My Deep Descent into Disney Madness/May 2013...updated 6x 1/1 and completed

[Dominion]

Great Trip Report! I am really enjoying following along.

Also wanted to say congrats on your new job! I am just starting year 6 of being a stay-at-home-mom and although I love it, I do think about going back at some point in the next few years. Its good to know that moms are able to get back into their fields after being home with their kids for so long - I worry about that! Good luck with the transition!

Looking forward to reading more...you are helping me plan our first family trip in December!!

 

[wiigirl]

Awesome TR!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Thanks so much! Being a parent is the most rewarding, frustrating and complicated job there is. I just hope I juggle all my responsibilities well so that my kids have the independence they need and the mommy time they want. Are you going to do a TR about your upcoming trip? I'd love to read it if you do.

honestly, I am debating doing one or not. I've done dining reports in the past (see sig) but not a full trip report. Part of the reason I am hesitant is that we are going with another family that isn't as "hard core" about this sort of thing and not sure how they would react to being in a trip report and I don't want to spend the time to blur their faces out of every picture

 

[mirage0306]

Yeah, TSM!

Congrats on the job! How exciting!

My son Quinn had his tonsils out last year (he's 7 now). He had sleep apnea. It made a world of difference. Recovery wasn't too bad--we made sure he got his pain meds around the clock and kept him hydrated and he was fine in just a few days. Hope Finley has a similar experience.

 

[Carable]

Getting caught up again .... Congrats on your new job !! How wonderful to find a job in a field that you love.

I stayed home with my kids for 7 years as well and then I went back part time. I only work for Disney myself. I could stay at home, but my love for Disney prevails and most of what I make goes into our vacations. I also love my job and the people I work for, so that helps. It is also nice to be among the adults in a professional atmosphere. I didn't realize how much I missed it until I went back to work.

There are many things I miss about staying at home, but I am glad that I went back to work. The transition can be a little rocky though, so chin up when things get stressful. You will get into a routine and things will smooth out and the extra money is an excellent motivator.

Looking forward to reading more !!

Susan

Thanks Susan! It will all be about balance for me, as before kids, I could devote countless and countless extra hours to teaching and now that is more limited because I do not want to lose any more time being with me kids. Thanks for the pep talk, it is nice to hear from someone who's been through it.

Great Trip Report! I am really enjoying following along.

Also wanted to say congrats on your new job! I am just starting year 6 of being a stay-at-home-mom and although I love it, I do think about going back at some point in the next few years. Its good to know that moms are able to get back into their fields after being home with their kids for so long - I worry about that! Good luck with the transition!

Looking forward to reading more...you are helping me plan our first family trip in December!!

Oh, I'm glad I'm giving you some ideas, most of what I tried to do this week was based on other TR's! lol. I had no issue with my 8 years off from the "workforce", and I didn't apologize for it. I did volunteer and participate in my professional organization during that time, and it is education where there are a larger number of moms that come back to work. I hope it is as easy for you!

honestly, I am debating doing one or not. I've done dining reports in the past (see sig) but not a full trip report. Part of the reason I am hesitant is that we are going with another family that isn't as "hard core" about this sort of thing and not sure how they would react to being in a trip report and I don't want to spend the time to blur their faces out of every picture

Well, that does make sense, I barely have time to just upload the pictures I took, much less edit them. I am going to check out your dining reports today though! I do love me some Disney food.

Awesome TR!

Thank you so very much!!!

Yeah, TSM!

Congrats on the job! How exciting!

My son Quinn had his tonsils out last year (he's 7 now). He had sleep apnea. It made a world of difference. Recovery wasn't too bad--we made sure he got his pain meds around the clock and kept him hydrated and he was fine in just a few days. Hope Finley has a similar experience.

Oh, thanks, that is great news. We had a difficult time with her last surgery, but we didn't have good enough pain meds for her. This time her doctor said he'd make sure we were covered. So I hope that helps. She's actually sick AGAIN today, so this surgery should help her out. Thanks for reading, I promise there is more TSM in my future....wish I was there now....

 

[Carable]

Day 4 - Part 2 - The ADR I'd been waiting for

When we last left you, the kids were practicing their America's Top Model poses on the Star Wars attractions.

Soon, it was time to go back and conquer TSM.
Even the Fastpasses are cute:

Rex gave my us a ride today.

This time I competed against the hubby. I led into the homestretch, but those stinky darts got me again and he beat me in the end.

After another exciting run in Andy's room and nursing a very sore pulling arm, we exited through the big door. And then my 7 year old son squealed, yes SQUEALED, when he saw this guy...

My son has been a battling master since he was old enough to walk and we had army guys by the gallon in our house. He says this was the best character he met there. He saluted Nolan and was uber photogenic. Thanks Green Army Guy!

