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

[RHMH]

Just enjoy your dd right now... seriously... My girls are 13 & 14, and on our last trip, I had a strike of reality hit me, and I realized I will only have them to myself for a few more years - then they will be off on their own... I have many regrets of missed memories. So, now I am trying to smother them with as much motherly love as I can give them... Guess how much they love that?
___________________________________________________________________________________


You are right, I can see it coming right around the corner. DD and I have been together since the day DD was born and I am not looking forward to the day she says to me. I am grown up now DAD. It will break my heart, but I know DD Loves me very much...and I will have to respect and accept it.

 

[DMGeurts]

Just enjoy your dd right now... seriously... My girls are 13 & 14, and on our last trip, I had a strike of reality hit me, and I realized I will only have them to myself for a few more years - then they will be off on their own... I have many regrets of missed memories. So, now I am trying to smother them with as much motherly love as I can give them... Guess how much they love that?
___________________________________________________________________________________


You are right, I can see it coming right around the corner. DD and I have been together since the day DD was born and I am not looking forward to the day she says to me. I am grown up now DAD. It will break my heart, but I know DD Loves me very much...and I will have to respect and accept it.

ROFL... Wow... Pretty bad that I just assumed you were MOM. However - same concept applies.

D~

 

[Angies1274]

Great update!! We thought the Dessert Party was well worth the price too! We loved it!! Oh and great seats!! You couldn't ask for a more perfect view of the castle!

It sounds like you had such a fun night!! Cute picture on Splash Mountain. I hardly ever remember to take a picture of our ride photos.

 

[RHMH]

ROFL... Wow... Pretty bad that I just assumed you were MOM. However - same concept applies.

D~

No biggie, Wife left us when DD was 8 months old. Super Happy though....... and blessed.

 

[solana131]

subbing in!! Great TR so far!!

WELCOME! And thanks!

Suzie - How awesome that you got to meet a Frump! I love sneaking in to read Jesse's TRs... I hardly ever comment, and some times I fall severly behind (like now) - but they are so much fun to read! Maybe some day I will meet someone famous too!

LOL, She laughed when I said she was famous.....I told her they need to hold meet and greets for the Frumps just like the characters. They could make a killing if they charged. But she was very sweet. I almost hated to say "hi" because it was soooo hot and both Dani and I were all sweaty, and there's little Kristen looking all perfect and cute. Ahhh, to be a teenager again

Solana - WOOOOOW !!!! The desserts look so wonderful, Dang lady you could have asked Midori and I to join you and your cousin for dessert.

I would have paid for it all.... HA!!!!!! you are saying "Now you tell me"

Yep...would've been nice to know But if we had more than two people, we wouldn't have been at that great table....only parties of 2 are in the front Next time....I highly recommend the Dessert Party....might be something special to do with Midori and Lucy next year.

I am not looking forward to the day she says to me. I am grown up now DAD. It will break my heart, but I know DD Loves me very much...and I will have to respect and accept it.

She will never outgrow her Daddy! My Dad is still my favorite man in the whole world (other than my son) and I am in my 30s! Your relationship will change, but she will always need you and love you.....promise

Great update!! We thought the Dessert Party was well worth the price too! We loved it!! Oh and great seats!! You couldn't ask for a more perfect view of the castle!

It sounds like you had such a fun night!! Cute picture on Splash Mountain. I hardly ever remember to take a picture of our ride photos.

It was such a great night. This night was the only time I was glad my little guy wasn't there.....kinda hard to stay up until 2am with him. And yes, the Dessert Party is so worth the money just to have an assigned seat for Wishes....the yummy desserts are just an added bonus!

 

[DMGeurts]

No biggie, Wife left us when DD was 8 months old. Super Happy though....... and blessed.

Oh - wow, I just can't even imagine how hard that must have been. Your dd is very fortunate to have such a great Dad! You are both blessed!

