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

[piglet1979]

Wow!! I'm surprised that Epcot is your least favorite park- that's quite the unpopular opinion!! Epcot used to be Jake's favorite park, but each time we go there, he keeps saying that he likes it less and less.

This goes back to when I was a kid. I am not a fan of the World Showcase. I get bored. I a very picky eater and I don't drink so I there isn't much for me to do. I do like that they have added another ride though.

My options were pretty limited, since I only like vanilla cake and I don’t like cream cheese frosting. The #1 cake slice that I had wanted to try this trip was the Golden Oreo Cake. It sounded RIGHT up my alley; sometimes, I actually prefer Golden Oreos to regular chocolate ones!

This is me too. The Golden ones are so much better.

Behold… the Golden Oreo Cake!

This looks amazing. I tried to go to Gideon's on our last trip but it was late and Easter week so there wasn't anything left. I told Jeff that it will be a must on the next trip.

 

[Mollydolly334]

I've been to Tiffins twice- once by myself and once with DH.
I'm trying to decipher my pictures. It looks like Z and I shared the bread service, I had yummy pour-over soup, and a steak dish. (And a fancy purple martini.)
When I went by myself, I had a rum punch, another pour-over soup, and Lobster Mac and Cheese. Then I had the 50th dessert. Everything was so good!

Ah- I'm sorry you were so sad to say goodbye to Jake. That must have been so hard! I hope the rest of your trip goes smoothly and you enjoyed the time with your family!

I'll definitely have to try Tiffin's sometime- it sounds like a great adult meal for a mother-daughter trip or a date night with Jake!!

Oh yes- I got over my sadness pretty quickly and cherished this time; it's not often that I see the kids for multiple days in a row like this, and it was so fun to have so much quality time together!! Just wished that Jake was along for the rest of the trip too

I love golden Oreos that cake looks divine! I would love it
I’m sorry Jake had to return to reality already! It sounds like you had a wonderful few days with him at your Happy place!

Ahhhh the cake was so good- if you love Golden Oreos then you must try it!! The flavor is spot on!!

I was so sad- that's one part of Jake's job that I hate is that (in my opinion) he doesn't get nearly enough PTO!! We have to be really creative with his days off and how we schedule vacations!

This is so sweet and sounds JUST like Jason and I. Even after 20 years together, I still feel this. I actually started choking up FOR you while reading you describe how your heart was hurting!


I need to add gut-rot to my vocabulary, that is hilarious (but not fun at all!)


Love, love, love seeing ordinary people do sweet, considerate things. I must be hormonal because I teared up reading about this, too!

OK I'm glad that we're not the only one like this; I hear about so many people "wanting" a break from their husband and I'm like "hmmm can't relate." Don't get me wrong, I like my alone time if Jake is out with friends... but after like half a day I'm like "Ok can you come home now?"

HAHA it got Mom and I too!! I feel like it's so rare to see someone just being a plain old GOOD HUMAN! Without needing anything in return!

We're doing an adult only trip in January, so I'll be trying again.



This does look like a nice selection. I live in Louisiana and fly out of New Orleans. If you make it down there, there is a restaurant right past security that is linked to Leah Chase and there is a Cafe du Monde location there too.




Fabulous photo!



I think I would like this too. You can't go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter.



So cute!



So sorry for your sadness. I know you were thrilled once you were back together.



Rainforest Cafe and TRex are basically for the kids. We go there too for the kids.



I think I would like this too.

Chocolate and peanut butter is the BEST combo!!!

I'll have to message you if Jake and I do end up scheduling a trip to NOLA!! As a local, I'm sure you know all of the best spots and places to eat/things to do!! It's on our list for sure!

I am still so bummed we fly home the day you fly in! We wont even cross in the airport as we have like a noon flight home!

What a great way to spend your early bday!

Oh my goodness what a sweet happy little chunk! I wanted a chunky baby so badly. I did not get one lol

If you are not having cake for breakfast on your bday you are doing it wrong.

What a perfect end to a perfect day!

Every single Mickey bar we got in August was broken. Savannah's ASD really showed here because she COULD NOT eat the broken Mickey bar. Did not matter if she bit it the chocolate would have the same effect. Never thought Id say this, but I ate way more Mickey bars last month than I wanted to!

Totally something I would do!

Oh no! What a bummer! I love walking the grounds of both resorts.

Ewww yuck! Whiskey and Burbon are not my favorites.

During the pandemic I had a box I had brought home from NOLA, I ordered a deep fryer JUST so I could make beignets at home the "right way". They were pretty good!

I am sad I can no longer get chocolate covered pretzels there!

So cute!

Same! I do not love the food at all, but we used to go there all the time when we went to Disney.

Well she is pretty creepy.

Oh my gosh this looks AMAZING!

