So Much Time & So Little To Do. Wait. Strike That. Reverse It. UPDATE 10/12

[PetersonFamily]

We walked around to Expedition Everest. Dillon and Jer rode this one. We were going to swap riders w/ me going second, but after Dillon’s first ride he didn’t want to ride again. I wasn’t really sad b/c I wanted to chicken out anyway. Dillon didn’t like the way it made him feel. While they rode, Aubrie snoozed in her stroller while I took a bunch of pictures.

Our next stop was Finding Nemo. This show was awesome. The actors were amazing – very well done. It was time to head towards the restaurant, so we didn’t stop in Dinoland. We walked through it and I know we would have enjoyed it, but we had to catch the bus back to AKL for our ADR at Jiko. I had heard great things about this place, so I was very excited to try it. We had to wait quite a while to be seated, so including b-fast we felt like we had plenty of time throughout the whole day to get our fill of AKL. Here we were in this fancy rest. and Aubrie yells out “I have to go tay-tay!!” (tee tee) So off to the AKL restroom we went for the third time that day. I didn’t get appet. pics but Jer had the Artisanal Cheese Selection, which he loved but he loves cheese….any cheese. I tasted a few of the slices and I didn’t care for them. I had the Grilled Flank Steak with Mancego Cheese, Caramelized Onion, Arugula and Berbere Sour Cream. Ehhh! I didn’t care for this either and I should have ordered the Butternut Squash soup. Oh well! For Jer’s entrée, he ordered the Seared Barbarie Duck Breast, Potato and Spinach Masala, Chanterelles, Bruleed Fig and Port Emulsion.

I ordered the Oak-grilled Filet Mignon with Roasted Fingerlings, Berbere Green Beans and Red Wine Reduction.

We both enjoyed our entrees and the desserts were delicious! We can’t remember what Jer had for dessert but he enjoyed it. He was able to take a small bite before I took this pic! I had the Creamy Candy Cane Cheesecake with Peppermint Gelee, Chocolate Eggnog Creme Anglaise, Candy Cane Snow, and Peppermint Brittle. It was very good but also very sweet, so I couldn’t finish it all.

We left AKL by taking a bus to the MK for the Dessert Party and EMH!! We were super excited about trying the different desserts. The Elec. Light Parade was in full swing when we arrived so we had to find a back entrance to the Tom. Terrace. We finally found the restaurant and our reserved table. We made our way to the long tables of sweets and after filling our plates we sat down. The kids, of course, enjoyed their desserts but Jer and I felt that the majority of them were just okay. I expected to really like the mango shooters but didn’t care for the flavor. I did love the choc. covered strawberries. YUMMY!!

Once the fireworks started, everyone lined up at the railing to watch. We loved the Wishes Fireworks Show, and I esp. loved the villains and the Fantasia segments.​

I’m glad we did this once but we wouldn’t do it again. We could very easily find a spot to view the fireworks and we could have done w/out the desserts. It cost about $80 for the 4 of us.
After the dessert party, we headed to Tomorrowland and got in line for Monsters Inc. We LOVE this movie and LOVED this show. Dillon is a jokester, so he really got into this attraction. We also rode Buzz’s SRS, Carousel of Progress, and TTA. We absolutely loved Space Ranger Spin!! What a fun ride! We enjoyed seeing the nighttime lights of Tomorrowland on the TTA and Jer said we could skip Carousel of Prog. on all future trips. I love this attraction and it’s sentimental to me since I remember it from my childhood trips. Dillon and Jer rode Space Mountain, which they both enjoyed. Before leaving Tom. Land, we rode Indy Speedway with Aubrie and Dillon driving. They both LOVED this, esp. Aubrie who wouldn’t let me touch the steering wheel to help her turn!
It was neat seeing FantasyLand at night. We found Goofy by the Carousel, which was a neat surprise. We strolled through FantLand, Lib. Square and Frontierland just taking in the sights and taking pics. I LOVE MK at night! It has such a different feel. We came up to POTC. Dillon and I rode by ourselves and there was no one in line at all. We literally walked up to a loading dock and onto our own boat. It was kinda creepy being in there by ourselves. Right before we got on the ride we noticed that it was sprinkling and the park was cleared out. The rain was heavier when we came off the ride, so we just got out our umbrellas and strolled up to the front. We did stop at the Frontierland Shooting Range which I had never stopped at before. Luckily, this was the only rain we encountered. It had been a LONG day and we were exhausted and ready to crash.

