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

[lvcourtneyy]

Wow I missed so many updates while we were in WDW! It's a great way to recover from post-Disney depression though-- Maddie updates!

Maddie makes an adorable ballerina!

YAY for booking your next trip! Spring sounds like a lovely time to go and it's awesome that you'll get to take your younger brother along too!

I think a princess fashion designer sounds like a perfectly wonderful career choice and much more modern than wanting to be a princess!

Oh my goodness. What a cute little Princess Leia! What an adorable choice!

Ah my heart just melted. Maddie's history of WDW is precious. Katt told me about it when I saw her and I couldn't wait to see it! Too cute.

Someone was definitely on a mission that morning! Glad the wait time wasn't too bad for ETWB! I'm glad you guys and the princess enjoyed it. We did it too and were worried that it would feel silly without having kids with us but we thought it was too adorable. I love that they don't "gender-type" the characters and just let the kids take any of the roles.

Glad New Fantasyland lived up to expectations!

So cute that Goofy was calling for visitors! I have to say, I'm not a huge fan of the whole 2-line set-up there or at Princess Fairytale Hall. It's just kinda annoying to have to walk around and get back in line.

That shop is one of the cutest dump shops ever! That's where I bought my stuffed dumbo in January so I guess their mission for me to spend money worked!

Wow you guys really did get a ton done! The Get-Maddie-A-Snack-Immediately-Plan definitely sounds like a good idea to follow. It's actually a pretty good practice to follow to keep me happy too...

Mickey ice cream bars are extremely messy! Especially when consumed outside!

Glad Maddie loved SM and yay Stacy for the influence!

She looks super cute practicing archery and adorably proud of herself at the end! Wow the Merida pictures are priceless. Glad she was amazing and loved Maddie's bracelet!

 

[Cinderella909]

Love the Goofy call! And, Maddie is so sweet in her Aurora dress! Merida really enjoyed her bracelet, and I'm sure she'll treasure that bracelet with fond memories of meeting Maddie. How creative and thoughtful of Maddie. I'm envious of the wait times that you had for July too!

More, more, more.... Karen

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

We had already made up our minds to head over there after we met the ladies when we heard a phone ring. It was a strange sound, the ring of an honest to goodness wall telephone, and even the CMs seemed a little nervous when they realized it was their wall phone that was ringing.

The CM answered the phone and immediately started laughing. She pointed at Goofy across the way, so we of course turned to look. Goofy had gotten bored waiting for people to come visit him, so he called the CMs on the other side asking them to send some of us over.

That's hilarious. Gotta love it when the character interactions go above and beyond.

From past experience we know that when Maddie needs a snack you get her one or suffer the consequences (the consequences being a very crabby Maddie which in turn results in a cranky Mommy. Bryan is the most invested in the Get-Maddie-A-Snack-Immediately plan.)

Bryan, I feel for ya, pal.

And what was the verdict???


She loved it!! (This was not the last we’d see of Space Mountain on this trip.)

Great job Maddie!

I’ve read on other TRs that the kids are allowed to try their hand at the bow and arrow after meeting Merida, but Maddie popped in while we were waiting. She LOVED doing it, and the CM helping the kids was amazing. He was super patient and sweet with all of them.

Very cool. Looks like a great way to keep the kids occupied.

Finally it was our turn! Maddie had made a special bracelet for each of the princesses, and Merida was to the first to receive hers.


I cannot say enough good things about Merida. She was so very sweet about the bracelet, and asked Maddie’s opinion of how it looked on her explaining that she’s not very good at ‘princess things’ like jewelry. She said her mom would be so happy that she was wearing some jewels, and that her brothers would probably do something naughty with it. Maddie was beyond pleased that Merida had enjoyed her special gift so much.

Another awesome character meet. Very, very sweet!

 

[shan23877]

Hey guys! I wish I had an update for you, but as it turns out opening an etsy shop can make a gal pretty busy around Halloween! I promise I'll make it up to you with a mega-update soon! Have a great weekend!

 

[redomni]

I am all caught up, hopefully everything will stay calm and I can stay caught up. I really enjoyed Maddie's history of Disney, she did a good job. Looks like ya'll had a great morning and that was brave of Maddie to go on Space, I didn't ride my first roller coaster till I was like 11. Can't wait to read more.

 

[Caretames1]

How great is the next trip going to be with uncle Cory! I bet you'll have the best time ever.

I'm very impressed by her history lesson, and her new career choice. Kids, where do they come from sometimes

When Kadence grew her bangs out is when I noticed she was growing up too fast!

Love the Halloween costume choice! Kadence has caught the Star Wars bug, and is requesting to do Jedi Training in DHS in Nov.

