Mom's At It Again! ***Updated 4/30/2009~Trip Report Link**

[carissanboys]

Hey Missy

I didn't know you had an update until I was looking through my subscriptions and saw you posted today. Sorry about that! I would have been here sooner.

First - thanks for all of the pictures and you have gorgeous eyes!

Second - I think the advice you gave to your in-laws was great (Epcot/WS and AK/shows)! You can only do what you can, right?

Now, how come you didn't plan a trip with them??

 

[Planning fanatic mom]

Hi there and welcome! I see you are from Hanover, PA....is that the same Hanover that is outside York, PA? I lived in York for several years, so just curious!

Yes, that's me in South Western York County.

It's a Small World after all.

 

[Planning fanatic mom]

They will be spending at least one of those weeks in Orlando and had asked me to give them some ideas of things they would enjoy at Disney. My first question, of course, was how many days would they be there. At least two was the answer....ok, first, only 2 days...really?? Anyway, so I thought about it a bit and then told them that if they had only two days they should spend a day at Epcot to ride Soarin' and to explore the World Showcase. Then they should spend a day at AK and see FOTLK and the Nemo musical and take the safari ride. Then MIL pipes up with something about seeing the parade....what parade, which park, day or night? Good grief! She says the night parade which I can only assume is Spectro.....problem! No park hoppers, 2 days, a day at AK and a day at Epcot.....no can do on the parade. And, I told her, it's not running every night so better find out when it's happening while you're there. Then FIL pipes in...."Oh, the resort we are staying at will have all kinds of info, we can check when we get there." WHAT!!!!!! Wait till you are there to know whether or not Spectro is happening and when???? I'm out....no more vacation assistance from this one.....I can't do it! LOL!

Of course I needed to know why, so I asked....innocently enough. He says, "Hour-long lines, crazy crowds, yada, yada, yada." I should have just left it alone, but no, NOT ME! I say, "Well, you know why that happened, right? Because you had no plan! You didn't do your homework...there are ways to avoid the crowds and lines." I knew I should have left it alone! He rambles on about it being a long time ago, Disney is not the same as it was, blah, blah, blah....Did I forget to tell you he knows everything?? Apparently I forgot that little tidbit myself.

:

I have the same problem with people at school who thinks it is weird that I plan a trip to WDW. "Why don't you just go and have fun!" they say. This is even after I helped a friend plan a trip that she felt was amazing. She told everyone how great her trip was because she planned it. She has even booked her next trip. I agree with you. If they aren't there, then there is more room for me.

SO, keep planning. Can't wait to hear more about your trip.

 

[carissanboys]

I have the same problem with people at school who thinks it is weird that I plan a trip to WDW. "Why don't you just go and have fun!" they say. This is even after I helped a friend plan a trip that she felt was amazing. She told everyone how great her trip was because she planned it. She has even booked her next trip. I agree with you. If they aren't there, then there is more room for me.

SO, keep planning. Can't wait to hear more about your trip.

They don't get that a big part of the fun IS the planning!

 

[mommytothreeboys]

First - thanks for all of the pictures and you have gorgeous eyes!

Second - I think the advice you gave to your in-laws was great (Epcot/WS and AK/shows)! You can only do what you can, right?

Now, how come you didn't plan a trip with them??

Thanks for the compliment..you're too sweet!

I think a trip with their grandchildren would never cross their minds and if it did, we might decline the offer! Case in point...they are going to Tampa on this upcoming Florida trip and MIL is all excited about a trip to some Museum of Science and Industry...ugh! "But it has an IMAX!", she says....are you kidding? So does the local Tinseltown theater....good grief!

Yes, that's me in South Western York County.

It's a Small World after all.

How's the weather there...I'm sure it's warmer than the bone chilling cold I am dealing with!

I have the same problem with people at school who thinks it is weird that I plan a trip to WDW. "Why don't you just go and have fun!" they say. This is even after I helped a friend plan a trip that she felt was amazing. She told everyone how great her trip was because she planned it. She has even booked her next trip. I agree with you. If they aren't there, then there is more room for me.

SO, keep planning. Can't wait to hear more about your trip.

They don't get that a big part of the fun IS the planning!

EXACTLY!!! I LOVE the planning part...it extends the trip so much longer than the week you are actually gone. They also don't understand that we plan so that we can "go and have fun." Last time I checked elbow-to-elbow crowds and hour long lines were NOT fun!

 

[mommytothreeboys]

I love food...it's not a secret. I should probably learn to love it less, but that's a whole different story for a different day! LOL!

Today I am going to run down the list of the restaurants we would like to try on our trip in April. I LOVE pictures, and I know you do too, so I'm gonna post a few along the way of our eating adventures from our last trip.

On our last trip to Disney we were on the DDP so had a TS meal each day. This time, for those who are just joining me, we are doing the new Counter Service DP so no TS for us. We are doing one TS OOP and that will be Ohana for breakfast.

CS places we'd like to try:

Magic Kingdom

Casey's Corner--love me a good hot dog!

Columbia Harbour House--I've heard good things about this place and it looks like a good variety.

Pecos Bill Cafe--no real reason except that they have chili-cheese fries..YUM!

