Mickey Power!!! - July 2019 - Once Upon a Time When DHS Opened After Sunrise - 2/27

I actually took a couple of weeks off to be home and pretty much just disconnected from the internet during that time in order to avoid work, and to be a little more focused on spending time with the kids.
That sounds... perfect
In life news, the kids are doing great.
Good!
L is playing in 2 different basketball leagues right now so our life is hectic on the weekends

B is playing in 1 basketball league and has tumbling one night every week so we're usually on the go.
Man, that'll keep you busy!
He's been very quick to revert to screaming uncontrollably and trying to bite and pinch, much like the night he was in the hospital, if things don't go exactly the way he wants.
Oh man. Hope that settles down soon. Poor Little Guy and poor you guys! Hang in there! :hug:
Unfortunately, I lost all my notes due to some technical difficulties, but I do have some pictures and some stories I remember, so I'll do the best I can with what I have to work with to finish up.
That's too bad. But... hopefully it'll work out. :)
 
I am so glad to hear that your absence from here was for good reasons! And that everyone is doing well. Glad to have you back but totally understand!
 
In life news, the kids are doing great. L is playing in 2 different basketball leagues right now so our life is hectic on the weekends, but he loves playing, and frankly, it's one of the few things he wants to do aside from sitting around playing video games. B is playing in 1 basketball league and has tumbling one night every week so we're usually on the go. R has been doing awesome since his surgery and in follow up visits with the surgeon everything looks great. However, we have noticed some extreme behavior issues with him since his surgery. He's been very quick to revert to screaming uncontrollably and trying to bite and pinch, much like the night he was in the hospital, if things don't go exactly the way he wants.

You are very busy parents and are on track with being there for your kids first. :) I really do hope R's behavioral issues work themselves out and he can re-learn appropriate communication. But I know how tough it is. I had one that was tough in that area too, so really understand how wearing it is.

So, with that, I'm trying to catch up on everyone's TRs and then I'll get back to mine. Unfortunately, I lost all my notes due to some technical difficulties, but I do have some pictures and some stories I remember, so I'll do the best I can with what I have to work with to finish up.

Miss you around here, Andy, but glad you are popping in as you can and have time. Looking forward to your updates. :)
 


Glad life is returning to it's normal, busy way :)
Kids are tough going sometimes but hang in there-not many 12year olds bite to get their way so it will pass! In the meantime there's always wine/beer/chocolate/fresh air/disboards/ whatever it is that you do to destress :thumbsup2
Look forward to hearing more about your trip when you find the time:goodvibes
 
:wave2:
Hello there! I fell off the face of the earth a bit there ( turns out homeschooling doesn't leave much time for other things.) I was glad to find you on here when I did pop my head back in and Glad to see your son has done so well over these last few years. (Last I had checked in he had just been born.)

The first morning when we put it on he kind of looked at it questioningly and DW told him it was his Mickey Power.



The kid likes Superheroes (he ran around the county fair with his Captain America shield) and TV shows like PJ Mask, so the concept of having an item that gives you a power is familiar to him and he caught on to that in a hurry.



We’d put his band on in the mornings and he’d get all excited and yell Mickey Power.
That is beyond adorable!

Hammer down.

We ended up making it all the way to Calhoun, GA as the sun came up.
Wow great timing!
We booked our stay at the Holiday Inn Reosrt, Lake Buena Vista. It is a good neighbor hotel and from the pictures, it looked like it had a nice pool and play area.

Sometimes pictures are deceiving.
Hmmm duly noted.

And I appreciate the ones of you who have jumped back in after my absence from the boards.
As you can see I haven't been all that around much either.

But last trip it was a big delay getting our check and leaving and then this trip it was a big delay just getting to the check in desk. I just feel like the service there is honestly a little subpar by Disney standards.
Oh lovely! ANd the one place Little MIss keeps asking for whenever we get our next trip. :worried:
Naturally, about the time I hauled in the last of our things, the rain stopped.
Naturally.:rolleyes2

As we were riding, I continued to get texts. I’m going to try to tell the story based on this chain of texts and I hope I can do it justice.

Finally got on the bus. They loaded a lady in an ECV and then she asked the bus driver to wait for her husband.

