Ever, Ever After: The TR Formerly Known as Wishing You Were Here- May 2011

[dismommy4]

Coming out of lurkerdom!! Been a lurker for 4 years...I know, I know...but had to come out to tell you that you write the best TR's EVER I am now inspired to try to write my first TR now that I am finally done school and comment on the ones I read instead of just thinking comments in my head

Love the parts written by Carter and Landon btw and can't wait to try a CCB!!

 

[PirateKate]

Coming out of lurkerdom!! Been a lurker for 4 years...I know, I know...but had to come out to tell you that you write the best TR's EVER I am now inspired to try to write my first TR now that I am finally done school and comment on the ones I read instead of just thinking comments in my head

Love the parts written by Carter and Landon btw and can't wait to try a CCB!!

Wow! Lurking for 4 years, that's got to be the longest lurking time I've ever heard of. I'm honored you choose to de-lurk. Thank you very much! Writing TRs is so much fun. Let me know when you start your TR.

Thanks! I had a lot of fun with Carter and Landon's posts. I hope you like the CCB!

 

[jc040404]

Yay for a new tooth! What a fun place to discover it, too. Super glad there were PPF FPs left when you got there. I've never liked how that ride can be a tough one to manage later in the day. Hope the boys enjoy it!

Can't wait to hear your thoughts on CHH, too!

 

[PirateKate]

Yay for a new tooth! What a fun place to discover it, too. Super glad there were PPF FPs left when you got there. I've never liked how that ride can be a tough one to manage later in the day. Hope the boys enjoy it!

Can't wait to hear your thoughts on CHH, too!

I loved seeing Landon's new tooth right there on the ferryboat! It was great to know that he'd been teething and that was probably why he wasn't feeling very good. PPF is so much fun. I hate how the lines are usually so long for it, and then it's over so fast, but I still want to ride it. The boys love it.

CHH is coming right up!

 

[PirateKate]

We entered the Columbia Harbour House, grateful to be able to wheel the stroller right inside. We studied the menu for a minute. I briefly considered getting the tuna sandwich, but refrained, because there's too much variety in tuna salad. Much safer to stick with the fried shrimp, which was certain to have nothing in it but shrimp.

Jeremy asked if he should get one chocolate cake and one apple crisp so we could try both.

I thought about it for a minute, but I sort of vaguely remembered the last time we ate there on the Dining Plan, thinking that next time, we should get two apple crisps.

Jeremy thought two apple crisps sounded good, too. It doesn't take very many chocolate cake cups before they all start to taste the same.

I left Jeremy in line and took the stroller to get a table. I parked Carter next to the table where he was unlikely to get bumped into. I grabbed a nearby high chair and got Landon settled in with a place mat.

It wasn't long until Jeremy came over, carrying a tray full of fried shrimp. It looked great.

Landon was going to be eating off of our plates, as well as having a few snacks we had brought with us. He had a packet of fruit snacks and a cereal bar. Or a "bar-bar", as Landon calls them.

We also bought Landon his very own milk, which he drank happily.

We all started eating and my food tasted great. Somehow, it all tasted like Disney.

I noticed Landon staring across the room and looked to see what he found so interesting.

Ah. There was a pretty blonde teenage girl a few tables over. Landon couldn't take his eyes of her. She started walked toward us and Landon started smiling and showing off to the best of his one-year-old ability.

The girl walked right past him and never gave him a single glance. Poor Landon. He looked sort of confused, because usually all the girls love him.

He looked at me, wanting to know why that girl hadn't fallen for him.

"Don't worry about it, buddy. You were very charming, but these things happen to the best of us. That means you. Anyway, I think you can do better."

He seemed satisfied. Of course he could do better. He was sure of it. The girl came walking back and I considered whether or not I could ask her to say hi to Landon, but decided against it. If she liked babies, she would have noticed Landon making eyes at her.

Landon's eyes followed her all the way across the room, but she never looked his way. Oh, well. He decided to drown his sorrows in his milk.

I was nearly done with my shrimp when I ran out of sweet tea. It was just Gold Peak, but that night, it seemed deliciously refreshing. I wished I had more.

Well, why night? I asked if Jeremy wanted anything and he didn't, and I asked Landon if he wanted to come with me and he did and we went to order another sweet tea.

