Princesses, Slushes, LEGOs, and a maxed CC - Sept 2009 1st Timer TR

[crocko]

at the Twilight comment. I read all the books but only because I got 3 of the 4 as gifts. I really don't get what all the hype is about. They're not that good and Bella & Edward are the two most annoying people in the history of literature.

/End rant

Love the pictures of Samantha and Alice! And Joshua with that hat on!

Well, Bridgette won't like my comment.

Yeah, I didn't know Bridgette had taken that picture of him with the fez. I cracked up the first time I saw it.

 

[crocko]

Day 4 (Epcot, World Showcase Day)
Chapter 4 -- A Sleeping Beauty and a Tiggerific Thief



We finished Morocco and then caught up with the rest of the family over at France. We all had some snacks and relaxed for a little while.

While the “big kids” relaxed, Bridgette noticed that Aurora had come out over around the side of the pavilion, so the kids went to get more pictures.

It is harder to tell with these pictures, but on the Photopass pics, you can see that Joshua was blushing very heavily in these pictures. LOL

Okay, now it is time to get back over to the United Kingdom to look around some. While crossing one of the bridges, we both took some pictures and then noticed that Samantha had disappeared. I walked up a little farther and saw this

She had just found cozy little spot near the water to sit and look out…..


The United Kingdom (this is one of my favorite pavilions in overall design. I love that this pavilion was actually designed AROUND the walkway so that you feel like your taking a stroll through a provincial English village.

In the United Kingdom, we got to see Tigger and Pooh again. Unfortunately, only one decent picture on our cameras…the rest our Photopass’d.

Tigger stole my cap and wouldn’t give it back. Joshua was rolling on the floor laughing about it.

Some cool Mary Poppins props:

I love the fact that the UK store has Charlie & Lola stuff to buy. Last year, we bought the kids a book and Charlie & Lola dolls, I believe. This year, Joshua bought a cool coloring/activity book that he had fun with.

After a few purchases in the UK, on to our final country….Oh Canada!

Last kidcot station!

At this point, my parents and sister went ahead and headed back to AKL (it was about 5 o’clock, I believe). We stuck around with the kids to go ahead and get a few more things done, since the kids were still in a pretty good mood.

The kids and I sat down on a bench, while Bridgette went back to the UK to grab some fish ‘n’ chips (she wasn’t very impressed with the food, though)

While waiting, Joshua draws in his new Charlie & Lola book

While gone, Bridgette also picked up an item in France that we had purchased. Samantha was allowed to get a little parasol with a Princess design on it. We had to give them time to customize it, so that’s why Bridgette had to backtrack. Here’s Samantha with her fun new purchase

Now, we decided to head on into Future World for a little bit. I was hungry, so I went to the Electric Umbrella to get some food for Joshua and myself. The kids spotted a little splash pad area, so she stopped and stayed with them there while finishing her dinner.

Up next: Figment – friend or foe?

 

[crocko]

Day 4 (Epcot, World Showcase Day)
Chapter 5 -- Photoshoot with Nemo and Friends



After I had the food, Bridgette and the kids caught up with me. A shivering and wet Joshua stood near our table and ate his dinner. Samantha twirled around with her parasol.

Then, time to see if we can get a couple rides in before heading back.

First, let’s try Nemo and Friends!

We were able to walk straight on to this ride (well, the walk itself took a couple minutes….haha….but once we got up there, we went straight on)

It’s a cute ride and I’m glad they have updated to make this area Nemo-themed. The kids liked the ride, but the dark, scary fish with the lightbulb scared Samantha a little bit. This particular evening, we didn’t do much looking around at the rest of the area. We were short on time and wanted to get on over to Imagination and officially introduce the kids to Figment

Pretty fun ride. The kids both liked it and Joshua thought the smelly part where you get skunked was funny.
With it getting late, we skipped through the fun area afterward, knowing that we’d back to this section in 2 days.

Now, let’s see if we can get out of here…..Samantha, can you help us?

One last picture from Day 4. In case you were wondering, the gift shop at Kidani Village is called:

Up next: What do you mean the Yeti has been invited to our breakfast?

 

[crocko's wife]

Well, Bridgette won't like my comment.

