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

[afwdwfan]

We popped into Starring Rolls where I ogled the cupcakes, but didn’t buy anything.

Ok. I understand the appeal of a Mickey shaped pretzel, but when faced with these ridiculously huge, delicious cupcakes right in front of you... I mean how do you not change your mind????

Since she’d conquered Space Mountain the day before, Maddie was feeling extra brave. She somehow got it in her mind that she needed to ride Rock N Rollercoaster.

Smart girl!!!

We knew she was too short, she knew she was too short, but no amount of reason was getting through to her. We agreed to let her be measured by the CMs and let them be the bad guy. (Awesome parenting tip #3457 from us. You're welcome.) As it turns out, this tactic didn't work either. It took all of 3 seconds for her to begin sobbing from the disappointment once she was turned away.

That's too bad. Maybe next time...

On the way out we somehow ended up chatting with a really nice CM. In her excitement, Maddie was telling her that she’d done the whole thing with her eyes open. The sweet CM really had no idea what Maddie was talking about, but thoughtfully and carefully filled out a Certificate of Bravery for Maddie to keep. First ride or no, DD was thrilled.

Seriously... I think this girl might be a real princess. I mean it seems like she has the CM's all wrapped around her finger.

Except for that one mean one at Rock n Rollercoaster.

Even though it was in a creamy cheese sauce it didn’t feel heavy and the vegetables in it were great (probably because they were covered in the aforementioned cheese sauce).

That's the only way I want vegetables.

Maddie chose her Italian restaurant standby-plain spaghetti.

Plain salad. Plain spaghetti. I'm surprised she even put butter on her bread.

As he served dessert (no options were given, you just get a sampler platter) Mr. Happy Pants commented that Maddie looked like “a very young Audrey Hepburn” and with that all was forgiven. What can I say? I’m easy.

... and shortly thereafter, Maddie said, "Who is that?"

Would we return? We probably would. We loved the preferred seating for Fantasmic (which sounds more reliable than the FP+ seating) and really did enjoy our entrees very much. The décor is really cute, and it’s a nice place to cool off in the concrete heat of DHS. We had a good time there, and that counts for a lot.

I haven't been there in a while, but I'm thinking about it for our next trip with the Fantasmic package. I enjoy it. Although it does serve Italian food and I'm always in the mood for Italian, whether it be fine dining Italian or drive thru window at Fazolis or anywhere in between. I'm pretty easy to please.

 

[KristinAnne]

I just got all caught up! I've sort of disappeared frm the DIS since my snow as born, but I have it in my head that I want to go in 2015, so I'm making a comeback! Maddie looks so much older with her side bangs! It's funny I just read where you said you'd only return to H&V if Sofia and Doc are there, and I read today they are going to be joining Manny and Jake. DD is a huge Doc fan so that would be a must for us! Loving your report as always!

 

[KatMark]

 

[scholastica]

All caught up! Can't wait to hear more. I agree with your parenting tip of letting the butter stay on the nose. Gotta have fun some times.

And your sewing room is lovely! Job well done.

 

[KatMark]

​

 

[shan23877]

Adorable pictures of Maddie. I am glad her mood improved after her RnR rejection. Just goes to show what some characters, a little dancing, and a ride on ToT will do for you!

Your lunch looks pretty -yummy - especially your entree. I ate at Mama's in June and it was pretty good, although it gets mixed reviews.

Love Maddie's dress.

thanks! She needed the distraction, and characters were just the thing! She should be tall enough this spring though!

It was pretty good! I'm glad we tried it.

Poor Maddie! Even though she knew that she was too short for the coaster, she was still disappointed. There's always another trip though. The girl is a much braver woman than I. It took me over a dozen trips to Disney before I went on Tower of Terror.

Your food at Mama Melrose's looks pretty darn good right now. I can tell that my peanut butter and cracker breakfast has worn off. We ate dinner at MM this past May and our waitress had an attitude like nobody's business. She would have fit right in at 50's Prime Time.

Poor kid. She was really sad. I think she'll be tall enough this May though!

It was really good! I'd order that again in a heartbeat.

Haha! Our guy didn't even have enough personality for 50s!

Ya got that right! <grunts> <farts> <scratches self inapropriately>


Workin' hard,
to keep that card.







Ah. I was wracking my somewhat limited memory trying to remember if you'd mentioned something.
Doesn't seem to slow you down too much, though.

Funny that I'm replying to this now...Stay tuned.

Mmm - Mickey pretzel! Maddie is one smart cookie.

OMG - I know nothing about Ralph and Vanelope (haven’t seen the movie), but they are HUGE!

Yay for Maddie finding the ToT awesomeness! Now she can ride with Willow one day and enjoy every second.

Have I mentioned how much I love the OK shirts? So great!!!

Love the pic of Bryan and Maddie waiting happily at MM while you fume. Totally me - we have no patience, woman!

I loved that Joanie and Chachi decor too! As you know, it was our first time there too. I think you and I ordered the same thing (although mine was gluten-free and I did shrimp instead of chicken) - YUM!

Love all the cute butter pics.

Too bad dessert wasn’t better.

You have to watch Wreck it Ralph, it's really really cute. They are GIANT sized!

Thank you! And thanks for encouraging me to make the shirts!

Yeah, something to work on that patience thingl

Dessert was a disappointment, but the entree was good! Not a bad meal at all!

That pasta looks amazing! The flatbread doesn't look half bad either.

Butter on your nose is a pretty funny situation. It happens to the best of us.

It was good! I think the butter was accidental the fist time, after that.... LOL

oh, mickey shaped pretzels are on our snack list too! they look delicious and i'm sure taste exceptionally better than boring, non magical, regular shaped pretzels!

we are in LOVE with your ralph and vanelope pictures! we saw the movie when it was in theaters, but I checked it out from the library the other day and we have rediscovered our love of it. we are so excited to meet them!

maddie is way brave to go on ToT! the line there creeps me out too! and I think the CMs like their jobs a little too much over there--also always creepy!

we've never been to mama Melrose's either. it looks like it was a good experience! but, hello? passed up tiramisu? that would have been the first thing cleared off the plate in our family!

