Our Royal Adventure: Nine Nifty Nights in November (Updated 6/4)

[MickeyMomTo2]

I have subscribed and am enjoying your trip report so much! Your kids are too cute. I notice that your daughter wears dresses and skirts everyday. She reminds me of my DD9, she is a girly girl and I have to make her wear shorts and pants sometimes. Our next trip is in November and she has asked for a skirt everyday. I better start sewing!!!!

DD would wear a skirt to play softball if her coach would let her. It's so funny because I am NOT a girly girl. She gets very frustrated with my lack of accessories.

Yes they were a lot of fun. They really wanted to meet Anna and Elsa, so I did the 8am Akershus ADR to get that early entry, and wondered how the boys would do with Cinderella, etc. and they really liked meeting them.

We would have loved to meet Anna and Elsa, but weren't willing to wait. The lines now are even worse than when we were there in November. I saw a posted wait time of 240 minutes on Monday!

Love your TR! Reading through it with DD9 who swears your daughter looks familiar. We are from Nashville too.

We also love POR. I would love to take DD alone a few days as my son who is 7 isn't enamoured with the princesses!

We are in Franklin. Perhaps our paths have crossed! It's really fun to have one-on-one time there. I hope to take a mother/son trip someday. We want to do all four parks in one day!

I'm really loving your TR. It looks like your family has such a great time together!

Thank you, and we do have a great time together. Except when DS and DD are fighting. That does happen occasionally, but I don't usually take pictures of it for the trip report. (To their credit, they got along very well on this trip, so I didn't need to document any bad behavior.)

 

[scottny]

Great update and pics.

 

[Chilly]

I love Ohana for dinner, hope you make it there one day, we've had to cancel breakfast twice so we are the opposite to you, hopefully we'll make it there next year.

 

[KelleyK75]

We would have loved to meet Anna and Elsa, but weren't willing to wait. The lines now are even worse than when we were there in November. I saw a posted wait time of 240 minutes on Monday!



We are in Franklin. Perhaps our paths have crossed! It's really fun to have one-on-one time there. I hope to take a mother/son trip someday. We want to do all four parks in one day!

I know, the wait times are crazy for Anna and Elsa! I was one of the lucky ones that left Akershus at 8:45 and got in line before the rope droppers got there, so I only had about 7 people in front of me. I don't know that I'd wait hours to meet them.

I used to be in Nashville all of the time, and had a friend I stayed with that lived in Franklin. Small world.

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

Great update and pics.

Thanks!

I love Ohana for dinner, hope you make it there one day, we've had to cancel breakfast twice so we are the opposite to you, hopefully we'll make it there next year.

We do enjoy the breakfast. My kids can put away some biscuits!

I know, the wait times are crazy for Anna and Elsa! I was one of the lucky ones that left Akershus at 8:45 and got in line before the rope droppers got there, so I only had about 7 people in front of me. I don't know that I'd wait hours to meet them.

I used to be in Nashville all of the time, and had a friend I stayed with that lived in Franklin. Small world.

That was a smart plan! I guess the best way now is Fastpass+--if you can get one!

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

After our second ride on Everest, we headed to It's Tough To Be a Bug. On the way, we stopped for some photos.

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I usually take pictures as we get close to the Tree of Life, but we were able to walk right into the show, so we didn't linger. We got our buggy glasses and headed in to find a seat. I love this film! I do hate it for the unsuspecting children who are scared silly by the giant bugs and the effects, but I think it is hilarious!

Next, it was time to head to the Safari. We had scheduled Fastpass+ just before our Tusker House reservation, so this worked well. Because it was cooler, the animals were very active. So active, in fact, that we got stuck on the savannah for a while. I took a lot of photos, but these animals are my favorites.

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Because of the delay on the Safari, we rushed to Tusker House for our late lunch. We were starving, but couldn't go inside without visiting with Donald.

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Tusker House has some African-flavored choices. DH and I sampled some of these, but the kids aren't so adventurous. Thankfully, at Disney World, you can always count on kid-friendly choices! They filled up on mac-n-cheese, and I admit to eating several of the mini corn dogs myself. While dining, we also visited with Mickey, Goofy, and Daisy. I'll be honest. My kids still enjoy the character meals (and I do, too), but I think we are getting to the point where we could do a couple during the trip and also work in more non-character meals. As much as we loved seeing the characters, we also enjoyed Mama Melrose and (later in the trip) 50's Prime Time. Yes, we still love Mickey and the gang, and will probably always do a couple character meals, but it is also nice to sit and enjoy the meal and the environment. I guess my babies are growing up!

