Happily Ever After Begins Here -- An Oct. 2012 TR Updated! 11/17!

[PrincessAmongPrinces]

Wow, the beer pairing meal looks yummy! I'm glad you liked it!

Haha, I love the story of the Boys ll Men superfan. Hilarious! His facial expressions are just too much. I love me some Boys ll Men, but I doubt I've ever said "This is my jam" about any of their songs.... Haha.

 

[Tiggerrn2]

Great updates! We had Sugar Ray for our Eat to the Beat concert. Good shows for a smaller outdoor concert venue.
Great photos! Not a beer fan here, but it would be fun to get to try a bunch of different drinks.

 

[Wood Nymph]

Boma has shot to the top of our list of favorite Disney breakfasts, though it will have to battle Kona for the top spot!

I've heard that the breakfast buffet at Tusker House is similar to Boma. Have you ever eaten at Tusker House? I love the ham and I would try to make it over to Boma just so I could have it again.


The concert looked like a lot of fun. What a great day you must have had.

 

[khertz]

Oh. Man. That Boyz II Men Super Fan is hilarious!!!! It says a lot that his girlfriend was sitting in the row behind him.

Great updates!

 

[Missyrose]

Yum that beer tasting looked fabulous!

Also, your update on the rabid Boys II Men fan had me laughing so hard. "This is my jam" oh god His poor girlfriend!

I swear Boys II Men look like they haven't aged one bit!

The beer pairing lunch WAS fabulous. So much fun. Good food, good beer and we learned lots! The Super Fan had me laughing out loud all concert long. It was the greatest little sideshow.

Awesome!

Thanks!

Great update!!! Hope the engagement is coming soon!!! Can't wait to hear what Franklin planned!!!!

The engagement is coming so very soon! I've written the next few chapters and it's among them!

I'm not a beer fan, but that meal at Via Napoli looked amazing!

That guy at Boyz II Men is hilarious. Franklin did a great job of catching some really good expressions on the couple.

I bet that show was fabulous. I would love to see them on a future trip, whenever I finally make it to food and wine =)

I gave Franklin a huge kiss when he showed me that he had captured Super Fan and his girlfriend so well. He's so good at this. Boyz II Men are great! We'll get to see them for a third time at Eat to the Beat in October (2010, 2012, 2013) and I actually just saw them on The Package tour with 98 degrees and New Kids on the Block. That show was lots of fun too!

Wow, the beer pairing meal looks yummy! I'm glad you liked it!

Haha, I love the story of the Boys ll Men superfan. Hilarious! His facial expressions are just too much. I love me some Boys ll Men, but I doubt I've ever said "This is my jam" about any of their songs.... Haha.

I love Boyz II Men's music, but no, I've never said "That's my jam!"

Great updates! We had Sugar Ray for our Eat to the Beat concert. Good shows for a smaller outdoor concert venue.
Great photos! Not a beer fan here, but it would be fun to get to try a bunch of different drinks.

Sugar Ray was great! Who knew they had enough hits for a 30-minute set?!?! There are lots of different types of tasting at F&W. There are wine tastings, beer tastings, tequila tastings, scotch tastings and there's a rumor that the Hibachi Experience meals at Teppan Edo will have saki pairings with each course.

I've heard that the breakfast buffet at Tusker House is similar to Boma. Have you ever eaten at Tusker House? I love the ham and I would try to make it over to Boma just so I could have it again.


The concert looked like a lot of fun. What a great day you must have had.

Tusker House is near the top of my to-do list, I really want to try it! I love F&W simply because days on those trips are unlike anything on any of our other Disney trips. It's always a more-relaxed pace. And it's funny to admit how much I like those days where we don't ride anything.

Oh. Man. That Boyz II Men Super Fan is hilarious!!!! It says a lot that his girlfriend was sitting in the row behind him.

Great updates!

I am still shocked to this day that the GF didn't break up with Super Fan on the spot. He was so over the top and out of control!

​

 

[teekathepony]

The Boyz II Men concert looks so fun, but definitely not more fun than people watching some super fans there Hehe that guy looks like he was having the time of his life!

 

[happenin2you]

You just saw New Kids?!?! I would die!

 

[rachel09985]

People watching is the BEST at Disney!!! Even better than the airport!

