Follow Me! I Will Lead Us Into Battle! A Thanksgiving 2013 TR *COMPLETE*

[CarolAnnB]

I could not believe she just closed that box and drove that little chocolate mickey head straight down into the cupcake! The bakery lady at Market Basket always tapes my cupcake box half open and tells me to threaten the cashier not to crush it. I expect no less from WDW.

CSI will find no physical evidence of your alleged table-flipping.

I don't understand why some of my Fantasmic! photos come out great and others are just a blurry dark mess. That's why I take a hundred of them, I guess, so I can get 10 good ones. I loved the view where we sat, but the mist was kind of a pain with the camera.

"Winter's a good time to stay in and cuddle, but put me in summer and I'll be a........ HAPPY SNOWMAN!" Oh, Olaf! He NEEDS to be a meet and greet!

 

[emilyindisney]

I totally made the mistake of taking a front row seat for Fantastmic! once- ended up being misted from the screens for the whole show, haha! On the plus side you can see the costumes really good. Notice how Prince Eric literally has sequin pants?! Haha! You can sort of see in your pictures (which are awesome by the way.) I think the picture of the boat is my favorite!

"Oh look...I've been impaled" Ugh, I LOVE Olaf!!

 

[courtneybelle]

Silly Kylie... Only authentic trip photos can be used. It's in the rule book.

at your mom's "response" to cupcake-gate.

I gave your Mom and Kylie the win previously on the Magical Nuggets, but I have to give you the win here on the glorious red velvet cheesecake cupcake!! Good choice!

You just never give her a break do you, lol?

Ahhh One Man's Dream... Perfection bottled up in a room.

Haha, funny that I actually hate the Fantasmic pre-show. I guess I just preferred when the audience entertained themselves.

You all have such a nice time togther. So wonderful!!

One day she'll understand how it works. In the meantime I'll keep taking food photos.

Haha, my family takes our cupcakes VERY seriously.

Ugh I love that cupcake so much!!

She thought it was hilarious too! Don't worry, I have my share of embarrassing moments coming.

One Man's Dream

I do miss how the wave would randomly start, but I thought our hosts were really funny!

Aw, thank you, Rob! We really just have a blast on our trips together. I'm very lucky to have the family that I do

All of those treats look amazing! Especially that red velvet cupcake, my FAVORITE!

Trying to trip report or not I can't believe the CM would smush the cupcake, so funny what your Mom wanted to say

TSM, so awesome you got to do it 3 times in one day!

I need to stop into One Man's dream my next trip

Buying a stuffed Olaf is on my list too, he was too funny in Frozen!

The red velvet cupcake is just everything, I love it so much!

Haha I know! The point is for the cupcake to be cute as well as delicious, you can't just squish it

It was definitely a good TSM day!! We're not going to have that much luck now that the legacy FPs are going away...

You definitely should! We hadn't done it in a while but we finally got to it in August and now it's a must-do.

My sister got me one for Christmas! I love him so much, he's my new favorite character.

I could not believe she just closed that box and drove that little chocolate mickey head straight down into the cupcake! The bakery lady at Market Basket always tapes my cupcake box half open and tells me to threaten the cashier not to crush it. I expect no less from WDW.

CSI will find no physical evidence of your alleged table-flipping.

I don't understand why some of my Fantasmic! photos come out great and others are just a blurry dark mess. That's why I take a hundred of them, I guess, so I can get 10 good ones. I loved the view where we sat, but the mist was kind of a pain with the camera.

"Winter's a good time to stay in and cuddle, but put me in summer and I'll be a........ HAPPY SNOWMAN!" Oh, Olaf! He NEEDS to be a meet and greet!

That was not cool at all! I am glad you asked for a new one, you deserve a non-squished cupcakes.

You had some really good ones this trip! My phone photos paled in comparison so I only included one.

OLAF. I was thinking about building a snowman today, but the realizaton that he wouldn't come to life and ask for a hug stopped me.

I totally made the mistake of taking a front row seat for Fantastmic! once- ended up being misted from the screens for the whole show, haha! On the plus side you can see the costumes really good. Notice how Prince Eric literally has sequin pants?! Haha! You can sort of see in your pictures (which are awesome by the way.) I think the picture of the boat is my favorite!

"Oh look...I've been impaled" Ugh, I LOVE Olaf!!

