Sharing the Magic-Our Niece and Nephew's 1st Trip to the World! 2/1-COMPLETE!!!!

[UGAFan0829]

Mike and Mark still hadn’t shown up, so Jaden had a quick visit with Goofy.

By this time, I was starting to get a little anxious. Though we never said where we’d meet back up, I assumed that it would be in the same place where we parted ways, which was right in front of Town Square. I thought that maybe they were in the gift shop that we had exited through, but when we passed back through, we still couldn’t find them. Then I happened to think that maybe they were inside the theater, and when I checked, that’s just where we found them.

Finally re-united, we headed down Main Street, stopping on our way to get our first castle pics.

We asked the PP Photographer for a “magic” shot, and when we tried the Tinkerbell pose, Mark and Jaden didn’t quite understand what was going on!

Oh well, they can’t all be perfect, right?

We continued on our way, and made a right towards Tomorrowland.

But before we could make it all the way, I caught sight of another PP Photographer and asked if we could stop again. I think the kids were getting annoyed as they were ready for some rides, and here I was holding them up for more pictures!

I really liked the way these turned out. And this has become one of my favorite photo spots! We also managed to be successful with a “magic” shot this time!

Then we came across this, where Mike and Mark took a couple minutes to play around…

We journeyed just a little further into Tommorowland where we stopped to use our Fastpasses for our first ride of the day.

Space is one of, if not my very favorite rides in all of WDW, so I was SO excited to have shared the fun with Mark and Jaden. They both LOVED it and wanted to go again! We promised that we would, but wanted to do a couple other things first.

I pulled up the wait times on my phone and noticed that Buzz was only a 10 minute wait, so we decided to head there next.

Mark and I rode together this time putting Mike and Jaden with each other.

We were moving along just fine, shooting everything we could, when suddenly the ride came to a halt! We were stuck for the first time ever on a Disney ride. As we sat there, we managed to max out our scores.

And of course, I took the opportunity to take some shots in the cool lighting.

We waited for about 5 minutes for the ride to get going again, and sadly all our scores were re-set.

 

[UGAFan0829]

After exiting Buzz, we decided to make the super long trek next door to the Laugh Floor.

This was another one of those attractions that we knew we had to share with Mark and Jaden. Our last visit had been hysterical, and we hoped this one would be just as fun for them. As we waited to go into the theater, I explained the show to them and then asked if they had any jokes we could send in. They both came up with a couple each, so I sent them all and crossed our fingers.

Finally, we made our way inside, and the jokes started coming. Mark was SO excited and proud when they used one of his. Thankfully they gave both him and Jaden credit for it, so they were both grinning from ear to ear to have heard their names! It was definitely one of those memories that we won’t even forget!

With smiles still on all our faces, we decided to make good on our promise and head back to give it another go on SM!
This time Jaden rode with Mike and Mark with me. I love the expression on Mark’s face in this ride photo, I think it showed how much he really loved it!

And Jaden looked a bit more relaxed the second time around, too!

By this time, we were all a little hungry and decided to look for some lunch. I remembered reading about a place that had a toppings bar, but I couldn’t recall the name. So I dug out the trusty park map and came across Tortuga Tavern. The description said they offered a toppings bar for taco salads and such, so after consulting the kids, we all agreed that we’d be dining there. We made our way across the bridge and over into Adventureland.

The restaurant was a bit crowded when we arrived, so the kids and I searched for a table while Mike placed our order.

Jaden had the kids PB&J meal, Mark had a beef burrito, and Mike and I both had the taco salad.

I’m not sure who ate what, but we ended up with a chocolate cake and a gelato for dessert.

With our tummies full, we decided to head out for our next adventure.

I checked the times guide and saw that Donald was about to make an appearance in Frontierland, so we decided to head there. Since Mike had missed him the night before at CM’s, the kids decided that they’d let him have Donald all to himself this time. So while Mike and Jaden waited in line, Mark and I headed over to Splash for some Fastpasses. After I’d been preaching to Mark all week about watching where he was going, no sooner had we parted ways with Mike and Jaden when he ran smack into this trashcan.

Notice the big wad of gum that was stuck to the side? Yep, Mark’s shirt now had sticky, stringy gum stuck to the back of it. Of course, as I tried to clean it off as best I could using a Wet One, I once again explained the importance of watching where he was going.

We made it to Splash and collected our FP’s then headed back towards the Donald line. When we made it there, our timing was perfect as Mike was saying goodbye to his feathered friend.

