More Fun Than Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock-Adventures of the Sweet 16!New8-15

[FairyGodmotherJen]

I'm not sure I like how you ended that update....

Haley looks adorable!! So does Ruby. Too cute. I hope I have a little girl or a neice to bring to BBB Boutique someday!!

I adore Wolfgang Puck Express. It is such great food and for a good price too.

She's still showing everyone who comes to the house her pictures. I think she'll remember it for a while! Wolfgang Puck is now at the tops of my list for CS places...yummmmmm!

I never noticed that Cinderella carriage above the World of Disney entrance that's nearest BBB!

Good...it's not just me then!

That's great that Haley enjoyed BBB so much that you are happy you did it, considering the cost. They're only young once, right?

That's the arguement my mom kept using on me to begin with. And, let's face it - she's 9. How much longer is she going to enjoy dressing up as a Disney Princess???

Oh my gosh, my son kept bugging me to do that. He'd go, "I just want to check something"...and it would be to find out the cost to do that. I resisted -- he has enough light sabers already!

Wait till you see the picture of the arsenal we ended up coming home with...

Yep, that's what a guy looks like when he's having fun, all right!

I think even the big boys had a good time. I don't usually see UT looking so intent when we play Wii at home!

BBB is a fun experience, I am glad Hayley enjoyed and you felt it was worth the money. I have two princesses that want to do it next year, Emily has never and Hannah did when she turned 4. I can't wait to see the photopass pics of the girls too. The Tiana dress is well just perfect, she looks so sweet! I agree Wolfgang Pucks is yummo, we did not get to eat there this trip, hopefully next time! Loving your report!

We were really pleased with the Tiana dress! Ruby looked adorable as Jasmine...but we just didn't want Haley running around in a belly-bearing shirt all day long (our dinner at 1900 Park Fare was this night). I bet Emily will enjoy it next year - Hannah can tell her all about it! I think, if we ever do it again, Haley will probably just go for the hair and makeup. We did see several preteen (I'm talking up to 12, 13 years old) girls done up with makeup. It'll be easier on the pocketbook that way! I heard a piece on BBB on the DIS Unplugged podcast the other day, and the mom was commenting on how it got pretty pricey to take her 3 daughters. ouch! I had a hard time swallowing the price for 1!

I just love the BBB pictures. The girls look absolutely adorable. I don't blame you for being a bit put out by the castmember asking the girls what they wanted to be. The parents are the ones paying so they should consult both the parents and the kids.

There was just so much going on at that point, I had no idea that's what they were talking to her about! It's not a big space, and it's really, really crowded. Plus I had Will in the stroller who kept wanting to get out. Anyway, at least they did change it. I was really afraid they'd try to tell me it was too late!

Building a lightsaber has been on the top of the list for Hunter for several years now. He made a double bladed one a year or so ago too.

I see that lightsaber at least twice every day! It was a good investment!

I've never eaten at Wolfgang Pucks or Earl of Sandwich but have read nothing but good things about both places.

They're both yummy! Hunter likes pizza, so you should be ok at Wolfgang Puck. Earl of Sandwich doesn't work well for my picky eaters, though. It's not just the bread slices you get out of the bag like at home, you know!

The pictures of the boys/men at Disney Quest were good. They look like they were having a great time!

I really think they did! Plus, the worst afternoon storm we had the whole week was while they were in there...I don't even know if they realized it was going on!

Great update! We loved BBB as well, and worth every penny spent!

I really didn't think I would agree with that statement, but now that we've done it, I do! Just the way she carried herself for the rest of the day made it worth it, not to mention all the other stuff!

i really enjoyed disney quest as well when i was there, just wish we had more time in it.

candi will love if we have a girl taking her there.

I haven't been there since we went before kids in 2000. I'm not the gamer my DH is, but even I found stuff to keep me busy.

Candi will eat BBB up if you guys have a girl! The whole experience is very girly and very Disney!

 

[Queenofallthings]

What a great day at BBB, the girls look so beautiful!! Those costumes are stunning, what I wouldn't have given to have one of those when I was little

 

[FairyGodmotherJen]

What a great day at BBB, the girls look so beautiful!! Those costumes are stunning, what I wouldn't have given to have one of those when I was little

Yeah - I had a homemade Laura Ingalls Wilder costume. Not quite the same! However, I couldn't sew Haley a costume if I tried. I got a better grade in wood shop than I did in sewing home economics!

