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

[afwdwfan]

I'm glad at least someone got a nap in. Too bad Carter wouldn't sleep, but it looks like he had a good time at the pool. I'm glad you got your camera batteries charged and I look forward to seeing what your evening back at the MK has in store.

 

[CandleontheWater]

Good call taking Carter to the pool! He had fun, and Landon got some much needed rest! I'm also happy that Jeremy remembered to charge the camera! I always forget things like that, and I'm lucky that my DH is also good at remembering the little details.

I thought that your experience with the swords at POTC was so funny! We haven't bought Everett a sword yet, but I'm sure we will at some point! Its funny, when we were at our big ultra sound and found out Everett was a boy, the first thing I said to DH was "We're going to be spending a lot of money at the POTC gift shop!"

 

[amazingact21]

Good to see Landon was able to get a nice long nap, hopefully that means he's ready to enjoy a night at MK!
Sounds like you and Carter had a lot of fun at the pool. It was nice to see that the boys playing ball were cool with letting Carter throw it. I know sometimes kids can be really protective of their stuff and just assume others are trying to run away with their possessions. But it seems like they made Carter's evening.

 

[PirateKate]

The sword thing is too funny! I could see myself counting incidents there, too. You really should've told someone about the package pickup! We got pretty good at rushing away before mine could grab one after a while.

Nice to finally see this caramel bar you love so much!

Watching all the kids wanting swords gave me something fun to do while I waited. I'm sure someday it'll be my boys wanting swords and hopefully, I can keep a sense of humor about it. Just as long as no one starts talking about package pickup.

I'm glad I found a picture of it to show to everyone. I was all set to have a little photo shoot with my chewy caramel bar last trip, until they were out of them.

I'm glad Landon was able to get some rest! My little one is also a thumb sucker...I think it is so precious!

What a fun afternoon for you and Carter! I love those moments where I can spend one on one time with my girls.

How sweet that he got to throw the ball back to the boys! I bet he thought he was big time!!!!

Bring on the magic!

I think Landon did need his rest that day, so that made missing out on park time a little easier. I think thumb sucking is adorable.

I love spending time with just one of my boys, too. It's usually me and them all day, so to get to take just one somewhere is really nice.

I think getting to throw that ball made Carter's day. He thought he was so cool.

Extra magic coming right up!

Cute update! Isn't it funny how they always translate Daddy laying next to them into "wrestling time" and not "nap time"? But, it sounds like the afternoon worked out perfectly for both of your boys. And, thankfully, you had a fully charged camera battery to head back to MK for some night time fun!

My boys love wrestling with their daddy and I'm sure Carter was extra thrilled to have wrestling time after Jeremy had been gone for a few days. I hope that on our next trip, nap time will never be wrestling time, but it probably will. I'm so glad Jeremy remembered to charge the camera battery. It would have been so aggravating to go back to the room and forget anyway.

I'm glad at least someone got a nap in. Too bad Carter wouldn't sleep, but it looks like he had a good time at the pool. I'm glad you got your camera batteries charged and I look forward to seeing what your evening back at the MK has in store.

I do think that out of all of us, Landon needed the sleep the worst, so if only one person could sleep, I'm glad it was him. And Carter did love going swimming. I had told him he might get to go, and he always remembers things like that. One evening at the MK isn't very much time, but we were going to make the most of it.

Good call taking Carter to the pool! He had fun, and Landon got some much needed rest! I'm also happy that Jeremy remembered to charge the camera! I always forget things like that, and I'm lucky that my DH is also good at remembering the little details.

I thought that your experience with the swords at POTC was so funny! We haven't bought Everett a sword yet, but I'm sure we will at some point! Its funny, when we were at our big ultra sound and found out Everett was a boy, the first thing I said to DH was "We're going to be spending a lot of money at the POTC gift shop!"

It actually did work out fairly well. That might be a strategy we will use again, if it turns out that Landon still wants to nap in the room and Carter still does not. It was good that Jeremy remembered to charge the camera, because I had completely forgotten.

That's the nice thing about boys. We will be spending a lot of money on pirate gear, but merely a trifle compared to how much it would cost to outfit a little princess. At our ultrasound for Landon, I told Jeremy, that by not having any girls, we'd at least save a lot of money on BBB.

