Memories of Little Green Men and Sardines (6/8-17, 2010) **FINAL UPDATE 2-25-2011**

[photographymom517]

I just looked through my notebook to see if I was leaving out any important details & found my receipts from DTD. The BYO Mr. Potato Head parts cost $21.25 with tax.

At T-Rex, I spent $13.79 His little dinos each cost $1.99 and my necklace was $5.98

Before continuing on with our day --

A few MUST-DO’s for next trip…I ate here in NYC and loved it!!! Hopefully Orlando’s is the same or better!

I really want to do a balloon tour I found online…but I think this might be better to start out with for now!

Anyone have pictures of the inside of Disney Quest? I’d love to see it because its something I want to do next trip but am not sure about spending an entire day here.

We continued walking around. By this time, it was so hot & crowded that we all needed a rest and a drink. But we decided to keep going to

We still had our extra drinks from OPR and I had them underneath my bag so they were still ok to drink. They weren’t cold but they weren’t hot either. So we decided to continue on and then head back for lunch.

I love this picture

Maybe because I knew I was getting close to

I want one of those posters so bad, but I think I’ll have to make my own.

I love this table! It was funny because I tried explaining Vinylmations to my mom (she’s never heard of them before) and she said “Ok, so I go into this store & then I just reach into the table & pick out whichever one I’m looking for.” Too funny mom! I just told her that when she got arrested for theft in Orlando, I wasn’t going to bail her out over a Vinylmation!

Anyone notice where I have the most pictures from???

I ended up only buying a Vinylmation keychain and 1 Park 4 Vinylmation (my total bill was $14.81 with tax). After making my purchase, we went to

I just found out that this is temporary??? I hope its there during our next few trips because I really, really want to let our son do this. But I’m not going to waste over $100 on a remote-control car that he’ll just break before we even get it home. My MIL bought him one for Christmas last year & luckily got it on sale for only $15 (of course it doesn’t compare at all to Ridemakerz but it was a simple remote control car, good enough for a 2 year old!) Needless to say, it is broken & ended up in the dumpster last month! This was after he broke out the windshield, smashed 3 of the wheels off, dumped ice tea and gummies inside, and who knows what else! The weird thing is that he’s not rough on toys, but this poor truck took a beating!

Anyway, I really liked this & would love to let him make one! After we watched a few little boys try out their new cars, we looked around a little bit.

I swear I had more pictures of the cars. They must not have come out & I deleted them.

 

[photographymom517]

I loved seeing this sign because I knew I’d be going to see it once we got back from our trip!

Our son hasn’t been to a movie theater yet & I’m trying to convince everyone in my family that his first theater experience will be at Disney! How cool would that be?

We walked through a few more shops & then decided to head back to EoS for lunch. My husband sat on a bench (Luke had fallen asleep in his stroller) while I went in Tren-D quickly. I walked around & looked at some shirts and then stared at these for a little while!

There were a few ladies buying them & the CM’s were showing them different ones they had in the back so they could choose their placement. I listened to the CM’s talking to them & they were very helpful!

Disappointed that I wasn’t able to get my Dooney, I headed back outside. While window shopping, I fell in love with this bag but decided not to go back inside to look for it because I had my heart set on my Dooney!

Then I saw this & got depressed again

We walked over to Earl of Sandwich and got in line. The line was close to the door but it moved very quickly. Soon we saw this

I got the Hawaiian BBQ and my husband got the Cannonballs (which is meatball). We each got a drink and snack item as well. I loved the snack options here. You didn’t have to get dessert with your meal, you could pick from chips, macaroni salad, and some other choices. My husband went to find a table while I paid, waited for the food, and got our drinks. He was in luck…he got to the table right beside the door just as another couple were getting up to leave! Yippee!!

Not the greatest picture in the world, but I took it with my flash off because our son was sleeping & we didn’t want to wake him up.