You have to try the Mickey pretzel! Maddie would insist on it!

Ralph and Vanelope were really fun. I'm so glad we stopped to meet them.

She loves the drop on ToT! It's the themeing that creeps her out. I love those over the top CMs!

I probably didn't eat as well as my friends south of the border!

Probably not.

I love pretzels.
Probably my favorite snack.

And yet I've never had a Mickey one!
Didn't even know there was such a thing.

You must try one! I have it on good authority that they're the best in the world!

That's where we differ.
I would have purchased something from both places.

You know. Just so the proprietor wouldn't feel slighted.

Why didn't I think of that? I really should have.

Please PM me the other 3456.

Thanks.

I would, but my editor would have a fit. I'll send you an advanced copy before it's published.

I wonder why that is?
Ralph's hands too big?

I think so. His hands are bigger than my head!

Someone... and I'm not naming names, looks like he has a rooster comb.

I hadn't noticed that!

I'll take efficient over perky any day.

Absolutely!

Not good.
There's a reason why croutons are used and not just bread chunks.

Sometimes change is not for the better.

Those are wonderful shots.

Thanks Ponz!

What are you trying to do to me????

Can't wait! Thanks for the posts, Shanmitz! [/QUOTE]

Thanks Ponziebelle

We had a similar exprience at MM a few years ago. I had a good meal but, it wasn't fantastic. We would go there again but we are not sorry if we miss it either.

I think the butter pics were cute!

The Ralph meet and great is fun but Ralph is huge! I was amazed my two year old ran right up to him!

I can tell how much your DD lives HS!

It's not a must do for us, but it wasn't bad!

Ralph was GIANT SIZED! I can't believe more kids aren't afraid of him.

She really does love DHS. She loves all the shows and characters!

I was so far behind!

Great updates, can't believe how many characters you saw on this morning.

Love your sewing room, looks like a place you won't mind spending time in.

Luckily it's not hard to get caught up around here! LOL

We got a ton of character meets in during the morning hours!

The sewing room is great, I'm so glad I did it.

Love the update! Sorry Maddie wasn't big enough for RnR. That's so disappointing for a kiddo. Glad Ralph and Vanelope made up for it. I can see why Ralph can't sign autographs. Holy huge hands! They are must meets for our next visit. I think my girls have watched that movie no less than 734 times.

Your pasta at Mama Melrose looked so good! Made me want to try that place. And I love the butter on the face. That's something we'd have a good laugh over at our house too!

It's such a cute movie! We loved it too! And those hands are giant sized!

That pasta was really good, I'd recommend it. The butter pics, things like that happen a lot here.

Oh my gosh I LOVE that photo of maddie with the pretzel, she’s so excited! So cute! Great pics with Ralph and Vanellope! Glad that everyone got in on the fun!

Maddie certainly is a brave little one, I still wont do RnR, and definitely wouldn’t have done thrill rides at her age! I love that you take so many candid photos, they’re SO CUTE! Definite memory makers!

I’m tempted to do the Fantasmic dinner package one of these days! It’s far superior to the fp plus…then again…anything is better than that it’s such a waste!

Excited to read more!

The Fantasmic package was great. The seating was dead center. I hate the idea of lining up hours in advance for any show, so it worked perfectly for us.

She's a little thrill seeker for sure. She should be big enough for RnRC this spring!

Total Star Wars novice here too.... I probably couldn't even tell you the names of the characters! But I just bought a Star Wars dress for one of my girls to wear... so it looks like it will definitely be part of our next trip.

We missed the Animation Building on our trip too. Another must-do on our next trip. I really hope that Ralph and Vanelope are still there next year! You guys had such a cute meet & greet with them!

Great review of Mama Melrose. It sounds like it's a good option to pick with the Fantasmic package.

Star tours is fun! I can't wait to see those dresses!

Ralph and Vanelope are fun, I hope they keep them around.

It was a really nice lunch, and I loved having the reserved seating.

I'm so happy I wasn't too far behind.

So glad that Maddie got her Mickey pretzel (Cayley loves those too!). Great pictures with the characters, and way to go Maddie on TOT!

I'm glad you enjoyed your lunch at Mama Melrose. We've not been since 2008, but we have always enjoyed it there and never had a really bad meal. I'll be eating there twice next year, and glad to know it is still good.

I've not started my TR yet (just got home yesterday), but we saw a LOT of empty tables in restaurants we ate at and believe they were very short-staffed.

she loves those pretzels!

It wasn't too bad at all! I loved that pasta.

Pretzel's taste better when they're shaped like Mickey. It's a proven fact. Maddie is on to something.

We also would subscribe to Awesome Parenting tip # 3457. When all else fails....have someone else let them down. I'm sorry that she got upset though.

Great job Maddie keeping her eyes open the whole time!!!!

We also agree with excellent parenting tip #5673.

We haven't eaten at Mama Melrose in years. I mean, seriously like a decade. The first and last time we ate there it was kind of a disappointment, so we haven't made it back yet.

I appreciate the back up on the parenting tips! I just couldn't break her heart.

it was pretty good! I don't know if we'd go if it weren't for the Fantasmic package, but I did enjoy it.

I took a little time away from the Dis, but as soon as I came back I knew I had to find your TR. I read your PTR and loved it. It is so much fun reading about Maddie's adventures!

Also what is the link to your etsy shop?

So glad to have you!

I can't link to the shop, but if you PM me I can tell you how to find it.

I usually remember numbers (left brained) better than details (right brained), but I definitely know what snack Maddie loves. Xander used to like soft pretzels himself, but he is kind of over them lately. We got him one at Disneyland. After eating a few bites, he threw it away. He did not even ask if we wanted any, which was odd.

