July 2012. Yes it was hot. Yes it was crowded. Yes it was FUN! ***COMPLETED***

[solana131]

Oh geez! Thanks alot! I just did the ugly cry first thing in the morning!!! Now I'm even MORE nervous.....our little men are growing up! WAH!!!!

Is your's starting kindergarten too?

 

[RHMH]

Solana - thanks, BUT sorry I should have asked if it was ok with you to post a picture on your trip report thread. I am not to photo edit savy to place people into photos, but I wil play around with it ;-)

 

[204charity]

Is your's starting kindergarten too?

Yup - he sure is.

 

[oopsiDAISY]

GRRRR! I had subbbed to this thread as soon as you started it...and somehow ended up not being subbed to it, so I missed SO MUCH! Well, I am officially subbed again now. Here are my comments in no particular order:

Cream cheese pretzels, VN pizza, postickers and Kona bread... Nom NOM!

Stuffing your face with the MYO pasta while I was posting about it...

Surrey bike ride... we want to do that sometime, and also a carriage ride since we now consider POR our "home".

Your "photo drama"... I would have done the same thing, just a simple mistake that we have now all learned a lesson about. Sorry you had to be the "guinea pig" of sorts.

Brady's first day of kindergarten... so sweet!!! Such a handsome little guy. Glad it went well for him!

And last but not least...can't wait to see your PP pictures since there aren't many pics of YOU so far!

 

[bigsis1970]

WAAAAA at the poem - my DD is heading off to college tomorrow and I am dreading it .. she is going to be a freshman at Colby-Sawyer in NH about 2.5 hrs away from home (not like cross country but far enough!)

your trippie is great so far!!!

 

[solana131]

Solana - thanks, BUT sorry I should have asked if it was ok with you to post a picture on your trip report thread. I am not to photo edit savy to place people into photos, but I wil play around with it ;-)

Oh gosh Bob, don't worry! I'm glad to have the pic now to add to my TR I only wish I had thought to take a picture myself!

Yup - he sure is.

Well, good luck! It was really hard for me....I can't imagine how people that have been at home with them from the beginning can handle this! I was a mess yesterday and I have been working days ever since he was 3 months old. But being with my Gram all day is different than being with strangers and a ton of mean kids (I'm sure they aren't all mean, but there's bound to be one). It is a little easier today because I know he likes it. Fingers crossed that you will get through it too!

GRRRR! I had subbbed to this thread as soon as you started it...and somehow ended up not being subbed to it, so I missed SO MUCH! Well, I am officially subbed again now.

Well, welcome back!

Surrey bike ride... we want to do that sometime, and also a carriage ride since we now consider POR our "home".

I wanted to do the carriage ride too, but we never saw them. Maybe they weren't running at that time of the year??

Your "photo drama"... I would have done the same thing, just a simple mistake that we have now all learned a lesson about. Sorry you had to be the "guinea pig" of sorts.

No worries...I learned my lesson. Kinda wish he wasn't such a jerk about it, but what can I do about it now?? Can't delete posts (seems like a major flaw of the DIS).

Brady's first day of kindergarten... so sweet!!! Such a handsome little guy. Glad it went well for him!

Thank you!

And last but not least...can't wait to see your PP pictures since there aren't many pics of YOU so far!

Yeah, I kinda planned it that way

WAAAAA at the poem - my DD is heading off to college tomorrow and I am dreading it .. she is going to be a freshman at Colby-Sawyer in NH about 2.5 hrs away from home (not like cross country but far enough!)

your trippie is great so far!!!

Oh, Colby-Sawyer is great! I applied and was accepted there, but decided on Trinity of VT instead. She'll have a blast at Colby!

 

[RHMH]

I know, Midori asked why I did not take a group picture with you and your cousin. All I can say was OOOPs!

 

[Disneychix]

Awe! What a great 1st day of school! My Brady starts kindergarten this year too (he even has the same sneakers as your Bradey but in orange!). But his 1st day is next Tuesday. I will be a blubbering mess that day!

