Screw In the Light Bulb-All New x 13 4/25!!

[Clarf]

Wow, great updates! So sorry to hear about your mouth, but glad your knee is healing well!

Those were some great Meet and Greets you had! I'm glad Jasmine and Tink were so receptive to the bracelets. And that those CM's loved their thank yous.

BOG looks so beautiful. I can't wait to see it in September.

Love the flashback pics of Maddie. Time does go WAY too fast. My oldest is also 7 and I can't believe that.

 

[katt789]

YYYYEEESSSSS
6 UPDATES!! DAY MADE!

Oh my goodness what a crazy and hectic month it has been for you!! Do not fret about not taking time to update the tr, that’s more important lol. Also no wisdom teeth out before now?! Everyone always said I was weird for still having mine…

LOVE the Elsa dress, seriously, so impressive and awesome!! Glad that you could help a friend out in a time of need! Also obviously, as I said, I totally love the princess outfits, I have a feeling I’ll be ordering some of them as tank tops in the near future lol!

Ah DISNEY ON ICE!?!? WHICH ONE?!?! We’re going on March 7th, as this is the first time they’ve come back to Western Canada in YEARS!

Happy birthday to Maddie!!!

Yay for Maddie getting to be the beast! I can only imagine that you would be stuck going through etwb for the rest of the day until it happened if she hadn’t been chosen! Super glad she enjoyed it! It’s definitely something more for smaller kids, or we’ve just had a bad case of the Belle’s when we’ve seen it, they’re never been that good or enthusiastic lol. Who knows, maybe we’ll have to join you for a visit in May!

Yay Tremaines! We have a brand new sort of love with them now! Wow! Nice save by the Space cm! that was lucky!! Love the pic of Maddie taking food pictures, also have to mention that that meal is definitely what I get every time at BOG…great minds think alike! Maddie’s so cute in front of the portrait! One of my favorite parts of BOG Also, I’ve only ever had problems with CM’s a the ordering station as well, weird!

Awwe, so glad that you guys got some word back about the thank you notes!! I stole the idea and brought them with us in Sept & Dec and they seemed to be pretty well received! Okay…legit tearing up at the chipmunk story, probably because I know I’m in that range and it really is magical. This is why I don’t get why people are all “I only want to do face” like, #1, you cant. #2, you still get to make so much magic and amazing things happen when you’re fur. Some of the best experiences I’ve had are fur, and like, ugh, it’s just awesome. So glad that it was such a great experience for everyone!!


ARG THE PHOTO OF MADDIE GIGGLING WITH JASMINE AND ALADDIN IS JUST PRECIOUS!!! Okay, statement retracted, ALL of those photos are priceless and amazing, and that Aladdin looks pretty familiar

Awwwwweeee that’s SO FREAKING CUTE that she hid the bracelet for Tink to find! I also just need to say, that kids like yours, are the ones that return the magic to the characters, and I just want to say how amazing that is, and I know that they really do appreciate it. I’ve seen the collections of things they collect from meeting friends in the parks and it really is something that they love. So thank you, and thank you to Maddie for being some of those people who are just as magical as all those cast members who help bring everything full circle while at Disney World!

 

[pkondz]

Seems like it’s apology time again.

Bad girl! Bad!

Too bad there’s not a “sheepish” smiley. Ponzi- think you can take care of that one?

I feel like a Grade A Jerk for being away for so long,

Oh? Grade A?
My, we think highly of ones self don't we.

and if any of you are still bothering to read this-thank you in advance. You are too kind to me.

Oh, we're still here.

Angry.
But here.


jk.
Especially with all the fun you've been having lately!

I found out that I’d dislocated my patella.

patella.
Doesn't that sound like an Italian dish?
"Yes, I'll have the patella bolognese with a side salad."

When the knee cap went west (literally) it pushed on my ACL which is why I presented at the ER with an ACL tear.

So, at the time you were facing North? Or South?

On Tuesday night of that week my tooth started bothering me. I tried to ignore it, but by Wednesday afternoon it was so bad I made an emergency appointment with the dentist. I assumed that one of the back teeth had abscessed and prepared myself for the possibility of an extraction or a root canal. Turns out I needn’t have worried myself with the root canal foolishness. The dentist actually told me that I’d broken one of my back teeth and needed to see an oral surgeon right away.

No. Way.
Just this morning I made an emergency appointment with my dentist.
I had broken one of my back molars.
If yours was top left too, that would be way too weird.

I left the surgeon’s office 6 teeth lighter than I’d arrived.

SIX!!!

As you can imagine I wasn’t having the best month, and I like to be in a “Disney mood” to update the TR.

With all those pain meds, I'm betting you were in a 'mood' all right!

Honestly my knee feels better than it has in 20 years.