I knew there was one more stop I had to do, and that was to visit this gem Id heard so much about&

Starring Rolls Café.

The kids picked up their first Mickey Bar!

I had the Butterfinger cupcake, it was yummy but super rich. I wish I had gotten the Red Velvet because I never had another chance to get one.

Tons of tame ducks walking around eating crumbs, the kids loved them!

Stuffed with unnatural goodness, we decided to wander out, stopping to pin trade and chat with CMs on the way out.

I remembered this guy as Brenda's boyfriend, so HAD to take a picture for her. I love her current TR. I'll try and find it and link it up here. Here is emmysmommy's latest TR that I love.

We thought about doing the friendship boat, but decided the bus would be better as my mom was already on the monorail headed towards Epcot. It was already waiting on us and 15 minutes later we arrived and met up with Mom.

Of course, where would our golf ball obsessed family go? Thats right, to take Nana and Jampa on their first ride here&

Spaceship Earth, we love you!

We played for awhile in the wonderfully air-conditioned Project Innovation.

Walked out and hit a wall of hot, humid air and headed straight for my sons favorite place&Club Cool.

Finally we were headed to my coveted last-minute rezzie that I changed at the even more last minute the day before. I forgot to tell you in the last post that I spent 20 minutes trying to use my phone to get an earlier reservation, because we had a 6:55 ADR later on that night and didnt want a 3pm lunch to mess that up. I got an ADR for 1:55 there, but when I went to put in my credit card it cut me off. So, I called dining and they couldnt find my ADR or my name and they had no spots open. Slight PANIC, I need to try this Cheddar Cheese soup, people. Luckily, it was found and all was right with the world again. Thus, we were hot-footing it to Canada to eat what I hope was one of the best meals of the trip.

I could live here....

It was beautifully cold and after a short wait, we were seated by the fireplace. It was a lovely respite from such an oppressive humid day. Usually we are taking a nap or swim at this time, but today I nixed it just so we could try this restaurant. I hoped it would be worth it.

It didn't turn out well, but the light up menus were COOL.

Beautiful glassware, I want that in my home!

It WAS! It was my parents favorite meal of the trip. I dont really eat red meat, but I was dying for the pretzel bread and cheddar cheese soup. They did not disappoint, I would go again for these. The soup had a nice little kick to it and the best way to eat it is to dip the pretzel bread into it. My mouth is watering as we speak.

The rest of the family, including Nolan got steaks. My parents get their steak well-done, so you can imagine how tricky that order can be to get done well. It was so juicy and flavorful. It must be the grass-fed cattle they use for the beef.

Le Cellier Mushroom Filet Mignon

Canadian "Prime" New York Strip

I got this Poutine, because when in Rome, right ? I like trying authentic dishes. The sauce was fine, but the fries were undercooked and then add on the sauce and it was a goopy mess. Maybe that is how it is supposed to be, and I apologize to all you culinary Canadians, but I was not a fan. The waitress was sweet and noticed I didnt each much of it and didnt charge me, which I didnt ask for at all. I was taking a risk, and I knew that. Score one for Disney service.

Then came the highlight of my trip, the best dessert Ive ever had&.

Maple Crème Brulee, I could eat this all day, every day and be a happy camper.

What a satisfying meal and definitely one I recommend, especially if you like beef. My only negative besides the Poutine fries was the bathrooms. I felt like I was in the Epcot ghetto. They need a quick remodel, Disney, stat! This is definitely something every family should try at least once, especially if you like to eat steak!

Next up, exploring a tiny bit of the world in search of princesses.

Continued in next post... ​

 

[Carable]

Day 4 - Part 3 - Oh where, oh where does the little Mulan hide?

After a stunning Le Cellier meal. The girls were on a mission to see Mulan since Finn loves her. It was hot, we were tired and full, and people were wandering all over trying to find the line. I asked 4 different people, consulted Kenny the Pirate’s website and it still took 10 minutes to get in the right place. I will say that she was stunning and very sweet to Finley, although I thought it would be awesome if she just whipped out a knife and flung it across the way. I mean, she’s really not all that graceful in the movie. 

China was beautiful...

And, all by herself I swear, Finley picked up this cute deer puppet and wanted to take her home. The Frumps (Princess Jess and her crew of adorable friends) would have been proud. LOL. Apparently, Finley is the next generation of Frumps.

Then we were on a mission to see Jasmine, another favorite, but we didn’t get in line soon enough and we were done waiting for the next line.

While we were on our mission, Nolan passed out on my husband’s lap on a bench for a little bit somewhere in England. Mary Poppins walked by and said, “You know a spoonful of sugar will help with that”. How adorable is THAT?

