Shenanigans, Tomfoolery & Mayhem, Oh My! A Christmas/New Year's TR (New 6/12!)

[SoNotAPrincess]

Hahha, for a while I couldn't decide whether Woody or Buzz was my favorite, either... but somewhere along the way I decided it was definitely Buzz.

No Splash?! This is highly upsetting. If I were there, I would have GLADLY filled those empty logs. Hahha.

HAHAH... I'm glad Gabriel didn't try to make a move on you in the Haunted Mansion!

Some day I'll have to decide, too...like if I meet them together I can't very well tell both of them they're my favorite!

I was pretty bummed to not do Splash, too...it's one of my favorites. But he didn't want to get wet...what a girl!!

LOL...after all his carrying on in line, I was pretty surprised...and maybe just a little disappointed!

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

Day 3, Chapter 18—The Thingamabob That Does The Job…

“But you can bet your boots that when a good, jolly December wind kisses it, it will turn into Christmas all over again.”
(Frosty the Snowman)​

It started to rain in earnest just as Gabriel and I made it to the castle, and we waited a few minutes for Princess Brianna to arrive so we could check in at BBB. Because of the rain, there were a lot (a lot, a lot) of people using the castle as cover; and the doorway to BBB was mobbed. A CM was posted to keep anyone who didn’t have an appointment out....while we waited, she turned away at least five people who wanted walk in appointments.

I’ll say up front that Brianna had a wonderful experience at BBB, and I was impressed with our Fairy Godmother in Training, Katherine. She was so sweet with Brianna and chatted with her while she worked but didn’t let it slow her down. The only problem I had was the lack of seating in the waiting area (seating in the transformation area was adequate). I don’t think Disney took into consideration that each little princess is likely to bring her whole family with her, not just one parent. One of the dads gallantly gave his seat to Mom, which we really appreciated. We waited a little over a half hour; and after standing for a while, I ended up going outside the entrance for a bit so I could sit on the scooter until a seat opened up. Earl and Gabriel waited until she was ready for her reveal to come in, and I’m not sure what they were doing beforehand.

Rather than go into a long narrative from here, I think the BBB story is best told in pictures. Let’s start with the mosaic over the entrance…

Next, the Royal Proclamation…

A FGiT showed Bee all the princess costumes she had to choose from, but her choice was already made: Jasmine! The FGiT disappeared and came back a few minutes later to lead us back to the dressing room. She drew back the curtain, and Bee’s outfit was laid out on the bench for her…it was such a lovely touch! If I’d known they were going to make a presentation out of it, I’d have had the camera ready.

In her new duds….love the crooked crown!

Ready to get started…

Here we go…..

The big reveal...

Brianna loved her sash and pink BBB backpack and had a lot of fun with the makeup, nail polish and jeweled stickers the FGiT slipped inside a pretty pink Cinderella gift bag with satin ribbon handles. BBB is expensive, but if you can splurge, I think it’s totally worth it.

Bee talked about it every day for the rest of the trip. At one point, the little girl in the chair next to her started singing “Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo.” She was very little…three or four years old…and she forgot the words. Bee leaned over to her and said, “My Aunt Lauri knows all the words to every Disney song.”

Um, not quite, sweetheart, but I do know that one; and I was able to fill in what she needed, “Salagadoola means mechicka booleroo but the thingamabob that does the job is bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!”


----Continued in next post-----

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

----Continued from previous post----

Day 3, Chapter 19—The Thingamabob That Does the Job (continued)​

As we left BBB, I was happy to see that the rain was gone and blue sky was shining down on us once again as we headed over to Castle Couture for Bee’s photo shoot. What a relief…a drenched princess does not a successful photo shoot make!

