Kick'n It at Kidani (aka Am I Becoming a Resort Snob?)Final Update 8/20 p.54

[jenjolt]

MEK...ooh love the pictures of CSR...that pool does look absolutely delightful!!

Glad you guys had a great weekend and enjoyed the band and the beer (not DS of course LOL).

Glad LJ enjoyed the pool...you have to love summers and kids in pools!!!! Can't wait to hear more about your trip!!

 

[BigEeyore]

I've got to think that they will put a CS in Kidani - that has been complaint #1 ever since it opened.
I love the African music too! It is so relaxing to me. Did you happen to notice if they sell a CD of it in the gift shop?

 

[MEK]

Soooo..NEXT year, when we have our Rehoboth DISmeet, we should go to Claws- they have all you can eat crabs, or crabs by the 1/2 or full dozen of different sizes. I LOVE to hammer and pick those suckers!!! I am very envious of the "crab thing" in MD- we have been lucky enough to have the joy (with our MD friends) of newspaper table cloths, beers and crabs a few times, and it is ALWAYS a good day!!

And I'm so happy to hear that teenage boys can wreck the room as fast as the younger boys. Oh. Joy.

And I miss AKV sooooo much looking at your pics! And guess what? I got to take pics of the Kidani fitness equipment when I was there because I have NO SHAME! I'm a DISmom!!!

That is such an AWESOME idea for a DISmeet. I am so there. I wish it was THIS year! Such a better idea compared to a noisy bar!

Those boys totally tried to trash the room. I think they were having flash backs to their younger days cause that used to be a big thing for them = going to a hotel room, jumping on the bed, and throwing pillows.

Thank for posting the pics! I would have taken some, but that man working out looked so serious. There was no way.

I agree wholeheartedly with your list of things you loved about AKL! I miss that African music as well! I need speakers throughout my house that can play mood music all day long.

I love the refurbed rooms at CSR -- how pretty! Too bad about the boys acting like idiots though.

My kids loved the CSR pool -- I loved gazing at the pyramid while sipping a drink.

I hate when people try to make you feel guilty for making them do their job.

Oh, if I could play that mood music at home.....wow. I would have speakers right on my back porch!

The CSR rooms were nice, until we trashed them. My kids were acting up so bad that I threatened to call security of them. I told them, "I don't care if I am your mother. You are disturbing other guests and if you don't stop NOW, I WILL call security". They stopped.

You know what - that bar tender did make me feel guilty for ordering that drink. Which is ridiculous, considering the price of a drink at Disney!

I've never heard of this rule before

Hmmm maybe the Coral Reef???? It is our fave - and I can't stand fish

Yeah - they were REALLY strict about drinking anywhere near the pool. I had finished the beer in my refillable mug one afternoon at Kidani and I tried to take the mug with me to wash it out in the bathroom. I tried to cut through the pool cause the sidewalk was so hot- Big Mistake - whistles everywhere! You would have thought someone was drowning. So embarrasing because once I was in the middle of the pool I just had to keep going!

Coral Reef - good guess, but not it!

Holy cow! I was so busy the past week and had nooooo time to get on here. All caught up now and ready for the last few days! Hoping the Disney magic made up for the change from Kidani to CSR!!!

Glad you are all caught up. I'm not sure why the change was hard for me. I just think it was a combination of factors. Maybe if they still had the African mood music at CSR I would have been fine!

The CSR rooms look really nice! Can't wait to hear where your best dinner was!

The whole resort was really pretty. I have so many more pictures coming. Especially day 8 - I took a ton of pics!
Best dinner - coming up tonight!

I know a few men like that!!

So do I.....So do I!

:
It seems like sometimes coaches don't really take the time to evaluate the players, instead just going with who did well in the past, or who is popular. Glad your DS got some kudos as they sound well deserved!!!

Yeah - I've heard ODP get criticized for being a money maker and not much else. If they had changed the team around a little bit I might feel differently. It would have been nice to see someone else from Delaware make the team. Especially since this kid rarely even went to the ODP practices and there were other kids thatwent every week. Entitlement is not neccesarily a good thing. They should award those spots to kids who actually went to the practices all year round. Oh well, enough said.

:
I think our trip will still take place and I would love to swap itineraries!