15 minutes later.

Husband is here. Also in an ECV. They’re loading him now.

About 10 minutes after that:


And now we're stopped along the road because somebody opened a beer on the bus.



After we reunited, I got the lowdown on the bus situation. Apparently there was a relatively large family. They sent momma out to wait for the bus. She was ECV number 1. She boarded and then made a bit fuss to the bus driver about waiting for her husband (ECV 2). But it wasn't just him. There was a group of about 6 that came out with him. One of them apparently got a little too thirsty and couldn't wait until they got to EPCOT. He cracked a cold one open on the bus. The bus driver heard/saw the beer being opened and immediately pulled over to the side of the road and made him get out and dump the beer out along the side of the road.
o_O:rotfl2::drinking1
But no... he was concerned because the van was still running.



They were in such a hurry that they didn’t care about inconveniencing anyone else. And they didn’t even take the time to turn the engine off.
:rotfl2:
The CM at FP then told us we needed to see the DAS CM. I asked where that was and he pointed clear across the walkway near the Rivers of Light seating area.
Wait so the DAS CM is different than the FP CM? I'm just in the beginning stages of learning about the DAS system.
He was still cranky and throwing a fit. The CM at the register was getting ready to check me out when another CM named Tony walked up and told her to stop. He grabbed a bar out of the cooler and walked around to the stroller. He kneeled down to R and started talking to him. He told him that he had a gift for him from Mickey and handed him the bar. R went from whining and crying to smiling almost instantly
Awa! What a wonderful little small moment.
This was the first of multiple issues we experienced this trip with lid free cups.
Wasit wait wait...... Lid free? Is this a AK thing or a whole of Disney World thing? If they don't put lids on cups I might have to come up with something.

They planned to get to Disney World Tuesday evening, but they’d driven farther than they expected Monday night and by the time we were eating lunch, they were just about to Disney World property. We didn’t tell the kids, but mom said they were going to get checked in and meet up with us at AK.

We exited the theater and went to get the stroller. Right around the corner from the stroller parking area, Mom and Dad were sitting on a rock. The kids had no idea they were there, but B was the first to see them. She screamed and ran straight over for hugs.
There is nothing like the magic of a Nana surprise to turn a grumpy day around.

I don’t absolutely hate Disney pizza. No, it isn’t the best, but I don't think it is terrible.
I used to think it was the worst pizza. Then I had to go predominantly Gluten Free.:rotfl2:Let me tell you, there are some pizzas out there that would make disney pizza look like heaven! lol
See that puddle of condensation underneath the tailpipe at the back of that van? This was about 9 or 10 hours after our frustrations in the parking lot that morning.

The van was still running.

Now I really thought it was funny!
:rotfl2::rotfl2::rotfl2:Now I'm kind of bummed that you didn't get to find out their reaction to getting back to the car. Though I am kind of impressed that it would still be running.
I didn’t touch it, obviously, but let me tell you the temptation to move it to a random parking spot clear on the other side of the lot might have popped into my head.
:drive::tiptoe::rotfl2::rotfl::rotfl2:That's Brilliant.

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What a wonderful experience. There's a swim instructor in our area that does these kinds of lessons. I have refrained from letting Little Miss know they exist. lol
On top of that we’ve had some issues arise with R’s health.
:worried: poor little guy!
This is going to be a major surgery with at least a weeklong hospital stay so if you could add him to your prayers, please do.
Will do.
 
Glad you will be finding some time to stop back in here, and that everything is well with your family!
 


Welcome back Andy! Glad to hear everyone is doing well. Going to Disney and the Holidays really threw me for a loop too. I'm sure whatever you post will be great, I mean you went to Disney with your family and made lots of great memories.
 
