"Let's See What We Can See!"- Surviving WDW With Three Under 3! - And now... A CRUISE?! Updated 4/19!

[missjackiemcg]

Happy Birthday, Jimmy's birthday twin!!! I hope you have the best time celebrating this weekend!!

I'm so glad you enjoyed CRT, but what a bummer that they didn't seat your group all together Dinner there has been hit or miss for us on different trips, but our last one we were seated right at the windows overlooking the carousel. When I realized we were going to be close to fireworks time, I made my whole family eat slower LOL They turn down the lights and pipe in the HEA music, and you can see all the big fireworks right out the windows over Fantasyland. SO MAGICAL!

Those sleepy little faces on Haunted Mansion--so cute! What troopers! Y'all are raising them right for sure.

 

[Mollydolly334]

Happy Birthday Tomorrow!!!


yikes


Ha! That is how you know they are in full on believe phase!


well that is nice at least!


Love that it looks like cheese!


Totally not the norm. Wonder is Cinderella was sick that day or something, she wasn't even down there as you left? strange


I think it's the set up. Ordering somehow isn't the same. And I LOVE the chocolate covered pineapple!!!


we really have weird bucket list items some times! I had the same thing at one point. I wanted to hear the dance lessons!

Thank you!!! It was a great day

It was super weird- after posting that update, Jake reminded me that we actually did see Cinderella briefly- she was going up the stairs as we were going down when leaving the restaurant. But even then, she just did a quick "hi" and went on her merry way. She had places to be apparently!!

I got a taste of the chocolate covered pineapple at Aulani and it was amazing!! If you guys ever head over that way... I know that you were thinking of going to Hawaii in a few years!!

After a trip to the ER Friday night, Elizabeth started to do better. She does not have pneumonia and all her tests came back negative. Her pediatrician told us her inhaler (she has mild asthma) and cough meds would not help so we did use them. The ER doc was like yes use them they are only going to help. He was surprised that we were told not to use them. I also put in the vapor plugins and all of this really helped her. She turned the corner on Saturday. She is still couching but not as bad as Friday.

Yesterday was a relaxing day because on Sunday Elizabeth surprised me with a horseback riding lesson. She had been planning this since January. I was clueless until she told me after getting to the barn. She knows I have been missing riding so this was the best gift ever. I almost cried. So yesterday I was, still am, pretty sore. But it was all worth it. I loved the ice cream cake too and will have it for days since Nick went to get it and got the biggest round cake for really only him and I that eat it.

I am glad you had a great birthday. I am going to have to try Ube. Funfetti is one of my favorites too. Massages are the best.

My husband is the same. I don't understand it. He did get a piece of ice cream cake last night. I think this is the first time I have ever seen him eat a piece in the almost 20 years we have been married.

I can't believe the kids made it that long in MK. That is such a long day. I did this with my kids the first and second trip but they were a bit old. Nick was in Kindergarten so was used to not having naps and Elizabeth would nap anywhere. She slept in my lap through the old Cars stunt show at HS and for a full ride around MK on the train.

I'm so happy Elizabeth is feeling better!! It's the worst being sick in the summer!!

I'm so glad you had a great day!! How sweet that Elizabeth surprised you!! I would have cried too; that is so thoughtful and it sounds like you had an amazing time!

We were honestly so shocked that the kids did so well that day. We had tons of marathon days this week, and they did SO SO well. I wonder if our good luck will continue in September??? I hope??

Happy 30th Birthday, Molly! I hope you have a wonderful day and trip!

Thank you Cindi!! It was a great week last week Sounds like you're having fun traveling the globe, you lucky duck!!!! Enjoy Miami- Jake and I LOVE that city!! Let me know if you need any recs!

We used the AC for nap time too. The 2 littles never napped at the same time so we did lots of splitting up.

I'm so impressed with how much you did on your MK day with 3 littles.



A cool treat with Caffeine sounds perfect.



This is my favorite FL ride. I hope they kids loved it too.



These are our favorite too!



So many great memories made!



So scary. I'm relieved she was found so fast.



This sounds good too.



Love these! DD had these for her lunch on our MK day.



Me too!



Great photo!



Even better!



Happy belated Golden Birthday! We do Golden Birthdays too. My youngest had hers last month on the 25th.




