"Mommy! Dey heads is fweaky!" 8 (otherwise) wonderful days in March 2011

[lovethattink]

 

[MyPeanut&Bug]

Aww, thanks! Hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day as well!

 

[lovethattink]

Thanks, I did!

 

[MyPeanut&Bug]

I love your safari pics!

Sounds like you had a nice day at AK, despite the rain. I'd been lucky on my last few trips -- no rain at all -- so when I had to spend a day under a poncho last month, I was unprepared for how much of a difference it makes! Not nearly as fun, despite the crowd-clearing!

Thanks! This was our first experience with rain and I'm very thankful that it was relatively light and only lasted 2-3 hours. A whole day of it or a harder rain would NOT have been as fun at all!!

Wonderful job with all the animal pics. So glad it turned out to be a good day for you guys despite the rain!

Thanks! I had a great time taking pics - and I think the rain and cool may have helped because I don't remember seeing as many animals up and about last trip, when it was SO hot.

Those are fabulous pictures. I think the sun would've bleached them out too much. You got great pictures.
It sounds like a fabulous day..minus the 1 meltdown...but we all have at least one of those usually.

Thank you! And yeah, I think the safari pics were good w/no sun and not having to contend with shadows and such but I could have used a little blue sky in some - especially the shot from the bridge of EE - it blends in with the gray sky, lol. A much bigger Eliza meltdown is to come...

How fitting...I am actually here at work right now. Too funny!

My husband was like, "Alicia!! I can't believe you put that picture up!"

 

[MyPeanut&Bug]

Look, I'm finally finishing up day 6!! Good grief it's taking me a long time! And it's going to take even longer to do our last 2 days - partially because I hate to be done reliving the trip. But also because as I've been going through our pictures, I realized that everyday I took about the same amount of pics - day 7, I took a little bit more than the average. But day 8... I think I knew it was our last day and I was just snapping at EVERYTHING because on day 8, our last day, I took more than double the amount of pictures I took any other day. (Some of that was Eliza doing BBB and the fact that we saw the MSEP that night, but most was just me snapping everything in sight)

Ok, so we picked up my mom and headed to Downtown Disney. We had a 6pm dinner reservation for the T-Rex Cafe. We ate there last time and waited over an hour with no reservation so as soon as Benjamin asked if we could eat there again, I made sure to get an ADR. He sat through princesses and characters, it was time for some dino action for him.

We checked in and only had to wait about 10 minutes to be seated. As we started walking to be seated, I was just silently praying it wouldn't be near the giant octopus - if you recall, Eliza has a recent phobia of octopuses. I had been showing her pics from last time and trying to prepare here that we may be by the octopus, but I knew that would be really dicey and no doubt not a pleasant dinner. I was SO glad when we passed that section - and even more excited when I saw we were heading to the Ice Cave section! I thought it looked so fun last time and Benjamin and I were really excited that we got to be in this time. It was really cool to be in there during the meteor shower and to see all the changing colors - the kids got a kick of how their food changed color when that happened.

We ordered our food and walked around the restaurant for a little bit, taking pics and checking out the dinos.

As busy at the place was, it didn't take that long for our food - and we were all glad, we were SO hungry! Buddy got a steak, I got a really good chicken sandwich and Mom got lasagna - all of which were delicious. And because I'm a good mom, I can't for the life of me remember what the kids got.... I'm sure some combination of mac and cheese/chicken/quesadillas, pretty much their norm. I do remember that they both drank their weight in fruit punch.

After dinner, we walked around DD for just a short bit - it was super crowded and we didn't have anything specific that we wanted to shop for. Plus with no mid-day break, the kids were winding down fast. We did check out Benjamin's favorite Lego sea monster and then called it a day and headed back to ASMo.

 

[jenseib]

I soooo want to go to T-Rex someday. It looks so cool!

 

[lovethattink]

A ten minute wait is awesome!! We've eaten at T-Rex once, last August. We really liked it! Anakin likes digging at the dig site. Did your children get a chance to do that? It baffles him why they give a paint brush to play in the sand. I've explained it to him, but it still doesn't make sense to him, lol. You were seated at a great location!