We waited over an hour for a table at Mama Melrose when we dined there last. Our food and service were about the same as yours, so I am in no rush to dine there again. Maddie does kind of look like a young Audrey Hepburn. I did not realize it until I read that, but he is right.

Xander was the opposite of Maddie when it came to RnR. He was just barely tall enough to ride. Once we were in line, he started crying, because he did not want to ride it. I was about to ask about the chicken exit when he asked for a bribe. He wanted chocolate coins (his new go to snack at Disney). Being the fantastic parent I am, I agreed to give him one coin for each adult ride he tried. They were sold in packs of 8, so he could earn put to 8. He put on his brave face and gave it a try. I was surprised when he agreed to do the rider swap with Crap. Then again, he really wanted chocolates.

It had been 10 years since we did ToT at WDW. I forgot how much better it was than the one at Disneyland. Xander rode with me, but refused to do the rider swap with Crap. Not even an extra chocolate could get him on. Go Maddie. Way to be brave. The certificate the CM gave her sounds awesome. What a cute keepsake!

I can't imagine Maddie getting tired of her pretzels!

How disappointing about MM! It was pretty empty when we were there, if we'd had to wait for the food we'd have been pretty annoyed too.

Poor Xander! I love your awesome parenting tip! I love bribery and do it all the time!

It was a cute keepsake! She put it on her shelf with her BBB sashes.

I have to agree with Maddie that the Mickey shape is what makes everything SO GOOD!!!!

Haha, what are CM's for if not to deny children their dreams so the parents don't have to?

Wow, now that Mr. Charisma said it, she DOES look like Audrey Hepburn.

She's on to something with the pretzels...

Exactly! They have the extra magic that makes bad news bearable.

Awww, thanks Rob

 

[shan23877]

I concur, very Audrey-esque! We are down with food on noses, in fact every time we have ice cream, a battle of "Some on your nose" ensues. Everyone gets ice cream on their nose and we all laugh!

aw, thanks!

This isn't the first time she's accidentally gotten something on her nose. It is pretty funny though.

Maddie is just too cute and I am enjoying watching her enjoy Disney! You are doing a great job writing. Love the sewing room btw (I've had to play catch-up and go back and read some of your updates.)

Your report is making me "jones" for Disney!

Thanks so much! I appreciate you joining in!

the DIS boards keep me sane between trips, it's the only way to keep the Disney blues at bay.

I'm still here following along! Your updates are always so fun!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

Thanks Marissa! I've been keeping up with yours too! Sorry I've been MIA!

Shannon! That's the same dish that I had at Moma Melrose and it was so good. We really enjoyed our lunch there. Never tried the mickey pretzel and Maddie sure makes it look good too.

Will probably be away til after the new year, so wanted to wish you and yours and everyone following a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I'll catch up in the new year!!! Karen

It was good wasn't it? I liked it a lot!

She loves them! You'll have to try the pretzel!

Hope you had a great holiday Karen!

It always breaks my heart a little bit when I see kids getting turned down at coasters due to being too short. You can read their devastation so clearly on their faces.

However, Maddie was able to ride ToT, which is a feat in itself, in my personal opinion. Even I'm too chicken to ride that particular attraction. Go girl!


I'm like you and am extremely picky about my tomatoes (I usually only like the ones my family grows) so I can understand your apprehension about ordering them. Your entree looks like it made up for the lackluster appetizer, though. Anything pasta and cheese based sounds delicious, and I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Poor kid. She should be tall enough this spring though, and she's pumped! She loves the drop on ToT-the theming not so much.

I'm such a tomato snob. I'm glad I'm not alone.

That pasta was really really good. I'm so glad I tried it!

Ok. I understand the appeal of a Mickey shaped pretzel, but when faced with these ridiculously huge, delicious cupcakes right in front of you... I mean how do you not change your mind????

She's a unique kid.

Seriously... I think this girl might be a real princess. I mean it seems like she has the CM's all wrapped around her finger.

Except for that one mean one at Rock n Rollercoaster.

haha! You're right! too bad she couldn't charm that one!

That's the only way I want vegetables.

Thank god you understand me.

I haven't been there in a while, but I'm thinking about it for our next trip with the Fantasmic package. I enjoy it. Although it does serve Italian food and I'm always in the mood for Italian, whether it be fine dining Italian or drive thru window at Fazolis or anywhere in between. I'm pretty easy to please.

I'm the same way about Italian. I think it was totally worth it for the Fantasmic package-and the seating was great for the show!

I just got all caught up! I've sort of disappeared frm the DIS since my snow as born, but I have it in my head that I want to go in 2015, so I'm making a comeback! Maddie looks so much older with her side bangs! It's funny I just read where you said you'd only return to H&V if Sofia and Doc are there, and I read today they are going to be joining Manny and Jake. DD is a huge Doc fan so that would be a must for us! Loving your report as always!

Thanks for sticking with me! And Congratulations!

We changed a breakfast reservation for the May trip when I saw that...

Thanks Kathy!

All caught up! Can't wait to hear more. I agree with your parenting tip of letting the butter stay on the nose. Gotta have fun some times.

And your sewing room is lovely! Job well done.

Thanks for joining in! And thanks for the parenting back up! I appreciate the kind words!

​

thanks Kathy!

 

[shan23877]

Real Life Update #4​

It looks like it’s major apology time again… My excuses come with pictures though!

First of all, I hope that all of you had a safe and happy holiday season!

I’m sure that you all understand how crazy the holidays can be. Ours was no different this year. Since I work in a restaurant, this time of year my shifts become more frequent and longer. Maddie had a Christmas ballet performance, and once again I over committed myself to sewing projects. I had a t-shirt quilt, 5 stockings, 2 sets of doll bedding (quilts, sheets, pillows, pillowcases), and 7 pillows to make. None of them were done by December 20th. By going without sleep I managed to finish all them, make 5 different types of cookies, and get all the gifts wrapped by the wee hours of the morning on December 24th.

