It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!!!!

Love your TR!! We usually go in October, but you are making me want to try November next time :)
 
What wonderful pictures, Shawna! Gracie is just darling! :goodvibes
Thanks!! I love my camera!! And I think Gracie is a keeper!! LOL
Great update! :goodvibes Awesome pictures. (Your photopass pics are on their way! :thumbsup2)

It looks like you and Gracie had a fabulous afternoon in World Showcase. Isn't that Caramel Shop the best??? I had the BEST ever chocolate and caramel covered strawberry there! ::yes::
Yeah..we had a great time! And I did adore that shop!
AWWW, Gracie is such a doll! What a great smile! I love that she was eating a caramel apple with her missing front teeth!! Good thing they cut it up!

Paige and I did some exploring in WS on our own too and had a blast!

I'm excited to try that Werther's shop next trip.

Last year this time we were at WDW!!! sniff sniff. (although it's rather chilly there now!)
If they hadn't have cut it up there is NO way she could've eaten it!! And yep...you gotta get in that shop! It should be on your list of must-dos!
Love your TR!! We usually go in October, but you are making me want to try November next time :)

Thanks!! Glad you are enjoying it! We have done Oct a few times...but I really like Nov better!!!! I did love the halloween party/parade too!
 

That Worther's shop sure has some amazing looking treats! It wasn't quite ready to open while we were there in Sept, but I sure wish it was! Love the pics of Gracie with the characters....we love Marie too! Maddie has had a Marie stuffed animal since she was about 2 years old.
 
Park Day #3~Tues Nov 16....We decided to boat over to the DHStudios. The boat is usually never too long in coming to the lighthouse, so this is always fun, and a lot faster than walking out the front and to a bus. I knew we weren't gonna be there right at Park opening, but was already planning on FPing TSMM anyway...I could have gotten them up earlier and made them get there right at opening, but they were tired-especially Gracie--her stone bruise, or whatever was wrong with her heel was still hurting and we told her we could get a stroller for this day..not sure why--this is the least walking we do in any park!! Oh well...she was thrilled to get it! We went for our FP and of course the line was already LONG...return for our FPs was at 3:00.We went down the backway, where it would be lit up for Osborne lights that night to the Face paint lady. Gracie begs all the time we are there, so we do it early in the morning so it will last. We had a really nice lady-she was from Maine, and we talked about that with her for a bit. My Kipper wants to go to Maine so badly! Anyway, we were her 1st customer of the day!
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She picked a butterfly...it's kinda hard to see how pretty it really was!
It was really a great day to be at DHS...This next pic is how empty it was looking down the street--I guess all the guests were at Toy Story at this time of the morning! The only time you really saw 'crowd' at all,was when a big group came down out of B & the B...or when the parade went thru...other than that it was never really a crowd.
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Mike,Saylor and Gracie went to ride TofT, and RnR next...I love RnR, but the last time we went I did it several times in a row and got a KILLER headache...so I said I would only do it once this time. At this point K was not ready to do it, so I stayed behind with him. I can't remember, but I think they rode them like 3 times in a row!! While they were doing this, me and K went to find a 'tattoo' place! He can't do the face paint because he has allergies and it bothers his eyes soooo bad. I don't know if it actually causes it to itch...but just knowing it's around his eyes makes him rub & scratch all day. So, we found a pirate Mickey and got that...which lasted for 2 weeks!! Thru baths, swimming and scrubbing!
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Next we met the other 3 and found some Street People to yak with!! We love Page-Turnershe used to hang around with "Francis", the guy with the suitcase from Arkansas..he was hilarious! But, he is gone now and they have some new guys...we still have Vladimere Pooey-his line on the business card :
'If you've seen my show, You've seen Pooey"!! they are awesome:rotfl:
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The theme of this pic she said, was BE SURPRISED!!! It was great!
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They are really a blast...it's Mikes favorite thing every year...they also have 'the plumbers,' and the city workers. Along with various beautiful women and directors...even a few police.
For lunch we hit the Pizza Planet..it's pretty good-small selections,but still the food is pretty good. Not the best pizza in world, but it's okay.We got a mix of cheese, and veggie pizzas, which the adults came with a salad. We all got dessert...Mickey head Rice Krispies and a couple of cookies.
Headed to Indiana Jones, which was great as always. Kids loved it! Did a few more street shows, got a snack just hung around...I think Mike and Gracie did Tof T again at this point. We also looked around the gift shops to see what they had differently at this park. Now it's time for Woody and the Gang!!!! Headed back to TSMM, gosh I love this!!!
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This round mommy was winner with 136,300 points!!
If you haven't done the Art Institute, you really should!! We had the sweetest girl for our teacher..Mike and I visited with her for a while before it started,.she was in the Character meet and greet area before the show and we asked her something. Anyway, we did her class and LOVED it!! We all drew Dopey!! it was great. I will have to take pics of it later and download..if I remember!!!
We got pics with the Incredibles and Sorceror Mickey...Never had this Mickey before,so it was a treat!
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cont. in next post
 