Coming Up: A day of highs and lows of the ADR’s -- Which meal did I absolutely refuse to eat???

 

[LoveMyTwoPrincesses]

Wow! You really had a long day, but you sure did a lot of fun things! The picture of you and King Louie is so cute.

 

[disneydreaminA115]

Oh my word I am LOVING this review! Your pics are great, and the dessert party looks like so much fun! Can't wait for more!

 

[PetersonFamily]

On Tues. morning, we had an ADR at Chef Mickey’s, which I was really looking forward to, but we COULDN’T GET OUT OF BED!!! We were so exhausted that we decided to sleep in. The kids looked so cozy in their bed, so I just couldn’t bear to wake them up. We did get an extra hour of much needed sleep and we wouldn’t be out until midnight on this night. We had an earlier lunch ADR, so we decided to skip b-fast.

We took the bus to Epcot and headed for The Land. Of course, we got a FP for Soarin’ and rode Living w/ the Land and saw Circle of Life. Back at Soarin’, the FP line was kinda long but it was worth the wait. We had to do a child swap on this one and we all loved this ride but who doesn’t? We esp. loved the scent of the orange groves!!! We then went to Imagination and saw Captain EO. I was able to take a small nap during this show! When we were exiting, Dillon asked me why Captain EO looked like a girl!! Next, we rode Journey. I never have cared for this one and could skip it on future trips. Sorry to Figment lovers!!! After this ride, it was finally time for lunch and we were ready since we skipped b-fast. I was also ready b/c we would be eating at LE CELLIER!! I had changed this ADR several times from dinner to lunch to different days. It was orig. on a day that we would have to come to Epcot only to eat here and then go back to another park. Luckily, I found an ADR available on our first full day at Epcot.
We arrived in Canada and checked into the restaurant. We spent time at the Kidcot station while we waited to be seated. I love the “castle” look – dark wood, stone, gothic windows – and this restaurant has it all. It’s beautiful.

We were given several different types of bread to start with. For appetizers, I had the Cheddar Cheese Soup and Jer had the Spicy Chicken and Chipotle Sausage. I loved the soup and Jer said the sausage was excellent.

We ordered the same entrée, the Mushroom Filet Mignon. DE-LIC-IOUS!! The meat was so tender and the rice was excellent. Le Cellier definitely lived up to all the hype.

For dessert, I ordered the Chocolate on Chocolate Whiskey Cake. It was wonderful but so rich that I couldn’t finish the whole thing – and I LOVE choc.

Jer had the Apple Rhubarb Crumble, which he also loved.

We were very happy w/ Le Cellier and would go again in the future (prob. for lunch since dinner is 2 TS credits now).

Next, was The Seas and we are now in LOVE w/ Turtle Talk. Brilliant idea! The kids had a ball and for the rest of the trip, to Dillon’s dismay, I kept saying “Cool” by shaking my head first and saying it in a very “surfer” way, like Crush. Dillon eventually was like “Mom…okay!” We also rode the Nemo ride and were not that impressed w/ it. We then headed over to Innoventions, where we checked out the souvenir shops and exhibits. We had our picture made w/ Minnie and Goofy at the Disney Visa cardholders photo spot and then had our free 5X7 printed at the photo shop.