One of the pillows I made (pre-stuffing of course)





And our stockings (ours were ruined in the basement flood)






​

We saw Frozen around Thanksgiving, and Maddie’s wish list reflected her love of the movie. She wanted both dresses and both dolls. Santa also brought a stuffed Olaf, but I think that was more for me.

She also asked for an American Girl doll, and 2 of the It’s a Small World Dolls. I thought the IaSW dolls were adorable, but I was shocked that they made the short list.

​

We had a very nice holiday with family, and as usual Maddie was spoiled rotten by not only Bryan and I but by both grandmas and extended family as well.

Mads got 2 Lego Friends sets that she already had, and she’d gotten a Toys R Us gift card that was burning a hole in her pocket so on the 26th we set out to do some exchanging. While browsing the Lego friends section we found the COOLEST LEGO SET EVER. I’ve seen the princess Duplo sets, but never any of these!

She also got the cruise ship set from Uncle Cory, so we did that this week as well




​

Upon further research at home, these Disney sets were to become available on January 1, but for some reason they let us buy it a week early. They also have Rapunzel’s tower, the ‘Kiss the Girl’ scene, and a Merida set. I have the feeling Maddie will be getting some of those for her birthday in early February.

Bryan and I had each bought one “family gift” as well. We’re going to see Mary Poppins the Musical tomorrow night, and in early February we’re going to see Disney on Ice! Maddie is really, really excited about both.

I also have some not-quite-as-fun news. Some of you may have noticed that I was wearing a large black knee brace in some of our DHS photos. I’ve had knee problems since I ran cross country in high school (more years ago than I care to admit). In the last year they’ve gotten progressively worse, but over the last month the pain has been worse than ever. I finally made the decision that I’d get them taken care of over the summer.

Sunday night I was working my normal 12 hour shift. I was walking through the kitchen when I felt a POP! in my right knee. Since I suffer from Napoleon Complex (better known as short man’s disease) as well as White Coat Syndrome I briefly considered trying to finish up my shift, but since I couldn’t walk they sent me home.

Bryan picked me up (right knee-he didn’t want me driving) and we went to an urgent care facility nearby. The doc was awesome and told me after listening that it sounded like ligaments-probably the ACL-and since she didn’t have an MRI machine I was better off at the ER. Hearing that, I, of course, immediately began referring to myself as Derrick Rose.
We went to the ER where they did an X-ray even though I knew no bones were broken. The ER doc agreed with the one at urgent care (and he called me Derrick Rose too!). According to him it’s unlikely that it’s a complete tear, just partial, but without an MRI there’s no way of knowing how bad. I have an appointment with an orthopedist tomorrow morning where we’ll hopefully get some answers. In the meantime I’m wearing an immobilizer from thigh to calf and using crutches to get around.

It’s not exactly how I wanted the New Year to start, but I’m not entirely surprised either. Here’s some pictures of how Maddie and I spent a rockin’ New Year’s Eve. Maddie and Bryan took part in their traditional Star Wars marathon, and I did a jigsaw puzzle and read a book. We’re wild ones!

​

The positive part of this is that I may have significantly less knee pain for our May WDW trip. Last year a few days were really rough. I’ll keep you posted on KneeGate2014.


Please excuse the writing in any updates posted this evening. I’ve been prescribed painkillers, and they seem to affect me more than most people.

Thanks for sticking with me! I have a whole slew of updates to make it up to you-including the Yachtsman and BBB updates!

 

[shan23877]

The One Where We Meet Our Brothers​

We emerged from our lunch at Mama Melrose to find a very crowded, and very hot DHS. We didn’t have a real plan in place but we knew we wanted to meet Phineus and Ferb and Mike and Sully. Maddie was quite interested in seeing the Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Disney Jr. shows, but we had an early dinner reservation and knew we wouldn’t be able to see them all.

We decided to try P&F first. They’d just finished up their set and wouldn’t be back for an hour so we stopped to see the Muppets instead. Thanks to this attraction I can no longer see or hear or hear the name Annette Funicello (RIP) without thinking “a net full of jello”. We enjoyed the show and the cool theater, and spent some time browsing the gift shop afterward.

​

Since we were wearing our matching OK shirts we HAD to meet Mike and Sully so we headed that way. One of the best things about meeting Mike and Sully has always been that there’s never a line. The M&G is tucked away behind a little shop, and no one is ever there. Apparently the popularity of Monster’s University changed all that. The line was really, really long and full of tour groups.


Maddie really wanted to stay, so we did. This was the one time that “keep moving forward” “fill in all available space” started to make me really hostile. I have never had my personal space invaded so much, nor been stepped on as many times as I was in that line. Each person from the tour groups had to have an individual photo and a group photo, and they all depended on the character attendant to take all the photos with several different phones.

Having said all that, the changes made to the once boring and non-descript area were really cute. I took tons of photos to pass the time.

​

Finally it was our turn. Mike and Sully seemed suitably impressed with our shirts, and many high fives were exchanged. The PP person was a little surly, but the character attendant seemed really excited that we’d dressed for the occasion.

​

We headed back through Pixar Place with the intention of checking to see what time the next VoLM and Disney Jr shows began. On the way we ran into a Green Army Man and stopped for a pic.

​

Both shows were already underway so Maddie decided we’d go to the Animation Building instead. She wanted to meet “Magic Mickey”. The line was a bit long for her taste, so she had Bryan and I wait while she played at the paint kiosk.

​

She did join us by the time we met the big guy. Magic Mickey never disappoints. He’s always a great time.

​

Since the character lines had been much longer than we’re used to, and our dinner reservation was earlier than usual we only had time to do one more thing that afternoon. Maddie chose to see Beauty and the Beast (or as she calls it “Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage!).

