Go Home, December. You're Drunk. - A December 2015 TR - COMPLETED

[ursalita]

All your photos at Akershus came out great! It's too bad you didn't have your phone for part of the day.

Yay! for getting your Aunt on Soarin'. I'm glad she enjoyed it.

What luck that you ran into your friends at AOA when you thought it wasn't going to happen.

I'm sorry you missed Muppets but at least you got to see the Osborne lights for the final time.

Great updates!

 

[tabrizia]

I love your aunt's face in all the photos. It is that, you are making me pose with a princess look? That 11 year old boys get too.

I think any pearl is cool, I really hope to get minion 2 a pearl when we go next week!

Yay Osborne Lights, I am really sad we will not get to see them, which means I will never get to see them. I am hoping to do Muppets when we do Disney Studios, but it is low on the priority list, so I am hoping they stay and don't go away.

 

[rndmr2]

Nice update! Love the pics with the Princesses! So glad your Aunt enjoyed Soarin'

If everyone was tired, American Adventure would have been a great place to rest. I love that show, although I admit to dozing off at times in there if I am really tired, it's so nice and cool in there.

Sorry you were having Phone battery and scooter issues, glad you were able to charge up to get back to the resort. My mother used a scooter on her last couple trips there before she passed away and I remember looking for tables near outlets in QS places and asking to use the plug in the back row at Fantasmic to get a little extra juice on longer days

 

[SnowWhiteOz]

It turns out mine went faster than hers, so they sent me on ahead to get us checked-in before we ran out of time, and they came up behind me shortly after. We parked our rides, and then patiently waited for my name to be called so that we could head into...

Even thought this was my first time here, I'd already read what the deal was, and knew that we would get thrown into a meet & greet... and photo op... with Belle (my favorite!) that couldn't be escaped! Bahahaha! Picture time FINALLY!

Finally, ya'll get to meet Uncle Mark and Aunt Debby! Aren't they adorable?! And yep, I'm rockin' that tiara for my royal conference with the princesses, of course!

Great pic. I'm thinking of doing Akershaus next trip just to meet Belle - she's the only princess I haven't met yet (but not for lack of trying) just not sure if the price/food is worth it. Thoughts?

Then we headed over to the Land pavilion. I was hoping to sneak in a ride on Living With the Land before our 3rd and final FP, but the line was 45 minutes long. WHAT? Nope! So we just found a place to sit and rest a bit over near the entrance for our next destination... Soarin'!

45 minutes??? I've never seen it with more than a 10 minute wait!

We continued on into France, and murmurs about lunch arose, so we went to check out Boulangerie Patisserie les Halles. This was a bucket list item for me, and so I was happy that Mark and Debby were able to find something they could eat!

Looks good, right? It was some sort of cheesey hammy croissant. It was crazy tasty, as was the frozen coffee and the mousse dessert thingy thing. I'll do my research and go into more detail on my Dining Report over HERE!

Mm cheese.....

Up next was Japan, where I had goals! Again, if you were following my PTR, you know that I had bought and brought with me a couple of pearl cages so that I could do the Pick-A-Pearl but not have to pay for a setting. I took Mark and Debby over to the counter and told them about it, and got Debby to help me pick an ugly hairy gnarly clam. Then they went off to shop, but didn't make it back in time for my turn. So... no photos.

But I did get my pearl, and it was soooooo... unremarkable. Seriously. Average color, average size. lol. I've done it twice now, and both times got boring pearls. Oh well! I had fun, and it looks cute in the rose-shaped pearl cage that I brought. I wear it every day now (which in this close-up photo I just took today, I can see that it needs to be cleaned up, it's looking bad!):

I love the pick a pearl. Mine was average too but I still love it in its cinderalla coach setting!

And besides... By this point, I could already see a glow in the sky that was calling to me. That's right, I was headed for the Osborne Lights! Soooo pretttttty! I was really excited, but my companions didn't seem too interested in them. I felt like I was dragging them through, so I didn't stay long. Just enough to snap a few pics...

I love the bikes. I want a bike that that!

So pretty. I'm still a little crushed inside that I'll never get a chance to see them.

 

[LindseyJo22]

Whooshing in as I catch up -

Scooter issues sound so frustrating! I'm glad you were able to deal with them and it doesn't seem like they impacted the trip too terribly much (hopefully).

Loved the Akershus review! Don't think that's one I'll be hitting up until we have some little people around, but it seems like the food was awesome and your experience was good

We stopped in the French pastry shop for a snack on our December trip - so so so good! I got a Chocolate Duo that I'm still thinking about Looks like you had an equally wonderful experience, despite the crowds.

I love the new intro to the Great Movie Ride! Honestly, I'd be perfectly happy to stand and listen to it in the regular line, but I like the efficiency of the Fastpass most of the time.

Sad you missed out on the Muppets and didn't get to spend as much time with the Osborne Lights - but at least you got to see them! Overall, seems like the HS day was successful

Can't wait to read more now that I'm back home and can catch up on my Dis threads!

 

[hokieinpa]

Finally, ya'll get to meet Uncle Mark and Aunt Debby! Aren't they adorable?! And yep, I'm rockin' that tiara for my royal conference with the princesses, of course!

Great picture! And the tiara is perfect, of course!

Apparently the princesses had just started their rounds in another room, which was fine by us, it gave us plenty of time to hit the cold bar and get whatever noms we wanted from there. Our hot platter arrived shortly after, complete with Mickey waffles (at my request!).

Hmmm, I had no idea it worked like this. I assumed it was all buffet. I'm trying to debate between this and CRT for a mother/daughter trip (November 2017 or 2018, but you know...) and this will help in my decision!