 

[Disneyfreak616]

Can't wait for T-REX in July! I LOVE the ice room!

 

[MyPeanut&Bug]

I soooo want to go to T-Rex someday. It looks so cool!

It really is neat - and the meteor shower is way cool - happens about 15 min. I know I've heard the menu compared to Rainforest Cafe, but I find the food at T Rex to be much better.

Plus, there's lots of fun photo ops.

A ten minute wait is awesome!! We've eaten at T-Rex once, last August. We really liked it! Anakin likes digging at the dig site. Did your children get a chance to do that? It baffles him why they give a paint brush to play in the sand. I've explained it to him, but it still doesn't make sense to him, lol. You were seated at a great location!

We DID have an ADR, just had to wait about 10 min. in the ADR line. I think they were quoting waits of about 60-90 minutes without a reservation. The kids didn't do the dig site this time - my mom was standing in the ADR line, right next to the dig site while we walked around the outside of the restaurant so I didn't even see it until we were going in to be seated - and never gave it a thought once we came out. The dig site hasn't always been there, has it? I have no memory of it from last trip, May 09, but that may just be my memory.

Can't wait for T-REX in July! I LOVE the ice room!

I was SO excited to be seated in there - last time I think I made multiple trips to the restroom just to walk through it.

 

[lovethattink]

We DID have an ADR, just had to wait about 10 min. in the ADR line. I think they were quoting waits of about 60-90 minutes without a reservation. The kids didn't do the dig site this time - my mom was standing in the ADR line, right next to the dig site while we walked around the outside of the restaurant so I didn't even see it until we were going in to be seated - and never gave it a thought once we came out. The dig site hasn't always been there, has it? I have no memory of it from last trip, May 09, but that may just be my memory.

Lol! It's always been there. We had always passed by and watched kids from the outside, but I thought it required admission or was only for people dining there, until an employee there told us it was a draw to bring in passers by to check out the restaurant, and it's free. We let him play after he ate. I couldn't imagine eating and being sand from hand to foot.

 

[Disneyfreak616]

I was SO excited to be seated in there - last time I think I made multiple trips to the restroom just to walk through it.

If I'm not seated in there I will probably do the EXACT same thing.

 

[HersheyKisses]

What a beautiful family loving your trip report

 

[MyPeanut&Bug]

For as wet and gray as Thursday began, Friday was the complete opposite, much to our happiness. It was cool but the sky was a brilliant blue, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the sun was shining. We got up, ate breakfast in the room and made it to the Magic Kingdom in time for the morning show.

Ah, a gorgeous blue sky for some castle pics!

We had told Eliza she could pick the first ride of the day and to no one’s surprise, she chose Dumbo. The kids wanted to ride with my mom so Buddy and I hopped into an elephant together and took a spin, catching some FL construction along the way.

After Dumbo, Benjamin wanted to go on Snow White’s Scary Adventures – and apparently something was too loud for him?

We then decided to head over to the Haunted Mansion – we hadn’t made it over to that side of the park on our first MK day and I was dying to ride one of my favorites.

We walked right on and I was surprised and proud of Benjamin – he did NOT like HM last trip and swore up and down he wasn’t riding again. I kept telling him that was fine, one of us would wait with him and take turns riding. But he braved it this time! He sat with my mom who said he was pretty much glued to her side and kept burying his head in her shoulder. Eliza sat with Buddy and I and loved it. After the HM, it was just about time to head over to Adventureland for a special appointment for Benjamin.

 

[MyPeanut&Bug]

Hmm, I have no idea why that one castle pic. is so big! I swear I resized them all the same....Sorry for the annoying screen stretching!

 

[MyPeanut&Bug]

What a beautiful family loving your trip report

Thank you!

Lol! It's always been there. We had always passed by and watched kids from the outside, but I thought it required admission or was only for people dining there, until an employee there told us it was a draw to bring in passers by to check out the restaurant, and it's free. We let him play after he ate. I couldn't imagine eating and being sand from hand to foot.

