Island Hopping: A Highly Inappropriate TR. (Boom.)-- Link to NEW TR! 10/8

[Fantasyland Mom]

Ah, one more thing...about her not noticing disabilities. It is really awesome how children just see the person and not their differences. My dd is 4 and in pre-k also, and to hear her describe her classmates is really interesting. She/we are white and one day she was comparing a boy that is black, but she said that he looked like her because they both have brown hair And she regularly talks about a girl named Fatima in her class and says she is her best friend. I had mentioned that to one of her teachers one day, and she told me that Fatima speaks NO English...yet she agreed that Adison (my dd) and Fatima had forged a bond despite their difference in language. I wish we all saw the world through preschoolers' eyes.

See, I just love that! She came home and told me all about her new best friend and how he has glasses like Julia and what they played. She talked about him all week. On Friday, I met him, and he has Downs. I know so many people who would have said, "That boy who has Downs," just like they talk about her as "That girl with Aspergers" or "That girl who is different." It would never cross her mind to see a person as anything but who they are in their souls.
Similar to your story, Brynn told me about playing with one little boy and how they used the play doctor kit and took turns, and I found out he's almost completely non-verbal, but he'll talk some to her. I think she helps him with talking, and he helps her with social skills.

Ugh, the flu, how miserable!! I'm glad you're all feeling better!!

I'm so happy to hear that Brynn is enjoying school! It sounds like a wonderful program for her!!

Hahaha yep, I can't be in the Confectionary for very long without buying candy either!! The smell of sugar is too much to resist!!! I've never had a cake pop, but I've heard that they're super-rich too.

Doesn't it smell wonderful!?! Those cake pops are rich and dense. I have to say that it wasn't my favorite thing ever, but my kids and husband like that sort of thing.

I am glad you're all feeling better!! The flu is horrid.

I'm glad Brynn loves school. You are so right about kids not noticing differences. My DS is in special ed and while people thought he would feel bad about it he is fine. Everyone is different, and he gets that. He'll even say sometimes that someone had trouble with work and he helped them, and they help him concentrate. He doesn't say it judging them, but in a "hey we all need help so we do it" kind of way.

I love the magical popcorn! I'm not a big popcorn person unless it's home, for some reason I always find it much saltier out. But Disney popcorn...I could have eaten the whole thing! We also found the pure sugar stands, and after 4 days my DH gave in. Not that I care really, but he had some stomach issues on the trip and I didn't want to add pure sugar to the mix...just in case. 7 days in Disney and he talks so fondly about that sugar.

Kids are wonderful and loving little beings! What I really love about Brynn's class is that they all have different diagnoses and different skills and deficits, so they're all helping each other in one way or another, whether they realize it at age four or not. They are friends because they are friends. Simple as that.
I'm telling you, it really is magical! I don't even get movie theater popcorn, but I can't resist this! I guess that sugar is magical to kids, too!

I sound like a broken record here, but beautiful photos!

We got sucked into the "build your own bag of M&Ms" more than once last trip. Hey, it's vacation!

Can't wait to hear about dinner-I'm guessing that it's Chef Mickey too.

I think that I'm going with the M&Ms next time! We did a lot of jellybeans last year. There's always something new to try!
(You might be right about that guess!)

 

[ronnmel]

I'm glad Brynn is enjoying school and making friends. It's really great how kids see others and the world sometimes!

Choosing a treat made of pure sugar, a girl after my own heart!

I'm also going to guess Chef Mickey!

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

I'm glad Brynn is enjoying school and making friends. It's really great how kids see others and the world sometimes!

Choosing a treat made of pure sugar, a girl after my own heart!

I'm also going to guess Chef Mickey!

Sugar AND food dye! Nothing better!

 

[marDgreen88]

Hope yall all got to feeling better! CONGRATS TO BRYNN! I'm so happy for her, that's so awesome.

That case of treats just looks... wow. Amazing. Yum. Want.