SHE DID!!! And she loved it!!! She did have to close her eyes at parts, but not for too long. I was soooooo proud of her!

Yay! Are there people that don't love Soarin'??? What a sad life!

But I did get my pearl, and it was soooooo... unremarkable. Seriously. Average color, average size. lol. I've done it twice now, and both times got boring pearls. Oh well! I had fun, and it looks cute in the rose-shaped pearl cage that I brought. I wear it every day now (which in this close-up photo I just took today, I can see that it needs to be cleaned up, it's looking bad!):

I'm glad you got your pearl - very pretty in the setting! And I saw this on See Ya Reel Soon and those CMs are VERY enthusiastic about their job!!

And this poor pink princess scooter from Walker Mobility was strugggggling.

Boooo. Mechanical issues have no place at Disney.

Originally I had planned on us doing Muppets 3-D next, but we didn't. As much as I love it, Debby let it slip earlier in the day that they don't much care for the Muppets, and I didn't want to make them sit through it. So I skipped it. I realize it'll probably be gone forever before I make this year's trip down, but oh well!

Oh no! I'm sorry you missed it. I'm going to try and squeeze this in for May but they boys are not Muppet fans. I hope it holds on until next October!

By this point, I could already see a glow in the sky that was calling to me. That's right, I was headed for the Osborne Lights! Soooo pretttttty!

They were amazingggg! I could have stayed much longer than we did. Sorry you had to zoom through!


Glad night brought sweet dreams in your clam shell bed and a chance to sleep in!

 

[cajunfan]

Hmmm, I had no idea it worked like this. I assumed it was all buffet. I'm trying to debate between this and CRT for a mother/daughter trip (November 2017 or 2018, but you know...) and this will help in my decision!

Having done both on my trip in May, I would hands down choose CRT if you can get it...especially if you have never been to it. The last time I had been was in 2004, and really did not enjoy it so I was not looking forward to this ADR, but did it because we were making sure the little one traveling with us saw as many princesses as possible. I was very surprised at how much we loved this breakfast. The food was so much better. We had great service. The princess interaction I found to be the same in both places, but the castle made for better pictures. Back to the food...while I could eat my weight (a lot ) in the potatoes at Akershus, I liked the food much better. I was talking with our server and mentioned that I was having trouble deciding between the traditional breakfast and the apple french toast thingy...she brought me both. One person ordered the "healthy" meal thingy thinking it was oatmeal (it was hot cereal of another sort), when she was not eating it they brought her a traditional breakfast (or maybe just a lot of bacon...I remember a lot of bacon...) One person got the seafood crepes thing (and we are seafood snobs being from New Orleans...and this person serves at a NOLA restaurant!) and she liked it. We also drank a lot of chocolate milk and OJ, if I remember right...we were piglets this morning (not that it was different from any morning). But I felt we got our money's worth here. Plus they gave us each a wishing wand and a sword...we asked nicely. Just my opinion...not that you asked for it...

 

[jandlinz]

Sounds like a busy day. It sounds like getting your aunt a scooter was the right move. I know it's hard when you travel with someone who is having feet problems. Your breakfast pictures turned out great and your breakfast looks yummy! So glad your aunt loved Soarin'. Your pick a pearl cage is beautiful. I plan on doing this with my DD next time we visit. The lights are amazing. I'm sad I'll never get to see them. I wish you could have stayed longer. It's so nice you are doing what they enjoy, but hopefully you can squeeze in some time for you too.

 

[cinderkelly]

and even calling Disney Dining from the bus to find out just how late we could be before we lost our ADR. (The answer, by the way, is 15 minutes.) It would be cutting it close, but I felt reassured that we could make it!

Whew! Glad you made it, I would have been freaking out!

Debby decided to try giving a scooter a try today. Hooray! (This made me a very happy girl!) So we got her all saddled up, and off we went!

Yea!!! I bet that made a huge difference for her

Picture time FINALLY!

So cute!!

Living With the Land before our 3rd and final FP, but the line was 45 minutes long. WHAT?

45 minutes!!!! Holy cow

SHE DID!!! And she loved it!!! She did have to close her eyes at parts, but not for too long. I was soooooo proud of her!

Oh I'm so happy she gave it a try and that she liked it

And that moment came, and I snapped... and the phone went black. Dead. Finished. Oh well, I tried!

Wha wha......... Hate it when that happens

I love pink, and I love owls, so I brought this little guy home with me...

Omg I love owls too! Adorable!

Took me a quick scooter nap while sitting there letting it charge a bit! I woke up from my snooze after the desired 20 minutes, unplugged, and was on m

It just wouldn't be a Billie trip report without a proper scooter nap!

When we reach each other, I jumped up and hugged them both fiercely, apologizing profusely for dropping off the face of the earth like that, and explaining what had happened. Turns out that Amie had tried messaging me a few times, but when she didn't get a reply, they decided to go ahead and head over to AoA and walk around, and hope maybe they would run into me. And they DID! I was soooo ecstatic... that I totally forgot to take a picture. Again. Fail.

So cool you got to run into your friends!

Next we headed over to Toy Story Midway Mania, as I was hoping this late into the evening and Extra Magic Hours was happening now, that the wait would have died

Bummer. I love that ride but it's always so packed!

And besides... By this point, I could already see a glow in the sky that was calling to me. That's right, I was headed for the Osborne Lights! Soooo pretttttty! I was really excited, but my companions didn't seem too interested in them. I felt like I was dragging them through, so I didn't stay long. Just enough to snap a few pics...

Too bad they didn't get all Googly eyed over the lights, but at least you got to see them!

 

[Rozz]

Wonderful photo of you with white Christmas tree in the background! Frame this one.

Good for Debby to try Soarin' and also to get ECV. Hope the ECV made rest of park touring easier for her to enjoy.