My son's cool souvenir, pennies from around the world!

Eventually, we found the rest of the crew relaxing in the cool shade of Canada’s Kidcot station. The kids were having a blast coloring their Duffy’s. I was dying to try something from the food kiosks, so I ran to the front and got 2 dole whips for the kids to try and a violet lemonade for me. I’m running out of adjectives to use, but this drink was so refreshing and light. If it ever comes again, RUN don’t walk, to try one out.

And, I must be honest here, while I loved the Dole Whips and my kids do enjoy pineapple, they weren't over the top excited about the Dole Whip. I hope that changes with time, because I will wait in all kinds of Aloha Isle lines to grab one of these babies.

Cute Duffy! The CM's here were great and helped my son open up his new coins, too, since we didn't have scissors on us.

Canada, o, Canada....

After napping, snacking, coloring and fussing with siblings we finally headed out to explore a little more of the world. I really wanted to at least walk around the showcase, but my family was BEAT. With no nap and the heat, they just didn’t have the stamina. So we went the short was to Mexico to ride the Gran Fiesta Tour. Along the way, we finally met DUFFY. My kids had no idea who he was and my husband and parents could not help joking the whole line about how Disney needed to find one more marketing strategy. But, I think the story is cute, and the kids thought he was as cool as the characters they already knew. We were one of the last ones in line and the CM's were so funny and joked with the kids. Seriously, it was a great character interaction. Thank you Epcot CM's who obviously loved kids.

My husband loved the Mexican pavilion and wanted to eat at San Angel when we go back. My son thought the ride as all that and a bag of chips and wanted to ride in again and again.

I ushered everyone over to Maelstrom to ride that interesting ride. I loved the little drops, but that has to be the shortest theme park ride ever! The waterfall was broken though, so no cool photo ops.

I had to try the Laila scent, it was nice...

It was time to see about our Royal dinner next....

Continued in next post.... ​

 

[Carable]

Day 4, Part 4 - Dining with Royalty

It was Royal Eating Time again, so we stood in a long line to check in and a long line to get called and then a long line to get a picture with a special lady. I wish I had done some research about this part of the dinner so I could have prepared my tired troop for the multiple waits. So, if you are going to this for the first time, they keep you outside until they call a "group" of tables to come in and be surprised by an interaction and photo with Belle. Luckily, it wasn't raining because I don't where we all would have gone then.

I picked this one over CRT because people said you could get more interaction. I did love that they kept Belle’s identity a secret. My daughter actually squealed when she saw her. Sadly, she didn’t really speak to us at all, but she was lovely.

We were seated by the windows. So it felt like a Nordic cottage instead of a castle. The main seating area did look amazing. I did love the ceiling and lights in here.

Let’s talk food first. We got free Lobster claws to start with, yum.

With the regular dining plan, the appetizer bar WAS included and we loved it. Here was my first plate. My husband LOVED the lox and capers they had.

Traditional Kjottkake - Norway's meatballs with lingonberry sauce

Gotta be honest here, I hated these. Just not to my taste, they were cooked just fine, though. I wish I had gotten the Salmon, my husband raved about it.

It included the family style dessert sampler

mousse and applebread were yummy but the pudding was “eh”.

All in all, it was good but not GREAT food. It is a great way to get those princesses in, though, if you have little ones that are obsessed with them.
By now, my family was NOT into the character meals as we'd been disappointed in the interaction and I wish desperately I could tell you this meal changed their minds. My kids got shy when they arrived, so maybe they had less to "play" with, but the princesses came, took a picture and ran to the next table it felt like. Ariel was the BEST, so bubbly and took time with my Finley since it was obvious she was completely in love with her. I did get some cute pics though!

It was a fun dining experience, nonetheless, because really how often do you get to meet Disney princesses and eat at the same time in real life?

I had to get a school bread to try later, my parents thought I was nuts for getting more food. It was a cute little bakery.

Checked out the cool Cars F&G area.

We got a beautiful nighttime Epcot photo.

Kids wanted to do one more fast track run, and it was a quick walk-on since everybody was getting ready for Illuminations.

cool ride

I'm getting to be a pro at these camera shots! I couldn't get anyone else to be silly with me...boo!

. My kids don’t like the noise of fireworks and crowds, so decided against Illumunations this time around. So we wanted to do TT and then get on the monorail ahead of the herd. Sadly, after one last rocking ride around the track, we walked out and saw a mass of people heading out. We walked as fast as we could, not even enjoying the lit up sidewalk or going into Mousegear like I wanted. Sigh. Next time. We still had a bit of a wait, and then we had a real wait at the TTC when we changed monorails. Just part of the Disney experience, but my crew was tired and cranky because of the lack of break today. Lesson learned on my end. Afternoon breaks are a must for us.

