Heat, Humidity, and Our Favorite Disney Dog Was a Thug! LINK TO NEW PTR!!

[wiigirl]

Very cute pics!

 

[podsnel]

Just wanted to say hi and Happy Halloween! I am SO far behind- I just read about your amazing dinner at Artist Point- such a nice restaurant, I really need to go back! Maybe next October!

Willow took a very pretty picture of you, by the way.

I will be back to catch up later tonight.....I hope!!

Ellen

 

[Luvchefmic]

Hi Roni & Willow, Family Day = I had no idea your beautiful little family was put together through Gods hands by adoption How wonderful

Tusker House so glad you experienced how fabulous it is Delicious food, servers wonderful character interaction five star (even though no Pluto) our experience too

When DH Fred was last home we had a very late breakfast/early lunch there...there's a term....... brunch right? but since they don't do brunch and my truck driver husband eats like; well a truck driver I almost fell out of my chair when he came back with plate # 6 ( ok maybe a slight exaggeration ..more like pate # 5 ) and he no longer had breakfast food but a totally different menu !!

I was so nervous we would be hit with another tab ! Thing is we were fine & hit it right at last service/first service a secret little perk ( not so secret anymore ) that I will keep in mind when making an ADR in the future If you think breakfast was great should try what we fell into the lunch menu was even better if that's possible

 

[Jackiemarie21]

Your Tusker house breakfast sounds like lots of fun. Hooray for great chef and service! I like the breakfast a little later. I found for our family those way early ADRs just push us way to hard. A little later and we can all be a little more relaxed. An added bonus I noticed was that later in the breakfast time frame the restaurants were almost empty. When we went to 'Ohana we got so much attention because there was not many other families there. It made it so much fun!

 

[RGirl]

Looks like you had a great breakfast at Tusker House. Willow looks pretty happy to see all the characters and how nice of the chef to make you a few extra treats!

Oh, we are totally sold on Tusker House. It was WONDERFUL! And I am totally sold on later breakfast ADRs as well.

Can't wait to see what else you are up to!

More to come soon! I REALLY want to get to the cruise!

Sounds like the ADR time switch was just the right thing. I agree, dealing with time change is hard. Throw in the heat and that you all had been going, going, going, you definately deserved a sleep-in day.

Exactly! I learned a big lesson. I will definitely be planning things differently next time.

Tusker House is such a fun breakfast and has so many options. I'm glad to hear that they made you Gluten free Mickey Waffles. Were they any good? I know the gluten free food that I have had is hit or miss. I just know I would not be able to go to Disney and not have a Mickey waffle.

Oh, that breakfast was so delicious and so fun! The waffles were good. It has been a LONG time (years) since I have eaten any regular bread products though, so I'm not sure whether they would taste as good to someone who was used to wheat. They were FAR better than the frozen toaster waffle at Akershus.

I've always read good things about Tusker house. Sounds like you are having an awesome AK morning!

We did have such a great morning - taking away some of the go-go-go stress really helped.

Very cute pics!

Thanks!

 

[RGirl]

Just wanted to say hi and Happy Halloween! I am SO far behind- I just read about your amazing dinner at Artist Point- such a nice restaurant, I really need to go back! Maybe next October!

ELLEN!!! Seeing your name pop up made me realize that I have not been over to your TR in ages! I am so sorry - I don't know what happened to my "subscription." I will get my booty over there tonight!

Willow took a very pretty picture of you, by the way.

Awww - thank you! And I'm going to have to say that, if that's the case, Willow must be a heck of a photographer! I felt like I was sweaty and gross during the entire WDW part of this trip

I will be back to catch up later tonight.....I hope!!

The TR will be here whenever you can get back.

Hi Roni & Willow, Family Day = I had no idea your beautiful little family was put together through Gods hands by adoption How wonderful

Hey Ruthie! Yes, I am very blessed to have the little family I have.

Tusker House so glad you experienced how fabulous it is Delicious food, servers wonderful character interaction five star (even though no Pluto) our experience too

Yep - we were thrilled with it! So much fun, and so much good food! Hmmm, it WOULD be better with Pluto though…….

