Shhhh! Mickey's Twying to Sweep, be Quiet! - A July '11 Anniversary TR - Update 12/24

[IheartDDuck]

Love the sticker placement! He is just too cute!

& Wow! Your view is amazing. I'm so jealous!

He was too funny with the stickers. I turned around for one second and all of a sudden they were all over his face!

Hi Danielle,

I am catching up....
Back at Beaches and Cream, the food looks awesome. I really need to get the family there one trip but I am not sure we could eat all that food and then have the family eat all that ice cream without bursting. I can see why Wicket passed out.

Joaquin is too funny with the stickers and seeing him with Riley together is just adorable.

OMG what a view.....you bet I am jealous. I would definitely take an accessible room for that view.

You have to plan your eating at Beaches and Cream so carefully. Always share all of the desserts because there is no way that you'll be able to eat it all yourself.

Joaquin and Riley were pretty much like that for the entire trip. It was very cute. We were a little worried at first, because Joaquin is a little bit crazy and Riley is very timid. But it worked out. Kind of like yin and yang I guess.

I was very surprised at our view. Now the caveat is that I would never PAY for the view, but if Disney just wants to give it to me, then I'm not going to say no.

Before I ordered one of these, I could not comprehend how gigantic it was. I shared with everybody at the table. It was so good!

Ice cream + having it in Disney World = much happiness!

Beaches and Cream is a fun place, but it is so small! I know it adds to the quaint soda shop feeling, but those round table are too small for putting all that good food on them!

Awesome view at Bay Lake Tower. Enjoying fireworks from your balcony is a huge perk!

I did the same thing the first time I ordered one. On our February trip, Jason and I ordered a sundae each....definitely learned my lesson there. I had no idea.

I agree that it is very small. The tables aren't exactly my favorite, but we had too many people for a booth. With the five that were at my table, it was kind of a struggle to fit all of the food on it.

We were able to enjoy the fireworks, but the only issue that I had is that the placement of the fireworks is off. So when you're in the Magic Kingdom, they're behind the castle, right? Now when you saw it from my balcony. It looked a little funny. But that's only a minor complaint.

 

[IheartDDuck]

We left off checking in at Bay Lake Tower. After we got settled into the one room and all freshened up a little bit, we headed over to the Magic Kingdom. We did take the monorail, because it was so stinkin’ hot outside already!

First stop was getting Chris and Sara their passes by turning in their vouchers. We waited outside Guest Relations while they took care of it. Take note of Joaquin with the fan. This was his absolute favorite thing the entire trip. We had several, and he was always asking someone “can I have a fan?”

Our first mission after getting their tickets was to see Mickey. You see, Joaquin had already asked at this point “Mickey isn’t still sweeping, wight?”

Well, now we have to go see Mickey! So we get in line and got to see the new meet and greet. I thought it was pretty cool. The funny thing is, we get in the one room, and Jason, Chris, and I are talking about the fact that it’s pretty cool that there are several rooms and different Mickeys. Very efficient. Then, the CM shushes us really loudly. We weren’t talking loud, but apparently we were revealing Disney state secrets!

The kiddos were very excited to see Mickey and Minnie. I was glad that we started there.

When we left there, the parade was going on. We paused for a few moments to watch before moving on.

Riley really wanted to ride Dumbo. It’s one of her favorites, so we headed into Fantasyland to see what the wait time was. It wasn’t too bad, so everyone headed in except for Dad and Chris. They waited and got us fastpasses for Winnie the Pooh.

Riley was super excited.

Riley got to ride with Ommi

Jason rode with Joaquin

Which left Sara and I together. And we got a wonky Dumbo! We couldn’t get it to go all the way to the top. It was very bizarre.

Everyone had a good time!

Construction photos!

The weather was so very hot outside! It was only a preview of the rest of the week. I didn’t know if I was ready to sweat so much!

