Magic, Memories and..... MCSPARKELSONS! A Christmas Grand Gathering! Update 5/1

[karajeboo]

Welcome back! Glad you're doing better!

I now see where you get that McSparkleson charm from, it's definitely your dad! He's too cute! He reminds me of my grandfather. He had a "girlfriend" at the checkout of every grocery store in town!

I must agree with the kids. Their pizza doesn't look too appetizing. Not enough cheese or sauce! Yours looked much better!

I think my dad may have a few "girlfriends" around town, too..... My mom's reaction?

I think I would enjoy a trip with your dad. We seem to have similar "interests"!

Bill Bill Bill Bill Bill......

I am absolutely loving the poems.

As I was reading these last two updates I realized I haven't seen pics of Via Napoli. Now I'm wanting to check it out on our next trip.

Marco was a cutie. I bet Grandma did enjoy him. We always enjoyed Tutto Italia, well when I say we, I mean my and my stepdaughter. The waiters were always an extra treat.

Our last DISmoms trip we did not have the hottest waiter. No Hottie McHotness. I think it was Oldie McBaldness that trip.....

The rolling eyes smiley seems to be a recurring theme with these replies.....

Great update Kara. Your dad is so whitty with his poems and all. I would have been so looking forward to that each day.

And I loved your take on Via Napoli. Sorry to say, but when we ate there we were seated at the very same spot you were. I loved watching how fast those pizzas were made. It was very cool.

Again, glad you are back posting and reading your posts truly make me smile. Thanks.

No rolling eyes smiley for YOU! Well, except for the "your day is so witty" part. Really?

Love the poem - your dad is so much fun - now we see where you get it!

That pic of all of you pushing uphill is hilarious! It would be a good one for the dwarfs to do!

Kami, maybe you can borrow the typewriter to make your very own set of itinerary cards for your next trip!

Kami!!!! Yes!!!! You can borrow Mom's typewriter to make your notecards!!!!!

part 2

Well, the McSparkleson's are a little flirtysome! Your dad is so stinking cute with all the servers! They sure have a lot of cute young ones there - maybe it makes the " bad" pizza easier to swallow! It's great that you got such great service - hard to find with such a large group sometimes!

What kind of melon was on the priscuitto side? Very interesting.

It was cantelope slices very thin. I'm telling you, we make it at home now. White pizza with cantelope, prosciutto, and arugula (we use spinach). Magnifico!!!!

 

[MEK]

Your dad is so stinkin' cute with all his "girlfriends" at VN!

And GM getting an escort to the ladies room. I totally want that the next time I go there. I must admit those servers Kill with their customer service. What's not to like.

Kids and Dominos? What is that all about?

Your pizza looks great! Glad you figured out how to make your own version!

 

[Simba22]

omg that pizza looks FABULOUS, although I'm a big fan of traditional Italian style pizza. When I saw the pic of the kids pizza that they thought was terrible, I was like "ummm, WHAT are they talking about!?" All of your food looks so yummy! I wish I had room to squeeze it in for July but it will have to wait until next year.

Oh and um, Marco?

 

[Dreamsdocometrue9112]

I'm really enjoying your TR so far! It must have been such fun having your whole family go together!! We are taking my parents for a day trip to MK this June for their first time (we will be in FL for a wedding), and then planning a trip with them for next March. We are excited to do this and see their reactions because they just don't understand our obsession. While we don't have children right now, I'm so looking forward to doing something like this with my parents, siblings, nieces & nephews one day!

Can't wait to read more!

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Kami!!!! Yes!!!! You can borrow Mom's typewriter to make your notecards!!!!!





It was cantelope slices very thin. I'm telling you, we make it at home now. White pizza with cantelope, prosciutto, and arugula (we use spinach). Magnifico!!!!

Sounds really good! Sounds like it would make a nice appy - I will have to try it sometime!

 

[karajeboo]

Your dad is so stinkin' cute with all his "girlfriends" at VN!