After this, we talked and decided that we would leave for the day after stopping by

Yep, the Christmas store! I love this store, it is so beautiful inside! I was worried that our son would break something but he was well behaved the entire time (probably because of the nap!) We were all worn out & wanted to leave but I had one more thing on my list for DTD day! See, my mom watches our dogs while we’re gone on vacation. Its no easy task for her, I know that because I take care of them 24/7. We have 3 dogs and 1 cat and she’s never watched the cat before. She won’t accept money & won’t let me put them in the kennel because she thinks they need to be in their own home. So, she goes to our house before work, after work, and each evening to take care of them. She even sits on the couch & watches tv with them! She really does a lot for us so I wanted to buy her something.

Before our trip, her and I were online looking at different Disney things. I sort of have her half-obsessed…I’m still working on it! She kept telling me how much she loved the Christmas store when they were there last year. She showed me all the things she really liked & started making herself a list for her trip. I was secretly plotting in my head the entire time! She really liked the Christmas countdown calendars. They had 2 on the site we were looking at & I was determined to buy it for her while I was on my trip!

When we got to the Christmas store, I couldn’t find the ones she saw online. But I found one that I liked even better!!! I just hoped that she would too. The pictures we looked at online were from 2007 or 2006. I was hoping it was under $50 because I had something else I wanted to buy her. I was in luck…when I found it, it was $39.99 (the ugly one I didn’t like was $48.99). Its so cute…it’s a big wreath with a calendar underneath it. All around the wreath are Velcro spots & you can put the Christmas bulbs, Disney characters, candy, light bulbs, etc. all around it. Each of them are made of felt & also have a gold hanging ribbon so you could put them on a little tree if you wanted to!

I loved all the ornaments & wanted to buy a million of them, but I figured most would smash into a million pieces on the way home (and they are not cheap!) So I just decided to buy my son a T-Rex ornament & that was it.

I want a whole tree just of these!

I typed the SKU numbers, prices, and descriptions of 2 sets of ornaments and a goofy stocking into my cell phone. I wanted to secretly call merchandising once we got back home, but still haven’t done so! My husband seems to think all Christmas ornaments should cost under $1 a piece, but you aren’t going to find Disney ornaments for that! I might buy some after my birthday this year.

After I checked out, we walked to

It was 3:37pm at this point. I swear we saw multiple buses for every single resort except for ours. I was beginning to think they stopped running buses to CBR & was planning to get on another bus! Once a bus came & we got on, I looked at the clock and it was actually only 3:47pm. We only waited 10 minutes but it seemed like so much longer.

 

[claryche]

Great update. As far as the 10 minutes waiting on the bus, isn't it amazing how it always seems longer than it actually is at the time. Just amazing.

 

[ChildAtHeart82]

Great update! Disney Quest is definitely on my list of things I would like to do but every time I'm at Disney, I can never find time that I'm willing to spend there. Maybe some day. You stopped at all of our favorite stops at DTD, including Once Upon a Toy and Ghirardelli! Yum!

 

[reelmom]

Great DTD pictures. Sorry Luke didn't want to build-a-dino. We love the T-Rex Cafe but it is so loud. I don't think we ever have a conversation when we are there. You can't hear unless you are sitting right next to the person you want to talk to. But I think Luke will enjoy it when he gets over his fear. I never made it to the vinylmation store when we were there. We got there early and it was closed. We never made it back once it opened but seeing your pictures makes me wish I had. Always next time. Oh yeah, great find on the pink hoodie.

 

[brookelizabeth]

What a fun time at DTD! I love the pictures of Luke with the Mr. Potato Head hat on! How many pieces did you end up fitting into the box? I was tempted to get the big Mr. Potato Head holder thing too - a CM told me that is about the same space as THREE boxes and is only double the price. But, I couldn't justify spending $40 on Mr. Potato Head pieces, even though they are so cute and fun!

Sorry to hear he was scared in T-Rex! Henry had a hard time once when we ate at Rainforest Cafe (not in WDW), because of the noise, but now he's outgrown it...I think he too would just LOVE T-Rex now!

Ridemakerz looks cool too - I didn't realize there were cars there to look at. We'll have to hit that up next time.

 

[photographymom517]

Great update. As far as the 10 minutes waiting on the bus, isn't it amazing how it always seems longer than it actually is at the time. Just amazing.

Glad you liked the update! Yes...everytime we had a wait (which the one at DTD was the longest of our entire trip!) it always seemed much longer than it actually was!