Yeah - so glad your trip is going to take place. I am going to post my itinerary at the end of this TR, so we can see if we can arrange a meet! When are you going to MNSSHP? Ooops - wait - you might not go! I am going on the 22nd!

:
I really liked the CSR grounds, the look and feel of the resort, but there were a few things I was disappointed with. Overall I thought it was nice though.

Your summations on AK were really helpful as I have been thinking about some of the same things. Why they wouldn't offer a cs location and they don't have a dedicated walking path between the two, just doesn't make sense to me?

CSR ground were beautiful and so conducive to walking and running.

I'm glad my summary of AKL is helpful to you. Despite the small deficiencies I listed, the resort is still top notch!

I like the new rooms at CSR. We were there the dreaded week between Christimas and New Years in 2008. Our DD had a gymnastics competition at CSR, so we stayed there for convenience purposes. OMG, I do not think I will ever NEVER go to WDW at that point in time again....at least not to visit the parks. They were UNBELIEVEABLE!!! On the plus side, CSR was so empty and quiet. We were in the Cabanas...right in between the pool and bus stop, facing the small pond with the sand beach....great location. At the busiest time our bus stop had 7 people waiting. We never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus. My DH did not like that room at all.......at that time the Cabanas had not been yet renovated.

Hey Tinkerific - that is good information to know because I heard rumblings of DS going to Wide World of sports over Christmas. I think this may be a rumor. I really have no desire to go into the parks during that week, but with an AP I might have to. Just to see the chaos for myself!

 

[MEK]

Getting caught up again after a few days away from Dis!

Great updates! I would have hated to have to leave Kidani! Just a little note for you, there is a play list of AKL music that you can download from itunes and put on your ipod or other MP3 player. I know this because Charleston Princess posted a link to it in BrookElizabeth's Tasty Planning Time with ZeBrook PTR! I have the WL music (another play list ) on my ipod, yes I'm a giant geek. I haven't gotten to downloading the AKL music yet but I will! I believe the website that has the lists is mousesavers.com.

Your too funny about the women at pool! That's just crazy! Who sits at a public pool at WDW and talks about that?! Your emergency Xanax comment made me laugh out loud!!!


Sorry CSR made you feel not as laid back! It's funny, that people either seem to love it or hate it there! I hope everything got better!

Glad you enjoyed the updates and I appreciate the info about the Ipod play list. I really did love that music. I especially loved the animal/insect sounds. I definately don't think it is geeky to have that music!

yeah - the pool woman - who can talk THAT long about the same thing?????? She can't possibly have kids, that's all I can say!

CSR was really beautiful. I just don't think I was in the right frame of mind to fully enjoy it. If I had started the trip there, it would have been perfect!

MEK...ooh love the pictures of CSR...that pool does look absolutely delightful!!

Glad you guys had a great weekend and enjoyed the band and the beer (not DS of course LOL).

Glad LJ enjoyed the pool...you have to love summers and kids in pools!!!! Can't wait to hear more about your trip!!

Hey Jen:

I have plenty more CSR pics!!!!!

We did have a nice weekend and a nice respite in Rock Hall yesterday. It makes me realize that you do need to get out and explore what's in your own back yard!

I've got to think that they will put a CS in Kidani - that has been complaint #1 ever since it opened.
I love the African music too! It is so relaxing to me. Did you happen to notice if they sell a CD of it in the gift shop?

I hope they had CS or, at the very least, improve the breakfast selections at the gift shop. I'm just not sure where they will add CS, but they need to. A lot of people go there just to chill and don't want to walk/drive/take the bus to the Jambo house.

I didn't notice whether they sold a CD, but I'm sure if they did it would be a hot seller!

 

[Lady Lallie]

Teenagers. Pffft.

Between yours and CP's TRs, I am DYING to go see AKL. It sounds so nice!

 

[TINKERIFIC]

MEK -

If you do go over the Christmas break and do go to the parks and do have a desire to ride ANY ride...train those boys now to get to the parks at rope drop.