....continuing.....
I found several pictures in the Art building and fell in love with them!:
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Kipper found his tattoo's twin!
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We are headed to dinner now. We are faithful fans of the 50s Prime Time Cafe.That is one place we look forward too every year...and this year was no exception!! We got Fried Chicken...3 of us did!...can't remember what the other two got..but it was good!! Dessert was awesome! We got a mix and kinda shared it around: Dad's Brownies,Apple Crisp, Smore's...for some reason, I keep forgetting to take pics of the food! I think because we are soooo hungry when we get it!!
Next up was Osborne Lights...and I was determined to find that Darn Cat this year!!!!
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Not sure what this pose is
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We found the cat..boy was it hard! We had to go ask a CM what street we should even be on...we had looked EVERYWHERE!! And it was down behind a fence! I think my oldest son actually found it
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It was strange that it would be down behind a gate and stairs like that...oh well, they keep you searching!!!!
After that it was time to line up for the boat. Again, we didn't wait too terribly long...then we got to the room and it the hay!!!
 
Park Day #4-Wed Nov 17
Well..we let the kids sleep a little late again today...we are trying to keep this trip relaxing and not crazy. And given the small nature of the crowds at this point, we could do that!!!
Waiting for the boat...
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The kid who is hating pics
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So..since one of Mike's faves is DHS, we had decided to go back for anything we missed today.I usually spread it out, but this time it had to be back-to-back...so, we did the reg line for TSMM. It was reading 45 minutes, but we went for it! It wasn't too bad and that's where I took all the pictures. It really didn't seem to drag very much until right about the point where u stand in front of Mr.Potato Head...not sure why, but that's what it was!!
My score dropped to 136,000(I am pretty consistent!!) but Saylor beat us with a whopping 157,200!!! my little princess actually doubled her score from the day before...I think she was getting the hang of it now!
Next we went to the Great Movie Ride..which I asked at the door about doing the 2nd ride option with the cowboy. She said when it's really slow like this time of year, it's not offered.
By now we are starving..we had never eaten at Hollywood and Vine because of the awful reviews it seems I have always read. But Mike wanted to try it and we were NOT doing Pizza P again!!! It was surprisingly good! Especially for a buffet!! everyone in my little group loved it--especially the desserts! So, it's a good place to try if you have small kids--especially since it's character-Little Einsteins and a few others.
We shopped and did rides for a couple of more hours. I bought Gracie the little pink Dooney & Burke Minnie Mouse purse (on sale for $45) for Christmas and had them send it to our resort. It is sooo cute! I don't have a picture because it's Christmas and it's hiding!!!
A few more street shows--one of which, Gracie got picked for a kid game!--then we got on the boat to go back and rest for a little bit.
Around 5 we got on the bus to the MK.We headed to Cosmic Rays for burgers then to stake out our place for the Main Street Electrical Parade! Now, I haven't seen this since I was a kid and have been pumped about my kids getting to watch it! I remember being 7 or 8 that first summer we went and my mom crying watching us, watch the parade. I now get it! It's so emotional watching Disney thru your kids!!! It was just as good as I remembered!! I didn't get too many good shots because my camera setting got moved!!! But, heres a few!
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This little guy we looooved
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So...we walked around a bit to a new spot for Wishes!!!
Took several pics, but here are my faves
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cont in next post
 
More Wishes!!!
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I have several more..but most of them have the fireworks blurry or the man who was in front and to the right of me and kept walking right in front of me while he took a business call the entire time gets in the way!!! I could not believe it....there was room over by the fence for him to stand,but I think his wife kept telling him to get with them...so he just walked back and forth yelling into that phone. It was bizarre. And of course, he picked one of the shortest girls in the crowd to stand in front of!:sad2:
But anyhoo....we went to the candy store and got a piece of fudge and sat down to eat it and let the crowd thin out a bit before we went to the bus. It was a few minutes wait, but not too bad...maybe 15 minutes....but, at the end of a long day it seems much longer!! I felt bad for the mommies with sleeping babies!!!
 