Great!

once the stitches fell out I was able to finally discontinue my use of prescription drugs!

Aw, too bad.

I mean, great!

Since I had some time on my hands, I made this (Disney store version is on the right, mine/Willow’s is on the left).

Nice job!

Still throws me to see her sans bangs.

Since we’ve been “enjoying” the Polar Vortex

You're welcome.

Love that picture. That'll be a great memory.

And then this Wednesday my little princess turned 7.

7??? My goodness! Someone's turning into a young lady!
Happy Birthday Maddie!

Even Splash Mountain was “scary” the first time-not the drop, she loved that, the gentle boat ride parts.

We ended up being the 2nd group to ride Peter Pan that day, and Maddie loved it!

Wonderful! That's one of my favorite rides.
She has good taste.

She announced that we had to ride it again sometime-haha kid, with a 90 minute wait in the afternoon that’s not going to happen.

No. I guess not.

Finally the CMs asked the children to give their best ROAR, and Maddie gave it her all.

Hallelujah! She was the Beast!

Way to go, Maddie!

Love that shot.

While we were wandering back to New Fantasy Land with that in mind, we happened across the Tremaine family. Of course we stopped.

I've heard nothing but good things about them.... and have yet to meet them.
I'm not big on the character M&Gs but I'd make time for them.

When we got to Space Mountain the CM stationed at the FP entrance denied us entry as we were a few minutes early, but when he saw Maddie’s face fall he very helpfully pointed out someone across the way who might like to meet her.

Nice save.

Outta my way! I've got a rocket to catch!

From left to right...
"Must... concentrate... on... not... crashing..."
"Wheee! Care free and fancy free!"
"Grumble... back of the bus and I hafta carry the bags..."

The CM manning ours asked if we were on the dining plan to which I responded “yes, deluxe dining plan”. He immediately told me that an appetizer was not include and gestured that I should go ahead and order. I responded, “We’re on the deluxe plan, so we should”. He very confidently assured me that I was mistaken and again gestured toward the computer screen.

So.... who was right? Should you have had the appy?

Flustered I quickly chose the turkey sandwich and moved aside to let Bryan register his and Maddie’s choices. It wasn’t until we were sitting down that I remembered I’d intended to order the croque monsieur.

D'oh!

I dunno. I usually love dessert, but that one that looks like a kid's head just does not look appetizing.

I love that shot too!
TheMaxRebo nailed it.

For dessert I enjoyed the chocolate cream puff while Maddie opted for the lemon cupcake. We both enjoyed our choices, but Maddie was much more impressed by the chocolate garnish.

Me too. But I think I'd still have to go with the lemon cupcake.

Purchase made, Maddie declared it princess time. But first she decided to try her hand a the sword in the stone.

Since you didn't mention it, I assume the sword did not budge.

As we made our way toward Adventureland we got sidetracked,first by a Mickey pretzel cart.

I've never met a pretzel cart that I wouldn't stop for.

Once group pictures are taken it’s usually our cue to leave, but Chip and Dale weren’t done yet. They got ahold of Maddie’s wand and immediately went to work on each other. They used her wand to turn each other into a chicken and a robot before turning the wand on Bryan and turning him into a block of ice. They hid from one another, and each one chased the the other around in circles for a few minutes. If that weren’t enough, they noticed my birthday button and proceeded to lead the line and gathering crowd in a chorus of Happy Birthday. About 15 minutes after we first approached them final hugs and kisses were exchanged.

Wow! What a great M&G!

For the rest of the trip we heard “I can’t believe two chipmunks were fighting over me! How romantic!”

Future suitors beware. Standards have been set. The bar is pretty high.

The ladies always seem to get a one-armed hug, but the princes get the real thing

That kid is wise beyond her years.

Up Next: A very different 3 o’clock parade

Different? Colour me curious.
Thanks for posting Shandemonium!

 

[MEK]

Holy Mega Updates! You certainly made up for your absence.

I am glad to hear you are recovering well from your knee injury and oral surgery.

All of Maddie's pictures are adorable. I love her Belle dress and Yay for getting her dream role as the beast. That's too cool!

The dress you made is lovely!

And, yes, I think Maddie is a budding DIS dining reviewer!

 

[hstrickland]

No apologies necessary! Hope you're feeling better Not sure how you do it all with Etsy, work, hubby, kids, Disney planning Love the dresses and shirts you created!!! Very nice! You're pictures are fabulous as always and Maddie looks gorgeous, also!

Have a great weekend!
Heather

 

[marDgreen88]

What a great morning. Glad Maddie got to be Beast.

 

[Clarf]

I forgot to say I LOVE the Elsa dress you make! It's almost identical to the Disney version. Awesome awesome job!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

I adore Belle - I think Maddie made a great princess choice this year.