I had a nostalgic pang or two for Tinker Bell’s Treasures, my favorite MK store ever! I can’t count the number of times that we made a beeline for it first thing in the morning. While everyone else was trying to beat the lines for Dumbo and the mountains, our goal was to wake Tink! We’d rush in, breathless, and ask the CM if she was up yet. If she was still sleeping, we’d take the proffered wand, tap on the chest she slept in three times and say the magic words, “Wake up Tinker Bell!” Pulled from slumber, she’d take wing around the room in a razzle-dazzle display of lights and noise! The CM would then award us with a certificate proclaiming that we helped wake Miss Bell. So much fun!

Castle Couture, of course, is the royal dressmakers’ shop, where every princess goes to have her gowns magically made just for her. Check out the threshold…the stars symbolize Flora, Fauna, and Merrywether, the enchanted dressmakers themselves!

I can’t remember ever going back into the photo studio part of the store...I loved seeing Cinderella’s pink dress….

Gus and Jacques were there, too…

…but didn’t we just see them in the castle?

They really had to scurry to beat us over here!

The photographer was very good…he charmed Miss Brianna, and we got some really nice photos. We had Photopass plus, and it was worth it for these pictures alone!

(Brianna’s favorite)

(Her daddy and Gabriel’s favorite)

(Nanny’s favorite)

(The mama’s favorite)

(My favorite)

Finishing her turn as Magic Kingdom’s next top model, the princess announced that she was hungry, so we decided to try for Be Our Guest. I’d heard nightmare stories from people who got in line at 9 a.m. to get in for lunch; plus daytime service hours were very close to being over. Frankly, I was worried that, just like the old crone, we’d be turned away at the castle door.


Up next: Tie your napkin ‘round your neck, Cherie, and we’ll provide the rest….or not…

 

[marDgreen88]

I'm so glad that BBB was a success! (Well, except for the seating.) While I question some of the available hairstyles laughing I always love seeing the pictures of the little princesses looking so happy. So glad Brianna enjoyed it! What a great experience.

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

at HM's make-out reputation!! Too funny!

Brianna looks like she had a great time at the BBB! It seems like such a fun treat for the little ones, her pictures are beautiful!

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

I'm so glad that BBB was a success! (Well, except for the seating.) While I question some of the available hairstyles laughing I always love seeing the pictures of the little princesses looking so happy. So glad Brianna enjoyed it! What a great experience.

LOL...the hairstyles are a bit out there, but I guess if you're gonna be transformed you may as well go for it in a big way!

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

at HM's make-out reputation!! Too funny!

Brianna looks like she had a great time at the BBB! It seems like such a fun treat for the little ones, her pictures are beautiful!

She had a grand time, which is a good thing since it was probably a one-shot deal! Thank you!

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

'Scuse me...guess what?

I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD TOMORROW!!

It's only for one night (two days), but I'm pretty excited to see MK in all of its Valentine's Day glory! I'm not planning to do a full blown TR, but I'll post some pictures when I get back.

In other news, a good friend went to Disneyland Paris a couple of weeks ago (can you say green with envy?), and she brought me back this little treasure:

I like all the pins, of course, but I LOVE my Eugene Fitzherbert pin!!

And now, where were we?

Day 3, Chapter 20—Tie Your Napkin ‘Round Your Neck, Cherie, and We’ll Provide the Rest….​

“One can never have enough socks,” said Dumbledore. “Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn’t get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books.”
(Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling)​

Belle is my favorite princess because we have so much in common. We’re both brunette, we both sing, we both love to read, we’re both stubborn, and we both like our men a little on the beastly side. (Gabriel says that’s why he’s perfect for me…because he’s a bad boy with good intentions…or is that a good guy with wicked intentions?) To say that I was excited about the addition of Belle’s Village and Beast’s Castle to Fantasyland is an understatement!

As we approached Beast’s castle, I was surprised that there wasn’t a line for BoG. There was a CM standing guard, and my heart sank…I was certain we’d missed lunch service and would be turned away. But instead, she smiled and said, “Six for lunch? No waiting!” And led us to the door.

Yes!