The line closest to us seemed shortest, but it turned out to be a bad choice. There was one family ordering on the other side of our register and they took forever. No one seemed certain what they wanted or what meals came with what and they kept changing the order again and again. And there were so many of them.

The CM working there gave me a sympathetic look, which I returned. I'd far rather be waiting by the side than trying to take their order.

Eventually, it was my turn and I quickly ordered one large sweet tea. The CM seemed pleased with the simplicity of the order.

Landon started waving to the CM and talking baby talk to him. The CM was so nice to Landon. He waved back and talked back and Landon told me he'd rather go home with that guy instead, if I didn't care.

I told Landon that actually I did care quite a bit and he was coming home with me. My tea was ready, so Landon told his new friend bye and we went to sit down.

After we finished the real food, we started in on the apple crisps.

After the first bite, I knew I had remembered correctly. The apple crisps were wonderful. They look like they would be hard as rocks and not very tasty, but they were soft and sweet and apple-y. Landon had a few bites, but said it wasn't really his sort of thing.

A few minutes into dessert, Landon ran out of milk and was distressed. I figured since I had bought a second drink, it was only fair to do the same for Landon.

Jeremy offered to go up to buy Landon's milk and Landon offered to go, too. I waited, drinking my tea and eating my apple crisp. Drinking sweet tea with dessert never bothers me.

A few minutes later, Jeremy and Landon came back. Landon got back in his chair and got to work on his new milk.

"Did Landon get to see his new friend?"

"Yep. In fact, that's magical milk. Landon got it for free."

"Wow! I didn't expect that."

Landon looked very pleased with himself.

Even the best dinners don't last forever. Once Landon had finished his magical milk, we left. Carter was still sleeping, so it only seemed fair to let Landon have a turn on Pirates of the Caribbean.

 

[tinacaplan]

Hooray for pirates and ferry boats and fried shrimp. I hope we get to CHH this time, it sound so good, and I do love apple crisp. Max loves Pirates, too..as for those swords...we were among the parents who let their kid get a sword. And a hook!

 

[basketkat]

What a pleasant dinner! Those apples sound really tasty!

 

[Nermel9]

I love CHH! It's such a cute little place, and the food is so good!

Poor Landon, being ignored by the blonde girl! I hope he's gotten over it!

That apple crisp sounds yummy! And Pirates is so much fun, sounds like you guys were having a great time at MK!

I seriously cannot WAIT to be there...I just got this feeling of "OMG...I'm going to be in DISNEY WORLD soon!" Less than a month til our trips!!!

 

[amandaw]

Dinner sounds like it was very yummy! I think I'm going to have to check out the menu for CHH to see what all they have. Could be a good option for us & would be somewhere new to us. So glad Landon got his magical free milk...his cuteness was definitely deserving of it! Looking forward to seeing what else y'all did that night!

 

[fi46re129]

Finally all caught up! Irene knocked out power cable internet and phone couldn't wait to get to work to catch up on all the TR's!

Yay for magical milk, new teeth, apple crisp and pirates! Sounds like a really great day!!!

 

[afwdwfan]

It looks like a nice relaxing dinner in CHH! I'm glad that Carter was able to keep napping and Landon got to meet all of his calcium needs.

I love a good apple crisp, so if we make it to CHH, I will definitely keep that tip in mind. Your trip reports are worth reading for the dessert/snack recommendations alone.

Great idea to take Landon to ride POTC now that he's awake. I'm sure he'll appreciate getting the same opportunity Carter had earlier. Maybe he can get a cute girle to flirt with him on the boat since he was unsuccessful at dinner.

 

[amazingact21]

Apple crisps sound so nice (and I see no issue drinking sweet tea while eating them).

I think it's nice that since you got some one-on-one time with Carter at the pool, you got to spend a nice dinner with Landon. Even though, he was letdown by the blonde, it sounds like he had a nice time slurping down some milk. Hope he managed to ride PoTC and enjoyed the little drop at the beginning.

 

[okw19]

What a wonderful dinner at CHH! Yay for Landon's magical milk. I love it when DD makes a special friend like that.