That guy was funny! Something tells me alcohol was involved? Or was he sober lol!

Ahh, food and wine festival. I want to go so bad again this year.

Not fair that you got to the try the grapefruit beer. I went towards the end of the festival and that beer was all gone.

 

[Missyrose]

We last left off taking in two awesome Boyz II Men concerts, we decided to skip the third show and grab some Food and Wine Festival snacks before Franklin set up for Illuminations. We hung a right out of the amphitheater and made our way around the World Showcase. You can’t walk through France without getting some sort of alcoholic slushie.

We chose the Grand Marnier version this time. Not a F&W drink, but a classic nonetheless.

We moved onto Ireland next.

Franklin had the Fisherman’s pie. He devoured it so quickly, he barely had time to snap a photo. Um, I think he liked it.

We wanted to get to the Chase Disney Visa Illuminations viewing area so Franklin could set up. But we couldn’t walk past the Canada kiosk and NOT get something. I grabbed the filet and the cheddar cheese soup, it was almost like eating at Le Cellier... almost. Franklin got just what this day needed, more beer.

We settled into the viewing area, directly across the lake from the American pavillion.

I happily enjoyed my snacks and got to know the lovely Disney fans who had pulled up a seat next to us. But you didn’t come for the small talk, you guys are here for the fireworks pictures. So away we go!

And this is easily my favorite Illuminations picture Franklin has ever taken.

That ends another perfect Epcot evening. We headed for the front of the park.

We all grabbed the bus back to AKV. Franklin and I had a very early breakfast at a very special location in the morning!
​

 

[Wood Nymph]

He makes the Illuminations look better than they do in person. Those pictures are beautiful.

 

[teekathepony]

Yummy food and wine samples, I'll admit the only thing I'll miss by missing F&W this year is the cheddar cheese soup!
Gorgeous fireworks photos, as always.

 

[FancyNancy]

LOVE the Illuminations pictures

 

[MeeskaMomma]

Amazing pictures! I have a question about the chase visa areas. Are these available to everyone with a chase visa or do you need a special Disney visa? We don't normally use credit cards, but we have been considering getting either a southwest or a Disney visa.

 

[Miss Potts]

Those pictures are amazing!!!!!!

 

[Missyrose]

He makes the Illuminations look better than they do in person. Those pictures are beautiful.

Thank you! I think that might be the highest compliment anyone has paid Franklin and his photography.

Yummy food and wine samples, I'll admit the only thing I'll miss by missing F&W this year is the cheddar cheese soup!
Gorgeous fireworks photos, as always.

Our honeymoon this year will be our fourth Food and Wine Festival in a row. I am a little sad that with our slate of Disney trips next year, we'll have to give up a F&W trip and instead go in early December for the holiday stuff. I'm already panicking a little about missing a full year of F&W.

LOVE the Illuminations pictures

Thanks!

Amazing pictures! I have a question about the chase visa areas. Are these available to everyone with a chase visa or do you need a special Disney visa? We don't normally use credit cards, but we have been considering getting either a southwest or a Disney visa.

It was open to anyone with a Chase Visa, not just the Disney-branded ones. It was a lovely perk!

Those pictures are amazing!!!!!!

Thank you so much!​

 

[Missyrose]

We last left off with LOTS of Food and Wine Festival fun and a spectacular showing of Illuminations. We were up bright and early. Well, actually, it was dark and early because the sun was nowhere to be seen yet.

We got to the bus stop at 6:30 a.m., but where were we headed?

Just the Magic Kingdom for a pre-opening breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table! I’m not going to lie, it made me a little mad that a bus didn’t show up until 6:50. Yes, at 6:30 a.m. we had to wait 20 minutes for a bus! Gah, but I wouldn’t let a little transportation frustration ruin our big meal in the castle.


We made it!

The sun had finally begun to rise and it gave everything this soft, lovely glow.

This plaque is easily one of my favorite details in all of Disney World. I think breakfast in the castle definitely falls under the category of pure fantasy.

At 7:45, they let us all in. And we got to take in the gorgeous sight of a practically empty Main Street.

What do you do when you have Main Street to yourself? You take pictures at every Photopass photographer along the way.

Hello my lovely castle, let us take one more photo and we’re all yours.