I tried valiantly to get a dinner ADR for BoG without success, and like about a million other people, I really wanted to try the newest restaurant on property; so I was pretty stoked to be getting in with no waiting. As anyone with an Internet connection knows, it is beautifully themed inside; but live and in person it took my breath away!

Don’t worry…we’ll get there.

But first, we eat!

The ordering process was easy…you can either choose to use the self-order touch screen system or have a CM take your order. Gabriel and I did the self ordering, while everyone else stepped up to a manned station. To order, just tap the RFID rose to the sensor, make your selections, and swipe your KTTW or credit card to pay. Easy peasy! At least Gabriel said it was easy. Once he got his hands on the rose, he wouldn’t turn it loose...you’d have thought it was the TV remote! I ordered the Croque Monsieur (grilled ham and cheese), and Gabriel got the braised pork. For dessert, I had the lemon meringue cupcake, and Gabriel ordered the chocolate cream puff. I apologize, but I don’t remember what everyone else got.

I was surprised by how few people were in the restaurant…the Rose Gallery was practically deserted when I got there. I got comfy on a banquette that made it possible to elevate my knee and cracked an ice pack while Gabriel got our drinks and flatware (no plastic forks here!)

While we were waiting, Mom asked how they’d know where to bring the food, and I told her there was a chip in the rose. Brianna piped up with, “How did Chip get in the rose???” Of course we laughed, and she was pretty pleased with herself. Good one, Beezer!

The food was served within minutes of our sitting down. I didn’t get a photo of the serving cart, but it was très élégant!

I’m usually not very impressed by MK CS food, Figaro Fries notwithstanding (oh, how I miss them!), but BoG raises the bar. My sandwich had clearly not been sitting under a warming light…the cheese was hot and melty and the fries were fresh and well seasoned. It’s the best CS food I’ve had at Disney bar none. The braised pork was a large portion, perfectly cooked, and Gabriel said the vegetables tasted fresh. My foodie guy was very happy! Even though I don’t know what they got, I remember Earl and Lenny saying how much they enjoyed their meals, too.

I was a little disappointed in my cupcake…it was tiny and a wee bit dry…but Gabriel loved his cream puff. I stole a taste and agree…it was yummy!

We lingered for a while to give my knee and Gabriel’s feet a much needed break. Even though by this time they were officially closed to turn over for dinner service, no one made us feel like we needed to be in any hurry to get out.

Brianna tried her hand at cell phone photography…

And then Gabriel turned the tables on her….

We finally did leave, of course, and the CMs very nicely let us explore a bit. Unfortunately, my good camera went dead; so we only had Gabriel’s old point and shoot and two cell phones.

The ballroom is beautiful, and I will definitely be back to eat dinner there!

The mysterious West Wing is seriously dark…I don’t think I could see the menu to order…but it’s cool, too. There’s a portrait that transforms from Prince Adam to the Beast as petals fall from the rose, but it didn’t happen while we were there.

Last, a couple from the entrance hallway…leave it to me to do things backwards!

Back outside, Brianna made a new friend….

…but wasn’t as crazy about this guy…

Leaving the gargoyles and Beast behind, we went in search of the two characters Brianna was most excited to meet...Jasmine and Tinker Bell!

Up next: Prince Ali, silly is he…

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

Yay for getting to go to BOG!! The restaurant looks gorgeous!!

 

[Victoriasmom98]

I just cannot believe those folks did NOT keep with the plan! WHAT WERE THEY THINKING!!?? Anyways, it sounds like you and Gabriel had a great time, just the two of you. Oh, how pretty Bree looks as Princess Jasmine! I love all the pictures --- I think I like her Daddy's favorite the best. I really, really hope that when we go in August we can get into BOG as easily as you did. I want to try it soooooo badly!!!

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

Bree's princess makeover was awesome... love that she picked Jasmine... I haven't seen that done as much... really lovely...