Real life example:

We did our DVC tour (& purchase) on NYE, 2008. We received the (what I like to call) SPECIAL FP's (they are instant FP's, but the key is the FP machine has to have FP's available) to use at Epcot that day, plus a shuttle ride to the front entrance. Due to traffic, it was a 45 minute drive from SSR DVC center to EPCOT entrance. Plus by the time we got there (around 11am), all the ride FP's were gone and there was a 5 hour wait on Soarin. Jaws on ground we manuvered our way to Japan for our lunch ressie. The rest of the day was spent on wondering through WS taking pics and looking for hidden Mickeys (which was fun, except our kids, DD11 and DS2 did not think so). We did not ride ONE SINGLE RIDE. There was NO WAY I was waiting more than 2 hours for ANYTHING. Plus, I was afraid to let my DS2 get out of his stroller. I was afraid I would lose him. Needless to say, we watched the 7pm illuminations and decided to skip the midnight show that I so VERY VERY BADLY wanted to see. Instead we went back to CSR and was able to watch the DHS FW from our room window. After they were over we went outside of our room and blew our New Years horns we got at Epcot. That resort was so quiet we did not hear another peep from anyone or anything.

 

[dawnbu40]

I must tell you, prior to reading your TR I really had no desire to stay at AKL but you made it look so wonderful that now its on my "some day" list! I'm sure it was hard to switch gears from a deluxe to a mod but I hope you enjoyed your stay at CSR. We were there last Dec and it is my favorite mod. Looking forward to reading more!

 

[MEK]

Teenagers. Pffft.

Between yours and CP's TRs, I am DYING to go see AKL. It sounds so nice!

Agreed! Teenagers are ridiculously tough! I was the same way, so this is my pay back. I am reliving my teenage years!

I think you and Marc should consider AKL for your next visit. I really do think you would love it. Of course, I know how much you love WL, too. Actually the WLV is definately on my list!

MEK -

If you do go over the Christmas break and do go to the parks and do have a desire to ride ANY ride...train those boys now to get to the parks at rope drop.

Real life example:

We did our DVC tour (& purchase) on NYE, 2008. We received the (what I like to call) SPECIAL FP's (they are instant FP's, but the key is the FP machine has to have FP's available) to use at Epcot that day, plus a shuttle ride to the front entrance. Due to traffic, it was a 45 minute drive from SSR DVC center to EPCOT entrance. Plus by the time we got there (around 11am), all the ride FP's were gone and there was a 5 hour wait on Soarin. Jaws on ground we manuvered our way to Japan for our lunch ressie. The rest of the day was spent on wondering through WS taking pics and looking for hidden Mickeys (which was fun, except our kids, DD11 and DS2 did not think so). We did not ride ONE SINGLE RIDE. There was NO WAY I was waiting more than 2 hours for ANYTHING. Plus, I was afraid to let my DS2 get out of his stroller. I was afraid I would lose him. Needless to say, we watched the 7pm illuminations and decided to skip the midnight show that I so VERY VERY BADLY wanted to see. Instead we went back to CSR and was able to watch the DHS FW from our room window. After they were over we went outside of our room and blew our New Years horns we got at Epcot. That resort was so quiet we did not hear another peep from anyone or anything.

That sounds sooooooo Horrible! Really, really horrible! If we go in December I will not even buy my son a park ticket. He will be there to play soccer, period! I, on the other hand, have no problem leaving him to go visit the parks! Except your scenario sounds awful. I think I have too much crowd phobia for that.

I must tell you, prior to reading your TR I really had no desire to stay at AKL but you made it look so wonderful that now its on my "some day" list! I'm sure it was hard to switch gears from a deluxe to a mod but I hope you enjoyed your stay at CSR. We were there last Dec and it is my favorite mod. Looking forward to reading more!

For a long time I had no desire to stay at AKL, but now I know its the best stay I have ever had. I'm glad I own at SSR, but I really loved AKL.

So do you like CSR better than POFQ? I think POFQ is probably my fav mod!

 

[dawnbu40]

For a long time I had no desire to stay at AKL, but now I know its the best stay I have ever had. I'm glad I own at SSR, but I really loved AKL.

So do you like CSR better than POFQ? I think POFQ is probably my fav mod!

I did like CSR better than POFQ. Our room was pretty beaten up at POFQ while at CSR we had a brand new room (in fact...I think we were the first guests in that room after the refurb) I also found the buses at POFQ to be awful! They were always overcrowded and took forever to get anywhere because its stops at all the POR stops too. (for people who have a car that would be a non-issue though)POFQ does have its small size and boat ride to DTD on it's side, but overall I'd pick CSR.

 

[podsnel]

That is such an AWESOME idea for a DISmeet. I am so there. I wish it was THIS year! Such a better idea compared to a noisy bar!