This is so strange. Cindy must have been sick this day.



You had some really great character interactions and the twins looked like they loved it.



I really wanted to try this too, but we didn't make it that late. Someday.


I'm so impressed they really liked HM.

Thank you so much!!! It was a great day. We were so pleasantly surprised that the kids did so well. They have lots of energy and love to be busy/go on outings, but this was intense even for them!!! They were so brave and such troopers with all of the rides and transitions. We did ease up on the touring as the trip went on, but we were so proud of them!! I'm hoping it sticks in September How was your trip???

We stayed there when I was a kid too. I was probably 10 or so when we did my only family WDW vacation, so we are talking about circa 1992.

It was fun to re-visit POR during our stay at POFQ!! I was surprised at how much of the resort I remembered!!

It looks a wonderful first day with everyone, so many experiences for all!
I’m glad you liked POFQ! It is top two of mods for Andi and I! I love the smallness of FQ and the beignets!
Destino Tower is my second favorite

I completely agree with your top two rankings- POFQ was first and GDT was second for us too Definitely two great options if the Deluxes are too expensive (and with how prices are looking... they usually are )

Happy Birthday, Jimmy's birthday twin!!! I hope you have the best time celebrating this weekend!!

I'm so glad you enjoyed CRT, but what a bummer that they didn't seat your group all together Dinner there has been hit or miss for us on different trips, but our last one we were seated right at the windows overlooking the carousel. When I realized we were going to be close to fireworks time, I made my whole family eat slower LOL They turn down the lights and pipe in the HEA music, and you can see all the big fireworks right out the windows over Fantasyland. SO MAGICAL!

Those sleepy little faces on Haunted Mansion--so cute! What troopers! Y'all are raising them right for sure.

Thank you Jackie!!! I'll always remember that me and Jimmy are birthday twins I hope he had a great day too!! Looks like you had a fun trip to the Dells!!

We were so proud of the kids and how well they did- I'm REALLY hoping this sticks for September We were thinking of staying in the castle for the fireworks, but we weren't seated anywhere near the window. That sounds SO magical!!

 

[Mollydolly334]

Real-Life Update: September 2024 Bookings and Birthday Celebrations!


Hi everyone! I’ve had quite the busy week this past week, so I thought I’d share a little RL update with you all.

As I stated a couple updates ago, I turned 30 years old on Tuesday, July 30th!! Since it was my Golden Birthday, my week was filled with fun activities!

First order of business… book ADRs for our September 2024 trip.

Hey, it had to be done, and I didn’t mind at all! The date to book these was on Saturday, July 27th. I REFUSED to get up at 5:00 AM again, so I settled on 8:00 AM. I figured that these would be easier to book than the ones for our May 2024 trip, since we are just one group of 8 people now. Luckily, I was right, and these were a breeze to book!! I was able to snag these ADRS:

Breakfast:
Tusker House
1900 Park Fare

Dinner:
Boma
Akershus
Be Our Guest

We are debating on adding another breakfast/lunch ADR to this list if we decide to visit Disney Springs on one of our pool days! We also might forgo BOG; this is scheduled for 4:05 PM on our MNSSHP day, and we don’t want to waste a lot of time eating when we could be out doing Halloween Party things! Plus, the party-specific snacks look AMAZING.

Overall, the plans for this trip have been trucking right along. We are at 48 days out today, which is absolutely insane to me. The time has been positively flying by!

We are doing lots of pool time this trip, and I’m so excited for the more leisurely pace. We booked our flights as well as 2-day park hoppers for everyone, since our third park day will be spent at MNSSHP! The flights this go-around were ROUGH; terrible times and SO expensive! So, it actually worked out better to leave one day earlier... #disneymath.

Our new dates are September 24- 29, 2024. Since we are arriving late on the 24th, we figured that we’d book a cheaper hotel for that night and just transfer over to AKL the morning of the 25th like we had planned. I let Haley choose the resort, and no surprise, she chose…



That’s right, another Cars Suite!! Ollie’s Cars obsession is still going strong, and we want to take advantage of it while we still can. We will spend the night of the 24th at AoA in a Cars Suite, then the rest of the trip at AKL in two resort-view rooms!

We are definitely going to pay for the new Lightning Lane Single and Multi Pass system. I’m a little nervous about booking these...it’s now 7 days out, correct? Has anyone done this yet and have some advice for me??