Wasn't BOG the coolest inside? I can't believe you walked in... we were there in previews week and had a 20 minute wait... I know you wanted lunch but honestly if you can't get it... it's really a pretty great place for lunch with a FANTASTIC atmosphere...

HM is also my favorite.. unless I'm standing in front of PoC...

No Splash? (Would have probably gotten soaked and it isn't that warm in December but still... I'm all about the Mountain Trifecta myself...

Your trip is going so well...can't wait for more...

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

Yay for getting to go to BOG!! The restaurant looks gorgeous!!

I was pretty stoked about it...it really is gorgeous!

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

I just cannot believe those folks did NOT keep with the plan! WHAT WERE THEY THINKING!!?? Anyways, it sounds like you and Gabriel had a great time, just the two of you. Oh, how pretty Bree looks as Princess Jasmine! I love all the pictures --- I think I like her Daddy's favorite the best. I really, really hope that when we go in August we can get into BOG as easily as you did. I want to try it soooooo badly!!!

I know, right? CRAZY PEOPLE!

We had such a nice morning...it worked out better that we were on our own (but don't tell anyone else I said so!).

She loved being Jasmine, and I was so pleased with the pictures!

I've heard that the trick to getting into BoG with less of a wait is to go after the lunch rush, around 2 p.m. Good luck!

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

Bree's princess makeover was awesome... love that she picked Jasmine... I haven't seen that done as much... really lovely...

Wasn't BOG the coolest inside? I can't believe you walked in... we were there in previews week and had a 20 minute wait... I know you wanted lunch but honestly if you can't get it... it's really a pretty great place for lunch with a FANTASTIC atmosphere...

HM is also my favorite.. unless I'm standing in front of PoC...

No Splash? (Would have probably gotten soaked and it isn't that warm in December but still... I'm all about the Mountain Trifecta myself...

Your trip is going so well...can't wait for more...

Thank you...I was so glad she loved the BBB experience!

OMG, BoG is amazing! I know...talk about pixie dust! I was just sure they were going to turn us away! Any meal there would be a treat, but I WILL make it back for dinner some day!

LOL...it's good to know I'm not the only one who's fickle about HM and PotC!

I really wanted him to do the triple mountain whammy as my proxy, but he didn't want to get wet...what a girl! If it weren't for my knee, I'd have been on Splash and wouldn't care how wet I got!

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

Valentine’s Day, Disney Style—A Mini-TR​

This year, Gabriel surprised me with a short trip to Disney for Valentine’s Day. He planned it while we were there in December, including booking the room and ADRs. I swear that man is getting more swoon worthy with every passing day! We checked in at the Beach Club early on Wednesday the 13th and decided to make DHS our park of the day. Gabriel asked, as a special favor to him, that I not “take twelve bazillion pictures” and let us just “be together” instead. How could I say no that? Like I said, swoon worthy!

We were at DHS when it opened; and by 1 o’clock, we had ridden ToT three times, ST and TGMR once, and Gabriel rode RnR twice. We saw Beauty and the Beast and did the animation class where we drew Pluto, a new one for me. Gabriel dabbles in art, so his is really good, but mine is only OK. I don’t mind though…I’m going to frame them and hang them in my office alongside the Tiggers that my niece, Erica, and I did last year.

We went back to BC and had lunch at B&C, then enjoyed a leisurely afternoon at the resort. It was my first time staying at BC, and I absolutely loved it. I think it’s fair to say that Gabriel has been bitten by the deluxe bug…score! He said over and over that his kids will (not would) love it.

For dinner, we went to Flying Fish, and it was wonderful. Afterwards, we went to Epcot and strolled World Showcase for a bit before Illuminations. I’ve been “pre-habbing” my knee in preparation for the next surgery, so I decided to be scooter-free this go ‘round, which meant we took a lot of breaks, enjoying the beautiful views, the evening breeze, and an orange slushie…or two.

Our destination for Valentine’s Day was, quite naturally, Magic Kingdom, where they were celebrating True Love. We started at Kona for breakfast, then monorailed over to MK. (Gabriel tolerated the camera as long as I didn't go crazy.)

