Preggo, pennies, and pastries!!! **FINAL UPDATES 4/25**

[photographymom517]

We didn't care for Pollo campero either. I ate it since I'm not that picky and hate throwing food out. But I don't know if I'd go back.

We won't eat there again either! It was horrible! The really sad thing is that Luke will literally eat ANYTHING and he even disliked it! That's not saying much about the restaurant at all!

I am trying to get Jack's opinion on which resort we will stay at too! I am pretty sure it will be a value, so that narrows the options down considerably, but I am also surprising him with this trip, so we shall see...

I got my first day up already, and I AM going to get day 2 done on Monday. Day 3 will be easy, so I am pretty optimistic I will get it done. Then I can get a mini DC TR in before I start in heavy with planning for our next trip!

Good so I'm not the only one who lets a toddler choose my resort!!!

We are all over the place with our resort choices! I actually loved AKL and CBR and with our budget, I'd choose CBR. I'd also choose it over the other Mods...I think BUT my husband doesn't want to stay at a repeat before we try a few more new resorts. I know we'll miss the IG but there's no way we can afford the BC/YC area again...sadly because I'll miss walking to Epcot almost every night! But that was a "treat" to ourselves to stay there last year, so we knew before last year's trip it would probably be a first -- and a last. I was also considering Pop and AoA, but we'd upgrade our dining to the regular DP from QS and with the added cost, we might as well just stay at a Mod and get the regular DP. I don't know! We have lots of time to decide!

Wow, I'm behind yet again! I had no idea you had a few days of your mini TR up already! I better get over there after I post my update!

 

[photographymom517]

The next morning, we were really excited because that night would be our very first MNSSHP!!!

Originally we had a 2:30pm ADR at the Grand Floridian Café. But we discussed it the night before and in order to get there, we’d have to leave the Beach Club by 12:45-1:15pm at the latest. This meant that we’d have to start getting ready around 11:30am to get all three of us out the door by 12:30-12:45ish. We would head to the GF by taking the bus to MK and then the boat or monorail over to GF. Hopefully we’d arrive by 2:15pm and finish lunch by 3:30pm. We would then either explore the GF for a few minutes or take the boat back to MK for MNSSHP. We knew that we were able to arrive at 4pm at the earliest.

However, we noticed throughout the trip that it seemed to work out much better for us when we went back to the resort mid-day and let Luke take a nap. It was nice for all three of us to have a break from the parks & the humidity/crowds.

Soooo…we decided to cancel the ADR at the GF Café and just eat lunch wherever we ended up that afternoon.

In the morning, we decided that we would head to MK that afternoon. It was sort of crazy because we would have to go to MK for a couple hours, leave the park to change for MNSSHP and give Luke a break, and then head back for MNSSHP between 4-6pm. I got on the phone and called around for ADR’s. I found an opening at The Plaza (I think it was for 1:05pm).

Since it was more than halfway through the trip, we needed to do some laundry. We had originally planned to swim or explore the BC/YC area while the laundry was washing. When we looked at the resort map, we saw that the laundry area was actually AT the quiet pool! So we put on our swimsuits, got our laundry packed up, and headed down to the quiet pool.

Laundry Area

If you’re staying at the Beach Club and want to do laundry, the map shows exactly where it is located. But if you’re curious, here’s how to get there! Go out the lobby doors as if you’re going to Stormalong Bay. When you get to the end of the sidewalk, instead of turning to the right (towards SAB), turn left like you’re heading to Epcot. Right after you pass the volleyball courts, you will see bathrooms outside. There is a little pathway after the bathrooms. The laundry is on the backside of the building where the bathrooms are.

Quiet Pool

This is what the wash/dry times said – but it definitely took longer than 20 minutes to dry the clothes. We also didn’t wash that much so make sure to allow a little extra time for drying!

If you don’t bring your own laundry soap or dryer sheets, each of these cost $1.00 (I made sure to take close-up pics so I wouldn’t forget how much it cost!)

The washing machines and dryers were $2.00 EACH

We swam and did our laundry for about two hours and then headed back upstairs to our room. When we arrived back at our room, the Mousekeeping card was still stuck in our door. What horrible timing we had! We were all dripping wet in our swimsuits & had laundry to put inside the room. I also needed to grab our park bag & things we needed for the afternoon.

We decided to wait outside for a few minutes until they were done – BUT we needed to get inside within 15 minutes at the most to make it in time for our ADR at The Plaza. Me, being the nosy person that I am, decided to put my ear up to the door to listen. I didn’t hear anything, so I knocked on the door. No one answered, so I got my KTTW card out and just opened the door.

No one was inside!

Well, except for this little guy!!!

We heard the Mousekeepers outside still in nearby rooms, so they must have just finished prior to us coming down our hallway. I’m glad that I knocked on the door instead of just standing there waiting because there’s no way we would’ve made it to our ADR otherwise!! The Mousekeeper supervisor actually knocked on our door a few minutes later because he was looking for one of his employees! I handed him back the Mousekeeping card that was in our door. He apologized about fifty times, but I assured him it was fine!

We changed & then headed to the bus stop. It seemed to me that the MK buses were the sloooooowest at the Beach Club. We waited a small eternity for a bus to come and finally saw this!

At least it was worth the wait – a completely EMPTY bus!!!

If I remember correctly, we stopped at the Boardwalk and Swan/Dolphin and then headed to MK. I believe that only 1 or 2 people got on. With all the stops, I was getting nervous about making it to our ADR! I always like to be early and I learned this trip that I really hate shared buses!

We arrived at MK about twenty minutes prior to our ADR. By the time we got off the bus, through bag check & the gates, and walked to The Plaza, we were exactly on time. We went to the podium to check-in and we were immediately seated.

We had the perfect spot – right in front of the window! I could look out and see the castle!!! (even though it had a huge crane behind it!)

The meal started off entertaining as it was the first time I’ve ever seen The Mayor! He literally followed us into the restaurant. He did his usual speech and introduced the guest of the day – but the little girl was terrified!!! She cried & put her head down into her hands the entire time the Mayor spoke! Her mom tried to smile/laugh to reassure her that it was ok – but the girl just kept saying over & over again “Mom I don’t want to do it.” It made me feel bad for her & also for the other kids there. I saw some disappointed faces when the Mayor had first announced her name – other kids WANTED to be the guest of the day & here she was crying about it.

I can’t say a word about this situation because you know from reading this that MY child had cried plenty of times & probably ruined meals, rides, etc for other guests. I just thought it was sad that the mom was so excited, other kids wanted it to be them, and the girl was so upset. I felt bad for everyone. Oh and the girl wasn’t little either, she was at least 10-12 years old, maybe even 13-15.

