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

[Fantasyland Mom]

Yes!! That's it. It's so hard because they really are trying their best. Sarah even says to me, "Mom, I am trying but I can't make my brain listen to me". Breaks my heart...makes me mad..and all that wrapped in one. Anyone who has never had to deal with it just can not understand... I'm sure I was a judger too back in the day before I knew better. She's in mainstream school and it's so, so hard for me to watch her struggle there.... I just want everyone to know MY Sarah. The sweet girl who I love with all my heart... and see past what she really can not control....

And I was very, very happy to stumble on your trip report. I also have not met anyone with a girl who struggles with these issues.....



We tried this with Sarah as well. It did not go so well because have I mentioned she has control issues?! She was not so happy to 'do what she was told' Apparently she just wanted to ride free with the horses and so be it...it turned into a battle with us & I decided to table it till she was older (we tried when she was around 6). We were just talking about this recently- putting her back it. Our insurance also will not cover & it's wicked expensive.

We got a new OT eval for Brynn yesterday, and are doing a PT one Thursday. I gave up on the school system . Hippotherapy it is not, but she needs it so desperately! And they totally told me that she is just like you said--she knows things and can tell her body to do them, but it won't.

Sorry to hear it's so expensive :-(. I have no real idea of the cost, but I do know that something like 90% of our riders are on financial aid/scholarship. Tinker326 I've worked with a rider with control issues, I applaud your decision. For our rider, we now use a "3 strikes" rule, either positive or negative. Some days, if we can tell when she comes in it's going to be difficult, we have whiteboard with three squares, and each time she argues or does something inappropriate, she gets a check. 3 checks, and she dismounts and the lesson is over. On other days, if she does 3 things correctly, at the end of her lesson she gets a sticker. It's been a HUGE help. But, of course, all instructors teach differently, and every rider is different. If y'all are ever up in Greenville, NC, I'll show you Rocking Horse Ranch!

A mom can dream! I asked about financial aid with everyone I contacted, but to no avail . I'll keep trying, and if I ever end up in NC, we're coming your way!

than yes w are in Canada, I am visiting te states in April and June so I can buy online and ship. Downfall is warranty will prob be void. But noting ever happens in te first year. Brands,art I could order online but the price there was high too so I'll keep looking.
Thanks!

KEEP LOOKING! You'll love it, or something similar.

Yay for a jam-packed day at DHS! That's good that you ended up getting a car at Sci-Fi, how weird that they wanted to bump you to a table after only 10 minutes!

Too funny about meeting the other Julia and Brynn!!

I know! I thought they give you fifteen minutes anyway as a rule for all restaurants?? Hmmmm...

Toy Story Mania is ALWAYS busy, even on the slow days! It's just annoying. I'm glad it isn't my favorite ride in the world because it's near impossible to get on unless you are equipped with some FPs!

I've never watched the Voyage show, but I've heard the same thing you said about there being some large gaps in it, haha. That being said, it seems like the kiddos loved it!

Your children are little pirates, hoarding those Dubloons! Mwahaha.

HS is very photogenic, but it's not my favorite park. In fact, I'd rank it at the bottom at number 5 (only above California Adventure) for Disney parks. I think I can blame that in part due to Brazilian Tour Groups ALWAYS being there every day when we are in Disney. EVERY. DAY.

OMGOMG.. I was literally DYING over here at the look on Julia's face where she's riding the Speeder Bike! SHE IS SO SERIOUS in that photo about cruising along.

Sci-Fi Dine-In looks pretty fun! I am not such a fan of Crabby Cathys in Disney World who tell you that your family won't get a car. Gaaahd.

That's so weird about meeting another Brynn and Julia. The odds are not very high! Haha.

I enjoy Julia's logic for Toy Story!

Listen, Star Wars is serious business, Dani. Serious.
DHS is probably my bottom park, too. It used to be AK, but my love is growing. I am not sure why Brandon loves it so much? It has to be for the photos, because he doesn't even seem like he's having a blast while we're there...he just looks at the photos and THINKS he did!! LOL!