That's great that Maddie was able to play the Beast! I have to get Anika to try ETwB during our next trip - it was a tough sell last time.

I LOVE Chip and Dale! They always seem so fun and interactive - it's great you had such a fantastic character experience!

 

[RGirl]

Okay, I know I knew you were updating. So how did I miss that you HAD updated? Sorry….. Ahem….

You know I love all the great new sewing projects, especially Willow’s Elsa dress! I will try to post a pic or two once I figure out where they are in Photobucket.

Love that Maddie got to be The Beast!

That last pic with the Step Family is fantastic. And I love that you have the wand in the Space pictures! So glad y’all enjoyed BoG for lunch - we will definitely be trying a lunch there at some point. GAH! Chip and Dale are just the best, aren’t they?????

Great meet with Jasmine and Aladdin too! And fun with fairies too, although that wait just kills me!

 

[Cinderella909]

Karen, thank you so much. I was so far behind in updating that I was considering giving up. Your post was a big factor in deciding to continue. I swear I'm going to do better!

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I go away to NYC for a fun fill weekend only to come and see that you've returned! Shannon, you can never give up.... your trip report keeps me yearning for Disney, which may not be in my future. You are doing just fine... at least I hope so as it sounds like your knee may not be! You are doing a fabulous job... and you know it can't be bad....!

Just a little beatle reference up there for you! I'll catch up the report tonight.

Karen

 

[afwdwfan]

I feel like a Grade A Jerk for being away for so long, and if any of you are still bothering to read this-thank you in advance. You are too kind to me.

Your TR's are good. Wouldn't miss it.

And besides, you make up for your lack of frequent updates with volume.

As you can imagine I wasn’t having the best month

Even after all those drugs???

To be serious though, I'm glad the knee is better. I'd be a bit skeptical about the ability of PT to make that much difference going into it, but I guess the therapists know what they're doing.

And the tooth thing... wow. Sorry. Sounds painful. And miserable.

And then this Wednesday my little princess turned 7.

Wow... time flies.

And since I’m feeling nostalgic, if you'll indulge me, here’s some pics of my baby through the years

The little princess is growing up.

We headed straight to ETwB next, and for once my Expert Disney Planning paid off.

I'm just impressed that they were still willing to listen to you at that point in the trip!

Hallelujah! She was the Beast!

Our Space FP were officially good, so we went for a ride. It’s definitely a favorite of the princess now.

I'm glad to see that she's coming around. And for someone not crazy about dark rides too... Doesn't get much darker than this!

Bryan got the steak sandwich with fries. He thought the sandwich was fine. It was enough to fill him up, but what really stood out to him was the fries as well. Some of you know that Bryan considers himself a connoisseur of pizza, but he also takes his French fries very seriously. These pommes frites impressed.

I can tell that Bryan and I would get along well.
I agree 100%

I’d wondered if the thank you’s would be well received, but that was answered later that day when JennisSilly posted[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT] this on my PTR. I was so glad the little notes had made such an impression on those outstanding CMs.

I saw that. I thought it was really cool. I'm glad that you had such a great interaction with those CM's and that they enjoyed Maddie's extra little bit of pixie dust.

As we made our way toward Adventureland we got sidetracked,first by a Mickey pretzel cart.

When is the last time you ever walked past one of those without Maddie making you stop?

If that weren’t enough, they noticed my birthday button and proceeded to lead the line and gathering crowd in a chorus of Happy Birthday.

How exactly do 2 chipmunks who can't speak, lead a group in singing?

About 15 minutes after we first approached them final hugs and kisses were exchanged. I felt bad that we’d taken up so much of their time, but Maddie was on cloud nine. For the rest of the trip we heard “I can’t believe two chipmunks were fighting over me! How romantic!”

That is an awesome character meet. That's great that you got to spend so much time with them. I'm sure Maddie loved it. The people in line behind you, not so much...

Maddie was quite pleased with the amount of friends she'd been able to visit with, and was ready to move on.

I'm glad to see that she's mixing in some rides from time to time, but that girl definitely makes the most of her opportunities to meet the characters. I'm glad that Jasmine and Tink were good!

 

[shan23877]

You are an updating machine so I may be jumping in here while an update is posting! That's the risk I take.

Sorry about your knee and your teeth - sounds like an unlucky streak. Glad to hear you are doing well. Adorable applique tees but that Elsa dress - wow! You have talent!

Yay for Maddie scoring the lead role as the Beast in ETwB.

So many great character interactions - especially Chip and Dale. How great were they? Maddie's reaction with Jasmine and Aladdin is adorable.

Thank you so much! I really appreciate the kind words.

She was soooo glad that she got to be the Beast-and so were we!

