Marriage: The Trip Report - Update 2/28 - Final Thoughts & Link to Disneyland TR!

[brookelizabeth]

Oh no on losing little Mickey! I'm so glad you were able to find him and make it to Illuminations

Yay on witnessing the entertainment at Boardwalk! Henry looks so proud at balancing that hat

Doesn't he? It was such a sweet moment!

What amazing timing...and you found Mickey! Yay! There is always panic in this house when Bear goes missing, so I can only imagine the horror.

No dancing on Soarin'...love it.

Ike (a stuffed dalmatian dog from IKEa - get it? Ike? Ikea? We are a creative bunch!) goes missing from time to time and I've had to hunt him down. Thankfully he can't go far in this house. But yes, that Mickey was the treasured toy from this trip!!! I was really glad we found him!

Thank goodness you found Mickey! Major Disney Magic was poured on

LOVE, the pic with Henry and the hat guy! He looks so radient with happiness!

It was a night full of pixie dust!!

Soooo glad the Mickey story had a happy ending!

Yes it did! We thought for sure it wouldn't - it's such a small figure, it could have fallen anywhere!

Oh my god, Brook! That post actually almost made me cry! So glad it worked out and I LOVE how you were "drunk with pixie dust!" I sooo know that feeling!

being drunk with pixie dust is the best! We really were - laughing and running through the World Showcase, pushing Henry's stroller as fast as we could, trying to make it and just barely squeezing into a spot as the music started. It was a memorable night!

for finding Mickey! You really had me worried -- I know how sad those moments can be when a treasure is lost, even the 2-inch plastic ones.

All over that little Mickey! But, it's the world to a child in that moment, so it's worth the extra effort!

So glad that Mickey and Henry were reunited at last! We brought along dd's prized possession, a stuffed Curious George, to WDW and as we packed on our last day, we coudln't find him. I looked everywhere, and became convinced that he was already packed in a suitcase. Got home, of course he was nowhere to be found. Luckily mousekeeping had found him hiding in our room, and he was mailed back to us!

Oh my goodness!!! So glad he was found! We have brought Henry's loveys as well, but thankfully we haven't had a problem with them. (knocks on wood!) Disney is awesome at mailing things back to their guests, I just love that! But, I'm certainly glad I didn't have to call over a 2-inch plastic Mickey.

Pheww I am glad Little Mickey was found. You had a great night with lots of pixie dust.

We did! It was a great day overall!

OK, longtime lurker here, enjoyed all your reports. I can't believe nobody asked this before, but where the heck was this mysterious place she forgot to check before???

First, welcome! Thank you for posting!!! Good to "meet you". Trust me, I wondered EXACTLY that, and part of me really wonders if they just have a stash of some generic things in the back in case little ones come in with lost treasures. We wouldn't have known at all if she happened to just grab a new one. We described it REALLY well to her, so who knows.... either that, or it was on the managers desk because he thought it was cool.

 

[brookelizabeth]

Awww I'm so glad that Mickey was found and everything worked out!!! And how cute that Henry made it so Mickey was able to watch Illuminations after that!

It turned out to be a great night! It was so sweet when Henry propped Mickey slightly out of his pocket so Mickey could watch. I wrote about that in my notes, but I wish I would have taken a pic!

Thanks for the B&C pictures! Why is it that I want a burger and onion rings at 9:30am?

Gotta love when ppl hand you FPs!!! SCORE!!!! We have passed some of ours on before and people are shocked!

You had me scared with the lost Mickey... so glad he was found!!!!!


Another great update Brook!!!!

a burger and onion rings are legit at ANY time of the day!

It's so fun to pass on FPs, especially to in-demand rides or when the parks are really busy. I like to give...but I also like to receive them!! It was a great surprise!

Oh I'm so glad you found Mickey!!! Thank goodness!!

The guy with the hats looks pretty cool!! It looks like Henry had a blast.

That hat guy is great! He is really entertaining. We last saw him in DTD. Even though I've seen him twice, I'd watch again! He pulls people from the crowd in and is really funny--without saying a word.

Whoa... a close call for Mickey!!

I hope we get to see lots of performers on the Boardwalk when we're there next month!!

I just LOVE the Boardwalk! I hope you are able to catch a few acts, they are really fun and just add an extra touch to that resort.

So glad that Mickey was found. And I love how Mickey had to be able to see Illuminations. It's amazing what little kids will think of.

Isn't that the cutest? I wish I would have taken a picture instead of just writing it in my notes!

So glad you guys found mickey!! Thanks so much for that video.. I loved it!! It wasn't the one I was talking about though but when I went to you tube to watch that one, the one I was thining about was on the right IT was the Wolfs dance Disney World ... I loves these kind of videos.. I wanted to show the kids them.. thanks again

Ooooh, the Wolf Family! Yes! I believe their's kinda started it all - those videos are SO much fun to watch and they always bring tears to my eyes!! NikkiLovesWDW! (Nikki) here on my TR has one in her signature about growing up Disney, it's mostly photographs, but it's amazing - I love it. Her and her sister have been going to Disney since they were very young and now they are bringing their husbands and her sister has a child they bring. It's sooooooo stinkin' cute.