UGH no I'm so glad to miss you!!! I mean, hey, guess that just means we'll have to plan more WDW trips so we can meet. Awwww, darn What are your travel plans for the rest of the year? (You can PM me too if you don't want to post it all over haha).

Ethan and Ollie were such chunks and I loved every second of it! And OK I agree with Savannah- if a Mickey Bar is broken, I don't want it. (I mean, I'll still EAT it... but I won't enjoy it as much LOL).

Oh, yes, you have to go at least once! It's such an incredible city--so much history and so much to see and do!


Oh, yum. Yay for beignets!! And Tiana's inspiration, Leah Chase!!!


Awww, this made me tear-up!!!!

Your cake and cookie selection sounds like a perfect way to wrap up the night, especially when you didn't really enjoy your dinner.

Poor Jake with the craziness of MCO. Who'd think it would be so wild so late at night!?

YES! I'll have to reach out to you and Vanessa with ideas, since I know you go there pretty often!!

I'm much more of a sweets gal than savory l (if you haven't noticed already ), so I wasn't really torn up about the bad meal. More room for dessert!!

It was super random that MCO was so busy- especially because it was a Monday night?? It definitely made me super nervous for our flight back!

Goodness the cake looks SO GOOD!!!

It was AMAZING!!! SO rich and the perfect flavor and texture!! If it's available on our September trip, I'll try to get another slice (I also want to try a new flavor- but I like the Golden Oreo cake THAT much that I don't know if I can deviate!)

I’ve never tried any of Gideon’s cakes yet. Definitely on my list for January

Oh you definitely should!! If you like cake, these are amazing and I love all of the unique flavors too! I want to try another slice on our September trip!!

This goes back to when I was a kid. I am not a fan of the World Showcase. I get bored. I a very picky eater and I don't drink so I there isn't much for me to do. I do like that they have added another ride though.

This is me too. The Golden ones are so much better.

This looks amazing. I tried to go to Gideon's on our last trip but it was late and Easter week so there wasn't anything left. I told Jeff that it will be a must on the next trip.

Ahhh I definitely get your opinion then! Yeah, besides eating and drinking, there isn't really too much to "do" in WS. I always say that one day I'm going to check out the videos/shows in every pavilion, but I feel like that would get really repetitive if I'd try to do it all in a day or two.

YES I hope that the Golden Oreo Cake is available for you to try on your next trip! Since you love cake and Golden Oreos you will be in HEAVEN!!

 

[vamassey1]

I'll have to message you if Jake and I do end up scheduling a trip to NOLA!! As a local, I'm sure you know all of the best spots and places to eat/things to do!! It's on our list for sure!

Please feel free to reach out. We're in Baton Rouge so not true locals but we do have some favorite things to do and places to go. @missjackiemcg is the New Orleans touring Queen.

 

[Mollydolly334]

Day 6 (The One Where Someone Gets a Shiner, and Cosmic Rewind Has Everyone in a Chokehold!)- Part 1


Hi everyone!! I can’t believe that summer is already winding down and fall is approaching. I got my first Pumpkin Spice Latte on Friday, but I had to get it iced because it’s been in the 90s all week over here! I’m super eager for that crisp weather and all things fall… I LOVE this time of year and I think that fall has officially become my favorite season! It’s also giving me ALL of the nostalgia for our wedding and honeymoon that happened around this time last year.

Another seasonal milestone- Evie and Ollie had their first day of 3K last week!











The whole crew!!



So far, it’s going really, really well. They are going 3 days a week for just a few hours in the morning! Evie had a few tears and kept saying “I’m nervous” for the first couple days, but they both love their teacher and have already gotten into the routine! Ollie also started soccer last week, and Evie starts ballet lessons this week. They are growing up so fast and turning into full-blown KIDS!!

But now, back to Day 6!

Good morning from POFQ! Mom and I were early birds this morning and awake at 6:30 AM. We were planning to rope-drop Epcot this morning, and we still needed to purchase Genie +!

I had gotten a text from Jake at about 1:30 AM the night before, stating that he had arrived home safely in Milwaukee.



Clearly, my first priority was filling him in on my amazing cake.

We had some issues with his flight changing multiple times before the trip started (it was his first time flying with Spirit Airlines), so I was SO relieved that his flight had gone smoothly! I felt bad though, I knew that watching us at WDW all week while he had to work would KILL him!

Once it hit 7:00 AM, I did my planning duties and scoured MDE. Everyone did a fantastic job of having Genie + all ready and purchased in the morning during the whole week; this made it really easy to get everything done right at 7:00! I was able to get a Genie + for Frozen Ever After from 10:50- 11:50 AM for the whole crew.