We found several things at The Art of Disney store that we would have loved to have taken home w/ us. That place has some amazing artwork! Anyone who is interested in art should spend some time in this store.
We saw Ellen’s Energy Adventure, which is really dated but still funny. I thought for sure Aubrie would be a little scared of the dinosaurs on this ride but she did great. None of the rides scared her, just the big, scary, hideous Pooh and friends characters!! We rode Spaceship Earth next, which I have always loved. Dillon and I rode together and we enjoyed the interactive part of this ride. Next, we headed to Mission: Space where Dillon and Jer rode the extreme version, which they both enjoyed. It was about time for dinner and I wanted to head to World Showcase, which is one of my favorite areas. We would save Test Track for another day.
It was too early to arrive at San Angel Inn, so we decided to spend some time next door in Norway. Little did we know we would spend a lot of time here throughout the trip and walk through their main gift shop about 10 times!! Ok, maybe not that many but it felt like it. Dillon and I walked around the gift shop, The Puffin’s Roost, and had fun taking pictures of him slaying the troll!

I would have loved to have bought a Norwegian sweater but they were over $200. Oh well!! I also wanted to smell the Laila perfume they sell here. It smells wonderful. I loved this little troll peeking through the window.

It was time to head over to San Angel Inn. I’ve dined at this rest. during all four visits to WDW and I’ve always enjoyed it. I don’t know what happened on this visit. First, the pros: We love the atmosphere of this place – very romantic. You feel like you’re dining by candlelight in a Mexican village at night while overlooking a tropical forest and smoking volcano. Very cool!
Before my review, I will start out by saying that we live in Texas and are spoiled with a Mexican food rest. on almost every corner. We love our Tex-Mex. I always order chicken enchiladas and they are always smothered w/ sour cream sauce. By traveling to other parts of the country recently (Cali., S. Dakota, Wisc.) we realize that this is not always the case. So, I told myself when I received my meal at San Angel Inn “Well, maybe this is authentic Mexican food?” but we do have an auth. Mexican rest. in the city next to us that is delicious. So, I’m not sure how to explain what I received, but I couldn’t eat it. I will say the Sopa Azteca (tortilla soup) Jer and I ordered for our appet. was wonderful and that has been consistent since my 1st trip back in 1992.

But my entrée, the Mole Poblano, was terrible. I did ask for the mole sauce to be put on the side, so maybe that made the chicken taste bland but the sauce was horrible also, so I was relieved it wasn’t poured all over the meal. The chicken was dry and the rice had no taste. I took 2 bites of chicken and told Jer I couldn’t eat anymore. Just gross!!

Jeremy ordered the Mahi-Mahi a la Veracruzana, which he really enjoyed.

For dessert, he ordered the Flan de Vainilla, vanilla custard in syrup topped w/ roasted almonds, and I ordered the Helado de Vainilla, which is vanilla ice cream w/ Mexican caramel sauce. Both were very good.

We were ready to call it a night, so after I took a few pictures, we boarded the bus and zoned out as we were driven to our hotel. The next morning, Jeremy and I would make a decision that would make this vacation even better.

 

[PetersonFamily]

Wow! You really had a long day, but you sure did a lot of fun things! The picture of you and King Louie is so cute.

Oh my word I am LOVING this review! Your pics are great, and the dessert party looks like so much fun! Can't wait for more!

Thanks you guys!!

 

[PetersonFamily]

Jeremy and I became tired of waiting for the buses and not having a seat for the kids when we were all dead tired leaving the parks. Also, we had our stroller to haul back and forth. We would have to take sleeping Aubrie out and fold the stroller completely up even if the bus wasn’t full. So, we decided to drive our car to the parks. This was the best decision and we wished we had thought of it sooner. We could immediately be on our way back to the hotel and get comfy in the car on the way back.
Wed., Dec. 1, we drove over to Hollywood Studios. It was freezing!! We stopped at Starring Rolls Bakery and grabbed a few cinnamon rolls, danishes and milk. I love the forties and music of the forties. So, I was in heaven with the music that plays on Sunset Blvd. Dillon and I got in line for Tower of Terror while Jer went w/Aubrie to get FP’s for Toy Story Mania.