A little Disney magic did end our day as we got our one and only Towel Mickey! My family had no idea that mousekeeping would do this sometimes, so it was cute to hear my mom shout, "You've GOT to come see this, kids".

We showered and snuggled everyone into bed. I heard the light parade, so I took my school bread, headed out to the balcony, and enjoyed a little peace at the end of a long day. It was magical. The food and the parade. But, be forewarned, you must LOVE coconut if you are going to like school break. Lucky for me, I do and it was delicious. Perfect ending to a day in my book and we’d get to sleep in a little tomorrow. I wonder where we were headed?

Continued in next post... ​

 

[jecskc]

I loved watching the Electric Light Parade every night from the balcony !!

We always take a mid day break as well. Live and learn.

Susan

 

[Carable]

I loved watching the Electric Light Parade every night from the balcony !!

We always take a mid day break as well. Live and learn.

Susan

That parade is so sweet and nostalgic, isn't it? Now that I've secured a job, I'm looking into some upcoming dates....hee hee hee....and I hope I can get us a monorail resort.

Thanks, Susan, for always being so sweet and commenting.

I'm hard at work on Day 5 pics tonight and I hope to have it up this weekend.

 

[Carable]

Day 5, Part 1 - A Breakfast to Die For

I'm baaaccckkk...finally....with my next installment. I've been busy decorating my new library, which was a seriously boring place, for the next school year that begins after Labor Day. I'll post pics soon, as it is turning out so well. My hubby also took me to Las Vegas for our 10th anniversary and we had a great no-kids vacation for the first time in 9 years. They had an Earl of Sandwich and a Basin there which I had to visit. And, remember that hand scrub I wished I had gotten at Grand Floridian? Well, I got it there!!!! My daughter gets her tonsils out this Tuesday, so I wanted to get the next day up and posted. Hopefully I'll be able to finish up the whole report very soon!!! Now, on to the good stuff...

Finally, a leisurely morning for our clan (at least by our standards) as we weren’t opening a park today. We enjoyed taking our time sipping coffee and getting ready, and the beautiful view out of the windows at Bay Lake.

But, we couldn’t be TOO lazy, as we had a highly anticipated ADR to make. This was a last minute ADR that I wiggled in after reading so many trip reports raving about the breakfast at….

Kona Café

But first we got to ride the IronMan-o-rail

Love this view waiting for the monorail

Finn showing off her latest purchase from Mexico the day before

And, since we were on the monorail, why not?  Loved that is was right off the monorail stop with an open view to the tropical courtyard. Very Polynesian and beautiful…I want to stay here SO BAD.

The food was raved about by all. And, my hubby loves macadamia nut anything, so the Macademia pancakes were one of the highlights for him. I had the Lilikoi juice and the tonga toast and I highly recommend them to you, best breakfast I have had in a long time. Here are the highlights:

Even the menus were beautiful

the Squinky Princesses ate breakfast with us

My Tonga Toast (not as heavy as I thought it would be)

YUMMMY Macadamia Pineapple Pancakes

My favorite Lilikoi Juice

The kids enjoyed the classic Mickey pancake (wouldn't it be cute if they put an edible flower by the ear?)

Big Kahuna Breakfast

While my people were finishing up, I snuck downstairs to talk to the concierge because our next door neighbors were coincidentally coming down to Disney that day to celebrate their daughter’s birthday and we wanted to meet up with them at MK the next day. I wanted to ask about when BOG opened up for lunch that day so we could eat together and I got a big surprise. Apparently, at the time, the monorail deluxe resorts were doing a test of the FastPass+ system for BOG reservations and they were so nice about offering it to me.

Me getting the surprise at the concierge desk

So, we’re setting it up and the number isn’t working, and isn’t working, and isn’t working. Come to find out Bay Lake Towers was not included in the test and the CP wasn’t aware of that, but it was offered to us and the manager on duty was very nice about wanting us to get to use it anyway. But, all she could do was advise us to go to the Customer Service people at MK the morning we got there and ask them to help us out. So, we were going to roll the dice and hope it all worked out for us, but it was time to get going….

Because we had some fun in the sun to be had!

While we waited for the long bus ride to AK/Blizzard Beach, my daughter traded with the CP there for a cool Ariel pin she was very excited about. I heart Disney! Even waiting for a bus is fun there.

A little winter adventure coming up next... ​

 

[Carable]

Part 2 - Skiing with Sharks

I agonized between Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, but ended up going with BB because it seemed a little more kid-friendly and it definitely was for us. I'm sure either would have been a hit, but I thought the theming was amazing here.