As you can see, Mike told me that Donald wasn’t too happy that Mike was wearing a Mickey shirt! Lol

Our next stop was Pirates as we noticed that wait was pretty short.

Both Mark & Jaden really liked it, and especially loved the “waterfall” part.
We took a few minutes to let them play around in the gift shop afterwards.

As we exited Pirates, Mike and I had one thought in mind…and we headed straight there.

We missed out on one of these beauties during our last trip to the MK, and we weren’t about to let that happen again! Mike and I ordered a float to share, and Jaden wanted a pineapple spear, but they were all out, so she opted for juice instead. Mark didn’t want anything, which wasn’t surprising. Jaden loves fruit while Mark can leave it.

By the time that we’d finished up our goodies, it was time to head back to Splash!

Jaden did not want to get wet, but Mark was all about it, so he and Mike rode up front, and Jaden and me behind them in hopes that they would shield us from any chance of getting wet!

I think our love for Splash is pretty evident in this picture:

Once again the kids loved it, and Mark got his wish as him and Mike were a bit wet!

 

[chocolateMinnie]

what a fantastic TR. Great to see an extended family sharing a trip - the kids are really lucky but from your TR it seems you both got a real buzz from taking them too.

Can you remember how much the pick a pearl and settings are? Never noticed it before.

 

[amazingact21]

What a fun morning! Glad Space Mountain got the seal of approval, especially since it's your favorite. Probably would've had a fight break out if the kids hated it.


They reset the Buzz scores?! I've never heard them do that before. Not fair.


Eww, gum on the shirt is just as bad as stepping in it. In the heat, it's just a mess. But hopefully, Mark learned his lesson and watched out for trash cans!


Oh, Dole Whips.... My favorite snack. And perfect for a hot FL day in MK. Good choice.

Love the expressions on Splash!

 

[Pinkocto]

What fun! You got a lot of my favorites in everybody looks to be having a great time!

 

[UGAFan0829]

what a fantastic TR. Great to see an extended family sharing a trip - the kids are really lucky but from your TR it seems you both got a real buzz from taking them too.

Can you remember how much the pick a pearl and settings are? Never noticed it before.

You are certainly right...being able to take them was an amazing experience for us!

The best I can remember, I think the Pick a Pearl was around $24 or so. And the settings all varied. There were some that were $15, and they went all the way up to close to $100. I think the one that Mark and Jaden chose for their mom was around $25--it was very simple, yet beautiful!

What a fun morning! Glad Space Mountain got the seal of approval, especially since it's your favorite. Probably would've had a fight break out if the kids hated it.


They reset the Buzz scores?! I've never heard them do that before. Not fair.


Eww, gum on the shirt is just as bad as stepping in it. In the heat, it's just a mess. But hopefully, Mark learned his lesson and watched out for trash cans!


Oh, Dole Whips.... My favorite snack. And perfect for a hot FL day in MK. Good choice.

Love the expressions on Splash!

Your comment about Space Mountain and a fight breaking out made me laugh out loud!

Yeah, I was bummed about the resetting of the scores, but it was okay! We still had fun shooting everything in sight! lol

Yes, you are right about the gum being worse in the heat. It being stuck to the side of the hot metal trashcan was just terrible. And yes, he did learn his lesson from that!

You just can't go wrong with a Dole whip!

What fun! You got a lot of my favorites in everybody looks to be having a great time!

Yay! We were definitely having a great day! And there's still much more to come!

 

[Jennifer48]

They reset your Buzz scores?! Bummer!

I'm sorry but I chuckled a little bit when you said that Mark walked into the trashcan. My DSS doesn't pay attention either and he's done the same thing! But I did feel bad when he got gum stuck to him. Thats why Walt doesn't like gum at WDW!

Glad Mike got to see Donald!

 

[UGAFan0829]

They reset your Buzz scores?! Bummer!

I'm sorry but I chuckled a little bit when you said that Mark walked into the trashcan. My DSS doesn't pay attention either and he's done the same thing! But I did feel bad when he got gum stuck to him. Thats why Walt doesn't like gum at WDW!

Glad Mike got to see Donald!

They certainly did reset our scores!

Bless his heart, he was so into watching all the wildlife around the parks that he didn't always watch where he was going. Thankfully he didn't ever run into anyone, but the gum did teach him a lesson.

Mike was happy to have seen Donald, too!!

 

[mousetravel]

Great update and pics!
I especially love the photopass pics of all 4 of ya'll together!!!!