I'm sorry... you saw DOGS at Disney? That weren't Goofy or Pluto or Dug? That weren't guiding people about? What on earth. That's just silly.

CHEF MICKEY'S!!!!!

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

Hope yall all got to feeling better! CONGRATS TO BRYNN! I'm so happy for her, that's so awesome.

That case of treats just looks... wow. Amazing. Yum. Want.

I'm sorry... you saw DOGS at Disney? That weren't Goofy or Pluto or Dug? That weren't guiding people about? What on earth. That's just silly.

CHEF MICKEY'S!!!!!

Mmmmhmmmm. Dogs. And service dogs are usually marked, am I right? Plus, they were little yippy dogs. I know service dogs can serve a variety of purposes and come in a variety of breeds, but I seriously have my doubts.
thumbsup2)

 

[DVCWDWMEMBER]

Our Disney Target moment is when I put two of the kids in those buggies that fit two kids sitting side-by-side. As I push the cart, they pretend it's a ride, usually either Splash Mountain (where they scream about big hills loudly) or "it's a small world" (where they sing loudly). What is it about Target that brings out the Disney? I know their bathrooms smell like Disney bathrooms; maybe that's it!

I smiled when I read this. I love kids and their imaginations.

 

[Disney9.9.10]

Hi! Joining in late here. I haven't finished your TR, but I thought I'd comment anyway. You have a beautiful family, and your husband takes amazing pictures!! I also love your title - highly inappropriate *snicker*. Looking forward to reading the rest!

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

I smiled when I read this. I love kids and their imaginations.

Me, too. Makes me so happy!

Hi! Joining in late here. I haven't finished your TR, but I thought I'd comment anyway. You have a beautiful family, and your husband takes amazing pictures!! I also love your title - highly inappropriate *snicker*. Looking forward to reading the rest!

You're not late! We're still on the first day! ::
Thank you so much for your kind words! Glad you'll be here for more of our highly inappropriate shenanigans!

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

Two updates in one week?? Now thats something to be thankful for! Or maybe just amazed by...either one.

For those who guessed we were headed to Chef Mickey's, you were absolutely right! Readers of my past TR might recognize those shirts we're wearing. We made them last year for our Chef Mickey's experience, and somehow they still fit us.

We hopped in the van and drove over to the Contemporary Resort. At the guard shack, they took our ID and gave it a quick glance and we told them we were there for dinner. We were told to park anywhere, which is different than last year when they pointed to a specified area. Of course, Brandon being the oblivious driver he sometimes is, we parked at the first spot he saw, which was so far away from the CR that we might as well have been at MK. I grabbed our park bag, Brandon grabbed Sawyer (sans stroller, which was accidentally housing the earmuffs...foreshadowing), and the girls trailed along with me for the very long walk.

My bladder being as it is, the first stop was at the restrooms for me. Obviously. And I can report that CR restrooms are pretty nice as far as restrooms go. While I took care of business, the kids did this:

I love how they serve to establish just how huge that mural really is!

When I was finished, we got in line to check in for our 5:30 ADR. And what a line it was! Thankfully, the line for pictures with the Mickey statue was short and we managed a family shot with nearly everyone looking.

Four out of five ain't bad!

While we waited for our pager to buzz, the kids were already getting a little wild and antsy. It wasn't a good sign. They were excited. They were distracted. They were climbing. We broke out the pipe cleaners (chenille sticks for the PC-minded) and let them build animals. We sat in the floor and tried to contain our masses, and another little girl joined us for some animal-building fun before we were finally called to our table, at least thirty minutes late.

Strike one.

They led us to our table. We took a left, went all the way to the left, and were seated in a corner that ended up being the very front of the restaurant...does that make any sense? Most likely not. Anyway, we were stuck in a corner, and while it kind of made me mad that we were so closed in at the time (tables were all around us in an "L" formation, with us forming that corner), it may have been a blessing in disguise. But for now, it just felt claustrophobic.