My heart was breaking for y'all when Little guy couldn't have something to drink or eat. It's great that his outcome was better than predicted and he's on the mend.
Thanks... it was rough, but he's doing awesome now!
I'm so glad R's surgery was less intense than they anticipated, and that he recovered so well! I'm sure that was a huge relief for y'all as I'm sure it was pretty stressful anticipating that surgery. Best wishes for him to continue to heal!
Yeah, it's always rough with him. But right now things look good!
Just caught up from the last few months of being away. Quite the frustrating day at AK! But mermaid school looks awesome - I had no idea that even existed. So glad that R's surgery went well and he's getting back to normal - how difficult for him and your family to cope with the restrictions. Hope you all have a happy new year!
Thanks! It was a trip with some interesting memories for sure, both good and bad. R is doing great now and hopefully we don't have to do it again for a long time, if ever.
Hey, Andy. Just caught up with your latest update.
Hey, no rush. I'm only about 2 months behind anyway.
So...that's great!
::yes::
Oh man. I can imagine that must have been really hard.
::yes:: It's hard caring for a 3 year old. It's even harder reasoning with one.
But that's excellent! I'm glad to hear he did so well! Hope you guys had a great Christmas.
Thanks!
Just catching up with your latest update and wanted to say how glad I am to hear how well R did with the surgery.
Thanks! He's doing great now!
I had been sort of crazy busy and since there wasn't a change in the title i missed this update until now. I'm glad to hear R came through alright, even if he was a bit ornery.
Yeah, sorry. I didn't update the title since it wasn't actual TR stuff.
You folks are saints for how you've handled everything!
Thank you. It's certainly a challenge with that one.
I missed the November surgery update, but I'm so happy to hear it was a simpler fix than the doctors initally thought. Glad to hear things are going well for the family. Busy is good. Hang in there!
Thanks! We're doing great now!
Look forward to hearing more about your trip when you are able to get to it.
Hoping with luck to get one tomorrow maybe. I'm finally close to being caught up here and I've sat down to try to re-create the notes I lost. I'm missing some details, but I've got the main points down.
 
Glad to hear the kids are doing good and you were able to take some time off to spend with them!
Thanks! It really was good for us as a family to get some down time together in December.
That sounds... perfect
Perfect, I don't know. It was nice, for sure. But I can assure you that DW was celebrating after I went back to work and school started back up. :rotfl2: There may have been 1 or 2 too many nerf gun battles for her taste.
Man, that'll keep you busy!
::yes::
Oh man. Hope that settles down soon. Poor Lit:rotfl2::lmao:tle Guy and poor you guys! Hang in there! :hug:
He's still being a challenge. I don't know, while developmentally he seems on track in most things, he kind of falls behind in other areas... behavior is one of them.
That's too bad. But... hopefully it'll work out. :)
I've sat down a few times and written out a rough outline of things. I've got *most* of the details down. There are still some blank spots where I can't remember what we did or I know we did this, but not when. But the main points are there.
I am so glad to hear that your absence from here was for good reasons! And that everyone is doing well. Glad to have you back but totally understand!
Thanks!
You are very busy parents and are on track with being there for your kids first. :) I really do hope R's behavioral issues work themselves out and he can re-learn appropriate communication. But I know how tough it is. I had one that was tough in that area too, so really understand how wearing it is.
It is certainly a challenge with him. While he's hit almost all developmental marks, his behavior in some ways seems to me to be a little behind that of a 3 year old.