This is SO my kids {sigh}

We arrived a little later than planned due to the unexpected FP+ offer, but we still got there at 10:45am.

Entering....

The kids thought the melting snowmen were cute

It took us awhile, but we found some great shady spots by the wave pool

Yes, Finn, you must wear sunscreen

Our view

So cool

Nolan says "surf's up"!

And that's about it for pictures, we were too busy having fun in the water.

So we played in the wave pool which was amazing, and then split up. My parents spent all day on the lazy river, Finley and I played in the little kid area, and my husband and son spent time in the teen zone. Neither kid was very interested in the big slides at this time. I did want to try Teamboat Springs, but we never did get over there.

Lunch was surprisingly good, sorry no pics of this one.

Then we spent a long time on the LLLOOOOONNNNGGGGG, amazing lazy river. I would recommend ending your day there, as the crowds were lower as they got closer to closing time. It would be super relaxing if we weren’t trying to keep our kids safe. LOL.

Here are some unsolicitated tips if you are visiting the Beach of Blizzard on your trip:

1. Know where you want to sit BEFORE you go, there is plenty of shady areas if you go early. Trying to read the map and navigate to chairs was a total pain since we were so unfamiliar with it.

2. Memorize the map as best you can beforehand, this park is HUGE and I spent most of the day confused and lost.

3. WEAR WATER SHOES!!!!!!!! That park tore up our feet, which is never good if you are going to spend the rest of the week on them in the theme parks.

4. Get towels and lockers as soon as you get in because they go fast, we went straight into LottaWatter Lodge and stood in a very short line. When we went around the corner the line was enormous at the other places.

5. Take time to shop, I loved their gift shop.

6. Great food, we enjoyed lunch. BUT, I would suggest eating earlier or later because the lines can get out of control at the lunch hour.

7. We got one refillable mug and shared it between us for the day. I changed out straws for each member, but kept the cost down for us.

8. The Little kid area which I can't remember the name of is great for the 5 and under kid, but beware they do measure and if you have a tall kid they will turn them away from the rides if they are over 48” tall.

9. My 7 year old loved the teen area!

We were a little water-logged, so we went over to the Summer/Winterland Minature Golf course. It was adorable, of course, but only Winter was open as they were cleaning Summer. THAT meant a 20-30 minute wait. But, that just meant time to eat another Mickey Bar, right? And color on the Disney coloring sheets they had there.

The Squirting Snowman was my favorite hole!

After a fun, not very competitive round of golf we went back to the park for one last hurrah around the lazy river.

What ADR did we have waiting for us this evening???

Continued in the next post... ​

 

[Carable]

Part 3 - Getting Jiggy with It

After a tiring day at the waterpark, we headed towards Downtown Disney.

We changed in the park (they were a great size) and decided to take a taxi to Downtown Disney.

Best. Decision. Ever.

Of course, in all my planning, I forgot how busy DTD gets in the evenings and tonight was no exception. Next time we will go when it opens, because we came to my sons favorite destination in Disney. Can anyone guess? My son cant be the only one.

Thats right people&

The Lego Store.

Hi there, Handsome!

This one was my favorite!

Finley and I wandered over to the World of Disney store and we were instantly overwhelmed by all the people and merchandise. Although, we lucked upon the Minnie Mouse hair accessory set she had seen in Fantasyland on Day 1 and didnt get, so wouldnt have to waste precious ride time grabbing it the next day. I also found a dress and sweatshirt that I love and wear all the time.

After some serious building, we walked to our ADR at

Raglan Road! (Is my son trying to pick-pocket that statue?)

I was excited because I used to Irish Dance and we are part Irish, so I was looking forward to soaking up some atmosphere. We were seated off to the side, which meant we couldnt really see the entertainment. It was a cozier area, but I wanted to watch the band and dancers while we ate. The server was very friendly, and had great suggestions.

The soda bread, was well..., soda bread. You either love it or hate it.

That's what I'm talking about

Kids steak, my son loved it

Kids' Mac n' Cheese (my daughter didn't like it because it wasn't orange, but it tasted yummy, KIDS!)

Fish N' Chips (tasted just like it did in England)

Raglan Risotto with Chicken (fantastic)

Salmon of Knowledge (Amazing)

Entertainment mid-way through

Finley joined in the fun, it was so adorable! I thought it was so cute how they included the kids here.

Fluffy Lemon Clouds (only OK)

Kid's strawberries and ice cream ( a big hit)

Ger's Bread & Butter Pudding (I am madly, deeply, seriously in love with this dessert!)

But, the one caveat, the service was abysmally S L O W. It ate up all our shopping time, really.

We had 1 hour left to do DTD before we turned into pumpkins. So, the boys went back to&.