I think I'd be happy with one of those PB&J meals!
I bought some of those PB&J snack sandwiches, and I take them to school with me for my lunch!! They are so good!!!!

 

[danimaroo]

I'm here! I have much catching up to do, but I'm very much excited to hear all about your trip!

 

[UGAFan0829]

Great update and pics!
I especially love the photopass pics of all 4 of ya'll together!!!!

I think I'd be happy with one of those PB&J meals!
I bought some of those PB&J snack sandwiches, and I take them to school with me for my lunch!! They are so good!!!!

I love those PB&J's too! I use to love to bring them for lunch before I started back on trying to eat healthy! They sure are good though, and easy!

I'm here! I have much catching up to do, but I'm very much excited to hear all about your trip!

Yay, I'm so glad you're here!

 

[UGAFan0829]

I’m sorry for being such a slacker lately! Things have really been busy for us! First we had mine and my Dad’s birthday at the end of last month. Then there was my great-niece’s birthday. Of course there were all the Labor Day festivities that included a cookout at my sister-in-laws and then a last minute one at our house with my sister and the kids. And tomorrow Mike and I celebrate our 13th anniversary. And in amongst all that, we’ve been trying to stay on track with our Tower of Terror training, which is coming up in just a little over two weeks. I really hope to get this report finished before we leave!!

When I last left off, we had just finished getting a tad bit wet on Splash Mountain, which was yet another ride that the kids loved.

After leaving there, we decided to head over to the Haunted Mansion to see what the wait time looked like. Mike and I hadn’t rode since the refurb/update, so we decided that it was time!
This is what we found when we arrived, but it really didn’t look that bad:

And since the queue was interactive, we figured that would help pass the time, so we decided to jump in line.

As you can tell, Jaden wasn’t too sure about the theme of this one!

I don’t think the kids even paid much attention to the fact that we were in line as they had a lot of fun exploring along the way.

We finally made it inside and boarded our Doom Buggies where Jaden rode with me, and Mark with Mike. I think Jaden was a little scared at times, especially in the pitch dark parts, but she never said a word! Of course Mark loved it! And they were both amused by the hitchhiking ghosts!

After exiting HM, we still had a little time to kill, so we decided to head over to Fantasyland to check out PhilharMagic.

At first, the kids weren’t too crazy about stopping to see shows, but I think they ended up being really impressed with the 3D magic!

We said goodbye to Fantasyland, and headed towards the back of the castle where Jaden and I would be making our next stop for her appointment at BBB. But first, I had to grab a couple pics by the well before her big transformation.

Mike and Mark accompanied us into the Castle, but once we were all checked-in, they decided to head off towards Goofy’s Barnstormer.

After checking in, we waited along with all the other princesses before we were called back to change into her dress. I forgot to metion, that we had actually rented a locker when we entered the park to store her dress and shoes in. And it was well worth it to not have to carry that big bag around all day!

We got her all changed into her dress, then made our way back to the waiting area where we sat for quite a while. Eventually, Mike and Mark came back to check on our progress and were surprised to see that we were still waiting. Thankfully, Jaden was the next Princess to be called. Our FGIT was Karla, and while she was nice, she wasn’t very talkative. Of course I went bananas with the picture taking at this point, and while I was clicking away, the PP photographer also took several shots as well. So, I’ll post my shots first, then the PP’s…

.

Continued in next post…

 

[UGAFan0829]

We were all finished up and were paying when the FGIT training informed us that we could head over behind the castle for more pics, if we’d like. And I’m sure you all can tell by now that I’m a sucker for pics anyway, but to be able to get more of Jaden all gussied up was really exciting.

Mike and Mark were waiting for us outside BBB, so I asked if we had time to head over for some more pics. We were cutting it a little close to our dinner time, but I really wanted to take advantage of the moment, so we decided that we’d go ahead…and even if we were a couple minutes late for dinner, I was sure it was no big deal.

We made our way over to the store, than I cannot remember the name of, and thankfully there was no one else waiting, so the photographer was able to start right away! After I saw these pics, I was SO glad that we decided to take the time to have them done!

I was so happy with them and thought they really captured the moment and the memory so well!

While Jaden was having her own photo shoot, Mark decided to dress himself up as well!

Then Mike decided to embarass me by asking the CM if I could be pixie-dusted. (I'm always too shy too ask myself or admit to wanting it done!)

We finished up there, and then made a dash to the front of the park, and headed towards the GF.

Up next, a royal dinner at 1900 Park Fare!