You've inspired me to get a tiara for our next WDW trip. My daughter may be embarrassed to be seen with me but at least she'll still go to WDW with me, especially since I'm paying and she loves WDW! We enjoy Pick a Pearl too. We pick the narliest (sp?), hairiest oysters as well. Last time, my daughter got one of the largest pearls and I got twins! I need to do like you did and get a couple of pearl cages before our next trip.

Really enjoy your trip reports. You're a good story teller. I get great ideas from you for enjoying the parks too. Thank you for sharing Billie!

 

[KathyM2]

It's so nice re-living your Disney trip with you!!

Not even of my beloved manatees (whom I visited with for quite some time).

I love those guys too! Once we saw one drinking from a water hose..cutest thing ever.

Living With the Land before our 3rd and final FP, but the line was 45 minutes long.

That is insane. Sad too because usually that's a ride you can jump on when you have time to kill...as much as I love it.

She did have to close her eyes at parts, but not for too long. I was soooooo proud of her!

So awesome. That's my strategy on that ride too.

They weren't all that interested in Canada,

Sacreligious!! What is wrong!!! Canada is the best!! (not biased or anything)

I was headed for the Osborne Lights!

So sad to never had got the chance to see this. So sorry your companions weren't that into it.Sigh. At least you were there.

 

[chunkymonkey]

DAY 2
December 5th, 2015 - Saturday
Universal Orlando, Ohana, and Art of Animation!

***Sadly there's pretty much no photos of our time at Universal, which is unfortunate because I made a special shirt that I wore to the parks, but there's no pictures of me there wearing it! But here's photos of the shirt the night that my mom and I finished it:

Front:

Back:

Great t-shirt!! Was this an iron-on?

I had warned Mark that I'd been told by my friend who is a Team Member at Universal to be careful with GPS directions because they usually try to take you to the employee parking garage, and that once we were in the area, just follow the signs instead. Well. He listened to the GPS directions. And guess where we ended up? So once we got ourselves turned around (all the while calling the GPS lady a filthy liar and all kinds of other colorful names), we found our way to the Preferred parking, unloaded my ECV, and away we went!

Too funny but good to know!

So long-story-short... The Wand Keeper picked MEEEEEEE!!! (I give credit to the big bright pink flower I was wearing in my hair to match my shirt.) Sadly, there are no photos or video, because we had one camera between us all, MINE, and there just wasn't time for me to dig out it of my bag, pass it to Mark, and show him how to use it. Not that I even thought of doing so, I was so very much in shock. But it was SUPER COOL to get picked by the actor... I had so much fun with it!

And of course, the wand that "chose me" was purchased and brought home. I mean... IT CHOSE ME!:

The wand my birthday gift from Uncle Mark and Aunt Debby, as was the stand!

That's soooo cool! Awesome!

Finally I gave up on him, and we made our way over to Islands of Adventure via Platform 9 and 3/4. We had the entire cabin on the Hogwarts Express to ourselves, which was nice! Then we headed for lunch at the Three Broomsticks. I had a turkey leg since I didn't have plans for one on any of our Disney days. (Smart, right?) Mark and Debby each got chicken, I think. They were both very pleased with their meals, I remember that much.

good idea with the turkey leg! I'm gonna have to build in some time to eat one on our trip!

I can't remember, but I think I may have napped a little bit. I did clean up and change into a fresh shirt for dinner. I was getting restless just sitting in the room but it wasn't time to leave for dinner yet, so I decided to go resort exploring! Picture time!

First, some exterior shots of our section, The Little Mermaid buildings:

I wandered into the Lion King section, but the light was too dim to get any good shots. So I resolved to come back on another day to continue my photo touring during the day!

Letting my meandering continue, I found myself in the lobby, where mad shutter-bugging happened (I think I felt compelled to make up for the photo-less day):

Love the pictures of AoA especially the Little Mermaid section. Since we stayed really far away from that section we didn't get a chance to explore it. They should really give people golf carts since some of these resorts are so large! Great pic of you in the lobby!

We got to the Polynesian, and the gate guard advised us that the guest parking lot was completely FULL. Say whaaaat! So went ended up having to do valet (oh poor us!) because I wasn't about to be walking from the TTC. Mark & Debby had never done valet before, plus us driving my grandparent's vehicle, they were a little nervous, but I assured them everything would be fine. (I love doing valet, but I'm spoiled and lazy!)

Can't believe the lot was full!

We actually arrived much earlier than I anticipated, so we did a little shopping in Boutiki. There, I found this adorable silk hair flower that matched the pink stripes on my shirt...

That's so cute!!! And it matches your shirt!

Finally our pager buzzed, and it was time to introduce Mark & Debby to the oh-so-delicious world of Disney dining!

We lucked out and got a great table by the windows, and got to see the Electrical Water Pageant go by! And then of course, some of the noms...

For a more detailed review of our eats and more pics, be sure to check out my Dining Report HERE!

Oh, and our server was lovely! We even got lei'd, see?

On the way out of the restaurant, I stopped and said "Whaddup?" to my old pal...

Then we headed out and had the valet attendant retrieve our car... Which was perfectly fine, of course!

When we got back to the resort, I noticed a few details around the Little Mermaid section that I'd missed during my earlier photo-snapping, so I decided to correct that situation!

My photo mission accomplished, I made my way the short distance back to my room, and called it a night!

Yum!!!! Can't wait until my birthday and I get to have Ohana again. I'm really just there for the bread pudding though....hehehe.

Even thought this was my first time here, I'd already read what the deal was, and knew that we would get thrown into a meet & greet... and photo op... with Belle (my favorite!) that couldn't be escaped! Bahahaha! Picture time FINALLY!

