Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho. It's off to the Grand Floridian We Go! June 2014 (Update: Video)

[MarbleBob]

What a great shopping trip! You made quite a haul with all that adventureland / aloha shopping! Also, those pizzas look AHmazing; I need to make it to WPE on our next trip!

I actually was unaware you could walk from TTC to GF! I once walked from TTC to the Poly only, and got so lost, already in excruciating pain from my legs being so sore that I never want to make that walk ever again, no matter what.

Yeah, it was a pretty long walk to GF. We had walked from TTC to Poly before and didn't think it was bad. I'd probably take the boat to GF next time. I was already tired from all the waling around World Showcase at Epcot. Stephanie walks most every morning at home, so it didn't seem to phase her at all. I need to get back into the groove and start exercising again

 

[disney meema]

What a happy day for Pickle and she looks adorable : ) I can't wait until she sees herself and her reaction ... Just priceless! I hope she got her pictures taken as well, they do a great photo session at WDW. First time we went we took 3 granddaughters all 4 yrs olds at the time and they were all Snow White, second time at 5 yrs old all were Cinderella and then all 3 were 7 yrs old and all were Jasmine. They all loved the special attention, outfits and loved being able to take the make up home with them. When they were jasmine they totally had the bratz biggies hair lol yeah it was something!
Only 2 little ones left for us girl/boy twins 4 yrs old ... They used to do boys with lots of gel and a spray color, I hope they still do ... I know if his twin sister has a BBB package he will want to do something too.

Looking forward to pickles princes reveal and her sweet reaction : )

 

[KelleyK75]

What a wonderful start to Pickle's birthday! I don't have any girls to experience BBB but it looks so fun for little girls to get all dressed up.

 

[annegirl]

I can't wait to see her reaction! She looks adorable. I am with you on the princess bun. I have tried to mention to the girls that it is the best option. I am just not a huge fan of the other hairstyles they offer.
I love all the pictures in front of the castle! Such a cute family!

 

[JAMIESMITH]

Come on, hurry up! I want to see her reaction!

 

[MarbleBob]

What a happy day for Pickle and she looks adorable : ) I can't wait until she sees herself and her reaction ... Just priceless! I hope she got her pictures taken as well, they do a great photo session at WDW. First time we went we took 3 granddaughters all 4 yrs olds at the time and they were all Snow White, second time at 5 yrs old all were Cinderella and then all 3 were 7 yrs old and all were Jasmine. They all loved the special attention, outfits and loved being able to take the make up home with them. When they were jasmine they totally had the bratz biggies hair lol yeah it was something!
Only 2 little ones left for us girl/boy twins 4 yrs old ... They used to do boys with lots of gel and a spray color, I hope they still do ... I know if his twin sister has a BBB package he will want to do something too.

Looking forward to pickles princes reveal and her sweet reaction : )

That's a need story about your older granddaughters! How exciting for the two littlest grandkids. Luckily, they still do the boy package too

What a wonderful start to Pickle's birthday! I don't have any girls to experience BBB but it looks so fun for little girls to get all dressed up.

Yes, it was fun atmosphere. It sort of reminding me of the scene in the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy and friends get the royal treatment in Emerald City. Even if you don't have a girl of you own, it would probably be fun to peak inside and watch the little girls being done up for a minute or two.

I can't wait to see her reaction! She looks adorable. I am with you on the princess bun. I have tried to mention to the girls that it is the best option. I am just not a huge fan of the other hairstyles they offer.
I love all the pictures in front of the castle! Such a cute family!

I'm glad that I'm not the only one feeling that way about the hairstyles

Come on, hurry up! I want to see her reaction!

OK, OK. The post will be up in a couple minutes

 

[MarbleBob]

Day 7 - Monday the 9th - Part 2 - Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique Reveal and Photos!

OK. Sorry to leave you with a cliff hanger

They held up the mirror and Pickle started smiling from ear to ear.





Pickle is out of focus on this next photo, but notice the hidden Mickey that they added behind the bun? Nice touch!!



So she was thrilled. She kept on smiling and looking in the mirror, and touching the bun on top of her head. So sweet and precious. Definitely a highlight of the trip!

Then we walked up front to check out. Margarita gave her a backpack full of more goodies (including the makeup kit that they used on her.) Cool!



A photo of the two of them together, showing off their dresses...



And then a hug before moving on



A couple photos outside and then we went to get her portraits done at the royal photo studio.





The portrait studio was pretty cool. The photographer was super nice, but I laughed to myself. If you've ever seen Napoleon Dynamite and remember when Kip and Uncle Rico went over to Deb's for their portraits... Our photographer had the same mannerisms and calming tone of voice that Deb used on Uncle Rico. Hahaha!