You guessed it&The Lego Store, where my son made cars and raced them for an hour. It was his favorite part of the trip.


I went to TrenD but didnt find anything I wanted, sadly. The Pin Traders had no board out, sigh. Once upon a Toy was fun and my daughter made out with 2 shirts. I loved putting the money on the cards for them, and let them make their choices on how to spend it. They really didnt whine at all, and they are world-class whiners.

We gathered up the boys and headed to the bus area and waited, and waited, and waited, and&

You get the idea. It took 40 minutes to get a bus and another 20 minutes to get to the Contemporary. Wish we would have splurged on a taxi instead because my crew was done. The kids both fell asleep on the bus and it was difficult to get them up to the room after that.

We washed swimsuits and got organized for an early morning. We were going to witness our first EMH at MK and experience the opening magic. I couldnt wait, but I had so many questions&.

Would I get to see Enchanted Tales with Finley?
Would we meet up with our Friends?
Would the FP+ to BOG work out?

Too tired to worry about it, I trip journaled and fell into bed.

Continued in next post& ​

 

[jecskc]

Oh your poor daughter having to have her tonsils out. That is so hard on them.

Too bad you didn't get to ride Teamboat Springs that is the best water ride !! My kids like BB the best, but I love the water coasters at Typhoon Lagoon.

We love the Lego Store as well. Spent a lot of time and money in there.

We did the summer side of the golf course. So cute !!

Wow, you had a BIG day that day. I bet you guys were exhausted !!

Susan

 

[Aurora1972]

Busy day! I debate doing a water park. I think the kids would like it but I hate taking time away from the 4 main parks. Seriously considering Raglan Road on our next trip as we have strong Irish ancestry but wonder if Rainforest Cafe would be more fun for the kids.

 

[emmysmommy]

Cara! I'm finally caught up.... so many fabulous updates here. I hope I remember all of my comments.

Thanks for the TR shout out! You remembered my boyfriend Bo!!

the kids with the green army men - cute!

Your Le Cellier meal for a second had me thinking I was looking at my own photos... I took the same photo of the beautiful vases on the shelf.

I finally discovered Dole Whips so I can relate to your comment that you would wait in all sorts of lines for one! Em didn't like them. Oh well, more for me.

Kona Breakfast and Ger's Bread Pudding at Raglan Road - to die for!!!

Blizzard Beach was another first for us this time. I loved the theming. At least you had some shaded seats.

Loved the princess decals on the window of your villa. Too cute!

I know there's so much more I was going to say but AWESOME updates!!

 

[Carable]

Day 6 - Part 1 - A Very Big First

Hello lovely DISers, I have been lurking and reading some reports, but not as much as I'd like. My new job is amazing, and exhausting and I'm just trying to juggle it all. I have found there is no more ME time, and so this weekend I'm beginning to carve out some special time that I can enjoy without guilt. So, where am I? HERE, of course. And I am working on our next trip and it may include a mickey mouse cruise, I'm so excited. I'm done writing this report and only have a couple days left so I hope to get these done very soon. Sorry I had to take so long to get back to it, but if busy PrincessJess508 can do it, so can I! Enjoy.

Today started bright and early as I was determined to go to our first magical opening at MK. I did not even know it existed until the DIS, so I excited to see it in person. We were dragging a bit this morning, as my crew was not physically ready for the Disney vacay, even though I had warned them. This whole week I had the energy of a bunny, seriously, I almost never got tired and was raring to go every morning. I was just so in love with the magic this time.

I never, ever got tired of this view.

At least we could walk to the MK, although it was definitely getting hotter now. We were spoiled with rather mild FL weather at the beginning of the week, but the heat and humidity were coming full force now.

My first goal was determining if we could get FP+ to BOG for lunch. I tried to go to Guest Services early outside the gate, but was rudely told no. Very unmagic, Mr. CM.

So, we got in almost as the show started and the kids got great places to see the show. And, Im going to be honest here, I CRIED like a baby. It was completely surprising to me how much I was affected by this little show. It was then that I knew I was a true DISer for life. Im just glad I wore sunglasses.

Look at the carriage!!

We decided to divide and conquer for the EMH, as Finn wanted to do characters and Nolan most certainly did not. So the boys left to do the Speedway (one of Nolans favorites from our last trip) and Frontierland.

Here a few pics from there adventures, brought in part to you by DH's phone:

Can you guess where this is?

That's right, Thunder Mt., which my son promised to ride with me so I didn't ride during my extra magic hours evening. I never did ride it this trip.

Apparently they went on a special treehouse:

And did a little target shooting...

And apparently there were several rounds of Zurg attacking in Tomorrowland. The boys had a BLAST.