I love ToT EXCEPT for the drop. I don’t like heights or drops that make my stomach come upninto my throat!! I love the hotel, the story behind it and the library. But I always dread the drop. Even now thinking about the doors opening and closing at the top and then complete darkness gives me sweaty palms. Dillon liked this ride, esp. the whole Twilight Zone aspect, but he hated the drop also. When it was over, the lady sitting next to him said he did a good job. Jeremy wanted to ride ToT also, but Dillon wouldn’t ride it again and Jer didn’t want to ride by himself. Next, we walked over to R n’ Rollercoaster so Jer and Dillon could ride but Dillon was just barely too short. Again, Jer didn’t want to ride by himself so he didn’t ride this one either.
We walked towards the middle of the park in front of the Chinese theater and there was a High School Musical performance. Aubrie ran right up and joined in on the dancing.

Unfortunately, the show was almost over when we got there so someone had to kindly escort her off the “dance floor”. We rode the GMR, which I have always loved.

I also love Mary Poppins and wanted to get a pic of Aubrie and me with the carousel horse.

We headed to Animation Courtyard and hurried to get in line for Quincy and June. We were last in line for them but first in line for Leo and Annie.

Our next stop was Magic of Disney Anim. We didn’t walk through this "tour" but numerous characters are set up and the lines weren’t long at all. We took pictures w/ Mr. and- Mrs. Incredible, Lotso and Sorcerer Mickey and PP photographers were at each stop. In almost every charac. picture of the trip Aubrie has on a big smile and then eyes on the character, just in case!!

We left Disney Anim. and walked down Pixar Place. I thought our lunch ADR was just around the corner from Pixar Place. Nope. It was at the front of the park. So, we’re trucking it towards the front, down Streets of America, and past Indiana Jones. We made it just in time.
Our lunch ADR was at 50’s Prime Time Café at 12:15.

It was packed but we found a seat in the living room and the kids watched TV. It felt so good to sit down and I wanted to take a nap right there in the chair. We were seated at the cutest table with a TV. We loved the décor of this place. The waitress was nice but the “Mom” routine got old. I know that’s part of the experience but I was the one who kept putting my elbows on the table, so I kept getting reprimanded. She put 2 Mickey heads made of ketchup by my elbows to teach me a lesson!!
I ordered a choc. milkshake, which was delish, chicken noodle soup, and the fried chicken w/ corn and mashed potatoes.

The soup was pretty good. I am a meat and potatoes girl and will never pass on potatoes but something about these potatoes was so gross! It was prob. the gravy. I tried a second bite and then couldn’t eat a third. Lesson learned – cut the gravy! The chicken was okay but not the greatest. I ordered the brownie for dessert and it was just a dry brownie with whip cream. Maybe I was over the desserts at that point but I took one bite and was done. No taste whatsoever. Jeremy ordered the pb&j milkshake for his drink and the same appet. & dinner and thought it was good. He didn’t mind the potatoes?!?!?! For dessert, he had the hot fudge sundae – of course, very good!

I would prefer not to eat here again but maybe I should have had something different.
We had FP’s for TSM and it was time to ride! This was our first time ever and it was so much fun! It’s competitive and you get a workout! I love Pixar Place! It’s so adorable, esp. the Green Army Men hoisting up the Scrabble board.

We spent some time at the HISTK playground and then rode Studio Backlot Tour. Aubrie was sitting on the left of the tram and was next to the rush of water. She was worried at first and then had the most wonderful smile on her face afterwards.

After the tour, it was time for autographs. We waited in line quite a while for Mike and Sully but they were worth the wait. We love them!!

 

[PetersonFamily]

Even more pictures from Monsters, Inc.

Then it was time to stand in the monster line for Woody and Buzz, the 2nd longest line we stood in on the whole trip. Here's Dillon being a little ham, as usual!

We saw the fountain from the movie “Splash” and since I love that movie I had my pic taken w/ the mermaid!​

The kids had this picture made "with Stitch"!!