I've got a cousin who has a daughter that was born 1 week to the day after R. She is a head taller than he is, talks so much better than he does (actually plays with B and it is almost like she is closer to B in age than R) and she behaves better. We were at a family thing over the winter when she was running around yelling and they scolded her and she calmed down. Then they started talking about how great she is doing at learning her alphabet, spelling her name, yada, yada, yada. I know it was kind of a dig, because meanwhile R is screaming like a banshee and beating L with a lightsaber. I'm biting my tongue like, yeah, but she ain't near as tough as this dude is.
Miss you around here, Andy, but glad you are popping in as you can and have time. Looking forward to your updates. :)
Thanks!
Glad life is returning to it's normal, busy way :)
Kids are tough going sometimes but hang in there-not many 12year olds bite to get their way so it will pass! In the meantime there's always wine/beer/chocolate/fresh air/disboards/ whatever it is that you do to destress :thumbsup2
Look forward to hearing more about your trip when you find the time:goodvibes
Thank you for the kind words of reassurance! Hoping to get an update up soon!
:wave2:
Hello there! I fell off the face of the earth a bit there ( turns out homeschooling doesn't leave much time for other things.) I was glad to find you on here when I did pop my head back in and Glad to see your son has done so well over these last few years. (Last I had checked in he had just been born.)
Hi!!! Wow, it has been a while! Great to see you!!!!
As you can see I haven't been all that around much either.
It happens. Life, that is.
Oh lovely! ANd the one place Little MIss keeps asking for whenever we get our next trip. :worried:
Yeah, it's hard to resist the siren song. I'm sure we'll go back, but I pretty much go in there not expecting it to be anything spectacular. Still hard to beat the location and characters though.
Wait so the DAS CM is different than the FP CM? I'm just in the beginning stages of learning about the DAS system.
Ok, it varies. The DAS CM is holding an iPad in front of the ride. In many cases, they are right there standing near the entrance to the FP and Single rider lines. The only 2 exceptions we noted were that they were out on the bridge as you approach Slinky Dog at a stand that was set up for them specifically and then across the "street" from Expedition Everest. Every other time they seemed to be just hanging around near the entrance of the ride where you actually enter the queue area.
Awa! What a wonderful little small moment.
::yes:: Gotta appreciate a kind CM!
Wasit wait wait...... Lid free? Is this a AK thing or a whole of Disney World thing? If they don't put lids on cups I might have to come up with something.
It is Disney World wide!!! They started it this summer. Paper straws only and no lids. We did manage to find a couple of places that had them, but I think they were just using the last of the inventory.
There is nothing like the magic of a Nana surprise to turn a grumpy day around.
::yes::
I used to think it was the worst pizza. Then I had to go predominantly Gluten Free.:rotfl2:Let me tell you, there are some pizzas out there that would make disney pizza look like heaven! lol
:lmao::rotfl2::rotfl:My sister can't eat gluten. I've tried some of the stuff she has to eat. You're absolutely right!
:rotfl2::rotfl2::rotfl2:Now I'm kind of bummed that you didn't get to find out their reaction to getting back to the car. Though I am kind of impressed that it would still be running.
I would have loved to have been there to see it.
What a wonderful experience. There's a swim instructor in our area that does these kinds of lessons. I have refrained from letting Little Miss know they exist. lol
Hey, might be a fun surprise for her sometime!
Glad you will be finding some time to stop back in here, and that everything is well with your family!
Thank you!
Glad to hear from you and glad the kids are doing well!
Thanks!
Welcome back Andy! Glad to hear everyone is doing well. Going to Disney and the Holidays really threw me for a loop too. I'm sure whatever you post will be great, I mean you went to Disney with your family and made lots of great memories.
Excellent point.
 
Strolling Around the World

First of all, I want to say thank you for bearing with me in my long absence from the boards over the past couple of months. As I’ve mentioned in a couple of posts, R did well in his surgery and as of right now, things are looking pretty good for him.


Now, back to the TR... we’d just finished up with B’s Mermaid swim lesson and then some pool time. We got ourselves together and drove to EPCOT at around noon. We knew it was going to be a late morning getting to the parks after mermaid school so we planned accordingly with a noon FP for Test Track. Our plan for the day was to get a ride in, then grab some lunch and enjoy World Showcase with no real master plan of things to accomplish.

We arrived at EPCOT with relative ease. We headed to Test Track to use our FP. Just to remind everyone since it has been a while, Mom and Dad made their plans last minute so they weren't able to get a Test Track FP with ours. It worked out fine though since R was too short. The plan was that DW and I were going to take the older kids and we’d grab a RS pass. Then Mom could use the RS and Dad would take R’s MB and the older kids would get 2 rides on it.

We approached the ride and had a neat, but brief interaction with the CM handling RS duties. I noticed on her nametag that she was a CP from Purdue University, which is where I went to school. We chatted just briefly, but it was kind of cool to see someone from around here and made me wish I'd have tried to do the CP thing back in the day.


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While waiting with R, Mom and Dad chose to visit Mouse Gears. We headed for the AC to meet up with them. The kids were all given a budget that they could spend on souvenirs, and L decided at this point that he wanted to build a lightsaber. We really didn’t want to carry it around all day, and knowing that we’d be going to DHS later in the week, we convinced him to wait.