Studios isn't my favorite park either... I like it... just don't love it... not sure... something about the layout...? (hope they bring Carsland... it would give it a boost...

Sigh... not to jump on the ASD band wagon... but I'm feeling a teeny bit cranky... I don't like to feel like I'm being judged either... and I really detest people who think that it's not ok to be a little bit "eccentric" for lack of a better word but it's ok to be a jerk or smartas* ... DS is super smart... he's gifted but he's socially immature... not rude or oppositional just sensitive and kind of into his own world at times... which is not always the cool "tween" world... (He doesn't have a lot of sensory issues... but he's not great at reading social cues & he's kind of ADD to boot...) The thing is he's a really cool kid... just not the way most 10/11 years olds think of "cool" oh... sorry I'm on a tangent... little headache... bad afternoon... Anyway I think there are more girls on the spectrum than are diagnosed (definitely & significantly less than boys... but they are often a lot harder to diagnose ... and it can look different in girls as well...

Love Star Wars... (we have a photo like that too... I think it's a rite of passage...

Love the Muppets too... wish they'd make a comeback...

I'm really happy that Drill Sergeant CM at the Sci Fi was in fact wrong and you got a car... (that's the whole point of a drive in...) WE actually really enjoy it in there... have to try the Rueben... but the burgers are pretty decent and the milkshakes are awesome... Don't know why it gets such bad reviews... the clips are a hoot...

Brynn is very much like that. Attention problems, social misreads, plus some sensory stuff. I sort of dread the tween years. Right now, I love that she has no idea if someone is judging her and doesn't care anyway. I hope that continues...but it doesn't stop me from wanting to beat up anyone who looks at her wrong!

The LM ride queue definitely has a way of making you feel boxed in and it is laughable how they turn the movie into a 17 minute show I still love it though.

I can't blame your kids here. I have trouble sitting still for too long too. Although of all places to let loose, I think the Disney Jr show is pretty appropriate!

Finding sisters named Brynn and Julia is so cool. And so coincidental.

Well I sure hope the girl at Sci-Fi felt like an idiot when you got a car anyway. Although, maybe to be fair, that's some strange "rule" at the restaurant? And she chose to just read straight from the "rule book" instead of realize, "Oh hey the restaurant's empty. Let's be nice and let them sit wherever..."

I live my life on the rule that there's always room for ice cream. I've employed it a countless number of time. The most recent being 2 days ago.

Another fantastic update despite all the rain! I hope the skies cleared for you later on!

I thought the rule was fifteen minutes, but maybe we had different clocks?? Not sure. And I don't think she realized where the lady was sitting us, at least not until after we were seated. I smiled really big at her when we were leaving, though !

I stopped back in to say, I just showed DBF your trip video and his response was "ah this video is amazing! Why don't we have kids so we can make one like it?"

Hm. I don't know. Maybe because we need to work on an engagement first? Hahahaha I died a little though! Just wanted to share!

HAHAHAHA! Get busy, people!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am having a fantastic time so far on your amazing journey, and your video was beautiful... it may have sparked a tear or 2 as I get more excited for our own trip in September. I am looking forward to tagging along for the rest of your trip!

THANK YOU SO MUCH

I have to admit that I don't know much about GAC cards, because we have never had a need to use one, so this question might be dumb/ignorant - Why did they have the entire GAC line wait until the guest who couldn't transfer got to the special car? Wouldn't it make more sense to have a wheelchair waiting spot and then have the other guests with GAC go past them until the special car came around, and then it would be the non-transferring guest's turn? It just seems like it would expedite the entire process as well as decrease the chance that the non-transferring guest is sitting there feeling guilty for "making" everyone wait behind them. (not that they should feel guilty, but you know..human nature).