Great update! Disney Quest is definitely on my list of things I would like to do but every time I'm at Disney, I can never find time that I'm willing to spend there. Maybe some day. You stopped at all of our favorite stops at DTD, including Once Upon a Toy and Ghirardelli! Yum!

I really want to go to Disney Quest too but I don't think I could spend an entire day there. I'm planning on stopping in next trip & then if I don't like it, I'll go shopping at DTD while my husband stays at Disney Quest with our son. I think the interactive games sound neat, but I can't spend so much time in an arcade when there are so many parks to visit & so much shopping to do at DTD!

I absolutely loved Once Upon a Toy. When I posted my update, I actually realized I didn't look around nearly as much as I should have! I was just on a mission to get those Mr. Potato Head parts...lol Then after that, I was busy taking pictures of the ceilings!

Ghirardelli was soooo good!!! I will definitely stop there again next trip!

 

[photographymom517]

Great DTD pictures. Sorry Luke didn't want to build-a-dino. We love the T-Rex Cafe but it is so loud. I don't think we ever have a conversation when we are there. You can't hear unless you are sitting right next to the person you want to talk to. But I think Luke will enjoy it when he gets over his fear. I never made it to the vinylmation store when we were there. We got there early and it was closed. We never made it back once it opened but seeing your pictures makes me wish I had. Always next time. Oh yeah, great find on the pink hoodie.

I was really confused about him not wanting to Build a dinosaur! He really loved Build a Bear when we went...but it was much less intimidating so I understand! The one at the mall was empty the day we went...we were literally the only people in there other than the 2 employees! They immediately became his friend & paid so much attention to him! They also loved it that it was his very first Build a Bear animal! He had a good experience there. But I can understand that it is very loud inside T-Rex and he was terrified of everything being so much larger than him! I just thought he would like it because he loves dinosaurs! Oh, well. There's always next trip! He really liked the Whooly Mammoth so I'm hoping he will choose it so it will be different than the dino he already has, but it doesn't matter to me what he picks as long as he likes it & has fun!

Didn't you just love all of my pictures of D-Street??? LOL I thought it was funny when I was writing my update because I have the most pictures of it...of course! I don't think I'll ever take a trip to Disney again without stopping by D-Street...its a must for every trip now! I couldn't believe when I looked at my receipt that I only bought 1 Vinylmation there & the keychain. I think it was just because I saw them everywhere in the parks as well as every single set at our resort!

This is the hoodie that I got on sale for $12.99...can you believe it??? I still am in shock! I was thrilled!

What a fun time at DTD! I love the pictures of Luke with the Mr. Potato Head hat on! How many pieces did you end up fitting into the box? I was tempted to get the big Mr. Potato Head holder thing too - a CM told me that is about the same space as THREE boxes and is only double the price. But, I couldn't justify spending $40 on Mr. Potato Head pieces, even though they are so cute and fun!

Sorry to hear he was scared in T-Rex! Henry had a hard time once when we ate at Rainforest Cafe (not in WDW), because of the noise, but now he's outgrown it...I think he too would just LOVE T-Rex now!

Ridemakerz looks cool too - I didn't realize there were cars there to look at. We'll have to hit that up next time.

I didn't know what Luke would do when he saw me filling up the box with parts, but he immediately started helping! I should've known because he copies everything mommy does! I loved it when he put on the little green hat! He did it a few times so I pulled out my camera real quick! I couldn't miss a pic of that!

Here's a picture of the parts I got in my box. I read other DIS reports that they were only able to get 11 or 12 parts so I was shocked with all I fit inside the box. I guess it depends on what you really want. We were there on the last Star Wars weekend & they had Mr. Potato Head Star Wars parts...which were huge! If someone would've wanted the entire set, they probably only would've been able to fit maybe 8 or 9 Star Wars parts and maybe some smaller items like arms or small hats They also had some really cute Minnie shoes, hats, etc. and if I would've put those in my box, I wouldn't have fit nearly as much inside. So overall, I guess it just depends on which parts you really want. I was pleased with my box.