And GM getting an escort to the ladies room. I totally want that the next time I go there. I must admit those servers Kill with their customer service. What's not to like.

Kids and Dominos? What is that all about?

Your pizza looks great! Glad you figured out how to make your own version!

Um, I would take a Marco escort.....

omg that pizza looks FABULOUS, although I'm a big fan of traditional Italian style pizza. When I saw the pic of the kids pizza that they thought was terrible, I was like "ummm, WHAT are they talking about!?" All of your food looks so yummy! I wish I had room to squeeze it in for July but it will have to wait until next year.

Oh and um, Marco?

They were soooo picky! They just don't know REAL food.

I'm really enjoying your TR so far! It must have been such fun having your whole family go together!! We are taking my parents for a day trip to MK this June for their first time (we will be in FL for a wedding), and then planning a trip with them for next March. We are excited to do this and see their reactions because they just don't understand our obsession. While we don't have children right now, I'm so looking forward to doing something like this with my parents, siblings, nieces & nephews one day!

Can't wait to read more!

It was a wonderful trip! You will have a great time, you should look into renting points, too. It made it so nice to be within walking distance of two parks, and have so much going on out on the boardwalk each night when we got back!

Sounds really good! Sounds like it would make a nice appy - I will have to try it sometime!

Yummo!!!!!

Sorry I've been MIA these past couple of week, darn life getting in the way. But Upward cheerleading ends this week, so that will help a bit. I'll try to get an update in this week!!

 

[karajeboo]

With our bellies full of yummy Italian, and our imaginations full of yummy Italians...... It was time to move on.....

We hadn't made it too far out of Italy when we realized we were in trouble. Not sure what kind of trouble, but something that would require the help of....

Duh duh duuuuuuhhhhhh.....

Kim Possible to save the day!

So we picked up 2 kimmunicators and divided the kids up. Well, my Disney math was apparently not working today.

3 kids, divided by 2 kimmunicators = TROUBLE

So we all divided up and gave Emma her own, and sent Spencer and Ally with Grandpa and Aunt Kami... My math may have been off but at least I was smart enought to go with the kid who had their own kimmunicator!

We texted back and forth several times, and sent them all into different countries so they didn't interfere with each other, and I think they ended up doing 3 different missions?

I just LOVE Kim Possible, I think it is one of the most ingenious Disney additions to WDW in a long time.

Know what I love even more than Kim Possible?

Gluwein during Christmas time at WDW. Oh yes I do. I love it so much that I bailed on my family. Oh yes I did. While they were outside saving Germany from some dastardly bad guy, I was inside getting my gluwein on..... Gluwein is a warm, spiced German wine. I even made it for Christmas eve last year.... soooo yummy!

Then I made a mistake. I asked Jeff to hold it for me.... And you can see how much I missed it!!!

Come Get Your Gluwein!" - Video - Click to play!

While the kids moved from country to country, we just enjoyed the scenery, despite the overcast day....

After we all met up to turn in our kimmunicators, we split up for awhile, and sent Grandma and Grandpa to The American Adventure. I knew they would enjoy this so I felt safe in leaving them alone.

Next thing I know, we are walking along, and see this.....

And Grandpa is nowhere to be found.

Coincidence? I think not!

Bad Grandma? Maybe.

So we all did what any good kids would do. Took and picture and than ran off pretending we never saw her......

It was about this time that Jeff realized he didn't have his Mickey Mouse Titleist baseball cap. From last night.

He's quick, my husband.

He had taken if off in San Angel Inn, like a well mannered man should.... and left it on the table...... So we made our way to San Angel Inn to check. They send us to Guest Relations.

We made our way to Guest Relations. They sent us to Lost and Found which is out by the Ticket and Transportation Center.

And since we were on our way to Magic Kingdom for Wishes and the Main Street Electrical Parade, we would be heading that way.....

We hopped the monorail to the TTC and then Kami wanted to take the ferry to MK, so those of us who did NOT lose something, made our way to the ferry to wait on he who DID lose something, to go to Lost and Found.