 

[RachelNinja]

I wanted to get Ridley Pearson to sign a book, but the line was out the door and AROUND the store. I didn't realize then that he was so popular! It would make sense that that would be the crowded day too because DTD doesn't require admission. This is the update from my 2010 report about it: here and here. By the end of the week, I wasn't that disappointed that we only got to see him because Howard and I met and talked to 2 other Disney "celebrities" for a long time ... Lou Mongello and Jim Korkis! I haven't gotten up to that part in my TR yet.

Mmm, I've only had the fried fish at CHH. I really want to try the shrimp too! Maybe we'll be able to order 1 of each and share next trip! Yum.

Aww, too bad that Landon had to face the harsh realities of life with that girl. At least he got magical milk! He makes it look so tasty in that picture that I want some, and I'm lactose intolerant!

 

[All7OfUs]

Ahh, Landon, you win some, you lose some. Drowning your sorrows in milk is always a good choice!

Glad you had such a nice meal in CHH; it's such a great place!

 

[DisneyMomma09]

Yummy!! We had the fried shrimp from CHH one night on our trip. Colby did not get any Magical Milk, though. Colby has trouble understanding how girls, or anyone in that case, can walk past him without saying hello. I hope Landon likes Pirates! It was not Colby's favorite ride.

 

[PirateKate]

Hooray for pirates and ferry boats and fried shrimp. I hope we get to CHH this time, it sound so good, and I do love apple crisp. Max loves Pirates, too..as for those swords...we were among the parents who let their kid get a sword. And a hook!

"Pirates, Ferryboats, and Fried Shirmp"- maybe that's what I should have named this trip report. CHH is a fun place. I like the theming and love the food. I hope you all can fit it in next time. I'm glad to hear Max got a sword. It was kind of sad seeing all the sad kids go by. I bet Max was a very fearsome pirate with his sword and hook.

What a pleasant dinner! Those apples sound really tasty!

It was a very nice meal. We always seem to have good meals when we can double team Landon.

I love CHH! It's such a cute little place, and the food is so good!

Poor Landon, being ignored by the blonde girl! I hope he's gotten over it!

That apple crisp sounds yummy! And Pirates is so much fun, sounds like you guys were having a great time at MK!

I seriously cannot WAIT to be there...I just got this feeling of "OMG...I'm going to be in DISNEY WORLD soon!" Less than a month til our trips!!!

We're planning on making multiple trips to CHH next time. I love the fried shrimp, but I also want to try some of the new stuff there.

I'm sure Landon hasn't given her a second thought. I felt a little sorry for him, since he looked so baffled, but it was also kind of funny.

The apple crisp was perfect! I might even want to get one next time when we aren't on a dining plan. I can never go on Pirates too many times.

I'm sort of mixed. Half of me is really really excited and eager to be there and doing all the stuff I've been planning for so long and the other half is sort of concerned about all the things I need to do before the trip. It's almost coming up too quickly and I won't have time to get ready. On the other hand, who cares if anything gets done? I'm going to Disney World!

Dinner sounds like it was very yummy! I think I'm going to have to check out the menu for CHH to see what all they have. Could be a good option for us & would be somewhere new to us. So glad Landon got his magical free milk...his cuteness was definitely deserving of it! Looking forward to seeing what else y'all did that night!

The menu just changed a bit. I think they added salmon with couscous and steamed broccoli and a lobster roll. I think both sound pretty good. I'll have a hard time deciding what to order when we go back. I thought it was really cool that Landon got magical milk. He adored that CM, and after being ignored by the blonde girl, it was nice that someone paid more attention to him.

Finally all caught up! Irene knocked out power cable internet and phone couldn't wait to get to work to catch up on all the TR's!

Yay for magical milk, new teeth, apple crisp and pirates! Sounds like a really great day!!!

Sorry to hear Irene knocked the power out. I hate being without internet when the power goes out. I think I'd rather do without air conditioning than internet.

Ooh, another great title- "Magical Milk, New Teeth, Apple Crisp, and Pirates!" We were having a great time that day.

 

[jc040404]

CHH is the best! We love that place and I really think the CMs in here are some of the best. Loved the magical milk. I felt so bad that little Landon wasn't appreciated by blonde girl, but I'm sure that made up for it. He's too cute.

 

[PirateKate]

I don't think I'm going to write a PTR for our October trip. It's coming up so fast that it's nearly too late already.

I do have a few plans I'd like to share and maybe get some second opinions.