Immediately, I ran (literally) to the bar to grab as much food as I could before a character showed up. I could tell they were coming fast and furious! As soon as I sat the food down, Mickey appeared. Brandon didn't even have time to adjust the settings on his camera, so some of the pictures look odd.

The girls whipped out their autograph book and started their hugging.

Please note that lady on the right. You'll hear about her in a second.

Brynn wanted to find his autograph, and Sawyer barely noticed he was there, because FOOD, people!

At that point, this early into the meal, Brynn started getting hyper. And when I say hyper, I mean capital H Y P E R. She normally stands on her knees to eat because it makes her feel more stable, but she was bouncing on them this day. She was poking her head under the table. She was giving Brandon really hard hugs. She was being extremely loud and laughing maniacally. She was overloaded.

When she started grabbing condiment holders and silverware, we had to move them.

So much for a nice decoration!

We knew she needed her earmuffs and to have a little time to herself to block out the sensory overload. Earmuffs...earmuffs...in the van, left hooked to the stroller we thought we wouldn't need. Parenting fail. We were stuck with this for the duration of the meal. It really did stink because it made us feel like we needed the meal to end really fast, meaning we couldn't enjoy it that much. However, that probably didn't matter that much, as the characters and staff at Chef Mickey's didn't seem to want anyone having a great experience anyway.

I grabbed more food for the kids, but none of them were eating. I understand that characters are distracting, but I think I pretty much paid for Julia to take this one bite of pizza.

Sawyer moved his plate and decided he was done. Wed been there ten minutes and Brandon and I hadnt even gotten a plate yet.

I knew I needed to get my food as quickly as possible, and I loaded up my plate with mac and cheese, Parmesan mashed potatoes, fish, Mickey ravioli, some sort of other pasta, bread, and roast beef. I was shoveling it in as my kids proceeded to get louder, whinier, and wilder.

And that lady next to us? She eyed us the whole time. She was prim and proper, keeping one hand in her lap while she slowly took bites and chewed carefully, and her children sat silently and behaved. Yeah, yeah, you've got perfect table manners and you look down on us for our unruly behavior, I get it. But I have to say that their whole family looked like they had no idea how to have fun at all. Ever. They were afraid of fun. Judge away, lady, but please try to keep your tsk-tsking quiet while I try to get a bite of broccoli.

Minnie showed up in the middle of our chaos. She quickly signed the autograph book and posed for a picture or two.

Note the full plates of food. Minnie never noticed Sawyer, and I think he realize it. He was mad. Minnie really gave the kids no interaction and was gone in a flash.

Brandon tried to go get a plate of food before anyone else showed up. They weren't staying for long at all, so we didn't want to miss the ten seconds they were there!

Pluto was up next, and he ignored Sawyer as well. I was getting pretty angry and trying to direct the characters to him. I told the girls to stand near their brother to guide them over his way. No use. They pretended he wasn't there. It was just so, so different than our perfect experience last year. Please go read about our wonderful CM time in my other TR if you don't remember. You'll see the huge difference and why I was so disappointed with this meal.

Strike two.

He was gone and Goofy waited behind him and bombarded the kids before they had a chance to sit back down.

Yep, Sawyer was there. Pass it on to the Fab Five, cause they had no idea.

**CONTINUED DIRECTLY BELOW! KEEP READING!**

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

**CONTINUED FROM ABOVE**

Donald is Sawyer’s favorite! He was next, and poor Sawyer was craning his neck and yelling Donald’s name!

This picture makes me so sad. Sawyer wanted to be over there so badly.

Back to the table, I was begging and pleading for the kids to eat, bribing them with ice cream promises. No go. They didn’t care. So I went to the dessert bar for myself.