And no, I was not the good wife to accompany him. If I did I would have missed Grandpa playing "Ninja" with his grandkids.....

I do not know all the details of what transpired at Lost and Found. But Jeff looked completely lost when he showed up about 20 minutes later, and they had not found his hat. He said he had to fill our a claim form, and it was pretty detailed. All for a Mickey Mouse baseball cap from several years ago..... They told him to stop in the next day, or to call, and they might have it in Lost and Found.

Well, we FOUND that we forgot to ever call, so if you are looking for a navy blue Titleist cap with Mickey on it, stop in and claim it.....

Up next, MK and MSEP!

 

[MEK]

I really wanted to try that wine in Germany, but by the time I discovered it - it was departure day and I was already a little hungover from the night before , so I skipped it! Next time!

Love the pictures of grandpa Ninja!

Can't believe your DH had to travel to the TTC to look for his hat. And then forgot to check back. Oh well!

Hope you are feeling completely recovered from your surgery!

 

[podsnel]

OMG...GLUWEIN!!!!

 

[Simba22]

With our bellies full of yummy Italian, and our imaginations full of yummy Italians...... It was time to move on.....

I just LOVE Kim Possible, I think it is one of the most ingenious Disney additions to WDW in a long time.

We haven't done this yet but we loved watching the show on Disney Channel! Glad you guys had fun!

Next thing I know, we are walking along, and see this.....

And Grandpa is nowhere to be found.

Coincidence? I think not!

Bad Grandma? Maybe.

So we all did what any good kids would do. Took and picture and than ran off pretending we never saw her......

OMG TOO FUNNY!!!!

It was about this time that Jeff realized he didn't have his Mickey Mouse Titleist baseball cap. From last night.

He's quick, my husband.

OMG that sounds like my boyfriend. He'll realize something is missing like 2 years after he last saw it and then swear up and down that I "must have thrown it away"

He had taken if off in San Angel Inn, like a well mannered man should.... and left it on the table...... So we made our way to San Angel Inn to check. They send us to Guest Relations.

We made our way to Guest Relations. They sent us to Lost and Found which is out by the Ticket and Transportation Center.

Ugh and after all of that back and forth, he didn't even find it! How annoying!

And no, I was not the good wife to accompany him. If I did I would have missed Grandpa playing "Ninja" with his grandkids.....

How cute!! What a good Grandpa!

 

[disneydevil]

Awesome tr !! Can't wait to hear more. Loving the stories about your Dad! He's quite the character!!

Terri

 

[brookelizabeth]

Joining in for this TR too!

Love that pic of Grandpa playing Ninja with the kids. What a good Grandpa he is! And poor Grandma...abandoned in World Showcase like that.

The running for the wine video made me laugh out loud!

 

[rndmr2]

Catching up on your last couple of updates, I missed that you had surgery, glad it went well, hope you are feeling good.

Your Test Track pics are hilarious!

I just love your Dad, he is so cute with all his "girlfriends" and those pics with him playing Ninja are great!

I really want to try Via Napoli next time I go, it looks really good.

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Oh those McSparkelsons!!!!
Bad Grandma!

Ninja Grandpa!

Very Happy Kara!
Lost Jeff!
Super Sleuth Kids!
What will they be doing next?

 

[karajeboo]

I really wanted to try that wine in Germany, but by the time I discovered it - it was departure day and I was already a little hungover from the night before so I skipped it! Next time!

Love the pictures of grandpa Ninja!

Can't believe your DH had to travel to the TTC to look for his hat. And then forgot to check back. Oh well!

Hope you are feeling completely recovered from your surgery!

Thank you MaryEllen! LOVE me some Gluwein (in case the video was unlear ), but it really hasn't been cold enough here in SC to warrant making a batch this year...... It's so yummy!

OMG...GLUWEIN!!!!

What?????