Finally, ya'll get to meet Uncle Mark and Aunt Debby! Aren't they adorable?! And yep, I'm rockin' that tiara for my royal conference with the princesses, of course!

Cute picture! Glad to meet you Uncle Mark and Aunt Debby! My sister will be jealous of your tiara at Akershus. That was her plan that never really came to fruition. Cute pics at breakfast!! You are just missing food pics!

Then we headed over to the Land pavilion. I was hoping to sneak in a ride on Living With the Land before our 3rd and final FP, but the line was 45 minutes long. WHAT? Nope! So we just found a place to sit and rest a bit over near the entrance for our next destination... Soarin'!

What! Can't believe the line for LWTL was so long. We experienced a similar thing last May, but definitely not 45 mins. Maybe 25 mins.

Now anybody who followed my PTR for this trip might remember that I was putting quite a bit of thought into how to get Debby on this ride. She heeded my advice that I gathered here, and bought and brought with her the SeaBands to wear to help keep her motion sickness at bay. I passed on all the advice that you all were so kind to provide, including the tip about closing her eyes for a moment during the golf course scene, or any other time she started to feel woozy. So what did she decide? Did she or didn't she take a chance?

SHE DID!!! And she loved it!!! She did have to close her eyes at parts, but not for too long. I was soooooo proud of her!

Way to go aunt Debby!!!

We continued on into France, and murmurs about lunch arose, so we went to check out Boulangerie Patisserie les Halles. This was a bucket list item for me, and so I was happy that Mark and Debby were able to find something they could eat!

Looks good, right? It was some sort of cheesey hammy croissant. It was crazy tasty, as was the frozen coffee and the mousse dessert thingy thing. I'll do my research and go into more detail on my Dining Report over HERE!

Yum, looks delicious! You can never go wrong with anything there!

I will say it was craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazy busy. Is it always like this? I wish I had taken a photo, it would have been a perfect opportunity to show just how ridiculously crowded the parks were while we were there. We had to stalk down a table, and came very close to just having to eat standing up. I finally spotted one outside, and literally had to bellow across the noisy interior of the restaurant to get Mark & Debby's attention (which I don't think they loved, but I think they were thankful to get to sit and enjoy lunch).

Yes it is always quite busy, sadly.

After lunch, as we made our way out, a circle started to form around a couple of fellas, carrying tables and chairs. Sure enough, it was France's street performers. It was very funny, and pretty amazing. I had a great view, so I grabbed my phone to do a video, and... 3% battery. No problem! Reach into my bag for my portable battery charger... And the pocket was empty. And that's when it dawned on me that it was sitting on the nightstand in my hotel room. DOH! So I decided to try and use that 3% wisely, and wait until a really cool moment in the show to try snap a couple pics. And that moment came, and I snapped... and the phone went black. Dead. Finished. Oh well, I tried!

But I did get my pearl, and it was soooooo... unremarkable. Seriously. Average color, average size. lol. I've done it twice now, and both times got boring pearls. Oh well! I had fun, and it looks cute in the rose-shaped pearl cage that I brought. I wear it every day now (which in this close-up photo I just took today, I can see that it needs to be cleaned up, it's looking bad!):

Pretty!!

By this time they were done shopping, where as I hadn't even gotten started, so I didn't get to spend near as much time in here as I like to. I tore off to the very back of the store to the snack foods section, because I always like picking up a few things here. I quickly grabbed two old favorites...

Love the shrimp chips, and my nieces go bananas over yum yums! They have strawberry and vanilla ones too. They even have hello kitty yum yums! although I've not seen that many varieties at Epcot.

On my way back up front to the counter, I spotted a cute little knick-knack for my desk at work. I love pink, and I love owls, so I brought this little guy home with me...

Love the owl!!

As usual, the CMs at the ECV rental station were very understanding and accommodating, and let me pull right into their bay and plug in for as long as I needed to. Since I couldn't walk very far on my own from there without hurting, and my phone was dead... What's a girl to do to pass the time?

SLEEP.

Scooter nap! Love it! At least you weren't driving...

When we reach each other, I jumped up and hugged them both fiercely, apologizing profusely for dropping off the face of the earth like that, and explaining what had happened. Turns out that Amie had tried messaging me a few times, but when she didn't get a reply, they decided to go ahead and head over to AoA and walk around, and hope maybe they would run into me. And they DID! I was soooo ecstatic... that I totally forgot to take a picture. Again. Fail.

Glad you got to meet your friends though!

After dinner, we beelined it for the Great Movie Ride, which had a surprisingly short wait. Debby liked the idea of a nice long seated chill-out ride, and this made her very happy! I know it's pretty dated, but I love it anyhow. And the new pre-show film and the new film and the very end (both installed as part of TCM's relatively new sponsorship of the attraction) were really good!

Do you know when they updated the films? I cannot remember for the life of me what I actually saw when we rode GMR last year. I might have completely missed the updates.

Next we headed over to Toy Story Midway Mania, as I was hoping this late into the evening and Extra Magic Hours was happening now, that the wait would have died down... No such luck. It was at an hour or so.

EMH doesn't help the lines at TSM!!

As we made our way out of the park and passed by the new Star Wars Launch Bay (in the old Animation Courtyard area), I saw a small crowd, and these guys walking along "policing" the area. I wish I could have gotten a better picture of them!

Up Next... Shopping, more AoA, and Disney Springs!

What a great day! Love the Osbourne lights! Wish I could have seen them once.