Good to see Landon was able to get a nice long nap, hopefully that means he's ready to enjoy a night at MK!
Sounds like you and Carter had a lot of fun at the pool. It was nice to see that the boys playing ball were cool with letting Carter throw it. I know sometimes kids can be really protective of their stuff and just assume others are trying to run away with their possessions. But it seems like they made Carter's evening.

I think Landon was totally ready for his night at MK. I'm sure the two rides on PotC that he had missed was still in the back of his head so he had a lot of riding to do to make up for it. Carter and I had great time swimming. And since we had been watching those boys play, I felt confident that they were nice kids and would be nice to Carter. They seemed happy to let Carter throw it back to them.

 

[PirateKate]

In the time it took to walk from our parking spot to Transportation and Ticket Center, Carter feel asleep. It made sense. It was less than two hours until his normal bedtime and he hadn't napped all day.

The line for the Monorail was very long, so we decided it was a good time to take the ferryboat.

As much as I love the Monorail, I love the ferryboat even more.

Sure, it's slower, but it's so beautiful and relaxing. I love watching the Magic Kingdom getting closer and closer.

It wasn't long until a ferryboat pulled up and we were able to grab a bench with a nice view.

As we pulled away from the dock, my stomach growled loudly enough for Jeremy to hear.

"Hungry?"

"Yeah. It seems like a long time since I didn't eat my cheeseburger at Pecos Bill's."

"We're going to the Columbia Harbour House for dinner, right?"

"I had planned on it. But I don't know if we should wait for Carter to wake up or eat without him."

"We should eat without him. He had every chance to nap when he was supposed to. And when he wakes up, we'll get him a kid's meal wherever we are."

"Do you think he minds eating alone, though?"

"Nah. Besides Landon will probably volunteer to eat with him."

Landon grinned at us, eager to volunteer. What was that in his mouth? I looked closer.

"Hey! He's got a new tooth!"

"Where?"

"Right there, next to his bottom tooth on the right side."

"Oh, yeah. I thought he was up for molars next?"

"I thought so, too, but Carter's teeth didn't come in in the usual order, so I guess I don't really know if Landon's are normal or not."

"I'm sure it's fine, whatever order is normal."

My stomach growled again.

"I'm glad we're going to go eat first thing."

"You know, we still have that cookie that we bought after lunch."

"Good idea! Get it out."

"Are we allowed to eat on the ferryboat?"

"I don't know. But I don't see any signs saying we can't and we can always stop, if someone says something."

The cookie was big and I broke it into three pieces. Landon looked very happy with his piece. I was happy with mine, too.

I love those Minnie's Bake Shop cookies.

We finished off the cookie uneventfully and arrived at the Magic Kingdom soon after.

It felt great to be back on Main Street. The crowds seemed a little lighter than they had earlier and it definitely wasn't so hot.

We walked toward the Castle, so I could see it up close in all its splendor.

"Think you've got enough Castle pictures, yet?"

"You can never have too many Castle pictures."

I was all set to take another, when I saw that the back of the Castle was actually a tarp, cleverly disguised as a Castle. Did they really think no one was going to notice?

I refused to photograph the tarp and got a picture of Fantasyland instead.

Along the way to the Columbia Harbour House, I was pleasantly surprised to find that there were still some Fastpasses for Peter Pan's Flight. Cool! I had been hoping to take the boys on that ride, since Carter and Landon know their Peter Pan characters.

Vowing not to stop again before dinner, we pressed on to Liberty Square.

 

[CandleontheWater]

Yum, Columbia harbor house! I love the hummus sandwich. It just figures that Carter would fall asleep just as you were getting back to the parks! At least you could take the stroller into a restaurant with no problems. Also, way to score Peter Pan fastpasses! You were lucky that there were some left, a little extra pixie dust for your day.

I wonder if you made it to CHH? Your last sentence sounds ominous again!

 

[basketkat]

I enjoy taking the ferry as well! You're right it is a little slower, but sometimes it is nice to just relax and take it all in.