We haven't done this yet but we loved watching the show on Disney Channel! Glad you guys had fun!
OMG that sounds like my boyfriend. He'll realize something is missing like 2 years after he last saw it and then swear up and down that I "must have thrown it away"

How cute!! What a good Grandpa!

Technically, you wouldn't even need to understand the KP show to get the game, except some of the terminology she uses in her clues. It is just so unique, I love it!

Grandpa is still a 13 year old trapped in a 71 year old body!!!!

Awesome tr !! Can't wait to hear more. Loving the stories about your Dad! He's quite the character!!

Terri

He's quite the uh, er, um.... yeah, Character! That's a good word!

Joining in for this TR too!

Love that pic of Grandpa playing Ninja with the kids. What a good Grandpa he is! And poor Grandma...abandoned in World Showcase like that.

The running for the wine video made me laugh out loud!

Why? Wouldn't YOU run for wine too? I mean, doesn't EVERYONE do that?

Catching up on your last couple of updates, I missed that you had surgery, glad it went well, hope you are feeling good.

Your Test Track pics are hilarious!

I just love your Dad, he is so cute with all his "girlfriends" and those pics with him playing Ninja are great!

I really want to try Via Napoli next time I go, it looks really good.

Thank you! My scar is fading and after 5 weeks I guess I can't claim that I am still recovering anymore (although I still try! ).......

Via Napoli servers were yummy, I mean, the FOOD, yes, the FOOD was yummy!

Oh those McSparkelsons!!!!
Bad Grandma!

Ninja Grandpa!

Very Happy Kara!
Lost Jeff!
Super Sleuth Kids!
What will they be doing next?

Oh Tammie, step away from the smileys!!!!

 

[Beth D]

All caught up! Love the Ninja Grandpa! Poor Grandma, she looks so lonely!
MMM.... VINO!

 

[karajeboo]

Once the ninjas were finished doing what ninjas do, and Jeff was lost but then he was found..... unlike his HAT...... it was time to hop on the ferry for the trip to Magic Kingdom for nighttime entertainment.

Wait, aren't ninjas supposed to be super secret? Like invisible? Hmmm, those would have been GOOD ninjas to have on this trip.... just sayin....

Maybe Todd was a REAL ninja. After all, have you seen him lately? Nope. Cause he's a super secret ninja. Or maybe he just went back to the resort to rest for awhile cause he was recovering from back surgery. Or was he a ninja? YOU decide.

The ferry was basically empty on the trans-seven seas lagoon crossing..... not as dramatic as the Queen Mary on a transatlantic, and DEFINITELY not as dramatic as the Titanic..... but even so, my heart will go on.....

We're baaaaaaaaack......

Oh, yes, my shopping Emporium, you and I shall see each other later for a little rendezvous.....

First things first, we were some hungry McSparklesons and needed to grab some grub before staking out our spot for the parade....

We headed through Adventureland and decided to play the gimp card and get quick service on Jungle Cruise.... Again, most places have wide queuing so wheelchairs go through the line like everyone else. And I'm totally fine with that!

Not to say I don't appreciate my mother even more though when they whisk us to a super secret entrance.... with no line.

Jungle Cruise - VIDEO - click to play

That is Jeff you hear oohing and aahing. He is mesmerized by plastic zebras from 1971...... That's his thing.

And as usual, we got a terrible pilot. Wish we could have fed HER to the cannibals..... hmmmm, I just got a GREAT idea for my next trip to WDW. But I'm not telling......

Then we were on our way to Frontierland to grab some fast passes for BTMRR to use later, and while over here, decided to eat at Pecos Bill's.

Oy vey. These people I travel with are slower than molasses flowing uphill in January!!!! People were already lined up on Main Street when we went by. There was not a spot for even the tiniest of butts.....

And I knew I wanted to pop a squat in Liberty Square, I've found that is a GREAT place for parades and usually doesn't fill up until later. But I stress over these things.

So not having sour cream for a salad was NOT at the top of my list of concerns, people!!!!