Anyway, that stinks about the ill fitting rain cover. I know a lot of companies make all purpose rain covers that supposedly fit all universally (or more like one style fits "all" joggers, one fits "all double umbrellas" etc). They honestly never fit! There just is no way that a cover is going to fit on all the different brands because they are all built so differently (I work in a baby store and my former position was store trainer, so I have spend a ridiculous amount of time learning about different products and teaching the staff about them. it's *highly inappropriate* how much room in my brain is taken up by baby product knowledge hehe).

I love Julia's logic about winning. I try to convince my dd that she hasn't lost, she just won second (or third...) place! If she doesn't WIN...watch out!

Hmmm, that does make a lot of sense! Not sure why they don't do that. Maybe it makes TOO much sense .
Yeah, this was definitely not a universal one. It was something about the bars on the handles. The cover we have for the umbrella stroller is a universal one, but really there aren't *that* many styles an umbrella stroller can be. Doubles? A million ways.

Hi there! I'm joining in after seeing you over on Dani's TR. Any friend of hers is a friend of mine! I've slowly caught up on your TR over the past couple of days and I am loving it so far! Your kids are adorable and I love your sense of humor. You've definitely convinced me that Hollywood and Vine should be on our list for the next family trip! My daughter just turned 4 and loves some Disney Jr.
Can't wait to read more!

WOOHOO! Dani is my main girl!
H&V 4EVER! Okay, not really. Maybe two more years, and then I may be finally done with those characters. But those grits! Oh, the conundrum!

Hey girl!!!

You want to guess what I had for breakfast this morning??

Yep....cookies!! Savannah Smiles if you will!

You are awesome!!!

YOU are awesome!! Glad you enjoyed them! And they are totally appropriate for breakfast, cause, ya know...lemon is a fruit...

Ha ha I love this!!! I tried to get Hollie and Hannah both on it when we were there but the line to get on it was a little bit long.

I love her face in these!!
You'll have to get them on there next time. We've tried in the past and the line was long, but lucked up this time


OKAY, GUYS! I'm working on an update RIGHT NOW and will hopefully have it posted today/tonight! Thanks for hanging in there with me...if you're still there...::crickets chirping::

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

I WILL MAKE THIS ABSENCE UP TO YOU! I'm not sure how. But for now, I'm going to type until my fingers hurt and beg your forgiveness.

Finally it was time to use our Star Tours Fastpasses! For some reason, Brynn didn't want to go on the ride, so Julia and I went together while she and Sawyer stayed with Brandon.

I know we had fun, of course, and I know we went to Coruscant and Leia talked to us. I always wish I could ride this more! I love it! And lucky Julia gets to ride it twice because of Rider Swap!

While Julia and I were riding, the others did this:

This illustrates why these two cannot be in the same stroller, though they had to be for logistics purposes while it was just Brandon watching them. Can you feel the love??

So much for a sweet sibling picture.

Brandon did a little photo walk before heading over to one of our favorite places...

They were going to the Muppets fountain, of course!

Brynn decided to use Julia's camera since she wasn't there to tell her no.

Mickey ears!

Apparently they threw lots of coins in, and Sawyer slept pretty much the whole time.

When Julia and I returned, Brandon and Julia went off to ride Star Tours while I took the sleeping Sawyer and bouncing Brynn into the Muppets store. We shopped For. E. Ver. Brynn picked a Rapunzel figure set (which she promptly lost parts of before we left the park that day), and she picked an "it's a small world" book "FOR SAWYER." Rrrrrrright.

We peeked out the door out into the misting rain, awaiting Julia and Brandon to make an appearance so Julia could choose her gift, but they just never came. Brynn couldn't wait to break into her new prize, so we went ahead and paid so she could do just that. I didn't want to leave the cover of the store, so we hovered around the door. What was taking them so long!?!?
Julia needed THIS.

And when Julia's shopping, it takes an eternity of choosing between every little product.

Since she'd already gotten a prize, we headed out into the rain with both girls talking non-stop about Star Wars...and calling R2D2 "MP3O!" Close enough.

What do you do when you aren't sure where you're going next? Why, poncho photo shoot, of course!