After we'd met Ariel, Bryan took note of the construction going on across the way. The materials they're using are made with Perlite, which his company produces so we stopped for him to take a photo to send to the guys back at the office

​

SO did any of the guys from work notice the pink pen he was carrying?





Great updates, you sure did lots done all morning! That's why I'm a huge advocate of RD and EMH.


Wasn't ETWB so awesome! Kadence loved it, and is hoping to be Beast as well.

We had great interaction with The Great Goofini as well, it's a well put together M&G.

Sweet Merida pictures, the CM was great with Kadence too and she love that she could shoot the bow.

I hope you found the PP around the LM ride, we got some great PP pics from there, I put them up on my TR a while ago. Kadence wants Maddie to know she looked pretty as Sleeping Beauty.

 

[amazingact21]

The phone story with Goofy is too funny. I imagine that was a fun little exchange to witness while waiting in line.


I can see where Maddie is coming from with the Mickey Bars. While all ice cream is delicious, the bars can get pretty messy. I tend to skip them if I need to do a lot of walking around with them.


Glad to hear Space Mountain was a success! And getting the rides photos on your PP+ card sounds incredibly easy. I'm leaning towards getting one, and your summary of how easy it is makes me lean toward one.

 

[tralin]

Hey Shannon, we are getting ready to book our next trip in 2014 but I have a few questions about CBR vs. POR. I know you aren't very far into your TR yet but I am too excited to wait. Kaitlin will be 6 so CBR seems over all best for her. While personally I like POR and would love to do a Royal Room for her, I'm thinking overall the better choice is CBR as this time I have plenty of "resort time" allocated. What did Princess Maddie think overall?

So where are ARE you going to stay on the next trip? Way cool to share it with Uncle Corey. Maddie will really enjoy showing him the ropes I'm sure.

 

[keagansmommy]

Subbing

 

[amandaw]

What a fun morning y'all were having in the MK!

So glad Maddie liked Space Mountain! And at least she gave the ice cream a try.

That's so sweet of her to make bracelets for the princesses!

I'm glad to hear the Etsy shop is doing so well. I knew it would!

 

[shan23877]

So cute!

Thanks!

What a awesome morning! I about cried when I heard about her Goofy magic. He called her over. How many kids can say that? Then, onward to get so much done on such a short period of time. Her meet and greet with Merida seemed fantastic. I still say she has so many great interactions, because they know how amazing Maddie is.

It was such a fun morning! I couldn't get over the fun of Goofy calling the phone on the other side. It was such a fun experience.

You are so sweet. Thanks Kimberly

We will be making our May reservations next month so I'll PM you the dates when we know and perhaps it will be the same time you're going! That would be a nice treat!

Let me know! We might overlap!

I can't handle the cuteness that is Merida and Maddie. I've yet to meet Merida but she seems like one of the most personable princesses that I may just have to suck it up and wait in line.

Merida was worth the wait. She was such a fun princess! On our last spring trip character lines were long, but ride lines were short. Check her out in the morning!

Love that Maddie is now a Space Mountain lover. Stacey never goes wrong (I'm friends with her on Facebook. If you have a FB you should friend her and have Maddie send her a message. She ALWAYS responds to her messages/posts ).

Mads would love that! I might just!

That really is a neat meet and greet area, and I'm glad that you had a unique experience via the phone call from Goofy. I've gotta say though, I'm really not crazy about the fact that it is 2 separate lines in most cases if you want to see all 4 of them. I don't understand why they don't just make it one line and you see all 4.

I agree it would be much better to stand in line to meet all 4 at once. Who wants to meet just 2?? It's a really cute area though. Very well done.

I love it! And I can never argue with any kind of logic that results in a mid morning Mickey Ice cream bar.


Well, it is hard to be princess like and eat one of those in the hot Florida sun.

Maddie is very good at getting snacks on vacation. they are pretty messy though.

Woohoo!!! Good work Stacey! There might actually be more rides than character meets this trip now...

I have to admit, I want to keep a tally of rides vs. character meets just for you. Should each character count, or the # of lines we stood in to meet them? So, if we met the princesses does that count as 3 or 1 since we only stood in one line??

Awesome!!! I'm glad she enjoyed it!!!


First I've seen of that feature. Looks like fun. Can dads do that too?

I wonder if dads are allowed? Maybe if dad's pretend their sons are shy and they need to help them...

Okay, first, Maddie's Aurora dress is gorgeous. I love the pictures of her standing in line for Space Mountain wearing it. And glad she loved Space Mountain! Our 7 year old was the same, a little apprehensive, but now it's one of her favorites.

I cannot wait to meet Merida. Lucy's BFF looks just like her (crazy red curls), and so Lucy is dying to meet her. Maddie looks like she could be a professional bow and arrow shooter in those pics! And so sweet about the bracelet.

I am so enjoying this report!