Joaquin doesn’t handle heat so well. In fact, he kind of wilts in it. Since it was so hot already and we had waited a pretty decent amount of time for Dumbo, we headed into Pinocchio Village Haus for a drink. We sat at the top.

We cooled ourselves down sufficiently and then headed back out into the sauna. We had gotten surprise fastpasses to Philharmagic from Winnie the Pooh, so we headed over there. Riley said that she wanted to sit next to me during the show.

See Joaquin’s face in the picture above? That’s his hot face. It will appear frequently during this TR. When he’s hot, he doesn’t want to cooperate a whole lot or take pictures. Little stink!

That didn’t last long when the show started. Joaquin was reaching out trying to grab everything. Riley got scared though. She announced very definitively:

“I’m taking my glasses off”!

After we survived the show (Riley was a little bit scarred), we headed over to It’s a Small World. Because, you know, I wanted to have that song stuck in my head for the rest of the day.

“It’s a Small World after all…..”

Riley wanted to be my riding partner. You know, because Tee Tee is the bestest!

The line wasn’t as bad as it looked.

Deuces!

Riley was super excited that we were in the front of the boat. She was pointing everything out to me.

“Look at the Hippo! It winks!”

“Look at the koalas!”

Very cute.

After that, it was potty time for the kiddos. We decided at that time to forgo using our Winnie the Pooh fastpasses. It had been a long day at this point and dinnertime was approaching. The kiddos had to eat something and then we would relax for the rest of the day. We went to Cosmic Ray’s.

We all got either rotisserie chicken or the chicken and ribs combo.

And I now present you with……the best video EVER!



Up Next: Are we going to the pool? and the day’s kid-isms.

 

[jc040404]

I'm lost. There's more than one Mickey?? Okay, so I know, but it was cute that you weren't allowed to talk about it. You're spoiling the magic!

That video was too cute! I loved how he kept chewing away the whole time. Poor little guy needed a break!

 

[IheartDDuck]

I'm lost. There's more than one Mickey?? Okay, so I know, but it was cute that you weren't allowed to talk about it. You're spoiling the magic!

That video was too cute! I loved how he kept chewing away the whole time. Poor little guy needed a break!

I know! We were spoiling the magic. That's just how we roll I guess.

He was so tired, but he didn't want to be. He went from like 60 to 0 in 10 seconds flat. He was totally fine at first, and then BOOM!

My favorite part of that video is the fact that he starts laughing. I had no idea why he started doing that.

 

[not_Joanna_eggs]

OMG that IS the best video EVER

DH and I were watching it just cracking up! He says I do that too

So freaking adorable

 

[PlutosRHM55]

MAGIC KINGDOM! WOOT! Boo you adults for ruining the magic. You just don't understand LOL But I'm not surprised the CM quieted you, they are very firm when it comes to making sure the kids know that there is one and only one Mickey and that even that one Mickey is fake. The people who play those characters could get fired if people discover the identity of a person and announce it in public. Nasty stuff.

Awww... Riley and Joaquin look so cute on Dumbo. I love how Riley is really getting into it pointing every which way. Too bad they are moving it and that wonderful view of Fantasyland is gone WAH! And I still HAVEN'T rode Dumbo, I'm such a bad Diser...

Oh, that's too bad Riley didn't enjoy PhilharMagic. I can imagine where it may be a bit unnerving for some people, but sounded like Joaquin liked it. Hopefully she won't be scarred for too long

Love the Deuces picture on It's A Small World. That's so cute that Riley was pointing out everything on the ride. She seems to have a lot of enthusiasm when it comes to Disney. Future DISer maybe?

Oh my gosh, that is the best video ever! I'm pretty sure I do that in my first period class LOL He was REALLY trying to stay awake, oh my gosh, he was all over the place, poor guy. I can only imagine how exhausted he was. Disney takes a lot out of even the most dedicated and enthusiastic patrons. I think the best part of that video was when he fell on your dad, he did NOT want to rest. Good thing you guys got it under control

Can't wait to read more!