Those boys totally tried to trash the room. I think they were having flash backs to their younger days cause that used to be a big thing for them = going to a hotel room, jumping on the bed, and throwing pillows.
Thank for posting the pics! I would have taken some, but that man working out looked so serious. There was no way.

They must be related to Keith Moon!

 

[eandesmom]

I think my DS is fine with it. He knows its all fixed. He said he had a really "chill" national ODP coach and he liked the guy a lot. The coadh put him in center D and said, " I know you want to move up, but I really need you back there". He also complimented him on having a good mental game. I'm not sure what his exact words were, so there were definately positives. My son has met a lot of good coaches over the last year and they all seem to really like him, so I hope the networking pays off.

Bu ugh, definately, on the cool teenager thing. He is much better today. We dropped my younger son off at soccer camp today and then the three of us went out to eat, so we had some good bonding time!

Sigh. I hate to think that it's all fixed. DSD's mom says the same thing over and over again. What I can see though is the networking is huge and that money maker or no, ODP is a good thing on the CV. What does your son usually play if not center D?

It sounds like you had a lovely outing, what kind of crabs? I could sit there and pick crab all day long, as long as it isn't king. While king may be "king" to me, nothing beats Dungeness! Funny though, out here you don't have those kind of crab restaurants, I went to a few in Chicago that were great when I lived there and it was a lot of fun, great group eating!

 

[MEK]

They must be related to Keith Moon!

Good one

 

[eandesmom]

That is one thing I love about living close to the Eastern Shore. We have crabs a couple times every summer. I like nothing better than to drink beer and pick crabs. For me, it is an event. Sort of like a marathon. I don't get up except to occasionally wash my hands or go the the bathroom. I have the patience of a saint when it comes to picking crabs.

So, despite the lack of crabs, DH, DS, and I still had fun. We tried a new beer (not DS). Something with an orange citrus flavor and we listened to this fabulous band. Seriously, they covered a wide spectrum of the 70's and 80's and they were fantastic musicians. The singer played flute, sax, and clarinet, plus drums. How often do you get to hear something like that? They never took a break the whole time we were there. I hated to leave.

Oh how wonderful! I adore crab cakes. Not so much as a sandwich. Give me a bucket of mussels and good beer, a slab of sourdough and I'm in heaven. The music sounds fabulous!

I love your list of things you loved, and didn't, about AKL. The positives definitely seem to outweigh any negatives!

Arrival at CSR was uneventful. We were in Casitas 5 on the second floor. I couldn't remember our room numbers if my life depended on it. We had a view of the parking lot. As soon as we entered the rooms I felt very claustrophobic. The rooms were nice, but immediately all our luggage seemed to take over. LJ stayed with DH and I and the other boys had there own room. They were adjoining rooms and I honestly wished they weren't, but that's the rule. The kids reverted to 5 year olds and started opening and closing the doors, locking the doors, and taking all the bolster pillows off the bed to have a pillow fight. It was ridiculous that I had to discipline teenagers for this!

UGH! and oh how I can completely see that happening and spiraling downhill oh so fast. It's one of the main reasons we rent condo's everywhere we go. Sure, it's more room and kitchens, etc. All of which we need. But really it spares me immense stress about whether the kids are bothering neighbors!

And that's all the pics I have from our arrival. I did have a drink from the bar. It was a fiest Mojito. probably no different from a regular Mojito. After I ordered the bartender proceeded to tell me how this was his least favorite drink to make because of all the prep time. Did I need to know that? No, cause he made me feel a little guilty for ordering it. I left him a decent tip and went back to find a spot were I could see LJ. Then I got nailed for drinking too close to the pool, but the seating choices were extremely limited. CSR was busy and the " laid back" feel of the AKL was sadly gone.

Oh my goodness! I can't believe the bartender said that. And the drinking near the pool... Isn't that the point? To drink near the pool and watch your kids?

Up Next.... Our evening in Epcot and the best dinner of the trip......and do you know where that was?????

Hmmmnn. Teppan Edo? No clue lol.

 

[MEK]

Sigh. I hate to think that it's all fixed. DSD's mom says the same thing over and over again. What I can see though is the networking is huge and that money maker or no, ODP is a good thing on the CV. What does your son usually play if not center D?