I had to get oreo bon bons and a little cheesecake. YUM. The kids decided to steal Brandon’s desserts. Finally they were eating something! Victory! Sort of?? He made multiple trips, and each time they’d filch his goods. It was sort of comedic, which I needed at that moment. I was near tears from the sucky character interactions, the ignoring of the baby, and the insanity my kids were creating in our little corner of the restaurant.

And then Goofy came by AGAIN, for his second round, and FINALLY a character was ready to play!

I decided I’d get in some pictures this time around. And Brynn was getting really, really physical. Do characters understand when kids are this rough with their love? I dunno. But Goofy handled it well.

We were finished with our food, and honestly we just wanted to leave. The problem was that we hadn’t seen our server since she brought us our first drink and told us to go get food.

Strike three.

You’re out. The first dinner of the trip was pretty much a failure.

When Mickey came back around, I decided to physically force him to be near Sawyer.

And we sort of got a family picture.

He actually interacted with hyper Brynn while I stood nearby to help her calm down, and Julia took some pictures with her camera. Yay! An interaction! You’d think I paid for that or something!

Pluto came by after that, but we were just so very done that we didn’t even bother with pictures and waived him on.

We were sitting.

Our plates were stacked, our things were packed, and it was certainly obvious we were ready to leave.

But did our waitress notice? Heck, I guess not since she was never even on the floor! I had to ask someone else to go find her so we could leave.
When she came, she was all, “Is there anything else I can get you?”

Hmmm…well, it would have been nice if you’d been here the last hour and a half to ask that. Obviously not now. Except the check. NOW.

We paid for the meal using a meal credit and dragged our bouncing children out of there.

We knew what poor Brynn needed. Earmuffs. Sunglasses. Space to herself in her stroller. She calmed down immediately and all was well.

I do not want to be too harsh on Chef Mickey’s. Yes, the characters were definitely nowhere near what they were last year (I’m telling ya, go read the part in my last TR. You’ll see.). The food was good, though, and it’s not their fault that my child(ren) was overloaded and that no one ate.

Will we go back? Absolutely. We were all having an off day that meal. Plus, I can’t live without those parmesan mashed potatoes!

I didn’t think Brynn’s behavior boded well for the other multiple sit-down meals we had planned for the week, and I was a little scared. Was I right to be scared? You’ll find out.

But for now we were focused on something completely different. With Brynn now calm and the sun setting, we had one place on our mind…one place within walking distance…one show we knew we needed to see…

 

[ronnmel]

Oh man, what a let down! I went back to read your previous Chef mickey experience and it could not have been more different! Usually characters are so good with babies/younger kids, it's so weird that this time they just kept ignoring him.

 

[DVCWDWMEMBER]

So sorry to hear that your experience was so bad. I sure hope that it was the only one during this trip.

 

[katt789]

Aw man, that's too bad that your meal at CM's was such a GONG SHOW! I seriously noticed this trip that more and more servers on buffet meals were just completely disappearing, like they'd come once at the beginning to "explain" and get you one drink, and then you'd have to HUNT them down for a bill at the end. Maybe it's because they don't get great tips because they don't do much, so they don't care anymore? Ugh.

Characters that do that drive me insane, and I nearly teared up at the pic of Sawyer looking back at Donald, that makes my heart hurt! I hope the rest of the night turned out a little better!

 

[merbobear]

I don't want to be mean, but I kind of secretly hate those perfect parents with the perfect kids! Where did they come from, anyway? And what drugs did they feed their kids to get them to sit so still?

I am sad that you got bad character interactions! We have had great characters and we have had ok characters..none that were really bad, but some just less interactive than others (for example, we had a Tigger that bounced up and down with dd, because that's what Tiggers do best- it was awesome and a moment to remember. And we have had other characters that kind of stand next to you for the obligatory photo and autograph before they rush to the next family). I can see why they have to rush sometimes, their handlers are probably being pressured by servers that are making sure their table sees each character, the lines of families waiting to get in is growing longer, it's loud and hot. I'm sure it's not an easy job..but at the same time, we do pay a lot and have come to expect MAGIC when we are in WDW so it really stinks when a character is mediocre.