 

[FauntleroyFAN07]

Candi will eat BBB up if you guys have a girl! The whole experience is very girly and very Disney!

she has already said if we have a girl next time, we are going to the disney store after halloween and buying every single dress they have on clearance for our little princess.



would also cut down on the cost of the dresses at BBB, even though i know those dresses are much more detailed and prettier than the disney store ones.

 

[FairyGodmotherJen]

she has already said if we have a girl next time, we are going to the disney store after halloween and buying every single dress they have on clearance for our little princess.



would also cut down on the cost of the dresses at BBB, even though i know those dresses are much more detailed and prettier than the disney store ones.

LOTS of people do that - a great way to cut down on the price. I don't think I would have done it if my mom hadn't split the cost with me! My MIL hits costume sales after Halloween all the time. Currently, Jack's running around in what will probably be this year's Halloween costume - Darth Vader!

 

[Queenofallthings]

Yeah - I had a homemade Laura Ingalls Wilder costume. Not quite the same! However, I couldn't sew Haley a costume if I tried. I got a better grade in wood shop than I did in sewing home economics!

Lucky you, Little House was my favorite TV show! My costume was an old skirt with cards stapled to it and my parents told us we were gypsy's

Home economics was my worst high school class, I actually think I failed it Sewing a button on is a challenge, never mind the cooking part. Thank goodness for Food Network, my cooking has come a long way from grade 9!!!!

 

[FairyGodmotherJen]

Lucky you, Little House was my favorite TV show! My costume was an old skirt with cards stapled to it and my parents told us we were gypsy's

Home economics was my worst high school class, I actually think I failed it Sewing a button on is a challenge, never mind the cooking part. Thank goodness for Food Network, my cooking has come a long way from grade 9!!!!

I admit, I used to love going out to play in the woods behind our house in that outifit!

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who struggled in home ec! The cooking part was ok, but I'm downright dangerous with a needle!

 

[FairyGodmotherJen]

Thursday Afternoon/Evening

(I know there's a lack of pictures at the beginning...it does get better!)

When we left off, Norah and I were headed back to CBR with Will, Haley, and Ruby while Bryan, Jack, and most of the other guys enjoyed Disney Quest. Norah and I talked on the bus and decided that the girls could play in their room while I put Will down for a nap. We jumped off the bus at our stop and headed back. The girls changed into their pajamas so they could relax and Will camped out on the bed. I think I read for a while – I had some reading to do for one of my classes, and then I ended up dropping it and reading my novel. Hey, it was vacation!

By the time Will fell asleep, a mini-monsoon had struck outside. The wind was wicked! I was so glad we were inside. Sue and Shelley got stuck at Dowtown Disney, and Mom and Aunt Dee found out that ponchos don't do you much good when it's raining sideways! My mom and aunt came back to change and ended up heading for the bus with us when we left for dinner at the Grand Floridian.

We did wait a while for our bus this time, but we were listening to people coming off of other buses say how bad the traffic was due to the storm. When the MK bus finally pulled in, you could tell we weren’t the first stop. It was pretty crowded. I did get a seat with Will, who was still a little groggy from his nap (I’d had to wake him). I started thinking that Haley should have napped, too, because she was whining that she didn’t want to sit where we were (the very back of the bus) because she was hot. Unfortunately, it wasn’t just her being whiny. It became very apparent that this was an old bus, and it was in need of maintenance. The temperature inside it seemed to be rising quickly, and it shuddered a bit as we accelerated. But the worst part was when we tried to pull out of the resort into traffic…and it stalled! We all just looked at each other – someone was kidding with us, right??? Thankfully, after a few minutes, the driver got the bus restarted and we shuddered down the road. It was pretty quiet for a while – I think everyone was focusing their positive thoughts toward the driver and the bus (and praying that we didn’t hit many red lights in the traffic that definitely was a bit heavier than usual). We did stall once more, but we finally made it! They were almost there as we were pulling in to the bus stop. From there, we knew we had to head to the monorail, so we put ponchos on and headed out. As we were walking, I noticed that the line for the monorail was backed up onto the ramp. What??? It turns out that someone had a medical emergency on one of the monorails and was being loaded onto a stretcher! I felt so bad for that person – on their vacation, they’re being taken to the hospital. But I admit that I was also frustrated by our transportation luck.

