Food, friendship, flowers and a touch of the Force. A May '13 TR; Updated 02/6

[Missyrose]

Welcome back friends. When we last left off (many moons ago), we’d finished up a fun day at IOA and had come back to enjoy a little pool time at BLT. We had big plans that night for dinner at Downtown Disney, fireworks from BLT and then a little musical fun at Jellyrolls.

First up? A trip to DTD.

We wandered around for a bit and did a little shopping at World of Disney.

Franklin and I have a good World of Disney strategy. I shop ( and shop and shop) while he takes pictures of all the details in the store that I never notice during my shopping frenzy.

Soon, it was time to check in for dinner.

Raglan Road was new to Franklin and I on our January 2013 trip, but it had quickly shot to the top of our favorites list.

We didn’t wait too long before we were brought to our table, which once again was just in front of the stage.

The waitress brought out the soda bread and the Guinness reduction sauce.

When we last ate here, neither of us noticed the stained glass windows because it was dark. Now that it was lighter outside, we saw what a beautiful touch they added to the decor.

Now for the food. I loved the Heaven on Earth ribs last time, so I wasn’t about to stray.

Franklin had the ham schnitzel.

I believe Meghan had the fish and chips.

And Laura had the roasted chicken.

The entertainment started while we ate and Meghan quite enjoyed watching the good-looking flutist.

The dancers were great, but lacked the off-stage drama the dancers had in January.

Dessert anyone?

But of course! You can’t go to Raglan Road and NOT get the bread pudding. We were doing a highly scientific comparison between the ‘Ohana bread pudding and Raglan Road’s.

The highly scientific results? The group preferred ‘Ohana’s bread pudding, but everyone enjoyed Raglan Road’s nearly as much! We made one quick shopping stop after dinner. To TrenD so Franklin could buy me my birthday present! It’s a Good vs. Evil Seatbelt Bag.

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[Missyrose]

We hopped in the car and headed back to BLT for another night of fireworks. Since we’d watched Wishes from our room the night before, we decided to go up to the Top of the World Lounge on this night.

It was, as usual, a spectacular show. The original evening plans included a post-fireworks trip to Jellyrolls. But we were all pretty beat by that point, so we opted for a cozy evening in the villa. I ran over to CR to grab a princess cupcake before BVG closed for the night. And we all settled in to watch some TV. A quiet end to a really fun day.
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[khertz]

World of Disney does have some pretty amazing decorations going on that I doubt I have ever really fully appreciated!

Raglan Road dinner looks delicious. I really want to go there one day, even just to see the Irish Dancers. And try the bread pudding of course!

Stunning fireworks photos!! But really, I don't expect anything less from Franklin. It must be so nice to be so close to the action at BLT. Not having to fight the crowds on Main Street after enjoying Wishes sounds heavenly!

 

[stasijane]

Your trip sounds like a lot of fun so far and your pictures are just amazing. Normally I do good reading trip reports but your pictures make me really miss being in the parks today.

 

[teekathepony]

The shop/photograph strategy sounds like a good one! I always try to take in the details but I know I'm missing a lot. Mmmm Raglan Road! I really do need to get back there... And so awesome inside! Love the fireworks view from BLT, and I can definitely understand being just too tired for Jellyrolls! Lol

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[happenin2you]

Raglan Road looks delish! I booked them for a lunch on our next trip. I had no idea they have live music and dancers. Bonus!

 

[Missyrose]

Welcome back friends! We last left off with a yummy dinner at Raglan Road followed by Wishes from the top of Bay Lake Tower. It was a beautiful morning, the perfect kind that makes it easier to get up and out early.

We took that easy stroll to Magic Kingdom and were there in plenty of time for the Welcome Show!

Who’s ready for a fun day at MK? Oh, these four are.

While the rest of the crowd went right, we veered left. We were headed for Frontierland. Splash Mountain to be exact.

I’m not a fan of drops so I sat this one out at one of the rocking chairs outside the Trading Post. The trio didn’t miss me much, though.

While Franklin, Meghan and Laura dried out, we took a little detour down New Orleans way. Tiana LOVED my bow on my Minnie ears, it was made out of the MK park map.

We were all a bit hungry, so we went off in search of a breakfast-type snack. Main Street Bakery was closed for refurb, so the Noodle Terrace became the de facto breakfast spot at MK.

These photos look like postcards, don’t they?

The beignets were delicious. They really hit the spot.

We decided to head for New Fantasyland and on our way there, a Tomorrowland CM saw Laura’s birthday pin and started singing happy birthday to her. He looped his arm through hers to skip with her through Tomorrowland. So cute!

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[Missyrose]

We made it to our destination.

We felt our day was lacking a little music, time to remedy that.

Next, it was time to visit the new Tangled area. Yes, it’s just bathrooms, but the area is just so perfectly themed!

For those of you who don’t know, Disney also built lots of electrical outlets into the new area so people can charge their phones.

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[Missyrose]

We then moved onto a far creepier locale.

We made our way back to Frontierland for the Willlldest Ride in the Wiiiiillllderness.