By the time the Mayor was done speaking, our waitress brought our drinks. It didn’t seem like we waited long at all for our food. Luke got the grilled chicken with apple slices and my husband and I both got the steak sandwich with cheese and peppers and French fries as our side.

NOW let’s discuss our little incident

At the Plaza, if you get condiments such as ketchup, mustard, or mayo, they come in little porcelain containers about the size of a quarter and maybe 2-3” deep. Well, when our waitress brought our food, she didn’t bring ketchup. She then brought it, but practically dumped it on me. She luckily dropped it & my arm hit it so it spilled all over the floor & underneath my chair instead of ON me.

We ate our meals and ordered dessert. Right before she brought our dessert, she collected the plates from the table beside us. And spilled the lady’s mustard cup all over my Baggalini!!!

Yep, I was mad! At the time, I just thought it spilled on the chair (I had ironically sat my Baggalini on the fourth chair at our table so it wouldn’t get anything spilled on it! Ha!) I didn’t realize at this point it was all over my bag.

I sat & talked with Luke & my husband as we finished dessert. We got banana splits & they were delicious! It would usually take awhile to pay with our KTTW card so my husband would sometimes take Luke out to find the stroller & get him in it while I waited. We decided to do this & I went to get my bag to pay and

…..I see bright yellow mustard ALL OVER my pewter gray Baggalini!!! Seriously?!

I immediately grabbed napkins & ice cubes out of my drink and tried to clean it. Some came off but it smelled (and I hate the smell of mustard!) and there were still big stains. I was sooooo mad! Needless to say, she’s lucky I even left her a tip. Maybe "I" didn't know at the time it happened that it was ALL OVER my bag, but she saw it and she knew it. And she didn't try to clean it up, she didn't give me extra napkins to clean it up, she didn't apologize, she didn't even acknowledge that it happened!!!!

I probably should’ve complained right there (or left a note!) but I was too upset & just wanted to find the nearest restroom! Honestly, I'm shocked that I kept my mouth shut because I am usually the one with the big mouth!!! (and don't forget I was pregnant!!) Anyway, I left the restaurant and headed towards the restaurant. It's easy to find -- right around the corner near the pathway to the Tomorrowland Terrace! I went inside & tried to get it out, but my camera & other electronics were inside. I didn’t want to ruin everything inside the bag just to clean the bag. So I decided to get as much out as I could without completely drenching the bag with water & soap. I figured I could wash the bag & let it dry during our mid-afternoon break at the BC. I seriously did cry in the bathroom though!

 

[photographymom517]

We walked around The Hub and got a few PhotoPass pictures. I think my husband was more willing to stop this time because he knew how upset I was about my bag. Luke wouldn’t look at the photographer & instead of pushing it, I told her it wasn’t a big deal. She gave him some stickers and we continued to the Liberty Square Riverboat.

It was a nice ride, but neither my husband nor I really relaxed on the boat as we had planned because Luke wouldn’t sit still. He found a friend & this friend’s mom and dad were sitting/standing in two different places. So the boy would go back and forth between the mom and dad the entire boat ride….so of course Luke had to follow his new friend around. I ended up telling my husband halfway through that he could stand & try to enjoy the boat ride/scenery while I followed Luke around. I somehow managed to get a few pics! I did have a very nice conversation with the boy’s mom about my pregnancy and just Disney in general!

We then walked towards Fantasyland to attempt to get Luke to ride something. Anything. We decided on IASW since it’s just a boat ride and we had ridden it at least five times the trip before. Luke enjoyed it & willingly went on it the year before so we thought it would be ok. There was a 5 minute wait so we parked the stroller & went to get in line.

Luke started crying and freaking out before we even got inside. We asked if he would stand with us & watch the boats to see if he wanted to go on it. He agreed to do that. So we watched the people go from the line, into the boat, and begin the ride. We pointed out every single little kid in every single boat “Look there’s a baby riding with her mom!” or “Look there’s a little boy the same age as you. He isn’t scared, he’s smiling & loves it!”

Needless to say, it didn’t work. So back to the stroller we went.

I’ll keep the details out of it & just say this was time for a family meltdown. We had spent so much money on this trip & more than anything we wanted Luke to enjoy it. He wouldn’t ride anything. If we took turns riding everything, we’d be at each ride for an hour or more. If we made him ride something he didn’t want to ride, we’d have a repeat of TSMM and we don’t even want to discuss that! I swear I still cry about that day!

We decided to just start riding things with short wait times – one of us would ride & the other would stay with Luke. We were passing HM and there was a walk-on so my husband went on it again. I headed towards Liberty Square to get a coffee for me & a drink for Luke. I must have looked like I was upset & Luke looked hot & tired. We ran into this very sweet CM. He stopped to talk to us & I briefly told him that Luke wasn’t having a good day, wouldn’t ride anything, how I felt horrible he wasn’t enjoying himself, etc. The CM was soooo nice! He started talking to Luke & telling him that his mom must love him a lot to bring him there. He was talking about the characters, rides, etc. and then he asked me what Luke’s favorite drink was. I told him that we were actually on our way to get him a Sprite in Liberty Square. He said “No, come with me” and he took us inside Columbia Harbour House. He told us to wait outside of the area where you order your meal. He went to the counter & got a Sprite for Luke. It was so sweet!

I asked if I could take a picture of him with Luke since he was so helpful during my “not so good moment” that day. I won’t share it since I don’t have his permission to put his photo on a public forum, but I wrote down his name, the date, etc to write a note to Disney. I definitely suggest keeping a list of extra special CM’s & writing a short letter to Disney about each one!

We continued on after another brief conversation with the CM. I got a coffee in Liberty Square and we continued towards the castle because Luke heard Mickey talking “to him” again. He got sooooo excited!!! You should’ve seen the look on his face!!! It was one of those moments where I didn’t think to get the camera out because I was just enjoying the smile on his face!!! We quickly figured out why Mickey was “talking to Luke.” There was a show at the castle – so we stopped to watch it. (Another time during the trip where I wished I had my zoom lens! I kept forgetting the stupid thing in the room safe! Why did I lug it all the way from PA in my carry-on if I wasn’t even going to use it?!)

Since we arrived at the show after it started, there were tons of people gathered around the castle. In order for Luke to see, I had to park the stroller halfway down the hub near the statues.

We watched the show and then decided to leave for the afternoon. We thought maybe Luke would take a nap before MNSSHP, I could clean my bag, and we could all just rest for awhile!

On our way out, I got a picture of the train station & the “Let the Memories Begin” banner – people free!!!! I remember being extra excited about this especially since nothing seemed to be going right that morning!