We were considering switching off to do RNRC, but went back and forth about it. Over the loudspeaker, they announced that it was five minutes until parade time, and we'd never seen this one before! We decided that would be as good a move as any and parked ourselves on the side of the street. Five minutes later, an announcement came on saying the parade would be delayed. It was looking kind of like this, so I understand.

Sigh. Of course, that woke up Sawyer, and he does NOT wake up in a good mood. He had been startled awake and was screaming for his Mama! I picked him up, and he would not be set down for anything. Since we weren't sure if the parade was happening, and since I didn't want to carry him for eternity, we went to the nearest ride...The Great Movie Ride.

A fifteen minute wait was posted, but it is so beautiful in here that we didn't mind.

I'm a BIG fan of Queen Elizabeth I AND Judi Dench, so this dress made me a little excited!

You can see pitiful Sawyer in that one! He wanted to go back to sleep so badly and just couldn't!

We made it through the line, and Sawyer had calmed down. It was a bit crowded near the entrance to the actual ride vehicles. We finally made it alllllllll the way to being the next person in line, and then.......Brynn had to potty. Seriously. And she JUST COULD NOT WAIT, MOM!!!!

Luckily, a CM took pity on us, let us out a side door, and told us to come back in through that same side door and back to the front of the line when we were done.

It was still raining as we dashed to the restrooms and dashed back to the door, but somehow the parade was going on after all. And that was the little bit of the parade we got to see. Maybe next time.

Back through the side door we went, and back to being at the front of the line. The guy working the door asked us if we were okay with being in row 1...uhm, yes??

CONTINUED DIRECTLY BELOW!

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

*CONTINUED FROM JUST ABOVE!*

Andrea was our guide, and she loved to pose for the camera and crack jokes with us (not into the microphone--just to us!).

And awaaaaay we go!

We're good here. Mary Poppins! Yay! That's fun!

And of course we got the gangster scene, because I sort of believe the cowboy scene doesn't exist.

I knew enough to cover Brynn's ears. Julia covered her own. Sawyer didn't give a darn. He was still dazed from just having woken up. Brandon caught the gunfire mid-shot!

From that point on, the kids didn't trust this ride. Did I mention it was their first time??

The Alien part came, and they hated me even more for allowing them to convince me to take them on this ride. I told them there were scary parts! They wouldn't listen! In all honesty, even I don't look up during this scene!

We turned the corner, and it was the moment they had been waiting for, the entire reason they wanted to ride GMR in the first place...The Wizard of Oz!

They were so, so happy to be in Oz! And they were also happy that Andrea was back with us instead of that gangster.

We'll just pretend that witch part didn't happen...

Now they could say they conquered the ride! HOORAY! It is to be determined if they'll do it again next year, but they were big and brave this time, and they won't let us forget it.

The rain was POURING at this point. It was coming off the roofs in sheets, and our rain cover for the double stroller didn't fit properly, if you'll remember. I pulled out some of the plastic clothespins I keep in my Disney bag (what, you don't!?!) and tried to clip it ito place as best I could.
We were pretty much done with the park anyway, except for one thing...
We don't leave without Rock-n-Rollercoaster! We decided the best course of action would be to take the kids to the baby care center where they could watch some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Jake and the Neverland Pirates, have a snack, potty/diaper, and most importantly, KEEP DRY. Brandon dashed off to RNR first and came back really quickly!

My turn came, and the line had grown, unfortunately. I did the single rider line, and it felt really odd to be alone. I'm not used to that at all!

While I waited, some CMs were having lots of fun on the job, joking into the microphone and conversing with guests. I think this ride, since it's "rockin'" and all, gives them a little more flexibility to be wild and funny. I enjoyed their antics, and soon it was time for a limo ride courtesy of Aerosmith.

Rockin'.

As I made my way back to the family, a poor CM was literally squeegee-ing the walkway. There was that much standing water! It was definitely time to go, but I was just happy we had finished all we needed to do, and since it was raining hard, I didn't have to fend off Brandon trying to convince us to do Tower of Terror. Hehe! Thanks, rain!