I also purchased an Individual Lightning Lane for Cosmic Rewind for Mom, Haley, and I from 1:05- 2:05. We were trying to balance out our ride times today and do this ride in “shifts,” so that there would always be multiple people to sit with the kids while the others rode. I communicated this in our group chat, and the rest of the crew said that they would prefer me to help them with the virtual queue at 1:00 rather than purchase an ILL!

Mom and I were out the door by 7:25!!







There is something about early mornings at the WDW resorts that is SO calming to me. One thing that we noticed about this resort in particular was how peaceful and quiet it was. Many times throughout our stay at POFQ, we commented that we felt like we were the only guests here! It was SUCH a nice change from CSR.

We saw a Lightning Mcqueen bus at the bus station, so of course, I had to take a picture for Ollie!



Mom and I caught a bus in no time, and we were arriving at Epcot by 7:50!



We decided to rope-drop Test Track today! We were briefly considering Soarin’, but figured that we should get on Test Track just in case the weather became dicey later. This was one of Mom’s first times doing a true “rope drop” at a park- we did this a couple times at DHS back in 2021, and Mom was pretty wow’ed by how much we were able to get done!

Once again, we had to wait with the masses for a while. Mom didn’t mind, but I felt like the more times we did this, the less patient I got. I normally don’t get claustrophobic or anything like that, but it always felt super hot in the crowds and I could feel myself getting anxious while waiting! I stepped away by Club Cool for a second to catch my breath, and that seemed to help. The rope dropped right at 8:30, and we were designing our car by 8:45 AM!



Had to go with an uber-girly purple car covered in butterflies!

We were sat with a nice family with 2 adult sons from Colorado. We got chatting with them, since Jake and I were just starting to plan our 4th of July trip to Colorado and I wanted some tips. I mentioned that we were going to check out Boulder, and the mom responded, “Oh, my son goes to school in Boulder! What school do you go to?”

I laughed and said that I graduated college 8 years ago. The mom was SHOCKED (a common response- I definitely look younger than I am), and I responded “Oh yeah, I just got married last year and I turn 30 in two months.” We had a good laugh about it!!

It was lucky that we had such good ride partners, since the ride ended up stopping quite a few times!! That’s the one thing about this ride; if it stops/delays once, it tends to do it a few more times throughout the ride. There were a couple of rough brakes in there!



It’s always unsettling when there’s a stop right before the launch...



After our fun ride, we decided to get a ride in on Soarin’ before the kids arrived, since they’re still too short for this. We stopped to get a couple PhotoPass shots in front of the Figment flower topiary!!







The line for Soarin’ was up to 40 minutes, but we knew that it would probably be shorter. We were on the ride in 25 minutes! We had a great time soaring around the world as always.

After our ride on Soarin’, it was nearing 10:00 AM, so we texted Haley and the gang asking where they were at. They were waiting for Kahla to arrive at the Marriott (her flight from Nashville landed at 9:15 AM), then they said they would all head over to Epcot together! So, Mom and I had a bit more time just the two of us. We decided to head over to World Showcase and get a quick breakfast!







I’m not going to lie, it felt so nice to have some solo time with Mom!! It brought back such good memories of our past mother-daughter trips. We are both so in-sync when it comes to Disney park touring!

I was in need of some caffeine, and Mom was thirsty too, so we stopped at the Joffrey’s near England. I decided on an iced Lavender Dreams Latte. Mom (like Jake), doesn’t like coffee, so she got a Citrus Frosted Tea!



The Lavender Dreams Latte was another seasonal item for F&G! It had a really nice flavor and wasn’t too sweet, but I think I liked the Iced Berry Chai from a couple days ago slightly better.

While we were enjoying our drinks, we saw Piglet, Rabbit, and King Louie make a surprise appearance! It was super cute and very random.



I had a particular French pastry on the brain, so we headed over to France next!





The line for Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie looked daunting, but since we were just kind of waiting for the rest of the group to arrive, we decided to hop in the queue (with some grumbling from Mom ). The line ended up only being about 15 minutes, and we were able to find a little table near the front!

I was SO excited to try my treat. I decided on a Raspberry Lime Macaron!



Mom got a chocolate croissant!



This was a solid breakfast!! However, I must say that I was slightlllyy disappointed. Last April at Disneyland, I had tried the Raspberry Rose Macaron from Jolly Holiday, and it was AMAZING. It was the best macaron I had ever had and my favorite treat I tried at DLR! So, I had pretty high expectations for this macaron, and while it was great, nothing could compare to the one at Jolly Holiday!

Mom was also having some order regrets; she had seen a Croque Monsieur in the bakery case, but decided to pivot to the chocolate croissant since she didn’t want something too big. But, she couldn't stop thinking about the gooey cheese!

It was still a great choice for breakfast; our pastries were nice and light!

The Marriott group texted us that they had arrived at the park, so we headed for Norway to meet them over at Frozen Ever After!!