That's where we'll leave off for now, but there is still a ton of MK fun ahead. It's funny, Franklin and I have become so laid back about our Disney touring that it feels shocking how much we get done when we bring other people to the parks with us!
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[annie170]

Yes, those pictures do look like postcards. Really, really beautiful!

Hope the two of you are having a Merry Christmas!

 

[mousehappync]

Feels like I'm right there! PERFECT weather!

 

[khertz]

Splash Mountain, MY FAVORITE!!! I absolutely LOVE that perspective shot of the log going down into the Briar Patch! How I wish I was on that wonderful log right right about now...

Love Tiana!! Her dress is my favorite of all the princess dresses. I love that picture of her looking at your bow.

What a cute pic of you in the Tangled area!! I see what an amazing job they did making Tangled bathrooms and wish wish wish they had poured all of that into an actual Tangled show or attraction. But I will settle for the bathrooms for now. They are really pretty amazing.

 

[Tiggerrn2]

All the photos were magnificent as always.
You guys all looked to be having so much fun.
It is nice to tour at a more relaxed pace. That is what makes returning often so much fun. You can actually enjoy some of the "off the beaten path" things to do. And you get to take a little time to stop and smell the roses.

 

[happenin2you]

There's only bathrooms in the Tangled area? I feel like that's a missed opportunity for a Swiss Family Robinson-type treehouse tour of her tower.

 

[Missyrose]

Yes, those pictures do look like postcards. Really, really beautiful!

Hope the two of you are having a Merry Christmas!

Thanks!

Feels like I'm right there! PERFECT weather!

It was amazing weather and the bluest skies I've ever seen. First week in May was an awesome time to be in the World.

Splash Mountain, MY FAVORITE!!! I absolutely LOVE that perspective shot of the log going down into the Briar Patch! How I wish I was on that wonderful log right right about now...

Love Tiana!! Her dress is my favorite of all the princess dresses. I love that picture of her looking at your bow.

What a cute pic of you in the Tangled area!! I see what an amazing job they did making Tangled bathrooms and wish wish wish they had poured all of that into an actual Tangled show or attraction. But I will settle for the bathrooms for now. They are really pretty amazing.

The photo from the Splash log is as close as I'll ever get to riding that ride. I hate drops and well, that's what the ride is. So...

Tiana has so much personality! I think she is a highly underrated princess!

I'm with you on wanting more from Tangled in the park. But for now, I'll settle on admiring all those perfectly glowing lanterns that are strung up at night.

All the photos were magnificent as always.
You guys all looked to be having so much fun.
It is nice to tour at a more relaxed pace. That is what makes returning often so much fun. You can actually enjoy some of the "off the beaten path" things to do. And you get to take a little time to stop and smell the roses.

Exactly, we really enjoy the parks more now that we've slowed down our pace. There's just so much more to see when you're not running from ride to ride.

There's only bathrooms in the Tangled area? I feel like that's a missed opportunity for a Swiss Family Robinson-type treehouse tour of her tower.

Yep, only bathrooms in that exceedingly well-themed Tangled area. I'm hoping since they turned that bathroom area near Peter Pan to a Peter and Wendy M&G, maybe there's a Rapunzel M&G in that area's future. A girl can hope, right?​

 

[Missyrose]

Welcome back friends! We last left off with a spin on the wiiiiiiiildest ride in the willllllllderness! When we started walking through Frontierland, we noticed some Brer friends milling about.

All of a sudden, music started playing and a few CMs began to dance.

Then some of the characters joined in and more CMs. It was a Frontierland flash mob!

Brer Rabbit even got me in on the act.

All that dancing sure worked up an appetite, luckily we had a lunch ADR scheduled at The Plaza. So we began making our way to the front of the park.

We were seated almost immediately and soon the Mayor had some announcements to make.

Franklin started with a root beer float. Doesn’t it look yummy?

He and I shared our usual, the Philly cheesesteak.

Meghan and Laura had the tuna sandwich and the strawberry salad.

I know this may shock those of you who have read our other trip reports, but we didn’t get dessert at lunch. I know, Missy and Franklin went to The Plaza and didn’t order ice cream?!?! But we had our eyes on a couple of other treats in the park that afternoon, so no hot fudge goodness for us this time. After we settled the bill, we headed for Main Street. Franklin and I had a little wedding business to attend to.

We needed to get champagne flutes for the Big Day.

We chose the flutes with Mickey and Minnie dressed up like wedding Cinderella and Prince Charming and got our wedding date etched on the back. We also spent a few minutes completely entranced by the glass blower hard at work.

We left the store and encountered some of my favorite gentlemen: The Dapper Dans!

I couldn’t resist getting in a group shot.

That's where we'll leave off for now. But tell me, which of the Main Street entertainment is your favorite: Dapper Dans or the Trolley Dancers? It's a toss-up for me, but I lean ever so slightly toward the Dapper Dans.
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[annie170]

Frontierland flash mob! How fun!

On my very first visit to MK in 1985, I encountered the Dapper Dans after about two minutes. I remember being so excited, I cried. They're still my favorite!

As usual, kudos to Franklin for the awesome photos!

 

[Missyrose]

Frontierland flash mob! How fun!