In addition to our Disney planning, I had a great birthday week! Going back to the morning of Saturday, July 27th; I woke up early to book our ADRs and texted my mom and Haley to confirm them at about 8:15 AM. Mom called me all surprised, saying, “I’m shocked that you’re awake this early!” (I LOVE sleeping in on the weekends).

Since I was already up, I figured that I might as well go to the gym, so I headed there after. My mom called me again about 30 minutes later while I was on the treadmill, and I answered (slightly perturbed that she interrupted my workout ). When I answered, Mom asked, “Can Haley and I kidnap you? I want to spend the day in Lake Geneva as an early birthday celebration!”



Well, how could I say no to that???? It was such a fun surprise!! I rushed back to the apartment to shower and get ready.

Mom, Haley, and I had a wonderful girl’s day in Lake Geneva, WI (about 50 minutes from me/Mom and 1 hour and 15 minutes from Haley). Ethan tagged along too!



We did some shopping and also made our own candles!





Then, we enjoyed dinner and had some ice cream. It was such a beautiful and sunny day!





Ethan’s rolls and smile MELT me. He’s getting WAY too big!

Then, a few days later, I decided to take the day off work for my actual birthday (Tuesday, July 30th). I ordered a Funfetti cake from our local bakery- it was the same bakery that made Jake and I’s wedding cake!



Cake for breakfast is a must on your birthday!

I spent the morning relaxing, reading, and watching TV. Then at 1:00 PM, I had an 80-minute massage, which was GLORIOUS. Afterwards, I got together with some work friends for drinks, then stopped at home to grab Jake for dinner.



This was waiting for me when I arrived. Jake and I got dinner from a cool place near our apartment called Story Hill BKC.



Story Hill BKC a really fun restaurant that has a lot of options for shared plates! We shared some short rib gnocchi, elote, a salad, and some crab rangoon!

Then, we returned home for more cake and some ice cream. I found the PERFECT ice cream to go with my cake…



Ube ice cream from Trader Joe’s! It was a pretty chill and relaxing birthday day; just how I like it!

Then, we continued the celebration this past weekend (August 2-4) by traveling to Chicago! Jake and I drove down on Friday after work, and we stopped for dinner at a place that may look familiar to some of you…





Summer House! We ate dinner at Summer House Santa Monica in Lincoln Park, which is a sister restaurant to Summer House on the Lake at DS! I hadn’t eaten at this location in soooo long, and Jake had never been here! We were so excited to eat here again after our delicious brunch at the Disney Springs location!



Cheers!

Jake got burrata pizza (the Breakfast Tostadas aren't on the dinner menu ), and I got my beloved Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with steak!





We also shared 3 cookies from the cookie bar: The Pinkie, The Oatmeal Scotchie, and the Sea Salt Chocolate chip!



Jake claimed that the Pinkie cookie tasted better at WDW (#Disneymagic everyone!), but otherwise it was a fantastic meal! We stayed the night at a hotel in Rosemont, IL, then drove into the city on Saturday morning. The hotels were ridiculously expensive that weekend due to Lollapalooza, so we saved a bit of money by only staying downtown on Saturday night!

First stop on Saturday morning was Stan’s Donuts for one of my favorite breakfasts in the world; a Biscoff Pocket!



This is a glazed yeast donut filled to the brim with creamy Biscoff cookie butter. My own personal heaven!

Then, we headed down into the city and got checked into our hotel. We stayed at the Hyatt Place River North, and it was a great hotel!! Super nice with comfortable rooms and a great lobby bar/restaurant. It was just a 5-10 minute walk to the Magnificent Mile!



We met up with my best friend Gabi and her husband Phil, and did some shopping! Phil’s birthday was on August 1st, so it was a celebratory weekend for us.

We also took a nice stroll along Lake Michigan. The weather was sunny and HOT- we walked over 25,000 steps today!



This was a trip full of good food and drinks. We got frozen cocktail flights from Shore Club…





And flavored Mojitos from Havana!



Then, we got all cleaned up for dinner at The Purple Pig.



I had eaten here once a long time ago, and Gabi/Phil were excited to check this place out since they have been binge-watching The Bear on Hulu (a TV show about a chef in Chicago). The Purple Pig is a James Beard award-winning restaurant that focuses on shareable plates. Spoiler alert- it was INCREDIBLE!