 

[hokieinpa]

Having done both on my trip in May, I would hands down choose CRT if you can get it...especially if you have never been to it. The last time I had been was in 2004, and really did not enjoy it so I was not looking forward to this ADR, but did it because we were making sure the little one traveling with us saw as many princesses as possible. I was very surprised at how much we loved this breakfast. The food was so much better. We had great service. The princess interaction I found to be the same in both places, but the castle made for better pictures. Back to the food...while I could eat my weight (a lot ) in the potatoes at Akershus, I liked the food much better. I was talking with our server and mentioned that I was having trouble deciding between the traditional breakfast and the apple french toast thingy...she brought me both. One person ordered the "healthy" meal thingy thinking it was oatmeal (it was hot cereal of another sort), when she was not eating it they brought her a traditional breakfast (or maybe just a lot of bacon...I remember a lot of bacon...) One person got the seafood crepes thing (and we are seafood snobs being from New Orleans...and this person serves at a NOLA restaurant!) and she liked it. We also drank a lot of chocolate milk and OJ, if I remember right...we were piglets this morning (not that it was different from any morning). But I felt we got our money's worth here. Plus they gave us each a wishing wand and a sword...we asked nicely. Just my opinion...not that you asked for it...

CRT is my dream!! And I would love a pre-park opening breakfast. It's nice to hear such a wonderful review, especially when I've read lots of "not worth it" talk about CRT. I think the experience of eating inside the castle would just be amazing. I should mention that this will be one of the few princess meals I ever eat since I have 3 boys. This will be a trip for my mom and I. So I better get in as much princess-ing as I can!!

 

[Elevationist]

Holy guacamole, did I ever get behind on replies! Digging my heels in and getting to work here!

Glad you enjoyed Akershus! We've always had good food and good interactions there. We just did CRT breakfast for the first time in Nov. and while the princesses were great (and Merida was there-one of my 2 favorites!) I like the food at Akershus better

I love Merida, how cool that she was there!

That really stinks you couldn't spend more time seeing the Osborne Lights.

It's okay. I might be back later in the week...

I also like the updates to GMR BUT, I miss all the CM dialogue. We only rode it once in Nov.; I know they still say some of it but our guide had to rush through many parts to finish before........can't remember his name.........started talking, and so much of it has been cut

I noticed that too!!! I was torn. On one hand, I missed the CM doing it. On the other, I often get sat in the very back row (because that's close to where they have me park my ECV), and more than once I've gotten CMs that went through the dialogue so fast or who were just so naturally soft-spoken, and I would miss a lot of it! (Good thing I practically have it all memorized at this point!)

I am loving your report! I am very envious of your ability to catch quick snoozes -- and on your scooter no less!

I can sleep ANYWHERE... except for my bed at night.

Of course! One must be properly attired when meeting fellow princesses

Absolutely!

I would love a cup of tea please. So kind of you to offer.
(That is adorable)

One lump or two?

Yay! So glad you got to meet up after all.

Yes! I was so excited!

Is it really? Hope I get to see it in May. I have fond memories of seeing it on my last trip.

It's just a rumor, but apparently there's a good chance it will eventually become a casualty of Star Wars land.

I wanna snuggle in a clam shell bed too! Can't come soon enough.

It'll be here before you know it!

How long did you have to wait for Akershus to ALLOW you in? They were not so nice with us in 2014.

It honestly wasn't that bad for us! Maybe 10 minutes, if that?

and the picture with all of you and Belle? Looks like your trying your hardest to stay away from her! LOL did she smell???

BAHAHA. We just stood where she told us to. Maybe WE smelled?!

Yay for the pearl I LOVE that experience! Sun Knee ITCHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ohh good times.

Oh man, I had a REALLY hard time with that. I looked like a dummy. She taught it to me, then told me to say it, and I was like "... ... ..." I had a total on-the-spot brain fart!

SHAME they weren't interested in the Osbourn lights!!! What is wrong with them!

Seriously!!!

Glad you ended up seeing your real friends! that's excellent and better your Pink Carriage made it! YAHOO!

Yes! Of all the luck, running into them was AWESOME!

speaking of sleep. I think i am going to fall over here at work!

Girl, you and me both. The struggle is real.

We had the same table issue at sunshine seasons. I was with my 4 year old alone and carrying a tray precariously loaded with food and this lady stole my table just as I was about to sit down at it. It was nuts, but worth it for the strawberry shortcake!

Oh man. I'm telling you, sometimes trying to find a table as counter service places feels like freakin' Thunderdome!

All your photos at Akershus came out great! It's too bad you didn't have your phone for part of the day.

Thanks!! I would have surely had more photos for ya'll if my dumb self hadn't forgot to bring the battery!

Yay! for getting your Aunt on Soarin'. I'm glad she enjoyed it.

I'm glad too! I was so happy to get to share it with her!

What luck that you ran into your friends at AOA when you thought it wasn't going to happen.

I know, right! That slow busted up scooter actually got the timing JUST right, unbelievably!

I'm sorry you missed Muppets but at least you got to see the Osborne lights for the final time.

Great updates!

I'm so glad I got to see them, they're so beautiful!

I love your aunt's face in all the photos. It is that, you are making me pose with a princess look? That 11 year old boys get too.

Hahaha. The best is if you scroll down that section of the page, starting with Belle and through Aurora, if you watch just her face, you can actually see her becoming less and less amused. It cracks me up!

I think any pearl is cool, I really hope to get minion 2 a pearl when we go next week!

Definitely do it, it's so worth it! even with my established bad luck, I'll probably still do it again in October! (I have a Cinderella pearl cage to fill yet!)

Yay Osborne Lights, I am really sad we will not get to see them, which means I will never get to see them. I am hoping to do Muppets when we do Disney Studios, but it is low on the priority list, so I am hoping they stay and don't go away.

The departure of the Muppets is just a rumor at this point, but it's a rumor that makes sense, given it's proximity to where Star Wars land is going to be built. So who knows!