It was a full house in the BatB theater, and it was HOT! Maddie did not let those things dampen her enthusiasm. She adores this show!



​

During the show she noticed that there were feet sticking out from Chip’s costume. She was sort of upset about it, but I explained that the real Chip is very small, and it’s an actor doing the show. She was fine with that explanation, but I knew she’d be questioning things a lot more from here on out. I think she’s knows more about these characters than she lets on, she just wants so badly to believe!


On the way to the boat dock we stopped for some PP pictures. I have to say, I was really disappointed in PP this year. I was really excited about PP+, but on this trip I saw far, far fewer photographers than usual. This one in particular did take some different shots though!

​

Up Next: Dinner!

 

[shan23877]

The One with My Favorite Picture
​

​

After the show we noticed that the sky was looking ominous. Since we planned to take the Friendship Boats to the Yacht Club for dinner we figured we’d better leave the park before the rains came. A boat was waiting as got to the dock, and the captain was hustling everyone on saying “the storm is coming, let’s get you where you need to go”.

​

It still wasn’t raining when we got to the resort, and we had about 30 minutes before our ADR, so we took the opportunity to enjoy the grounds. After Bryan and I used the facilities and changed our clothes we parked ourselves on a bench and just relaxed.

Maddie isn’t one for relaxing, and she was dying to “dip her toes in the sand” so we made our way over the beach. I am so glad that we did because I got some of my favorite pictures ever while we were there.

And my favorite version of it



​

It was almost time to check in for dinner, so I drug Mads away from the sand.

​

As we headed in Bryan cautioned Maddie not to run and then did this:

​

We took a few photos in the lobby and then checked in for our ADR

​

Up Next: The Yachtsman!

 

[shan23877]

The One With the Yachtsman Steakhouse​

We were welcomed to the Yachtsman by a very friendly hostess who explained the aging process of their beef as she invited us to sit on an upholstered bench that looked onto where the chef butchers their meat nightly. He wasn’t out that early, but she said he’d be working there within the hour if we were interested.

The butchery area





The different cuts are on display



​

Very soon we were led to our table. For some reason I wasn’t expecting the Yachtsman to be as fancy and well-appointed as it is. Maybe it’s because I spend my work days in a steakhouse, but I the Yachtsman made a very good first impression on me. It’s decorated in a very classic steakhouse style, lots of dark wood, white table cloths, small candles flickering on the tables.

​

Our dinner reservation was quite early (5:30) so the restaurant wasn’t very busy. We were seated in an alcove featuring floor to ceiling windows that over-looked storm along bay. The one bad thing I can say about the restaurant is that I didn’t love seeing all the people going to and from the pool while we were enjoying a signature meal.

Because the dining room was so quiet I didn’t feel very comfortable taking lots of photos. Most of the food and restaurant photos I have are borrowed from various internet sources.

The first thing that I noticed when we sat down was that I’d been given a personalized Happy Birthday menu. I’d heard of that being done for newlyweds and couples celebrating anniversaries, but I was honestly shocked that they’d done that for my birthday. I felt silly wanting to keep it, but I put it at the edge of the table near the extra chair.

​

Our server approached quickly, introduced himself (Oscar), and offered us beverages. Having spent a very hot afternoon at the Studios we each ordered a soft drink. Water glasses were on the table and had already been filled. He noticed me sheepishly edging the menu toward our stuff, and said he’d be back with something for us to keep the menu. I loved him already.



When he returned with our sodas, we placed our orders. I was torn between 2 cuts of meat for my entrée, and Oscar began to explain the differences in them in depth. I laughingly told him about my work history and he said “well, I think you know that you have to get the NY strip”.


But first we had appetizers. I am one of those people who studies the WDW menus online for months before a trip, so my decision was an easy one. I ordered the Assortment of Artisanal Cheeses. Once again Oscar the Great noticed me trying to sneakily take a photo of the cheese descriptions and whispered that I should take the sheet with me and feel free to make notes about my favorites.

​

Bryan ordered the Charcuterie Board featuring suckling pig, cured meats, guinea hen, and accoutrements.

​

My cheese board was lovely. Of the five varieties, only one wasn’t to my taste, but half the fun of the cheese board is trying new types of cheeses. The triple crème was outstanding, and the parmesean was great. I loved the bleu, and the cheddar was very good. The honey comb was amazing with the salty triple crème as well.

Bryan really enjoyed the charcuterie, but wasn’t wowed by his first taste of pate. He expected to love it, so that was a bit of a let-down, but obviously not the Yachtsman’s fault.



Maddie’s appetizer selections were limited to salad or chicken noodle soup. I asked Oscar if it might be possible for her to have a small portion of fruit instead, and he came through. She was given a bowl of cantaloupe, watermelon, and grapes. She left the cantaloupe, but every bite of the rest.


After our appetizer plates had been cleared Oscar stopped by with rolls for the table. He took the time to explain that one was sourdough, and the other their signature onion pull apart rolls. They were served with salted butter and roasted cloves of garlic for spreading. These were as good as advertised. Bryan and I are both garlic lovers and that was out of this world.

​

While he was there, Oscar also produced a red ribbon that he’d thoughtfully supplied to roll up and tie my birthday menu with. I told him I’d be happy to do it myself, but he wouldn’t hear of it.


Our entrees arrived shortly. Bryan and I had both ordered the NY Strip, served with gruyere potato gratin and a peppercorn brandy sauce.

​

The NY Strip was good. It had a nice flavor as that cut should. A tiny criticism though, as I mentioned I’ve worked in steakhouses for years. For many many moons I worked at a prime, dry aged steakhouse where the chef butchered the meat on site every afternoon. I spent many an hour standing next to him soaking up his knowledge and learning everything I could about the cuts of beef and how to properly butcher them.


This NY didn’t seem to have been properly butchered. We quickly found that the way the beef was served, we were forced to cut against the grain of the beef which resulted in a steak that wasn’t as tender as it should be, and with fat running through it rather than down one side.