​

 

[alohamom]

Clearly, my first priority was filling him in on my amazing cake

HAHAHA, I like your priorities!

 

[Woth2982]

I mean, hey, guess that just means we'll have to plan more WDW trips so we can meet. Awwww, darn What are your travel plans for the rest of the year?

Awww what a major bummer. Twist my arm! Haha. After September we are going again November 9-16 with my best friends family! She has two girls a little older than Savannah. Jackson will be the only prince in the crew, but he will have fun! After that I don't really have any plans for 2025! I feel so lost! We have two cruises planned, one for my sisters 40th with my whole family, then Alaska in September with my three friends. Not sure where I can fit in Disney, but you know I will try lol.

 

[Paulaparm]

Clearly, my first priority was filling him in on my amazing cake

At least you told him you loved him first!

 

[vamassey1]

You really do get such a head start when you rope drop. It's also nice that the park isn't as crowded.

Looking forward to everyone riding Frozen together.

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

I got my first Pumpkin Spice Latte on Friday, but I had to get it iced because it’s been in the 90s all week over here!

I have a hard no pumpkin stuff till September.

Evie and Ollie had their first day of 3K last week!

Evie has a death grip on him! Her body language is screaming nervous!

And this, she is looking at him like, what is his problem.

 

[cindianne320]

I love me a PSL and have had 2 already- one traditional on Thursday and an iced one on Monday!

What a great morning with your mom. I just love EPCOT when it's not crazy busy. And your niece and nephew looked so cute on their first day of school!

 

[missjackiemcg]

@missjackiemcg is the New Orleans touring Queen.

My Grandma trained me well!! New Orleans was her favorite placed, passed down to my Mom, and now me & Jimmy, too!

I’m not going to lie, it felt so nice to have some solo time with Mom!! It brought back such good memories of our past mother-daughter trips. We are both so in-sync when it comes to Disney park touring!

I was thinking this exactly as I read through your morning! My Mom is not an easy-going traveler on our big family trips, but when it's just the two of us, everything just goes so smoothly and we're living our best lives. Mother-Daughter time is just so special.

 

[piglet1979]

OMG! This kids are so cute for their first day of school. This time will go fast and before you know it you will be taking these pictures.
First day of Senior year

First day of her college class. She is taking 1 class at the high school and 2 at college this year.

First year of college (He said he is getting a haircut soon thankfully. I am not a fan of it in his eyes)


Your morning sounds great. You got on a few rides and also had time to rest too before the rest of the group made it. That one on one time is still so needed even though we are adults and the parks are a great place to do that. For my mom and I it is horse shows. She shows and I watch but there is a lot of downtime too. I did talk her into going to Disney once but it was August of 202 and got canceled.

 

[Mollydolly334]

HAHAHA, I like your priorities!

Hahaha I'm lucky that Jake is a foodie like me and would have done the exact same thing

Awww what a major bummer. Twist my arm! Haha. After September we are going again November 9-16 with my best friends family! She has two girls a little older than Savannah. Jackson will be the only prince in the crew, but he will have fun! After that I don't really have any plans for 2025! I feel so lost! We have two cruises planned, one for my sisters 40th with my whole family, then Alaska in September with my three friends. Not sure where I can fit in Disney, but you know I will try lol.

Ahhhh so fun!! You guys have a solid line-up of trips, I love it!! After California in October, Jake and I will probably take a little break until after the holidays, but try to do a week-long trip sometimes in the spring/early summer. Probably not a Disney park; we are really considering an Alaska/Caribbean cruise though!

At least you told him you loved him first!

Hahaha that's very true!! I love Jake, then cake (in that order)

You really do get such a head start when you rope drop. It's also nice that the park isn't as crowded.

Looking forward to everyone riding Frozen together.

Once I started rope-dropping in 2021, I've never looked back!! It was especially so amazing in Disneyland; we got on SO many rides early in the morning, so we didn't feel bad taking a mid-day break!

I have a hard no pumpkin stuff till September.


Evie has a death grip on him! Her body language is screaming nervous!


And this, she is looking at him like, what is his problem.

I used to be like that too; but I love pumpkin stuff so much that I abandoned that rule a couple years back Oh yes, Evie is definitely the more high-strung "nervous Nellie" of the two. Ollie is super laid back and go-with-the flow! Haley joked that he didn't even notice she was gone!

I love me a PSL and have had 2 already- one traditional on Thursday and an iced one on Monday!

What a great morning with your mom. I just love EPCOT when it's not crazy busy. And your niece and nephew looked so cute on their first day of school!

I want to try the Iced Caramel Apple Cream latte too!! I used to get the Apple Crisp Macchiato all the time a couple years back. My #1 drink at Starbucks (besides the iced PSL) is the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso. Perfect balance of strong but sweet!