FINALLY, we were on the monorail and heading for the Grand Floridian. DH was waiting for us when we got off the monorail (they'd simply caught a bus to the resort from DTD). Apparently, everyone else was there and had been waiting for us. Between the stalling bus and the monorail backup, we were at least 15 minutes late. I think it was Shelley that ended up going to tell the hostess we were finally all here…and was told that it would be about 30 minutes before we could be seated! This was one of our later ADRs – 6:00 – and this wasn’t going to go over well. Will was already in hungry monster mode, and Tim was having issues with a massive headache, too. Bryan took charge of Will, and several of us went over to one of the grand staircases to take pictures of the princesses.

We also found this great photo spot.

I love this one…

All in all, we were seated over an hour after our actual ADR. This was our only experience like this, and I know it was partly due to the fact that we were late, not to mention our party size, but we were definitely a tired, hungry, almost-dry group when we were finally shown to a table! At least they understood that we had no interest at all in the group picture!

We’d never been here before, so we weren’t sure what to expect. We were, in general, pleased by the food. But it was the character interaction that really sold us on the place!

(For some reason, Aurora was there, but Prince Charming and the Fairy Godmother weren't...but she did leave this with Will)

The highlight of the interaction was Anastasia. She took a liking to Will – especially once he gave her a hug. She scooped him up in her lap and talked to him, and he, of course, nodded his head and grinned at her. She then announced to everyone, “We’re getting married.” She let him go and posed for pictures with the other kids, then started making kissy faces and drawing hearts in the air for Will, who was back at his seat with Sue. To everyone’s delight, he started making them back to her!

A little while later, she dragged Drusilla back to our table to “introduce” them.

Drusilla played up being a little jealous, which was a hoot. Eventually, even Cinderella got wind of it.

We didn’t realize this until the next day – Norah had taken Ruby to see some of the princesses in Toontown. Apparently, when they got to Cinderella, she said something like, “I know you! You’re here with a lot of people, aren’t you?” It turned out that it was the same Cinderella that had worked at our dinner the night before. Norah about fell over laughing, though, when Cindy said to Ruby, “You’re with Will!”

We obviously enjoyed our dinner here, and I think everyone would return except maybe Grandma and Aunt Jane, who were pretty overwhelmed by the noise both here and at Chef Mickey’s. But they enjoyed the interaction while they were there.

My mom and aunt had graciously offered to take the kids back to the resort for us so that we could hit the park with Tim and Shelley on an “Adult-only” evening. So everyone packed up and hit the road – everyone else to CBR, and us to the MK for the fireworks and Main Street Electrical Parade. More pictures to come!

 

[marvali]

Great update! I had heard the character interaction at this character meal can be really good! Even with all boys I think it would be a hoot to see how our DSs reacted to the attention from all of the "princesses" there! DS13 could probably get the best out of all of them with his reactions and outspoken nature!

 

[FairyGodmotherJen]

Great update! I had heard the character interaction at this character meal can be really good! Even with all boys I think it would be a hoot to see how our DSs reacted to the attention from all of the "princesses" there! DS13 could probably get the best out of all of them with his reactions and outspoken nature!

There was a young man about that age at the table across from ours. Anastasia went there after visiting us the first time, tried to hug him or something. He tried to scoot out of his chair and head to an empty one on the other side, and Anastasia chased him! They ran around the table at least five times before Lady Tremain came over and hit him with the evil eye. She just stood behind him and stared, then began reprimanding him for running inside! It was great! I hear that breakfast (with the Mad Hatter and Alice, among others) is pretty good for characters, too.

 

[jenjolt]

Great update!!

Those are beautiful pictures of the girls!!! So adorable!!

Glad you made it GF even with all the transportation issues!! I loved my meal at 1900 Park Fare it did have great character interaction!!

 

[glennbo123]

My kids are getting a little old for the character meals, but I think that maybe we should consider this one. I've heard so many good things about the stepsisters.

And how awesome is that, that Cinderella remembered you folks the next day and mentioned Will by name!

 

[IluvXU]

A stalled bus.. yikes! I do think sometimes those buses get awfully hot to ride on, and then other times they are like iceboxes!