On our last trip we ate at Cosmic Rays and enjoyed it. We also had TS at Liberty Tree. Picture below!

The boys also got Root Beer Floats one morning, yes morning....where else but WDW can you get away with Root Beer Floats for breakfast!!


Epcot

Sunshine Seasons--this menu looks really tasty!!

Rose and Crown Pub--I personally hate fish, but the rest of my family wants to try the fish and chips.

Kringla Bakeri og Kafe--not for a meal but for a snack!

We ate TS at Coral Reef last trip.

And found some pretty tasty Rice Krispy snacks!

We enjoyed Sommerfest in Germany as well!


Animal Kingdom

Yak and Yeti Market--this was not open on our last trip, so I'd like to at least check it out

Pizzafari--mostly for the kids

Our first character meal on our trip was at Donald's Breakfastosaurus.
We had the BEST time!

Disney Studios

Backlot Express--We ate at ABC commissary last time and were NOT at all impressed. This looks to have the same type of menu but maybe we'll have better luck!

Pizza Planet--again for the kids!

Starring Rolls Cafe--I have not heard anything at all about this place but the menu looks ok. Maybe for breakfast?

Our TS at the Studios last trip was at Sci-Fi. Although the food was just ok and the service was not great, we enjoyed the experience.

Resorts, etc

I'd like to try the Pepper Market because I've heard good things, but it may not fit into our schedule. I'd also like to go to POFQ to try the beignets.

We ate at Wolfgang Puck's last trip...this is a pic of my son after he finished a $30 steak and his dessert of flourless chocolate cake! LOL!

We also ate at ESPN Club, my DS12's choice! This is him attempting to eat the chili dog!!

So, that's about it for now. I'll explore snack options another time!

Any suggestions or input would be great!

 

[carissanboys]

Love the pictures!

I've heard Casey's is good and we might try that this time around. We ate at CHH our first trip and it's very good food. Did you know they have an upstairs seating area? A lot of people don't and the downstairs is usually crowded.

Ate at Pecos Bill's last time and thought it was decent food (liked it more than Cosmic Ray's, which I wasn't a fan of).

Sunshine Seasons food court is great. The food there is quality food, which is sometimes hard to find at food courts. We've always been happy with it.

We had the fish 'n chips (the Rose and Crown is a TS, isn't it? there is a stand in the UK that sells fish 'n chips) and they were very good.

 

[mommytothreeboys]

We had the fish 'n chips (the Rose and Crown is a TS, isn't it? there is a stand in the UK that sells fish 'n chips) and they were very good.

Hmm...looks like the Rose and Crown has a dining room which is TS and a pub which is CS....also a Yorkshire County Fish Shop which is a stand attached to the Rose and Crown. A little confusing, but the boys would like to try the fish however they can manage to get it! I hate it so I never cook it...pooooooor boys! LOL!

 

[carissanboys]

Hmm...looks like the Rose and Crown has a dining room which is TS and a pub which is CS....also a Yorkshire County Fish Shop which is a stand attached to the Rose and Crown. A little confusing, but the boys would like to try the fish however they can manage to get it! I hate it so I never cook it...pooooooor boys! LOL!

I use to hate fish growing up. Then later I realized it wasn't the fish I hated - just the way it was cooked. And there are some types of fish I like more than others.

I have some pictures I will post a little later for you - although, you may not be too interested in seeing them. But, you can show them to your boys!

 

[Planning fanatic mom]

How's the weather there...I'm sure it's warmer than the bone chilling cold I am dealing with!

IT has been a mild winter so far. However, we are in the middle of 2 days of rain with some freezing on the trees and lines. Not bad though. We are still going to a basketball game tonight.

Love the pictures. I like your choices of food places. I can't wait to hear what you think of some of the ones I have never been to. Maybe you could giVe me some good ideas.

Have a good one.

 

[carissanboys]

We got our fish 'n chips at the Yorkshire County Fish Shop. Here's a couple of pictures for you:

 

[mommytothreeboys]

We got our fish 'n chips at the Yorkshire County Fish Shop. Here's a couple of pictures for you:

Thanks for the pics...my DH says it looks pretty tasty!! And he liked your post about it not being the fish you don't like, but the way it's cooked. He's been trying to convince me of that exact fact for years! I wish I liked fish..I do.....but I think my grandmother ruined me forever by feeding me bluefish that was filled with bones..... Sorry, I just can't do it! Plus, I am totally a texture girl and I don't like the flakiness of fish. I have eaten salmon and, IF I were starving and had to eat fish, that would be the one I could stomach! It's texture is more meaty. LOL....i'm sure you didn't really care about all of that, but I get going and sometimes I just can't stop!

 

[carissanboys]

I prefer a meatier fish myself. I'm not a huge fan of salmon, but I was lucky enough to go to Alaska twice - most recently this past July. And I had fresh salmon caught that day. It was soooo good! Baramundi is another great meaty fish, but it's hard to get in the states (it's a fish in great abundance in Australia!). I also love halibut - another fish I had in Alaska.

I bet you just haven't had the right fish yet. Do you like any other seafood? The only other seafood that I like is crab.