Well, maybe a couple of more from Franklin because they’re just so gosh darn pretty.

And we know Franklin couldn’t leave without a pic of his favorite little guy, Dumbo!

It was getting late, so we made our way up the ramp and into the castle.

I could stare at the mosaics for hours. But we didn’t have time to dawdle, we had a date with some big-name royalty!

We were led inside to meet our host.

​

 

[Missyrose]

I hadn’t eaten here since I was little, and this was Franklin’s first castle experience. And it was as spectacular as I remembered!

There were even some hidden mice, not the hidden Mickey kind though.

Cinderella was adorable. She said she wished she had worn a dress with my picture on it after seeing my Cindy shirt and necklace.

After such a wonderful greeting, we made our way upstairs. I love Disney stained glass, don’t you?

We were seated and given menus and presents!

We weren’t at window table, but we had a wonderful view anyway.

They brought out a lovely platter of pastries and fruit.

The princesses were all around, but it wasn’t our turn yet.

Our food arrived pretty quickly! Franklin had the lobster and crab crepes.

And I had the traditional breakfast with scrambled eggs, potatoes, bacon and sausage.

Franklin loved the setting and probably could have spent hours taking pictures of every last detail.

After we finished eating, it was princess time. Ariel was up first.

Then Aurora.

​

 

[Missyrose]

The waiter brought out our desserts and I have to say, mine was a little more special than I had expected.

Under the cover, sat a bed of rose petals with a glass slipper and a diamond ring. I was in shock. The ring was so beautiful! And I noticed right away that the center stone was from my mom’s engagement ring.

I looked over and realized Franklin was down on one knee!

He asked if I would marry him. And through my many tears I said yes -- several times.

He then put that beautiful ring on my finger!

We’re engaged!

​

 

[Missyrose]

Um, best Disney souvenir EVER.

They brought us out sparkling cider in CRT etched flutes and a more edible dessert, a white chocolate slipper with chocolate mousse.

The people at the next table sent their congratulations. The funny thing was, one of the women at that table had screamed “oh my God!” when they had unveiled the glass slipper and the ring. It was a really funny moment.

For those of you wondering, the glass slipper was personalized. On the inside sole, it had that day’s date 10-10-12. On one side, it had Missy + Franklin. And on the other it said “Me and you, just us two.” Which is a quote from the second Sex and the City movie. Yes, friends, my fiance managed to combine Disney AND Sex and the City into the proposal. He’s a keeper.

There were still more princesses to meet! My favorite bookworm was next, she was so excited for us. She said it was just like the love stories in her favorite books!

Jasmine was the most excited princess, by far.

She told me that she knows jewels because she has lots of them and she said she’d never seen such a beautiful ring!

We were both floating on air.

They brought out our photo package and not only did it have our photos with Cinderella, it also had a bunch of portraits of the glass slipper! They also brought us out a pair of Just Engaged buttons.

It was such a perfect moment in our lives. We’ve been together 10 years and we knew we wanted to build a life together before we got married and that’s exactly what we’ve done. Our upcoming wedding is going to be a celebration of that life we’ve built and a toast to all the love we feel in our lives: our love for each other, the love we feel from our families and the love we feel from our friends. Franklin planned such a perfect setting. I had been calling Cinderella’s Castle “my castle” for years. And now it truly feels like MY castle. And getting engaged at her house definitely has made Cinderella my homegirl. It was magical, beautiful and a total surprise. And I love that Franklin asked me to marry me in a place we both love and a place where we can return year after year. And having our own personal Photopass photographer capturing the whole thing was just the cherry on the world’s most perfect sundae.

I know many of you have waited very patiently to get to this chapter and I hope you enjoyed getting to relive this with me. There were many tears shed that morning (all extraordinarily happy ones) and another few hit the keyboard as I typed this chapter. I love that we have this story recorded and I’m even happier that I get to share it with all of you. There’s lots more engagement day fun coming up, so I hope you’ll all stick around.
​

 

[wdwgirl03]

I have not commented much on your TR but I have to say all of the pictures are incredible. I'm not even lying when I say they are some of the best I have ever seen in a TR. WOW! I love the one of the nearly empty Main Street. So pretty!

How awesome to get engaged at Cinderella's Royal Table!