We had to have Princess get a couple photos too. Since she was wearing a tiara and all... She was reluctant, but humored us anyway. We are blessed to have such beautiful daughters



After the photo session, we stepped outside. They still hadn't had the rope drop yet. The crowd was mostly behind the castle entrance still. But a small group of people (probably those who also did the boutique or possibly finished breakfast in the Castle) were lined up behind the carousel. So they actually did two rope drops. One to get these people out of the way.



And then a second drop to get the major crowd going. They walked the rope in front of everyone to keep them from stampeding. I think they had them all go to the left, and then the Anna & Elsa people circled back to the right. There were a LOT of ancy people in that crowd!!!



We had about 10 minutes before our ADR at Cindy's so we decided to avoid the crowd and zip over to Peter Pan real quick.

Cool! We were the first riders of the day!!!



I love my awesome wife.



And a second later, I got a forceful, "Sir, please be seated!" Oops!

We all love Peter Pan. Truly a classic!

We still have a few minutes. How about a ride on the carousel? Pickle was excited about that!





My mom had waited at Cindy's to greet the rest our party and get checked in. We expected to see everyone when we got back. Guess what?!?! They had monorail troubles and were running late. Go figure!!!

The girls and I decided to explore while we waited....





Princess sure is a sweet big sister



We walked back to the front of the castle. Pickle was all photo'ed out at this point, but Princess humored me.

 

[MarbleBob]

As we passed through the castle, the Fairy Godmother stepped out from behind, grabbed pickles hand, and led her around the corner.



She spent a few minutes chatting with the girls. Such a sweet cast member!!





She signed Pickle's birthday pillow.



And then gave Fairy Godmother hugs.





What a magical start to a birthday in the Magic Kingdom! Sort of a blessing in disguise that we weren't ready to head inside for breakfast just yet. Luckily the crew showed up a few minutes later and then we were ready to head inside.




.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

oh wow - Pickle was absolutely beaming that entire update!

I've been feeling the same way as you - want to avoid anything Honey Boo-Booish - definitely think the Princess Bun is the best of the options

love getting to be on Main St without the crowds!

 

[KelleyK75]

Pickle looks beautiful. They did a great job, and the photos are great. How fun being the first riders on Peter Pan and getting to jump on the carousel too. I love that the Fairy Godmother was there and it looks like a great interaction between her and the girls.

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

What an awesome start to a birthday, and she's got the whole day ahead of her! My girls are 18 and 22 and when they were little you didn't see girls dressing up as the princesses in the parks. They missed out but rest assured when I have granddaughters one day we'll make up for it.

 

[JAMIESMITH]

Pickle looks just gorgeous! That was such a magical moment with Cinderella's Fairy Godmother!

 

[MidnightParade]

Loved your trip around World Showcase!Its really the best place on Disney property to wander I think! Do they ever have "blue" at Kakigori though? I thought I remembered they had and "blue" flavor is my favorite. lol!

I keep hearing such wondergul things about Wolfgangs quick service, it might have to win out over Earl on our next trip now!

What an awesome birthday! And its only 9am!! Good to hear that everyone was happy with BBB! lol, Honey ****oo!

What an awesome time with Fairy Godmother! I'm a little shy with face characters but she's one I would have no issues with!!

Can't wait to see how the rest of the day turns out!

 

[FancyNancy]

Oh my goodness. First off, Pickle is beautiful but after her BBB makeover she was just stunning. She really looked like a true princess. I loved the mirror shot that showed Princess gasping and truly enjoying the moment her little sister seeing herself all done up for the first time!

 

[MarbleBob]

oh wow - Pickle was absolutely beaming that entire update!

I've been feeling the same way as you - want to avoid anything Honey Boo-Booish - definitely think the Princess Bun is the best of the options

love getting to be on Main St without the crowds!

Yeah, Main St before the crowds is truly special. We were there even earlier for the train tour a couple days later, and they wouldn't let us take photos because there were a couple service vehicles still out. It was the most empty I've ever seen

Pickle looks beautiful. They did a great job, and the photos are great. How fun being the first riders on Peter Pan and getting to jump on the carousel too. I love that the Fairy Godmother was there and it looks like a great interaction between her and the girls.

Thanks! Yeah, it was pretty cool being first for Peter Pan. That was a first for us

What an awesome start to a birthday, and she's got the whole day ahead of her! My girls are 18 and 22 and when they were little you didn't see girls dressing up as the princesses in the parks. They missed out but rest assured when I have granddaughters one day we'll make up for it.

Yeah, I'm not sure when it became popular, but Princess is now 14 and we dressed here up when she was 3. She wasn't the only one dressed up, but there weren't a whole lot of others wearing princess dresses at the time. She got a a lot of attention from it.

Pickle looks just gorgeous! That was such a magical moment with Cinderella's Fairy Godmother!

Thanks!!! We thought so too

Loved your trip around World Showcase!Its really the best place on Disney property to wander I think! Do they ever have "blue" at Kakigori though? I thought I remembered they had and "blue" flavor is my favorite. lol!