I know what you mean...I was very tempted to get the huge plastic Mr. Potato Head...I figured I could get waaaay more parts (you say 3 boxes, huh??? good to know!) but I couldn't justify the $40 for Mr. Potato Head parts either! Although, I'm thinking about doing it next trip & just splitting the parts between my 2 nephews & Luke

I ended up getting a total of 28 parts which surprised me! The 2 largest parts I got were the Mickey shoes & the sandals. I wanted to get all "unusual" or Disney-related parts. We already have a few Mr. Potato Heads at home so I figured we already had the arms, nose, ears, hats, etc. but I had to get 2 of those little green hats once Luke put them on his head! I also had to get the camera since I love photography! Luke choose the Pirate parts and he told me to get 2 parrots so I did. lol I didn't even realize I had 2 autograph books and 3 Mickey bars until we got home! I guess I was just so obsessed with making sure I had those that I ended up with doubles!

Ridemakerz is really neat inside! Even if you don't want to buy a car, you should definitely go inside! Its really fun just to see what they have & watch the little kids test out their cars. We were lucky because Luke didn't care if he bought a car or not. I priced them & I'm thinking it would probably cost around $125 to make one. The cars in the front are really neat! They were all from famous people and movies! Each had a little plaque in front of it so you could read all about where the car came from!

 

[photographymom517]

I need your help & suggestions for a Halloween costume for this year. I wanted to be a Disney character. Originally I was thinking of Tink or one of the other fairies if I can find a costume. I know they sell Tink but I'm not sure about the others (and I don't sew so making a costume is not an option! )

I was looking at different costumes online this evening & decided to change my mind. It seems like the same ones are selling. I'd like to get something original instead of one of the really popular characters. I really like the Cruella Deville costumes! The wigs are amazing & I like the long fur coat because it is super cold here in PA! I also found a really neat witch costume that is different (I think it was the witch from Snow White). I also really like Pirates of the Caribbean so I was thinking about looking for a female pirate costume (although I was a pirate last year so this idea isn't #1 on my list).

I think I just have too many ideas & too many favorites! I can't make up my mind! I also like Snow White & the 7 dwarves. I could easily be Snow White because of my dark hair but I'd rather be one of the 7 dwarves because it would be more of a unique costume (and would be harder to find...somehow I always like a challenge...lol)

I seriously can't make up my mind

so I need any suggestions I can get!

My other issue is that I want to be the same thing next year. We're planning to try to make it to MNSSHP next year. So I want to wear my costume from this year to the party next year. I heard that you can't dress like the characters because then guests will want to get their pictures taken with you and/or get your autograph (which is basically illegal). I really don't want a million little kids coming up to me asking me for a pic and/or autograph & I have to tell them no and break their heart! (I know I'm being dramatic but you know what I mean! lol)

I'm planning to go to the outlet Halloween store. They have an entire wall just of wigs & another one just of boots/shoes! The rest of the store is completely filled with costumes! I couldn't believe it was so huge for being an outlet store that's only temporarily located there! I know I'll have alot of options but I'd like to have an idea of what I want before I get there. If I don't find anything there, I'm planning to take a trip to our Disney Store which is about an hour away. I wish I was more creative, had more time, and knew how to sew!

Any suggestions are appreciated!

 

[reelmom]

I think Cruella would be fun. You could dress Luke and your DH up as dalmation puppies. It would be cute and then you could all wear it next year at MNSSHP.

 

[PopArtGal]

It seems Disney changed a lot of meals. We also remember meals from last year being better than this year. I don't know why these changes were made.

 

[BippityBoo]

GREAT DTD pictures!! I am dying to go (never been!). TREX looks really cool. Your dessert snacks looked amazing! Really, really yummy

 

[PopArtGal]

Thanks for all the pictures of the ceiling of the store. I had never seen those. Seems I only look at the things I can buy lol

Yum!!! Ghirardelli!! Just THE best place in the World! (Not WDW but the earth lol)

ahhhhhhhhhhh Dooney and Bourke. I want the Black princess one but it's.... 220$

 

[photographymom517]

I think Cruella would be fun. You could dress Luke and your DH up as dalmation puppies. It would be cute and then you could all wear it next year at MNSSHP.

