Firsts, Fourths, and Farewells (4/28 Back to the Future!)

[thecapells]

I like that the boys are getting their own photopass session in this update. Love the picture of the three of you!

It was fun to have some "guy time."
And more of that is coming up!
Stay tuned!

Looks like the 4 of you were having a great time while the other 2 were off being daredevils.

All the pictures are great but the one in front of the castle is my favorite. The look on X's face is adorable!

Thanks - it was a nice, relaxing morning just strolling through Tomorrowland.
But it definitely works up an update...

 

[thecapells]

We checked in for our 12:15 ADR at the Plaza.
This is one of our Hidden Gems – great sandwiches, great ice cream, great price.

After we were seated, J took in the décor.
And by that I mean he started taking pictures of everything.
And I mean everything…

After we ordered an unusual thing happened.
The Mayor of Main Street stormed into the restaurant.
Apparently he was here to visit and campaign for his next term.
He also awarded a lucky family with some magic fastpasses.
Very cool and very random…

The mayor departed and the food arrived.
Our princess went with a Mickey shaped PB&J along with bananas and fries.

The boys went with their Plaza standards – grilled cheese and fries.

Mom ordered potato soup which she found watery and very mediocre.
But then she surprised me by ordered a bacon mushroom cheeseburger.
It was HUGE and she said it was very good.

I started with a salad and then ordered my Plaza standard – the best cheesesteak on Disney property.
Look at how gooey!

J also ordered a salad but he followed his up with a turkey club sandwich.
Another good looking meal…

Then it was time for the good stuff.
But the girls had to run.
So we ordered them some chocolate chip cookies and brownies to go.
X also ordered chocolate chip cookies (they are big cookies).
But Logan went with the kids usual – a Mickeylodean!
The kids LOVE these things…

I had a mint chocolate chip sundae with caramel.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

J went with a sundae as well but more traditional with hot fudge.

All in all, another grand time at the Plaza.
This is always a solid restaurant for us and we always have a good time.
I look forward to my cheesesteak every trip.
Next up - where did the girls go?
And what do 4 guys do in the Magic Kingdom on their own?
Stay Tuned!

 

[boxmaster]

After we were seated, J took in the décor.
And by that I mean he started taking pictures of everything.
And I mean everything…

Be careful when you train someone ; they may do the task to a more in-depth extent than you might expect.

And, heck, I was able to get those pics (it's not like it was THAT many) from the comfort of my seat. So, why not?

 

[MEK]

I've seen the Mayor stop by the Plaza before, but I didn't know he gave out FP's. Pretty cool.

Your ice cream looks so yummy and that cheesesteak looks pretty good, too!

 

[dawnbu40]

Looks like a great lunch! The Plaza is one of our MK favorites too

 

[thecapells]

I've seen the Mayor stop by the Plaza before, but I didn't know he gave out FP's. Pretty cool.

Your ice cream looks so yummy and that cheesesteak looks pretty good, too!

We always love the Plaza.
And the visit from the mayor was a surprise.
Would've been cool to be the special family!

Looks like a great lunch! The Plaza is one of our MK favorites too

It's a great Hidden Gem that always satisfies!

 

[thecapells]

The boys finished up lunch and headed back into Tomorrowland.
Rumor had it that Zurg was attacking an outpost in the farthest regions of the galaxy.
We quickly reviewed the Etch-A-Sketch instructions and then received a last-minute briefing from the legendary Buzz Lightyear himself!

Then we were off to the save the galaxy!
After a victorious battle, we arrived back in the Magic Kingdom and strolled back through the hub.
It was yet again time for something none of us had ever done before…

We headed back into Frontierland and boarded the rafts to Tom Sawyer Island – a place none of us had ever explored before!
So, of course, we took lots of pictures on our adventures.
First the docks and the surrounding area.
And, at this point, it seemed odd that neither X nor my DS really knew who Tom, Huck, or even Aunt Polly were…

Whether or not the boys knew the characters, they understood the concept of “run wild”, caves, and treasure.
So we quickly took a look at the map of the Island plotting out our course.
Then we headed into the caves…

I love this shot in particular.
With the way the flash bounces off the cavern walls, you just have to love Disney’s attention to detail.
What do you see?