The amount of money wasted on food this trip was also incredible. There was so much left on plates that it actually made me sad.

FINALLY we got everyone finished eating, but then we had 264 bathroom breaks between Pecos Bills and about halfway up Frontierland..... ugh.

We found a decent spot, but not ideal, right in front of the cut through to Adventureland. Liberty Square was already full, so we found some curb, and deposited some little butts. There was a wall behind the sidewalk to rest on, too, so we left Grandma with the little butts on the curb - and no, I will NOT discuss Grandma's butt! You're welcome, Grandma....

After making 3 trips to get Mickey bars (because NO parade is complete without a Mickey bar!), from the trolley right across the road, it was time.... time for MSEP which I haven't seen since 1981 (I think.....).

Main Street Electric Parade - VIDEO - click to play

Jeff actually recorded the ENTIRE parade - if you want me to link it, let me know.... but this is just a little taste for you.

Some people like "original" things just because they are "original." Not me. I like Spectromagic a LOT better! I also like the new iPad better than the original. And I like my new plasma TV better than holding the antenna with aluminum foil on our TV when I was a kid.

However, I did NOT like New Coke. Only the original there.

Here we goooooo......

Stoner on a mushroom.....

Another bad thing about watching the parade from Frontierland, is that it's a LONG way in shoulder to shoulder crowds, to get to the hub for the castle lighting......

And this year was not just the lighting, but the new Magic Memories and YOU show. Which I missed.

Because I was herding ducks. Or actually, I was herding McSparklesons. And they stray. A lot.

We got to the hub and I was hoping we could just hang in the middle of main street to watch Wishes. But for some reason that is still unclear, we had to cross. The parade was over, so why?

So we missed most of the castle show, but what I saw was kind of cool.....

Todd met up with us somewhere on Main Street, we walked about 1/2 way back toward the entrance and found us a little piece of land in the middle of the street. And soon it was time for Wishes.

And yes, I cried.

After Wishes, it was time for Jeff to leave. He had to fly back home EARLY the next day for an event at work. So we said our goodbyes and all wondered, would he actually come back in 2 days? Or had the McSparkleson inlaws done him in????

After we traded Jeff for Todd, we decided to head back into the park a bit and maybe catch a couple of attractions......

Grandma and Grandpa rested outside of Casey's and actually had front row seats for the NEXT showing of Magic Memories and YOU so I was really happy for them, that they got to see that.

We went and rode BTMRR, using our FPs and then Ally and I grabbed Gma and Gpa and took them back to the Boardwalk for the night, while Kami and her claim stayed in the park.

Cause ya know, ya gotta get Gma to bed before midnight or she turns into a .... pumpkins, yeah, that's what I was gonna say!

Up next, I'll be traveling without my baby daddy as we hit Animal Kingdom!

 

[Beth D]

Great update! We love the jungle cruise! If you sit up close to the driver, they sometimes let you "steer". DS got to on his birthday one year, and thought he was actually steering the boat! He was only 3 and thought he was controlling the thing!

 

[karajeboo]

All caught up! Love the Ninja Grandpa! Poor Grandma, she looks so lonely!
MMM.... VINO!

Great update! We love the jungle cruise! If you sit up close to the driver, they sometimes let you "steer". DS got to on his birthday one year, and thought he was actually steering the boat! He was only 3 and thought he was controlling the thing!

Again, not so stealthy that ninja gpa..... Todd on the other hand. Where is he anyway?

I can imagine your son on Jungle Cruise - that must have been so fun for him!!! I think in all my trips, we've had ONE good captain. The women all stink for some reason.....

 

[MEK]

I love Alice on the mushroom and now I can't get the words from the song "Go Ask Alice" out of my head.

Sadly, I have not seen the MSEP parade yet, but I will in June and I'm sure my evening will go somewhat like yours since there will be 9 of us and 4 under the age of 12.

Love your mainstreet pictures. I already miss Christmas.