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At the end of our meal, it was about 3:00, and we were ready to head back to Riverside to relax. As we left the park, we stopped for several more pictures.

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(This one was actually taken on our way in, but I'll throw it in now.)

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We got back to the resort, and I took the time to do some laundry while the boys watched football and DD played her iPod. Then, we took the time to have a family Bible study (it was Sunday, and we always try to do that if we can't make it to worship). After that, DD and I decided to take the boat to DTD for some shopping while the boys enjoyed more football. Unfortunately, the wind was too high, and we had to take the bus. The traffic around DTD was HORRIBLE, and the ride there and back was one of the worst parts of our trip. It took so long that we barely had time to shop before she needed to get back for dinner and bed. Of course, we did manage to enjoy ourselves, particularly at the Days of Christmas store (I always buy an ornament for a souvenir), World of Disney, and Goofy's Candy Company.

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DD had me take a picture of some charms for her charm bracelet. On another visit to DTD later in our trip, we visited with Santa, and she told him about the charms. Amazingly, some of the charms did make it into her stocking.

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DD and I headed back to the resort and met the guys at Riverside Mill for a late dinner. Then, it was bedtime!

Coming next...A World of Fun at Epcot!

 

[ProudMommyof2]

I agree that travelling to DTD has become almost unbearable. I think I will skip it until the construction is done.

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

I agree that travelling to DTD has become almost unbearable. I think I will skip it until the construction is done.

Wise decision! Later in the week, we took the boat, and that was fine, but I would not have taken the bus again. On the return trip to Riverside, it took us at least 30 minutes just to go from the Marketplace bus stop to the West Side bus stop. Crazy!

 

[KelleyK75]

Great safari pictures! I can't ever seem to get good ones on it. We were in the back seat this past time, and I swear it's even bumpier than in the front.

I love the Tusker House meal. We always try to add it in while we are there.

 

[Chilly]

Great safari photos. Never been to Tusker House, think that's on my list for next year now.

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

Great safari pictures! I can't ever seem to get good ones on it. We were in the back seat this past time, and I swear it's even bumpier than in the front.

I love the Tusker House meal. We always try to add it in while we are there.

Great safari photos. Never been to Tusker House, think that's on my list for next year now.

Thanks to you both. I got better pictures than usual because we had to stop so many times for animals to cross the path. You can definitely get better pics when you aren't moving! It also helped that it was cloudy. Mid-day sun does not help with photo quality!

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

On Monday morning, we went to Epcot. When I made Fastpass+ reservations, there was no tiered system, so we had them for Soarin', Test Track, and Mission:SPACE. We had them scheduled for the afternoon, but because we wanted to do Test Track twice (we hadn't seen the new version), we went there first thing in the morning. The kids really enjoyed designing their own cars.

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After Test Track, we went over to the Seas Pavilion for Nemo and Turtle Talk with Crush. DS doesn't care about Nemo too much anymore, but we all still think Crush is fun! DS does like some of the computer trivia games in the Sea Lab, and Bruce is always good for a smile!

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The kids wanted to go to the Imagination Pavilion. DH thinks this is one of the worst attractions at WDW, but the kids were all smiles.

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We must have been moving slowly because it was almost 11:00 at this point. We wanted to head on over to World Showcase for a while because we had Fastpasses in Future World and dinner at the Garden Grill later in the day. First, we went to visit with Donald in Mexico.

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By this time, we were getting hungry. DH and DD wanted to eat in Mexico, but DS and I wanted fish from the Yorkshire Co. Fish shop. So...DS and I walked very quickly to England for some fish and brought it back to Mexico. We stopped for a few pictures along the way.

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DH and DD had a table by the water, so we enjoyed our lunch there.

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A little bit into our meal, we looked up and saw my best friend from college and her family. We knew they were there, but hadn't seen them until this point. Although we live near each other, we don't see each other as often as we would like, so it was great fun to see them at WDW. We talked for a little while over lunch. Wish I would have gotten a picture!

It was Monday of Thanksgiving week, so crowds were picking up. But, the place I noticed it the most on Monday was at food locations. With Fastpasses for the major attractions, the other lines weren't too bad, but the walkways and restaurants seemed more crowded for sure. Still, for a holiday time, Thanksgiving was working out to be a fine time to go, and we were thankful for that!

Coming up...A World of Fun at Epcot, Part 2.