Nice update! Love the pics with the Princesses! So glad your Aunt enjoyed Soarin'

Thanks! I'm really glad she liked it, too! It's my favorite!

If everyone was tired, American Adventure would have been a great place to rest. I love that show, although I admit to dozing off at times in there if I am really tired, it's so nice and cool in there.

I could see that, and will definitely keep that in mind for my next trip! On this one though, by the time were at American Adventure, we were the "We just want to go back to the resort and rest" level of tired. Since I liked to open AND close the parks, I get a huge benefit from an afternoon break for a few hours!

Sorry you were having Phone battery and scooter issues, glad you were able to charge up to get back to the resort. My mother used a scooter on her last couple trips there before she passed away and I remember looking for tables near outlets in QS places and asking to use the plug in the back row at Fantasmic to get a little extra juice on longer days

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR. There's place in the back row of Fantasmic to plug in?!?!?!

Great pic. I'm thinking of doing Akershaus next trip just to meet Belle - she's the only princess I haven't met yet (but not for lack of trying) just not sure if the price/food is worth it. Thoughts?

I felt it was very worth it! The food was delicious, the cold bar had some unique things to try out, the service was great, and the princess were a joy. Belle is my favorite and the only once I hadn't met as well, so it was a real treat for me!

45 minutes??? I've never seen it with more than a 10 minute wait!

I know! That's how crowded it was nearly every day! CRAZINESS!

Mm cheese.....

Mmmmmmmm!

I love the pick a pearl. Mine was average too but I still love it in its cinderalla coach setting!

I have a Cinderella coach pearl cage, too! I bought it first, and then afterwards found the rose one that I liked better. I'll probably get a girl for the coach next time!

So pretty. I'm still a little crushed inside that I'll never get a chance to see them.

They were really lovely, I'm so sorry they're going away!

Whooshing in as I catch up -

*feels a breeze as you whoosh by!*

Scooter issues sound so frustrating! I'm glad you were able to deal with them and it doesn't seem like they impacted the trip too terribly much (hopefully).

Oh, we're just getting started...

Loved the Akershus review! Don't think that's one I'll be hitting up until we have some little people around, but it seems like the food was awesome and your experience was good

We had fun as just adults, honestly!

We stopped in the French pastry shop for a snack on our December trip - so so so good! I got a Chocolate Duo that I'm still thinking about Looks like you had an equally wonderful experience, despite the crowds.

Oh man. OH MAN. It was soooooooo yummy.

I love the new intro to the Great Movie Ride! Honestly, I'd be perfectly happy to stand and listen to it in the regular line, but I like the efficiency of the Fastpass most of the time.

My FPs usually go to Tower of Terror, Star Tours, and Toy Story Midway Mania, so I just try to catch the Great Movie ride during slow times!

Sad you missed out on the Muppets and didn't get to spend as much time with the Osborne Lights - but at least you got to see them! Overall, seems like the HS day was successful

Yeah, it was a pretty good day over all!

Can't wait to read more now that I'm back home and can catch up on my Dis threads!

So glad you're back, too!

Great picture! And the tiara is perfect, of course!

Why thank you, darling!

Hmmm, I had no idea it worked like this. I assumed it was all buffet. I'm trying to debate between this and CRT for a mother/daughter trip (November 2017 or 2018, but you know...) and this will help in my decision!

It was a really neat concept, I thought!

Yay! Are there people that don't love Soarin'??? What a sad life!

I know, RIGHT?! I was just concerned with my aunt and her motion sickness issues, but I figured if that part didn't bother her too much, then she would love it!

I'm glad you got your pearl - very pretty in the setting! And I saw this on See Ya Reel Soon and those CMs are VERY enthusiastic about their job!!

Oh man, are they EVER. It's hilarious! I wish I had just a fraction of those girls energy!

Boooo. Mechanical issues have no place at Disney.

That's what I'm hollerin'!

Oh no! I'm sorry you missed it. I'm going to try and squeeze this in for May but they boys are not Muppet fans. I hope it holds on until next October!

I hope so too!!

They were amazingggg! I could have stayed much longer than we did. Sorry you had to zoom through!

Spoiler Alert: I make time with them again later in the week.

Glad night brought sweet dreams in your clam shell bed and a chance to sleep in!

Well, you've been following my reports long enough, you know I only sorta "sleep" in my bed at night anyhow. I'm just glossing over that in this report.

 

[Elevationist]

Having done both on my trip in May, I would hands down choose CRT if you can get it...especially if you have never been to it. The last time I had been was in 2004, and really did not enjoy it so I was not looking forward to this ADR, but did it because we were making sure the little one traveling with us saw as many princesses as possible. I was very surprised at how much we loved this breakfast. The food was so much better. We had great service. The princess interaction I found to be the same in both places, but the castle made for better pictures. Back to the food...while I could eat my weight (a lot ) in the potatoes at Akershus, I liked the food much better. I was talking with our server and mentioned that I was having trouble deciding between the traditional breakfast and the apple french toast thingy...she brought me both. One person ordered the "healthy" meal thingy thinking it was oatmeal (it was hot cereal of another sort), when she was not eating it they brought her a traditional breakfast (or maybe just a lot of bacon...I remember a lot of bacon...) One person got the seafood crepes thing (and we are seafood snobs being from New Orleans...and this person serves at a NOLA restaurant!) and she liked it. We also drank a lot of chocolate milk and OJ, if I remember right...we were piglets this morning (not that it was different from any morning). But I felt we got our money's worth here. Plus they gave us each a wishing wand and a sword...we asked nicely. Just my opinion...not that you asked for it...