However, it did taste good. I assume this was an off night, and that the steaks are usually properly butchered. This did not alter my view of the restaurant at all. The potatoes were delicious, not overly cheesey, the potato was allowed to be the star.


Maddie ordered the children’s steak skewer with mashed potatoes and veggies. She ate every bite of the steak and potatoes. She wouldn’t eat a vegetable if we paid her (we’ve tried), so the fact that they were left on her plate doesn’t reflect any mistakes on the Yachtsman’s part.


Finally it was time for dessert. Even though we were getting full, we couldn’t resist ordering it. I asked Oscar for his advice, and he said that the one I was leaning toward was his personal favorite. I ordered the chocolate pretzel cake with salted caramel gelato and malted milk foam garnish. Bryan chose crème brulee, and Maddie the white chocolate Mickey puzzle.

​

When our desserts arrived, Oscar has also brought a dessert sampler with a candle in it for me. He encouraged Bryan to take a photo of Maddie and I with my special dessert. The sampler included a chocolate truffle, berry gum drop, macaroon, almond and chocolate cluster, and a peanut butter marshmallow. AMAZING. Every. Single. Thing.

​

And the chocolate pretzel cake? Knocked my socks off. It was incredible.

Bryan liked his crème brulee, and Maddie was thrilled with her chocolate puzzle with chocolate cake rolls.


Oscar presented our bill-using the dining plan we only had to leave gratuity-and thanked us for coming in. Oscar was incredible. He is probably the best server we’ve ever had the pleasure to meet. He’s a rock star waiter and deserves to be treated as such. If he had a fan page on Facebook, I’d “like” him, if @OscarfromtheYachtsman was on Twitter, I’d follow him. I’d look at all of his photos on Instagram, and pin him to my “people I love” board on Pinterest. Oscar is outstanding, and I hope that each and every one of you has the pleasure of meeting him when you dine at the Yachtsman Steakhouse.



The Yachtsman

Food: 8 –Improper butchery kept them from getting a 10

Service: 11-Even the hostess was a delight

Would we return: In a heartbeat. I can’t wait to dine there again in May.

 

[shan23877]

The One With Fantasmic​

Positively stuffed from a great dinner we headed to the boat dock to wait for a Friendship Boat to take us back to DHS. We had a bit of a wait, so Maddie pretended to be sleepwalking. Who wouldn’t?

​

Finally a boat came along, and we slowly made our way to the park. Usually the snail’s pace of the boats makes me crazy, but after such a good meal I was more than happy to relax as we cruised along.

The storm that we’d seen brewing before dinner never materialized, but as we re-entered DHS it did begin to sprinkle. We chose to shop our way down Sunset Boulevard to avoid getting wet. We found some dangly Mickey earrings that Maddie couldn’t live without, the hair clips that MiL had wanted us to find, and an Ariel watch to reward Maddie for learning to tell time.

Fantasmic was scheduled to begin in about 45 minutes so we headed into the theater. Along the way we were sucked into one of the carts selling the glow toys, and Maddie became the proud owner of an Aurora light up spinny thing.

​

Having done the dining package, we were entitled to prime seating right in the middle of the theatre. We found some seats and then I jumped back up to procure Maddie a soft pretzel (apparently the huge dinner hadn’t left her as full as it had Bryan and I). A few minutes later, the show began.

​

None of us had ever managed to see Fantasmic before, and even though Maddie and I had watched it on Youtube we were WOWED. Bryan and Maddie declared Fantasmic a must do for every trip from now on.


She loved it!

​

I was pleasantly surprised that the crowds leaving the theater were manageable, and we were at the bus stop in no time. We waited a bit for a bus, but not nearly as long as we would have right after Wishes.

​

We were back at the resort by 10:00. Trying to get into the room, I discovered that my room key was no longer working. While Maddie and Bryan changed for the pool, I went to the lobby to have a new KTTW card made. I did mention that this was not the first time I’d had problems, but the CM didn’t seem too upset by that.

I joined Maddie and Bryan at the quiet pool where Maddie was showing off her new found swimming skills. I got in for a while, but found the water a bit too chilly for my liking. Bryan and Maddie swam for a little longer before we decided to call it a night. Back at the room, Bryan’s KTTW card no longer allowed him entry to our room, so for the 4th time one of us had to make the trip to the lobby to get a new card. I’m fairly certain that Bryan also mentioned all the problems we’d had, and again no resolution was offered.

Inside the room we found a birthday card signed by on M. Mouse and a very cute towel chicken. Maddie was certain that they were left for her due to royal status.

​

We had another early morning coming up, so we turned in as soon as we changed our clothes.


Up Next: Bibbity, Bobbity, Princess!

 

[shan23877]

The One With the Little Princess​

We were up before the sun once again on Day 3. The invitation had been extended before the trip began, and Maddie knew this was her Bibbity Bobbity Boutique day. She was very easy to wake that morning. She was also very quick to dress since I didn’t have to be in charge of princess hair!

On the way out I took the time to snap some early morning POR photos. It’s just so pretty there!

​

We were at the bus stop by 7:10, and on a bus by 7:17. We joined the early reservation line at the MK and were let in at about 7:45. There was plenty of time to take photos on the coveted empty Main Street on our way to the castle.

​

As we approached the castle we saw that there were several Fairy Godmothers in Training waiting at the top of the ramps. Since Maddie had run ahead of us, she’d already introduced herself to one, confirmed that she did have a BBB reservation and was on her way to the boutique.

​

Once inside I told them we’d be doing the castle package, and Maddie had to finally decide what dress to choose. She had it narrowed down to just a few, and having purchased her the Cinderella dress a few nights before I had a good idea which one she’d pick.

I’ve never had the opportunity to take photos in the waiting area of the BBB-it’s usually standing room only in there-but since we were among the first to arrive that day I got to take some nice pictures.