All that swimming wore Carter out! At least he has his comfy stroller to rest in!

Ugh to tarps...but the rest of your pictures look nice!!!!

Oooo Peter Pan fastpasses! Score! It is such a cute ride!

 

[RachelNinja]

In response to your comment to my comment, thankfully, I was able to see Ridley Pearson the next day at DTD! He was there at Once Upon a Toy. It's in my 2010 TR that I still haven't yet finished, haha.

And the Kimmunicator outside of the parks just beeps periodically. That night, we thought it was someone's phone or something. I don't know if we ever checked it and opened it to see what was on the screen. I would think it'd be out of range. We did return it later in the week at DTD Guest Relations!

I love how Carter always "understands" your reasoning with him. What a smart boy!

I'm very eager to take the ferry one of these days. It just sounds so calm and relaxing especially with a cookie!

I'm eagerly awaiting your thoughts on Columbia Harbour House!

 

[afwdwfan]

I wish you would have taken a picture of the tarp on the castle. I'd kind of like to see what a fake castle on a tarp looks like. It always kind of gets me how they use tarps/fake facades that look like the building behind them. I mean I understand that sometimes work needs to be done to the buildings and I'm fine with that. It isn't like everything's ok because they have a tarp that looks like the building. I'd almost prefer to actually see what they're doing, but I guess that doesn't work with the Disney magic.

I hope Carter enjoys his nap and the rest of you enjoy your dinner!

 

[amandaw]

Yep, no nap + swim time + stroller ride = the perfect nap time!

I also like to take the ferry sometimes. You're right, it is very relaxing. I love just taking in the scenery & relaxing for a moment & just being happy to be where I am with my family.

That's so exciting that Landon was getting in more teeth. And at least that probably explained his symptoms.

Yay! for getting FP's for Peter Pan. Can't wait to see how the boys liked it. That's definitely one of Reid's favorite rides. I think it's a perfect ride for boys.

Can't wait to hear about dinner....I've never eaten at CHH.

 

[KatMark]

Glad Jeremy remembered the cookie and you were able to have something to tie you over until you reached the MK.

I prefer the ferryboat over the monorail any day of the week.

Beautiful castle pictures.

I can't wait to hear how dinner was at Columbia Harbor House...one of our favorites.

 

[SoonerGirl]

Catching up.....I think I was about 10 updates behind!

I was shocked to read that they have jalapeno cheese stuffed pretzels at Epcot! I was certain that AK was the only place in WDW where you could get one. They are one of my favorite snacks so I'm glad to find out that isn't the case

Davy Jones was playing last year when my mom and I were in Epcot for the F&G festival too. Mom was super excited to see him!

Bummer that you missed out on the pork chop at Sunshine Seasons, first no chewy caramel bar and then no pork chop

I'm so glad Carter didn't get burned by the coffee! My youngest got a cup of coffee spilled on him when he was a toddler and he wasn't as lucky. We had to make a trip to the ER followed by a trip to the burn center at a children's hospital. It was NOT fun, I still get tears in my eyes thinking about my little guy clinging to me and crying as they were trying to dress his wounds

Looking forward to hearing about your dinner at CHH, that's my favorite MK CS!

 

[brookelizabeth]

I had this, along with your DCCB last week! I LOVED the American Dream, but....the caramel bar....was just a little too much for me. It was GOOD, but I could only take a few bites.

However, that just means if we are at the World at the same time, I won't be buying up your caramel bars. I'll arm wrestle you for the American Dream though.

"Security! Open up!"

Security? My plan of ignoring it didn't seem quite as feasible anymore. Jeremy opened the door to see what Security could possibly want from us this time of night.

"We received a call from this room."

The officer was looking around at all of us suspiciously.

"We didn't call Security. Everything's fine here."

"Oh! I bet Landon called Security. Our toddler got his hands on the phone awhile ago. I'm so sorry he called you all."

"That's all right. We're required to check out every phone call, no matter who calls."

On one trip Henry did something similar - he had called 911. Those phones are VERY attractive to young toddlers. Thankfully, they outgrow this stage quite quickly.