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

After lunch, we walked over to Norway.

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Before riding Maelstrom, we signed up for Agent P's World Showcase Adventure. After Maelstrom (and after gawking at the number of people in line for Anna and Elsa before Frozen had even hit theaters), we picked up our phones for the first Agent P adventure in China. I have mentioned that my kids got along very well on this trip. One of the reasons that is true is that we have learned some lessons on previous trips. Something we know for sure is that everyone is happier if both kids have their own phone. So, we usually sign up in pairs. DH and DD headed off first, and DS and I followed behind after a few minutes. DS had just studied China in World History class, and his teacher had asked him to take some photos from the China pavilion, so this adventure killed two birds with one stone!

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Hmmmm...I don't think DH's blackberry was part of this experience.

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After saving China, we headed to Germany for a second adventure. I love the Christmas decorations in Germany!

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Of course, we were a great help to Agent P in Germany as well, but after being such heroes, we needed a treat! We stopped in Karamel Kuche for some yummy snacks. After this, we needed to go back to Future World for our back-to back Fastpass+ reservations at Mission:SPACE, Test Track and Soarin'. I hated that we didn't make it all the way around the lagoon, but since we only had one day at Epcot, we couldn't fit in everything. On the way out of World Showcase, we stopped for some photos. I was surprised there was no photographer at the Christmas tree, but we took our own.

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Coming Up...A World of Fun at Epcot, Part 3!

 

[KelleyK75]

The Christmas decorations are awesome! And I love seeing shorts and short sleeves in front of Christmas trees! Something I don't ever get to see here in Ohio.

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

The Christmas decorations are awesome! And I love seeing shorts and short sleeves in front of Christmas trees! Something I don't ever get to see here in Ohio.

Yes, when I hear people say it doesn't feel like Christmas when it is warm, I have to disagree. I hate being cold, so I would happily celebrate Christmas in Florida every year! We don't get as much winter in Tennessee as you do in Ohio, but it's still way more than enough for me!

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

We headed back into Future World for some attraction fun.

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We had Fastpass+ reservations at Mission:SPACE, Test Track and Soarin'. They were from 1-2, 2-3, and 3-4. We got to Mission:SPACE at 1:40 with the hopes that the kids could ride twice using all four of our Magic Bands. We were cutting it close time-wise, but it worked fine. I am claustrophobic and once had a panic attack after being shut into the space capsule on Mission:SPACE. I will NEVER ride it again!

The kids rode twice, and then we all enjoyed Test Track together. Before riding, we found the kiosk in the exhibit area and took a few minutes to redesign our cars from earlier in the day.

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Then, it was into the car for another great ride!

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Before our 4:00 Soarin' Fastpass, we stopped by Spaceship Earth. My kids especially enjoy the personalized aspect of this ride.

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We had to arrive at Soarin' at exactly 4:00 because we had a reservation at the Garden Grill at 4:30. I tried to take a pic inside, but I must have been moving when I took the picture.

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After our flight over California, we were ready for dinner with Mickey, Chip, Dale, and Pluto. This is one of DS's favorite meals. The characters always make it around more than once, and they spend more time at each table because the restaurant is so small.

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After eating too much (again), we decided to go back to Riverside for the night. My kids don't like Illuminations as much as Wishes, so we were fine heading back after nine hours in the park. On the way out, we stopped for one more photo op.

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Before turning in for the night, DS and I visited the gift shop at Riverside. We had quite a good time!

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At this point, we realized we only had two parks days remaining! So sad! But, we were heading back to the kids' two favorite parks: DHS and Magic Kingdom.

Coming Up...Hollywood, Here We Come (Again)!

 

[Chilly]

Great day in Epcot. I'm not a fan of MS either. Think Garden Grill might be on my list for next year as well, my list might be too long.

 

[WDWaddictt]

Sounds like you guys were having a great time at AK & Epcot.

I agree with the character meals, I have been adding in other restaurants to give them different experiences. BOG, SciFi and Boma have been big hits for them.

Great TR, thanks for sharing!

 

[KelleyK75]

Great pictures! I haven't tried Garden Grill yet but it's on the list to try. My nephews had a great experience with Chip and Dale in AK this past trip, so I know they'd love it!

 

[scottny]

Everyone screaming in BUGS is hysterical. Makes me chuckle only because I was that way the first time too.
Nice safari pics.
Looks like a good day except for the traffic.
Never tried Garden Grill but I think it will go on the list.
LOL at the hats.