We have never rented a surrey bike but we have thought about it on occasion, and then we change ours minds once we see the people out there and how crazy hard it looks to drive! Next time get the little boats at the Poly! You get to drive all around Bay Lake!

 

[204charity]

Yes, I have been a SAHM since he was born. So this will be EXTRA-hard for me I think. Hope he is brave, and smart, and listens well to his teachers. It's hard to let go for so many hours in a day, not knowing what he's doing or if he's ok.....ok now, I have to stop talking about it, or I may cry......

 

[RHMH]

Yes, I have been a SAHM since he was born. So this will be EXTRA-hard for me I think. Hope he is brave, and smart, and listens well to his teachers. It's hard to let go for so many hours in a day, not knowing what he's doing or if he's ok.....ok now, I have to stop talking about it, or I may cry......

I know what you mean. My wife left us when DD was 8 months old. When DD started Pre-K, I cried every morning for 3 months as I dropped DD off at school and a few times during the day. It was super hard for me to let go. I think it was 2nd grade before I settled down. I had to get out of my slump because it would upset DD as we parted for our day.

WOW - DD and I look back and laugh, we even tear up as we laugh.. My DD is 12 now (7th Grade), I still miss her so much when I drop her of at school and I can't wait till 3pm to pick her up..

 

[KatMark]

He did awesome! Me, not so much. I was a weeping fool all day. I thought I was over it, then I got on Facebook and found this lovely little make-you-cry poem from one of my friends. No idea where it came from....I'm not claiming it as my own!

I cried when I read it and mine have been out of school for a long time now (and I'm talking college). It probably hits me hard with the wedding coming up.

So glad Bradey did well at school. I truly believe it is harder on the moms than the kids.

 

[solana131]

I know, Midori asked why I did not take a group picture with you and your cousin. All I can say was OOOPs!

Yep...oops! And next time we'll do better for the DISworld

Awe! What a great 1st day of school! My Brady starts kindergarten this year too (he even has the same sneakers as your Bradey but in orange!). But his 1st day is next Tuesday. I will be a blubbering mess that day!

Yeah, I don't understand this school district...we go for 2 days (the high school kids only 1 day) then have Fri-Mon off for Labor Day then start again on Tuesday. Don't know what the point of those first 2 days are....we still don't get out of school until mid-June.

Bradey has always said orange was his favorite color, but for some reason, he didn't like the orange sneakers. I think the yellow is a little ugly...but so it begins. I'm sure there will be many many clothing choices I don't agree with in the future

We have never rented a surrey bike but we have thought about it on occasion, and then we change ours minds once we see the people out there and how crazy hard it looks to drive! Next time get the little boats at the Poly! You get to drive all around Bay Lake!

I was at the Poly in Feb and we really wanted to try one of those boats, but they wouldn't let Bradey go and neither DH nor I wanted to do it alone. Maybe next time...

Yes, I have been a SAHM since he was born. So this will be EXTRA-hard for me I think. Hope he is brave, and smart, and listens well to his teachers. It's hard to let go for so many hours in a day, not knowing what he's doing or if he's ok.....ok now, I have to stop talking about it, or I may cry......

I know what you mean. My wife left us when DD was 8 months old. When DD started Pre-K, I cried every morning for 3 months as I dropped DD off at school and a few times during the day. It was super hard for me to let go. I think it was 2nd grade before I settled down. I had to get out of my slump because it would upset DD as we parted for our day.

WOW - DD and I look back and laugh, we even tear up as we laugh.. My DD is 12 now (7th Grade), I still miss her so much when I drop her of at school and I can't wait till 3pm to pick her up..

Well this doesn't make me feel that much better! I thought it would get easier in time You are doing a great job with her Bob, she seemed like a very sweet young woman.

I cried when I read it and mine have been out of school for a long time now (and I'm talking college). It probably hits me hard with the wedding coming up.