Thank you! I loved that design from Disney Store.

I love that she's finally old enough for the thrill rides. Her dad and I have missed them.

So fun! I bet you'll get great pics from Merida! She was great.

I am in for your TR (albeit a little late). Your little girl is so adorable and you guys always seem to have a great time!

So glad to have you! Thanks for joining in!

Thanks so much! We usually have a great time, and by the time I tell all of you about the rest of it, I've managed to find the humor in it

What a great morning. We missed Meridia last time so we will have to make sure she's on the list for next time. Maddie looks like she is having an amazing time. The crowds actually don't seem too bad so far!

The crowds weren't bad at all that morning. I'd love to say that it was that way for the whole trip....

Merida is a must meet. She was darling.

 

[shan23877]

Shannon, what fun updates. I am just over Goofy calling the CM's because he was bored with no people to see him.

I love Bryan's hat in the dump shop in the Big Tent (I agree...one of the best dump shops in all of Disney).

I can't imagine NOT liking Mickey Bars, so I am guessing it is because they are a very messy snack...especially when it is hot outside.

for Maddie riding Space Mountain. Tell her she can ride for me any time.

What a wonderful interaction with Merida. I love when the characters are sweet and talk to you.

We couldn't get over Goofy calling because he was bored. It was so much fun!

Isn't the big top great? So well themed. I suspected you'd approve of the hat.

She loved SMt! She's a regular Space Mt junkie now!

We loved meeting Merida. She was such a dear taking time with all the kids

That's too amazing that Goofy called the cast members! I love it.

Maddie and I are very much the same...when I start getting cranky I just know I need food, and my family doesn't stand in my way I love Mickey Bars, but they are a little messy for a

You and Maddie are making almost the same face in the Space picture! So cute.

LOVE the bracelet idea! That is so sweet! Definitely a magical moment for Merida, I'm sure. I can't wait to see the other princesses receive theirs!!

Goofy was in rare form. So much fun.

she needs very frequent snacks. She's not a huge mickey bar fan, but that's ok she has another Mickey shaped treat that she's quite fond of.

Good for Maddie for riding Space Mountain! We had the best character interaction at the M&G there too. I love the outfits, but I wish Daisy's was a bit more bling-y too.

She loved Space Mt!

Daisy could use a little more bling. She's such a diva, it would fit.

Can't wait to read more!

Coming right up!

What great updates! Maddie is getting so grown up! So glad she enjoyed Space Mountain and the new fantasyland. I really can't wait to see it myself.

NFL was so much fun to finally explore. You're going to love it!

What a great visit with Merida! We didn't get to see her, the line was hideous every time we went by. Hopefully next time!

Try her at rope drop, she was worth it!

Great updates!!!

I just loved that Pete's Silly Sideshow area! I'm so glad y'all had fun there too.

And WOOT! for Space Mountain! Go Maddie!!!!

Wonderful Merida meet. That great CM who helped Maddie with the bow and arrow is, I believe, the same one who was with Merida when we met her and was loving our autograph page so much. And I do believe we had the same Merida - wasn't she just great?

Thanks Roni! Isn't it a cute area? So well done.

Yay Maddie and Willow! Such big girls now!

Those CMs at the Merida M&G were all amazing. Loved it!

I cannot believe you got her on Space Mountain?!?!!?!

I hope she had a wonderful time.

She looks like she enjoyed practicing the bow and arrow.

who knew? Maddie wanted to ride Space Mountain! She loved it.

She loved the bow and arrow shooting. Such a nice touch.

That sounds like such an awesome morning! Sounds like Princess Maddie is really having a great time!

It really was a great morning!

WOW, I'm actually shocked that the guys line was showing longer than the girls at Pete's. Honestly I have NEVER seen that. But now I get it... They were lying!

Bahahah, OMG that's priceless with Goofy calling over. I love it.

Ah so nice they let you hop over. You should feel very special. They don't normally do that. I do love all those new outfits too.

Oh God that Stacey just has so much influence. I'm with Maddie, I adore her too!! What Stacey wants Stacey gets. Period!

Awww, the bow and arrow photos are just TOO CUTE.

And then she made bracelets for the princesses??? OK, I swear I am going into sugar shock from all this sweetness. I love this TR.

I thought it was weird that the Goofy/Donald line was double that of the gals...

It was nice of them to let us hop, I think Goofy had some pull around there.

Haha! another Stacey lover!

Oh you are too sweet. Thanks so much!

Ahahaha, how awesome that Goofy called over, that’s hilarious!

Awe, love the pictures with Goofy, sounds like he was in a great mood that day! Yay!

YAY Mickey bars, I have to say, I didn’t have one this trip and I’m kinda sad, but also happy, they are messy and the whole dairy thing isn’t a great idea for me either lol.