​

Soon enough Princess Maddie was called back to the changing room to get into her dress.


And a little princess emerged.


Her FGiT was adorable, and sweet as could be. I swear we’ve had the best luck with awesome CMs at the BBB.

If you’ve never been, the castle location of the BBB is themed incredibly well. It’s gilded, swathed, and bedazzled everywhere you look. It’s exactly what a little girl would imagine that Cinderella’s personal salon could be.

Maddie is an old pro at the makeover by now, and quickly chose her nail polish and eye shadow colors. (Pink and blue I believe), and happily chatted with her FGiT as a PP photographer and I snapped photos.

​

By 8:45 the transformation was complete. Princess Maddie was in heaven.

If you’ve never done the BBB, or are on the fence because of the cost, I say do it! There is nothing like seeing your little girl feel like the most beautiful girl in the kingdom. The royal treatment doesn’t stop at the door of the BBB, nearly every CM you encounter during the day will bow, greet, and make a fuss over your little princess. It’s Disney Magic at its finest, and it’s worth every penny.

Makeover complete, we headed to Castle Couture to get our official photo shoot taken care of.

​

We were done there by 8:55, and were told we could come back in an hour to choose the photos we’d like for the included photo package.

We were first in line at the Fantasyland rope, where would the morning take us?



Up next: To Beast or Not to Beast

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Happy New Year Shannon. My goodness, you were indeed the busy one. WOW.

Awww how cute is Maddie in her Anna/Elsa outfits? Well I'll tell you. Super adorable. Also adorable, the 2 pups with Olaf.

Oh dear, I sincerely hope you get some good results on your knee.

Oh I know, the Monsters used to be such a hidden gem. The only time a line seemed to form was right after a Backlot tour let out.

Haha, I just realized this TR is like watching a stage play with all the costume changes!

"Magic Mickey"... I like that!

Awww (I know, lots of "awwws" come from me on this TR), but that photos of Maddie on the Beach in "mostly" B&W is precious. The un-posed photos are always the best.

WOW, first time seeing Fantasmic? It is absolutely a MUST DO! Oh So Good!!

Having never been in the position to see the BBB, it was really lovely to see what it looks like inside. I can only imagine the joy it would bring to a little girl (and subsequently the parents) to be gushed over all day long as a result. I can't imagine anything better.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

All caught up! Probably too much for me to comment on everything, but I will say I'm extremely jealous of your dinner at the Yachtsman. That's still on the must-do list for me, but it hasn't happened quite yet. Someday...

Maddie's makeover looks really nice, and you can't beat the empty (or somewhat empty) Main St. pictures!

 

[KatMark]

Way too much to comment on, but I'll take a stab at a few things.

First, so sorry to hear about your leg. I hope you get good news at the ortho.

Love the Elsa dress; I still have to go see that movie.

Love the picture of "no running." Leave it to dad to start trouble.

I'm so glad you enjoyed your dinner at Yachtsman. It is a new favorite of ours and we go every trip now (forget LeCellier...it doesn't compare).

Maddie makes a beautiful Belle.

 

[pkondz]

It looks like it’s major apology time again… My excuses come with pictures though!

Pictures?
Okay, you're forgiven.

First of all, I hope that all of you had a safe and happy holiday season!

Safe: check
Happy: check
Expensive: check and probably growing

Maddie had a Christmas ballet performance,

Pictures of that??

By going without sleep I managed to finish all them, make 5 different types of cookies, and get all the gifts wrapped by the wee hours of the morning on December 24th.

Holy cow!!

And our stockings (ours were ruined in the basement flood)

Hung with care, I'm sure.

We had a very nice holiday with family, and as usual Maddie was spoiled rotten by not only Bryan and I but by both grandmas and extended family as well.

That's what they're there for.

We’re going to see Mary Poppins the Musical tomorrow night,

That sounds good. I'd love to see that.
Have you seen Saving Mr. Banks, yet?

I’ve had knee problems since I ran cross country in high school (more years ago than I care to admit).

I doubt that.

Sunday night I was working my normal 12 hour shift. I was walking through the kitchen when I felt a POP! in my right knee. Since I suffer from Napoleon Complex

You realize that in just a few more years, Maddie will be taller than you, right?

I have an appointment with an orthopedist tomorrow morning where we’ll hopefully get some answers. In the meantime I’m wearing an immobilizer from thigh to calf and using crutches to get around.

Ugh. But at least you're getting it looked at right away.

Maddie and Bryan took part in their traditional Star Wars marathon, and I did a jigsaw puzzle and read a book. We’re wild ones!

Honestly. Just slightly more exciting than ours.

Thanks to this attraction I can no longer see or hear or hear the name Annette Funicello (RIP) without thinking “a net full of jello”.

Since we were wearing our matching OK shirts we HAD to meet Mike and Sully

Well.... of course.

I have never had my personal space invaded so much, nor been stepped on as many times as I was in that line.

I would be outta there faster than you could say, "Maddie, they're not real."
But...

Yeah.

I would've stuck it out for my rugrats at that age, too.

She wanted to meet “Magic Mickey”. The line was a bit long for her taste, so she had Bryan and I wait while she played at the paint kiosk.

"You stay in line. I shall be busy elsewhere."

Maddie chose to see Beauty and the Beast (or as she calls it “Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage!).

She is nothing if not properly correct.

During the show she noticed that there were feet sticking out from Chip’s costume. She was sort of upset about it, but I explained that the real Chip is very small, and it’s an actor doing the show. She was fine with that explanation, but I knew she’d be questioning things a lot more from here on out. I think she’s knows more about these characters than she lets on, she just wants so badly to believe!

Your little girl is growing up.

I really like how Maddie's arms are resting on the frame.

Maddie isn’t one for relaxing, and she was dying to “dip her toes in the sand” so we made our way over the beach. I am so glad that we did because I got some of my favorite pictures ever while we were there.