Interactions like those are why she keeps wanting to do them. Chip and Dale and Jasmine and Aladdin were some of the best!

I always love Chip and Dale! It makes me sad that we didn't get a chance to get pictures with them on our last trip.

Maddie is so adorable and her princess gifts are so sweet!

Chip and Dale are always great aren't they? We always have a good time with them.

She's already planning gifts for them for this year...

WOW! so many updates! the sunny Disney pictures are just the thing I needed on our cold, snowy day!

love all the pictures of maddie growing up. our oldest will be 7 in September. it's strange to think they're so big, isn't it?

all the sewing looks great! we're tossing around the idea of doing a frozen theme for MNSSHP. we might be looking for tips on making anna and elsa costumes!

i'm so glad that maddie got to be the beast--that is so exciting for her! Disney magic for sure! we still haven't done enchanted tales yet....maybe next trip.

peter pan and wendy and the tremaines were awesome when we saw them! they are high on my meet again list. and how funny were chip and dale? more magic for maddie--love it!

I love the Tinkerbelle meet. I like seeing how it's all decorated and changes for the seasons! how cute maddie hid tink's bracelet in the book!

I really like your thank you note idea. we might be stealing that idea for our next trip. and how neat that they posted them on instagram! that's awesome!

I haven't tried an Anna yet (she wants one for the AG doll so I'll have to eventually), but I'd be glad to help any way I can!

I think you'd all enjoy ETwB, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it.

Steal away! It was a lot of fun for us to be able to do something tangible to thank the CMs that went above and beyond.

Talk about posting enough to make up for your absence! First off, I'm glad that your knee is on the mend and that your mouth "issues" are healing nicely.

I always seem to say it but that little Maddie makes me smile. You can just see the delight on her face every time she meets a character. Speaking of characters, you've had some seriously great meet and greets! I think that my favorite would have been with Chip & Dale. Once you get those guys going, they really put on a show.

Even though your meal at Be Our Guest was just okay, the atmosphere more than made up for it. I can hardly wait until we see it in person in May.

Thank you so much Lisa. She has the best time at WDW, it really is her happy place. Chip and Dale were hilarious! That was one of the best interactions we've ever had with the characters.

The atmosphere definitely makes up for it! That turkey sandwich seemed pretty darn special in that environment! I hope that you love it!

Haha, you know it always makes me giggle whenever someone apologizes so profusely for taking a TR break. You know we're not paying for this right? You're entitled to take a break (especially given all you've been through) and update however and whenever you like. It's always worth the wait.

Awww a great big

Ha, yeah, the big problem with kids loving Peter Pan is they just end up wanting to ride again. Which obviously is not an easy task.

OK, so is it wrong that I got a little teary upon the announcement that Maddie got the Beast role she so desperately wanted? I mean, we're months and months after the fact, and I'm still reading along "Please let her get picked... Please let her get picked."

OMG that is SO AWESOME that the CM's posted the thank you cards like that. Just no words.

Chip and Dale are seriously the best meet and greet. They never fail to amaze. How awesome to have that experience.

Oh my all those meets are so precious. I imagine they must really be touched by the bracelets too. So sweet.

Thanks for that Rob, I appreciate that you but it in perspective for me. How great would it be if we were getting paid though?

That's so sweet. I got a little misty reading that you were pulling for her and so happy that she was chosen.

I was so excited to see that! I was worried that the thank yous were a little silly, but seeing that just made my day.

I hope they liked their gifts. She sure liked giving them.

 

[shan23877]

First I am glad that you knee is feeling so much better. That is quite the ordeal you had - I mean, that is a lot of teeth to lose in one day, for a non-hockey player at least

You're right!

Oh, and I love the silhouette shirts - especially the Little Mermaid one!

Thank you! that was my favorite too.

and a Hippo Birdie to Maddie!

Glad your plan worked out with ETwB - and that Maddie got to be the Beast!

I love that in the PP from Space Mountain you are holding a wand

Thanks!
I was wondering if anyone would notice that! She was afraid she'd drop it, ** I got to hold it!

Sorry about the issue when ordering at BoG - hate when one gets flustered like that and you rush a decision

I love this picture - just love the face she is make, like she is thinking "no, not quite right - not up to my standards"

I was so annoyed at myself!

I loved that too. She's funny.

“I can’t believe two chipmunks were fighting over me! How romantic!”

The Thank You Note are such a great idea .... I am sure CMs have to deal with opposite type guests and bet they appreciate getting positive feedback so much![/QUOTE]

I really hoped that we'd be able to give back a little magic to the amazing CMs, so I was really excited to see that!

No need to apologize! You've had quite a rough few weeks! Yikes, so sorry to hear that you had to deal with all of that. Glad you're feeling better.