Unfortunately, it was a gray morning that soon became a rainy day, making it hard to get good pictures. I was afraid to get my good camera wet, so we mainly used the old point and shoot.

There were a couple of special Valentine’s Day photo opportunities, including turning the castle pink at dusk…

At first, we just plowed through the rain, but then it got cold, which was kinda OK because it gave me an excuse to buy the white 2013 hoodie I’ve been coveting. We took a break during one heavy downpour and ducked into CHH to get a bite to eat. I was hopeful that it would let up, but no such luck. Eventually, I was wet and cold and done…it just wasn’t fun anymore, and we decided to leave.

We had Fastpasses to meet the princes and princesses (my chance for a do-over with Eugene after missing the Photopass window from MNSSHP). FPs were gone for the day, so we hung out around the machines for a few minutes until a couple of tweenie bopper girls came up. They were wearing brightly colored tutus and tiaras and squealed with delight when we asked them if they wanted our FPs, coming up in about 20 minutes. Gabriel winked and told them, “My girlfriend doesn’t want her beloved Eugene to see her looking like a drowned puppy.”

Funny, funny man.

Just because it was true doesn’t mean he had to broadcast it!

We sloshed our way back to the monorail, stopped at the pin kiosk at the Poly for a quick purchase, and then hit the road for home.

In spite of the rain, our time at Disney was, as my granny used to say, “Short and sweet and hard to beat!”


Christmas TR continued in the next post....

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

If you're interested, check out the mini-Valentine's Day TR in the previous post!

Day 3, Chapter 21—Prince Ali, Silly is He​

“Oh, the Who-manity.”
(How the Grinch Stole Christmas)​

Back in Adventureland, our Jungle Cruise FP window was open so off we went while everyone else got in the Jasmine and Aladdin line. I don’t have any pictures, but we saw the backside of water, Trader Sam, and a plastic snake of undetermined species. Our skipper was very good, but our shipmates were just not feeling it… no worries, we were having our own little party for two! My feeling about JC is embrace the silliness or stay off the boat!

We rejoined the rest of the family but stayed outside the queue since it was almost Brianna’s turn. She was so excited she was almost bouncing in line. Bee can be a little reticent about meeting new people, but she ran up to Jasmine like they were BFFs!

Aladdin was really silly with her and had quite a thing for her hair…

He made sure Jasmine noticed it, too; and they talked about how it looked like she had starlight in her hair (it was glittery). She loved that, and the three of them discussed flying through the stars on the magic carpet. According to Aladdin, he’s a much better at steering the carpet than Jasmine, but since she rolled her eyes at him, I’m thinking Jasmine has a different opinion. They did a great job making Bee feel special!

I just wish the meet area hadn’t been so shadowy…or that they’d stepped forward a little, but I guess you can’t have everything….

As she told them goodbye, Brianna told Earl, “This is the best day of my life!”

We noticed that there was only a 20-minute wait for the magic carpet ride but passed it by in favor of meeting Tink. The wait time there was posted as 30 minutes, so Earl, Lenny, and Bee went back to get in line for the carpets while the rest of us held a place in line for her. The line was moving pretty quickly, and I doubted that the posted time was accurate…sure enough, within about 15 minutes, we were at the front. I explained the situation to the CM, and she got a little huffy but let us move off to the side. Mom was turning her scooter around, and I understand that it looked like she was trying to sneak a peek at the meeting room, but I didn’t appreciate the CM yelling at her to STOP RIGHT THERE! WE’RE TRYING TO PRESERVE THE MAGIC!

Sheesh lady…overact much?

It’s a good thing I’d told Bee about shrinking down to fairy size as you go through the portal because the CM never mentioned it. So much for PRESERVING THE MAGIC!

Meeting the feisty fairy herself….