 

[amazingact21]

Glad to hear Philarmagic was a hit. I can see how shows would seem a little corny to kids, but with the interactive element to Philarmagic, it's hard not to love it!


Aww, I loved reading about Jaden's BBB experience. She looks so excited to be in the chair getting all dolled up. And you're right, those pictures by the store are amazing! It's like it was her own personal photoshoot. I bet that's something you'll both remember for years to come.


Can't wait to read how dinner went...especially with Jaden "princessed up."

 

[Jennifer48]

Glad everyone enjoyed Philharmagic, it really is great!

How adorable is Princess Jaden in her BBB attire! ​

 

[onescgirl]

Happy Belated Birthday and
Happy Anniversary!
My anniversary is today!

I have really enjoyed reading and getting caught up with your report.
That is a trip that you were able to be a part of the 'Be our Guest' podcast. I never listen to them, but I may need to try to find yours.
I love Jaden's flip flops, they are too cute!
That was so sweet of Jaden & Mark to pick a pearl for thier mom.
You got a lot of great family pics at the castle with your matching tye-dye shirts. That is my fav castle picture spot too because no one is ever in the background. And, your shirts look cool glowing in the Buzz Lightyear pics.
I have never heard of the Tortuga Tavern before? Did you like it and is it included in the dining plan?
I loved looking at Jaden's BBB pictures. That was a beautiful dress for a beautiful girl!

 

[UGAFan0829]

Wow, I can't believe it's been over 2 months since I last updated this thing! Needless to say, things have been busy, but that doesn't excuse me leaving everyone with an unfinished report. After returning from Disney for the Tower of Terror weekend, I've really had a case of the Disney blues. That trip has made me miss the World more than I ever have before, which I didn't think was possible. Coming here to the DIS to see what I was missing only made it worse, so I just lost all enthuisasm to get this thing finished. Though I am still missing Disney, and we still don't have any future trips planned at the moment, I decided that it's time to get pumpin' and finish this thing. I'm going to try my best to get at least a couple to three updates done a week, but don't hold me to it. My main goal is to just get it finished!

 

[UGAFan0829]

When I last left off, we were hoofing it to the front of the park. I was afriad that we were going to be a tad bit late for our dinner reservation at 1900 Park Fare. We exited the park and headed to catch a boat to the GF. Thankfully we were able to board pretty quickly, and made it our destination in a fair amount of time.

We eventually made our way into the lobby and found where we needed to be which was a bit of a challenge since we'd come from the back of the resort instead of the front like we're use to. But soon enough we finally arrived here, where we joined the small line for check-in.

We were then directed over to the picture spot.

Once we were done there, it was time to be seated. Talk about perfect timing!

We were seated pretty much in the middle of restaurant, but along the wall, fairly close to the food line. We managed to make a quick run through the line before the characters started their rounds. I'm not sure why, but Mark's plate is the only one I took a picture of. He was very, very excited to see sushi being offered on the buffet! He was definitely in heaven--not only did they have his favorite food, but it was all he could eat!

I remember that the characters for this meal seemed to come one right after the other. I know the stepsisters are "evil" but I always get the biggest kick out of them, and this night was no different. Their interaction with the kids was hilarious!

Mark wasn't too thrilled about getting his picture taken with Prince Charming, but he did it anyway!

He did pass on Cinderella, though!

When Lady Tremaine made her visit, she was quite disgusted that we had a "rodent" on our table while we were eating!

At this point, Mark decided it was time to head back through the line, while the rest of us hit up the desserts. Here's what he came back with:

The kid was in absolute heaven! I think he ate sushi until he couldn't possibly hold anymore! And I was so glad to see him be able to enjoy his meal for once!

As we finished up, and waited to settle our bill, we were treated to a dance by the royal couple.

We collected our belongings, exited to our left, and made our way back to the Magic Kingdom to finish off our night with a "bang".

 

[amazingact21]

It's all right about the 2 month hiatus, we all get those post-Disney blues. They're the worst! And I think the more times you visit, the worse it gets.


I'm glad Mark discovered the all you can eat sushi at Park Fare. It's always a special treat when you go to a buffet and find a great dish. From the pictures, it looks like he really does love sushi!

The character pictures are great, especially the "evil" stepsisters ones. So much fun to interact with the villians.

 

[Jennifer48]

Don't worry about the hiatus, we are all here!

I don't think I've seen someone as young as Mark in love with sushi so much! Glad to hear he enjoyed dinner even if he had to pose with Prince Charming!