While Mom, Dad and the older kids went to ride TT, R started getting grumpy in the store. I left DW to continue shopping and took him outside to the play area behind Mouse Gears. He liked running around and playing a lot better than being confined in the store. That spot could use more shade though... mid-day, mid-July, mid-Florida. It was hot!

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After everyone finished riding, and DW finished shopping we grabbed a frozen Coke from the Cool Wash. I had lost all track of time at this point and when I looked at my phone I realized we were running late for our ADR!

We picked up the pace and got scooting towards World Showcase. We made it to Via Napoli maybe a couple of minutes late, but they took our name and we were seated almost immediately. This was one of the ADRs that I was able to change to add Mom and Dad to, so we were all going to be dining together. I’ve always felt that Via Napoli is not only delicious, but if you get a pizza or 2 rather than ordering individual meals, it is really one of the best bargains around as far as table service goes. We chose to share a couple of pizzas at our table and got a kid’s menu cheese pizza for R. We ended up eating every crumb. Well, except for the crust. Our kids just won't eat it.
Even R, who can be picky and is a bit of a grazer, ended up chowing down on ¾ of his cheese pizza.

The only downside to the meal was when boredom set in for a bit.

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The food was excellent as always, however, this wasn’t the best service we’d ever received. We kind of wanted to get our pizza, eat and be on our way. I realize that’s not the way of the Italians as a meal is supposed to be an event. But come on! It took quite a while to get drinks, our cups did go empty a few times so that we had to catch someone to ask for refills and it took a bit to get our bill settled. It wasn’t horrible service by any means, but it certainly could have been better.

After we got out of Via Napoli, we decided to go check out the American Adventure. What better to do after stuffing yourself than sit in a dark, air-conditioned theater?

Thankfully, it worked as planned and R fell asleep.

Our next stop was to see the Guardians of the Galaxy – Awesome Mix. We approached the theater just before showtime. R was in the stroller and a CM approached us pointing to an area outside the rope where we had to park the stroller. I told everyone to just go in and I’d go walk around. Selfishly, I was thinking of what drink I could put in my hand while they watched the show, so it really didn't bother me at all to make that sacrifice. But as we discussed splitting up, the CM realized R was asleep in the stroller and told me I could take the stroller in the theater and sit in one of the park benches at the back. B wanted to sit front and center so the rest of the family did that. Apparently, B loved it, everybody else felt like it was a bit too loud.

We continued exploring World Showcase at a slow leisurely pace while R napped.

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We stopped by the kiosk in Japan for some kakigori to enjoy while we watched the drummers perform.

We continued on to France where DW got a lemon slush. The kids were asking for another snack so we went to check out the ice cream place. The line was insane so we ducked into the bakery and found some snacks that B and L wanted... and I can’t remember what those were. Mom ended up buying a sampler tray of macarons and we all shared some of those.

As we were doing this, R woke up and flipped out.

DW and Dad were waiting outside at a table while we were in the bakery. R saw DW’s slush and wanted it. He threw an absolute screaming tantrum. She decided to take him back to Japan and get a kakigori for him. He screamed the whole way there and kept trying to throw himself out of the stroller. She said that while she wasy paying for the kakigori he got himself free and did manage to throw himself on the ground. She had her hands full and a screaming 3 year old flopping around like a fish out of water while holding up the line. She was pretty embarrassed and upset by the whole thing. I felt bad that I wasn’t there when it happened to help, but I was at least thoughtful enough to get her another lemon slush, which I knew she needed at that point!

We continued our leisurely walk around World Showcase, obviously the kakigori cooled R down in more ways than 1.

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And of course, the picture with the border is the worst one they took.

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Since our only plan that day was really to ride TT, we’d made a couple of other “throw away” FPs that we weren’t sure we planned to use. As we made it to Canada, it was near time for our Imagination FP so we decided to go on around to use it. Mom and Dad didn’t have one, so they walked down the standby queue and arrived at the merge point approximately 10 seconds before we did. They didn't have to take the time to tap their bands, after all.

Even though it really doesn’t seem like we did much, we spent a lot of time that afternoon just sitting in shady spots in World Showcase. Dad has some medical conditions going on and it really makes it important that he gets out of the sun and off his feet fairly often so a big part of the afternoon was just finding a shady spot to hang out. It really was a relaxed day. By the time we finished with Figment, it was getting late enough that we decided we should get something to eat and plan our last couple of things to do before finding a spot for Illuminations.