Oh my! I absolutely love your princess silhouette tees! And Olaf is so darn cute!!

to Maddie! Did she LOVE the Lego Princess sets?

I was mentioning the new princess sets and my MIL swiped in and stole the idea for Jorie's birthday present. Now she BETTER buy her them because she is known to be unreliable about that kind of stuff....especially since she waits until the last minute to buy the kids' gifts (like on the drive over to our house, last minute. She buys the wrapping paper/gift bag and all!) So guess we'll find out next week!

OMG, the pic of Maddie in her belle dress totally reminded me of Jorie's 3rd birthday!

Where does the time go?

Ah, love the empty Fantasyland pics! I'm so glad that Maddie was picked to be the Beast! Not that a few more times at ETwB would have been all that bad....

Love the pic of Maddie photographing her BOG lunch. What a cute face she is making! BOG really is amazing, isn't it? And yes, those pomme frites, yum!!! So is that really correct, no appetizer even on the deluxe dining plan? It definitely doesn't seem right.

What an awesome M&G with Chip & Dale! Aww, and love Jasmine's reaction to her new bracelet. That's so sweet. And then Tink's was great too!

Such great updates! Can't wait to read more.

Thank you! She did love her lego sets, has Jorie had her birthday yet? I'm dying to hear what happens with your MiL.

Love the pic of Jorie in her Belle dress, how precious.

I have no idea if that CM was right or not. I can't imagine that an app isn't included at a CS, but he seemed very certain.

Wow, great updates! So sorry to hear about your mouth, but glad your knee is healing well!

Those were some great Meet and Greets you had! I'm glad Jasmine and Tink were so receptive to the bracelets. And that those CM's loved their thank yous.

BOG looks so beautiful. I can't wait to see it in September.

Love the flashback pics of Maddie. Time does go WAY too fast. My oldest is also 7 and I can't believe that.

They grow up way too fast don't they? I keep asking her to stay little, but she won't.

I hope that you love BoG, it is stunning in person. They did not miss a detail there.

YYYYEEESSSSS
6 UPDATES!! DAY MADE!

Oh my goodness what a crazy and hectic month it has been for you!! Do not fret about not taking time to update the tr, that’s more important lol. Also no wisdom teeth out before now?! Everyone always said I was weird for still having mine…

LOVE the Elsa dress, seriously, so impressive and awesome!! Glad that you could help a friend out in a time of need! Also obviously, as I said, I totally love the princess outfits, I have a feeling I’ll be ordering some of them as tank tops in the near future lol!

Everyone always thought I was weird to have had mine too. I guess I fit in how! LOL

Thanks, I'd be happy to make you some shirts!

Ah DISNEY ON ICE!?!? WHICH ONE?!?! We’re going on March 7th, as this is the first time they’ve come back to Western Canada in YEARS!

Happy birthday to Maddie!!!

Thank you! We saw Let's Celebrate! It was really cute.

Yay for Maddie getting to be the beast! I can only imagine that you would be stuck going through etwb for the rest of the day until it happened if she hadn’t been chosen! Super glad she enjoyed it! It’s definitely something more for smaller kids, or we’ve just had a bad case of the Belle’s when we’ve seen it, they’re never been that good or enthusiastic lol. Who knows, maybe we’ll have to join you for a visit in May!

I imagine that it is much more fun if you have a little one participating. I'd have been glad to do it once if we didn't have Maddie, but probably not morje.

Yay Tremaines! We have a brand new sort of love with them now! Wow! Nice save by the Space cm! that was lucky!! Love the pic of Maddie taking food pictures, also have to mention that that meal is definitely what I get every time at BOG…great minds think alike! Maddie’s so cute in front of the portrait! One of my favorite parts of BOG Also, I’ve only ever had problems with CM’s a the ordering station as well, weird!

That was a GREAT save by that CM. She loves Stitch. How weird about the kiosk CMs. I suppose their job is probably frustrating, but I was trying to be nice!

Awwe, so glad that you guys got some word back about the thank you notes!! I stole the idea and brought them with us in Sept & Dec and they seemed to be pretty well received! Okay…legit tearing up at the chipmunk story, probably because I know I’m in that range and it really is magical. This is why I don’t get why people are all “I only want to do face” like, #1, you cant. #2, you still get to make so much magic and amazing things happen when you’re fur. Some of the best experiences I’ve had are fur, and like, ugh, it’s just awesome. So glad that it was such a great experience for everyone!!