We couldn’t stop laughing at this picture of us cheers’ing!! For some reason, Gabi’s camera setting gave her a super long arm and Jake a giant Jimmy Neutron head.

We ordered a ton of things to all split and share!! Our favorite dish was the roasted chicken with smashed potatoes and Tzatziki sauce (no picture, boo- it was gone so quick)!

Other standouts were the roasted duck with orange sauce and sweet buns (I tried duck for the first time in Colorado and loved it)...



Glazed carrots with balsamic, toasted almonds, and goat cheese…



And prosciutto-wrapped dates!



It was a great meal with delicious food and amazing company!!

For dessert, we hit up a cute little place called Jojo’s Shake Bar. Jake and I shared a banana shake with Reece’s Pieces mixed inside (it also had a giant cookie, a mini bar of white chocolate, and a chocolate covered marshmallow on top)! I took the shake, and he took the toppings. We make a great team



Then, Sunday morning, we grabbed brunch with Gabi and Phil before hitting the road. We ate at an adorable place called The Hampton Social!



Check out this caramel pecan monkey bread...

We stopped at Haley and Ryan’s for a couple hours on the way back to hang out and visit the kids (my mom was there too), then eventually made it home by 6:00 PM.

It was an incredible weekend filled with all of my favorite things; traveling, fun restaurants, fruity drinks, shopping, walking around in nice weather, desserts, and most of all…. Quality time with my favorite people.



​

 

[VAtink]

What a fun birthday week, and happy belated birthday!!

So exciting for the upcoming trip, nice job with the ADRs! I totally forgot we'll be in Disney at the same time, if plans permit, it would be fun to meet up at some point!

 

[suse66]

Jake and I didn’t sit near the twins for this one, but apparently, they LOVED IT! Nana said that Evie had a sweaty death-grip on her hand the entire time out of excitement. As we disembarked, Evie exclaimed, “It was awesome, I love it!” Then, Nana started crying again.

Every time I read about your mom I feel like we are twins. I would also be crying and likely saying to all “it’s just so magical!”

But, the verdict?? Once again, the kids LOVED IT. Pointing and talking about everything, not scared one bit… they were so brave! This was definitely the most “vocal” ride for Ollie- his poker face went away and he was so excited! We knew that this would turn into a favorite for them. I think their love of Haunted Mansion single-handedly sparked the idea in Haley’s head for a MNSSHP trip!

That’s awesome!! They are such park troopers!

We ended up only waiting 15 minutes or so, and I’m SO glad we did. We got some really nice shots.

These are lovely! Hopefully I can talk Bill into doing these in March.

It was so glorious and peaceful, and a nice way to unwind after our busy day so far. Jake turned towards me and said, “My favorite way to do Disney is when it’s just us two."

Awwwwwww!!

really should have done a Cast Compliment for Toni, she was amazing. So warm and inviting! You could tell that she really loved working for Disney. She said that she would get bell services to our room straightaway!

Love CMs who make magic!

It was an incredible weekend filled with all of my favorite things; traveling, fun restaurants, fruity drinks, shopping, walking around in nice weather, desserts, and most of all…. Quality time with my favorite people.

Sounds like a perfect birthday weekend! My 30’s were one of my favourite decades and I am sure you will love them too.

 

[vamassey1]

How was your trip???

It was really hot, but we did pretty good. The kids did good until the last park day when we had some melt downs. We also had a mid-trip melt down from the 2-year-old when we got stuck on Living with the Land for about 15 minutes when the ride came to a complete stop. They really had a great time. We ended the trip with Fantasmic and it was the best possible way to end it.

Your birthday week was Fabulous. That's the way to celebrate! Family, Good Friends and Good Food.

 

[kclark9830]

Happy birthday . The pics of the littles' 1st day were adorable . On our 1st visit, my girls didn't look happy in any of the pictures, but of course they had a blast and couldn't wait to return .

We stopped by POFQ last year, and we fell in love with it!

 

[ambula603]

Happy belated birthday! I just drooled on my laptop looking at all those food pics. Sounds like a perfect celebratory weekend that you very much deserve!

I can't believe your September trip is so close! EEEEEEk!