My Grandma trained me well!! New Orleans was her favorite placed, passed down to my Mom, and now me & Jimmy, too!


I was thinking this exactly as I read through your morning! My Mom is not an easy-going traveler on our big family trips, but when it's just the two of us, everything just goes so smoothly and we're living our best lives. Mother-Daughter time is just so special.

Awwwww- that's amazing that your love for New Orleans has been with your family for generations So special to have a place that's just "your place."

Haha- my mom is the easy-going one out of the two of us!! I present as easy-going on the outside, but in reality, traveling in large groups (especially when I'm cruise director) stresses me out a lot. I much prefer 1:1 Disney time with my peeps! Although, surprisingly, I felt none of that on our Epic Trip! Maybe because we are ALL Disney experts and I felt that weight lifted off of me!!

OMG! This kids are so cute for their first day of school. This time will go fast and before you know it you will be taking these pictures.View attachment 890130
First day of Senior year
View attachment 890131
First day of her college class. She is taking 1 class at the high school and 2 at college this year.
View attachment 890132
First year of college (He said he is getting a haircut soon thankfully. I am not a fan of it in his eyes)


Your morning sounds great. You got on a few rides and also had time to rest too before the rest of the group made it. That one on one time is still so needed even though we are adults and the parks are a great place to do that. For my mom and I it is horse shows. She shows and I watch but there is a lot of downtime too. I did talk her into going to Disney once but it was August of 202 and got canceled.

OMG, love the first day of school pictures!!! That's awesome that they still cooperate with those pictures; it sounds like you guys have a really great relationships (I bet the teen years can be tough)!

Disney World is definitely Mom and I's "thing"- and I wouldn't have it any other way!! But, obviously, we can't do Disney nearly as often as we like So, we also love to go on walks, shop, and go see Broadway shows/musicals.

 

[Mollydolly334]

Day 6 (The One Where Someone Gets a Shiner, and Cosmic Rewind Has Everyone in a Chokehold!)- Part 2


Last time I left off, Mom and I were having a leisurely morning in World Showcase before meeting the rest of the crew! Everyone else arrived in Epcot at pretty much 11:00 AM on the dot, and we all met over in Norway.



I gave Kahla a big hug, since she had just arrived this morning! I was excited to see her; she lives in Nashville, so we don't get to hang out very often! The twins were all decked out in their Frozen outfits today and looked ADORABLE.







No, they absolutely DID NOT pick flowers off the flower beds…

However, as soon as we arrived, we noticed Oliver had a big black eye! Haley said that he had hit his face on the edge of the coffee table at the villa that morning. Very sad, but these kids get SO many bumps and bruises and have had tons of black eyes before, so it honestly wasn’t super out of the ordinary to us.

We were right in the middle of our Genie + time slot, so we immediately jumped in line to ride Frozen Ever After! We had been anxiously anticipating this ride; this was one of our “must-dos” with the kids since they LOVE Frozen! I’m pretty sure one of Evie’s first words was “Hans.” And, for the longest time, she didn't know how to properly say "Kristoff," so he will forever be affectionally known as "Doo-Dass" in our household.



The kids LOVED it!! They were super animated and would point at the characters; they were finally starting to get the hang of this whole “ride” business!

The Marriott crew was starting to get pretty hungry, so we headed off in search of some breakfast at the F&G booths! After looking at the menus, Germany sounded good to everyone, so that’s where we headed.

We saw that Snow White was about to start meeting, so we parked ourselves in line. Ryan, Cici, Chief, and Kahla scattered to get some food from other booths nearby, and Haley, Mom, and I got a couple Ham and Cheese Toasted Pretzel Breads from Bauernmarkt for the twin’s breakfast!



These bread rolls were perfect for the kids, just a little greasy for their fingers. The wait was about 15 minutes, which was a perfect amount of time for the kids to get some breakfast in them before meeting Snow White!







I don’t really remember much about this interaction! Which means it was cute and the kids had fun, but it was nothing special or amazing.



Since we had used our Genie + for Frozen Ever After, I decided to make another Genie + for Spaceship Earth. I had been kind of avoiding making another reservation, since all of the times were so close to now, and I knew that we weren’t going anywhere fast. I figured that I’d at least get one booked, and keep modifying it throughout the day as we moved through the park.

The rest of the crew was still hungry, so we continued along World Showcase for some more Flower and Garden eats. The weather was starting to look a little sketchy! I excitedly told everyone about Jake and I’s little sanctuary over in China, so we headed there to take some shelter.



Evie was doing an excellent job holding onto the stroller handle! Also, check out Kahla’s cute outfit!