 

[mommytothreeboys]

I prefer a meatier fish myself. I'm not a huge fan of salmon, but I was lucky enough to go to Alaska twice - most recently this past July. And I had fresh salmon caught that day. It was soooo good! Baramundi is another great meaty fish, but it's hard to get in the states (it's a fish in great abundance in Australia!). I also love halibut - another fish I had in Alaska.

I bet you just haven't had the right fish yet. Do you like any other seafood? The only other seafood that I like is crab.

Strangely enough, I like ALOT of other seafood. I love crab, lobster, shrimp, scallops, clams...I even like calamari! But give me a piece of fish and I'll turn up my nose every time! I still blame my grandmother, LOL!

 

[Angies1274]

Hi Wow! I've got alot of catching up to do! I love the shirts!! So much in fact that I had ordered them for my guys as well---at least grumpy,goofy and mickey They were supposed to be Christmas presents but I just couldn't wait!!

We are also paying for one meal OOP since we decided to the quick-service plan. We did Ohana's last year for breakfast and we loved it--I'm sure your boys will too!! My oldest still raves about the juice!! We are doing Chef Mickey's this year for breakfast

Love the new pictures- especially the one taken at the ESPN club--That chili dog was huge!! Love the Liberty Tree Tavern pictures. We ate their last year as well and had such a good time. We are so disappointed to see the characters go

 

[carissanboys]

The links look good.

 

[mommytothreeboys]

Hi Wow! I've got alot of catching up to do! I love the shirts!! So much in fact that I had ordered them for my guys as well---at least grumpy,goofy and mickey They were supposed to be Christmas presents but I just couldn't wait!!

We are also paying for one meal OOP since we decided to the quick-service plan. We did Ohana's last year for breakfast and we loved it--I'm sure your boys will too!! My oldest still raves about the juice!! We are doing Chef Mickey's this year for breakfast

Love the new pictures- especially the one taken at the ESPN club--That chili dog was huge!! Love the Liberty Tree Tavern pictures. We ate their last year as well and had such a good time. We are so disappointed to see the characters go

Hi again! I see you are afflicted with the same gift-giving disease that I have! LOL! I'm so glad you liked Ohana for breakfast. We really went back and forth between there and Chef Mickey's so it's good to have a positive review! I'm looking forward to it!

The links look good.

 

[mommytothreeboys]

My next few updates are going to take us through the "must dos and don't do agains" for each park. I am going to start in AK, only because that is the first park on our tentative itinerary.

I did run these lists by all of the boys, DH included, and I believe I have buy-in from the entire family. ( I did have to make a few changes along the way, but I'll let you in on those as we go along!)

Please feel free to critique, try to persuade, or cheer for your favorite (or least favorite) attraction. This is an interactive PTR!!

We're Off....


First, the Definitely Do list

Festival of the Lion King: We saw this show on our last trip and really enjoyed it. We'd like to try to get better seats this time as we were in the nosebleed bleachers last time.

Kilimanjaro Safari: Can't do AK without the safari!

Expedition Everest: A family fave!

Kali River Rapids: I want to give this one another chance. We rode it last trip but I barely got wet and was disappointed! The ride was good, but I could have used a refreshing soaking!

Dinosaur: This was just plain fun...the look on my DS11's face in the ride picture was priceless! Definitely gonna do it again!

Finding Nemo-The Musical: This is one of the few things we missed on our last trip and I'm looking forward to seeing it!

Tree of Life: We want to spend more time exploring the tree and it's carvings. May or may not do It's Tough to Be a Bug, but will definitely take a closer look at the tree.

Animal Trails (Maharajah and Pangani): We like the animals, especially the gorillas and the tigers.


Now for the "Don't really care to do it again" list

Boneyard: We spent a little time here last trip, but the kids are 2 years older now and we can skip a playground.

TriceraTop Spin: My youngest rode this last time while my other two boys rode Primeval Whirl. Jonah (DS6 at the time) was too short. Not the case this year so he'll probably skip this one!

Pocahontas: Saw it last time. Cute, but not worth seeing twice.


And last but not least, the "we'll do it if we have time and the line is not long" list

Flights of Wonder: I am afraid of birds so this doesn't really appeal to me, but the boys would like it and I can manage!

Primeval Whirl: Our local amusement park has a very similar ride.

There you have it! Now let me have it! I know the feelings on this board about AK are mixed, but our family really enjoyed it. We loved the animals and thought the park itself was really beautiful.

Here are a few AK pics....just for fun!

 

[Villainess]

I'm joining in! We'll be there same time as you - 4/21 - 5/9! You didn't mention It's Tough to be a Bug! on your AK itinerary (not sure if it was intentional or not) but wanted to point it out. I believe the Pocahontas show is no longer, so don't feel guilty about crossing it off your list.

Columbia Harbor House is very good - quiet and seating upstairs that a lot of people don't know about which is always a plus! The last time I ate there they had fish and chips so your boys could grab that if you head over there.

 

[carissanboys]

We love AK! It's my 2nd favorite park. I never feel like we have enough time there.

Yes, Pocahontas has been closed since September. We never did get around to seeing it.