Every year when I was little we used to go to downtown Philly to the Strawbridges (formally Wannamakers) in the Gallery to see Santa. One year I had a little clown doll with me (crocheted, not nearly as creepy as it sounds.) And I dropped him getting on an elevator. From my Mom's stories, they searched for over an hour until they found the right elevator!

So it doesn't sound that absurd to go looking for a plastic Mickey

"not nearly as creepy as it sounds" Oh you made me LOLs with that one!

That is SO sweet of them to look for your clown! What a wonderful memory! And it's fun to see that kind of customer service exist outside of Disney too.

So glad henry got mickey back

It was a huge relief!!! I thought for sure we wouldn't find him!

So glad little Mickey was found! I don't even wanna know what devastation might have ensued had he not been found! Sounds like you had a great end to the day!

I was all set to prepare Henry for the worst - I thought for sure we wouldn't find it after we scanned the sidewalks. It really made for a magical moment, followed by a great evening of Illuminations and the Boardwalk! It was one of my favorite days of the whole trip.

 

[brookelizabeth]

I keep forgetting to post this! Some of you have found me already, but a while back, I started my May trip TR!

(Almost) Solo in May

After I get either this one, or the May one done, I will start on August's awesome Agent Education Program TR, that one is extra fun!

 

[Charleston Princess]

Hurray for finding Mickey!!! Love the CMs at Epcot and "drunk on pixie dust" definitely describes how we felt after we were able to get Chelsea's camera back last July! Love that Henry tried balancing a hat on the Boardwalk!

 

[jenseib]

Thank Goodness Henry found Mickey. I know EXACTLY how he felt losing something at Epcot! Been there done that...and I'm sure his Mickey was just as precious to him as my phone was to me! I think he acted more mature about it than I did!

 

[PopArtGal]

awe, glad you found Mickey and could enjoy the rest of the night.

 

[Self_resqing_princz]

So glad you found Mickey... to the CM who found him!

 

[brookelizabeth]

Hurray for finding Mickey!!! Love the CMs at Epcot and "drunk on pixie dust" definitely describes how we felt after we were able to get Chelsea's camera back last July! Love that Henry tried balancing a hat on the Boardwalk!

I thought of you guys with the camera incident during that whole time. I was hoping we'd have the same results -- though losing a digital camera is just slightly more painful than a 2 inch free plastic Mickey Mouse.

Thank Goodness Henry found Mickey. I know EXACTLY how he felt losing something at Epcot! Been there done that...and I'm sure his Mickey was just as precious to him as my phone was to me! I think he acted more mature about it than I did!

Epcot seems to be the place to lose things! I've lost 2 pairs of sunglasses there in the past as well!

I would have reacted the same way as you (or even worse!) if I had lost my smartphone!! Your reaction was normal (especially at the end of vacation with parents! LOL)!

awe, glad you found Mickey and could enjoy the rest of the night.

Thank you! It was a relief! I know Henry would have been so upset - we would have spent the rest of our vacation finding a replacement I'm sure!

So glad you found Mickey... to the CM who found him!

I was so thankful for that CM!!

 

[brookelizabeth]

The next morning dawned and we were up and moving - we had a breakfast ADR at Hollywood & Vine!

We quickly stopped at the front desk of the Boardwalk to inquire about our dining credits. In case you aren't aware, DVC Members can now "pick & choose" their dining plan - meaning you can split up your reservation so you can choose whatever dining plan, on whatever day(s). Today we started 1 night of the regular dining ("Plus Dining" as Disney calls it). Well, this great perk comes with a bit of hassle due to Disney's not-so-amazing computer systems -- for a breakfast, the dining credits do not show up, since the computers roll over to the next day at check-out (11 AM)....soooooo....we were to charge our breakfast and they would refund it later.

Okay, I can handle that.

While I was figuring out the cards/DDP credits Joe and Henry hung in the lobby

Looks like little Mister scored some stickers!

We took the beautiful walk to DHS. It's about a 10-15 minute walk from the Boardwalk.

Ugh. That view makes my heart hurt a bit! How I miss it all!

Ah yes, I failed to mention it was ESPN the Weekend at that time.

The fact that I failed to mention it should show you how much we did with it....

The rope had dropped by that point, we were behind the TSM masses. Joe went onward, with the crowd to get some TSM FPs.

Henry and I checked-in for our ADR.

I was a bit nervous Joe wouldn't make it back in time for us to be seated, but it was no problem - we had a small wait, Joe made it back with time to spare.

When we were called in we were seated right in front of the dancing area.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect, while I've never met a breakfast buffet I didn't like, this got many mixed reviews.

We REALLY enjoyed it!!! A very, very, very fun meal with a great waitress and delicious food. Henry had a blast meeting and dancing with all the characters.

Joe said that breakfast taco was awesome.