 

[missjackiemcg]

Yay for ADR day going smoothly (and NOT getting up at 5 a.m.!!!)

Where did you make candles in Lake Geneva!?! I want to do that!! And did you buy that adorable blue dress?! You look like Cinderella!

Looks like your bday trip to Chicago was incredible. Fun fact, I live here and have never eaten at ANY of those places!!! LOL Best believe I was taking notes

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Sounds like you had a great birthday!!!

 

[Mollydolly334]

What a fun birthday week, and happy belated birthday!!

So exciting for the upcoming trip, nice job with the ADRs! I totally forgot we'll be in Disney at the same time, if plans permit, it would be fun to meet up at some point!

Thank you!! It was such a great week!!

YES! You should definitely PM me with your plans- I would love to try and meet up if possible!!

Every time I read about your mom I feel like we are twins. I would also be crying and likely saying to all “it’s just so magical!”

That’s awesome!! They are such park troopers!

These are lovely! Hopefully I can talk Bill into doing these in March.

Awwwwwww!!

Love CMs who make magic!

Sounds like a perfect birthday weekend! My 30’s were one of my favourite decades and I am sure you will love them too.

Thank you so much!! YES you guys would get along splendidly!! Definitely need to plan a meet-up soon (I STILL can't believe we've never actually met in person yet. I feel like I've known you for years)!

It was really hot, but we did pretty good. The kids did good until the last park day when we had some melt downs. We also had a mid-trip melt down from the 2-year-old when we got stuck on Living with the Land for about 15 minutes when the ride came to a complete stop. They really had a great time. We ended the trip with Fantasmic and it was the best possible way to end it.

Your birthday week was Fabulous. That's the way to celebrate! Family, Good Friends and Good Food.

Sounds like an amazing trip!! So glad the kids had fun- meltdowns are bound to happen (we had our fair share later in the week)- Disney is the definition of sensory overload!! We missed Fantasmic last time- I'm really hoping we catch it in September!

Happy birthday . The pics of the littles' 1st day were adorable . On our 1st visit, my girls didn't look happy in any of the pictures, but of course they had a blast and couldn't wait to return .

We stopped by POFQ last year, and we fell in love with it!

Thank you!!!! Seriously- POFQ stole our hearts. It was adorable!! I've been reading your PTR and can't wait to hear about your cruise!! Jake and I are just waiting to pull the trigger on our first cruise!

Happy belated birthday! I just drooled on my laptop looking at all those food pics. Sounds like a perfect celebratory weekend that you very much deserve!

I can't believe your September trip is so close! EEEEEEk!

Thanks Amber!! It was an AMAZING food weekend Seriously- I keep forgetting that we are going back to WDW so soon (AND DLR)! We have been traveling machines lately! Are you guys planning any WDW trips anytime soon? I may have already asked this but I can't remember

Yay for ADR day going smoothly (and NOT getting up at 5 a.m.!!!)

Where did you make candles in Lake Geneva!?! I want to do that!! And did you buy that adorable blue dress?! You look like Cinderella!

Looks like your bday trip to Chicago was incredible. Fun fact, I live here and have never eaten at ANY of those places!!! LOL Best believe I was taking notes

Thank you so much Jackie!!! Sadly, I did not buy the blue dress It was a smidge too small but I found another one similar to it that fit much better, thank goodness! We made our candles at The Candle Mercantile right downtown- it was such a fun experience!!

OMG. You've never had Stan's Donuts??? I will personally drive down there, kidnap you, and make sure I am witness to your first visit

Sounds like you had a great birthday!!!

Thanks Ariella!! It was a perfect week

 

[Mollydolly334]

Day 5 (The One Where Jake Finds His Favorite Park, and It’s Molly’s Turn to Find Food Nirvana!)- Part 1


Jake and I were awake by 8:00 AM today! Mom was up a little earlier (she’s an early bird), but she was nice and quiet and let us sleep. I woke up with a twinge of sadness, because tonight, Jake was flying back home to Milwaukee.

We didn’t feel the need to purchase Genie + for this day, so it was the latest we slept all trip. It felt great to catch up on sleep, but it also felt WEIRD. Almost like we were forgetting something. Needless to say, I skipped the makeup this morning and got ready as quickly as possible. I wanted to get off to a park ASAP and make the most of Jake’s last day!