After heading towards the wrong side of buses, we walked clear back around to the opposite side and finally onto the bus back to the BC.

I remember texting Nikki on the way back to the resort & telling her it was a not so good morning – which I will soon laugh about!! You’ll see why!

 

[Tinkermom76]

On my One More Disney Day we had a bad experience at the Plaza too... wonder whats with that place

 

[stephielela]

That is crazy that the waitress wouldn't even acknowledge that she spilled mustard all over your bag! How awful!

 

[PopArtGal]

I'm sorry you had a bad experience at the Plaza.

But how awesome was that other CM!

 

[jenseib]

I can't beleive you didn't go back and complain.....I would've. I hope Luke gets over his ride fears soon.

 

[photographymom517]

On my One More Disney Day we had a bad experience at the Plaza too... wonder whats with that place

That is crazy that the waitress wouldn't even acknowledge that she spilled mustard all over your bag! How awful!

I'm sorry you had a bad experience at the Plaza.

But how awesome was that other CM!

I can't believe you didn't go back and complain.....I would've. I hope Luke gets over his ride fears soon.

Thanks for being so supportive, everyone!!! I doubt we'll go back to The Plaza anytime soon...if ever. Sad how one experience can change how you feel about a restaurant, but it does! Although my sandwich was very good & so was the banana split! So maybe we will try it again in a few years!

 

[photographymom517]

Ok, let's get this show on the road, right?! I am so sorry I am so far behind! We've had some family issues which I'll explain at another time (those who are FB friends already know) and I have just been extremely busy with the kids. I only have two full days left and a partial day, so I have no excuse why I can't finish this up within the next couple weeks!

When we last left off, we had left Magic Kingdom and I was on the bus having a meltdown...

I was so upset on the bus that I almost cried. I just felt horrible. We go on vacation so we all get a break and we can relax and just enjoy ourselves. We love Disney but we want Luke to love it too. We didn’t want him to be afraid of things. We didn’t want him to be upset the majority of the trip. We wanted him to be happy & love the rides & smile & laugh! A part of me also knew if he didn’t start enjoying something on the trip, it would mean no more trips for a few years. I just sat on the bus in silence. I wanted to cry. It was just a horrible morning & I knew we all felt awful. Luke sat on the bus with his head on my lap or on his dad’s shoulder the entire time. I think we were all tired & needed a break!

......And I could still smell mustard (yuck!)

We walked back up to our room & the entire time Luke was riding in his stroller he was almost falling asleep! We figured this was a good sign & he could rest until it was time for MNSSHP. We all needed a “time out” – so we’d rest for a few hours & then head back to MK!

I was exhausted. I was so sad for Luke.

Little did I know, it would all be gone soon!!!





To my surprise, we opened our room door & saw this!!!!

Just the sight of it made me teary eyed!!!

​

I took a million pictures because I wanted to always remember the feeling of walking into the room & being sooooooo surprised!

So cute how Disney converts the desk into a table & sets the table for you like this!!!

Then I asked my husband to take a picture of me with the cake. I think he took at least 20 pics of me with the cake!

I then grabbed my cell & text Stephanie! I just KNEW she had something to do with it!!! All I wrote was “Did you do this?!?” and she knew what I meant!!! She told me that it was her, Nikki, and Brook!!! My good friends and coworkers at Mouse World Travel!!!! What sweeties!!!

I seriously cannot say “thank you” enough!!! It was such a wonderful surprise!!!

After sending them all texts to thank them for the surprise, drying some happy tears, & letting them know how wonderful it was, I cut into that delicious cake!!! I cut a piece for all three of us & stored the rest in the fridge for later!!! (And it fit perfectly in the fridge! It was my breakfast for the next few days!!!)

YUM I can still remember how delicious it was!!! (This is the last time I’m DISing right before bed! Now I want cake! )

Aren’t the balloons cute too?! Luke asked me if they were his so I told him they were! And we actually STILL have them! They were tied fairly loosely so the night before we left, I carefully unknotted them & let the air out. We brought home the balloons & the balloon weights (they were each weighed down with a colorful plastic Mickey shaped flat holder).

After taking a bath, Luke fell asleep and I sat on the bed eating more of the cake! I wrote in my journal and we watched tv. I think we started getting ready around 6:30. It was later than we originally planned on leaving, but it was worth it to arrive a little later & let Luke nap.

Just so you know, you can arrive to MNSSHP or MVMCP at 4pm and they’ll let you in the gates with your event ticket! My original plan was to get there by 4:30 or 5 at the latest, but sometimes it’s just better to adjust plans!

It was exciting to enter MK as so many were leaving knowing we were attending our first MNSSHP! I took pictures as we entered of the Halloween décor & MNSSHP signs!

Even the CM’s had special costumes on for the special event!

After going through the gates & baggage check, we literally ran right into a group of CM’s handing out wristbands. I know a lot of people stress over where to find them – don’t worry, you’ll see them a mile away! There were TONS of CM’s handing them out.

 

[photographymom517]

The CMs also hand you a Trick or Treat bag as you go under the train station (where the park maps are located). We were excited because Spooky Buddies were on the treat bags!!! Luke was super excited every time we got onto a Disney bus & saw the advertisements for the new movie coming out! It was coming out around the time we were leaving Disney so I promised him we'd buy it once we got home! I found Santa Buddies last summer at a yard sale for $1 -- what a steal!!! He loves all the "Buddies" movies! They are really cute!

Back to Disney...

We got our MNSSHP map & bag & started heading down Main Street. The clock there said 7:25pm.

I was shocked that Luke didn’t beg us for a special balloon!!!

We decided to start in Adventureland

I was already starting to get disappointed! The crowds were insane. I guess since it was our first "ticketed event" we weren't sure what to expect. When they said that they "limit the crowds" I was thinking of my mom's trip pictures from the September before -- when there were barely any people walking around!

But we had already experienced a few park days where the crowds were ¼ of this!!! I know it could be A LOT worse, trust me we've been there during Spring Break! I was just stressing over getting everything done on my list with the huge wait times & long lines (side note: I never ONCE took out “my list” during the party!)

We passed by a few character greetings because the lines were just insane. My advice would be to get to the party around 4pm and ride as much as you can. Then you can do the "party specific" things like seeing the castle forecourt show, Hallowishes, Boo to You parade, characters in Halloween costumes, etc. during the actual party hours!

We didn't want to waste all of our time standing in lines. We thought it may make more sense to start towards the back of the park & work our way back up throughout the night. We were planning to start in Frontierland & head to Fantasyland after that.