I really, really like the Cruella one! I love her hair & the wig they make to go with the costume looks really neat! I'm leaning towards that idea. I'm going to try to make it up to the Halloween outlet one day this week & if I can't find it there, I'll make a trip to the Disney store & if I can't find it there either, then I'll buy it online. I found it on a few different websites & it wasn't that badly priced.

That is such a neat idea to make them be dalmation puppies! My son would absolutely love that, he loves animals!

 

[photographymom517]

It seems Disney changed a lot of meals. We also remember meals from last year being better than this year. I don't know why these changes were made.

Thanks for all the pictures of the ceiling of the store. I had never seen those. Seems I only look at the things I can buy lol

Yum!!! Ghirardelli!! Just THE best place in the World! (Not WDW but the earth lol)

ahhhhhhhhhhh Dooney and Bourke. I want the Black princess one but it's.... 220$

I know, I noticed alot of meals had changed. I tried to choose meals I never tried before while at Disney, but at some restaurants, I HAD to order the same thing because it was just so delicious last year! I was disappointed at the meals that had changed, but they were still ok.

The ceilings at Once Upon a Toy were so neat!!! I really liked the different themes they did for each different "room" they have in the store!

Ghirardelli was DELICIOUS! It was the first time I ever ate there & will definitely be going back every trip!

I know what you mean about the Dooneys, they are pricey! But the quality of the bags is amazing. I was very impressed when I purchased my first Dooney back in 2007. I got a Christmas bonus at work so I bought myself a gift. It wasn't a really expensive one, I bought the purse & a matching coin purse for $125 and that included shipping & sales tax. (It was quite a stretch for me though because I normally buy purses for $15-30!) I think I carried it for about 18 months (which is good for me because I change my purse about every 4-6 months). It was still in great condition when I sold it last year! They really are great quality bags...and of course the Disney design makes them even better!

Let me know if you end up getting the Princess bag! Maybe you could treat yourself for Christmas!

 

[photographymom517]

GREAT DTD pictures!! I am dying to go (never been!). TREX looks really cool. Your dessert snacks looked amazing! Really, really yummy

Glad you liked the pictures!!!

You really have to go to DTD! It was my first time there & I loved it! I learned a few things for next trip...like I'll probably save more $ to spend at DTD instead of spending more at the parks/resort. I also really want to try out some of the restaurants there! YUM! Earl of Sandwich was really good, but I'd like to try T-Rex, Rainforest Cafe (even though the reviews aren't good), and Planet Hollywood. I also have my heart set on Fulton's for next trip! I already have an envelope that says "DTD" on it...saving up for next year!

 

[PopArtGal]

If I end up buying the bag, it will be at WDW since the international shipping price is ridiculous.

 

[brookelizabeth]

I didn't know what Luke would do when he saw me filling up the box with parts, but he immediately started helping! I should've known because he copies everything mommy does! I loved it when he put on the little green hat! He did it a few times so I pulled out my camera real quick! I couldn't miss a pic of that!

Here's a picture of the parts I got in my box. I read other DIS reports that they were only able to get 11 or 12 parts so I was shocked with all I fit inside the box. I guess it depends on what you really want. We were there on the last Star Wars weekend & they had Mr. Potato Head Star Wars parts...which were huge! If someone would've wanted the entire set, they probably only would've been able to fit maybe 8 or 9 Star Wars parts and maybe some smaller items like arms or small hats They also had some really cute Minnie shoes, hats, etc. and if I would've put those in my box, I wouldn't have fit nearly as much inside. So overall, I guess it just depends on which parts you really want. I was pleased with my box.

I know what you mean...I was very tempted to get the huge plastic Mr. Potato Head...I figured I could get waaaay more parts (you say 3 boxes, huh??? good to know!) but I couldn't justify the $40 for Mr. Potato Head parts either! Although, I'm thinking about doing it next trip & just splitting the parts between my 2 nephews & Luke

I ended up getting a total of 28 parts which surprised me! The 2 largest parts I got were the Mickey shoes & the sandals. I wanted to get all "unusual" or Disney-related parts. We already have a few Mr. Potato Heads at home so I figured we already had the arms, nose, ears, hats, etc. but I had to get 2 of those little green hats once Luke put them on his head! I also had to get the camera since I love photography! Luke choose the Pirate parts and he told me to get 2 parrots so I did. lol I didn't even realize I had 2 autograph books and 3 Mickey bars until we got home! I guess I was just so obsessed with making sure I had those that I ended up with doubles!