We bid Nana goodbye and told her that we’d see her later- she was going to explore POFQ and have a pool day!



This was the view outside our room (Taken later on this day after the clouds came through). Very peaceful!







It was a gorgeous, sunny morning at POFQ! I love how it feels like you’re in a little town.

We made it to the bus stop by 8:40 AM!



Then, we were seeing the Animal Kingdom sign at 9:15 AM on the dot!



Again, still relatively early, but it felt SO late to Jake and I. Which is so funny; I remember regularly moseying into the parks at 10:30 AM or so on Mom and I’s mother-daughter trips!



On my PTR, I had mentioned that Jake sort of dragged me into going to Animal Kingdom today. We were visiting DAK with the kids later in the week, and usually, one day at Animal Kingdom per trip is plenty for me. But, Jake had really liked Animal Kingdom on our last trip, and how could I deny his request on his last day? We were still planning on a somewhat quicker visit, since we both wanted to check out the pool at POFQ as well.

We grabbed some cute PhotoPass shots right away!







Really, Jake and I’s only must-do’s today were: 1. Expedition Everest 2. Dinosaur 3. FOOD!

I’m so used to going straight to Africa upon entering Animal Kingdom, then riding Kilimanjaro Safaris first. That seems to always unintentionally be our “AK itinerary.” But, we noticed that there was only a 20 minute standby wait for Dinosaur, so it was off to Dinoland!





I love the vintage vibes of this pre-show. Hi, Clair!



Once again, we didn’t get our ride photos. But it was a great ride! Jake and I love Indiana Jones over at DLR as well (same ride set-up, different theming). They are both such great rides!!

After we got off the ride, we realized that we were STARVING, and I was quickly reaching hangry territory. So, we headed off in search of some food!



When we got to Asia, we reached the Royal Anandapur Tea Company. I remember getting a Frozen Chai from here a loooooong time ago, so I was excited to get another one today!



However, at the last second, I pivoted and got a “Frozen Cappuccino Dream” instead for some reason. Jake decided on a Frozen Matcha! Jake doesn’t like coffee, and I introduced him to matcha a few months ago when Starbucks had their Lavender Cream Oat Milk Matcha drink. We had been scouring all of the Joffrey’s this trip, but this was the only one that had a matcha drink!



OMG. I had MAJOR drink envy with this one. My “Frozen Cappuccino Dream” was more like a “Watered-Down Cappuccino Nightmare” and had absolutely no flavor. But Jake’s Frozen Matcha was sooooo smooth, refreshing, and perfectly sweet and creamy. I’m not even a huge matcha fan- I much prefer coffee! He was a great husband and let me have a couple big sips. But, I vowed that I would get a Frozen Matcha all to myself before the trip was over.

Needless to say, my coffee drink was NOT satisfying. We were both in the mood for some breakfast food! We took a slow walk towards Africa and just took our time looking around at all of the details. It felt great to not be rushing off to do something!

Animal Kingdom felt absolutely PERFECT this morning. The weather wasn’t too hot yet, the crowds were low, and the vibe was so relaxing. They were playing some great music, and it felt great just to hold hands and take in all of the amazing theming of the park. It was definitely a different vibe than MK yesterday! Jake started to say, “Animal Kingdom might now be my #1 park.”

When we stopped to look at the menu at Drinkwallah, Jake declared, “OK, now Animal Kingdom is DEFINITELY my favorite park. Look what’s on the menu!”



Readers of our Aulani TR will know that Kona Longboard is one of Jake’s favorite beers, and it can sometimes be hard to find. Jake was so excited to see this on the menu! I encouraged him to get one (no rules on vacation!) but he said he still felt a little weird having a beer at 10:20 AM. We still waited in line, because there were two things we wanted to try at Drinkwallah!



We decided to share the Stuffed Pancake Sandwich and some cinnamon-glazed pecans.

I took most of the pecans, and they were just what I was craving; they were warm, crunchy, and so sweet! Then, Jake and I split the pancake sandwich in half.



It was basically sausage, egg, cheese, and guava paste wrapped around a giant maple-flavored pancake bun. HOLY COW did this meal hit the spot. The pancake sandwich was amazing- it was like an upgraded McGriddle and the guava paste added a nice sweetness. It also paired so well with the pecans. We inhaled all of this!