We decided that we’d go into Sunshine Seasons to grab some dinner then ride Living With the Land before crossing back over to World Showcase. I don’t remember what the kids got to eat. I know we had a hard time finding something they were willing to eat, since chicken tenders and fries weren’t on the menu. I don’t remember what they settled on. DW and I got the Rotisserie Chicken and Pork Loin entrees and tried a little bit of each others’ meal. It was good. A nice change of pace for a quick service meal, but nothing I’d really want to go out of my way for.

The highlight of Sunshine Seasons, for us anyway, was that they still had real straws and lids at the drink stations! We considered grabbing a handful of each to throw in the park bag to use through the rest of the week. Probably should have, but we didn’t.

By the time we finished eating, R was very restless. After eating so well at lunch, he hardly touched his dinner. We wanted to try to ride Living with the Land, but as we were sitting finishing our meal, we watched the CMs closing down the queue for the night so we missed out on that one.

While Mom and Dad weren't able to join us for our TT FPs, Mom managed to grab a late evening FP for Frozen Ever After when she booked their trip. We headed across the park once again to take the kids on another couple of cruises on It’s a Small Mexico while Mom and Dad rode It's a Small Arendelle.

We met along the railing of the lagoon about 45 minutes before Illuminations was to start. As I mentioned earlier, the kids each had a souvenir budget and while we managed to get L to hold off on his lightsaber until DHS, B had been looking at small backpacks and she found one that morning that she really liked. We hadn’t seen that backpack anywhere else and she’d asked about it several times throughout the day. We were pretty much convinced that this was what she really did want and since this was going to be our last day in EPCOT, I took her to Mouse Gear to buy it and a stuffed Figment while everyone held our spot down for Illuminations. It turned out to be a good purchase, because she uses that backpack often to haul doll clothes, books and her kindle when we go somewhere and she needs some entertainment to take along with her.

We returned with plenty of time until Illuminations started. It didn’t feel super crowded as it has in years past. We were right up along the rail and the crowd really was only about 1 or 2 deep about as far around as we could see from where we stood.

However, as it tends to go, even if it isn’t super crowded Disney guests step up to the challenge to make it feel crowded.

We were right next to a trash can on our right side. I made the mistake of moving out of my spot for a split second to help R get situated a little more comfortably in his stroller. As I had turned, these 2 ladies slipped in right next to me in the spot I’d been standing between the trash can and stroller. It really wasn’t even a big enough spot for them to stand in, as I noticed one of them was even squeezing herself partly on/between the trash can and rail.

I might have made some off handed comments under my breath.

But even if only briefly, I was the one that moved out of my spot, and probably would have to move again to do something for R at some point before it was said and done. And I’m probably 6 inches taller than they are, so whatever.

We enjoyed seeing Illuminations for the last time. DW grabbed a few pictures, but mostly we just enjoyed the show. I’ve got a lot of memories of Illuminations, and I do enjoy the show. However, I’ve felt for a while that it could use a refresh so I’m pretty excited about seeing what is to come!

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We made our way out of the park after Illuminations, taking our time and enjoying the scenery. We didn’t plan to be back in EPCOT again on this trip, so we (well, I) really wanted to slow down and just take it in. I’m really nostalgic about this park. My first visit to Disney World was when it was just MK and EPCOT... and EPCOT was only a few years old. I do feel like EPCOT needs an update. I’m not opposed to change. We’ve seen a lot of it in the park over the years.

Losing the fountain is a hard pill to swallow though.

I look forward to seeing the new EPCOT, but I’m going to miss the look and feel of the park I grew up visiting. Regardless though, Spaceship Earth will still be there and it is always a beautiful sight to behold as you’re leaving the park at night!

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We headed out to the car and drove back to CBR. It was a very low key, relaxed day for us. Especially compared to the way we usually tour the parks. Tomorrow would be a busy day and since we closed down the park, we headed straight back to the room to get everyone showered/bathed and into bed.
 
Oh gosh, nothing like a 3 year old's tantrum to embarrass the heck out of you!! Been there, done that. I'm glad the treat got him under control quickly enough.