You guys certainly got amazing wait times this trip, wow!! And wow on Maddie riding space! I didn’t even ride til last year, baha! A brave little princess you’ve got there!

Aweeee, I’m so excited to read all about maddie giving these bracelets away, if I happened to be with the princesses and that happened I think I’d die of happiness and cuteness, like, seriously, that is why I want to be part of the magic, ugh! So awesome!!

Goofy was FAB! He was such a goof that day!

haha! I'm not a huge Mickey bar person either. I don't know why?

We had some great luck that morning. I won't say it continued for the whole trip though...

More bracelets will be bestowed right now!

 

[shan23877]

You mean it's not because of my rugged good looks, flawless sense of humour, rapier sharp wit and selfless modesty?


darn.

Oh yeah, it's that. I forgot.

Too cute for words....

Dang it! And I was starting to get close to getting that man card back.


Oh, heck with it. I give up.

May as well embrace it. Pour yourself a white wine spritzer, throw on a Meg Ryan movie and let's look at some princess pictures!

Naw. I used to, but then a lightbulb went off over my head.

Actually, I've eaten sea cucumber once.
Once was enough.

Ever tasted ink? Me neither. But I imagine that's what it would taste like.

Ewww. I actually have tasted ink. A pen exploded while I was chewing on it. Can't imagine paying money for that experience.

Goofy/Donald sounds about right, but shouldn't it be Minnie/Daisy instead of Daisy/Minnie?

Minnie/Daisy.
I see this little, tiny Daisy that fits on the palm of your hand. You have to lift her up to her ear to hear her faint, high pitched voice.

"Put me down, you big oaf!"

Yeah, okay. That was strange.

Love that mental image. Daisy stomping her little high heels on your palm....

Isn't that odd? That the sound of a wall phone would seem strange? Has it really been that long since before everyone had a cellphone?



"Oh, oh. The boss is calling. What'd I do?"

It's been a while since we had a land line, but it was especially out of place there. Every one just kind of stared at it for a while.

Well, there you go! No wonder the line was longer to see Goofy and Donald with line cutters like you around!

You did all that by 10:15??

Wow. Not bad.

I was amazed! In July no less. I wish that we'd been so luck for the whole trip...

Now I understand why you need DxDP



Oh, how bad could the consequences be? A pint sized foot stomp?

<snicker>

oooooh, I'm so scared.



uh, huh. <yawn>



What?!?!?!

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD BRYAN! GET HER A SNACK!!!!!

For a moment there I thought you'd forgotten the joys of little girl tantrums. The incessant whining, the constant needling.

You're more focused on what daughters can do to their mothers. Understood.

<sigh> Of course. I keep reading this. There seems to be a bit of an epidemic with bands or KTTW not being done correctly. Oh, they get fixed, but...

Consider all this foreshadowing. It got worse before it got better.

When I first read that, I thought I'd made a mistake and had to re-read it!

"No, Maddie's not going on Space Mountain... she must mean Astro Orbiter... yeah, that's it."

I could not believe it when she announced that she wanted to ride. We watched countless videos on Youtube, I explained exactly how dark it really is, but nothing could change her mind.

Your little girl is growing up, Shan.



Good for her! Makes me wonder, though. If she'd tried it without Stacey's backing, would she have still loved it?

She sure is. I want my baby back!

Haha! I don't know. Probably not.




I think those photos of Maddie trying the bow are my favorite. She looks so focused at first then so pleased at the end. And the CM looks like he's doing a great job of explaining and demonstrating the technique and then he's watching her glowing face at the end. Priceless.

I keep going back to look at those pics.



More great pics! Merida looks like she's genuinely thrilled to receive the bracelet.

Two things.

1. I super want to get back to Disney, now. More so then before I read this chapter, anyway.
2. I'm never, ever, going to get my man card back, am I.



Wow, Shana-lama. Great update! Really enjoyed all the pics and descriptions!
Thanks for posting! [/QUOTE]

Thanks Ponz. I loved those pictures too. They really show her true personality. She's so serious about getting things 'right', but the joy when she does is incredible.

I want you to go back to WDW too! And no, probably not.

Thanks Ponzerooni!

Adorable. All of Maddie's PP pics are great, but these are truly awesome.

How cool the Maddie practically drug you on Space Mountain. That is very fun!

The bow and arrow look like a ton of fun too!

Loved this update! What a great day in the MK!

Thank you so much!

She was determined to get on Space! She was so funny about that!

The bow and arrow is a great touch there. Perfect for passing the time too.

just subbed and am totally in!!

I've read your other reports but just found this one. I had to join in because 1) we have a maddie who loves all things princess too! 2) we are going in January and staying at POR in a standard view royal room too! and 3) my father in law (of all people) has taught all of his granddaughters to do the "bapa wave" (bapa--that's what we call Grandpa) and he taught them by saying "just like you're screwing in a lightbulb!" obviously, I was meant to read this TR!

ok, now I have to go back and get started reading!