We were making our way to the front and stopped at the Cars picture site and Star Wars. Even though the ride was closed, Darth Vader and a couple of Stormtroopers were signing autographs. This made Dillon’s day (and Jer’s, too)!

We had just enough time to see Indiana Jones and then we had to leave for our dinner ADR at……to be continued.​

 

[PetersonFamily]

After leaving HS, we drove to MK and made our way down Main Street toward the castle. We were having dinner at the Royal Table and we couldn’t wait. I love the castle and the kids were so excited to go inside. I can't remember when this pic was taken but I love the giddiness of it. They were definitely excited about something!

When we arrived, we were given a ticket to have Aubrie’s pic made w/ Cinderella. The décor is a lot like Le Cellier and so I loved it. Jeremy and Dillon waited patiently while Aubrie had her picture made and then we were called to go upstairs.

When Jer and I were here for our honeymoon, we were seated in the middle of the glass windows and right by the window. At the time, I don’t think we realized how special this seat was. We met Belle, Ariel, Jasmine and Sleeping Beauty. Aubrie was in heaven. Dillon told the princesses he wanted their autograph but just Aubrie was getting a pic w/ them!!

We really enjoyed our meals. I had the Roasted Beef Tenderloin, which is a sliced roasted beef tenderloin with Duchess potatoes, asparagus, and a tomato Hollandaise sauce.

I ordered the Crème Caramel for dessert. I loved this meal! It was so tasty!

Jer had the Grilled Pork Chop, a grilled bone-in pork chop with roasted butternut squash, braised baby greens, and an apple-onion ragout. He had the Chef’s Dessert Trio. He loved his meal, also.

Right before the fireworks, a man sitting at the table from our last visit proposed to his girlfriend and then the fireworks began. What a proposal! Lucky girl! Oh yeah, she said yes!

Before we left the castle, I took this pic of Aubrie doing her best princess pose!

I was hoping to be one of the last families out of the park. On our honeymoon, Jer and I were the only people on Main Street after we left our dinner at the Royal Table. It is a surreal feeling. So, I was hoping to recreate that on this visit but it wasn’t meant to be. There were other families leaving but not too many. I was taking this picture of the castle and caught Aubrie as as she was running back into the castle. She made it all the way back to Fantasyland before she was stopped.

I was sure to get a picture of our “paws” in the Lady and the Tramp heart outside of Tony’s. Here is a pic of Jer and me on our honeymoon and then our new pic.

We slowly strolled down Main Street and then to our car. It had been a long day!​

 

[PetersonFamily]

We were back at MK early the next morning, 12/2, and we wouldn’t be park hopping today! After driving over, we took the monorail to the Grand Floridian for b-fast at 1900 Park Fare. While we waited, we took pics in front of the gingerbread house in the lobby. They took our pic before entering the rest. but we decided not to buy it. I was excited to try the strawberry soup and it was wonderful! Of course, we enjoyed the waffles, eggs and all the other b-fast staples. We met the Mad Hatter, Alice, Mary Poppins and Pooh and friends. The Mad Hatter is wonderful and I’m a Mary Poppins fan, so I got in on the picture with Aubrie! We all really enjoyed this b-fast.

We headed to MK via the monorail and started where we left off 4 days before. We headed left to Adventureland and walked through the SFR Treehouse. Then we had our PP pic made in front of Pirates and rode for the 3rd time (for Dillon and me). We look so tired in this picture b/c by this point we were EXHAUSTED!!

Next, we stood in line to see Aladdin and Jasmine. Aladdin was so talkative and funny. He was great! We rode Jungle Cruise using the FP line and then rode the Magic Carpets. Again, Aubrie had a blast on this “hub” style ride.

Guess we spent quite a bit of time in Adventureland b/c then it was time for our lunch ADR at the Plaza. While we waited, we were able to stand on Main St. for the taping of the Christmas parade. We weren’t on TV but it was neat on Christmas Day to watch the parade and say “We were standing right there” and “We were there that day”.