On my very first visit to MK in 1985, I encountered the Dapper Dans after about two minutes. I remember being so excited, I cried. They're still my favorite!

As usual, kudos to Franklin for the awesome photos!

Awww, that's such a wonderful Dapper Dans memory!​

 

[Missyrose]

This is a totally off-topic post. I know there are plenty of people who are probably sick of hearing about our wedding. But I promise, this is it for the wedding posts! We got the rest of our wedding photos and I wanted to share the ways we found to incorporate Disney into our big day. Disney is a big part of our lives, but we didn’t want our wedding to look like a cartoon. So we worked with our planners to make the Disney details subtle and elegant. I was really excited with the way everything came together and I’m really excited to share all of this with you today!

Let’s start with the rehearsal dinner, Franklin’s sister made these gorgeous centerpieces for all the tables. They’re Mickey head topiaries made out of ribbons (in our wedding colors of charcoal and aubergine). They were absolutely adorable!

Let’s start the wedding day in our getting-ready suite. I got a Cinderella-themed hanger for my gown.

Then there were my shoes! My planner had come across these shoes and sent me the link. Christian Louboutin had made a shoe called “Madame Mouse.” And in the words of my best friend and matron of honor Kristin: “You mean to tell me that Christian Louboutin made a Minnie Mouse shoe the year you’re getting married? How could you NOT get them?” It really was one of the easiest decisions of the entire planning process.

I also had a pair of Toms custom painted for later in the evening.

They had “Once Upon a Time” with our engagement date painted on one side.

And it said “Happily Ever After” with our wedding date on the other side.

The amazing thing was the Toms were an off-white color, so all the background color is all hand-painted.

Our photographer got a cute Hidden Mickey picture of our rings on my Kindle cover that has one of Franklin’s Cinderella’s Castle pictures on it.

The inscription on Franklin’s ring reads: Love to infinity and beyond.

I had hoodies made for myself and all my bridesmaids. Theirs had a Minnie head and said “Bridesmaid.” Mine had a bridal Minnie head and read Mrs. Khamvongsa and had the wedding date on it.

For Franklin’s cufflinks, we had custom ones made. They were one of his photos of Spaceship Earth.

For our wedding party photos, I had custom Minnie ears made for my bridesmaids. Their bows matched their dresses and my bow matched my dress and had a cute little veil!

One of my favorite Disney details of the entire wedding was the escort card display. Up is Franklin and my favorite Disney movie and our planners came up with this way to display the escort cards.

The escort cards sat in the grass in front of the house.

There were two places for light designs (and Hidden Mickeys!). The first was on the back wall of the ceremony where the terrace would take place.

The second was on the dance floor.

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[Missyrose]

On the terrace, there was an HVAC unit that was, well, a little ugly. So our planners came up with the idea of creating a screen to cover the unit and included one of my favorite Disney quotes of all-time.

We had a string quartet for the ceremony. The wedding party walked down the aisle to “Once Upon a Dream” from Sleeping Beauty. My dad and I walked down the aisle to “When you Wish Upon a Star.” And our recessional song was “Kiss the Girl.”

The first page of our program also had a Disney quote:
Like a bolt out of the blue,
Fate steps in and see you through.
When you wish upon a star,
Your dreams come true.

In the cocktail hour room, there was a giant video screen. Throughout the night, it scrolled through photos of us, as well as some of Franklin’s favorite photos (most of which were taken at Disney!)

Even the flip-flops we had for all the women had a cute Disney tie-in.

Now you can’t see it in the cake pictures but there is a cute Disney story behind it. We got to know our cake artist, Maggie Austin pretty well during our planning process. You see, she takes all her own pictures of her cakes for her portfolio. She had recently gotten a new camera (a model Franklin used to have) but didn’t really know how to best use it. So we went to her studio a few times so he could give her some pointers on the camera and the editing software. In the course of those visits, we all got to chatting. It turned out that Maggie was going on a Disney trip with her sister’s family and their parents. But none of them really knew what they were doing when it came to planning. So I volunteered to help them with the planning and created a whole itinerary for them. They had a blast!

When our planners brought Franklin and I into the reception room, they wanted to show us where Maggie had marked where we should cut the cake. It was a silver shimmering Mickey head. And they gave us a message from Maggie. She said she’s “never done that before and would never do that again.” It was just for us!

We also played “Be Our Guest” as we cut the cake!

The planners had picked ghost chairs in the room to represent the glass slipper.

And the table decor included white pumpkins as another subtle nod to Cinderella.

Nothing Disney to note here, just a funny picture of the terrifying moment when they lifted me up on the chair during the Hora.

And since photos are such a big part of why Franklin loves Disney, I figure I’d show you his favorite photo of the night. We’d slipped out with our photographers to take some evening photos outside our venue and Franklin wanted a few photos of him with a camera in his hand (it was the first time all day that he’d picked up a camera).

Our photobooth also had Disney hats, Mickey and Minnie ears and Disney-themed signs.

That’s it! What do you guys think? We didn’t want the wedding to feel overpowered by the Disney-ness, so we aimed to have most of the touches be so subtle that some people wouldn’t even realize there was a Disney connection. And I think it all turned out just perfectly!​