And, it does get easier in ways, but in other ways harder. Park Touring DEFINITELY gets easier though with age! You have to watch the meltdown radar, but the rest is awesome when you don't have to work around a nap or diaper changes!

I hope you get to ride Peter Pan!!!

 

[PirateKate]

Yum, Columbia harbor house! I love the hummus sandwich. It just figures that Carter would fall asleep just as you were getting back to the parks! At least you could take the stroller into a restaurant with no problems. Also, way to score Peter Pan fastpasses! You were lucky that there were some left, a little extra pixie dust for your day.

I wonder if you made it to CHH? Your last sentence sounds ominous again!

I've never had the hummus sandwich there, but it sounds pretty good. Maybe I'll get a chance to try it in October. It was too bad that Carter fell asleep as soon as it was park time again, but he probably would have felt his swimming time was worth missing park time. I'm glad we weren't planning on Sunshine Seasons for dinner that night! We were very lucky they still had Peter Pan fastpasses left. I didn't think they would, but I was very happy to get them.

I guess you never know what's going to happen...

I enjoy taking the ferry as well! You're right it is a little slower, but sometimes it is nice to just relax and take it all in.

All that swimming wore Carter out! At least he has his comfy stroller to rest in!

Ugh to tarps...but the rest of your pictures look nice!!!!

Oooo Peter Pan fastpasses! Score! It is such a cute ride!

I just love seeing the Seven Seas Lagoon sparkling with the Magic Kingdom coming right up. It's a pleasant ride.

This summer, I have discovered one of the fundamental principles of toddlerhood- nothing makes for better naps than lots of swimming.

For the most part, I can overlook the tarps, but I just didn't want to see any on the Castle. That just doesn't seem right.

I love Peter Pan's Flight! It's another one of those rides that always has a crazy long line for no good reason, but I do love it.

In response to your comment to my comment, thankfully, I was able to see Ridley Pearson the next day at DTD! He was there at Once Upon a Toy. It's in my 2010 TR that I still haven't yet finished, haha.

And the Kimmunicator outside of the parks just beeps periodically. That night, we thought it was someone's phone or something. I don't know if we ever checked it and opened it to see what was on the screen. I would think it'd be out of range. We did return it later in the week at DTD Guest Relations!

I love how Carter always "understands" your reasoning with him. What a smart boy!

I'm very eager to take the ferry one of these days. It just sounds so calm and relaxing especially with a cookie!

I'm eagerly awaiting your thoughts on Columbia Harbour House!

I'm glad you were able to see Ridley Pearson after all. That would be cool to meet him in the parks. Did you get him to sign a KK book?

I wonder how often people walk off with Kimmunicators. The CM we turned ours in to acted as though it was pretty common.

I love that about Carter, too. He's very reasonable for a two-year-old. He always seems to get complex ideas, if I explain it properly.

You haven't taken the ferry, yet? I highly recommend it. It's a nice change of pace from the Monorail. I still don't know if cookies are allowed, but no one stopped us.

I love Columbia Harbour House!

I wish you would have taken a picture of the tarp on the castle. I'd kind of like to see what a fake castle on a tarp looks like. It always kind of gets me how they use tarps/fake facades that look like the building behind them. I mean I understand that sometimes work needs to be done to the buildings and I'm fine with that. It isn't like everything's ok because they have a tarp that looks like the building. I'd almost prefer to actually see what they're doing, but I guess that doesn't work with the Disney magic.

I hope Carter enjoys his nap and the rest of you enjoy your dinner!

It actually was a pretty good replica of the back of the Castle. At first glance, it could nearly pass for the real thing, but of course, I wasn't glancing, I was gazing, which is completely different. I think it'd be really interesting to see what they're doing behind the tarps. I especially wish we could see past the walls they have up for the Fantasyland expansion. But maybe casual Disney guests would rather not know.

Carter was sleeping so soundly, so dinner was looking pretty good with just Landon awake.

 

[wdwgirl03]

Mmm, that chewy caramel bar sure does look good! I'm definitely going to have to try one of those.

I agree about the boats, even if they take longer they are relaxing. Plus you get some great views!

I hate it when they try to disguise construction or whatever with the tarps. It's like when we were there in March there were some buildings on Main Street with tarps over them. Boo!