I was starting to get a little hungry myself, and Haley requested a drink, so I took it upon myself to visit the Lotus House F&G booth! I grabbed us a Spicy Mala Chicken Skewer, an order of Cream Cheese Wontons, and a Tropical Moon drink for Haley.



Going to the Temple of Heaven area proved to be an excellent decision. As soon as we entered the pavilion, it started to downpour!!

We plopped down on the floor/on some benches and just hung out for a while. Everyone munched on their snacks, and we had some fun just playing with the kids. The food from China was GREAT! Chief and Ryan also got some really yummy looking chicken and rice from the QS here. The Spicy Mala Chicken Skewer was covered in a spicy but sweet sauce, and they really gave you a lot of chicken for your money. The cream cheese wontons went well with it- it was your standard Crab Rangoon! I stole a sip of Haley’s Tropical Moon drink and it was nice and fruity; the boba balls were a cute touch.

It was quite full in there- a lot of families had the same idea as us! Pretty soon, Mulan came out to join the party!



Mulan complimented Evie on her Rapunzel necklace that she had gotten at World of Disney the night before, and Evie responded “That’s my amulet.” (People who watch the Disney Junior show “Sofia the First” will understand that reference. Girl LOVES her some Princess Sofia)!







This Mulan was absolutely perfect- sweet but also serious and down-to-business! It was so funny; Oliver was being his weirdo self and she asked, “Are you doing warrior poses?? That sounds like a great idea!”





Very charming, Ollie.



There we go!

This was such a fun character meet! Mulan stayed out for quite a bit just hanging around the area. It was fun to sit on the benches and watch all of her interactions! After the meet-and-greet line emptied out, Mulan made a beeline back over to Evie!!





It was absolutely precious and such a core memory from this trip. Mulan and Evie held hands and marched all around this area- and Mulan just chatted away to her!! Once again, I’m always impressed at how the princesses are able to engage and have conversations with tiny children who are still learning the art of conversation In hindsight, I’m glad that it stormed this afternoon, because then it led us to this awesome interaction!!

While we were still inside, I hopped on MDE right at 1:00 to try and get a boarding group for Cosmic Rewind. I didn’t want to fiddle with the guest number, so I just pressed “select all,” and I was able to get a BG #112 for all of the adults! Would I come to regret this decision?

I was also able to get us another Genie + for The Seas With Nemo and Friends! Once again, I was experiencing the (first world) problem of only being able to get time slots for, like, right that second. I’m sure there’s a way to override that and get a later time, but I didn’t want to be glued to my phone too much. So, every hour, I just changed the times for Spaceship Earth and Nemo to later and later.

Luckily, the rain started to clear out right at 1:00ish. Which was good, because Haley, Nana, and I had our Cosmic Rewind ILL from 1:05- 2:05!



Still overcast, but at least the rain is gone!

However, as we were walking towards Future World, I realized that I didn’t really want to ride Cosmic Rewind again this trip. I was still dealing with some residual anxiety surrounding it, and while my brain knew that I wouldn’t get motion sickness, I still feel like it’s a “1x per trip” ride for me. I decided to be a good sister-in-law and give Ryan my MagicBand so he could ride instead of me! He was very surprised and grateful!

I figured that this was a good idea; since Haley, Nana, and Ryan got their “turn” now, Cici and Kahla could use their “turn” with the virtual queue (Chief doesn’t really do roller coasters), and there would be plenty of people to watch the kiddos at all times!

The best laid plans…



While Haley, Mom, and Ryan rode Cosmic Rewind, Chief, Cici, Kahla, and I decided to chill in Connections Cafe. We ordered some chicken tenders and fries for the kids’ lunch, and Cici and Kahla got a slice of pizza for themselves.



I stopped at a cart outside and got Mickey Pretzel and a churro! I ate the churro myself, but everyone picked on the pretzel.



Ethan was starting to get a little fussy…



But I was able to rock him to sleep and set him in the stroller. His brother took his place on his lap.





Here’s a closer look at his shiner!

Since Haley, Ryan, and Nana had the ILL, their ride on Cosmic Rewind didn’t take too long. They met us back at Connections at 2:15, and were RAVING away! Mom was able to ride this on my bachelorette party back in July 2023, but Haley wasn’t able to ride because she was pregnant, so it was her and Ryan’s first time! They got Disco Inferno, and their faces say it all…



PURE JOY. Seriously, this ride gets Nana in a TIZZY. She wouldn’t stop talking about it!

I was starting to get antsy- the twins had been in the park for almost 4 hours, and the only ride we had done was Frozen Ever After! I wanted to do some RIDES!




​

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

I used to be like that too; but I love pumpkin stuff so much that I abandoned that rule a couple years back Oh yes, Evie is definitely the more high-strung "nervous Nellie" of the two. Ollie is super laid back and go-with-the flow! Haley joked that he didn't even notice she was gone!