But as we passed under the Adventureland sign, I spotted one of my favorite characters!!! Terk! She was with Tarzan so I told my husband I was getting in line & asked Luke if he wanted to come with me. He said no & I told them they could continue on but they decided to sit & wait for me. I was so excited to see Terk, but there was NO PhotoPass photographer! A character handler was there taking pictures with your camera, but this trend continued the rest of the night! I was really disappointed with the lack of PhotoPass photogs at the party! (anyone else have this problem at the parties??)

I decided to make the most of the time I waited in line for Terk & Tarzan. I began talking to other people waiting in line about character wait times. I figured if I was going to stand in line for a half hour, I might as well make a tentative plan for other characters!

I found out that the line for Tink & the Fairies was over 45 minutes – this wasn’t a huge deal to me, but they were right around the corner from where I was so it would’ve been convenient to just jump in their line.

Rafiki & Timon were also right behind Terk – but their line was 25-30 minutes already!

Jafar’s line was insanely crazy as was the line for the Stepsisters – one lady I was standing with in line said her friend had been in line for Jafar since 6 or 6:30pm – and it was 7:25 now!!!

Of course the Seven Dwarfs line is always at least 45 minutes or longer.

Luke wouldn’t ride anything (again) and the character lines were super long. Oh well, at least I was getting a picture with one of my fav characters!

I KNOW that so many of you love MNSSHP! And please do not be mad for my opinion. It was ok, I just wasn’t thrilled with it.

I honestly think that so many people told me that MNSSHP was better than MVMCP. I really got my expectations up too high. Not a good idea as I learned throughout most of the trip. Looking back, my most enjoyable trip moments were the spontaneous ones -- like our ADR walk-ups to Yak & Yeti and Via Napoli. Or running into characters that I never before! Things that I didn't plan! It's the little things that end up being the most fun on our Disney trips! I need to learn to lighten up a little with the planning & just plan one ADR per day & which park we'll go to. And I learned last year that it's OK for things to change -- just go with the flow!!!

Now with MNSSHP, I think it's the exact opposite! I think in order to have enjoyed it more, I should've done MORE planning!!! (PLAN PLAN PLAN!!!) I didn't have a concrete plan & we arrived late. If we ever go again -- and this year when we attend MVMCP, we will not do ANYTHING that morning/afternoon. We'll maybe swim or hang around our resort and head over to MK around 4pm. I think that's a much better plan!

Don’t forget I was halfway through my pregnancy, just starting to get tired all the time, extra emotional, etc. AND looking back (yes I’m being blatantly honest here!) if I would’ve whined less & not gotten upset that Luke wasn’t riding, I would’ve missed out on LESS things. I should’ve stopped & asked some CM’s for more information on character locations, how early to wait for the shows/parades/etc. I didn’t shop at all during the party. I didn’t get a picture with Pooh & friends in their Halloween costumes. I didn’t see Duffy in his pumpkin costume. I didn’t see Mickey & Minnie. I didn’t ride the entire party. But it wasn't the end of the world NOT to do those things!

It was definitely fun to experience and I will give it another chance in the future! I think that was part of why I was so stressed the entire party -- I kept thinking in my head that once the kids are both in school, we won't take them out for trips. I thought this was "my first and last" Halloween party and that's what caused some of the problem. They say you have to be a bigger person to admit when you are wrong -- but somehow that doesn't really make me feel better! (I wish I was sitting here writing how awesome the party was! )

I think my husband and Luke enjoyed it more than I did, but like I said, it could’ve been because I was tired before we even got there. I also think it would’ve been a better experience if I would’ve explained it to Luke better. He thought we were only there to get candy & go trick-or-treating! LOL!

To sum up our entire evening, this is what we did at MNSSHP:

1) I got my picture taken with Terk & Tarzan
2) We collected candy by Jungle Cruise
3) My husband rode HM two or three times
4) We got our pic taken with the Hitchhiking Ghosts
5) My husband rode Splash Mountain while Luke & I made pressed pennies and collected candy on that trail
6) We ate at Pecos Bills
7) We collected candy beside Dumbo
8) I attempted to ride Dumbo alone but the line wasn’t moving & the wait time was over 35 minutes
9) Luke & I watched Hallowishes while my husband rode HM again
10) We watched the parade.

Yep, that’s it!

Now I will say this! We found a new restaurant that we are in love with!!! We have never eaten at Pecos Bills before but it’s a new favorite!!! We loved the food & atmosphere & will be back next trip!

I loved that they had this – but I think it was just back-up in case they got extra busy because I tried two different machines and neither would accept my KTTW card. Neat concept though!

It seemed pretty busy in there & the lines were long but they went super fast! There was also a TON of seating! Some of the areas looked completely empty while other areas were packed!

After eating, we walked over to Splash Mountain. My husband rode while Luke & I attempted to wait in line for the Seven Dwarfs. I gave up because the line was barely moving & we made pressed pennies and got candy on the SM trail instead.

We met up again after the ride & wondered over towards HM again. My husband asked me if I wanted to ride but I didn’t want to miss Hallowishes so I told him to instead. Luke & I headed over towards the castle forefront to wait for it to start. We didn’t get there until maybe 15 minutes before and still got a decent spot!

The settings on my DSLR weren’t set for night or fireworks so I didn’t get the best pictures. Those are probably the best 3 out of the 100+ I took! I ended up just deleting most of them. Looking back, I wish I would’ve taken my small tripod & videoed Hallowishes instead of taking pics of it! Lesson learned! (Also, just a side note! I haven't edited ANY of these pics. It was more important for me to just get an update out to all of you instead of editing -- it would take me another week if I tried to edit first! LOL)

After watching Hallowishes, we met back up with my husband near HM and had our picture taken with the Hitchhiking Ghosts! This is the ONLY PhotoPass pic I got at MNSSHP and the only one I have of the three of us at the party!

I think the Hitchhiking Ghost pictures were awesome!!! They turned out so neat!!!

After getting our picture taken, we went towards Fantasyland. I wanted to ride Dumbo at night to see the construction progress over the fence! I got in line (it said 35 minutes) and the ride was just starting. The ride ended. The ride started. The ride ended. The ride started. This happened three times and I had barely moved a foot. I decided to get out of line. We continued walking & passed Donald & Daisy. Their line was insane and they were going on a break because it was almost time for the parade to begin. We ended up heading back towards Main Street.