Now, back to my parents, DD and myself. So, according to Kenny the Pirate, Rapunzel and Tink would open with EMH, but that turned out to be wrong. Big Frowny Face inserted here. So we had to regroup.

I ran to guest services at the hub while my mom and daughter talked about Plan B. Sadly, these CMs must have woken up on the grumpy side of the bed, because they made me feel like I was seriously inconveniencing them. They ended up saying maybe I could use it, just go to the bridge at BOG and check-in to the gatehouse at the assigned time and see. OK&.
Our friends were in Epcot that morning, eating a feast at Akerhaus, so we werent sure if theyd make an 11:30 rezzie, but included them just in case. I wondered what would happen.

A little cuteness in Town Square:

So, plan B turned out to be Enchanted Tales with Belle. I know it isnt the smartest use of the EMH, but it had a princess and I knew Finn would love it. The sign said 20, but it was closer to a 40 minute wait, ugh. It was the longest wait we had all week. But Finn did indeed love it, and she even played a part of the silverware which I didnt think shed do. I didnt push her, she did it all on her own and I was proud of her. It was a magic watching Finley in there with an AMAZING Belle, and the pictures are to die for.

A little early morning magic on the way to see Belle.

I loved how quiet Fantasyland was at this hour of the morning.

I can't wait until THIS opens.

The entrance and the queue are so amazing at ETWB!

My favorite part of the queue...

As we left I was glad we did it, but felt our EMH had been wasted.

We went to meet up with the boys at Pirates of the Caribbean to do Pirates League at 10am. Parents went on POC as we got the Buccaneer treatment. Nolan said he wanted to do everything but the make-up, which was fine, but then ended up flatly refusing everything. Sigh. They were very nice and didnt charge us for taking the spot. Another pitfall of planning a surprise trip.

Finns mermaid makeover was simply perfect. Her makeover artist was so sweet and even gave Nolan an eye patch to sooth him over. She did some beautiful face paint, and Ill be honest I loved the whole process even better than BBB. She loved the hairstyle do, she constantly asks to wear it mermaid style at home. We did the pictures in the secret room and scored with the PP+ again and got the best pictures of the trip imho.

The CM's here were really, truly amazing and just look at this theming!

My favorite picture of Finn during the trip. Although I must admit that face-painting + sensitive skin + heat & humidity = red bumps on her face for the duration of the trip.

Then I took the family on the POC of course, and we loved all the new additions. They really loved the mermaid skeleton (I have morbid kids). My daughter loved spotting Jack and the scene where the pirate is sleeping with the pigs.

All was right in the world after a trip to the Caribbean.

So, did we get to use FP+ at BOG????? Continued in next post...

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[wiigirl]

Great update!

 

[Carable]

Day 6 - Part 2 - A Little Bit of Everything

Hello 2014! I'm finishing off my trip report today, enjoying a few hours to relive this awesome vacation so that I can start planning for the next one! That's right, we are cruising Disney in August and will then stay some extra days afterward to enjoy the World. I'm so excited!!!!! So let's get on with the finale.

After a sail through the Caribbean, it was time to eat. We went over to BOG for lunch. The CMs at the gatehouse could not have been any friendlier, which was so nice after the earlier interactions this morning. We were welcomed with open harms and they apologized for any inconvenience and we walked right up to the Knight room. WOW, thats what Im talking about people.

Finley wanted to sit in the West Wing and we scored the table by the fireplace under the portrait. Now, I had not heard about the portrait change at this time, so when Nolan said Hey, the painting changes to the Beast after the big thunder. We didnt know what he was talking about. Our whole table looked ridiculous as we were craning our necks and trying to eat, but DANG, there it was. Awesome Surprise. Go Nolan.

I decided to forego pictures this time since we'd been here and the lighting + my camera didn't make for very good pictures. But, trust me, it was JUST as good as before.

Dad was tired, so he went straight back to the hotel to rest.

Mom, Finley and I went to check out the Merida line. LOONNGGG. But as we turned around, there was the sweet Alice, so we went to get in line seconds after the CM closed it, but we stayed because they told us the White Rabbit was coming out next. I ran (literally) to get Princess FP, but the return time was at our ADR time so a no go. While I was gone, my mom said the CM was so sweet and let Finn meet Alice and the White Rabbit. Alice was apparently just amazing to Finley and talked quite a bit to her. SCORE.

Here we parted from my mom, who went to Monsters Inc before heading back to the hotel. Finley and I met up with our friends at Splash Mountain and chatted. We decided to meet up at Dumbo later that evening after dinner. We tried to meet up with the boys, but we couldnt find them. They ended up doing Thunder Mt., shooting gallery and Buzz twice. Whew!