Yep, we got very wet, which would have been awesome in the summer, but it wasn't too warm that night! Those are some fabulous pants on Prince Eric

Olaf is hilarious! I quote him all the time. We've been quoting Frozen a LOT with this storm, haha!

 

[courtneybelle]

Chapter Ten: See What a Little Wishing Can Do?

Kylie and Dad wanted to head back and go to bed. BUT the night was young! So Mom and I hopped on a bus to the TTC and took the monorail over to Magic Kingdom!

We got there just before the 9 o’clock Main Street Electrical Parade. We were debating whether to try and find a spot for the parade, or just wait until 11, but then we found a perfect spot across from Town Square Theater!

Obsessed with these guys.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! The Magic Kingdom proudly presents our spectacular festival pageant of nighttime magic and imagination. In thousands of sparkling lights, and electro-synthe-magnetic musical sounds: the Main Street Electrical Parade!"

I love this one because Mickey and Minnie are waving at us!

I just love this parade. The music makes me so happy, and it’s so much classic Disney.

It's called A Salute to Some Disney Movies but Mostly America. Wait...wrong park.

After the parade, we popped into the Confectionary. I got a delicious gingerbread man. Disney's gingerbread is the best because it's soft and not crunchy. Plus, it's got mouse ears.

Mom bought this adorable rice krispie treat. I think the dollop was of icing but it may have been a marshmallow. She'll know for sure.

Then we went to Uptown Jewelers. I’m going to do one big merch update at the end, but I have to show off my favorite purchase. Disney was selling fleece blankets for $20 if you spent $40, and I really wanted this blanket, plus it was pretty cold out. I modeled it, just for you guys:

Yep, form an orderly queue, gents. This is how I roll.

Checking out took a little longer than anticipated, so we missed the beginning of Celebrate the Magic. We were far back so I didn’t try to get any pictures, but the Frozen section was amazing!

Next was Wishes, which was, as always, magical and emotional and wonderful. My mom managed to snap this amazing picture:

OBSESSED. My mom rocks.

After Wishes ended, we faced the challenge of trying to beat the mob out of the park. You’ve all been there. Eleven minutes of pure magic ends with the realization that not only is it time to leave, but leaving is going to be the greatest of challenges. All of a sudden, a voice of a man yelled out:

“FOLLOW ME! I WILL LEAD US INTO BATTLE!”

I was exhausted and honestly thought that was the funniest thing I had heard all day. That’s the most accurate description of leaving after Wishes! The crowds, everyone crushing each other to get on a bus or the monorail…it’s a battle. And we all need an intrepid leader. Like that guy. I ended up quoting him a lot when it was time to leave the park at the end of the day.

We actually got on a bus with little trouble, and headed back to POR. Dad and Kylie were asleep, so I ate my gingerbread man in the dark and then went to sleep!

Continued in next post
​

 

[CarolAnnB]

YAY Snow day update! You thought it was cold when you bought that blanket - it is like 7 degrees today.

We totally lucked out with that MSEP spot in Town Square. A different viewing angle is nice every once in a while. I can hear that music in my head right now.

My rice krispie treat was cute, but too much on the red sugar crystals for my liking. I should have just stuck with my normal chocolate covered one, but it was Christmas.

You were so cute watching Wishes in your Belle ears. Too bad that kid's head is in the middle of the shot.

"I will lead us into battle." What a great Disney trip motto!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

MSEP really is classic Disney in the truest sense. I still miss Spectro, but MSEP is my nostalgia parade.

I love that fleece. I thought about getting one myself. I got one a few years ago that is of the castle in Dream Lights. I swear, the softest thing ever made... even softer than Winnie the Pooh.

Your mom does rock. What an amazing photo with your ears and the fireworks.. and the little boys head.

See that. Wishes is the source one way or another of Trip Report titles.

 

[jash08]

That is one EPIC photo. It could not have been any better.

That gingerbread cookie and crisped rice treat are so adorable.

There is nothing like the mad dash out of the park. What a great quote to now have for each Disney trip. Might use it myself.

 

[JessM]

I love that your Mom stayed up with you! No sleeping in Disney! My Mom and I enjoyed a little mother daughter time our last trip and it was wonderful! No sleeping in Disney!

I love love love the MSEP. I agree its so Disney. And if you think about it, its incredible how they create all those floats and costumes.

You got a great picture of the float with Mickey and Minnie on it!

Your Mom's rice kispee treat looks so good. Those might be my favorite things in Disney, so good.