I love the Plaza! My favorite meal is soup and a sandwich so I love this place.
While we waited for our food, Jeremy, Aubrie and Dillon were trying to pass the time by whispering "secrets" back and forth! Just being so silly!

I ordered the potato cheese soup and Plaza Club w/ French fries, which was very good!

Jer had the potato cheese soup and an Angus Chuck Hamburger w/ homemade chips.

The best part was dessert. I had the Plaza Restaurant Sundae and Jer had the Original Banana Split. Delicious!!!

​

 

[PetersonFamily]

After eating, we went to Mickey’s Toontown. We rode the Goofy rollercoaster, and the kids loved this one. Aubrie and I walked through Minnie’s house and saw Peter Pan in front of the Judge’s Tent while Jer and Dillon walked through Donald’s Boat.

After Peter Pan (who was awesome and was really great w/ Aubrie), we got in line for the Fairies. It was the longest wait of the whole trip. It was prob. a 1 – 1 ½ hr. wait, but they were worth it for Aubrie. Dillon was sure to tell them, again, that he wouldn’t be in any of the pictures. Then Rosetta pulled him in for some pics. So funny! I love how assertive he is (or tries to be)!

This picture makes me laugh b/c Rosetta basically had to force Dillon to take a picture, and even though he didn't want to he still has a smile on his face!! He's such a trooper!

The PP photographer took this pic of me. I looked like this for a large part of the trip!

We left Toontown and went to Frontierland to ride BTMR since we missed it on our first day. Dillon and I love this tame rollercoaster! We then walked through Liberty Square looking for the silhouette booth. I definitely wanted to get silhouettes of the kids and they were very reasonable. $5 for each sil. and $7 for a black oval plastic frame. I didn’t want them to get messed up in our stroller so I spent the extra $$ on frames. They turned out great. Aubrie was even asleep in her stroller and the lady was able to get her likeness. She is very talented. Then we leisurely walked through Fantasyland and toward the castle. I took pics of the castle at sunset and found the Cinderella fountain. We were killing time before our dinner ADR and soaking Disney in. Looking back this was the calm before the upcoming storm, aka our last day!!

After sadly saying goodbye to MK, we boarded the monorail & arrived at the Poly. Our dinner ADR was for O’hana’s, our favorite meal from our honeymoon. While we waited, I looked in the gift shop and found the only real sales you could call a “deal”. The pic frames and scrapbooking items were marked way down. Yay!! While we waited, Aubrie fell asleep in her stroller. After we were seated, we tried to wake her up but she was out cold. So, we laid her on the floor against the wall where she napped the whole meal. Dillon had fun dancing around the restaurant, we all enjoyed the food and I enjoyed a pina colada! So good!

It was so cold when we left. We took the monorail back to MK, packed into our car & cranked up the heater. The next day would be our last. There were a few must-do items on our list that made us have to go back to the AK and HS before heading to our last park of the trip.

Coming Up: The evil stepsisters of Epcot and the best surprise ​

 

[saintstickets]

Just found your TR. Really enjoying the narrative and great pics.

 

[PetersonFamily]

Thank you so much saintstickets!!

 

[PetersonFamily]

On our last day, 12/3, we were going to hang out in the World Showcase, one of my favorite places to be. We were also looking forward to a Kim Possible mission. Dillon waited all week to do this! First, we ate breakfast at our resort restaurant, Maya Grill. It was a cold morning and I ordered a hot chocolate with my meal. Everything was delicious. There were several must-dos we missed during the week, so we decided to do two things before heading to our main destination for the day.
First, we drove to AK to see It’s Tough to be a Bug. When we were here earlier in the week, we walked all around this central attraction but never made it inside the tree. This show is so much fun and Aubrie wasn’t scared at all!