I'm so ready to be back at Via Napoli in a few weeks!! Bummer that your service wasn't great though. It's definitely different in Europe where people linger over their meals longer and it's considered rude to come bring the check and ask if you're done. But the empty drinks is frustrating though, they should be on top of that.

I know exactly what you mean about spending a large chunk of time in the parks, and then when you put it all down in a TR, it sounds like nothing was really accomplished. :rotfl: That's Disney World with kids for you!

We missed out on seeing Illuminations one last time before it went away, which is kind of a bummer. And we will be there while the temporary show is still there, and we aren't sold on dedicating an evening to it yet. I'm excited to see what the real replacement show will be like.
 
Sounds like you had a nice pace at Epcot, which made for a good day! Sorry about R's meltdown but glad the kakigori helped..it would help me too ::yes::

Glad you got to end the day seeing Illuminations one last time!
 
I love lazy park days where you just go with the flow :goodvibes
Tantrum aside it sounds like a pretty good day. Nice that you got to see illuminations one last time :thumbsup2
 
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DW and Dad were waiting outside at a table while we were in the bakery. R saw DW’s slush and wanted it. He threw an absolute screaming tantrum. She decided to take him back to Japan and get a kakigori for him. He screamed the whole way there and kept trying to throw himself out of the stroller. She said that while she wasy paying for the kakigori he got himself free and did manage to throw himself on the ground. She had her hands full and a screaming 3 year old flopping around like a fish out of water while holding up the line. She was pretty embarrassed and upset by the whole thing. I felt bad that I wasn’t there when it happened to help, but I was at least thoughtful enough to get her another lemon slush, which I knew she needed at that point!
That must have been the worst!!! Tantrums like that are so embarassing but it happens to all of us.

Mom and Dad didn’t have one, so they walked down the standby queue and arrived at the merge point approximately 10 seconds before we did. They didn't have to take the time to tap their bands, after all.
Ha!

It turned out to be a good purchase, because she uses that backpack often to haul doll clothes, books and her kindle when we go somewhere and she needs some entertainment to take along with her.
Which one did she pick? Morgan and Gwen use there alot as well. And really has been a good purchase!
 
Sorry to hear the service at Via Napoli was slow. I know they used to have servers that dealt solely with drinks. I remember in years past if I so much as took one large sip of my water, one of the servers was there topping me off. So it's a shame to hear that's slipped over time.

Oh dear....kids love to pick the most inconvenient time to completely melt down. Ironic that he made your wife's life a little hectic while she was in the process of buying him a treat.

Taking away the fountain was tough news! I do wish they could have kept that iconic piece of Epcot. But you're right, seeing Spaceship Earth at the end of a long park day is the truly memorable part of an Epcot visit.
 
Via Napoli is for the most part always a good choice, we have been many times and I think only once we had super slow service!
The shaved ice from Japan is always a yummy treat, glad it helped your son feel better!
from your reports, the kids do really well on long days! We get cranky after a long one haha 🤣
 