 

[AprilRenee]

That was super funny!! LOL
He's a cutie!

 

[basketkat]

Oh man the dueces pictures are so fun!!!

Meeting Mickey right away is a great way to start a MK day!

Oh my goodness...poor little tired guy! Too tired for swimming and eating??? He is just so adorable!!!!

 

[JessicaFaye508]

I missed two updates shoot!
Well... first of... yay for you staying at BLT! I'm staying there for Christmas and I haven't seen any TR's about it yet! So I am excited to hear more about it! I hope you liked it!
Also.... LOL about the video. That was hilarious. What an angel
And I LOVE the deuces pic. Such a classic move.

 

[MeMom]

Poor guy - he was spent! We've had them like that, too. You might have seen Brooklynn's 'French fry hanging out of mouth' picture in a previous report when she fell asleep in mid-chew. Disney days will get you. I'm glad you taped that for him to laugh at when he gets older.

 

[mamaboogie]

Fantastic video!

I have TOTALLY felt the same way in the Florida heat - in fact....I may have had a snooze on a bench in EPCOT - don't think anyone video-ed it though....

Great update!

 

[RachelNinja]

So cool that you can take pictures from tapping the screen of your camera!

OH MAN, that's the greatest video EVER! HAHA, and then he starts smiling. When I was with the PreK kids last year, a kid was doing that while sitting on the floor listening to the story I was reading out loud. He kept dipping forward, and I had to tell the teacher's assistant to move him because he was so going to knock his head on the floor! It was the cutest thing though, and I wish I could've taken a video of it!

 

[TanzUnited99]

What, there's more then one Mickey?!!! Lol I knew that but you can't give away secrets like that in front of CMs!

Yay on Riley riding IASW with you and I love how excited she was in the boat!

Oh my that video is soo good - esp when Joaquin wakes up and starts smiling and then a second later is out cold again!

 

[IheartDDuck]

OMG that IS the best video EVER

DH and I were watching it just cracking up! He says I do that too

So freaking adorable

I think that I do that too! He caught us completely by surprise with his sleepiness.

MAGIC KINGDOM! WOOT! Boo you adults for ruining the magic. You just don't understand LOL But I'm not surprised the CM quieted you, they are very firm when it comes to making sure the kids know that there is one and only one Mickey and that even that one Mickey is fake. The people who play those characters could get fired if people discover the identity of a person and announce it in public. Nasty stuff.

Awww... Riley and Joaquin look so cute on Dumbo. I love how Riley is really getting into it pointing every which way. Too bad they are moving it and that wonderful view of Fantasyland is gone WAH! And I still HAVEN'T rode Dumbo, I'm such a bad Diser...

Oh, that's too bad Riley didn't enjoy PhilharMagic. I can imagine where it may be a bit unnerving for some people, but sounded like Joaquin liked it. Hopefully she won't be scarred for too long

Love the Deuces picture on It's A Small World. That's so cute that Riley was pointing out everything on the ride. She seems to have a lot of enthusiasm when it comes to Disney. Future DISer maybe?

Oh my gosh, that is the best video ever! I'm pretty sure I do that in my first period class LOL He was REALLY trying to stay awake, oh my gosh, he was all over the place, poor guy. I can only imagine how exhausted he was. Disney takes a lot out of even the most dedicated and enthusiastic patrons. I think the best part of that video was when he fell on your dad, he did NOT want to rest. Good thing you guys got it under control

Can't wait to read more!

You know, the CM was really funny about it. We were talking in undertones, because we didn't want to reveal too much information in front of any kiddos, but I guess we weren't talking low enough.

I think that Riley may indeed be a future DISer.

Joaquin was trying so hard to stay awake and the poor thing just couldn't do it. He hung in there though.

That was super funny!! LOL
He's a cutie!

Thanks! He's pretty cute, but he knows it too.

Oh man the dueces pictures are so fun!!!