It sounds like you had a lovely outing, what kind of crabs? I could sit there and pick crab all day long, as long as it isn't king. While king may be "king" to me, nothing beats Dungeness! Funny though, out here you don't have those kind of crab restaurants, I went to a few in Chicago that were great when I lived there and it was a lot of fun, great group eating!

My son usually plays center mid. Well, that's his favorite position and it works well for him because he likes to see and set up plays. He ends up playing quite a bit of D, too, because he is very physical. He's not really tall, but he is "beefcake" (his name for muscular). He stands out when he plays a physical game, but that's why he gets hurt more than usual.

I'm sure ODP is not really fixed and once they have a good team they want to stick with it. And it is definately a good resume builder and good for networking. I have no regrets. I was disappointed on Saturday, but if they only pick 40 kids from District 1 for call back, then that's some slim odds. He had fun and that's what counts!

We did have fun yesterday. But we never got the crabs, cause they RAN out! The crab cake sandwich was pretty good, though. Fortunately, DH and I are going to an "all you can eat" crab feast next month! Plus beer!

 

[MEK]

Oh how wonderful! I adore crab cakes. Not so much as a sandwich. Give me a bucket of mussels and good beer, a slab of sourdough and I'm in heaven. The music sounds fabulous!

Love mussels and clams, too. didn't order any because my DH said he didn't want them.

I love your list of things you loved, and didn't, about AKL. The positives definitely seem to outweigh any negatives!Positives far outweighed any negatives



UGH! and oh how I can completely see that happening and spiraling downhill oh so fast. It's one of the main reasons we rent condo's everywhere we go. Sure, it's more room and kitchens, etc. All of which we need. But really it spares me immense stress about whether the kids are bothering neighbors!Yeah - I think they were probably having trouble downsizing, too.



Oh my goodness! I can't believe the bartender said that. And the drinking near the pool... Isn't that the point? To drink near the pool and watch your kids? I can't believe he said it either and then some other guy at the bar agreed and that really got him going!



Hmmmnn. Teppan Edo? No clue lol.[/QUOTE]You are a few countries away, although that was tied with The Wave for my second fav meal!

 

[eandesmom]

My son usually plays center mid. Well, that's his favorite position and it works well for him because he likes to see and set up plays. He ends up playing quite a bit of D, too, because he is very physical. He's not really tall, but he is "beefcake" (his name for muscular). He stands out when he plays a physical game, but that's why he gets hurt more than usual.

I'm sure ODP is not really fixed and once they have a good team they want to stick with it. And it is definately a good resume builder and good for networking. I have no regrets. I was disappointed on Saturday, but if they only pick 40 kids from District 1 for call back, then that's some slim odds. He had fun and that's what counts!

We did have fun yesterday. But we never got the crabs, cause they RAN out! The crab cake sandwich was pretty good, though. Fortunately, DH and I are going to an "all you can eat" crab feast next month! Plus beer!

Mid is HARD! I think they are the hardest workers on the field. I think district 5 takes 38, and yeah, some slim odds. DH and I are slightly confused as we thought holdover started next year and her camp dates went through today but she came back yesterday so we are her mom doesn't share all the details with us, it is incredibly frustrating and while DSD texted me a lot (not DH which made him upset ) it was

"good"

"I got a goal"

"We won" (we tied, we lost)

LOTS of info there huh.

K prefers left forward but has been doing some goalie turns and the occasional D. She is amazing at D (I think) but prefers striker but frankly she needs to get a lot more aggressive to stay up there. Accidental goalie, with all our changes we don't have a FT one

It sounds like your DS has a great attitude (teen tude notwithstanding) about it! As a parent I think that's all you can ask for.

 

[HockeyMomR]

MEK - loving your report as usual. Also, I had wondered about the CSR rooms, esp. with the new rehab given the new queen beds instead of doubles, so, room just too small???

On another note, another thing we have in common. We are also a crab loving family. We live in Anne Arundel County just west of Annapolis. So, tis the season!!

 

[MEK]

Mid is HARD! I think they are the hardest workers on the field. I think district 5 takes 38, and yeah, some slim odds. DH and I are slightly confused as we thought holdover started next year and her camp dates went through today but she came back yesterday so we are her mom doesn't share all the details with us, it is incredibly frustrating and while DSD texted me a lot (not DH which made him upset ) it was

"good"

"I got a goal"

"We won" (we tied, we lost)

LOTS of info there huh.