Yeah, Bridgette didn't like it so much. So she decided to join this party and make sure that you don't say anything else that is just plain wrong

 

[longing2Batdisney]

Hello! Bridgette
welcome to the dis...I see it is your first post...
welcome to the fun!! your children are beautiful and the excitement of life and Disney just shines...


you have world travelers on your hands!!! I love the shot of Samantha by the water, too cute for words!!! reminds me of something Gwendolyn would do...
looks like ya'll had a wonderful time traveling around the world showcase!

 

[SoonerGirl]

Yeah, Bridgette didn't like it so much. So she decided to join this party and make sure that you don't say anything else that is just plain wrong

Uh oh, John - you're in trouble now!!

Glad you decided to join in on the fun, Bridgette. So far it looks like you guys had a great trip!

 

[Charlefours]

Looks like your family had a great time in World Showcase! Did you plan a full day just for World Showcase? That is what I am anticipating. I like the idea of tying it together with Akershus--seems like a natural connection since you would begin your day there anyways.

I am really excited to take my DD to World Showcase and Epcot in general. I know some feel it is not child friendly but I think your TR and pictures of Joshua and Samantha smiling prove otherwise! You sure hit the character jackpot!! I am hoping we are as lucky as you were.

Looking forward to another chapter.

 

[Kris74]

Looks like the kids really enjoyed the World Showcase and I just loves Samantha's Alice dress. Too precious!!

 

[Disneymoon09]

I just found your TR and read it all today. I love it! It makes me so much more excited for our upcoming trip!

 

[mommyof2Pirates]

what an amazing day. Your children seem so well behaved and just enjoying every minute of the trip. I am envious of you all doing so much in the countries. I didnt realize how much the kids would enjoy them until we get there. We went later in the evening so we didnt have much time to do everything and the characters were gone for the day. I will keep that in mind for next time after seeing all your great character pictures. oh and that picture of samantha looking out over the water is so beautiful and peaceful looking.

 

[onelilspark]

I'm just back from my trip, so I'm catching up now!

That Twilight comment cracked me up (sorry!) My boyfriend's Mom & Sister keep trying to get me to read them...I'm pretty adament about saying NO!

 

[WrightFamily06]

Nice Update Love all the pictures of the different countries and the kiddies w/ the characters ! Both Samantha and Joshua seems very photogenic . The splash pad pictures are also very cute , along w/ the Nemo & Friends pictures !

Can't wait to hear more about your trip !

 

[crocko]

Yeah, Bridgette didn't like it so much. So she decided to join this party and make sure that you don't say anything else that is just plain wrong

"Hey Norm. Look who decided to show up."

you have world travelers on your hands!!! I love the shot of Samantha by the water, too cute for words!!! reminds me of something Gwendolyn would do...
looks like ya'll had a wonderful time traveling around the world showcase!

It was a lot of fun....love the World Showcase!

Uh oh, John - you're in trouble now!!

Glad you decided to join in on the fun, Bridgette. So far it looks like you guys had a great trip!

Yep...gonna have to be on good behavior the rest of the TR.

Looks like your family had a great time in World Showcase! Did you plan a full day just for World Showcase? That is what I am anticipating. I like the idea of tying it together with Akershus--seems like a natural connection since you would begin your day there anyways.

I am really excited to take my DD to World Showcase and Epcot in general. I know some feel it is not child friendly but I think your TR and pictures of Joshua and Samantha smiling prove otherwise! You sure hit the character jackpot!! I am hoping we are as lucky as you were.

Looking forward to another chapter.

Yep, we planned on this as simply a World Showcase day and tried not to worry about how long it took. All-in-all, we started with our Princess Breakfast (got in a little before 10am, and out almost right at 11am) and then did the World Showcase for the next 6 hours....it was right about 5pm when we finished Canada.

Looks like the kids really enjoyed the World Showcase and I just loves Samantha's Alice dress. Too precious!!

Yeah, they had fun and actually did probably their least amount of complaining to leave on this day.....being able to stop and let them have fun at the kidcot stations with every country was really nice....plus all the characters around the World helped, too.

I just found your TR and read it all today. I love it! It makes me so much more excited for our upcoming trip!