When DH Fred was last home we had a very late breakfast/early lunch there...there's a term....... brunch right? but since they don't do brunch and my truck driver husband eats like; well a truck driver I almost fell out of my chair when he came back with plate # 6 ( ok maybe a slight exaggeration ..more like pate # 5 ) and he no longer had breakfast food but a totally different menu !!

I was so nervous we would be hit with another tab ! Thing is we were fine & hit it right at last service/first service a secret little perk ( not so secret anymore ) that I will keep in mind when making an ADR in the future If you think breakfast was great should try what we fell into the lunch menu was even better if that's possible

Ooooh - that sounds so fun!!! Hmmm, I may have to try to plan it just right - Willow loves breakfast food, and I prefer lunch food.

Your Tusker house breakfast sounds like lots of fun. Hooray for great chef and service! I like the breakfast a little later. I found for our family those way early ADRs just push us way to hard. A little later and we can all be a little more relaxed. An added bonus I noticed was that later in the breakfast time frame the restaurants were almost empty. When we went to 'Ohana we got so much attention because there was not many other families there. It made it so much fun!

You are a much smarter woman than I! I had to have that lesson positively beaten into my head this trip! I will definitely change the way I plan the next time we take a summer trip to WDW.

 

[RGirl]

A Little Regular Non-Disney Life Update

So I thought I would share a picture of Willow from yesterday - you know, Halloween!!! Before I do, let me tell you about Willow's costume. For months before Halloween, she assured me that she didn't need a costume because she was going to wear one of her (bazillion) Disney princess dresses. Although I was kind of sad about not making her a costume the first year that I actually have some ability to do such a thing, I was also kind of thrilled! Halloween was going to be EASY this year!!!

You know it didn't end there, right????



A week or two before Halloween, Willow and I were at Joann's picking up some sewing supplies, and Willow (as she likes to do) was perusing the pattern books. And she found this pattern that she just HAD to have for Halloween! Okay - that's still do-able. And then she said it was a fairy costume, so I figured it would be really do-able - I mean, there are a million simple fairy costumes out there.

You know it didn't end there, right???

Then, I looked at the pattern. This thing was crazy! It was the weirdest "fairy" costume ever! It was a satin underdress, a to-the-floor tulle skirt, and a lined brocade vest! REALLY? "Honey, are you sure THAT'S the costume you want?" Oh yeah - she was sure.

So, of course, I had to make it! Honestly, I am really enjoying the opportunity to hone my sewing skills, so it was good in that sense. But that vest was one of the most difficult things I have ever made - largely because it required a good amount of hand sewing, which I don't do.

Anyway, here it is!

​

In other news, I booked our resort for the little 7th-birthday get-away! We will be staying at the Disneyland Hotel!

 

[RGirl]

So We Love Animal Kingdom Now?​

So I need to explain that we have never been HUGE AK fans. We usually last about ½ a day there, get overheated and tired, and leave. And we don’t go back until the next trip. But we had had an amazingly fun morning! So we decided to kind of make a loop and just do what we thought looked good.

​

Willow’s first order of business was to get back to the gift shop at EE.

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There was something that she just HAD to have.

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She was (and still is) insane for this thing! She calls it “Fuzzy” and “Puffball.” It could not be confined to a bag!

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We decided to head to Dioland.

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Puffball Yeti was enjoying the journey.

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Triceratops Spin was down, but we spotted something else we needed to do.

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Nope, DD still isn’t tall enough for that one.

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Yep - characters, of course! And two of DD’s absolute favorites! We got in line, and the two canines soon had to leave for a drink of water, but they were back quickly. Willow had a blast with them!

Goofy was crazy for his autograph page! He was super-excited that I had gotten his clothes right.

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While he signed, DD and Pluto played catch with Puffball Yeti.