Well that is just sad - I completely never saw it in 09! And I was the one who stood outside that dang restaurant for an hour waiting for a table while Buddy entertained the kids at the Lego store! My observation skills obviously leave much to be desired.

 

[Disneyfreak616]

GORGEOUS MK pics! I love the opening show, it's like the most magical beginning to a great Disney day.

I love to ride Dumbo and get a look at the construction too.

Can't wait for more!

 

[MyPeanut&Bug]

GORGEOUS MK pics! I love the opening show, it's like the most magical beginning to a great Disney day.

I love to ride Dumbo and get a look at the construction too.

Can't wait for more!

Thanks! The brilliant blue sky definitely helped! I was so glad the rain moved out for our last 2 days!

 

[MyPeanut&Bug]

Ever since he saw the Pirates League advertised in the planning DVD, Benjamin wanted to do it. He talked about it all the time and was so excited but the closer it got, the more uncertain he became. Benjamin has a slightly nervous/anxious personality, pretty introverted and shy. The night before his Pirates League appt, he was saying he wasn’t sure he wanted to do it and we just kept telling him, “well, wait and see…” When we made it over to check in for his appt, he seemed a little less apprehensive about it but still a bit nervous. He had the first appt. of the day, so we checked in, Grandma sprung for an official Jack Sparrow hat for him, he picked which look he wanted and it was time to go in.

The room was really neat looking - I wish I'd gotten some shots of the whole room but I just focused on some of the cool pirate details.

He first had to get his official pirate name (I forget exactly how they did it, some combination of him spinning this wheel and matching up his birthdate with a list of pirate names) and he became Roger Crestpaddler. (Ok, until he got this official certificate at the end of the experience, I thought they were saying “Crustpaddler”. Those pirate accents can be a little hard to understand, apparently. I figured crust was appropriate for a pirate so I didn’t think much of it until we got the certificate and I went, “Oh…” )

Then he got a tattoo and it was time for the makeover to begin. I still feel sorry for his makeup artist because Benjamin did not say one word during the whole thing! She was awesome about trying to engage him and ask him questions and she got “yes” or “no” nods out of him but he wasn’t talking – she kept up a running commentary the entire time and really earned a tip after him.

We told him he could just stop now and have a mustache!

Finally my boy was gone, replaced with a scurvy pirate!

He received his bandana, took a pirate oatch and got his Pirate’s League sash (sash - that sounds girly…do you call it that when it’s a boy?? lol) and sword – complete with sword instructions.

We then entered the secret pirate room – no photos allowed. Otherwise, how would they be able to charge you $14.95 for the official portrait?

It was really neat for him – they gave him a pirate medallion necklace and told him to hold it in front of the door after the official portrait was done and his necklace opened the door! The look on his face was just priceless and he still walks around the house trying to open things with it.

He was so funny – I’m sure his face felt tight with all that makeup on and when he talked he was barely opening his mouth and acting like he couldn’t turn his head. He thought the “Roger Crestpaddler” certificate was really cool and kept saying, “I can’t believe we have Jack Sparrow’s autograph now!!”

After a makeover like that, there’s only one ride to do next!

(I have to also tell you how hard it was to get that black makeup around the eyes off! Oh my goodness...he wanted it off when we got back to the hotel for our mid-day break - he said it just felt really tight and itchy on his face. I started attempting to take it off and wasn't getting very far. I called my mom in her room and told her that her grandson Alice Cooper and I were coming down to get her heavy duty makeup remover. Even after repeated cleanings and wipings, he still looked like he was wearing eyeliner. It took the rest of the day for it to really wear off.)

 

[jenseib]

Love the pirate makeover. He looks so different! I tried to talk my DD into the girl makeover there, but she said it was too scary.

 

[CastleGazerMom]

What a great looking pirate - that is one of the better professional pirate photos I have seen on the boards! Of course, now he knows what a hard time the members of KISS have after each concert!