And WOW, we ate a lot that morning!

Joe got hit on by June.

I think his cheeks were a bit pink.

Time to dance!

He's so happy his eyes look like they are glowing!!! Ahhhh, this was such a fun breakfast!

Taking a look around the restaurant...

Continued in next post

 

[brookelizabeth]

I don't know why I took pictures of the buffet food, you already saw most of it on our plates above! LOL

Time for more dancing!

Video: Dancing (34 seconds)

Henry noticed these pink tiles and got pretty excited, "These look like ham!"

And....even more dancing!

Handy Manny grabbed Henry's hand and they paraded around the restaurant.

He played it cool, hand in the pocket...but look at that smile!

Despite all the dancing and character meeting, it was a very relaxed meal. Things were paced well. We all left with big smiles on our faces. I would not hesitate to eat here again!!

Yar!!

 

[KatMark]

How the heck did I miss the update on The Hidden Mickey????

I'm glad that Mickey was found and Henry and he got to watch Illimunations together.

 

[jenseib]

Yum. That looks good. I have heard many mixed reviews too, but usually more for lunch and dinner. breakfast should be a bit safer. It looks darn good to me though.

 

[KatMark]

Now you go and sneak another update in on me too (after I finally read the Hidden Mickey one).

We never did H&V for breakfast; truthfully, I don't think they offered a character breakfast when my boys were little. We did, regretably, do the dinner twice after the kids were grown and that is a meal that we will not return to. I've heard basically only good things about the breakfast.

Henry sure looks like he was "playing it cool", but in the meantime having himself a great time.

 

[CreightonsMomma]

I'm so happy to hear a good hollywood and vine review. It looks like it was an absolute blast. Henry is such a cool little dude! I love the hand in pocket.

 

[BerrysGirl]

I love that walk from the BW to DHS. I remember back when it use to be a dirt path and a hidden secret! Your breakfast is too cute... except I have no idea who any of those characters are except Handy Manny. Guess you can tell I've been out of the Babysitting business for a while now!

 

[jordanyosh]

just two words in response to your last update....BREAKFAST TACO/!!!

 

[DWGal210]

Yummy breakfast! Looks fabulous!

I LOVE your walk to HS pictures. Looks like it was a bright, glorious morning!!

I'm glad Henry had such good character interactions! They really gave him attention, that was super cute.

 

[Lovemy3babes]

Play & Dine was the very first Disney meal we had ever eaten way back in 2006. It set the tone for our first trip and kicked off the Disney love. I completely agree that it's a great character meal! Henry looks to be having so much fun. What a character himself, cutie pie. And this made me bust out laughing:

"These look like ham!"

Yep, squares of ham deli meat. Hilarious!!!!!!!!

 

[DisMomAmy]

That is a fun breakfast! I'm sad that my boys have outgrown Playhouse Disney or whatever it's called now!

 

[photographymom517]

Brook, you are KILLING this pregnant lady with the onion rings pictures. Waaah! I really really really want onions rings and I can't get my favorite onion rings anymore because they are at the place I fell. Whoever goes to Disney next needs to fedex me some still warm onion rings, please and thank you.

From one pregnant woman to another, I would GLADLY bring you some onion rings if you could return the favor in a few weeks for me!

I HAD to respond to this when I saw it because I was just talking to Brook a few months ago about how I always crave onion rings when I'm pregnant!!!

It seems that when I give out FP I won't use to people, they don't know what to do with them. I even saw someone put it in the garbage.

Haha -- wait until you hear my Fast Pass story!

If I ever get around to starting my TR that is! LOL!

Despite all the dancing and character meeting, it was a very relaxed meal. Things were paced well. We all left with big smiles on our faces. I would not hesitate to eat here again!!

That TV display at Play & Dine is new from last year! They probably added it soon after changing the name from Playhouse Disney to Disney Junior! I also noticed they changed the BIG wall-thingy (no, I don't have a better name for it! lol!) at the front of the restaurant with pics of the new shows & the "Disney Junior" logo on it!

I sooooo miss that meal from last year! I'm giving away part of my TR but we didn't end up eating ANY breakfasts on our trip. It was just too much for the little guy to deal with & it was less stressful on all of us to just cancel them all

BUT next trip, I'm definitely doing Play & Dine again -- I completely agree with you! I was so confused why people gave it mixed reviews because I thought it was a perfect balance of fun, food & characters! It's one of the only character meals where I haven't felt rushed or felt like I'd miss out on a character if I got up to eat. I think they pace things very well. I LOVED when the characters danced with the kids, the CM's there were very fun/upbeat/happy, and I really enjoyed the food! I'm not a huge breakfast person so for me to say that, you know its good!

I'm so happy you all enjoyed it! I LOVED LOVED LOVED seeing the huge smiles on Henry's face!!! You could really tell he enjoyed meeting the characters, dancing, walking around with Handy Manny, and just the overall experience! Sooo glad for that!!!

Can't wait to read more about your trip! Loving ALL of your pictures, as always!!!