LOL, She laughed when I said she was famous.....I told her they need to hold meet and greets for the Frumps just like the characters. They could make a killing if they charged. But she was very sweet. I almost hated to say "hi" because it was soooo hot and both Dani and I were all sweaty, and there's little Kristen looking all perfect and cute. Ahhh, to be a teenager again

I agree...

D~

 

[oopsiDAISY]

LOL, She laughed when I said she was famous.....I told her they need to hold meet and greets for the Frumps just like the characters. They could make a killing if they charged. But she was very sweet. I almost hated to say "hi" because it was soooo hot and both Dani and I were all sweaty, and there's little Kristen looking all perfect and cute. Ahhh, to be a teenager again

For real! I have so much fun reading those TR's, and then reality hits at times and a realize I am old enough to be their mother.

 

[RHMH]

Yep...would've been nice to know But if we had more than two people, we wouldn't have been at that great table....only parties of 2 are in the front Next time....I highly recommend the Dessert Party....might be something special to do with Midori and Lucy next year.

That's a great idea, I can make my ADR's in January 2013...

She will never outgrow her Daddy! My Dad is still my favorite man in the whole world (other than my son) and I am in my 30s! Your relationship will change, but she will always need you and love you.....promise

Thanks lady - You know how much I love my DD..

Oh - wow, I just can't even imagine how hard that must have been. Your dd is very fortunate to have such a great Dad! You are both blessed!

Yes, I agree - I am SUPER BLESSED.. Would not change one day from the past,not even a minute..

 

[solana131]

That's a great idea, I can make my ADR's in January 2013...

The dessert party doesn't follow the same 180 day rule as other ADRs. They open it up at odd times. We couldn't book ours for July 21 until the beginning of June. There are specific threads for Dessert Party's....if you really want to do it, I would subscribe to one of those and watch it carefully to see when they open it up for booking.

 

[RHMH]

Thanks so much !!!!!

 

[Chicago Mo]

HOLY GUACAMOLE!!!! How long have i been away?!?!?! Took a break from the Dis because Chicago life called: school, birthday, baseball and now football... This week i am in a funk because we wont be back to Disney until Sept 2013 and LOOK WHAT I FIND!!!! BAD DIS FRIEND!!!!

I LOVE your report! I laughed hard!!! and yes teared up too... Your little guy is just to cute!!! Kindergarten was rough on all parents.. We actually anticipated the fact we would be dramatic fools and all went out for coffee as a support group! Your niece is Beautiful!!! Looks like you are really enjoying your trip so far! awesome you were able to do it at your own pace without the worry of the little ones being crabby not want to do something ETC... LOVE LOVE LOVE the dessert party! soooo Booking that...
So sorry about the towel animals! I can say we did get one everyday! and all the stuffed animals were arraigned in different scenarios.

I did not read the mom poem.. I can't. The kiddos turning 8 this year hit me hard core, not to mention the 2nd grade!!!

Then reading RHMH YOUR TOO SWEET!!!! wonderful to see a father so close with his daughter.

don't worry about the bashing of photos i see SEVERAL people stating photo's are theirs when clearly, they are not, I got the same one as the extra photo's on the PP disk.

Ummm I am in LOVE with the bags.. Did i say IN LOVE?!?! D~ do you have a web site???

 

[solana131]

HOLY GUACAMOLE!!!! How long have i been away?!?!?! Took a break from the Dis because Chicago life called: school, birthday, baseball and now football... This week i am in a funk because we wont be back to Disney until Sept 2013 and LOOK WHAT I FIND!!!! BAD DIS FRIEND!!!!

Hey there! Welcome back I know what you mean...as far as I can see, our next trip will not be until Nov 2013 and I am feeling the withdrawals! Trying to work out a long weekend trip sometime before then, but the funds are just not there and now with Bradey in school....it's harder.

I LOVE your report! I laughed hard!!! and yes teared up too... Your little guy is just to cute!!! Kindergarten was rough on all parents.. We actually anticipated the fact we would be dramatic fools and all went out for coffee as a support group!

Ooh...good idea. We should've thought of that!