Thanks, Lynn. Now I need to squeeze CRT into my October trip... The trip where I'm already booking 3 extra ADRs over my Dining Plan allotment and am just going to pay out-of-pocket for. And now I might have to budget for CRT, too. THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT.

Sounds like a busy day. It sounds like getting your aunt a scooter was the right move. I know it's hard when you travel with someone who is having feet problems.

It is, and I was SO HAPPY she got a scooter for the day! I could tell how much more comfortable she was!

Your breakfast pictures turned out great and your breakfast looks yummy!

It was deeeelicious!

So glad your aunt loved Soarin'.

Me too! It's my favorite!

Your pick a pearl cage is beautiful. I plan on doing this with my DD next time we visit.

Aw, thanks! You should definitely try it, it's a hoot!

The lights are amazing. I'm sad I'll never get to see them. I wish you could have stayed longer.

Your wish might come true, keep reading!

It's so nice you are doing what they enjoy, but hopefully you can squeeze in some time for you too.

I do, as the week goes on!

Whew! Glad you made it, I would have been freaking out!

Girl, I SO was freaking out! I'm almost always EARLY to my ADRs. This was the first time I've ever been so late to one (other than last April's crazy Boma incident). I was so thankful it all worked out!

Yea!!! I bet that made a huge difference for her

It did, it really did!

45 minutes!!!! Holy cow

I know! I couldn't believe it!

Oh I'm so happy she gave it a try and that she liked it

ME TOO! I was soooo proud of her for trying it!!!

Wha wha......... Hate it when that happens

I know, right? I was so bummed, and so mad at myself for being forgetful!

Omg I love owls too! Adorable!

YAY! You like my owl! I've been waiting on somebody to say something about her! I think she's just adorable!

It just wouldn't be a Billie trip report without a proper scooter nap!

You got that right, girl.

So cool you got to run into your friends!

I know! It was perfect timing! I was thrilled!

Bummer. I love that ride but it's always so packed!

It is! I'd already prepared myself for the fact that it might have to get skipped this trip though, so I was okay with it!

Too bad they didn't get all Googly eyed over the lights, but at least you got to see them!

Wonderful photo of you with white Christmas tree in the background! Frame this one.

Thank you, I rather like that one too! (It's my current profile pic on Facebook!)

Good for Debby to try Soarin' and also to get ECV. Hope the ECV made rest of park touring easier for her to enjoy.

I could tell she definitely was in less pain all day, that's for sure!

You've inspired me to get a tiara for our next WDW trip. My daughter may be embarrassed to be seen with me but at least she'll still go to WDW with me, especially since I'm paying and she loves WDW!

Pfft, get two tiaras and tell her that she has to wear the other or she can't go. That'll teach her for being embarrassed. Hahaha.

We enjoy Pick a Pearl too. We pick the narliest (sp?), hairiest oysters as well. Last time, my daughter got one of the largest pearls and I got twins! I need to do like you did and get a couple of pearl cages before our next trip.

Man, I need to go with you to pick a pearl! Your luck is clearly better than mine!

Really enjoy your trip reports. You're a good story teller. I get great ideas from you for enjoying the parks too. Thank you for sharing Billie!

Awww! That is so sweet of you to say, thank you so much! Thank you for reading along!

It's so nice re-living your Disney trip with you!!

Yay! Thank you, Kathy! I'm glad you're here and enjoying my ramblings!

I love those guys too! Once we saw one drinking from a water hose..cutest thing ever.

OH. MY. GOD. I would just die!!! TOO CUTE!!!

That is insane. Sad too because usually that's a ride you can jump on when you have time to kill...as much as I love it.

I know! I was shocked! But that tells you how dang CROWDED the parks were, too! CRAZY!

So awesome. That's my strategy on that ride too.

It worked for her, and she was able to enjoy it! I shared with her all the tips you and others gave me on my PTR, and she greatly appreciated the advice!

Sacreligious!! What is wrong!!! Canada is the best!! (not biased or anything)

I know. HATERS.

So sad to never had got the chance to see this. So sorry your companions weren't that into it.Sigh. At least you were there.

I was grateful for my glimpses of it!

Great t-shirt!! Was this an iron-on?

It was! I found both from the same seller on Etsy and ordered them.

good idea with the turkey leg! I'm gonna have to build in some time to eat one on our trip!

Now that you mention it, I should probably build in some turkey leg time on my next trip, too! As of right now, I haven't!

Love the pictures of AoA especially the Little Mermaid section. Since we stayed really far away from that section we didn't get a chance to explore it. They should really give people golf carts since some of these resorts are so large! Great pic of you in the lobby!

The only reason I was able to explore it fully and as often as I did is because of my scooter! It's sooooo spread out!

Can't believe the lot was full!

ME EITHER! I'm telling you, crowds were NUTS that week!

That's so cute!!! And it matches your shirt!

It did! I was so pleased with myself for finding it!

Yum!!!! Can't wait until my birthday and I get to have Ohana again. I'm really just there for the bread pudding though....hehehe.

For me, it's all about those wings.

Cute picture! Glad to meet you Uncle Mark and Aunt Debby! My sister will be jealous of your tiara at Akershus. That was her plan that never really came to fruition. Cute pics at breakfast!! You are just missing food pics!

Tell her to get her a tiara for next time! YOU TOO! Tiaras all around!

What! Can't believe the line for LWTL was so long. We experienced a similar thing last May, but definitely not 45 mins. Maybe 25 mins.

I know! It was CRAZY!

Way to go aunt Debby!!!

I was soooooo proud of her!

Yum, looks delicious! You can never go wrong with anything there!

It was my first time and it definitely exceeded my expectations, that's for sure!

Yes it is always quite busy, sadly.

Now I'll know for next time!