Hey, you do you! Morgan asked when she could start drinking apple cider. I told her I would get some for her this weekend.

And, for the longest time, she didn't know how to properly say "Kristoff," so he will forever be affectionally known as "Doo-Dass" in our household

I love things like that, mis-names from kids.

Look at that pose! Love it

In hindsight, I’m glad that it stormed this afternoon, because then it led us to this awesome interaction!!

Some of the best memories are not planned.

decided to be a good sister-in-law and give Ryan my MagicBand so he could ride instead of me! He was very surprised and grateful!

See that worked out! hopefully...

The best laid plans…

oh no

so it was her and Ryan’s first time! They got Disco Inferno, and their faces say it all…

they look like they had a great time!

 

[missjackiemcg]

I present as easy-going on the outside, but in reality, traveling in large groups (especially when I'm cruise director) stresses me out a lot. I much prefer 1:1 Disney time with my peeps! Although, surprisingly, I felt none of that on our Epic Trip! Maybe because we are ALL Disney experts and I felt that weight lifted off of me!!

I remember being SO nervous leading up to that trip, and how it all just melted away and felt totally natural to spend those days with my "internet friends," as Rob said! LOL That really was the best trip, and SO stress free!

Evie responded “That’s my amulet.”

Awww, bless your heart Evie!!!! Jimmy LOVED Sofia the First when it first came on Disney Junior. I just took his old playset and figures to my classroom actually. He loved that he had the same name as her brother, James.

 

[cindianne320]

What great character meets!
Looks like the 1st group loved Guardians!

 

[Mollydolly334]

Hey, you do you! Morgan asked when she could start drinking apple cider. I told her I would get some for her this weekend.


I love things like that, mis-names from kids.


Look at that pose! Love it


Some of the best memories are not planned.


See that worked out! hopefully...


oh no


they look like they had a great time!

Evie had the posing DOWN!! I really enjoyed all of the character meets this trip!! I hate meeting characters (I'm so awkward around them, haha) so it was a nice change of pace and relieving to me that I could just "watch" the cute interaction instead of having to participate

Unfortunately, the Cosmic Rewind situation did cause some drama for me today

I remember being SO nervous leading up to that trip, and how it all just melted away and felt totally natural to spend those days with my "internet friends," as Rob said! LOL That really was the best trip, and SO stress free!

Awww, bless your heart Evie!!!! Jimmy LOVED Sofia the First when it first came on Disney Junior. I just took his old playset and figures to my classroom actually. He loved that he had the same name as her brother, James.

I'm so sad that they took the Sofia meet away from DHS!! Evie would have LOVED to meet her!! She loves all of of the scenes where Sofia meets up with all of the princesses (except the Belle clip, because apparently Belle croaks like a frog, and that is NOT acceptable to Evie)

What great character meets!
Looks like the 1st group loved Guardians!

We loved meeting ALL of the princesses this trip- they were the favorites for both Evie and Ollie!! And yes, I'm pretty sure every single person in the group's #1 ride of the trip was Guardians! (except for me)

 

[Mollydolly334]

Day 6 (The One Where Someone Gets a Shiner, and Cosmic Rewind Has Everyone in a Chokehold!)- Part 3


After Nana, Haley, and Ryan got off Cosmic Rewind, the group headed further into Future World. I was eager to do some kid-friendly rides! We had our Genie + for Nemo and Friends that we could use, so we headed over to The Seas.





This guy was all smiles after his power nap!





The standby for Nemo was 5 minutes, so we switched our Genie + to Journey to Imagination with Figment! The ride was a hit, and the kids really enjoyed looking all around the aquarium afterwards! We were in there for at least a half hour!









We saw some humans, too!



On the way out, Ollie saw this shark stuffed animal in the gift shop, so of course, Cici bought it for him.



He loved him and carried him around everywhere!



It’s almost as big as him!

Next, we did our Genie + at Journey Into Imagination with Figment! I thought that FOR SURE the big burst of air and scene change at the end would scare the twins (it scared ME the first time)! But they were TOTALLY unfazed! I was super impressed.



I don’t remember seeing this in the past? It was in the little play area right as you exited the ride. It looked super cute!

After we got off Figment, it was nearing 4:00. We took a quick peek in the butterfly garden!





The virtual queue for Cosmic Rewind was due to be called around 4:45, so we headed off to World Showcase for one last snack or two.



The cooling towels worked really well to keep Ethan’s legs nice and cold, and also block any exposed sun!



Kahla, Cici, Chief, and Ryan scattered to get some adult beverages, while Haley and I stopped at the Swirled Showcase booth. I NEEDED another PB&J soft serve!! It was one of my absolute favorite items from Jake and I’s Epcot trip earlier in the week, and it sounded perfect in the sun. I knew Haley would like this too; she is just as much of a peanut butter addict as I am! We each got a PB&J soft serve swirl in a cup.