ARG THE PHOTO OF MADDIE GIGGLING WITH JASMINE AND ALADDIN IS JUST PRECIOUS!!! Okay, statement retracted, ALL of those photos are priceless and amazing, and that Aladdin looks pretty familiar

Awwwwweeee that’s SO FREAKING CUTE that she hid the bracelet for Tink to find! I also just need to say, that kids like yours, are the ones that return the magic to the characters, and I just want to say how amazing that is, and I know that they really do appreciate it. I’ve seen the collections of things they collect from meeting friends in the parks and it really is something that they love. So thank you, and thank you to Maddie for being some of those people who are just as magical as all those cast members who help bring everything full circle while at Disney World!

Thanks Katt. I'm so glad that you did the thank yous too. I love the idea that we're all giving back to the CMs that make our trips so great.

Aladdin and Jasmine were AMAZING. She had the best time with them.

Well, Tink loves lost things right? She was so excited to hide it for her.

I'm really glad to hear that it means something to them. She loves the characters so much and loved making them little trinkets. You are too sweet. She just loves WDW so much that she can't help get swept up in the magic!

Bad girl! Bad!

I knew I could count on you.

Oh? Grade A?
My, we think highly of ones self don't we.

My mom says I'm great!

Oh, we're still here.

Angry.
But here.


jk.
Especially with all the fun you've been having lately!

It's hard to be mad at someone who's been having such fun isn't it?

patella.
Doesn't that sound like an Italian dish?
"Yes, I'll have the patella bolognese with a side salad."

It really does! I'd probably order that.

So, at the time you were facing North? Or South?

I was lucky I wan't facing the ceiling.

No. Way.
Just this morning I made an emergency appointment with my dentist.
I had broken one of my back molars.
If yours was top left too, that would be way too weird.

Top right, but still pretty weird. How are you feeling? Were you forced to part with yours?

SIX!!!



With all those pain meds, I'm betting you were in a 'mood' all right!

I was in a GREAT mood most of the time!

Nice job!



Still throws me to see her sans bangs.

Thank you! It's still weird for me too-especially in photos.

Wonderful! That's one of my favorite rides.
She has good taste.

Yet another rope-drop must do! I sort of wish she'd hated it...

I've heard nothing but good things about them.... and have yet to meet them.
I'm not big on the character M&Gs but I'd make time for them.

They are always so much fun, totally worth stopping for. The girls are hilarious.

Outta my way! I've got a rocket to catch!



From left to right...
"Must... concentrate... on... not... crashing..."
"Wheee! Care free and fancy free!"
"Grumble... back of the bus and I hafta carry the bags..."

Exactly!

So.... who was right? Should you have had the appy?

I honestly don't know! If we were doing lunch there this year I would have looked into it more, but we're just doing dinner. It was weird though.

I dunno. I usually love dessert, but that one that looks like a kid's head just does not look appetizing.

Disney bakers are really artists aren't they?

I didn't notice him until I posted the pic. Brilliant photo bomb.

I love that shot too!
TheMaxRebo nailed it.



Me too. But I think I'd still have to go with the lemon cupcake.

He really did. They were both good, but the lemon was better IMO

I've never met a pretzel cart that I wouldn't stop for.

I suspect you and Maddie would get along just fine.

After Christmas I put all of her stocking crap into a paper shopping bag that I'd gotten while she and I were shopping for Christmas gifts.. She was looking through her loot much later and was ecstatic to find that Santa had given her a free pretzel coupon in her stocking! It was left over from the snack she'd gotten while shopping, but she didn't remember that and it quickly became her favorite stocking stuffer of the year.

Wow! What a great M&G!



Future suitors beware. Standards have been set. The bar is pretty high.

I hope that future suitors don't look like chipmunks, but they will have a lot to live up to.







Different? Colour me curious.
Thanks for posting Shandemonium! [/QUOTE]

Thanks Ponzeralidocious!

Holy Mega Updates! You certainly made up for your absence.

I am glad to hear you are recovering well from your knee injury and oral surgery.

All of Maddie's pictures are adorable. I love her Belle dress and Yay for getting her dream role as the beast. That's too cool!

The dress you made is lovely!

And, yes, I think Maddie is a budding DIS dining reviewer!

Thank you so much. I'm feeling much better.

Thanks! she was so very excited to be the Beast!

Maybe next trip I'll have her weigh in on meals too!

No apologies necessary! Hope you're feeling better Not sure how you do it all with Etsy, work, hubby, kids, Disney planning Love the dresses and shirts you created!!! Very nice! You're pictures are fabulous as always and Maddie looks gorgeous, also!

Have a great weekend!
Heather

Thanks so much Heather. I hope you guys are staying warm down there.

What a great morning. Glad Maddie got to be Beast.

Thanks Marissa! I'm going to get caught up on your TR this weekend!

I forgot to say I LOVE the Elsa dress you make! It's almost identical to the Disney version. Awesome awesome job!

You are so sweet to me. Thank you!