We found a spot for the parade about 10 minutes before it started. I can hear you – I know what you’re thinking. What a stupid idea!! And you’re right! You CANNOT find a spot for Boo to You ten minutes before it starts!!! I was mad because my husband chose the spot – right underneath the Ice Cream shop’s canopy roof and right behind a guy who was about 7’ tall. Yeah, I think I’m going to be able to see & take pictures here!? I was irritated about it – my priorities at MNSSHP were characters, fireworks, and the parade. So far none of those things were turning out.

Looking back, I probably should have just suggested (nicely) that we look for another spot further down Main Street towards the Emporium. Or maybe towards Tomorrowland. But instead of doing that, I started complaining about how dumb of a spot it was & how there’s no way a short woman and child can see over a huge man and a canopy. My husband picked up Luke – ok, now he can see, what about me?! LOL!

So, me being the stubborn person that I am, just HAD to get those pics of Boo to You. I walked further down Main Street by myself since they didn’t want to move. Guess what? I didn’t end up getting good pics anyway! And I was going to try to video instead of taking pics since the Hallowishes pics didn’t turn out…but there were these women standing in front of me screaming at the top of their lungs. (To this day, I still think they were drunk but I’m not sure so I won’t accuse!) They also had five cameras with them with really, really bright flashes. My flash kept bouncing off their flash & because of it, my camera wouldn’t focus. All of my pictures of Mickey are focused on a lamp post instead of him! It’s not really an excuse though, I didn’t have my settings right on my camera and that’s my own fault. I can’t blame anyone else!

Here are some pics I took

Oh I almost forgot! There was also this lady in front of me who would run out into the middle of the street every time one of the characters would throw a lollipop. Or she’d scream for them to give one to her daughter. A couple CMs told her to stand back because she was going to get run over by a float, but that didn’t stop her. She kept running out into the middle of the street! Oh well, gave me & a few other guests a good laugh.

(Looking back, I must have been really grumpy that night!)

And finally…here comes my favorite Disney character…Goofy!!!

Let me now take the time to tell you what happens when mommy decides it’s more important to get a few pictures of a parade instead of standing with her family.

Goofy personally threw a lollipop to Luke!!!

And guess what? I missed it!

I don’t have a picture or video of it.

Why?

Because I got mad at my husband for picking a bad spot for watching the parade & watched the parade further down Main Street by myself. And because of that, I missed taking a picture of my absolute favorite character giving Luke a lollipop & making his day!!!

Might seem so simple, but I hope it teaches someone out there a valuable lesson! Sometimes the simple things are what truly matters!

(And guess what? Luke talks about Goofy giving him that lollipop ALL THE TIME! It was one of his most cherished memories of the trip!)

As soon as I found them after the parade, he said “Mommy, mommy look what Goofy gave to ME!” He was soooo proud of that lollipop!

We will be going to MVMCP this year and I have learned plenty of lessons to take with me!!!

One is it’s not worth it to force someone to be in a picture. If you do end up getting a good picture after all the arguing, you won’t want to look at that pic because it will remind you of the argument. Isn't it better to have good memories that you don't have pictures of -- than to have pics of the ones you don't want to remember?!

The second is that it’s more important to share memories with your family than to get a few pictures of a parade or fireworks show. I cannot believe some of the decisions I made at MNSSHP! At least I learned from my mistakes & I suppose I can blame my poor judgment on changing pregnancy hormones! LOL!

 

[Megablocks]

Sorry you weren't super thrilled with the party

I love the picture of you guys with the hitchhiking ghosts! You and your husband remind me of me and Charles, height difference-wise. Actually, Katie and Patrick are the same, too!

My brother and I tried Pecos Bills in January (mostly because it was close and convenient) and we both really liked it, too! I loved the fixin's bar. Our friend got the taco salad, which I swear I am trying next!

That cake is adorable! That was so sweet!

 

[NikkiLovesWDW!]

Awww, I LOVE the pictures of the cake and how they set it up in your room! And how perfect that it seemed to come on the night that you needed it most!!!

Back to a previous update, I love the CM that just sat and talked to you because he could tell you weren't having a good day.

I understand that that was Tarzan, but YEESH with the skimpy outfit!! On my first MNSSHP I met Terk with JANE!!! That was the best!

 

[Tinkermom76]

I actually preferred MVMCP to MNSSHP. We are doing halloween this year again because a lot of my friends are there at the same time but after that I will go back to going the first week of December

 

[stephielela]

I LOVE the set up for the cake!! I am so glad it brightened your day and that they added the balloons!!!

I'm sorry you didn't love MNSSHP. Jack and I were running behind when we did it too, and the weather was nasty, and we had quite an ordeal getting there, so we didn't have the best time either, but I am so looking forward to doing it again. I am better prepared this time though, and we will ONLY do party stuff during the party and leave the rides etc for another day. Ideally I want to do two parties, but I just can't justify spending that much...

 

[lbuzz52]

i still have a bit to catch up on, but it wont be today, so i figured i'd comment now. i've already forgotten some from when i stopped to go get the kids from school earlier.

i thought Luke's Pixie Dust comment was so cute! i bet you were so proud!

I would have used a pregnancy as an excuse to skip Speedway

i had the same problem as you last trip with the "ill get it later" I searched forever for a particular Pooh frame i saw everywhere until i made up my mind. I also learned the hard way to pack a change of clothing- and sunscreen- in our carryon.

I can't believe the people next door to your first room. I would have called front desk that night. but i hope it was at least partially worth it for the amazing water view!

I'm glad Luke didn't stay sick long.

I saw a larger CBR frame display last May. It was more similar to what you had this trip.

Oh, and i was just scanning through the Disney updates mostly, but i did see the word Revenge in one of your replies.

 

[lbuzz52]

Ok. Nevermind. Dh fell asleep on the couch so I caught up on my phone. Sorry in advance for typos!

I love the little special moments- tigger pushing the stroller, etc. So special!

I got to use the baby care centers quite a few times on our trip when James was a baby. Not for relaxation though- just because it wasn't until the third time we lost a bottle that we realized they were falling out of the outside pocket of the diaper bag. So FYI when you take sweet Tyler - all they had was the really cheap Gerber thin bottles. I was transitioning from
nursing and they were nothing like the bottles he was using.

I need you to explain where the tree of life photopass spot is. I'm like you, I always go the other way. Jen tried to explain it to me after the last trip but I didn't note it in the right place and I've forgotten what she explained.

We ate at yak and yeti once and that mahi was my favorite meal of the trip. The cs is good too. One credit worth of food is enough for us all to share as a snack. We never feel like a giant meal there anyway. Just too hot.

I think we need that play food. Our kitchen is incomplete without a Mickey bar!