Jake and I were still a little peckish, so we decided to split one more thing. I found us a table, and Jake waited in line over at Eight Spoons Cafe. While waiting at the table, I got a text from Jake saying, “I see Kevin!”





Kevin was taking a nice leisurely stroll. I love watching Kevin roaming around and seeing all of her funny noises/mannerisms.

Confession time- Jake and I watched the movie “Up” for the very first time last year (I know, I know- I can’t believe I had never seen it either!). Unfortunately, we HATED it. We could not get into the plot and it just got too bizarre for us. We're aware that this is definitely an unpopular opinion, haha! We were sad we didn’t like it, because it has such a cult following and it has lots of representation in the parks!

For our second snack, we decided to share the Pulled Pork Jelly Donut Sandwich from Eight Spoons Cafe!



The bun was a glazed donut with raspberry jelly filling, then inside was some BBQ pulled pork and coleslaw! Once again, it was a delicious sweet-and-savory treat. Animal Kingdom was 10/10 on food so far!! I was super full after this, so we knew that we needed to rest our tummies a little bit before doing any rides.

\

I took a picture of this “Feathered Friends in Flight” show, because back in 2002, I was chosen out of the audience to be in the show. The show was called “Flights of Wonder” back then. My role was to solve simple math problems against a (very smart) talking parrot!



I couldn’t find a picture of myself actually during the show, but here I am on that same trip. I wasn’t (and am still not) the best at math, so it was a little stressful , but I was a good sport about it and able to laugh with the audience! It was an absolute HIGHLIGHT of the trip for my 8-year old self.

Then, Jake and I decided to do the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail!



We kind of breezed through this, since there weren’t many animals out and about. It was suuuuper hot outside, so the gorillas were cooling off indoors!



We did get to observe the (human) behavior on display. There was a grown man taunting a group of monkeys (making noises, tapping on the enclosure). When he was politely corrected by a CM, he screamed, “WELL FINE THEN I’LL LEAVE” and stormed off. His wife was SO EMBARRASSED and chased after him! Seriously, what a man-child!



I love all of the signs posted up around the park. I’ve never been to Asia, India, or Africa, but I have a feeling that there are a lot of signs/decor like this in the cities!

Coming up next- more strolling and eating our way through Animal Kingdom!




​

 

[Paulaparm]

Both of those sandwiches look amazing! Might have to put them on our list!!

 

[piglet1979]

Confession time- Jake and I watched the movie “Up” for the very first time last year (I know, I know- I can’t believe I had never seen it either!)

I have yet to see the movie. It came out in what I call my in between years. It was after the 90's boom in movies with Aladdin and such and it was also my earlier 20's where I didn't watch many Disney movies and it was before I had kids.

 

[vamassey1]

AK is my husbands favorite park. It's great you got some time together here.

Your snacks sound very interesting. So much variety in AK when it comes to food.

 

[cindianne320]

Thank you! My sister and I had a great cruise out of Miami.
Your birthday sounded wonderful, and all that food looked terrific!
I just love Animal Kingdom. My youngest was chosen as an honorary bird trainer on our last trip, and it was also a highlight for him!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

It was a gorgeous, sunny morning at POFQ! I love how it feels like you’re in a little town.

It really is so homey feeling there!

It was definitely a different vibe than MK yesterday! Jake started to say, “Animal Kingdom might now be my #1 park.”

It is def designed to be that way. Sadly lots of folks don't take it slow in AK.

We could not get into the plot and it just got too bizarre for us. We're aware that this is definitely an unpopular opinion, haha!

It is a weird plot!!! I feel like when they get to the "bad guy" is when the story really looses it... I do like it but I totally see how you can be put off by it.

The bun was a glazed donut with raspberry jelly filling, then inside was some BBQ pulled pork and coleslaw! Once again, it was a delicious sweet-and-savory treat. Animal Kingdom was 10/10 on food so far!! I was super full after this, so we knew that we needed to rest our tummies a little bit b

Man you hit all of the greatests hits there and all the items I mean to try and always forget about!?!?

 

[ambula603]

Are you guys planning any WDW trips anytime soon?