I adore Belle - I think Maddie made a great princess choice this year.

That's great that Maddie was able to play the Beast! I have to get Anika to try ETwB during our next trip - it was a tough sell last time.

I LOVE Chip and Dale! They always seem so fun and interactive - it's great you had such a fantastic character experience!

Belle is my favorite. I was so glad she chose her dress.

It's so fun! I like that adults aren't required to participate...

They were so much fun! By far the best characters of the trip!

Okay, I know I knew you were updating. So how did I miss that you HAD updated? Sorry….. Ahem….

You know I love all the great new sewing projects, especially Willow’s Elsa dress! I will try to post a pic or two once I figure out where they are in Photobucket.

Love that Maddie got to be The Beast!

That last pic with the Step Family is fantastic. And I love that you have the wand in the Space pictures! So glad y’all enjoyed BoG for lunch - we will definitely be trying a lunch there at some point. GAH! Chip and Dale are just the best, aren’t they?????

Great meet with Jasmine and Aladdin too! And fun with fairies too, although that wait just kills me!

It's ok. Sometimes it takes me a week to comment on yours!

I'd love it if you shared pics!

I didn't remember having the wand, but the pics don't lie. I think she was afraid she'd drop it?

That wait is brutal. The only time we've waited less than 30 minutes was during MSEP.

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I go away to NYC for a fun fill weekend only to come and see that you've returned! Shannon, you can never give up.... your trip report keeps me yearning for Disney, which may not be in my future. You are doing just fine... at least I hope so as it sounds like your knee may not be! You are doing a fabulous job... and you know it can't be bad....!

Just a little beatle reference up there for you! I'll catch up the report tonight.

Karen

Love the Beatles reference! I assume you watched the special this week? I loved it and watched it twice!

Hope you had a great time in NYC, and thanks. You're the best!

 

[shan23877]

Your TR's are good. Wouldn't miss it.

And besides, you make up for your lack of frequent updates with volume.

thank you, and the volume is my attempt to keep you interested.

Even after all those drugs???

To be serious though, I'm glad the knee is better. I'd be a bit skeptical about the ability of PT to make that much difference going into it, but I guess the therapists know what they're doing.

And the tooth thing... wow. Sorry. Sounds painful. And miserable.

Thanks. It was quite the month, even though I don't remember most of it.

I'm just impressed that they were still willing to listen to you at that point in the trip!

I was too!

I'm glad to see that she's coming around. And for someone not crazy about dark rides too... Doesn't get much darker than this!

She was a brave one this trip! Though not every ride stopped being scary... That's a story for another day...

I saw that. I thought it was really cool. I'm glad that you had such a great interaction with those CM's and that they enjoyed Maddie's extra little bit of pixie dust.

I was so excited to see that! It made my day!

When is the last time you ever walked past one of those without Maddie making you stop?

We can't even make it past the one at the mall!

How exactly do 2 chipmunks who can't speak, lead a group in singing?

How indeed! I think back to character meets sometimes, and it really is remarkable how much the "talk" without saying anything!

I'm pretty sure Bryan and the handler helped in this case.

That is an awesome character meet. That's great that you got to spend so much time with them. I'm sure Maddie loved it. The people in line behind you, not so much...

I would have hated us if I were in that line!

I'm glad to see that she's mixing in some rides from time to time, but that girl definitely makes the most of her opportunities to meet the characters. I'm glad that Jasmine and Tink were good!

She's the character queen! She just loves it!

 

[shan23877]

Don't freak out, but I'm posting 2 weeks in a row...

The One With a Very Different 3 O'Clock Parade​

We’d just finished up another character blitz wrapping up at Adventureland Terrace. It was about 2:50 so we decided to try to find a spot for the parade.

About 10 seconds after we made that choice, the skies opened up. Bry needed to make use of the facilities, so we chose to head toward the Emporium while he pitstopped at the men’s room near Crystal Palace.


Maddie didn’t quite understand why we weren’t lined up to see the parade, and I was explaining that the parade just wasn’t going to happen in the rain as we wandered through the Emporium. As I was apologizing ('cause that's what parents do right?) and she was expressing her disappointment we stopped dead in our tracks. The music coming from Main Street sounded awfully familiar…

​

We quickly made our way to one of the entrances of the shop, comfortable and dry beneath the awning, and were treated to one of the most fun versions of the parade that we’ve ever seen. Some of the dancers and characters seemed downright miserable-and who can blame them-but most seemed to be embracing the situation and quite literally dancing in the rain. Mr. Smee seemed to be having the time of his life stomping in puddles and splashing the brave few who lined the street.

Well, this gentleman seems to be one that isn't quite embracing the rain





These two are having much more fun!