I can't believe that woman got
mad that the dad was letting his kid play in that fountain in tge rain. We let James too. The rest of us were taking turns on Kali and he was hot too. Wasn't fair to him that he couldn't get wet just because he was short. Right between the sprays coming out of the wall/ground, at the actual fountain- well there were Tweens CLIMBING in it. Now that I thought was a bit extreme LOL.

I'm sorry that MNSSHP didn't live up to your expectations. It didn't for us either the first time. But now we know what we did wrong and what we should do differently to make the most of it. I am so beyond excited to watch Boo To You again. Might sit through both parades.

I hope Luke gets on some rides and I'm glad you guys stayed! He may have had issues no matter where you went for vacation, so at least you got to be at your happy place!

 

[photographymom517]

Sorry you weren't super thrilled with the party

I love the picture of you guys with the hitchhiking ghosts! You and your husband remind me of me and Charles, height difference-wise. Actually, Katie and Patrick are the same, too!

My brother and I tried Pecos Bills in January (mostly because it was close and convenient) and we both really liked it, too! I loved the fixin's bar. Our friend got the taco salad, which I swear I am trying next!

That cake is adorable! That was so sweet!

I know! I'm sad that I didn't like it as much as I thought. I just think it didn't live up to all the hype -- I seemed to enjoy things the most that I didn't have an opinion of one way or the other PRIOR to the trip. Makes it interesting to plan this year's trip for sure!

Oh the height difference...when I'm around my husband, I feel like a teeny tiny little person!

It's actually so funny you mentioned it because last night I finished my TR (YES I SAID FINISHED!!! WOOHOO!!!!!) and I was looking through the PhotoPass album to add a few of them into my updates. They have NO clue how to frame a picture with a really tall man, a little kid, and a short woman! It was actually fairly comical to see how each photographer framed it differently. Some just cut my husband's head off, others almost cut my feet off!

We have been talking about Pecos Bills for days now!!! It was brought up because I asked my husband where he wanted to go to dinner the other night & he said Pecos Bills...so I told him we'd stop there right after I got my French Onion soup at Les Chefs!

Awww, I LOVE the pictures of the cake and how they set it up in your room! And how perfect that it seemed to come on the night that you needed it most!!!

Back to a previous update, I love the CM that just sat and talked to you because he could tell you weren't having a good day.

I understand that that was Tarzan, but YEESH with the skimpy outfit!! On my first MNSSHP I met Terk with JANE!!! That was the best!

Definitely! I always say that Everything Happens for a Reason and it's soooo very true! I needed that cake that night! You're right! The timing seriously couldn't have been more perfect!!!

The CM at Magic Kingdom was awesome! Thinking about it almost brings me to tears! He was just too sweet! And you know what I forgot to mention? On our way back through Liberty Square later that day, I saw him again. He was sitting on a bench with a mom & her kids. Nice to see those CM's who really care about the guests & go that extra mile!!!

I had some laughs while waiting in line for Tarzan and Terk. To be honest, I felt sort of uncomfortable standing beside a guy with THAT on...I just kept pretending he really WAS Tarzan and not some guy wearing skimpy clothing! haha!!!

I actually preferred MVMCP to MNSSHP. We are doing halloween this year again because a lot of my friends are there at the same time but after that I will go back to going the first week of December

I am soooo looking forward to MVMCP! I think just being at Disney around Christmas will be so magical!!!

I LOVE the set up for the cake!! I am so glad it brightened your day and that they added the balloons!!!

I'm sorry you didn't love MNSSHP. Jack and I were running behind when we did it too, and the weather was nasty, and we had quite an ordeal getting there, so we didn't have the best time either, but I am so looking forward to doing it again. I am better prepared this time though, and we will ONLY do party stuff during the party and leave the rides etc for another day. Ideally I want to do two parties, but I just can't justify spending that much...

It was so perfect to come back to the room & see the cake & balloons!!!

I'm hungry for cake again...I seriously have to quit DISing about food before bed!!! LOL!

I will definitely plan better if/when we ever go to MNSSHP again! I am willing to give it another chance & I think it will be more fun when both kids get older. I agree with only doing the party specific stuff at the party & saving rides for another day! Totally jealous of people who do two parties! I think that would be great because you could check things out at the first one & do what you can...and save the rest for later!

 

[photographymom517]

i still have a bit to catch up on, but it wont be today, so i figured i'd comment now. i've already forgotten some from when i stopped to go get the kids from school earlier.

No problem at all, Lauren! You have no idea how behind I am on all my subs! I can barely keep up with my own report!

i thought Luke's Pixie Dust comment was so cute! i bet you were so proud!

It was sooo cute & unexpected when he said it! I took a pic of the floor of the bus & the other guests probably wondered why, but I will always remember that moment!

I would have used a pregnancy as an excuse to skip Speedway

They actually say you aren't supposed to ride it when pregnant because the cars behind you can accidentally bump you. Had I been showing more, I don't know if the CM's would have let me ride or not. I really enjoy that one though!

i had the same problem as you last trip with the "ill get it later" I searched forever for a particular Pooh frame i saw everywhere until i made up my mind. I also learned the hard way to pack a change of clothing- and sunscreen- in our carryon.

Do you know about calling Merchandising to order? If you see something you "might" want to buy later (at the parks or DTD), just take a pic of the item & either put the barcode # into your cell phone's notepad or take a pic of the barcode too! There's some great info on AllEars.net about how to order thru Merchandising and it lists their shipping charges as well! I actually placed an order after last year's trip to get some last minute Christmas stuff & the lady I talked to was amazing!!! The only thing is, sometimes by the time you call to order, some of the items might be out of stock.

I can't believe the people next door to your first room. I would have called front desk that night. but i hope it was at least partially worth it for the amazing water view!

Uggg!!! I don't even want to relive those memories. It makes me want to cry to this day! Oh the amazing new room was totally worth it!!! Of course it would've been much better to just be upgraded at check-in and not have to deal with the crazy people to begin with...but oh well! It happens!

I'm glad Luke didn't stay sick long.

I was worried that morning, but I was glad it didn't last long!

I saw a larger CBR frame display last May. It was more similar to what you had this trip.

Oh, and i was just scanning through the Disney updates mostly, but i did see the word Revenge in one of your replies.

My responses above in red!

Yes I LOVE LOVE LOVE Revenge!!! It's an awesome show! I actually just watched it a couple hours ago! I keep wondering when they're going to run out of ways to further the plot...I hope the answer is never!!! That show needs to just keep going!!!

Ok. Nevermind. Dh fell asleep on the couch so I caught up on my phone. Sorry in advance for typos!

No problem! Autocorrect drives me nuts -- and I attempted to shut it off and it made it worse! lol

I love the little special moments- tigger pushing the stroller, etc. So special!