First of all, I want to say thank you for bearing with me in my long absence from the boards over the past couple of months. As I’ve mentioned in a couple of posts, R did well in his surgery and as of right now, things are looking pretty good for him.
So happy to hear that he is doing well. I am sure that was a very stressful time for your family.
While Mom, Dad and the older kids went to ride TT, R started getting grumpy in the store. I left DW to continue shopping and took him outside to the play area behind Mouse Gears. He liked running around and playing a lot better than being confined in the store. That spot could use more shade though... mid-day, mid-July, mid-Florida. It was hot!
I am surprised they don't have more shade there.
We picked up the pace and got scooting towards World Showcase. We made it to Via Napoli maybe a couple of minutes late, but they took our name and we were seated almost immediately. This was one of the ADRs that I was able to change to add Mom and Dad to, so we were all going to be dining together. I’ve always felt that Via Napoli is not only delicious, but if you get a pizza or 2 rather than ordering individual meals, it is really one of the best bargains around as far as table service goes. We chose to share a couple of pizzas at our table and got a kid’s menu cheese pizza for R. We ended up eating every crumb. Well, except for the crust. Our kids just won't eat it. Even R, who can be picky and is a bit of a grazer, ended up chowing down on ¾ of his cheese pizza.
I love Via Napoli and it really can be very economical for a large group. Too bad your service was a bit of a miss though.
After we got out of Via Napoli, we decided to go check out the American Adventure. What better to do after stuffing yourself than sit in a dark, air-conditioned theater?
Nap time!!
DW and Dad were waiting outside at a table while we were in the bakery. R saw DW’s slush and wanted it. He threw an absolute screaming tantrum. She decided to take him back to Japan and get a kakigori for him. He screamed the whole way there and kept trying to throw himself out of the stroller. She said that while she wasy paying for the kakigori he got himself free and did manage to throw himself on the ground. She had her hands full and a screaming 3 year old flopping around like a fish out of water while holding up the line. She was pretty embarrassed and upset by the whole thing. I felt bad that I wasn’t there when it happened to help, but I was at least thoughtful enough to get her another lemon slush, which I knew she needed at that point!
"Threenagers" are the worst! When they melt down, they do a thorough job of it. Anyone who has kids would totally understand though.
and I got the Rotisserie Chicken and Pork Loin entrees and tried a little bit of each others’ meal. It was good. A nice change of pace for a quick service meal, but nothing I’d really want to go out of my way for.
I like Sunshine Seasons for their healthier choices.
While Mom and Dad weren't able to join us for our TT FPs, Mom managed to grab a late evening FP for Frozen Ever After when she booked their trip. We headed across the park once again to take the kids on another couple of cruises on It’s a Small Mexico while Mom and Dad rode It's a Small Arendelle.
Perfectly descriptive ride names! :rotfl:
We enjoyed seeing Illuminations for the last time. DW grabbed a few pictures, but mostly we just enjoyed the show. I’ve got a lot of memories of Illuminations, and I do enjoy the show. However, I’ve felt for a while that it could use a refresh so I’m pretty excited about seeing what is to come!
I loved Illuminations too.....lots of great memories associated with it. Change is good though and I am looking forward to what is to come.
I look forward to seeing the new EPCOT, but I’m going to miss the look and feel of the park I grew up visiting. Regardless though, Spaceship Earth will still be there and it is always a beautiful sight to behold as you’re leaving the park at night!
It certainly is! :goodvibes
 
Oh gosh, nothing like a 3 year old's tantrum to embarrass the heck out of you!! Been there, done that. I'm glad the treat got him under control quickly enough.
They always make it fun, don't they? It could have been worse.
I'm so ready to be back at Via Napoli in a few weeks!! Bummer that your service wasn't great though. It's definitely different in Europe where people linger over their meals longer and it's considered rude to come bring the check and ask if you're done. But the empty drinks is frustrating though, they should be on top of that.
It was frustrating, but it was still Via Napoli and it was delicious as always!
I know exactly what you mean about spending a large chunk of time in the parks, and then when you put it all down in a TR, it sounds like nothing was really accomplished. :rotfl: That's Disney World with kids for you!
::yes::
We missed out on seeing Illuminations one last time before it went away, which is kind of a bummer. And we will be there while the temporary show is still there, and we aren't sold on dedicating an evening to it yet. I'm excited to see what the real replacement show will be like.
I'd like to see the replacement show, but that won't even be in the cards. There are so many great evening things to do though, that I could definitely understand not making time for it.
Sounds like you had a nice pace at Epcot, which made for a good day! Sorry about R's meltdown but glad the kakigori helped..it would help me too ::yes::
::yes:: A good treat to cool you down in more ways than one.
Glad you got to end the day seeing Illuminations one last time!
It really was a great end to the day.
I love lazy park days where you just go with the flow :goodvibes
::yes:: With FP+ and ADRs those kinds of days are hard to find.
Tantrum aside it sounds like a pretty good day. Nice that you got to see illuminations one last time :thumbsup2
::yes::
That must have been the worst!!! Tantrums like that are so embarassing but it happens to all of us.
I think most parents get it. Still doesn't make it any easier though.
Which one did she pick? Morgan and Gwen use there alot as well. And really has been a good purchase!
It was a pink, glittery Minnie backpack. There's actually a picture in the next day's updates with her wearing it.
 

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