Glad you were able to catch up. When is your upcoming trip?

what an amazing day. Your children seem so well behaved and just enjoying every minute of the trip. I am envious of you all doing so much in the countries. I didnt realize how much the kids would enjoy them until we get there. We went later in the evening so we didnt have much time to do everything and the characters were gone for the day. I will keep that in mind for next time after seeing all your great character pictures. oh and that picture of samantha looking out over the water is so beautiful and peaceful looking.

all-in-all, they are very well-behaved kids. I think anything at Disney can be fun....some tips: no where the fun kid areas are so that they can occasionally have fun kid time (playgrounds, splash areas, kidcots, characters)......and don't underestimate the value of a slushy. With our kids, we've found that any tired and foul mood is immediately uprighted with a cold ice cream or slushy!

I'm just back from my trip, so I'm catching up now!

That Twilight comment cracked me up (sorry!) My boyfriend's Mom & Sister keep trying to get me to read them...I'm pretty adament about saying NO!

Well.....I think I've made my stance clear. and Bridgette has made hers, too.

Nice Update Love all the pictures of the different countries and the kiddies w/ the characters ! Both Samantha and Joshua seems very photogenic . The splash pad pictures are also very cute , along w/ the Nemo & Friends pictures !

Can't wait to hear more about your trip !

Yes, when they are active we get some great pictures. What is hard is when we are trying to get family pics....their heads are either straight down or straight up.

 

[crocko]

Day 5 (Animal Kingdom Day)
Chapter 1 -- Dinoland...this place really is extinct...



Day 5 was an early start for us as we were headed to Animal Kingdom for 8am EMH (I don’t know if I’ve ever done this park without going to an EMH) ??

So, everybody got ready timely and down to the bus……and here we are!

As they did last year, we were let in a few minutes early and got to see a fun pre-show.

Uh….over here, Mickey……..

Then, time to head off to attractions! I believe this was my first time to start a day at Animal Kingdom without heading straight to the Safaris. This time, we headed to Dinoland U.S.A. first, instead.

And straight over to Triceratop Spin. We got to be the first people on the ride.

It wasn’t busy at all yet in Dinoland, so we were allowed to stay in our seats for a 2nd ride. Then, Mary, Bridgette and I got off, while the kids stayed on for another ride with the grandparents.

We were headed to…..

I LOVE this ride! I know that a majority of DISers don’t like this ride, but I think it is great…definitely one of my favorites and has me cracking up everytime I ride it. Plus, I love all the details and funny things that you can see throughout the ride.

This was my sister’s first time on the ride. She got bumped around a ton, but she liked it. When we were done, they let us stay on for another go….except that they actually had us get out and quickly scoot up to an empty car ahead of ours. Take 2 was a blast, too! (Note: this ride was closed in December last year….my guess is to build a 2nd version of the ride. I guess during busy season, they can have both identical rides open at the same time to keep crowds moving quickly.)

Leaving Primeval Whirl….

We got off to find that the kids were playing a few of the carnival-esque games. Since they were the only ones playing, one of them was guaranteed to win and get a prize each time. So, they each got to bring home 2 fun animals from the games.

Taking a ride with some dinosaurs:

Before leaving that car, Samantha (who was missing Wendy’s on this trip), asked the car to get her some Wendy’s nuggets. LOL

Uh, Dad……you’ve got something behind you….

Next, Mary, my dad, Joshua, and I went over to brave the dangerous Dinosaur ride. The others went to look around in the shops.

We had virtually no wait to get on. Joshua was a little nervous before getting on, but he remained brave. Then, once the ride starts, things quickly get dark on the ride. And bumpy! I had forgotten how bumpy the ride is. Joshua held on tight and whimpered early on……I did my best to console him and try not to act like things were scary. (as my hand was getting squeezed tighter and tighter).

When we got off, I asked him what he thought and he just shook his head. We went over to look at the ride picture. It was a good one in which you could definitely see some traces of fear on Joshua’s face. Funny enough, he really liked the picture and was all about us getting one. So, we got the ride picture. My sister also bought something, so while we waited I took this picture. It perfectly describes how a little kid might feel after riding Dinosaur

Oh, and here’s a gory poster. LOL

We caught back up with the girls to find out that apparently you can find a lot of good princess and HSM product in the Dinoland store. Haha!

At this point, it was getting close to 9:30 and we had a 10:00am reservation at Tusker House for breakfast, so we decided to go on and head that way. We had a lot of fun in Dinoland….during that first hour, the place was very quiet…..a great start to the day.