Great Wishes pictures

That guy is so right, leaving after Wishes is like going to battle haha. Too funny. Its like a mob scene getting out of there.

 

[courtneybelle]

YAY Snow day update! You thought it was cold when you bought that blanket - it is like 7 degrees today.

We totally lucked out with that MSEP spot in Town Square. A different viewing angle is nice every once in a while. I can hear that music in my head right now.

My rice krispie treat was cute, but too much on the red sugar crystals for my liking. I should have just stuck with my normal chocolate covered one, but it was Christmas.

You were so cute watching Wishes in your Belle ears. Too bad that kid's head is in the middle of the shot.

"I will lead us into battle." What a great Disney trip motto!

It was five degrees when I woke up...wishing we were back in Florida! I've dreamed about it the past two nights.

That was a really good place to stand! Brittany and I sat near that area when we did our graduation trip.

Sorry you didn't love it, but I think it is so cute.

Haha, didn't even notice the kid in the shot until I posted it to the TR!

It really is! I think I'll put it on my shirt for the July travel day...

MSEP really is classic Disney in the truest sense. I still miss Spectro, but MSEP is my nostalgia parade.

I love that fleece. I thought about getting one myself. I got one a few years ago that is of the castle in Dream Lights. I swear, the softest thing ever made... even softer than Winnie the Pooh.

Your mom does rock. What an amazing photo with your ears and the fireworks.. and the little boys head.

See that. Wishes is the source one way or another of Trip Report titles.

That's a GREAT way to put it. I love the focus on the older Disney movies.

I bet the Dream Lights one is beautiful! It really is the softest blanket I've ever owned.

She is such a good photographer!

Haha, I was thinking of your TR when I decided on that as my title. Maybe not as sentimental, but still funny.

That is one EPIC photo. It could not have been any better.

That gingerbread cookie and crisped rice treat are so adorable.

There is nothing like the mad dash out of the park. What a great quote to now have for each Disney trip. Might use it myself.

It really came out amazing! My mom rules

Disney has the cutest snacks year-round, but their holiday treats are just a whole new world of adorable.

Haha you totally should! It's so fitting for post-Wishes, Illuminations, and Fantasmic!

I love that your Mom stayed up with you! No sleeping in Disney! My Mom and I enjoyed a little mother daughter time our last trip and it was wonderful! No sleeping in Disney!

I love love love the MSEP. I agree its so Disney. And if you think about it, its incredible how they create all those floats and costumes.

You got a great picture of the float with Mickey and Minnie on it!

Your Mom's rice kispee treat looks so good. Those might be my favorite things in Disney, so good.

Great Wishes pictures

That guy is so right, leaving after Wishes is like going to battle haha. Too funny. Its like a mob scene getting out of there.

NO SLEEPING IN DISNEY!! Not when there's Wishes to see!

It really is just a beautiful parade to watch! I would love one of those light up dresses haha.

Thank you

I love the Rice Krispie treats so much!

We've had some crazy experiences trying to leave the park! It's a battle for sure!

 

[Wanna be Ariel]

Great update

 

[maddiebee]

So I just blew through all of this and your last TR! We were in WDW the same time as you last August and I am loving your reports! Your family seems like such a fun, goofy bunch! Excited to be following along this time around!

 

[courtneybelle]

Great update

Thank you!!

So I just blew through all of this and your last TR! We were in WDW the same time as you last August and I am loving your reports! Your family seems like such a fun, goofy bunch! Excited to be following along this time around!

Hi! Thank you for reading, I'm so glad you liked them! I will definitely be by to check out your TR later this weekend

 

[courtneybelle]

Chapter Eleven: "Happy Birthday!" "Thanks, You Too!"

This morning we took a little time to explore the courtyard next to our building!

I loved the fountain so much.

The flowers had princess names! How perfect! I obviously had to get a picture with my girl's sign.

I cannot recommend POR enough. I think it's just as beautiful as many of the deluxes for less than half the cost in some cases. It's definitely my favorite resort where I've actually stayed.

We went over to the food court and got breakfast. Kylie loved her French toast.

Dad got the bounty platter.

Mom got a blueberry muffin.

And I was reunited with my chocolate croissant. So delicious!

We hopped on the bus to Epcot, then waited to enter the park. This morning in Awkward Moments with Courtney, the security guard said, “Happy birthday!” and I said, “Thanks, you too!”