K prefers left forward but has been doing some goalie turns and the occasional D. She is amazing at D (I think) but prefers striker but frankly she needs to get a lot more aggressive to stay up there. Accidental goalie, with all our changes we don't have a FT one

It sounds like your DS has a great attitude (teen tude notwithstanding) about it! As a parent I think that's all you can ask for.

That's got to be tough dealing with DSD's mom. It's great that you have such a good relationship with her. I think every soccer player likes playing forward. But it's great when they can play defense, too. I feel sorry for full time defenders, because they usually get no glory, but they are so invaluable. Some of the best soccer players I know are the defenders. They see they whole field. I'm pretty impressed that your DSD plays goalie, too. It's great that she doesn't have just one position, like so many of the kids. She sounds really versatile. I am actually SO glad neither of my kids are goalie because that's the job with the most pressure.

BTW - I love your new Signature. Very Nice!

MEK - loving your report as usual. Also, I had wondered about the CSR rooms, esp. with the new rehab given the new queen beds instead of doubles, so, room just too small???

On another note, another thing we have in common. We are also a crab loving family. We live in Anne Arundel County just west of Annapolis. So, tis the season!!

The room just felt small after leaving Kidani. That 2BR villa is like a presidential suite. It was just hard to leave Kidani and go to a regular room. The beds were ample size and they were quite comfortable.

For Crabs. You actually don't live too far from me. A guess a little over an hour. I am on the tip of Md. 301, just over the Md. line. Next trip we will be flying out of BWI! I actually like BWI better than Philly!

Podsnel - Looks like we another crab eating Dis'er for our July 2010 DISmeet in Rehoboth!

Me Thinks we need to start planning that July 2010 Crab Pick'n DISmeet in Rehoboth now! There's enough of us MidAtlantic/NE people to make it a real party!

 

[MEK]

So after our little adventure at the pool, DH, LJ and I got ready for our evening at Epcot. Our intrepid teenagers were all napping, so we left without them. "Dinner is at eight......be there......we're not waiting for you ...... It's Le Cellier tonight! Yes I called at 7am sharp on my day 90 and I got LeCellier - I had the choice of 5:15 or 8pm. I took the later because I already knew it would be moving day. At 90 days out I had no idea where I we were going to stay. I was seriously considering staying off site to save some $. At that time I had my eye on Bonnet Creek. I figured it was off site, but still really close. I just didn't want to give up the Disney transportation, so I held out for the AP rates! Anyway, I digress!

When we arrived at Epcot it was about 5pm. I had actually hoped to get there at 3 or 4pm, but all that swimming made it impossible. It was actually a good time to arrive, because the park seemed to be "between" crowds. Test track was posting a 30 minute wait and Soarin was posting a 45 minute wait. Of course, the shortest wait was for Mission Space, so that's were we headed. We walked right onto the Green Team. I know LJ was curious about the Orange side, but I decided it would be in bad form to take him there. If he got sick or dizzy I was afraid his parents would kill me. Plus, now that they have a green side, that's all I do. The last time I went orange, I got dizzy. Not horribly dizzy...just enough that I had to sit down for about 30 seconds when I got off the ride. Before I knew it, a CM was by my side saying, "Are you OK?????". So, now I stick with the green team, despite the fact that MS actually gets boring if you ride the green side too many times.

But LJ loved it. He took his job as navigator so seriously. Which brings me to something funny that DS 14 said about Gary Sinese. He Said, "Mom, that guy on MS has those big, dark circles under his eyes, like there is something wrong with him. It sort of gives me the creeps. Why do the have someone like that telling people about the ride?"

Here is LJ post ride:

And here he is trying to learn more about the green vs. orange team:

I can't remember if LJ sent a post card home from space. I sort of forget what we did for the next few minutes after visiting the gift shop. While we were in the gift shop I suggested that we get LJ's two younger brothers (not the baby) their own laynards and a generic starter pin. DH thought this was a terrible idea. He thought they should be present to pick out their own pin and laynard. I guess laynards are a personal decision, but I knew they were already jealous of LJ's trip so I figured they would probably be jealous of his laynard and want one. Anyway, my DH made me feel like this was a terrible idea, so I canned it right there. I am just wondering if anyone has any thoughts on the matter. I actually thought it would be a fun gift to get.