 

[amazingact21]

Taking the ferryboat is always so relaxing. Plus, I think it builds up your excitement, because you slowly watch the castle get closer and closer.

So, when Alex and I were at WDW in May, we walked behind Cinderella's Castle, and he swore that there was something covering the castle, as well. We were standing around, taking pictures, when all of a sudden, he pointed his finger and went, "Look at that!"
Unfortunately, I didn't have my glasses in an easy to reach spot, therefore I was blind. I kept telling him I didn't see anything different about the castle, but he kept insisting that there was. He said it looked like a cardboard cutout. We debated about it for a good minute or two.
Now, that you have confirmed that there was, indeed, a tarp, I'll have to tell Alex he was right.

 

[lbuzz52]

Carter sure was a good boy getting out of the pool!
Glad you now know why Landon wasn't feeling well earlier in the week.
Your caramel bar does look good!

 

[Shannon84]

I love taking the ferryboat and just soaking up the MK magic as you get closer

I haven't been on Peter Pans flight due to long lines the last few times, so I am making sure we grab a fastpass on our MK day

 

[PirateKate]

Yep, no nap + swim time + stroller ride = the perfect nap time!

I also like to take the ferry sometimes. You're right, it is very relaxing. I love just taking in the scenery & relaxing for a moment & just being happy to be where I am with my family.

That's so exciting that Landon was getting in more teeth. And at least that probably explained his symptoms.

Yay! for getting FP's for Peter Pan. Can't wait to see how the boys liked it. That's definitely one of Reid's favorite rides. I think it's a perfect ride for boys.

Can't wait to hear about dinner....I've never eaten at CHH.

I should remember that formula for our next trip. I'm glad Carter and Landon were finally getting naps.

Some of my happiest Disney memories are on the ferryboat. Something about it is just so peaceful.

I thought his new tooth was pretty cool. I hate teething, so I'm always glad when someone gets a new tooth and we're one step closer to being done with it. I do think the teething was behind Landon's symptoms.

PPF is great for boys! I was so happy to find there were some Fastpasses left. PPF is another ride that could really benefit from an interactive queue. I wonder if that's coming up during the expansion.

Glad Jeremy remembered the cookie and you were able to have something to tie you over until you reached the MK.

I prefer the ferryboat over the monorail any day of the week.

Beautiful castle pictures.

I can't wait to hear how dinner was at Columbia Harbor House...one of our favorites.

I love those cookies! Jeremy was remembering everything that day- the cookie, the camera battery...

I always enjoy the ferryboat more, unless I'm in a hurry. Then the Monorail wins.

Thanks! I love taking pictures of the Castle.

Ours, too! We're planning on going there several times on our next trip.

Catching up.....I think I was about 10 updates behind!

I was shocked to read that they have jalapeno cheese stuffed pretzels at Epcot! I was certain that AK was the only place in WDW where you could get one. They are one of my favorite snacks so I'm glad to find out that isn't the case

Davy Jones was playing last year when my mom and I were in Epcot for the F&G festival too. Mom was super excited to see him!

Bummer that you missed out on the pork chop at Sunshine Seasons, first no chewy caramel bar and then no pork chop

I'm so glad Carter didn't get burned by the coffee! My youngest got a cup of coffee spilled on him when he was a toddler and he wasn't as lucky. We had to make a trip to the ER followed by a trip to the burn center at a children's hospital. It was NOT fun, I still get tears in my eyes thinking about my little guy clinging to me and crying as they were trying to dress his wounds

Looking forward to hearing about your dinner at CHH, that's my favorite MK CS!

I'm glad you caught back up! I think a lot of people are busier these days.

Yes, they have the jalapeno pretzels at Epcot, too. Jeremy loves those and was happy when we learned they were there as well as the AK. Of course, the one we had didn't taste the same as the ones from the AK, but hopefully, we just got a bad one.

Davy Jones was awesome! I guess people my age aren't usually that excited about Davy Jones, but I thought it was really cool to hear him.

They were out of all my favorites at Epcot that day. It was actually kind of funny by the end of the night. Just not my day, I guess.