We had a FP+ for Soarin’ at 9 a.m., so we decided to just head over there! This was one way that FP+ was really nice, because we didn’t have to join the stampede, but instead could take our sweet time getting over there.

HI PATRICK.

Soarin’ was awesome. We contemplated getting a legacy FP, but the return time was already during our dinner reservation at 3, so we didn’t bother.

We leisurely made our way over to Test Track, where we had a FP+ for 10 a.m.

In the room before the design room, Kylie flirted with some high school choir boys who would be singing in the Candlelight Processional that night. We ended up seeing them several times over the course of the day, which was too funny.

Kylie and Dad were paired up for the design portion, while Mom and I made a car together. Kylie and Dad won but it was very close.

Mom's and my car:

Dad and Kylie's:

Continued in next post​

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Alright I'm already laughing just from the title. Oh so true!! It's like "Hey, what's going on?... "Not too bad." Reflex.

Yeah, I think the main pull for deluxe (in most cases) is location. The photos of some of the mods looks stunning, so it's not like you're giving up anything in ambiance.

In fairness, I'm sure you were just wishing the security guard a happy birthday in case you don't see him on the actual day. A preemptive birthday wish if you will.

I do admit, it is nice to have a FP in your pocket upon arrival.

 

[maddiebee]

We were originally planning on staying at POR for this next trip but ended up getting a really good deal on the Poly. I still definitely want to stay at POR some day!

I also am really bad with the "you too" phrase. Brian Regan does a good bit about it, which I would highly recommend checking out on youtube if you've never seen any of his stand up!

 

[DVCWDWMEMBER]

I bought the blanket on our trip too. I love all those blankets from Disney. They are soo soft. We also love POR it's a beautiful resort for sure.

 

[emmysmommy]

Oh my so many great updates... I had to catch up from your prom dates, err I mean P&F character interaction. That was too funny! You were being stolen by the characters.

I too, have red velvet cupcake love! That's my go-to cupcake at DHS. However, I have to give up getting a carrot cake cookie for once in order to fit a cupcake into my snack schedule.

Sleeping on RnRC, it's so easy to do. That was a great photo! You guys are characters! <<< Meant in a good way!

Your mom did an awesome job with the Wishes photos on Main Street. Perfection.

POR is so lovely. I've only been to the main building and the boat launch area so I definitely need to do more exploring.

Kylie's Sweet 16 bday trip sounds like it is drawing a big crowd. Of course, WDW is the best place to celebrate anything so why wouldn't it?

 

[IheartDDuck]

All right, I'm back and getting caught up!

That ornament is absolutely beautiful!

You got the stained glass dress! I love it! I have that Belle sweatshirt too.

Oh no worries, we pulled legacy FP's once too.

Plans look good for your July trip! ADR's look great!

Hahaha, that's so funny that Phineas posed Kylie like they were prom dates. Too cute!

I'm obsessed with limited time cupcakes. I wish I could be there all the time just so I can try them.

Kylie clearly does not understand the seriousness of trip reporting. The only time you use old pictures is if you had a brain fart, and DID NOT get a picture of something.

I crushed my own cupcake by being an idiot and dropping the plastic box it was in on the ground. And I'm telling you right now, if the box had opened an the cupcake had hit the ground, I would have picked it up post haste and still eaten that sucker! And then flipped a table.

Red velvet is the cupcake dreams are made of!

When we got there in January, there was literally no Frozen anything. No stuffies, no pins, nothing at all. It was insane!

I love where the TR title came from! It is an entirely accurate description of leaving the park at that time.

Okay, your statement "so I ate my gingerbread man in the dark" made me crack up. You're nicer than me. You want to sleep, that's fine, but I'm not ready, so you sleep with the light on! My Dad loves me for that one.

Your reflex is awkward, yet we all have so many of those!

 

[CarolAnnB]

If you are going to continue these TRs, I am going to have to become more of a breakfast person. Mine always look so lame compared to everyone else's.

POR was so pretty, loved those gardens. I wish I could just hang around the resort but I don't know how to do it!!! There is too much to do!

Awesome awkward moment! Hey, it was early!

 

[emilyindisney]

POR looks to purdy! I love all the fountains

Mmmm...breakfast looks delicious. I might be a little biased though as I am mostly definitely a breakfast person. I could probably eat it for every meal- especially if it's that french toast covered in strawberries!

I could totally see myself saying something like that! I'm totally the person who says "good" when someone says "what's up" instead of "how are you" haha