So glad Bradey did well at school. I truly believe it is harder on the moms than the kids.

Oh, I know it is way harder on me than him. He is having a blast! It's funny you mention it is hard for you because of the wedding...when I showed the poem to my mom she said "just wait until he walks down the aisle"! Good luck Miss Kathy Buy a mother-of-the-groom dress that has pockets for your tissues

 

[RHMH]

Yep...oops! And next time we'll do better for the DISworld

Got to get it together for next year.....


Well this doesn't make me feel that much better! I thought it would get easier in time You are doing a great job with her Bob, she seemed like a very sweet young woman.

Thanks - Enjoy being a Dad...

 

[solana131]

Okay, now that we have the first day of school and all the photo drama out of the way....let's get back to business shall we?

When we last left Dani and I, we had just watched the Electric Parade and done a few rides. We were tired, so we headed back to our resort around 10. We went directly back to our room and fell into bed. We had EMH plans for the morning, so we needed to get a few hours of sleep.

I wasn't too strict about getting to Epcot right at EMH opening because I really only needed to fit in Soarin. The other rides aren't usually that busy even later in the day and Test Track was closed

So we rolled out of bed around 7:30. We were out the door and standing in line before they opened the gates at 8. There were alot of people. I was kinda annoyed that they had the area roped off with a sign saying "EMH are for Disney resort guests only" or something to that affect, but they were not checking IDs. There was a whole family that got in behind us that clearly stated that they were not staying on property, but they were excited to "sneak past" the lines. Kinda annoying when it is so super busy that time of the year and that is one reason we spent the money to stay on property!

Anyway....we were in. I really wanted to run ahead and grab some FPs for later, but my feet were killing me and Dani had no idea where to go, so we just settled for fast-walking through the crowd. We walked right on, but the FP time was way too far in the future and I knew we weren't staying at Epcot that day.

I had only rode Soarin twice before and we were in the front row both times. I knew it was way too busy to request front row this time and I was a little nervous to be placed in the second row, but it was fine. I didn't notice any difference really. It was fun as usual.....I was happy when Dani freaked out as the golfball came at her Everyone made fun of me in Feb for that, so it was nice to turn the tables.

After Soarin, we felt we could safely grab something to eat. I had wanted to try Sunshine Seasons in Feb, but we never did. Time to remedy this...

Like a good little DISer, I researched my menus before we left and I had heard about the breakfast panini and just had to try it.

YUM! I don't even know how to explain this goodness. It was scrambled eggs, cheese, and pork. I know, it doesn't sound like anything I would normally order, but people on here just raved about it. Both Dani and I gobbled it right up. The pork gives it this amazing flavor. They must have soaked it in some sauce, it is just so yummy. And the potatoes were done perfectly...crispy, crunchy, soft and warm.

Oh and D~ (if you are still here with me) I got 3 separate compliments on my Dory backpack at this restaurant. One lady even came back to our table with a pen and paper to write down your info

So after we were fortified for our journey ahead...we headed off to complete our morning at Epcot. We rode Living with the Land, Figment (again), Ellen's Energy Adventure (really long, but I just love Ellen), and finally we did Nemo again. I just had to stop and get a shot of me in front of Nemo with my Dory backpack (aka Squishy bag).

It was too dark the other time we went by this spot. Love that bag! Isn't D~ just so talented?? Not sure if you can see the lanyard wallet, but it has a seagull and says "mine" on it. I had many compliments on it over the course of the week. One kid actually cried because I wouldn't give it to him I felt bad, but NO WAY kiddo!

So after Nemo, it was around 10am...we had to decide if we wanted to look around World Showcase, or just head out. We both decided that there wasn't enough to do in Future World to hold our attention for another hour until WS opened, so we headed back to FQ.

As we approached our room, we saw that Mousekeeping was just one room away, so we changed into bathing suits quickly and went down to the pool for about an hour. When we got back to our room this little beauty was waiting for us

It was the only towel "animal" we got all week. But it was a cute one!