Great shots! And I agree with your choice for 'favorite shot'.

As we headed in Bryan cautioned Maddie not to run and then did this:

​

That's awesome!

The one bad thing I can say about the restaurant is that I didn’t love seeing all the people going to and from the pool while we were enjoying a signature meal.

'Cause that's what you wanna see when enjoying a nice meal.
Some hairy dude in a speedo, scratching himself.

The first thing that I noticed when we sat down was that I’d been given a personalized Happy Birthday menu.

That right there...
Pretty amazing.

He noticed me sheepishly edging the menu toward our stuff, and said he’d be back with something for us to keep the menu. I loved him already.

Nice.

I was torn between 2 cuts of meat for my entrée, and Oscar began to explain the differences in them in depth. I laughingly told him about my work history and he said “well, I think you know that you have to get the NY strip”.

What was the other cut you were considering?

Bryan ordered the Charcuterie Board featuring suckling pig, cured meats, guinea hen, and accoutrements.

​

What's in the dish? Tartare?

We quickly found that the way the beef was served, we were forced to cut against the grain of the beef which resulted in a steak that wasn’t as tender as it should be, and with fat running through it rather than down one side.

That's interesting.
I had no idea.

Oscar was incredible. He is probably the best server we’ve ever had the pleasure to meet. He’s a rock star waiter and deserves to be treated as such. If he had a fan page on Facebook, I’d “like” him, if @OscarfromtheYachtsman was on Twitter, I’d follow him. I’d look at all of his photos on Instagram, and pin him to my “people I love” board on Pinterest.

I'm not sure what you're trying to say here...
Does that mean you liked him?

Would we return: In a heartbeat. I can’t wait to dine there again in May.

Looked and sounded amazing.
Just one more to add to the Disney bucketlist!

We had a bit of a wait, so Maddie pretended to be sleepwalking. Who wouldn’t?

I would.

Along the way we were sucked into one of the carts selling the glow toys, and Maddie became the proud owner of an Aurora light up spinny thing.

Those carts...
So impossible to keep the little ones away from.

None of us had ever managed to see Fantasmic before, and even though Maddie and I had watched it on Youtube we were WOWED. Bryan and Maddie declared Fantasmic a must do for every trip from now on.

We weren't as wowed by it.
I think we had heard so much, and expected same, that it couldn't help but disappoint a little.

We were back at the resort by 10:00. Trying to get into the room, I discovered that my room key was no longer working.

Not again??

I did mention that this was not the first time I’d had problems, but the CM didn’t seem too upset by that.

Oh, that's good. We wouldn't want to upset the CMs now, would we?

Back at the room, Bryan’s KTTW card no longer allowed him entry to our room, so for the 4th time one of us had to make the trip to the lobby to get a new card. I’m fairly certain that Bryan also mentioned all the problems we’d had, and again no resolution was offered.

On the way out I took the time to snap some early morning POR photos. It’s just so pretty there!

As we approached the castle we saw that there were several Fairy Godmothers in Training waiting at the top of the ramps. Since Maddie had run ahead of us, she’d already introduced herself to one, confirmed that she did have a BBB reservation and was on her way to the boutique.

awwww.....

If you’ve never been, the castle location of the BBB is themed incredibly well. It’s gilded, swathed, and bedazzled everywhere you look. It’s exactly what a little girl would imagine that Cinderella’s personal salon could be.

Never been... and now probably never will.
I wish they'd had that when the DDs were little.
Ah, well...

Up next: To Beast or Not to Beast

Thanks for all the great photos!
But couldn't you have posted a few more chapters?
What? Lazy?

Seriously though, that was a ton of posts! Thanks!

 

[RGirl]

Loved the Christmas update - except for your knee, of course.

Love the MU pic! Worth the wait. The pictures with Magic Mickey are great. And good job actually seeing some shows! (As you well know, we FAILED at that. )

You know I love the beach pics. But I think my favorite pic is the one of Maddie chasing after Bryan. That is just a wonderful little father-daughter moment. Your YSH meal looks and sounds great - we will definitely give it another try.

Love the sleep-walking. I’m glad everyone loved Fantasmic! All the more reason for us to finally see it one day…. : I can’t believe y’all managed to get a swim in before bed as well. Weren’t you exhausted?????

POR looks really beautiful. We loved the BW, of course, but I am still a tiny bit sad that I moved us and didn’t get to experience POR.

Wonderful BBB and PP princess pics. Of course!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

First off, I wish you the best for your knee ... I hope you are right and the end result will be less pain long term. Good job out of you looking for that silver lining

oh, and very impressed with all you got accomplished ... I was worn out and needed a break after I read the list

That lego set is very cool. I like how they felt the need to specify that this was Cinderella's romantic castle ... not to be confused with her other castles

I can't think of that A Net Full of Jello joke without hearing in my head Fozzy's
"Ah-ah!"

Sorry you were disappointed with photopass ... but I love that picture with Maddie resting on the bottom of the frame

I enjoy your "favorite" picture, though I think I like the one with her arms stretched out a little better - like she is just taking it all in. Or saying - this is all mine! I am queen of the world!

happy to see you had Oscar the Great and no Oscar the Grouch

wow, that bonus dessert sampler is like the best "bonus" dessert ever ... I'd be happy just to have that - looks great!

Glad you enjoyed Fantasmic! It was new to us our last trip as well, and like you it has become a "must do"!

Very nice makeover. I am sure we will do that for my DD at some point - last trip we just bought some of our own sparkly hair spray and did our own BBBing each morning. Glad you thought it was fully worth the cost!

 

[STLMickeyMom]

awesome updates!! we leave in 3 days for our trip and it was just the Disney fix I needed to get through another day! there was too much to comment on, but I just want to say that i'm glad you all had a wonderful Christmas and new years, I hope everything with your knee turns out well, and I LOVE that picture of Maddie's feet in the sand (and the sleepwalking! )! can't wait for more!