Meeting Mickey right away is a great way to start a MK day!

Oh my goodness...poor little tired guy! Too tired for swimming and eating??? He is just so adorable!!!!

Joaquin saying that he's too tired to swim or eat is something that normally doesn't happen. You'll see in my next update though, it didn't last too long.

I missed two updates shoot!
Well... first of... yay for you staying at BLT! I'm staying there for Christmas and I haven't seen any TR's about it yet! So I am excited to hear more about it! I hope you liked it!
Also.... LOL about the video. That was hilarious. What an angel
And I LOVE the deuces pic. Such a classic move.

Woo hoo on your staying at BLT for Christmas. I think you'll like it. I think what I like the best is that it's so new.

The deuces part actually reminded me of you guys!

Poor guy - he was spent! We've had them like that, too. You might have seen Brooklynn's 'French fry hanging out of mouth' picture in a previous report when she fell asleep in mid-chew. Disney days will get you. I'm glad you taped that for him to laugh at when he gets older.

I wanted evidence! He was very tired at that point, but he hung in there.

Fantastic video!

I have TOTALLY felt the same way in the Florida heat - in fact....I may have had a snooze on a bench in EPCOT - don't think anyone video-ed it though....

Great update!

The heat is no joke! It just completely wipes you out. I was exhausted every day, so I can only imagine how the munchkins were feeling.

So cool that you can take pictures from tapping the screen of your camera!

OH MAN, that's the greatest video EVER! HAHA, and then he starts smiling. When I was with the PreK kids last year, a kid was doing that while sitting on the floor listening to the story I was reading out loud. He kept dipping forward, and I had to tell the teacher's assistant to move him because he was so going to knock his head on the floor! It was the cutest thing though, and I wish I could've taken a video of it!

The tapping thing totally took me by surprise! And like a dee dee dee, I didn't realize it until much later, when I was looking through my photos and saying to myself "where did this picture come from"?

The smiling part is the absolute best for sure. I lost it when it happened when we were watching it live.

What, there's more then one Mickey?!!! Lol I knew that but you can't give away secrets like that in front of CMs!

Yay on Riley riding IASW with you and I love how excited she was in the boat!

Oh my that video is soo good - esp when Joaquin wakes up and starts smiling and then a second later is out cold again!

I know, me and my big mouth!

Riley liked going on rides with me, but she was really good at sharing the wealth.

I think the smiling part was priceless. He didn't even have any idea why he was smiling to begin with!

 

[LoriH91]

Came over from somewhere because of your tr title, and I haven't been disappointed!! That video was priceless!! Can't wait to hear about the rest of the trip.
How sweet of you to send your parents off to WDW!!

 

[DVCWDWMEMBER]

Joaquin was tired for sure. The heat got to all of us, it had been a long time since we had done WDW in the summer. We normally go in the fall or early spring and forgot how hot it can get.

 

[IheartDDuck]

Came over from somewhere because of your tr title, and I haven't been disappointed!! That video was priceless!! Can't wait to hear about the rest of the trip.
How sweet of you to send your parents off to WDW!!

I'm glad that you haven't been disappointed yet! I'll try to keep it interesting.

Joaquin was tired for sure. The heat got to all of us, it had been a long time since we had done WDW in the summer. We normally go in the fall or early spring and forgot how hot it can get.

I know right?! I think we have all learned our lesson with Disney in the summer time. Not for us I think.

 

[IheartDDuck]

We finished off our dinner at Cosmic Ray's. So you know how Joaquin was falling asleep at dinner? Yup, as soon as we started moving, he was wide awake again. Ha. Figures.

We took the monorail back, because the kids were a little bit tired.

Love the view from the monorail station.

We all got back to Jason's and my room to get everyone's luggage. All our rooms were on the same floor and not to far from each other. Worked out nicely.

Mom took some pictures of their room. You can see the difference in our rooms from the setup. Only a small difference.