Your niece is Beautiful!!! Looks like you are really enjoying your trip so far! awesome you were able to do it at your own pace without the worry of the little ones being crabby not want to do something ETC...

It was great. Dani (my cousin) and I had a wonderful time. But I did miss my little guy a ton! Disney just isn't the same without him....not nearly as magical. But it was still fun. Just different.

LOVE LOVE LOVE the dessert party! soooo Booking that...

Oh, that was the highlight of the trip I think. It is very much worth the $25 or so per person. Yum!

So sorry about the towel animals! I can say we did get one everyday! and all the stuffed animals were arraigned in different scenarios.

I didn't care so much this time as I did in Feb at the Poly. I just think if you pay as much as you do for the Poly...you should get a few extras!

I did not read the mom poem.. I can't. The kiddos turning 8 this year hit me hard core, not to mention the 2nd grade!!!

Don't blame you...it was sad. I still cry when I think about what it says.

Ummm I am in LOVE with the bags.. Did i say IN LOVE?!?! D~ do you have a web site???

She is on Etsy....search for Ultimate Park Bag and you should find her. And yes....D is amazing

 

[Chicago Mo]

I got this:

Darn. This item is no longer available.

The item "Custom Ultimate Disney inspired Park touring basic bag" by SerendipiDBoutique cannot be viewed because it has expired.



???? PM me the link?!?! Dont' want to get into any more trouble.


Now waiting for more updates!!! I am hooked! living your report to get my Disney Fix!!!

 

[partyof2]

Hi Suzi!

I'm just back to the DIS after a busy end to the summer, your TR was top of the page and I thought 'hey I'll give this one a spin'. I am SO glad I did; my boyfriend and I don't have any kids so I like reading 'adult' trip reports.

Love your food reviews, you really have me leaning towards Kona now but boyfriend is mega fussy and he'd be a nervous wreck. We're planning on doing Boma but it's really our only 'maybe'. Thanks to you I MUST have the Risotto balls at VN now!!

I'm so impressed with you and Dani's stamina, you've squashed so much into your days despite the heat.

 

[solana131]

I got this:

Darn. This item is no longer available.

The item "Custom Ultimate Disney inspired Park touring basic bag" by SerendipiDBoutique cannot be viewed because it has expired.



???? PM me the link?!?! Dont' want to get into any more trouble.


Now waiting for more updates!!! I am hooked! living your report to get my Disney Fix!!!

She's all booked up for the rest of this year and just opened it up for next year. Maybe she is all booked up for next year too....wouldn't surprise me. Maybe search for the shop on FB, or PM her directly?? Not sure....I'm glad I got my orders in early Although, every new bag I see is my new favorite...you should see the new one with Ray from Princess and the Frog. So cute!

Hi Suzi!

I'm just back to the DIS after a busy end to the summer, your TR was top of the page and I thought 'hey I'll give this one a spin'. I am SO glad I did; my boyfriend and I don't have any kids so I like reading 'adult' trip reports.

Love your food reviews, you really have me leaning towards Kona now but boyfriend is mega fussy and he'd be a nervous wreck. We're planning on doing Boma but it's really our only 'maybe'. Thanks to you I MUST have the Risotto balls at VN now!!

I'm so impressed with you and Dani's stamina, you've squashed so much into your days despite the heat.

Hey there! Welcome
Thanks for the compliments...we did have a great time. Adult Disney is very different, but very fun
Kona is one of my favorites. Maybe try it for breakfast first...your boyfriend should be able to find something easy enough. And Boma is great. It has some good "african" tastes, but also plenty of plain stuff. And the atmosphere is just wonderful there. Those risotto balls were yummy for sure!

The heat really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Of course we had a really hot summer up here in Maine too, so that helped. If I was coming from a New England winter to 90 and humid, it might've been a different story.