Welcome! So glad to have you! And we're geographically not far away if I'm reading your screen name correctly.

I hope that you fall for POR as much as we did. I have TONS of pictures of the resort!

LOVE that Bapa taught them to screw it the lightbulb! It's serendipity! I'm going to check out your PTR!

 

[shan23877]

Wow I missed so many updates while we were in WDW! It's a great way to recover from post-Disney depression though-- Maddie updates!

Maddie makes an adorable ballerina!

YAY for booking your next trip! Spring sounds like a lovely time to go and it's awesome that you'll get to take your younger brother along too!

I think a princess fashion designer sounds like a perfectly wonderful career choice and much more modern than wanting to be a princess!

Oh my goodness. What a cute little Princess Leia! What an adorable choice!

Ah my heart just melted. Maddie's history of WDW is precious. Katt told me about it when I saw her and I couldn't wait to see it! Too cute.

Someone was definitely on a mission that morning! Glad the wait time wasn't too bad for ETWB! I'm glad you guys and the princess enjoyed it. We did it too and were worried that it would feel silly without having kids with us but we thought it was too adorable. I love that they don't "gender-type" the characters and just let the kids take any of the roles.

Glad New Fantasyland lived up to expectations!

So cute that Goofy was calling for visitors! I have to say, I'm not a huge fan of the whole 2-line set-up there or at Princess Fairytale Hall. It's just kinda annoying to have to walk around and get back in line.

That shop is one of the cutest dump shops ever! That's where I bought my stuffed dumbo in January so I guess their mission for me to spend money worked!

Wow you guys really did get a ton done! The Get-Maddie-A-Snack-Immediately-Plan definitely sounds like a good idea to follow. It's actually a pretty good practice to follow to keep me happy too...

Mickey ice cream bars are extremely messy! Especially when consumed outside!

Glad Maddie loved SM and yay Stacy for the influence!

She looks super cute practicing archery and adorably proud of herself at the end! Wow the Merida pictures are priceless. Glad she was amazing and loved Maddie's bracelet!

Thanks for taking the time to get caught up Courtney! I'm so excited to hear about your trip. I saw your update, but haven't had time to comment yet.

She's a pretty cute Leia in my opinion.

I have to know was Chris a suit of armor? A tough guy like him would be the perfect choice!

Mickey bars are messy! Ice cream+July+princess dress=chocolatly Maddie

Merida was great! I'm so glad we met her!

Love the Goofy call! And, Maddie is so sweet in her Aurora dress! Merida really enjoyed her bracelet, and I'm sure she'll treasure that bracelet with fond memories of meeting Maddie. How creative and thoughtful of Maddie. I'm envious of the wait times that you had for July too!

More, more, more.... Karen

That Goofy phone call was such a highlight. So much fun!

Merida was amazing. She was so sweet about that bracelet. I was quite impressed with her.

More coming right up!

That's hilarious. Gotta love it when the character interactions go above and beyond.




Bryan, I feel for ya, pal.



Great job Maddie!



Very cool. Looks like a great way to keep the kids occupied.



Another awesome character meet. Very, very sweet!

Goofy was awesome. Too, too funny.

Poor Bryan. There are 2 of us ganging up on him all the time.

She was so proud of herself for riding Space, and for the archery success! It was a great morning!

I am all caught up, hopefully everything will stay calm and I can stay caught up. I really enjoyed Maddie's history of Disney, she did a good job. Looks like ya'll had a great morning and that was brave of Maddie to go on Space, I didn't ride my first roller coaster till I was like 11. Can't wait to read more.

Luckily, things are far from calm here so there won't be too many updates.

She was such a brave one that morning!

How great is the next trip going to be with uncle Cory! I bet you'll have the best time ever.

I'm very impressed by her history lesson, and her new career choice. Kids, where do they come from sometimes

When Kadence grew her bangs out is when I noticed she was growing up too fast!

Love the Halloween costume choice! Kadence has caught the Star Wars bug, and is requesting to do Jedi Training in DHS in Nov.





SO did any of the guys from work notice the pink pen he was carrying?





Great updates, you sure did lots done all morning! That's why I'm a huge advocate of RD and EMH.


Wasn't ETWB so awesome! Kadence loved it, and is hoping to be Beast as well.

We had great interaction with The Great Goofini as well, it's a well put together M&G.

Sweet Merida pictures, the CM was great with Kadence too and she love that she could shoot the bow.

I hope you found the PP around the LM ride, we got some great PP pics from there, I put them up on my TR a while ago. Kadence wants Maddie to know she looked pretty as Sleeping Beauty.