1. We're staying at Pop Century, Sept 30th through Oct. 9th. I had booked us originally at CBR, which is the only moderate resort I haven't stayed at. I was feeling very uneasy about it and I thought the boys would prefer Pop Century any way and it would be so much cheaper that I switched. Carter's been talking about taking his suitcase to Pop Century, so I think it was a good move.

2. We're attending our first ever MNSSHP. I can't wait to see the headless horseman and take the boys trick or treating. The tricky part, of course, is what to wear. Above all, we must be comfortable. After weeks and weeks of careful thought and consideration, I chose our theme- Survivor. I bought two small Tiki torches that can be rigged to the stroller unobstructively. Of course, they will remain unlit, but I think I may be able to use some glow sticks for a lit up effect.

I also found a place online to buy Survivor bandanas, which I haven't ordered yet. I figured I'd get one for each of us and we could wear them with whatever clothes seem comfortable and weather appropriate. I also was planning to make myself an immunity necklace.

I was happy with my theme. It would be cheap and practical and still somewhat festive and unique.

And then it happened. I was shopping at Target and found the coolest Halloween shirt for little boys. It has Pirate Mickey on it and he's trick or treating and it says "Surrender Yer Loot". I loved it immediately and bought two.

Now, I'm not sure whether the boys should wear their Mickey shirts to the party or if they should be Survivor people and wear the shirts another day or if they should wear the Mickey shirts and Survivor bandanas. Would that be too much of a juxtaposition?

I could scrap the Survivor idea, since all I've bought for it is the torches. Or I could save the shirts for something else. Or the boys could wear the Mickey shirts and Jeremy and I could be Survivor people. What do you all think?

3. A) We're also running the 5K, stroller division. I've heard rumors that people dress up for that, too. Does anyone know if that's mostly true or mostly not? I suppose it would be easy enough to bring our Survivor bandanas and put them on if everyone else is dressed up. Of course, that would be harder, if I decided not to do the Survivor theme.

B) I'm trying to plan what to do after the race and not sure exactly what would be best. I've never run a 5K before and all I know is that it has an unforgettable finish. How long do most people spend at an unforgettable finish?

I was thinking we would spend some time at AK after the race, since we'd be right there and would have a great chance of making rope drop. But, I know that the boys would be miserable sitting in the stroller doing nothing for an hour while we wait for the park to open. A early ADR at Tusker House would be perfect, but of course, nothing is available. I have an ADR at RFC at 8:30, but I'm afraid we'd still be eating when the rope dropped and that would be a shame.

4. Rope Drop. Never been. I'm working on a grand scheme to make it to Rope Drop this trip. We won't go so far as to set an alarm or anything, but I'd like to try to get out of the room faster in the morning.

I'm thinking of using large Ziplock bags to streamline the process of getting ready. I can have one with extra diapers and clothes and toys for every day and just grab one on our way out the door. I could have a separate Ziplock bag filled with snacks and breakfast food, so we don't waste time eating in the room. Eating breakfast while we wait for the park to open might also help pass the time with the boys.

A few rope drop questions- How early is too early to get to the parks? What is the ideal time to arrive? Is it possible to let 2 well behaved toddlers out of the stroller to play while we wait or would they be trampled by the rest of the crowd? Generally speaking, is it better to get a Fastpass first or to ride first?

5. Somehow, Landon had a few seconds alone with my camera and managed to demolish it. I don't know how he did it. If I had my camera, I'd take a picture of the boys' Pirate Mickey shirts, but as it is, you'll have to imagine them.

Since the old camera is out of order, we decided to purchase a new camera- the Canon S95. I'm hoping it will be able to take some beautiful Disney pictures, especially at night. I'm also hoping I can figure out how to use it. Does anyone have any experience with a Canon S95? Any tips for me?

Overall, I'm so excited about this trip. It's going to be our best trip ever with the boys. 4 weeks left!

 

[amandaw]

Y'all are going to have so much fun on your upcoming trip!

I only have input as far as the shirts & costumes are concerned. For the costumes, I would stick with the Survivor theme for the whole family. I do like the idea of using glow sticks on the torches! And then just have the boys wear the Mickey shirts sometime during the vacation. But, that's just my opinion. And you know what they say about opinions.....

Are you going to do a TR for this upcoming trip? If so, please let me know when you start it. I'd love to hear about MNSSHP & the 5K.