So I see that you are going to POR in Nov 2013??? That's my next plan too. I want to take my son for a mother/son trip next Nov, and even though I would love to stay at the Poly again...I am thinking it will probably be a moderate instead. I loved POFQ, but he might like POR better. What week are you going? I can't do the math in my head from your ticker

 

[KatMark]

I'm so glad you enjoyed the Dessert Party. We've never done it and I keep forgetting all about it.

I LOVE EMH's when everything is a walk on (two years ago it was almost as crowded as during the day).

Great photopass pictures.

 

[solana131]

I'm so glad you enjoyed the Dessert Party. We've never done it and I keep forgetting all about it.

I LOVE EMH's when everything is a walk on (two years ago it was almost as crowded as during the day).

Great photopass pictures.

What were you doing up at 10pm last night little lady?? You have an important day today......ITS DISNEY DAY for you!

I can see how the Dessert party would be easy to forget about since you can't book it when you book the rest of your ADRs. I joined a thread on here to help watch for it to open up, so that reminded me just about every day.

Yeah, the EMHs were much busier than they were in Feb, but less hectic than regular hours because none of the tour groups were around. Or not many of them anyway. I had heard that the first couple of night hours weren't much different than regular hours, and they were right. We had to stay right up until the end for them to make a difference.

Have a great trip! Let the healing begin Nothing says cheer up like trying on a few Disney hats!

 

[partyof2]

Hey there! Welcome
Thanks for the compliments...we did have a great time. Adult Disney is very different, but very fun
Kona is one of my favorites. Maybe try it for breakfast first...your boyfriend should be able to find something easy enough. And Boma is great. It has some good "african" tastes, but also plenty of plain stuff. And the atmosphere is just wonderful there. Those risotto balls were yummy for sure!

The heat really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Of course we had a really hot summer up here in Maine too, so that helped. If I was coming from a New England winter to 90 and humid, it might've been a different story.

So I see that you are going to POR in Nov 2013??? That's my next plan too. I want to take my son for a mother/son trip next Nov, and even though I would love to stay at the Poly again...I am thinking it will probably be a moderate instead. I loved POFQ, but he might like POR better. What week are you going? I can't do the math in my head from your ticker

I've considered Kona for breakfast, I think their breakfast potatoes look delicious! I have anxiety attacks about fitting in all the places I want to eat .

We are staying at POR for two whole weeks (in the UK we tend to vacation for longer than you guys generally do), our dates are Nov 5 through Nov 19. Unfortunately will catch some of Jersey Week and likely a half marathon of some sort, so I'm praying that the crowds won't be too bad. On the plus side now that they are making F&W longer we'll be able to enjoy some of that.

A mom & son trip sounds like an awesome idea, especially if you go whilst daddy is away hunting, then everyone is happy. I feel your pain about less than enthusiastic other halves, my boyfriend doesn't seem particularly interested in my incessant planning!

I think without DH to put on a show for, you and DS will be very happy in a moderate and can use the $$$s you save to spoil DS rotten! It was a tough call between POFQ and POR for me, what eventually swung me towards POR was the bigger food court and the 4 bus stops (it was only later than I discovered off-peak both resorts share buses and they stop at POFQ first!!).

 

[solana131]

I've considered Kona for breakfast, I think their breakfast potatoes look delicious! I have anxiety attacks about fitting in all the places I want to eat .

You're not kidding! And you'll be there for 2 weeks! Imagine if you were trying to plan just 5 days like I was! It's the same way for me with their hotels. Disney has such great hotels...and too many of them. I can't stay at them all, so it is hard for me to narrow it down every time! But I did love POFQ and POR, so I think we will stay there again.

We are staying at POR for two whole weeks (in the UK we tend to vacation for longer than you guys generally do), our dates are Nov 5 through Nov 19. Unfortunately will catch some of Jersey Week and likely a half marathon of some sort, so I'm praying that the crowds won't be too bad. On the plus side now that they are making F&W longer we'll be able to enjoy some of that.

With 2 weeks, you should be able to plan plenty of "down time", so even if you do hit the crowds it should be easy to deal with it.