Sorry about the bad transportation luck.. that stinks!

I think Park Fare is on my list for next summer. We did it a while ago, during a rehab without the buffet.... and the stepsisters. I think that my kids would get a kick out of them!

A night kid free at MK, can't wait!

 

[FairyGodmotherJen]

Great update!!

Those are beautiful pictures of the girls!!! So adorable!!

Glad you made it GF even with all the transportation issues!! I loved my meal at 1900 Park Fare it did have great character interaction!!

Thanks! We really enjoyed ourselves. I'd heard the interaction was good, and we weren't dissapointed!

My kids are getting a little old for the character meals, but I think that maybe we should consider this one. I've heard so many good things about the stepsisters.

And how awesome is that, that Cinderella remembered you folks the next day and mentioned Will by name!

It really is fun (and it's a buffet, so everyone should be able to find something). They found a way to interact with just about everyone, no matter their age. I saw them interacting with adults, kids - even an infant at one of the nearby tables. How many moms can say they have a picture of Cinderella holding their infant?!? They're really good at what they do!

A stalled bus.. yikes! I do think sometimes those buses get awfully hot to ride on, and then other times they are like iceboxes!

Sorry about the bad transportation luck.. that stinks!

I think Park Fare is on my list for next summer. We did it a while ago, during a rehab without the buffet.... and the stepsisters. I think that my kids would get a kick out of them!

A night kid free at MK, can't wait!

This was our fifth visit since 2000, and I've never had that happen before! (Which, when you think about it, speaks awfully well for Disney maintenance!) I was just thankful we got there without any more stalls! I bet your kids would have a ball.

Yep, and for us, no kids meant lots of pictures! I'll have it ready coming up!

 

[Happy Elf]

Rough trip to the GF, glad you finally made it! Your dinner sounded so fun! Will looked like he was having a great time! Can't wait to hear about the adults only trip to MK!

 

[Lady Lallie]

So glad you finally made it to GF. On Jen & I's May 2009 trip it was storming really bad and the traffic lights went out and the Disney buses couldn't go. I was wondering if it was something to do with a policy, so there was HUGE lines of traffic. It was nice to see that Disney considers safety but it was crazy traffic in downpours.

Dinner sounds like a lot of fun. I want to make it there someday!

 

[FairyGodmotherJen]

Rough trip to the GF, glad you finally made it! Your dinner sounded so fun! Will looked like he was having a great time! Can't wait to hear about the adults only trip to MK!

I just didn't want to be stuck on the side of the road in a crowded bus! We did have a great time!

So glad you finally made it to GF. On Jen & I's May 2009 trip it was storming really bad and the traffic lights went out and the Disney buses couldn't go. I was wondering if it was something to do with a policy, so there was HUGE lines of traffic. It was nice to see that Disney considers safety but it was crazy traffic in downpours.

Dinner sounds like a lot of fun. I want to make it there someday!

You'd enjoy dinner there - the interaction is just amazing! Those summer storm in Orlando can sure pack a punch! Someday, I'm going to go at a time when it's not so unusual to have a stretch of dry days!!

 

[FauntleroyFAN07]

now i see the troubles in getting there and why we did not see you guys when we were eating dinner...however if you did end up getting in at your normal time, you would have been right next to us, that picture below where the kid with the glow drink is, was our table...the table you were at had a big group while we were there maybe 20 people, and they must have just left it set up for your group, im thinking that is why your wait was so long, when we left after 6:00 they were still in the middle of eating.

 

[FauntleroyFAN07]

“I know you! You’re here with a lot of people, aren’t you?”

i think that cinderella has a very good memory, when she came around and saw parker, she said "i remember you, you saw me in toon town yesterday" "your parker"

we forgot all about it, until we watched our video last night and heard her say it at that dinner, which reminded me to look back at our pictures, just to see if she was the same one, or heard us call him by name when she was there...sure enough same priness, they she is with you guys above and here she is with parker the day before.

i think it is awesome when they make a point of remmebering kids.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Sounds like Disney needs to put that particular bus out to pasture as it surely has seen it's better days. I know that you were thanking your lucky stars to finally make it to the Grand Floridian.

I love all of the character interaction pictures. Sounds like I may need toa dd 1900 Park Fare to our list of "we need to eat there" restaurants.