I loved that!!!

I got to use the baby care centers quite a few times on our trip when James was a baby. Not for relaxation though- just because it wasn't until the third time we lost a bottle that we realized they were falling out of the outside pocket of the diaper bag. So FYI when you take sweet Tyler - all they had was the really cheap Gerber thin bottles. I was transitioning from
nursing and they were nothing like the bottles he was using.

Thanks for the tip! I'll definitely remember to bring a lot of spare bottles with us! I'm surprised they don't have more of a variety -- all kids prefer a different type of bottle!

I need you to explain where the tree of life photopass spot is. I'm like you, I always go the other way. Jen tried to explain it to me after the last trip but I didn't note it in the right place and I've forgotten what she explained.

It's so funny because once you find it, it is soooo obvious!!! We literally ran right into it & I immediately said "Oooooh so THAT'S where that is!!!"

I don't want to explain it wrong, so I'll look at my map & then post the directions for you!

We ate at yak and yeti once and that mahi was my favorite meal of the trip. The cs is good too. One credit worth of food is enough for us all to share as a snack. We never feel like a giant meal there anyway. Just too hot.

Back in 2009, I got the shrimp pasta in a little meal container at the CS. I remember getting it from the CM thinking "wow, this is all?!" because I think I paid $11.99 for it! But once I got back to the table & opened the container and started eating...I think I could've shared it with 2 or 3 other people! Their portions really are large! It was delish too!

I think we need that play food. Our kitchen is incomplete without a Mickey bar!

If you don't want to wait until your next trip, it's on the Disney Store website. It's listed under "play sets" (sad that I know this...but I'm a frequent shopper/browser of their website!)

I can't believe that woman got mad that the dad was letting his kid play in that fountain in tge rain. We let James too. The rest of us were taking turns on Kali and he was hot too. Wasn't fair to him that he couldn't get wet just because he was short. Right between the sprays coming out of the wall/ground, at the actual fountain- well there were Tweens CLIMBING in it. Now that I thought was a bit extreme LOL.

I know! I thought it was extra funny because we were standing at the exit of Kali -- so all the people coming off the ride were soaked anyway! I don't see how it matters, especially in FL's humidity. You literally dry off within minutes!

I'm sorry that MNSSHP didn't live up to your expectations. It didn't for us either the first time. But now we know what we did wrong and what we should do differently to make the most of it. I am so beyond excited to watch Boo To You again. Might sit through both parades.

I'm excited to give it another chance too! Someday I will! I'm completely open to second chances!

I hope Luke gets on some rides and I'm glad you guys stayed! He may have had issues no matter where you went for vacation, so at least you got to be at your happy place!

I'm going to post the ending to my report right now! So you'll find out if he rides more or not

I just don't understand what happened between the June before & this past September. He isn't afraid of things at home...well except for the dark, but he's even ok in the dark as long as I'm holding him or he sits on my lap. And I made sure to make a note of all "dark rides" and not make him go anywhere near them! My main concern was just making him happy. I didn't want him to be sad or afraid. Hopefully after watching 50,000 YouTube videos about Disney rides, he'll be ok this year!

 

[photographymom517]

Moving on to a “Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow”

Ok so we weren’t headed to MK (or CoP) BUT it was going to be a much better day!!!

After sleeping in the next morning (which was VERY much needed after the day we had before), I headed downstairs in search of Aloe Lotion for my husband. This is where our lack of sunshine up North really shows! LOL! We had already been in Florida at this point for 7 days & my husband needed something for sun rash/poisoning. I knew exactly what I was looking for because a few years before, I found it at AKL in their gift shop. I assumed the same products were sold at all of the Deluxe resorts.

I took our refillable mugs with me and headed downstairs for The Marketplace where I learned Aloe was only sold at the Yacht Club gift shop, not at the Beach Club. The CM also mentioned it’s sold at the International Gateway gift shop.

This is what they had at The Marketplace (large selection of first aid items, medications, sunscreen – but NO Aloe or cream for sunburn)

On my way back to our room, I took a picture of this hallway...they were redoing the floors & wouldn’t be done for almost another week. I was disappointed because I wanted to sit here our last morning while eating breakfast & waiting for the Magical Express. Oh well!

I also sat here one evening and talked to my mom on the phone for over an hour. It was so quiet & relaxing & the chair I sat in was super comfy!!! We ate breakfast in the little area off of this hallway a few mornings while Luke watched cartoons. It was a really nice area & I was disappointed we wouldn’t be able to sit here again!!! (People also waited here for the DCL bus to pick them up after staying at the BC or BC Villas)

After refilling our mugs, I headed back upstairs to our room. We decided to just wait and buy the aloe at Epcot. We headed over to the IG at 10:15am. My husband went inside the gift shop to look for the aloe or anything for the rash/sun poisoning while Luke and I made pressed pennies!

***I’m going to pause for a moment and stress to you – BRING ALOE WITH YOU from home!!! Seriously I think we paid $11.99 for this stuff!!! I know they sell the same stuff at local drug stores and I think at Walmart for maybe $5-7.

It was at this gift shop that the CM gave us a list of all the pressed penny locations at Epcot!!! We were thrilled! (Since this, I have learned of a website & an iPhone app with all the locations as well!)

I LOVE Epcot and really wanted to buy everything in this gift shop! I loved the tshirts with all of the countries’ flags on them! And the mugs…and the wallets…and the totes…and the picture frames…and…ok you get the idea! They have a really nice variety of coffee mugs, kitchen items, and picture frames! If you’re ever looking for something specific, look here! I’ve found things here that were sold out at other shops on property!

We walked thru the U.K. and towards World Showcase. It was a very peaceful walk & the park was fairly empty. What a nice change from the day before!

Of course we were headed towards….Character Spot!!! My absolute fav character greeting!!!

It was 10:40am at this point and the CM at the door told me it was a 45-50 minute wait. We were hoping for maybe 20-30 but 45 was fine with us! This was our last chance for Character Spot since we would be leaving in 2 days! My husband and Luke loooooove to watch the cartoons! It’s a special Disney memory for them which they both talk about frequently at home!!!

When we got our first picture with Mickey Mouse, it was 11:14am…so it wasn’t even a 40 minute wait after all!

Let me back up for a minute! Remember when Luke and I were making pressed pennies at IG ?? Well we made a Minnie Mouse penny which we ended up carrying with us all day (until Minnie went missing…but we’ll get to that!) Luke really loved Minnie throughout our trip! In the car on the way to the airport, my dad had told him to hug Minnie and give her a kiss from Papa! Luke didn’t forget this & he talked about it almost every morning.