​

Maddie has always been very lucky to have at least a few characters interact with her during the parade. She was trying with all of her might to shout hellos and wave, but we were so far back that none of them saw her. The characters all make an effort to scan the crowds, so I started pointing down at her when they made eye contact with me. She was overjoyed that so many princesses and princess shouted “Hi princess Belle!” when they saw her.

​

Bry had been wandering the shop looking for us and came upon a CM who said she’d never seen the parade go off in such weather. I take that with a huge grain of salt, but we did feel like we’d seen something special that day-it’s one now one of my favorite parade memories.


After the parade the 3 of us covered nearly every inch of the Emporium in an attempt to wait out the rain. A quick look at the MDE app confirmed that all indoor rides and attractions has ridiculous wait times, so we decided to shoot across the street and at least browse some different merch.


We sprinted across the street entering at Uptown Jewelers (I think) and found ourselves in the middle of an indoor concert.

​

We browsed a bit, of course trying on some tiaras

​

We happened upon the glass guy-he's a glass blower right?- making the incredible vases and such. We had watched for a while when he asked if anyone had any questions. Maddie’s hand shot up, and I immediately got nervous about what she might say. Luckily she asked how he put color into his creations which he said was the perfect question since he was just about to show us. He was really informative and interesting, and for the rest of the time that we were there he introduced Maddie to any newcomers as “my assistant”. We’d been there for about 45 minutes and were starting to feel a little guilty taking up prime front row spots since quite a crowd had formed so we bid our new friend goodbye.

​

The rain was putting a damper on our plans, but honestly it turned out to be a blessing. We probably never would have taken the time to stop and enjoy the Dans or our pal the glassblower’s demonstration if we hadn’t been rained in. Looking back this was one of my favorite afternoons of the trip.


We ponchoed up and sprinted over to the Confectionary. Maddie and I thought it was time for a sweet treat. She chose her usual-M&Ms and I picked a Mickey cake pop. We settled on a dry scrap of pavement outside to enjoy our treats. (well, we shared mine because Maddie likes to save her M&Ms for later. Any of you who have tried to “save” M&Ms in a backpack in July might have some idea of how successful we were. Honestly I think she just enjoys the novelty of choosing her own colors)

​

Anyway, we ate my cake pop -which was ok, it was more gooey inside than I thought it would be -and people watched for a bit before we all started to get antsy.


You know what (was) is right near the Confectionary and indoors? Princesses, that’s what.




Up Next: Princesses of course!

 

[marDgreen88]

That really does sound like a fun afternoon! I love memories like that.

 

[pkondz]

Haven't read the latest post(s) yet.
Hope to get to them later...

But...

I was lucky I wan't facing the ceiling.

Top right, but still pretty weird. How are you feeling? Were you forced to part with yours?

No. Turned out it wasn't broken too badly so he was able to fix it.

I suspect you and Maddie would get along just fine.

After Christmas I put all of her stocking crap into a paper shopping bag that I'd gotten while she and I were shopping for Christmas gifts.. She was looking through her loot much later and was ecstatic to find that Santa had given her a free pretzel coupon in her stocking! It was left over from the snack she'd gotten while shopping, but she didn't remember that and it quickly became her favorite stocking stuffer of the year.

Well of course it was.

I can see it now. pkondz takes Maddie to the mall.
"So, what should we do? Toy Store? Clothing store? Accessories store?"
"Pretzel cart."
"Sounds good. Let's go."

15 minutes later...

"Boy, that was good. So, NOW what do you want to do? Toy store?"
"Pretzel cart."
"Good idea. Let's go."

Repeat ad infinitum, ad nauseam... literally!

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

We love the glassblower! I can't imagine a better way to spend time when it's pouring down outside!

I'm shocked that they did the parade! I have seen the "Rainy Day Character Cavalcade," or whatever it's called, but never the actual parade in motion during rain. Had it already started in Frontierland when it opened up, you think? And yeah, that one guy looks like he's not enjoying it at all. It's just water!

You know from my TR that I've been missing for a while, but I just wanted to personally let you know that I'm back and enjoying your family again!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

WOW!!!! I am in absolute shock that the parade wasn't immediately stopped from that rain, but what a unique experience to see it. So comical (and awesome) to see all the performers just break away like that. It mind of reminds me of the Rainy Day Cavalcade of Characters except this is the real deal.

Aww look, it's my buddies Dan, Dan, Dan, and Dan.

Oh so true Shannon. I find as well that when the plans go awry due to circumstances beyond our control, it brings about so many little gems that become THE memories of a trip.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Fun update - so great when you get to stop and "smell the Disney roses" you might not normally do. And I love that they do things like having the Dans perform indoors

That parade looks like fun - can't believe they had it as it looks like it was pouring!