We arrived back to CBR a little damp only to find that they had not fixed our toilet (did I mention that before? It was definitely stopped up and all sorts of nasty things that didn't belong to us were coming up through it...disgusting). We figured that mousekeeping could not miss this huge issue--it was VERY apparent, not to go into too much detail--and they'd call maintenance or fix it themselves. They just didn't clean the toilet area at all instead.

NOPE.

We called maintenance. Within a few moments, a guy came and realized that this was no small feat. He left again and came back with a huge contraption that finally fixed it. He then called mousekeeping and told them to come clean our bathroom, which they did. We left the door open to get some fresh air in there and let out the...ahem...smell.

Once that problem was solved, it was time to tackle another issue: the rain cover. Obviously this was going to be a damp week, and I couldn't keep this ill-fitting cover that was leaking all over my kids.

Luckily, we rented from Kingdom Strollers, and they have live chat on their site! I chatted with the owner for a while (funny guy, if not a little too sarcastic) and he told me to take the cover to bell services and tell them to put the company name on it, and then go by there in the morning and grab the correct one that he'd leave first thing. Quick fix!

We toweled off and decided we were getting a little hungry now that the smell in the room was discipating. Off to OPR we went!

In the van.

Cause that room location sucked.

We found a table and I set all kids up with their mugs, their dad, and a view of a TV playing Disney Channel.

I suddenly had a burst of genius and decided to use the stroller to transport our food from the counter to the table. BRILLIANT!!

I had to travel to several counters, as our big family can't decide on one style of food. It took quite a while, and by the time I was back, our wild kids had already spilled two drinks and were being loud.

People love us.

Brandon had the jerk chicken sandwich with fries, which is a CBR specialty. He loved it and ate the whole thing. I had the baked ziti with sausage...well, I had the baked ziti, and Brynn ate the sausage off it. That kid can't get enough of the stuff! She hid a package of it this week so no one else in the house could eat it. That was tons of fun.

The kids split two kids pepperoni pizzas, cookie, grapes (several packages), and an Uncrustable.

I have no idea if they ate or not, but I do remember that it was absolutely FREEZING in here! And since we were still damp, it didn't help things. Look at the windows in the pics; they are all foggy from it being so warm and humid outside and so freezing inside!

With full bellies, it was time to head to one of our favorite activities--the arcade, Goombay Games, using the free voucher that comes with a package!
We usually don't buy more credits, but this year Brynn was really into playing, so we did buy five more dollars worth. It was a fun evening!

The thing about using the free voucher is that you get no tickets, meaning you get no arcade prizes. To make up for that, we have a tradition of letting our kids believe their arcade prizes are picked at the gift shop! So for their "prizes," Julia got one of those pens like when we were little that had all the different colors you can press down and she got a snowglobe for her collection, Brynn got Lion King figure set, and Sawyer got a stuffed Baby Pluto that he wouldn't let go of in the store. I may have gotten myself a little something, too...hey, I helped them play games! I finally got my monorail mug with the "Por Favor" saying on it! Still drink out of it all the time and it makes me way too happy.

Back in the room, we took baths and got into pajamas. Sawyer was being so sweet to his Baby Pluto, rocking it, nursing it, wrapping it up in its blanket, putting it on the bed to sleep. I said, "Aw, that melts my heart!" Brynn, in her fun way with words, thought for a second and said, "Your heart is melting!?!" I explained to her that it was a figure of speech. She thought some more and then responded, "Well, then, my heart tripped over a bench and it is flat."

We're working on that.

With the kids all settled in playing with their new toys and watching Ernest Goes to Splash Mountain (yes, it's a real thing...know what I mean, Vern?), I ventured out with a map to do something I always say I won't do but then end up doing at Disney: LAUNDRY. I found it pretty easily, but I have to admit that I was constantly looking for snakes on the path in the dark!
I talked with some other guests while it ran, then ended up putting it in the wrong dryer, the opposite one from where I put the coins. I had to move it all up to the top, and the dryer NEVER went off. Two hours later, I just took my stuff out. Nice and toasty, and a little smaller, I think.