Love the shrimp chips, and my nieces go bananas over yum yums! They have strawberry and vanilla ones too. They even have hello kitty yum yums! although I've not seen that many varieties at Epcot.

There's not really any place in my area to buy this kind of stuff, so I always grab what I can while at Epcot!

Love the owl!!

THANK YOU! Me too! She makes me happy!

Scooter nap! Love it! At least you weren't driving...

Hahaha, nope! Don't mind me, just sleeping on my scooter over here! Zzz zzz zzz.

Glad you got to meet your friends though!

ME TOO! the timing couldn't have been better!

Do you know when they updated the films? I cannot remember for the life of me what I actually saw when we rode GMR last year. I might have completely missed the updates.

Well, I saw it in Sept 2014, and it was the old one. And then in December 2015, it was the new one. So sometime in that year or so, but I'm not sure when?

EMH doesn't help the lines at TSM!!

I learned that very quickly, unfortunately!

What a great day! Love the Osbourne lights! Wish I could have seen them once.

I hate that they're going away for good! I wish they could just move them somewhere else!

CRT is my dream!! And I would love a pre-park opening breakfast. It's nice to hear such a wonderful review, especially when I've read lots of "not worth it" talk about CRT. I think the experience of eating inside the castle would just be amazing. I should mention that this will be one of the few princess meals I ever eat since I have 3 boys. This will be a trip for my mom and I. So I better get in as much princess-ing as I can!!

You can also princess it up on your solo trip in October, too!

 

[rndmr2]

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR. There's place in the back row of Fantasmic to plug in?!?!?!

There was a few years ago, just a normal outlet on one of the light poles. Maybe on more than one but she found an outlet on one and asked if she could plug in and they let her.

 

[tabrizia]

Thanks, Lynn. Now I need to squeeze CRT into my October trip... The trip where I'm already booking 3 extra ADRs over my Dining Plan allotment and am just going to pay out-of-pocket for. And now I might have to budget for CRT, too. THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT.

I'll have pictures from CRT when we go next week, in 7 days, next Wednesday! I promise to make everything look amazing so you must go on your next trip.

 

[Elevationist]

There was a few years ago, just a normal outlet on one of the light poles. Maybe on more than one but she found an outlet on one and asked if she could plug in and they let her.

Whaaaat!!! I am always in the back row for Fantasmic, so I will DEFINITELY look around next time! Maybe even ask the CM directing me to a spot if it's possible to put me near an outlet now that I know they exist! Thank you for the tip!

I'll have pictures from CRT when we go next week, in 7 days, next Wednesday! I promise to make everything look amazing so you must go on your next trip.

Hahaha! My thread is full of bad influences! (I kid, I'm actually SUPER EXCITED to see your trip photos when you return! )

 

[IowaTater]

Gah!! I'm trying to get caught up on all of my reports today! *fingers crossed* For the life of me, I can't remember if I've already commented on anything so forgive me if I'm repeating myself.

Universal is ridonkulously expensive for a one day. That's one of the reasons we're skipping it this year. It's always nice to have connections, especially when they can get you free tickets!

You got picked for a wand!! How cool is that?? I always thought it was only kids too but the Wandmaster must have seen something special in you!

Loving all the princess pictures. Sadly, this character meal isn't even on our radar but it looks fantastic.

I'm so glad your aunt chose to go on Soarin' and liked it. I take it she did good with the motion sickness the rest of the trip? (I know, I know. I'll have to wait to find out).

Originally I had planned on us doing Muppets 3-D next, but we didn't. As much as I love it, Debby let it slip earlier in the day that they don't much care for the Muppets, and I didn't want to make them sit through it. So I skipped it. I realize it'll probably be gone forever before I make this year's trip down, but oh well!

Originally I had planned on us doing Muppets 3-D next, but we didn't. As much as I love it, Debby let it slip earlier in the day that they don't much care for the Muppets, and I didn't want to make them sit through it. So I skipped it. I realize it'll probably be gone forever before I make this year's trip down, but oh well!

Don't you dare say that!!!! They can't get rid of my Muppets!!!

That's so awesome that you ran into your friends but what a bummer about the scooter & phone battery. I've already stashed away a couple portable chargers for this trip. I figure now that I have a smart phone, I'll need them.

 

[Elevationist]

Gah!! I'm trying to get caught up on all of my reports today! *fingers crossed*

I'm sooooooooooooo far behind on mine... AGAIN!!!

Universal is ridonkulously expensive for a one day. That's one of the reasons we're skipping it this year. It's always nice to have connections, especially when they can get you free tickets!

It is pretty crazy! I really lucked out!

You got picked for a wand!! How cool is that?? I always thought it was only kids too but the Wandmaster must have seen something special in you!

He much have. I am kinda awesome, after all.

Loving all the princess pictures. Sadly, this character meal isn't even on our radar but it looks fantastic.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it!

I'm so glad your aunt chose to go on Soarin' and liked it. I take it she did good with the motion sickness the rest of the trip? (I know, I know. I'll have to wait to find out).

Yeah, she was fine! That was really the only thing I was worried might mess with her motion sickness or might not. Everything else, either I knew it would be gentle enough for her, or I knew it would be too much for her (and she just sat those out).

Don't you dare say that!!!! They can't get rid of my Muppets!!!

I know! It's just rumor right now, but it's a rumor that makes sense due to it's proximity to the Streets of America which we already know will be going away to make room for Star Wars land and Cars land. I hope not, though!!

That's so awesome that you ran into your friends but what a bummer about the scooter & phone battery. I've already stashed away a couple portable chargers for this trip. I figure now that I have a smart phone, I'll need them.

Yep, my portable charger is a total lifesaver during a day at Disney! You'll be glad to have it!