Out of the caves, next up was the barrel bridge – a fun climb over a bridge constructed entirely of bobbing barrels.
Not a very smooth road, I can tell you that…

After bobbing over the barrels, we found some more hidden surprises throughout the Island.
Come along!

 

[thecapells]

Finally we made it to the outpost at the Fort.
Fort Langhorn – named for the author of the famous novels.
(For those of you playing at home).

Inside the fort we hads lots a’ explorin’ to do.
From the Guard House to the Blacksmiths to the canons to the Rifle Roost,
It was like a little boy’s cowboys and Indians fantasy come to life!

That last picture still cracks me up as DS kept imaging his sister on Big Thunder Mountain so he could take aim at both them as they came around the bend!

Back downstairs we paid a visit to the local Blacksmith.

And in the distance rose the tops of Big Thunder Mountain itself.
You can get a really nice view from the Island.

About that time, we lost track of Unca.
He was off taking photos no doubt and I was busy keeping up with Frick and Frack who were running around the outpost.
Finally we got to higher ground and noticed J heading back into the Fort.
“Unca! We’re up here!”

With the four of us back together again, we decided it was high time to escape.
As luck would have it, there was an escape tunnel right beneath us!
So Into the Darkness we plunged!
DS wasn’t too fond of these dark and narrow passageways as you can see below…

After our escape, we stumbled across good ol’ Tom’s Scavenger Fort.
Which is another way of saying playground for the little guys!
Have at it guys!

I love that last one.
DS turned into a mighty fine ranger!
Alas, time was running short so it was back to the docks.

 

[thecapells]

While you wait, you can snag a nice game of checkers if you have the time.

Back on the mainland, the boys were wiped and need some refreshment.
Unca headed off to for some adult-sized thrill rides.
The reat of us headed straight, of course, to a little slice of heaven named Aloha Isle.
Dole Whip Floats anyone?

After our tasty treats, the little guys and I headed off to the monorail station to try and catch up to them ladyfolk.
Lets see what theyve been up to.
Ladies?

 

[MEK]

Love Tom Sawyer's Island. IF I was a kid I would probably spend hours there because it just encourages using your imagination. Fun pictures of all the great details.

Hmmmm - what were those lady folk up to that they didn't go along with you?

 

[dawnbu40]

It looks like you guys had a lot of fun exploring the island It's a great place to spend some down time and let the kids be kids.

 

[thecapells]

Love Tom Sawyer's Island. IF I was a kid I would probably spend hours there because it just encourages using your imagination. Fun pictures of all the great details.

Hmmmm - what were those lady folk up to that they didn't go along with you?

It was an interesting experience as we've never been before.
I think the boys were disappointed when it was time to leave as they having fun just running free.
As for the gals, I leave that to Mom...

It looks like you guys had a lot of fun exploring the island It's a great place to spend some down time and let the kids be kids.

The issue is getting the kids who are being kids to leave!
They could've stayed there all day if we let them.
I think the Dole Whip Float was the only way to convince them to leave!

 

[TheCapellsMom]

While the boys were off on their rough and tumble adventure, we ladies were enjoying a COMPLETELY different kind of afternoon!
We headed down Main Street on a tight schedule to get where we were going but Princess just had to stop to take a photo on “Minnie’s Bench!”

Then, I insisted that she let me take a couple of photos just inside the gates because we never ever stop to get these shots in the morning when we are headed into the park!

Then it was time to head out of the Magic Kingdom and hop on the Monorail!
I always really enjoy the views from the Monorail when it is bright and sunny out- the sky and the water look SO blue!

And here we are at the lovely Grand Floridian for some Mother-Daughter time!

Well, I had been rushing on our way out of MK because I was worried about our timing.
It turns out we were actually a little bit early for our reservation which gave us some time to check out the brand new marble work in the floors.
DD thought it was a blast to go hunting for all of the hidden Mickeys and other characters throughout the hotel!

We had just enough time to stop by the gift shop and get DD one of her favorite little baubles- a new charm for her charm bracelet.
She gets a new charm each time we go to WDW so it is a really special little collection she has going.
This time, it was a pink Sleeping Beauty charm and she was super pleased with her purchase.

She also talked me into buying a pink Mickey beaded bracelet for myself… but it didn’t take long before it was on DD’s arm instead of mine.
And then we were off to enjoy our favorite place on property to relax and share some quiet time together—any guesses???