 

[GrimGrinningStitch]

I love the Contemporary mural so much! It never gets old.

What a disappointing experience! I hate it when you go someplace, have an amazing experience the first time, then you go back and things are just horrible all around. BLEH. At least your first experience there was so positive!

Next stop, Magic Kingdom! I feel like if you're at any of the Monorail loop hotels, you're kind of obligated to stop in.

P.S. we're really trying to plan a September trip for next year. We should know a lot more after our trip in January, but if we're able to work it out, you'll be the first person to know!

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

I'm sorry to hear that your Chef Mickey's experience was such a disappointment!! It really does make it feel even worse when you had such a great experience the time before!!

That totally stinks that the characters were passing by Sawyer - especially in that picture with Donald you can tell he's like "I'M HERE TOO!!!!" .

Hopefully the rest of your meals weren't like that!

 

[merbobear]

Oh, I wanted to also mention the waiting around for a table when you have an ADR...it's understandable to wait a few minutes for them to assign you a table, but a half hour is just way too long imo. I know I have seen people around the Dis saying "but it's not really a reservation,"...but it should be. It's called an ADR. R=Reservation. We waited about 45 mins past our ADR time at CRT for dinner and it really spoiled the entire experience, which is sad, because it should have been one of our best meals! We would have waited even longer, but I approached a CM about the situation. She was unsympathetic and I asked to speak to her supervisor, who found us a table right away.

We've also had adrs where we walk up and they seat us within seconds, I guess I just wish it were more consistent!

ETA: When I was looking at your pictures last night, dh noticed your kids on the benches under the mural and said "Hey, those are Adison's benches!" because she had performed the same little act on them earlier this year. I told him your kids were borrowing them for the night

 

[Disney9.9.10]

I'm sorry that your experience at Chef Mickey's wasn't great. We've noticed a decline in that restaurant since the days when I was a kid. We used to make a point of going there almost every trip and now we rarely go. It is really unfortunate.

 

[MagicShell]

I completely forgot that this was just your first day! But, yippee, that means there is a lot more left. Sorry you had a bad experience at Chef Mickey's. I can't believe the characters weren't giving attention to Sawyer. He is so cute, how could they resist?

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

Oh man, what a let down! I went back to read your previous Chef mickey experience and it could not have been more different! Usually characters are so good with babies/younger kids, it's so weird that this time they just kept ignoring him.

I know! I was shocked, and I just couldn't get them to pay attention no matter what! Such a difference from last year when they paid much more attention to him than the girls!

So sorry to hear that your experience was so bad. I sure hope that it was the only one during this trip.

Don't worry--we had many WONDERFUL character interactions this trip. This was just a bad night for all involved, and we shook it off quickly...even before we got to our evening destination!

Aw man, that's too bad that your meal at CM's was such a GONG SHOW! I seriously noticed this trip that more and more servers on buffet meals were just completely disappearing, like they'd come once at the beginning to "explain" and get you one drink, and then you'd have to HUNT them down for a bill at the end. Maybe it's because they don't get great tips because they don't do much, so they don't care anymore? Ugh.

Characters that do that drive me insane, and I nearly teared up at the pic of Sawyer looking back at Donald, that makes my heart hurt! I hope the rest of the night turned out a little better!

I noticed that in some of ours, and some were still great. Actually, some of the wonderful ones were at shocking places! More on that later!
That picture makes me cry. I try not to look at it, but I included it in the TR for the sake of honesty.

I don't want to be mean, but I kind of secretly hate those perfect parents with the perfect kids! Where did they come from, anyway? And what drugs did they feed their kids to get them to sit so still?