OOOOOOH AAAAAAH!
Pretty fireworks and castle pictures!!! :thumbsup2
Some people are just so self-important that they don't even realize how much they are disturbing others. And in a huge crowd no less!:mad:

Going back (I somewhow missed the first update on this page) - Love the face painting!! And I want a Mickey tattoo! (a temporary one I mean).

We have yet to meet Paige Turner. I really would like to, because a long time ago, a priest from my parents' church used to spin Paige around and say "I'm turning the Paige". I think she would love to meet her!!!
 
Oh Sheree!! That's funny! Yes...she has to meet her!! That tattoo is the only one he's ever allowed to have!! LOL!! It was cute tho! So, are you both snowed in today?
 
Nope, we had work and school today. Our street has been plowed and DH was able to get out yesterday (he had to get some stuff to fix the snowblower - it had quite a workout this weekend). I stayed in all weekend and baked and listened to Christmas music and watched movies with the girls.
The main roads are pretty good now, so it's almost back to "normal". Just have 5 foot high snowbanks along the roads and driveways!!
 
WOW!!! :cool1: Was I ever far behind! :laughing: All caught up now! :thumbsup2 Your trip so far looks so incredibly fabulous! So nice and easy and relaxing! I am just dying to try something from that Karamel Shop!!! Everything looks sooo yummy! popcorn:: We have decided for our August trip that we will each have a day to plan of we want to do! Ken has already said that for part of his day we wants to go to DHS and stalk Dante Alfredo "the Director" :rotfl: He too loves him some street people!!! :lmao:

ps. I mailed your Christmas Card today!! :santa: Let me know when it arrives!! :)
 
I was so far behind but now all caught up :) Gracie is adorable, love the pics with the princesses and the ones with Marie are precious.

Your pic of the Black Cat at OL is the second one I have seen and still can not pick it out, I guess since I have no clue what it is I am looking for :lmao:

Loved your pic of older DS walking away trying not to be photographed, I recall having a few shots like that of mine too :rotfl:

The weather looked wonderful can not wait to read more.
 
Thank you Sheila!! yeah, we had fun that day doing the girl thing!! And the older one is killing me with the picture-hating!!
Ok...black cat. When Disney approached the Osborne family about taking their lights to Disney World, they took all his Christmas lights from his home. Well, apparently he had some Halloween lights also and the cat is really an accident! And he's purple!!!!!! So,...every year they hide it and you have to look for it-along with something like 35 hidden Mickeys. Its just to add a little mystery in there! had I been alone, I may never have found it!
 
Thank you Sheila!! yeah, we had fun that day doing the girl thing!! And the older one is killing me with the picture-hating!!
Ok...black cat. When Disney approached the Osborne family about taking their lights to Disney World, they took all his Christmas lights from his home. Well, apparently he had some Halloween lights also and the cat is really an accident! And he's purple!!!!!! So,...every year they hide it and you have to look for it-along with something like 35 hidden Mickeys. Its just to add a little mystery in there! had I been alone, I may never have found it!

What a neat thing! I'd never heard of that before. I love that added Disney magic! Can't wait to one day see Disney at Christmas!
 
Love Kipper's Pirate Mickey tattoo and Gracie's butterfly face painting!

I also loved the pics with Sorcerer Mickey. We found him for the first time our last trip too!
 
Not yet! When did you send it?

REALLY????!!! I mailed it before Dec 1!! So it's been over 2 weeks! And it didn't come back to me? Dang.....
Love Kipper's Pirate Mickey tattoo and Gracie's butterfly face painting!

I also loved the pics with Sorcerer Mickey. We found him for the first time our last trip too!

Thanks!! I thought they were sooo cute!! And the S Mickey really was cool looking wasn't he!? I have never seen him outside of parades....it was fun!
 












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