Their view

So Joaquin had been talking about the pool ever since we got to POP. So, we figured we would head to the pool for the early evening. The kids were very excited and there actually weren't many people there.

FYI. I had more pictures, from a waterproof camera that I bought and brought to the waterpark and the pool. However, when we got home, the camera was cracked and all the pictures were ruined.

So you see that little tower through the trees by the pool? That's the slide at the Bay Lake Tower pool and it's pretty big. So, how can a kid be a skipping stone at the same time? By going down that slide, that's how.

Riley and Joaquin are still polar opposites here too. Joaquin loves the pool and water. Riley......not so much.

Well, Joaquin will do just about anything. So, armed with his lifevest, floaties, and goggles, says that he's going to tackle the slide. We ask if there's an age limit. The lifeguard says no. So we say okay. Chris takes him to the top and sends him down, where Jason and I are waiting to catch him.

Imagine a top that spins. That's how Joaquin ended up coming down the slide. Because he refused to lay down like he's supposed to, he wanted to sit up. Well, it caused him to turn......and turn.......and turn......until he was spinning down the slide.

Well he spun himself all the way to the bottom and when he hit the water....well.

That's how a child can be a skipping stone.

It was hilarious! He skipped skipped skipped on his back in his lifevest across the pool.

Now, no child was harmed during the making of this trip report. Joaquin knows how to swim pretty well, can hold his breath too. No need to call DCFS.

We finally got to him. And he promptly asks:

"Can I do that again"!?

Later little man, later.

We wrapped up our time in the pool, and headed back in. Jason and I were peckish, so we grabbed our mugs and headed to the Contempo Cafe to get some snacks. And we ended up with these beautiful things.....

There were three kinds. Strawberry, black forest, and dulce de leche. We couldn't decide which ones to get, so what does any sane person do? Get all three, duh!

Look in the mirror at how longingly Joaquin is looking at the cupcakes. Thinking:

"If she just tips that tray a tiny bit to the right, one is bound to fall into my mouth. C'mon, tip it. Tip it. TIP IT!"

They were so very worth it, but there was no way we finished it between the three of us. So, I took the remaining over to Mom and Dad. It gave me the opportunity to surprise them with their last anniversary gift.

I had bought them a $100 gift card and booked them for a dinner at Narcoossees during the week.

They were both very surprised by the gift and also happy for the leftovers!

Jason and I set up the room for us to turn in. Jason set up a little bed from the couch pillows for Joaquin. They were perfect size, and we didn't have to worry about him launching himself off the bed.

Which, if the pool slide is any indicator, you know full well he is capable of doing!

It was off to bed for us. We had a full week ahead of us!

Some of Chris' pictures of the resort

Kid-isms - (I only got the chance to record one on this day)

Joaquin -

I told you to catch me! I told you to catch me in the dark! I told you five times! (After his slide experience)

 

[IheartDDuck]

We only got photopass at our stop to see Mickey and Minnie.

 

[PlutosRHM55]

Good thing, you guys got moving back to BLT, Joaquin was definitely not going to last for longer. And I love the view from the Monorail station too, you can basically see the main part of the Contemporary perfectly, oh and Chef Mickey's

Awwww... sorry to hear about the broken camera. At least you did have some other good photos LOL @ the Joaquin skipping stone story. That must've been pretty interesting to watch. Good thing Joaquin was as good a swimmer as you said he is, because I don't think that would've been a pleasant situation. He sounds like a funny kid from what I've read. A great kid-ism for this chapter

Ooooo... those cupcakes were good. If I was as close as Joaquin was, I would've just grabbed one and ate it before anybody noticed it was gone And that's awesome you booked your parents a meal at Narcoosees, so sweet LOL @ your bed launching prevention tactics. I love the monorail picture Chris took, it's so beautiful lol

Ooooo... great Photopass! The one with Riley hugging Minnie is probably the best, sharing the love right there And I like the one with the border that says "Happy Anniversary"

Can't wait to read more!