On the walk over to Tusker House, we walked where we could see Mt. Everest. Samantha had learned about the Yeti before coming to Disney World and she did not like the Yeti. I told her that was the Yeti Mountain and she pretended to get all scared. The, we spent the rest of our walk with her telling jokes about how the Yeti was coming to our breakfast – and each time she said that, I’d get scared and tell her no way!

Once over in Africa, we went to get FP’s for Kilimanjaro Safaris….and then we sat down to wait for breakfast. (We should have spent more time in Dinoland) Not only were we 30 minutes early to breakfast, had to wait almost exactly an extra 30 minutes before we were seated….so, quite a bit of just sitting around to do:

Reading a book from Joshua’s perspective:

Up next: Will the buzzer ever go off? AND….what happens when you put kids on a bumpy jeep?

 

[WrightFamily06]

Great update Nice pictures from the Dinoland area , how magical that you got to ride the rides there more than once ! The picture of Joshua after Dinosaur is priceless ! Can't wait to see how you like your Tusker House Breakfast , this is our new favorite breakfast at WDW .

 

[SoonerGirl]

Great idea going to dinoland for EMH, I guess everyone heads to Everest or the Safari, so you had the place all to yourselves!

I'm looking forward to hearing about your Tusker House breakfast, we've got an ADR there for Christmas day.

 

[Disneymoon09]

we will be in WDW Dec.1-8th

 

[MagicShell]

Your kids did a great job making it all the way around the World Showcase. Did they walk or ride in a stoller? This trip will be my son's first trip without a stroller so I am kind of worried about how that will go.

I can't handle riding Primeval Whirl, it HURTS! I am glad you enjoy it though.

 

[stacikristine]

Yeah, Bridgette didn't like it so much. So she decided to join this party and make sure that you don't say anything else that is just plain wrong

Hi Bridgette! Welcome to the DIS Your family is adorable--I'm loving reading all about your adventures in Disney!



WOW! I can't believe you've updated so much over the past few days!!! There's so much to comment on! I love all of the WS pics--they're so pretty. Hm...I didn't know Twilight had connections to Germany (I'm obviously not a fan...) but I laughed at your comment! I really like the pic of you and your kids at the Japan pavilion. Woo-Hoo for being in a nearly-empty Dinoland!! That's awesome that you were able to ride those so many times. I'm anxious to hear how you all like Tusker House. I've heard a lot of good reviews for it!

 

[crocko]

Great update Nice pictures from the Dinoland area , how magical that you got to ride the rides there more than once ! The picture of Joshua after Dinosaur is priceless ! Can't wait to see how you like your Tusker House Breakfast , this is our new favorite breakfast at WDW .

Yep, it was a great time at Dinoland....if it were just me, I would have ridden Primeval Whirl several more times.

Great idea going to dinoland for EMH, I guess everyone heads to Everest or the Safari, so you had the place all to yourselves!

I'm looking forward to hearing about your Tusker House breakfast, we've got an ADR there for Christmas day.

Yep...we decided the kids would have more fun at Dinoland, so we managed to stay away from the two places that get busy early. Very nice! (Of all our time at the parks, that hour felt the MOST like..."Wow, I think we own this part of Disney World right now" LOL

we will be in WDW Dec.1-8th

Excellent! Bridgette and I were there in early December last year. Crowds should be pretty low and the weather might be a little chilly, but pretty nice. Also, you'll get to see all the great Christmas decorations

Your kids did a great job making it all the way around the World Showcase. Did they walk or ride in a stoller? This trip will be my son's first trip without a stroller so I am kind of worried about how that will go.

I can't handle riding Primeval Whirl, it HURTS! I am glad you enjoy it though.

We had the strollers. Joshua likes being in a stroller whenever we're walking between places. Samantha is more of a walk on her own girl, though....except for when we made our mad dash to see Alice...I made her get in then.

WOW! I can't believe you've updated so much over the past few days!!! There's so much to comment on! I love all of the WS pics--they're so pretty. Hm...I didn't know Twilight had connections to Germany (I'm obviously not a fan...) but I laughed at your comment! I really like the pic of you and your kids at the Japan pavilion. Woo-Hoo for being in a nearly-empty Dinoland!! That's awesome that you were able to ride those so many times. I'm anxious to hear how you all like Tusker House. I've heard a lot of good reviews for it!

Actually, the picture with my Twilight comment was referring to Italy. If my second-hand information is correct, it is a reference that comes from New Moon.