In the meantime, some fun drama was happening in the laundry room. Two ladies bought soap and it didn't come out of the dispenser. Seperately, they called the front desk, and they said someone would be there to bring them laundry soap and a refund immediately. They had to call back over and over because "immediately" became thirty minutes, then an hour, then an hour and a half...when I pulled out my clothes from the dryer two hours later, they were just getting their soap. Efficiency. Way to go.

There was a guy in there who told the ladies that these people always take their time at CBR, and then he regaled us with the plumbing problems in his room, the same ones I'd had!! I thought we must have been in the same building or something. Nope. He was across the resort from us. Apparently plumbing is a big issue at CBR, and so is getting someone to fix things.
Laundry all done, I dodged snakes all the way back to the room, noting all the empty rooms they could have put us in.

This night was so calm and relaxed, and honestly so much fun! I love the quiet of CBR, especially at night. It really is like being on a private island.
We watched some Stacey, prepared for the next day, and dozed off to sleep all snug, warm, and dry...

At least until morning.

ETA: I forgot to say that on this night, the kids discovered that there was a radio on the alarm clock, and for the first time ever, learned the term "Rock and Roll." I got back to the room mid-dance party, and they said, "Mom, we're listening to Rock and Roll music!" It was from the fifties, but still true! And it started the trend of them wanting to listen to things *other* than Disney music over and over...still a bit undecided about how I feel on that one...

 

[GrimGrinningStitch]

First of all, before I forget, I'm with Julia, Brynn and Sawyer on the Alien part of the Great Movie Ride. I literally look straight down at my shoes during that part. I love sci-fi movies, but I hate the Alien movies. I just cannot deal with them for some reason. Sooooo, I don't look at anything during that part. Have I mentioned I'm a 30 year old man?

Ok, back to the beginning. Hooray for Star Tours and Muppets! Julia choose some awesome toys.

Yay Rock n' Roller Coaster! I'm a big fan of the ride (not so much a fan or Aerosmith or their *ahem* "acting").

What was going on with the CBR service this time around? Lame all around.

Your arcade prize idea is brilliant! You probably end up saving money, and the kids get a waaaaay better prize!

Also...note to self...pack a poncho and umbrella for our September trip.

One more thing! "My heart tripped over a bench and it is flat." Totally using that from now on. I'm a big fan.

 

[katt789]

Despite the rain it seems like a pretty good afternoon. I love the Por Favor coffee mug! I'm really surprised I haven't bought it yet!! Next trip!!

 

[jedijill]

"Well, then, my heart tripped over a bench and it is flat."

I know exactly how she feels.

I must have the Por Favor mug....hopefully they still have them in May!

Jill in CO

 

[G719]

I just have to write about how much I love your trip video. It makes me want to go to Disney NOW! Your family is adorable. My kids are like that too- loud and spilling stuff all the time. Sunday school is not complete unless you have red Kool Aid down the front of you. I just have 2 girls but have often thought if we had a third, it should be a boy. Looking forward to reading about the rest of your trip!

 

[Cierese]

Dun Dun Duuuuuuuuuuun!

Please tell me you didn't wake up to a wet bed, leaking ceiling or something.

Anyway, you aren't too late with your installment. I would say right on time! I just remembered today! LOL

 

[danimaroo]

Hahaha, as Matt explained, Alien is terrifying, and I do not like it on GMR one bit. So he and I are the adults on it hiding our faces as we go through that part, like total goobers.

I love Julia's choice with the Star Wars figures.. MP30!! I also enjoy her sassy pose, as well.

Oh man, one thing your TR is reminding me of is the necessity of ponchos when we go in September! It's gonna raiiiiiinnnnn. But I'm okay with that, considering the amount of rain we experienced in Disneyland. I'm just hoping it doesn't rain whatever night we do MNSSHP!