That sounds horrible, that your son got burned by the coffee! I would have felt so bad if Carter had been hurt. It's never fun to go to the emergency room, but it's even worse when it's just a toddler who doesn't understand what's going on.

CHH has always been one of our favorites, too.

I had this, along with your DCCB last week! I LOVED the American Dream, but....the caramel bar....was just a little too much for me. It was GOOD, but I could only take a few bites.

However, that just means if we are at the World at the same time, I won't be buying up your caramel bars. I'll arm wrestle you for the American Dream though.



On one trip Henry did something similar - he had called 911. Those phones are VERY attractive to young toddlers. Thankfully, they outgrow this stage quite quickly.

And, it does get easier in ways, but in other ways harder. Park Touring DEFINITELY gets easier though with age! You have to watch the meltdown radar, but the rest is awesome when you don't have to work around a nap or diaper changes!

I hope you get to ride Peter Pan!!!

I'm sorry to hear you didn't like the DCCB. I admit, I do have an unusually high tolerance for sweet things. It's just as well, really, in case our trips ever overlap in the future.

Take the American Dreams, leave Chewy Caramel Bars.

I think I'd rather deal with Disney security that 911. What are the odds Henry would happen to dial those numbers? I'm glad to hear they outgrow the fascination with the room phones.

I'm trying to appreciate the toddler years, but I'm also glad to hear it gets easier. It would be so nice to tour without having to worry about naps and diaper changes. And height restrictions. I bought a Disney height chart that tells the rides for each height and I make Carter and Landon get measured every so often. Carter's just an inch away from Kali River Rapids!

I hate to let a good Fastpass go to waste.

Mmm, that chewy caramel bar sure does look good! I'm definitely going to have to try one of those.

I agree about the boats, even if they take longer they are relaxing. Plus you get some great views!

I hate it when they try to disguise construction or whatever with the tarps. It's like when we were there in March there were some buildings on Main Street with tarps over them. Boo!

I hope you like the chewy caramel bars! I think they're wonderful.

I love the views from the boats. And my boys both enjoy boat rides, so the extra time usually seems like it's worth it, to us.

I was glad most of the tarps were down off Main Street when we were there. I think the Confectionery was the only one still tarped. I think it's annoying to have the tarps up there, and yet, I did think Main Street looked great after whatever they did to it.

 

[PirateKate]

Taking the ferryboat is always so relaxing. Plus, I think it builds up your excitement, because you slowly watch the castle get closer and closer.

So, when Alex and I were at WDW in May, we walked behind Cinderella's Castle, and he swore that there was something covering the castle, as well. We were standing around, taking pictures, when all of a sudden, he pointed his finger and went, "Look at that!"
Unfortunately, I didn't have my glasses in an easy to reach spot, therefore I was blind. I kept telling him I didn't see anything different about the castle, but he kept insisting that there was. He said it looked like a cardboard cutout. We debated about it for a good minute or two.
Now, that you have confirmed that there was, indeed, a tarp, I'll have to tell Alex he was right.

I love watching the Castle getting closer and closer. Of course, it's not nearly as thrilling on the way back, watching the Castle getting farther away.

I guess it must have been a pretty good tarp, if you couldn't tell the difference without glasses. I'm sure Alex will be glad to hear that he was right about that. Maybe I should have gotten a picture of it after all.

Carter sure was a good boy getting out of the pool!
Glad you now know why Landon wasn't feeling well earlier in the week.
Your caramel bar does look good!

Carter was very good about getting out of the pool. Carter's usually pretty good about listening to reason. I guess the world's longest nap was just what Landon needed to get that tooth through. Isn't that caramel bar a thing of beauty? I would have never noticed it, sitting under the cupcakes and caramel apples.

I love taking the ferryboat and just soaking up the MK magic as you get closer

I haven't been on Peter Pans flight due to long lines the last few times, so I am making sure we grab a fastpass on our MK day

The ferryboat is fun. In some ways, it's kind of nice to drive and take the Monorail or boat across the lake.

I don't know if I've ever see Peter Pan's Flight without long lines. I guess it dies down toward the end of EMHs. I hope you get to ride it next time!