Well when we got the Minnie penny, he was THRILLED!!! Then I told him we were going to see Mickey and Minnie at Character Spot after he watched the cartoons. So he told me that he would show his Minnie penny to all of the characters. Poor Luke attempted to do so, but none of the characters understood what he was showing them! That’s why you can see his hand out (like he’s holding something) or he’s often looking at his hand instead of at the camera in the pics.

See how he’s showing Minnie the pressed penny ??

This is probably my favorite picture from the entire trip!!! Look how thrilled he was to see Pluto again!!! After our dinner at Garden Grill, Pluto was ALL he talked about!!! And at Character Spot, Pluto really interacted with him by hugging him & joking around with him! Luke LOVED it!!!

He practically RAN over to Donald when he saw he wanted to hug him!!!

Goofy wanted to give him a high five! Luke did it but immediately after, showed him his pressed penny! LOL!

We got great shots!! I was really happy with them! I’m thinking about heading straight to Character Spot on our first Epcot day next trip…and if we get good pictures there, I’m not even pushing character greetings (well I won’t push it except for at AK’s Character Landing with Pooh, Tigger, and Eeyore! I can’t miss that one!) If they don’t want to do the others, I’m not making them.

Next we decided to head towards Club Cool. It’s another tradition we made last trip & hope to keep during future trips! Now don’t think I’m a bad mom…but I tricked Luke into trying Beverly. And this was his reaction!!!

After Luke picked out his favorite three (same ones from the previous Epcot day!) we decided to walk around Innoventions until it was time for our lunch reservation.

 

[photographymom517]

I really wanted Luke to do Where’s the Fire and the piggy bank game but he wasn’t interested in either. I thought he would like them & have fun doing it but he wouldn’t go near either one!

My husband and I ended up doing the simulation where you do a few moves & are actually IN a video game. After you do each thing (jump, run, and dance) they turn it into a game that you can actually play. Boy did we have some good laughs here!!! Luke LOVED it that he could see mommy & daddy IN the game! He kept saying “let me be mommy…no now I want to be daddy…” it was too cute!!! (I took a video of Luke watching us on the game, but no I’m not sharing it here! Its way too embarrassing! LOL!)

We had fun with that for awhile and then explored more of Innoventions.

Now remember I was pregnant at the time…well Club Cool’s drink samples were catching up with me and I needed to find a restroom. The boys were playing video games so I figured it was the perfect time for me to go. They weren’t moving from that spot anytime in the near future!
I told them I was going to look for the restroom & walked away…leaving my cell phone in Luke’s stroller. I walked around the entire circle and couldn’t find it anywhere so finally I found a CM and asked. She told me I had to go out of Innoventions West because they didn’t have a restroom. She said I could go right beside Fountainview Ice Cream or right inside the door at Innoventions East. I tried the one near Fountainview but it had a huge line going out the door so I headed back towards Innoventions East. I will add that their bathroom is tiny. Good thing I didn’t have the stroller with me, I wouldn’t have fit inside the door!

I then headed back to Innoventions West to find my family and tell them about my journey…only they weren’t there.
It’s ok, I’ll just call…them…oh no…yep I now realize I left my cell inside Luke’s stroller!
At this point my husband has realized it as well because he’s calling me, looking for me, and the phone is ringing inside my purse in the stroller!!! First I decided to walk around. I figured they must have moved on from the video games & are looking for me. After walking around the entire building twice, I stopped and realized that maybe they were doing the same thing.

I needed to just stop and stay where I was. My plan was to find a CM if I couldn’t find them in 10 minutes and ask to page them. I had no idea if this was even possible but it was my plan for the moment. Lol! If they couldn’t page them, I’d go to Guest Relations and tell them I was separated from them and then head over to our lunch reservation. I was hoping they would find me before that, but I’ll be honest, I had every intention of eating alone if I couldn’t find them. This was the ADR I had made for me & I was really, really, really, really looking forward to it!!! Hopefully it will meet my expectations!!!

While I’m standing there thinking about my plan, I start walking towards the door and run right into them! Thank goodness! They were coming in the door as I was leaving!!! After laughing about how my cell was in the stroller, I found out that right after I left them, Luke had to use the restroom. They weren’t sure where another one was (and of course men don’t ask!) so they headed over to Fountainview’s restroom! They assumed they would run into me since I was over there too…except I went to Innoventions East instead! Oh well…perfect timing, now let’s head over to World Showcase for lunch!!!

We had a lunch reservation at Les Chefs de France!!! I was soooo excited for this one!!! Do you think it will live up to all the hype and my expectations??

We were a little early to our ADR but after parking the stroller, they let us right in! It was the PERFECT time for lunch. I don’t know if something was going on that day at another park or what, but it was practically empty inside! I was taking pictures on my cell instead of my digital camera & I was just enjoying my meal so I didn’t take many pics inside the restaurant…but I wish I had!!!

We got our bread…yum!!! And our drinks and right after that, we had a guest at our table!!!

Luke was soooo excited! I had told him about it but I think he was expecting a giant size character like Mickey Mouse. He later told me he was so excited to meet “the real tooey” (He thinks Ratatouille is Remy’s name despite watching the movie five thousand times!)

Right after Remy left our table, Luke and I went to the restroom. Let me just say their restrooms are gorgeous! We had used them once before when we were standing right outside of France to watch Illuminations. By the time we got back out to our table, our appetizers were being served. I got the French onion soup – and I swear I can still taste it.

It was the BEST thing I have ever eaten in my entire life. I could honestly eat it every single day & never get sick of it. I’m going to attempt to recreate it – even if it doesn’t taste as good, I’ll be ok with just having a replication of it! If you go to Les Chefs, GET THE SOUP!!!! The cheese is delicious…the chunks of onion are perfectly cooked…the broth is amazing…its just wonderful!!!

We only waited for a few minutes after our waiter took our appetizer plates away…and our main course was served!!!
Mine

My husband’s whole chicken

Luke’s chicken w/buttered pasta

I also have to tell you our waiter, Benoir (pronounced “Ben-waa”) was amazing!!! We talked to him a little bit about France. He said he loved being in America but he really misses his family & his country. I can imagine why – France is GORGEOUS!!! I would miss it too!!! I think he said he had 13 more months here but it might have been 7 or 3. Yeah my memory isn’t the greatest when I write a trip report from September in April!!! Anyway, he was awesome!!!

I will say this WILL be a repeat lunch on the next trip!!! My husband said it was the best chicken he ever ate, Luke ate the majority of his meal, and I was simply in love with mine. The onion soup was the best out of my three dishes, but the macaroni and the cake were good too!!!