Cheers! This was just as delicious as it was on Day 2. Although the Mediterranean Flatbread technically *tasted* the best, I’m knocking it down to the #2 item since it gave me some tummy troubles. The PB&J soft serve is the official winner!

The twins were able to catch some sleep in the stroller!



We rounded World Showcase over to France! Haley and Mom each got a Croissant with Goat Cheese, Herbs, and Roasted Garlic.



I passed on this one- garlic and I are mortal enemies! Haley and Mom LOVED this though and I wasn’t surprised- this is right up their alley! I decided to get one of my favorite alcoholic beverages in WDW- A Gran Marnier Orange Slush!



This one had great flavor, but was definitely more liquid-y than frozen! In fact, it wasn’t frozen at all. It was another hot one today!

As we were getting our treats from France, the Boarding Group for Cosmic Rewind got called! It was right around 4:45.

Here’s where things got kind of thrown off. I was under the assumption that, since Haley, Mom, and Ryan got to ride with ILL earlier, just Cici and Kahla would do the virtual queue, and the rest of us would hang out and continue onto World Showcase with the sleeping kids. However, when everyone found out that I had clicked “select all” for the Boarding Group… of course… they all wanted to ride using the virtual queue.

I understood, since it was everyone’s favorite ride… but frankly, I was just SICK of hearing about this ride. I felt like it was all everyone could talk about, and that our day solely revolved around being able to ride this ride (and me being the planner, it was up to ME to make it happen). I understand that I am in the minority here, but I REALLY don’t get the hype around this ride. I felt like I was going to explode if I heard the words “Cosmic Rewind” one more time.

Naturally, everyone jumped ship to ride. Even Nana, which surprised me, because she had originally said that she would stay back and help me with the kids. I was a little frustrated, but didn’t want to dwell on it too much. We made our way over to the Baby Care Center so that Haley could quickly change Ethan’s diaper, and they were off at 5:00!





Haley said that Epcot’s Baby Care Center wasn’t as nice as Magic Kingdom’s. It did seem awfully “clinical” in there... it felt like a doctor's office! This was located at the entrance to Future World, right next to the Odyssey Pavilion!

I stayed in the Baby Care Center with Ethan, while Chief took the (still sleeping) kids into the Odyssey Building so they could get some AC. Ethan and I chilled in one of the side rooms! We were kind of trapped in there, since everyone left all of their bags and both strollers (with cash, wallets, etc.) with Chief and I. We watched a channel of Disney music videos, and some people came and went with their little ones as well.

Ethan was awake, but totally happy and content to sit in my lap! And we waited….



And waited…



Well, an hour came and went, and the crew was still in line at 6:15 PM. After hearing the music video for “We’re All in This Together” from High School Musical about 10 times I was more than ready to get out of there. I was kind of worried and slightly annoyed; our ADR time for San Angel Inn was at 6:30 PM, and there was no way we were going to make it on time. Chief was starting to lose steam too; the twins had woken up and were being pacified by the almighty Youtube, but we felt like we were on borrowed time. The crew hadn’t even gotten to the pre-show yet!!

Physically, handling both rambunctious twins while walking around the park would have been hard on Chief (he has had two knee replacements), so he kind of had to stay put in the Odyssey. In hindsight, I really wish that I would have told everyone to take their bags with them so I wasn't trapped in the Baby Care Center. I totally would have kidnapped Ethan and one of the twins to take them on Spaceship Earth or something!

Ethan was being SUCH a sweet and mellow little tyke for the first hour, but he started to get fussy right around the 6:15 mark. Luckily, I got a message from Haley that they had reached the pre-show at 6:20, so I knew that we were at least in the home stretch. But poor Ethan just REALLY wanted some milk, and unfortunately for him, I don’t have the ability to produce it like Haley does. I was trying to walk around and rock him, but he wasn’t calming down.

Moms- PROPS TO YOU!! I am used to working with ages 2+, so I’m not as well-versed in infant care as I’d like. It’s no joke!

FINALLY- at 6:40, the crew came rushing in. They all had great rides!! Nana and Haley got “I Ran,” and Ryan, Kahla, and Cici got “September!”





I handed Ethan off to Haley and he calmed down immediately- he just wanted his Mama. Nana saw my face, and immediately commented, “Oooo, someone’s salty." To be honest, I totally was. However, I knew that I was partially just hangry, and I was REALLY hoping that our meal at San Angel Inn would salvage my mood!!



​

 

[cindianne320]

Oh man- I'm so sorry you had to wait around and not do something fun while everyone was on the Ride that Shall Not Be Named.
I hope your dinner turned out to be delicious (and that you had a yummy drink)!!