What is it about the bangs? My baby is growing up.

Haha! I don't think they saw the pic with the pink princess pen.

ETWB is fantastic. So much fun and so well done.

Oh Kadence is so sweet. Maddie will be very pleased to hear that.

The phone story with Goofy is too funny. I imagine that was a fun little exchange to witness while waiting in line.


I can see where Maddie is coming from with the Mickey Bars. While all ice cream is delicious, the bars can get pretty messy. I tend to skip them if I need to do a lot of walking around with them.


Glad to hear Space Mountain was a success! And getting the rides photos on your PP+ card sounds incredibly easy. I'm leaning towards getting one, and your summary of how easy it is makes me lean toward one.

Goofy really made our morning. It was great.

I'm not a huge Mickey bar lover either. They're ok, but I usually get the ice cream sandwich.

PP+ could not have been easier. I will definitely do it again. I loved getting all the ride pics and all the restaurant pics too. I did read recently that you will no longer get the hard copies of restaurant pics with PP +, just digital, but I find the prints are really weird sizes anyway. If you have any PP+ questions, feel free to ask!

Hey Shannon, we are getting ready to book our next trip in 2014 but I have a few questions about CBR vs. POR. I know you aren't very far into your TR yet but I am too excited to wait. Kaitlin will be 6 so CBR seems over all best for her. While personally I like POR and would love to do a Royal Room for her, I'm thinking overall the better choice is CBR as this time I have plenty of "resort time" allocated. What did Princess Maddie think overall?

So where are ARE you going to stay on the next trip? Way cool to share it with Uncle Corey. Maddie will really enjoy showing him the ropes I'm sure.

Well, Maddie's favorite resort is usually which ever one we're staying at. POR really made a HUGE impression on her though. She loved it there. She liked the pool much better at POR than CBR (but she was not a very strong swimmer when we stayed at CBR and couldn't enjoy the slide). She adored the Royal Room, loved the gardens, and liked the gift shop a lot. There's also a carriage ride available at POR (we didn't do it, but might next time), nightly campfire, outdoor movie, Yee Ha Bob at the lounge, and a walking path to POFQ (and pool hopping is allowed between the 2 resorts)and the boat to DTD. Honestly we didn't spend much time at the resort when we stayed at CBR, but IMHO there is a lot more to do at POR than CBR. I loved CBR and loved the island vibe, but I got outvoted. We are booked at POR RR-GV for May. The only thing that might change that is if I get a great discount for the Mickey Hotel (CR). Maddie will only consider those 2. Honestly I don't think you'd be disappointed with either, but POR has more to do. Check out PortOrleans.org. It's a great site with lots and lots of pics and info. If you do book CBR I'd request Aruba 31 or Jamaica. Both are close to the foot bridge to the main buildings.

Let me know what you decide!

Subbing

Welcome! Don't be a stranger!

What a fun morning y'all were having in the MK!

So glad Maddie liked Space Mountain! And at least she gave the ice cream a try.

That's so sweet of her to make bracelets for the princesses!

I'm glad to hear the Etsy shop is doing so well. I knew it would!

We were having so much fun! I couldn't believe how much we got to do in the middle of summer.

She loved Space! I was proud of her!

It's going a little too well. I have so many orders to get out! I may have to seek your advice soon-I think I'm going to add some boy things to the shop after Halloween.

 

[shan23877]

The One With Guest Disservice and the Drag Queen Princess​

Having met Merida and taken target practice with the awesome CM there, I suggested that we make our way to guest services to sort out the dining plan issues before we sat down to lunch. I was worried that we wouldn't have any dining credits to use!


I have to say that this was probably our least magical trip in terms of CMs and other guests, but as time passes those types of memories fade. Mostly what I remember is the fun we had. Sadly there were a few experiences that I still have perfect recollection of and I will share those as they pop up.


Anyone suspect one of those is coming right up?


There wasn’t much of a line at guest services, so I was called up pretty quickly. I explained to the CM that we were on the DxDP and told him that we’d had problems redeeming snack credits and that our mug credits hadn’t been detected that morning either.


The CM sort of snidely asked me if I was sure that I was really on DxDP, and if I had a dining plan at all. I was shocked at his attitude, but recovered in time to rather snidely reply that it said DxDP pretty clearly on our KTTW cards. I suppose that he realized then that he wasn’t dealing with a rookie here and actually started tapping the keys of his computer.


I stood there in silence for about 10 minutes while he did goodness knows what on the computer. Maybe he was playing Candy Crush? (I totally get it if he was, that game is addictive!) Finally he said that I did indeed have the DxDP and the 42 snack credits that went with it. He said he wasn’t sure why they weren’t showing as available when we tried to redeem them, and that he’d re-set our key cards but he doubted it would solve the problem so we’d have to address it again once we returned to POR. He re-cut cards for us fairly quickly and I was on my way. I did manage to find the high road and thank him with a smile on my way out.