From MS we ended up near the land pavilion, but we hung a sharp left and went to Honey I Shrunk the Audience. There were a lot of people in the pre show auditorium. They kept telling us to stand and move to the left. Poor LJ.....Everytime he would stand up he would wait about 30 seconds and then just plop back down again. He must have been tired from all that swimming because he is a huge "rule follower". I told him to stand so many times, I finally gave up. I just told my DH, "Grab his hand as fast as you can and pull him up as soon as we start moving into the theatre." I was afraid he would get trampled.

At some point during or after the show DS 14 texted me to tell me that he did not have his park pass. After a few nervous moments I realized that I still had it in my assortment of park passes and room cards hanging around my neck. Of course, this meant that I would have to meet him in the front of the park. So began the endless text messages....Text me when you get on the bus......Text me when you get off the bus......go to the far right turnstyle......I will be on the bench. What a pain! Fortunately we had time for one quick Journey into the Imagination with figment and then I was off to meet the boys. Note: I. They boys were pretty easy to spot.

Here are some photos DH took of me and the boys walking to meet them:

Yeah DH.....I know you are trying to figure out how to take a picture of my back side and all you got is the side view.

I know we were early for our ADR, but we were together, so we headed over to LeCellier to wait.

I had plenty of time to take pics while we waited:

This one's for the poster who says I never smile:

Here's a few more scenery pictures I took before we were finally called:

 

[MEK]

When we were finally seated it was in a big table/booth at the back of the restaurant near the bathrooms. This spot was actually good for our group in case we got a little out of control. I think DH and I may have ordered an adult beverage. I know the kids all got smoothies. I like the restaurants that include them on the meal plan. We asked LJ if he wanted one and he said, "I'm not familiar with that, so I think I'll just have lemonade". I know there are a lot of foods that LJ does not like, but, I will admit, I was a bit surprised that he never heard of a smoothie. My DS 16 ordered onion rings as an appetizer and then we place our meal orders. We convinced LJ to try the kids steak since he had been eating pizza and chicken nuggets all week. He actually really enjoyed this, so it was a good choice! Several of us had the NY stip steak and the rest had the filet mignon. I picked the filet and it was totally awesome. Now, I have to tell you that this is my third visit to Le Celllier and I am embarrased to admit that I ordered seafood the last two times. Yes...it's true.... I ordered seafood at a steak house. Both times my food was surperb. But this time my meal was super surperb! My filet literally melted in my mouth. I ordered it with the cream cheese potatoes, which were also to die for.

Here we are pre food:

And another lemonade bites the dust:

I think that pretzel bread is sticking to the side of my mouth:

Here's my filet:

This was probably DH's, since he was sitting next to me. This was the NY strip steak and the mushroom risotto:

NY strip steak and cream cheese potatoes:

Kid's steak:

So I was a good Dis'er tonight. It was our last TS meal and I had the camera going full force. All except for dessert. While LJ had the kids sundae, the rest of us had the Celebration chocolate cake, which we had boxed to go. Hence, no pictures. This meal was the most fabulous of our trip. Even though I was getting tired of over eating, I this meal. If there was anyway I could have gotten an ADR for September, I would have taken one in a heart beat.

I also want to note that we had the absolute NICEST waitress. I don't know her name, but she was extremely accomodating. We gave her an extra good tip. I told her she was my favorite server of the week. She seemed to appreciate this and told us she had only been on the job 2 weeks. I guess the cranky people hadn't gotten to her yet. Plus, she reminded me, all Canadians are nice!

After dinner we were all super stuffed. Illuminations was over and the park was closed, so we took our time heading back to the car.

We got a couple night time pics:

I remember now, that while I was waiting for the boys at the main entrance, DH and LJ went and used some of our remaining snack credits at the Kringra la bakery so we would have some yummy treats for breakfast. Unfortunately, I forgot to tell DH to get the school bread. I think he let the CM pick what she liked and it was all good!

When we got back to CSR I had 2 more snack credits to use, so DH dropped me at the gift shop and I bought a couple drinks and then headed back to the room. It was a nice walk and a pleasant evening. The resort was hopping. There were people everywhere. But there was no noise in our room and we all fell quickly to sleep.

Up next....Our last full day at the parks and Meltdown on Spaceship Earth!