I keep hearing such wondergul things about Wolfgangs quick service, it might have to win out over Earl on our next trip now!

What an awesome birthday! And its only 9am!! Good to hear that everyone was happy with BBB! lol, Honey ****oo!

What an awesome time with Fairy Godmother! I'm a little shy with face characters but she's one I would have no issues with!!

Can't wait to see how the rest of the day turns out!

I agree about "blue" being a great flavor, but I don't recall them ever having a blue kaki gori before. Yes, Wolfgang pucks is a great QS option, especially if you like wood fired pizza.

Oh my goodness. First off, Pickle is beautiful but after her BBB makeover she was just stunning. She really looked like a true princess. I loved the mirror shot that showed Princess gasping and truly enjoying the moment her little sister seeing herself all done up for the first time!

Thanks FancyNancy. I agree, that mirror shot is indeed pretty cool!

 

[MarbleBob]

Day 7 - Monday the 9th - Part 3 - Cinderella's Royal Table

After we spent a few minutes with the Fairy Godmother, we headed back to the check-in area to wait for everyone.



And a couple of minutes later, the group arrived.

Good morning Papa!



Chip and Dale ready to take on the day!





And Baby too! So sweet and precious.



Hi Buddy!



I took a bunch of photos while we got checked in and ready to go inside. I think my dad had enough and decided to put on his goofy faces



We turned the corner and met Cinderalla before going upstairs for breakfast.

Pickle spent some one on one time with her first, and then we got some group photos.



Here's everyone, except for Randy and Huey. (They passed on breakfast.)



Denise and Steve's gang...



Cassie and boys...



And then the birthday girl and family.



And before we left...



Hey look... Cinderella is a fellow lefty

All right everybody ready to go up and eat?!?!?!

So we headed up the spiral staircase.



This was our fourth visit to Cinderalla's Royal Table, but no less exciting that the others. I love walking up the spiral staircase and then seeing the dining room when you reach the top. It's truly an amazing place!!!



Don't forget to look up!



OK. Let's be seated



We were seated on the upper level all the way back towards the corner. Not bad.

Hmm... let's check out our options...



Love the cover of the menu.





Most of us went with the Traditional Breakfast (scrambled egg, sausage, bacon, and potatoes.) My dad added a beef tenderloin al-la-cart.

They brought out pastry plates almost immediately.



We dove in sharing different ones so that we could get a taste of each. They were all yummy, but Stephanie and I both agreed that the apple fritter (or whatever it's called) was the best. It's at about position 7:30 if you imagine the plate above being a clock.

Hello to the big kids

 

[MarbleBob]

The princesses began arriving before our food arrived.

I went over to Aunt Denise's table to grab a few photos.



Why is Chip hiding? Um, I think he was a little shy...



They weren't too excited to meet Princess Aurora, but by the time Snow White arrived, they had warmed up quite a bit.



Pickle on the other hand wasn't shy at all



She signed the pillow too



And here's Snow White!

[

She's always been my mom's favorite princess



And then Arial came by



Of course, I had to get them all to sign my cast too



And a few minutes later, the food came out!



This is pretty much the standard Disney restaurant breakfast faire. Nothing spectacular or more amazing than the other restaurants, but still VERY tasty. At least for breakfast, you are coming here for the atmosphere, which on the other hand, doesn't compare to anywhere else at WDW!!!! (Even Be our Guest, in my opinion, isn't nearly as cool.)

My dad's tenderloin. He said it was pretty good!



And the kids plates with french toast sticks looked like this.



A few minutes later, they brought out a special birthday dessert for Pickle. Cool!!!!

[

A white chocolate slipper filled with chocolate mousse! Yum!

[

A few minutes later, she opened a few presents from the extended family.





She was blessed to have such generous relatives! :little angel:

Such an appropriate birthday card from my parents



A few minutes later, it was about time to go. Had to grab a photo of Denise's gang before we all headed downstairs.





Goodbye Cindy!!! Until we meet again

So this birthday is really starting off great!!! This was our first meal with nearly the entire group all sitting together. It was fun spending time with everyone and the princesses were great. I really like Snow White in general, but Ariel was really fun this time. She was great with Pickle and she was sympathetic to my "injured flipper". Another highlight of the trip!

 

[MidnightParade]

Buahaha! DBF and I have this ongoing....joke? thing? Where we point out anytime someone on tv or movies is left handed. I had to tell him/show him Cindy!

Hmm...every TR I read at a Princess meal, Ariel is by far the best or favorite interaction. It's a trend I can't help but pay attention and look for now!

Wow! I forgot what a big group you had! And the picture was two people short!!

 

[annegirl]

I really enjoyed CRT. It really is so beautiful in there! Pickle looks so beautiful. Did you order the glass slipper dessert or was that a surprise from Disney for her birthday?

 

[annie170]

Your daughter looks so sweet! Such wonderful memories for her! I'm glad you had a great time at Cinderella's Castle.