I wasn’t feeling confident that things had been sorted, but we weren’t ready to leave the park so we pushed on. Since we were right there at the front of the park, Maddie suggested a visit to her princess friends.


The standby time was posted at 25 minutes, but we were in the room in 10. Maddie was super excited to hand out some more of her bracelet gifts!

​

Rapunzel was the first in line. I thought she’d be a great one to give the bracelet to since she’s so crafty (painting the tower and all), but she didn’t really live up to expectation. I don’t know if Mads was disappointed, but I kind of was for her. Rapunzel barley acknowledged the gift, she just put in on her little table. She was kind enough to watch Maddie dance for a minute though, so there's that.

​

Next up was my favorite princess of the trip. I don’t know what it was about the hair and makeup on this young woman, but as I live and breathe she looked exactly like a drag queen. I personally enjoy drag queens, so I found her fascinating and fabulous.


DQ Aurora was amazing. She provided some of the best interaction we’ve ever had with Aurora (usually she’s kind of dull and doesn’t have much to say). She loved DD’s dress, chatted at length about the fairies and how they argue over pink and blue dresses all the time, and said she wears blue to sleep so that they don’t get their feeling s hurt. She also made certain that her special bracelet was showing in all the photos they took together. I love DQ Aurora!

Receiving her bracelet













Reacting to the fairy stories





More dancing






Are you prepared to the full fabulousness that is DQ Aurora? Here we go!









Waiting to meet the next princess and tickled at how fun Aurora had been




​

Up next was Cinderella. This was a stunning young woman who was a perfect princess. She gushed over her gift and asked Maddie to put in on her immediately. That led to a lively discussion about accessories and resulted in one of my favorite princess pictures of the trip.

Asking Maddie to put in on her








My favorite-it really is all about the shoes





​

We browsed in the princess dump shop for a bit but it was becoming clear that Maddie was hitting her food wall. She was a little whiny and said she wanted to do nothing more than return to the resort and enjoy the pool.


We agreed that a break would be nice, but said that we all needed to eat and we’d head back after lunch. We made our way down Main Street toward our lunch destination

​

Up Next: We Eat!

 

[shan23877]

The One With the Plaza​

I have a confession to make. I was not looking forward to our ADR at the Plaza. I plotted, schemed, rearranged, and could not find a single TS location that I wanted to replace it. So, I resigned myself to what I was sure would be an underwhelming meal.

We checked in for our reservation and waited in the blazing sun while DD moaned that she was hungry, thirsty, wanted to swim, and in general was not pleased with us as parents. Our buzzer could not go off quickly enough.

We were called inside by smiling and friendly CMs about 15 minutes after we checked in (right at our ADR time). I was surprised by how small the restaurant is inside. To me, it’s due for a facelift, but it was charming. Best of all, it was air conditioned. And, we had a place to sit.

I didn't get many real photos of the decor, but this will show some of it. We were seated in the center of the room. The photo also shows that there are indeed seats.





Some more ambiance and proof of how very grumpy Princess Maddie had become





Ok, I did take this one





And you can't beat the view


​

Our server came by quickly, introduced herself as Mary Jane and took our drink orders. When I asked for a Coke and a water, she said their water isn’t filtered but she’d get us a bottle of water free of charge since it was so hot. She’d already explained that a we could get a milkshake with our meal as our dessert, so Bryan took her up on that, and Maddie ordered a Sprite and a water.

Maddie was fading fast, so Bryan and I discussed how we'd spend the rest of the afternoon at the resort while we waited for our drinks.

Mary Jane delivered our drinks quickly and took our orders.

I ordered a salad with bleu cheese dressing for my appetizer (app choices are limited here, pretty much just soup or salad-and I was not ordering soup in the July heat) and a bacon cheeseburger with fries for my meal.

​

Bry got the aforementioned vanilla shake, a salad with ranch dressing, and also opted for the bacon cheeseburger and fries. His burger looked exactly like mine.

​

Maddie chose apple slices for her app, and a grilled cheese and fries.

​

The grilled cheese disappeared too quickly for me to snap a photo


And how was the food from this poor much maligned in my mind establishment?


It was great!



The salad was just what I needed in that heat, very refreshing. The burger was nothing special, but it ws satisfying, and again just what I wanted right then. Bryan declared the vanilla shake to be the best he’s had at WDW, and felt the same as I did about the burger. Pretty standard WDW burger, but it was so nice to have it in a cool, quiet setting. He didn't have a chance to eat his salad, but that's really more about the time he was devoting to his milkshake than bad timing by the restaurant. Maddie loved her apple slices, and ate every single bite of her grilled cheese-even the crusts!