…and pretty pixie Periwinkle…

Tink rushed Bee a little and seemed a bit off to me…in my opinion, she didn’t act or particularly look like Tinker Bell. She was more like a wilted flower than a feisty fairy! Periwinkle, on the other hand, was amazing…the kind of character interaction you dream about. I haven’t seen their movie, but Bee has; and they talked about all sorts of things, especially collecting “found things”. Periwinkle was the perfect combination of sweet, silly, sincere, and sassy…I wanted to get up and hug her myself!

We decided to try for POTC and found a relatively short line. At this point, Gabriel and I had been up since 5 a.m....his feet hurt, my knee hurt, and we were redefining tired. I didn’t consider how low the boat seats are, and by the time the ride was over, I was redefining pain, too.

Ugh.

We had a couple of hours before our CRT dinner ADR, and Earl and Lenny wanted to check out Storybook Circus; so we headed in that general direction. By the time we got to the castle, I knew I was done. Gabriel was moving about as slow as molasses running uphill on a cold day, and we had a quick, quiet conversation, ultimately deciding to call it quits. It was disappointing to miss dinner with the princesses for sure, but I knew going into this trip that I was going to have to make sacrifices. Gabriel wasn’t excited by CRT’s menu; and since he’s all about the food, he really couldn’t have cared less.

I snapped a few photos on the way out…

Back at POR, we rested for a while, had dinner at Boatwright’s (big thumbs up from both of us), and sacked out earlier than either of us would like to admit.

From what I heard from Brianna the next day, she LOVED eating in the castle and meeting the princesses. (“We ate in Cinderella’s castle…the actual, real CASTLE! I didn’t even know people could EAT IN THE CASTLE! I think you have to be specially invited to EAT IN THE CASTLE! I met Ariel, and she tried to brush her hair with my FORK!”)

She told their server about my knee and asked them for an extra wand for me. She was pretty pleased with herself when she presented the wand to me with a flourish. I thought it was so sweet of her to think of me…it really touched my heart. She told me, “I know ‘zackly how Rapunzel feels because yesterday was the BEST! DAY! EVER!"

Mission accomplished!


Up next: Recovering from the Magic…

 

[shan23877]

How sweet that Gabriel arranged a Valentine's trip for you! How could anyone not love the beach club? It's so lovely.

Did you find that the "limited time magic" is pretty bland as far as the promotions go? I've been reading a lot of about that recently.

What a nice day for Brianna! I'm so glad that it was magical for her. And, how adorable is it that she brought you a wand? So sweet.

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

How sweet of Gabriel to arrange the Valentine's Day trip for you!!! Despite the rain, it looks like you had a wonderful day!

What a fun magical day for Brianna! It's too bad you weren't able to have dinner with them in the castle, but it sounds like she still made it special for you! She sounds like a really awesome girl!

 

[marDgreen88]

I had to skip the last update... ya know, New Fantasyland and all, but HOORAY for a new one!

Aww! That was so sweet of Gabriel to plan that for yall. It sounds like a great trip! I mean... BEACH CLUB! And the True Love Week looks so cute! It is too bad that it rained and you missed meeting Eugene... but I'm sure you'll be able to someday!

"Embrace the silliness or stay off the boats" -- TOTALLY. I don't understand people who sit there with grouchies on their faces. Like... what pooped on you? This ride is supposed to be corny. That's the beauty of it. Silly people.

It is too bad that yall weren't feeling dinner, but hey... at least it saved money? laughing It sounds like Brianna had an amazing experience though which is wonderful!

 

[MK2010]

Okay a quick recap on my feelings from the last couple of posts.

Boo! to everyone not making rope drop.

Yay! for BOG.

YAY! for Bee having the BEST. DAY. EVER!

Boo! For being tired and having to leave before CRT.

YAY! For Boatwright's.

YAY! For a Disney Valentine's!

YAY! For Gabriel getting sucked in more and more with every trip.

And mostly, YAY for living close enough to the world wo go almost whenever you want!