That's an awesome idea with the prizes, it sounds like everyone chose something perfect for them. And OBVIOUSLY I'm a big fan of your choice since I have the same mug. It's the best.

Oh Brynn, she is the cutest. I'm still loving her commenting on our video that Matt and I look "curious"... It's just perfect. Also, I love how much she loves sausage.

Why is there always laundry room drama? Seriously though. When we've tried to do laundry, we always run into people who think it's okay to use ALL of the washer machines for their clothes. It's really great... but I guess I can't complain too much since it's free. BUT STILL.

I always get bummed when your updates end, I love 'em!

 

[Jackiemarie21]

I am still here and loving your TR! I must say your video is AMAZING! When I was watching it my 20 month old DD sat in my lap watching the entire thing! She usually has an attention span of about 20 seconds so that was pretty awesome! I think she must have a crush of Sawyer LOL! I told my husband I want a video just like that, what an amazing memory.
Love the report!

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

Yeah, the Alien part of GMR isn't my favorite...but I always make up for it by singing along during the Wizard of Oz scene (I usually feel like I'm the only one singing along when they tell you too, but hey, I'm just listening to instructions here!)

Too bad about all of the rain - it definitely looks like you had a soaked DHS day!!

Glad to hear the situation in your room was eventually resolved...that doesn't sound like it was a fun experience!

 

[Kbendig]

The cowboy one does exist, we actually had it on our last trip!!! As we were being kidnapped I was giddy and telling my husband I never saw this one. He looked at me and said "there's a different one?" He has gone just as often as me, how does he not know this? I always forget there are scary parts of the ride, probably because I don't find them scary.

Yuck about the plumbing stuff! I don't understand why they didn't change your room, especially if it was smelly. How unmagical!

I love how kids interpret sayings. It melts my heart. We once said the batteries in the remote ran out of juice, the next day at the grocery store my son insisted we buy orange juice for the batteries.

 

[Tinker326]

Yhea!! Two updates!!!

I love the stroller picture where the kids are purposely trying to 'get in each other's space to tick them off'. We live that situation about 1,000 times a day. (not just in the stroller- anywhere..stools, couches, cars, this morning over doughnut breakfast).

Also, LOVE Brynn's comment. I love it because it's so something my Sarah would say. And quite honestly, I think that statement is pretty darn accurate. How many days do we all feel like our heart has tripped over those benches and become flat? Many! So go Brynn!

You know how you said Brynn will 'obsess' on a subject. Sarah too. Her most favorites are dinosaurs and sharks. So her birthday is coming up & she decided on a swim party at our rec center. I say 'oh we could have a nice little dolphin theme' . She says 'no, we can have a shark theme.'. I said.. Sarah- don't you think the other little girls would like dolphins. And quite appropriatly she tells me "I don't care what the other little girls like, it's my birthday and I want sharks!'. OK . So not only does she suffer from social issues that prevent her from making friends easy- she will now be scaring any other little girls away with her 'shark' theme. Da dum. Da dum... JAWS!!!!

Love Julia's souviner pick. Super cool! And love she has them all lined up to watch the computer.

Great update! Thanks for sharing. Can't wait for the next one!!!!

 

[cfw213]

Yay for an update! Although I must say, you are turning me off a bit to CBR! Next May, I want to do the Everest 5k and the host resorts are All Star Sports (no desire to stay here), CBR and AKL (I'll be out of DVC points). That plumbing issue is GROSS and it's terrible that they didn't fix it right away. Yuck yuck yuck.

 

[SoccerDogWithEars]

Count me in on the group that ignores the Alien part of GMR. But then again, it took me until I was 17 to ride Haunted Mansion with my eyes open all the way through. I still don't like it. GMR has always been a mix for my parents and me. Mom hates the Wizard of Oz, so she'd be perfectly happy if we skipped that scene all together. I feel like the last time we rode it we got the Western scene....or it was a lamer version of the gangster story than I remember. It's been a few years. DHS is always more of a half-day park for us.