I am sad that you got bad character interactions! We have had great characters and we have had ok characters..none that were really bad, but some just less interactive than others (for example, we had a Tigger that bounced up and down with dd, because that's what Tiggers do best- it was awesome and a moment to remember. And we have had other characters that kind of stand next to you for the obligatory photo and autograph before they rush to the next family). I can see why they have to rush sometimes, their handlers are probably being pressured by servers that are making sure their table sees each character, the lines of families waiting to get in is growing longer, it's loud and hot. I'm sure it's not an easy job..but at the same time, we do pay a lot and have come to expect MAGIC when we are in WDW so it really stinks when a character is mediocre.

At first I was mad at the lady, and then I just felt sorry for all of them. THeir life must be so dull, and ours will never be!
I would have credited their quick trips with being rushed to turn over tables, but the restaurant was nowhere near full and had just opened. They really had no excuse. They weren't TERRIBLE, but they were just not really into it. Other characters made up for it this trip, though!

I love the Contemporary mural so much! It never gets old.

What a disappointing experience! I hate it when you go someplace, have an amazing experience the first time, then you go back and things are just horrible all around. BLEH. At least your first experience there was so positive!

Next stop, Magic Kingdom! I feel like if you're at any of the Monorail loop hotels, you're kind of obligated to stop in.

P.S. we're really trying to plan a September trip for next year. We should know a lot more after our trip in January, but if we're able to work it out, you'll be the first person to know!

I am anxiously waiting for confirmation!!
Because our first experience was so good and the food was still good this time, we will definitely be going back next trip. I know it CAN be a great place...it just wasn't this go-round.
We are totally headed to MK. Of course!

I'm sorry to hear that your Chef Mickey's experience was such a disappointment!! It really does make it feel even worse when you had such a great experience the time before!!

That totally stinks that the characters were passing by Sawyer - especially in that picture with Donald you can tell he's like "I'M HERE TOO!!!!" .

Hopefully the rest of your meals weren't like that!

Don't worry, they really weren't! This was just a fluke, promise. We had wonderful character interactions this trip, just not at this restaurant for some reason.

Oh, I wanted to also mention the waiting around for a table when you have an ADR...it's understandable to wait a few minutes for them to assign you a table, but a half hour is just way too long imo. I know I have seen people around the Dis saying "but it's not really a reservation,"...but it should be. It's called an ADR. R=Reservation. We waited about 45 mins past our ADR time at CRT for dinner and it really spoiled the entire experience, which is sad, because it should have been one of our best meals! We would have waited even longer, but I approached a CM about the situation. She was unsympathetic and I asked to speak to her supervisor, who found us a table right away.

We've also had adrs where we walk up and they seat us within seconds, I guess I just wish it were more consistent!

ETA: When I was looking at your pictures last night, dh noticed your kids on the benches under the mural and said "Hey, those are Adison's benches!" because she had performed the same little act on them earlier this year. I told him your kids were borrowing them for the night

I know. And they had JUST opened and the tables were empty and waiting. They were just slow seating people in the empty tables. That was a little hard to swallow.
They really aren't consistent. We waited for almost an hour past our ADR at CRT once, but then ended up getting an awesome seat, so it was worth it I guess?? And sometimes we were led straight to our tables without even a pager!
Sorry we borrowed your benches!

I'm sorry that your experience at Chef Mickey's wasn't great. We've noticed a decline in that restaurant since the days when I was a kid. We used to make a point of going there almost every trip and now we rarely go. It is really unfortunate.

I never went when I was little, so this is all new. Last year was great. This year, not so much. I hope it doesn't continue to go down hill. Despite the lack of interactions, my kids are already talking about going back next year; hopefully our experience will be better!

I completely forgot that this was just your first day! But, yippee, that means there is a lot more left. Sorry you had a bad experience at Chef Mickey's. I can't believe the characters weren't giving attention to Sawyer. He is so cute, how could they resist?

I KNOW! That's what I'm saying!!
I told you guys this TR would last forever! We have so many photos and stories that one day lasts for months around here!!