Perking up and being silly



​

The delightful Mary Jane approached to take our dessert orders and would hear nothing of us being too full. Since Maddie’s blood sugar had regulated, she was surprisingly agreeable to trying something new. Maddie is a creature of ice cream habit. She eats lemon sorbet, lemon sorbet, or lemon sorbet. Since that wasn’t an option she took Mary Jane’s suggestion of a very exotic flavor....mint chocolate chip. I settled on the hot fudge sundae.

​

Well, as you’d expect Maddie was wild about the ice cream. She declared it her new favorite flavor (but only at WDW, she’s back to lemon sorbet at home). The sundae was delish as well.



While we were having dessert, Maddie said she’d changed her mind and no longer wanted to go swimming. She wanted to ride more rides. Since she was in such a great mood, we agreed. Seriously, we need to feed that girl every 2 hours! No exceptions.


After dessert we settled our check, leaving a generous tip for the lovely Mary Jane (seriously, she was amazing, look for her next time you’re at the Plaza) and headed out to see what rides we could get done in the middle of the summer afternoon.




The Plaza

Service- 10-simply outstanding, one of the best CMs of the trip

Food-7-Not surprisingly the ice cream treats were the highlight, but we enjoyed everything

Overall Experience-8- we had a great time. It’s a calm cool oasis in the middle of Main Street with a great view

Would we return? Oh yes! I’m here to tell you that I was wrong to doubt the Plaza. It was great!

 

[kmedina]

Maddie reminds me so much of Connor. He fades fast if not fed every couple of hours too. (I just wish he ate more when he does eat, because he is still underweight). When Maddie and Connor are in good moods, they are so much fun to be around. I was laughing at your drag Queen comment but have to admit I agree. The other two princesses look far more feminine and Cinderella is quite beautiful. It sounds like Maddie had a great time with Aurora on this trip. That is good, because I know she had been kind of a dud with Maddie on previous trips. I remember Aurora as the first princess to charm both of my boys, so we've had good luck with her.

I agree with your review on the Plaza. The food was better than I expected but not super great. Sounds like the server really made the meal for you. It was so nice of her to offer free bottled water due to no filter. Most places do not have one, so that was fantastic. Even though the guest services CM was not nice, it sounds like the issue was resolved in time for paying for the meal. Hopefully, you did not have any more issues.

 

[foodrocksluver]

We made our May ressies last night. We will be at the Boardwalk from May 3-10.

DQ Aurora is BEAUTIFUL! I'm not really a fan of the dress redesigns they've been doing but Aurora's looks so pretty. And comfortable. And less velvety than before. Which I'm sure she's grateful for when it's hotter than the surface of the sun.

Love the Cinderella shoe picture!

I was nervous that you weren't looking forward to your Plaza reservation because it may be one of my favorite TS locations. It's simple but delicious and the service is always great. Always. Thank goodness you loved it!

You have got to get the tomato bisque when you go again. It's the best soup EVER!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I have to say that this was probably our least magical trip in terms of CMs and other guests, but as time passes those types of memories fade. Mostly what I remember is the fun we had. Sadly there were a few experiences that I still have perfect recollection of and I will share those as they pop up.


Anyone suspect one of those is coming right up?

The foreshadowing may have been a little thick there.

The CM sort of snidely asked me if I was sure that I was really on DxDP, and if I had a dining plan at all. I was shocked at his attitude, but recovered in time to rather snidely reply that it said DxDP pretty clearly on our KTTW cards. I suppose that he realized then that he wasn’t dealing with a rookie here and actually started tapping the keys of his computer.

What's a dining plan?

Rapunzel barley acknowledged the gift, she just put in on her little table. She was kind enough to watch Maddie dance for a minute though, so there's that.

Well, that stinks. Maybe she needed a snack like Maddie.

I personally enjoy drag queens, so I found her fascinating and fabulous.


DQ Aurora was amazing.

I have to admit, I kept reading this as "Dairy Queen Aurora".

But I'm glad she was so good with your daughter! That's more like it.

Up next was Cinderella. This was a stunning young woman who was a perfect princess. She gushed over her gift and asked Maddie to put in on her immediately. That led to a lively discussion about accessories and resulted in one of my favorite princess pictures of the trip.

Again, glad to see the Princesses coming through for Maddie.

We checked in for our reservation and waited in the blazing sun while DD moaned that she was hungry, thirsty, wanted to swim, and in general was not pleased with us as parents. Our buzzer could not go off quickly enough.

I know that feeling.

And how was the food from this poor much maligned in my mind establishment?


It was great!

Seriously, we need to feed that girl every 2 hours! No exceptions.

This will be fun when she's a teenager!

 

[wiigirl]

Cute pics!