Because of this, we've never seen the parade either. I do, however, own the soundtrack to the old "Stars and Motorcars" parade. I actually danced a solo to the first part of it in 8th grade dance class. Thankfully, the video to that has been lost.

I love arcades. And so does Joe. In fact, when choosing which resort to stay at his first question was "does it have an arcade?" Yes, sweetie, all resorts come with arcades. We just play to compete against each other, so not getting tickets isn't a big deal for us. On one of our very first trips together after we'd only been dating a few weeks, we found a little hole-in-the-wall arcade, and won a whopping 9 tickets. The guy working was nice enough to bump it up to 10, and I chose a ring that had 3 purple beads. I still wear it, and only take it off to shower. It's a reminder that even when plans don't go the way you want (we'd gone to beach for donuts, and the place was closed ) fun can still be had.

I can't BELIEVE Mousekeeping just left your bathroom like that We've only stayed at CBR once, and only for I think 3 days because we were doing a split stay. I agree with cfw213...your report isn't making me want to go back. Although I will admit, the pirate rooms look cool.

 

[shan23877]

Sounds like a nice afternoon and evening despite the rain. Awesome resolution with the rain cover. Seems like that company handles things well.

Love the 'prize from the gift shop'. Glad we aren't the only ones who tell those kinds of tales. Maddie still thinks you have to be 5 years old to get into Chuck E Cheese.

Laundry on vacation is something I've vowed never to do. I'm going to stick with that based on your experience.

 

[Dreamer & Wisher]

Sounds like a great day but it ended on a stinky note. I hate doing Laundry at Disney, DH usually does it, but he comes back to the room after he starts the machines. On our last trip to CBR he came back to the room and told me he wanted to poke his eyes out. I said why on earth would you want to do that? He said he came around the corner on his way back to our room and there was a man laying in his room completely naked curtains open!

Oh and one morning on that trip we saw a black snake in the landscaping. That resort is very interesting.

 

[ronnmel]

Brynn and Sawyer don't get along well?

I had no idea you got no ticket when using the voucher! I seem to remember getting tickets, but then again, Ron spent so much of his own money that I could be confused with that.

Yuck @ the toilet issue.

 

[LifeIsDis]

I know a lot of people don’t like rainy days at the parks, but I think they are awesome. It lets you see the park in a new way… and it isn’t crowded because everyone runs to take cover.

Row 1 on GMR is the best. Why wouldn’t you want it?!

I truly think the cowboy scene doesn’t exist. They just say it does. I don’t think I have heard one person say they have gottten the cowboy scene.

The picture of the gunfire is AMAZING. Brandon takes amazing photos.

And now I have “We’re off to see the Wizard” stuck in my head.

Mousekeeping is just awful. We have had problems with them before, for instance, we stayed at OKW back in August and our AC was broken and it was oh, you know, just about 80 in our room. Our room got cleaned RIGHT before we got there and they didn’t seem to notice it felt like the sun in there. I’m sorry to hear about the whole toilet issue. That is just nasty.

We usually do laundry at Disney, if we have time that is. And it’s nice because we are DVC members and it is FREEEEEE. One of the only things at Disney that is actually free.

 

[lvcourtneyy]

Wow what a wet day at HS! Love the intentional sibling annoyance between Brynn and Sawyer in the stroller and Brynn using Julia's camera I don't know if this makes you feel better or worse, but my sister and I are 18 and 23 now and this never ends!

Ah I like the Pixar Characters in the HS parade but the song could probably replace It's a Small World in not leaving your brain because of the repetition.

Ew. I can not believe the toilet situation. What on earth. You are a much calmer woman than I because I would've had a fit and requested a new room.

Love the laundry room drama Sounds like it was just one of those nights at CBR!

hahaha I saw the picture you posted of the hidden sausage and love the story that goes with it. Smart girl. She knows what she wants and she's keeping it for herself.

Omg the heart melting story. Too adorable. I love it.

Aw we're dancing to rock and roll is adorable. I feel like I comment with the word adorable a lot on your TRs. Guess your kids are just too adorable!