to get checked out because it seemed that the CM’s weren’t quite ready yet, but we had a helpful CM who checked us out and helped me get his band all set up.

Sis wanted to make sure Niece got a good look at the castle. Our plan was to hit Peter Pan at RD, but being close to the castle so that she could see the show was our top priority. We stayed off to the left so that we wouldn’t be too far behind the front of the crowd going past Sleepy Hollow around the back of the castle to Fantasyland.

We did enjoy the show, it was nice, but it just didn’t have the same feel as the old show at the train station. The kids all enjoyed seeing the characters come out and it wasn’t a bad way to start the day.

When the show ended, we joined the herd heading for Fantasyland. DW, Sis and BiL took off leading the way followed by Sis2, Mom and Dad and then me with the stroller. DD wanted to walk and was holding Mom’s hand. The walkway was packed. Shoulder to shoulder. We were along the right hand side of the walkway just past Sleepy Hollow when apparently a duck landed in the water by the castle and Mom decided she needed to stop and show the duck to DD.

As if she’d never seen a duck before.

So she stopped.

Right in front of me.

I try not to hit people with the stroller, but I wasn’t expecting that and got Mom good, knocking her shoe completely off her foot.

Then of course, because it was so crowded it caused a chain reaction. Someone ran into the back of me and knocked our mister fan out of the pocket on my backpack causing the battery compartment to open and scattering the batteries on the pavement. So I then had to grab the pieces and batteries so that I could re-assemble it later.

Rough start, huh?

We finally got to Fantasyland. I ditched the stroller by the carousel and grabbed LG. The others were already standing in front of Peter Pan waiting on us. I had to explain what happened and while I felt bad for running over Mom with the stroller, I wasn’t very happy.

By the time we made it there, the posted wait was 15 minutes. We waited closer to 20, but at least we got to experience the queue without a 60+minute wait.

We all enjoyed the ride.

Well, almost all of us. Niece didn’t care for it. It was her first ride, Tink is her favorite character so we thought this might be a hit with her… sadly it wasn’t. She didn’t cry or anything, but she just didn’t like it and kept saying she wanted to get off.

Our plan had been to go to Winnie the Pooh next, but decided that another dark ride might not be the best course of action. Niece wanted to do the carousel. As much as it killed me to do something like the carousel 20 minutes after RD, we decided that doing something she wants to do might be the best choice.

Like I said, pictures were few and far between. None up to this point. Well, somebody got one while they were riding.

I was waiting with Dad, BiL and LG. I was on the app checking wait times and trying to formulate a plan since we were pretty much already scrapping the original plan at this point.

What would we do next???

 

[missangelalexis]

Ohh what a tough morning you had! Really sorry I'm sure you felt bad about snapping at DS, that's sweet that you bought him a new magic band!

Glad you could get on PP with not too long of a wait. Sounds like it was a blessing having a slight wait since you could enjoy the interactive queue!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Duck!

On my way, I finally took a picture of the lobby.

Which turned out to be a blurry cell phone picture.

We didn’t always have animals out there, but we did see a giraffe from time to time as well as some other animals and there was an ostrich that seemed to patrol that area most of the time.

That's what made AKL feel magical to me when I stayed there. I get the complaints about waits for the bus and its location. But the building itself is amazing, and I can't think of another place near here where you can stay and watch exotic animals outside your window.

After I went through the detector and gathered my things, I saw something out of the corner of my eye and turned to see DD and niece had climbed out of the strollers and wandered off by themselves.

The CM said he didn’t have a ticket!

What the heck?????

I started freaking out thinking it was an issue with MDE. They called a supervisor over and she scanned his band on her iPad and checked our account.

Turns out, DS wanted to wear a blue band (his was green). That means he put on LG’s band instead of his that morning.

Why did we have kids again? For tax purposes?

We did enjoy the show, it was nice, but it just didn’t have the same feel as the old show at the train station. The kids all enjoyed seeing the characters come out and it wasn’t a bad way to start the day.

Well, at least the kids liked it. I was really sad they did away with the train. Something about seeing it pulling into the station with all the characters to start the day. It was perfect.

Mom decided she needed to stop and show the duck to DD.

As if she’d never seen a duck before.

So she stopped.

Right in front of me.

Ay caramba.

I try not to hit people with the stroller, but I wasn’t expecting that and got Mom good, knocking her shoe completely off her foot.

Is it wrong if my first reaction was:

Well, almost all of us. Niece didn’t care for it. It was her first ride, Tink is her favorite character so we thought this might be a hit with her… sadly it wasn’t. She didn’t cry or anything, but she just didn’t like it and kept saying she wanted to get off.

What is this?? This is the Happiest Place on Earth! Be happy, for crying out loud!

I remember the first time I took my kids way back in the dark ages, I was surprised at how loud and dark even the kids' rides could be. I don't think it's anything inappropriate, but it was eye-opening to look at it from their point of view.

I was on the app checking wait times and trying to formulate a plan since we were pretty much already scrapping the original plan at this point.

Always a good feeling that early in the morning!

What would we do next???

Country Bear Jamboree!