So around 11-11:30 we decided to head over to AK to give Dani an overview of things. I knew it was hot and crowded, but we were really just killing time before our early ADR at Boma. We just wandered around looking at the Oasis. Honestly, I don't know what we did here....according to my receipts we were leaving AK at 1pm, and I know we didn't get there until almost noon, so obviously we didn't do much. Not sure what happened that day I know we didn't stay long and we grabbed a couple frozen mocha drinks at Joffrey's Coffee stand at AK exit. The bus took forever again, so we had plenty of time to drink those cold babies down.

We headed back to FQ to change again for our evening adventures. We had an amazing evening planned that included Boma, Wishes, and closing down MK in the wee hours of the morning.

 

[KatMark]

Suzi, great update. Glad you got on Soarin'; the only difference in the second or third row is the "dangling of the feet." That's too funny about the golf ball...I love seeing people's reaction to that.

Love the photo of you in front of Nemo with your spiffy bag. That poor kid. But if you wouldn't let me borrow it so I could carry it for Mark, I know you aren't giving it to some strange kid.

What an adorable towel animal. Did you bring it home?

You really did have terrible luck with buses.

I can't wait to hear what you thought of Boma (we've only done breakfast and LOVE it) and how your long night at MK went.

 

[oopsiDAISY]

That is the cutest towel animal I have seen yet! And I just Sunshine Seasons...so fresh and yummy!

 

[RHMH]

Solana - Lucky you with the Bear. All we got was our Mickey on the bed when we checked in. I know that it's just chance if we receive any towel animals but we tried. We left 7 dollars everyday in hopes to to get one when we returned.

OH Well - its ok.... We had plenty of sprinkled on us during our vacation.

 

[solana131]

What an adorable towel animal. Did you bring it home?

You really did have terrible luck with buses.

I can't wait to hear what you thought of Boma (we've only done breakfast and LOVE it) and how your long night at MK went.

I didn't know that we could bring the towel animal home!? I assumed they would charge us for the "stolen" wash cloths. Next time....

Yes, just you wait til the next installment...our bus situation that whole day was horrible!

We LOVED Boma....it is now on my "must do" list. I would like to try breakfast too. Maybe when we stay at AKL someday we can fit both dinner and breakfast in, but the bus back and forth to AKL was horrid...so I don't know that I would want to do it twice in one trip.

That is the cutest towel animal I have seen yet! And I just Sunshine Seasons...so fresh and yummy!

Thanks! We named the towel animal Gertrude

Solana - Lucky you with the Bear. All we got was our Mickey on the bed when we checked in. I know that it's just chance if we receive any towel animals but we tried. We left 7 dollars everyday in hopes to to get one when we returned.

I saw on the August 2013 thread that someone received a bounce back with free dining for August 2013.... Is that possible??

I was expecting more towel animals. We didn't get any at the Poly in Feb...other than the standard Mickey on the bed at checkin. But I had heard that was the way it was there. I thought we would get more at POFQ. But that's okay...we still had fun.

I'm not sure about the free dining bounce back. I thought all the bounceback offers were the same. We had the same thing on our desk at the Poly in Feb as we had at FQ in July. Same offer and same little pocketwatch paper. Maybe it was a PIN offer sent to their home?? I have received 3 PIN offers and one for free dining. But I like booking room-only, so I chose that offer instead. I use gift cards for my meals and that way I can save on the room and don't feel locked down to the number of meals a day that Disney specifies. It seems odd that they would get an offer for a year away already....my 3 were to be used within a few months. But I guess anything is possible with Disney

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Great update and love the towel animal!!

Good to hear you loved Boma! We just decided to go back to WDW in January for a 4 day weekend and the first ADR I booked? Yup, Boma!

 

[oopsiDAISY]

Yep~Boma is on my must-try list for next year!