 

[dawnbu40]

Looks like your Mother/Daughter time was off to a great start!

I know where you ladies are headed so I'm keeping quiet

Looking forward to reading more!

 

[thecapells]

Looks like your Mother/Daughter time was off to a great start!

I know where you ladies are headed so I'm keeping quiet

Looking forward to reading more!

No giving away secrets!!
And Mom said she'll have the next post up shortly.

 

[wiigirl]

Just caught up...great pics!

 

[TheCapellsMom]

Some of you may have guessed it by now!
We were off to the Garden Tea Room for afternoon tea- just the girls!

This has become something of a tradition for us and I do my best to fit it in on most of our trips to The World.
It is a wonderful change of pace from the hustle and bustle of the parks.
If you’ve never been there, before, you really should try it!

It’s really a lovely place- the décor is all Victorian and flowery with a quaint atmosphere and comfortable seating.
This time we were seated at a table right by the window with a beautiful view of the gardens.

DD was thrilled to sit on the bench with the poofy pillows.

I ordered the Grand Tea which comes with a glass of champagne to start with.
As usual, I asked for sparkling apple cider instead of the champagne so that I could share some with DD.

My meal came with fancy tea sandwiches (NO Crusts!) and little tarts.
The caramelized onion tart is my favorite- SO good!

I also got a scone with clotted cream and a jam tart. MMMM.

I always order the same blend of tea at the Garden Tea Room. It’s called “Mad Hatter Tea” and it is my absolute favorite!
It is a black tea blend with a hint of apricot flavor in it.
I also buy the tin of “Mad Hatter Tea” from one of the stores on property every time we come but it always runs out long before out next visit!
DD ordered the Princess tea for kids, and she surprised me by actually choosing a flavor of decaf tea. Usually she gets chocolate milk in her tea pot!
One lump or ten???

…and then she asked for a cup of ice cubes to “fix” her tea! Haha!

Her tea also came with some little sandwiches (PBJ, ham n cheese, & tuna).

It was so nice to just relax and talk with DD about anything and everything with no stinky boys interrupting us!
We took our time and really savored our food and our tea.
For a treat, we were both able to choose a couple of pastries from the pastry cart.
DD chose a raspberry cream puff thingy shaped like a swan and a chocolate éclair type thing.

Her éclair looked so good that I had to get one also.
Plus I picked a chocolate covered strawberry because those are my weakness!

I am beginning to suspect that DD chooses the swan pastry every time we come just because she thinks it’s funny to decapitate it! Maybe she’s not such a Princess after all!

Once we had finished our tea and sweets, and princess had guzzled every last drop of my sparkling cider, we were thoroughly stuffed!

Before leaving the lovely tea room, we asked our server to snap a couple pics of us together:

Just outside of the Tea Room, the marble floors were absolutely adorable:

Upon further exploration, we found a few more of our Disney friends:

And a hidden Mickey (upsidedown) in the floor:

We also took a good look at the ceiling in the lobby which we had never noticed before. It’s neat!

 

[TheCapellsMom]

Of course there was one more stop we had to make before leaving the Grand Floridian- the Ladies Room.
Normally, I would not bother to tell all of you about a trip to the bathroom (TMI) but this restroom really does deserve mention!
Even the bathrooms at this hotel are GRAND! Not only are they quite beautiful…

…they also have the softest toilet paper on property and hand soap that smells wonderful AND doesn’t dry out your skin!!!
Perhaps these are minor things that most people overlook but I notice every time we are here.
Oh- and DD found a hidden Mickey in the bathroom wallpaper! (She is SO GOOD at spotting them!)

By then it was time to say goodbye to the peaceful luxury of the Grand Floridian and head off to meet the boys.
This time we did something we have never done before- we took a bus from the GF!
Which lead us to discover that even the bus stops are beautiful:

All in all, it was another lovely mother-daughter afternoon at the Grand Floridian!
We will definitely be coming back here again!

 

[thecapells]

Just caught up...great pics!

Thanks!
Hope you enjoy the gals' take on the Grand Floridian!

 

[dawnbu40]

I loved this update I think it's wonderful you girls have this tradition. It's such a wonderful mother/daughter event! This post made me excited for our upcoming trip as we have a night booked at the GF. Can't wait!