We have a Disney DAY in October in the middle of fall break - we start at Universal Studios and stay 3 nights, then 2 nights at Polynesian with a MNSSHP thrown in (no park days, because Jason wants to try Sea World), followed by 3 nights at the beach in Destin.

Jake and I were still a little peckish

This made me grin. I think I am always a little peckish at Disney! But all of your food offerings look delicious. I drink Matcha all the time, now I want to find some lavender-type syrup or cream to add because that sounds so good!

There are days when AK just hits differently. I have been there when it was so hot and crowded and miserable and I have also been there when it was just like your day...perfect!

 

[Mollydolly334]

Both of those sandwiches look amazing! Might have to put them on our list!!

OMG they were both amazing and so filling!! So unique too; you won't really find food like this in the other parks!!

I have yet to see the movie. It came out in what I call my in between years. It was after the 90's boom in movies with Aladdin and such and it was also my earlier 20's where I didn't watch many Disney movies and it was before I had kids.

Funny enough; those were also my "in between" years!!! I kind of lost my Disney obsession in high school for a bit, but it came back full force in 2013 (my freshman year of college)

AK is my husbands favorite park. It's great you got some time together here.

Your snacks sound very interesting. So much variety in AK when it comes to food.

AK is definitely my #2 park when it comes to food (Epcot will always be #1 for obvious reasons). I was so impressed by the variety!! I feel like WDW has really upped their snack game lately and has come out with some really unique options!

Thank you! My sister and I had a great cruise out of Miami.
Your birthday sounded wonderful, and all that food looked terrific!
I just love Animal Kingdom. My youngest was chosen as an honorary bird trainer on our last trip, and it was also a highlight for him!

SO glad to hear you had a nice relaxing trip!!! I love that your son has that same memory It may seem like something small, but it's those kind of things that make Disney special and stick with you forever. It's also stuff like that that makes my Disney nostalgia so strong!

It really is so homey feeling there!


It is def designed to be that way. Sadly lots of folks don't take it slow in AK.


It is a weird plot!!! I feel like when they get to the "bad guy" is when the story really looses it... I do like it but I totally see how you can be put off by it.


Man you hit all of the greatests hits there and all the items I mean to try and always forget about!

YES- it's that exact plot line where it really went haywire for Jake and I! I wish they just kept it more simple!! And the talking dogs just made us go "why???"

This was really the first time I took it slow in AK myself! Usually we're a "Go to AK, ride the big rides, leave AK" kind of family! I was SO pleasantly surprised at the food and entertainment options there; really reinforces the idea of "stop and smell the roses!"

We have a Disney DAY in October in the middle of fall break - we start at Universal Studios and stay 3 nights, then 2 nights at Polynesian with a MNSSHP thrown in (no park days, because Jason wants to try Sea World), followed by 3 nights at the beach in Destin.


This made me grin. I think I am always a little peckish at Disney! But all of your food offerings look delicious. I drink Matcha all the time, now I want to find some lavender-type syrup or cream to add because that sounds so good!

There are days when AK just hits differently. I have been there when it was so hot and crowded and miserable and I have also been there when it was just like your day...perfect!

OMG that's right, your Poly stay!!! I love the Florida panhandle beaches; they are so beautiful with amazing white sand. I've been to PCB a couple of times in high school, but 30A as well as St. Augustine is on Jake and I's list!

I'm pretty sure this singular drink got me into Matcha; I'm drinking it more and more often now and really enjoying it!! I definitely prefer mine on the milky side though; plan matcha can get too earthy for me (similar to unsweetened green tea).

I'm so happy we had a "perfect AK day" on Jake's last day I hear you though; AK can be absolutely HORRIBLE in the heat. I remember on our 2017 trip it was just like that; I couldn't wait to leave the park! It was a couple days before Hurricane Irma hit and the humidity was unreal!!!

 

[missjackiemcg]

OMG. You've never had Stan's Donuts??? I will personally drive down there, kidnap you, and make sure I am witness to your first visit

I know, right!? What is even wrong with me? The closest I've come is almost signing up for the Stan's Donuts 5K run, but I didn't end up signing up for it.

Jake and I love Indiana Jones over at DLR as well (same ride set-up, different theming). They are both such great rides!!

SO, what are your thoughts about the upcoming change to Dinosaur?!

Sounds like a super tasty day at AK!