Ridemakerz is really neat inside! Even if you don't want to buy a car, you should definitely go inside! Its really fun just to see what they have & watch the little kids test out their cars. We were lucky because Luke didn't care if he bought a car or not. I priced them & I'm thinking it would probably cost around $125 to make one. The cars in the front are really neat! They were all from famous people and movies! Each had a little plaque in front of it so you could read all about where the car came from!

We ended up with 27 pieces - it was fun filling that box, wasn't it? I gathered everything I liked and then guarded it like a hawk until I filled it with what I knew Henry would like best first, then filled in all the little areas with the extra things - a couple arms, a nose, Mickey balloon, popcorn, etc. I made Joe try to fit more, but he couldn't. We had that baby MAXED! We got all the Star Wars outfit and Buzz (except the shoes) as our big pieces, the pirate scarf and eye patch (but no parrot, he wouldn't fit!), and lots of little things. I *think* I took a picture at the hotel during the trip, right now the pieces are everywhere in Henry's room! I think I'll do it next trip too, it was fun! I love that Mickey safari hat and those sandals, gotta make those fit next time!!

Ridemakerz sounds awesome! We will be checking that out in March if it's still there. $125 for a car though....whoa

 

[photographymom517]

If I end up buying the bag, it will be at WDW since the international shipping price is ridiculous.

Absolutely!!! I hate shipping charges, they are always increasing!

Don't forget too...if you do decide to buy the bag at WDW, look at the giftshops that offer the discount for Disney Visa card holders first (if you have a Disney Visa). I think you save 10% which on a $220 bag would be a decent amount!

AP's save too but I'm not sure at which stores. For as much as I usually spend while at WDW, I wish I was an Annual Passholder! I'd save bunches!

 

[photographymom517]

We ended up with 27 pieces - it was fun filling that box, wasn't it? I gathered everything I liked and then guarded it like a hawk until I filled it with what I knew Henry would like best first, then filled in all the little areas with the extra things - a couple arms, a nose, Mickey balloon, popcorn, etc. I made Joe try to fit more, but he couldn't. We had that baby MAXED! We got all the Star Wars outfit and Buzz (except the shoes) as our big pieces, the pirate scarf and eye patch (but no parrot, he wouldn't fit!), and lots of little things. I *think* I took a picture at the hotel during the trip, right now the pieces are everywhere in Henry's room! I think I'll do it next trip too, it was fun! I love that Mickey safari hat and those sandals, gotta make those fit next time!!

Ridemakerz sounds awesome! We will be checking that out in March if it's still there. $125 for a car though....whoa

I loved filling the box!!! I honestly think it was the best part of my day at DTD! It was so interesting to see the unique Disney-related pieces! Looks like we think alike! That's exactly what I did...I got what Luke would like first then put in additional parts!

Oooh, I didn't see Buzz when we were there! He may have been sold out at the time since the TS3 movie came out the day after our trip. I'm not sure. I'll have to look at my pictures closer & see.

Yes, the cars at Ridemakerz are definitely expensive! I couldn't believe it. Luke completely wrecked his from last Christmas so I doubt I'd ever let him buy one there unless it was with his own money once he gets older & would take better care of it. Right now, he's just too young (thank goodness for our checkbook! lol)

When the little kids were testing out their cars, I was looking at the parts they choose & couldn't believe their parents didn't try to talk them into getting cheaper parts! (There are TONS of "upgrades" or you can just get regular parts) I swear the one kid's car had to cost towards the $200 range! Insane! His car had all the chrome parts & basically the best of everything...his dad was watching him test-drive it & I was starting to wonder if the car was really for daddy!

Definitely a neat place to check-out but only if you can walk out without buying a car!

Ooooh, I almost forgot to ask! I noticed your ticker...did you book a bounceback on your trip? Or was it already scheduled? (I think if I was caught up on my subscriptions I'd already know the answer! )