Finley and I went to see Jasmine, we sat in a VERY hot line for her, but DD was a trooper. She loved the gems embedded in the sidewalk over there. Not only did we get to see the beautiful Jasmine and Aladdin, but Genie showed up for the last few photo shoots. YEAH!

We grabbed a Dole Whip on the way out and met up with the boys in front of the Adventureland sign. As we were walking out, we stopped to get the Princess FP that was now at the perfect return time. While we were there, tucked back by the FP machines was the practically perfect Mary Poppins. Finley freaked out and was so excited. She had a great accent, although not particularly warm and fuzzy, and she said supercalifragilistic backwards for the kids and they thought she was Da Bomb. I love when you just stumble upon Disney magic&

It was REST TIME. After a nice little nap and shower, we walked to the boat launch at the Contemporary.

Short and seriously relaxing boat ride to Wilderness Lodge. I LOVED this resort, and I will definitely stay there one day. Most impressive lobby Ive ever seen. Seriously, I couldnt get enough pictures of it. We were waiting for an opening ADR at Whispering Canyon. Kids loved the Lincoln Logs in the waiting area, had a hard time keeping him away from them during dinner too. He made some cute little friends there.

Sergio (aka Dusty Trails) was fantastic. Loved that he threw napkins at us first thing. Thanks to my DIS knowledge, we were the first ketchup of the night once it filled up a bit. The kids loved it! They ended up trying to do it at every restaurant afterwards. HA. We had the milkshakes, because hey, it was vacation. Caramel was the best, but I wasnt a fan of the chocolate. Finley completely filled up on that before I realized it, so Id advise to wait until AFTER dinner to get those.

Apparently I was laughing so hard, I couldn't get a clear picture...

There was a TON OF FOOD here. The ribs were a little tough, but the rest was great, especially the BBQ. The waiter was sweet and brought Finley her standard chicken nuggets since she wasnt go near the rest of that food. The desserts came next&.the cobbler was to die for!!!

We did drop the fork, but nothing happened.

Finley rode hobby horse in the race before we left, cute! Then we left for another wait and relaxing ride to the MK.

Another night in the Magic Kingdom....what delights were in store for us this evening??? Continued in next post.. .​

 

[Carable]

Day 6 - Part 3 - An Enchanted Evening

Another lovely ride on the boat, HIGHLY recommend doing this on your vacation at least once.

We headed off the relaxing boat ride and went to get our family picture done in the front of the MK. When we did this the first time in 2009...my son decided to be a grumpy face in the picture:

In 2013, my daughter decided to be a grumpy puss in the picture:

{sigh} maybe next year we can get a sweet little picture???

Then we went to see the princesses. Best. Interaction. Of. The. Trip. They got Finley talking and laughing with their own private conversations, she still talks about it. Much better than the limited time at the character dinners. I wore my Best. Day. Ever. Rapunzel shirt and everyone was raving about it. And, lets be honest, I was excited as Finley to meet Rapunzel. I was sorry we had lost Pascal earlier in the trip, because that would have been a great photo op for Finn. Rapunzel was beautiful and spunky and even had the greenest eyes Ive ever seen. Magical.

We then went to Buzz and grabbed FP, then went to see Laugh Floor. Chuck and Dad didnt get to be THAT guy, but it was fun. They had a great dancing family. We rode Buzz again, Nolan got 999,999 points. He really rocks that game. He rode it 6 times this trip.

I love you, Roz....

We rode the infamous people mover because Id never been on it before. My husband loved making fun of it.

We then headed over to Dumbo. Nolan wouldnt ride the baby ride, so we took Finley on it and she played in the waiting area for a bit and then rode the elephants. That was her first ride when she was 2. I loved the addition of water. We found our friends and the kids got a second wind. My parents were tired and headed back to the hotel. Their two kids (close in age to ours) and our two rode Dumbo twice more, Barnstormer 4 times and then headed to the big top to browse (it smells SO GOOD). I meant to go visit the characters, but then totally forgot. Darn&

my daughter's favorite ride now...

We watched Wishes on our way to ride POC as walked the back way around. It was awesome yet again (ride #3 for me) and I finally noticed the peg leg paint on the people mover as you get off the ride&there are footprints painted on there, but every once in awhile there is just a white circle like it was a peg leg. Disney is awesome.

Then it was off to Aladdins magic carpet.

I love that they brought the orange bird back...

It was time to pack it in as we were starting to drag. We watched Celebrate The Magic on the way out and walked home. It was a great night. The temperature was cool, the crowds were low, and the friends were fun. It was practically perfect in every way.

Now, we had some decisions to make on the way home about Star Wars Weekends that started the next day. Would we go? When would we go?

Continued in the next post.. .​