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Goofy’s page:

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And Pluto’s:

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Up Next: Some More Characters

 

[STLMickeyMom]

That joanns--its a dangerous place! i used to love to look at the pattern books too! I think Willows costume turned out super cute! Way to go with all the hand sewing! If it can't go in the sewing machine....well, I'll do it but I won't be happy about it!

How did you get Goofy's clothes right on his page?!?

I love how Willow's first item on the to do list was shopping! Smart girl!

 

[shan23877]

Love, love, love that fairy costume. You did an amazing job! She looked beautiful!

Hooray for liking AK! We still haven't gotten there yet, but maybe someday.

Puffball Yeti is adorable, I'm so glad that Willow treated herself to the Yeti as a souvenir from her first EE ride.

What's the height restriction of Primevil Whirl? As you know we've never even been to Dinoland so I haven't done the research on that.

How on earth did you know what Goofy was wearing at AK? I think that's my favorite page so far.

 

[Tiggerrn2]

Loved your late night DHS stay. Something how they left you all sitting in your elevator.

Thank goodness for a little sleep in time. Willow looked absolutely adorable in this little dress this morning.

Never tried Tusker House. I keep hearing such good things about it though, so it may need to be added to the list.

You had some great character time!

Congrats to Willow for being so brave and conquering Everest! DD loves that ride.

 

[dizneeat]

Now, how cute is that costume! You are one talented mommy!

The character pictures are so cute and I love how they interact, like Pluto playing catch with the "fuzzball yeti"

 

[lovelygirl1975]

That Halloween costume is amazing! As a person who's sewing ability is putting on a button, all I can say is Wow!!! Your relationship with your daughter has touched me as I have read your trip report. I just have to smile. I get so excited when people change their attitude about AK. DH and I love that park but, it took us until our second trip there to get it.

 

[RGirl]

That joanns--its a dangerous place! i used to love to look at the pattern books too! I think Willows costume turned out super cute! Way to go with all the hand sewing! If it can't go in the sewing machine....well, I'll do it but I won't be happy about it!

Thanks! I am the same way - I hate hand-sewing (and I'm terrible at it!). The entire waist part of the lining had to be hand-sewn together. It nearly killed me.

How did you get Goofy's clothes right on his page?!?

I'm going to chalk that up to the complete OCD insanity that overtook me during the course of my autograph-page-making odyssey.

I love how Willow's first item on the to do list was shopping! Smart girl!

The child does love to shop! She had seen that Puffball (well, a big wall of puffballs) earlier in the morning while we were waiting to get our pics added to PP+ - she was NOT going to leave the park without it!

Love, love, love that fairy costume. You did an amazing job! She looked beautiful!

Thank you! And thank you for listening to all my moaning and whining while trying to get it done!

Hooray for liking AK! We still haven't gotten there yet, but maybe someday.

Oh, we developed more than a "like" for AK this trip!

Puffball Yeti is adorable, I'm so glad that Willow treated herself to the Yeti as a souvenir from her first EE ride.

She was as excited about Puffball as she was about the ride, I think!

What's the height restriction of Primevil Whirl? As you know we've never even been to Dinoland so I haven't done the research on that.

You know, I think it's 48 inches!

How on earth did you know what Goofy was wearing at AK? I think that's my favorite page so far.

It's called OCD, my friend.

 

[RGirl]

Loved your late night DHS stay. Something how they left you all sitting in your elevator.

It was pretty freaky! Just knowing that we could NOT get out because we were strapped in was a little disconcerting! But it was a fun night nonetheless!

Thank goodness for a little sleep in time. Willow looked absolutely adorable in this little dress this morning.

Ah thanks! That is one of my favorites of the dresses I have made her. Cute and simple.

Never tried Tusker House. I keep hearing such good things about it though, so it may need to be added to the list.

I was never that fussed about trying it - not a huge AK fan, we do a ton of character meals anyway, etc. But I am SO glad that we did it!!! It was so much fun!! We will definitely return next time we go to WDW!

You had some great character time!

We definitely did - we enjoy the characters so much, it's awesome how much time and effort they put into each guest experience.

Congrats to Willow for being so brave and conquering Everest! DD loves that ride.