A mom & son trip sounds like an awesome idea, especially if you go whilst daddy is away hunting, then everyone is happy. I feel your pain about less than enthusiastic other halves, my boyfriend doesn't seem particularly interested in my incessant planning!

I got the O.K. from him last night. I think he was actually pretty happy about not having to go

It was a tough call between POFQ and POR for me, what eventually swung me towards POR was the bigger food court and the 4 bus stops (it was only later than I discovered off-peak both resorts share buses and they stop at POFQ first!!).

Yep, FQ is usually first. That was a deciding factor for us. Them amenities are interchangeable, so I didn't really care who had the bigger pool/food court, etc because it is such a short walk between the two. It was all about bus convenience for me. If you are close to the first bus stop at POR, you should be fine, but I wouldn't want to be at bus stop #4 and try to get a seat. By the time the buses go all the way around, they are pretty full. But Disney usually has a Cast Member at the bus stops during busy times so they will know when there are crowded buses and they will send extras. You'll be fine...just bring your patience

 

[solana131]

Saturday July 21, 2012

Animal Kingdom Day

Since we didn't have an EMH to rush off to and I really didn't care about being lined up at opening for Animal Kingdom, I decided to let Dani sleep a little this morning. I got up around 7 and showered, dressed, and walked up to the food court. I bought us both Mickey waffles and walked back to the room to wake sleeping beauty.

That's a nice way to wake up....I think. She hopped up with a smile on her face and dug right in. Here is mine

After we were fortified for the day and dressed (that's kinda important too) we headed to the bus stop. We didn't make opening, but we were there by 9:15 so not too shabby for not trying

We paused for a couple photopass pics before heading in.

Then we were off.

Our first order of business was the safari since Dani loves animals so much. I think she enjoyed it, but it just wasn't the same without the whole "Little Red" story. I had plenty of pictures from our Feb trip, so I didn't even take one of the safari....I know, bad DISer

We walked both of the wildlife trails before we did anything else because it was getting hot out fast and I knew I wouldn't want to do this later. We missed the tiger/bat trail in Feb, so this was new to me and I loved it. We passed on Kali River Rapids because we just didn't want to walk around totally soaked for the rest of the day.

We happened to be walking by the Pooh meet-n-greet just as they were opening it up and decided to hop in line. This was Dani's first character experience and it did not disappoint. I just love these guys...

And this guy is one of my favorites. I had a little bouncing competition with Mr. Tigger.....I think he won because he is just taller than me. But it was fun. Dani may have been a little embarrassed of me, but I wanted her to see that adults can have fun too. She loosened up a lot after that.

After our adventures with Winnie-the-Pooh, we continued into DinoLand and rode Dinosaur. Yep, still scares the heck out of me! I don't know why...I know it is fake...I know the stupid thing isn't really going to eat me, but darn it....I just don't like that ride!

We got to try Primeval Whirl....not a fan, then headed on out. We got lucky with the Nemo show, they were just opening up for seating and there really wasn't that many people there. The show was fabulous! Can't wait to take Bradey there next trip.

Moving right along the "circle" we crossed over the bridge into Asia and I had to pause for this shot

I was very excited to try Everest. I didn't want to do it by myself in Feb, so this was a first for me as well. The line was only 20 mins, so we grabbed FPs then hopped in line.

It was great! I thought the Yetti was broken and didn't move anymore...so when it's arm swooped down to get us, I admit I was freaked out a little. But I was ready for the the second time around. We rode this 3 times back to back. I think it is one of my favorite rides in WDW now.

By the time we were done with Everest, it was almost time for the next Lion King showing, so we hustled over to Camp Minnie Mickey to get a seat. Another wonderful show! I missed both AK shows in Feb because I wasn't sure if Bradey would sit through them. So glad I went with Dani because now I know that he would love them both!

After FOTLK, it was about 1pm and we were hungry and felt pretty sure we were done with Animal Kingdom. So we headed out and back to POFQ for lunch.

Up next.....done with AK by lunch. Hmmm...what did we do with the rest of our day??