I think it someone told her that it was "brave," she would thing that was crazy! It never occurred to her to be nervous or afraid - she was just PSYCHED! That's how she has been about EVERY ride from the first time we went when she was three. The only issue she has ever had is being horribly disappointed when she was too short for something.

 

[Luvchefmic]

Ok I was holding my breath when I read " Heading over to Dinoland.....characters" Hmmm is THIS where Pluto is a THUG ?

nope still a sweet interaction playing catch with Puffy fuzzball ( although at first glance the picture looks like he is going to eat it ) I'm starting to think you made up this whole Pluto is a thug thing for a catchy title no way ever buying Pluto as a thug

Beautiful halloween fairy dress..you keep setting the bar higher & higher for yourself you do realize that

 

[dismagiclover]

I fell a bit behind. What a great Tusker House breakfast. I love the characters' outfits there. We're having dinner there at Christmas and I'm sad we won't see the characters.
That is a pretty impressive costume! Very sophisticated for a fairy.
I just started laughing when I saw the stuffed Yeti. We have one of those in our house. His name is Puff Puff and he is worse for the wear. Let me just say he has aged to more of a grayish tone. We're also kind of hit or miss with Animal Kingdom. It can be such a hot and crowded park, but this past trip we had some really good days there.

 

[Nora03]

Beautiful fairy costume Roni! I'm equally impressed with the handmade autograph book, designed especially for each character in their correct costume at every meeting! You are one dedicated Mom!

Was Willow able to trick or treat in the costume in your area? Where we live the kids have to wear their costumes over their snowsuits. I was pretty impressed with the caliber of costumes this year.

Loving your trip report and eagerly awaiting your cruise, although I see you have a ways to go.

Keep up the good work entertaining us!

Norah

 

[IheartDDuck]

Hahaha! 2 SC down, and 4,852,289 to go!

Um, that's weird. "Yes, we have mission's here, but don't get one here, go somewhere else!"

The boys were OBSESSED with Duffy in July. Like, legitimately obsessed. "When are we going to meet Duffy? When are we going to meet Duffy?" like all the time.

Ugh, I'm sorry about your FF reservation! We actually have one there in January. Never been before. I'll let you know if we fare better than you did. That stinks about the cake. What's the point of having the option to have the cakes delivered to restaurants if they're not going to follow through on them?

Nice going with your instincts with the line at ToT! When my BFF and I went a few years ago, she did not trust my instincts with the lines, but she did after our first experience of me saying "trust me, it's not that long already."

Wow, locked in on ToT! That definitely added to the experience for a lot of guests, I'm sure.

Whew, last minute save on getting that ADR changed.

I'm telling you, it's true. Worst case scenario when you have a headache, grab some coffee. Caffeine does wonders.

Joaquin had just become tall enough for Everest too! We were super stoked about that.

Your chef really did go all out spoiling you with gluten free treats. That's awesome!

Her costume definitely turned out beautiful! Yay on booking the Disneyland Hotel!

Awww, she got a puffy Yeti, giant, hugely fluffy friend of my little Yeti.

 

[RGirl]

Now, how cute is that costume! You are one talented mommy!

Ahhh - thanks! I am having a lot of fun with the whole sewing thing.

The character pictures are so cute and I love how they interact, like Pluto playing catch with the "fuzzball yeti"

I know! I thought that was so cute of Pluto! That little canine character meet is a great one.

That Halloween costume is amazing! As a person who's sewing ability is putting on a button, all I can say is Wow!!!

Thank you!!! It has been really fun to learn how to make all these things.

Your relationship with your daughter has touched me as I have read your trip report.

Oh, thank you so much! We have our struggles, but we have a lot of fun together.

I just have to smile. I get so excited when people change their attitude about AK. DH and I love that park but, it took us until our second trip there to get it.

We definitely enjoyed AK a LOT more on this trip than we ever have before. Part of it was being able to do EE, and I think part of it was taking a more laid-back approach on this day. Whatever it was - we had a blast!