We then high-tailed it to HS to see the Beauty and the Beast show. I always loved this show and knew Aubrie would love it, too. I was also glad to have another chance to walk down Sunset Blvd. to hear the forties music! We waited in a pretty long line for the show but the theater seats so many that we were sitting down in no time. This show is amazing. The dancing and costumes are wonderful! We all enjoyed it and when it was over we stopped at Sweet Spells.

Since we were on the deluxe plan, we each had 2 snack credits per day, which we didn’t always use daily. So, by the last day we had 36 credits left. After buying cupcakes, cookies and drinks at Sweet Spells, we had 24 credits left over that we would enjoy using later on that night.

When we arrived at WS, it was about time for our lunch ADR at Chefs de France, which was packed! We waited quite a while to be seated even w/ reservations. This was fine since we had plenty to look at. I love the Old World European countries including France, England and Norway.

We took pictures w/ the gardens and fountains.

While we were waiting to be seated, we heard a Christmas story by Pere Noel, the French Santa. This was so cool and I wish we had been able to hear more stories and see Santas from other countries but we didn’t have time.

Just as our name was called, we saw a line start to form for Sleeping Beauty. Even though we saw her already, Aubrie and I got in line since this was her favorite princess. She’s since moved on to Ariel. By this time Aubrie was growing more comfortable w/ the characters and even talked to Sleeping Beauty by asking “Will you sign my scrapbook?” So funny!

When Aubrie and I found our table, Remy was there talking to Dillon and Jeremy. We loved this little rat. He was adorable!

I ordered the French Onion soup for my appetizer, which was to die for!

I had the Crepe Florentine for the main dish and Crepe a la pomme et cannelle, glace vanille, caramel jus de pommes for dessert. This was a crepe filled with cinnamon, apples, vanilla ice cream and apple caramel sauce. I didn’t care for the Crepes Florentine but the dessert was great.

Jeremy ordered the cheese plate for his appetizer, the beef short ribs braised in cabernet for his main dish and the crepes w/ apples also for dessert. For some reason, I don’t have pics of his food, but he enjoyed all of it.

A funny story about the next picture was that I was having a hard time taking pics of the food b/c I had the wrong lens on the camera and had to get way back to get a picture. The lady next to us thought I was trying to take pics of my family and felt sorry for me, so she offered to take a picture for us. So, that’s the only reason we have this picture, but it’s one of my favorites!

We left France and traveled to England where we were just in time for British Invasion. I’m a HUGE Beatles fan, so I was hoping to hear them and we got there just in time. We found a spot on the curb and then Aubrie went to dancing! She and another girl were running back and forth along the front “road” by the band. They were keeping the people up front entertained! We were able to drag Aubrie away b/c we still had lots to do.

We found a Kim Possible field station in England and received our assignment – NORWAY! We spent quite a bit of time here already on the first night we were in the WS while we waited for dinner at San Angel Inn. So, I was kinda hoping for another country to explore. Oh well! We decided to go back around Canada and Mexico to get to Norway.

 

[saintstickets]

Just realized we were at WDW the same time as in this TR. Don't know why I didn't see you! Our TR link is below. Keep the great TR coming.

 

[PetersonFamily]

Bill, I was going to post this in your TR but I guess since it's completed, I couldn't. Anyway, I didn't realize either that we were there the exact same days. Looks like the only times our families may have passed each other is in MK, the day they taped the Christmas Parade during your tour, the next morning (our last day) in HS when we stopped in real quick to see Beauty and the Beast and then in Epcot that night. We were at Chefs de France for lunch and ya'll were at Bistro de Paris that night. Anyway, I really enjoyed your TR and I was looking in the background of your pics to see if anyone was familiar!! Thanks for reading my TR!!

 

[PetersonFamily]

We bought Dillon a passport book that he got stamped at each country, which was a lot of fun and kept things interesting for him in WS. We made it to Norway and received our “Kimmunicator”. Dillon was so excited! The first interaction was smoke that came up out of a chimney and he said “Mom, I’m creating Disney magic!” Then, he made a horn sound and a flag rise. When two people turned to look at them, Dillon said “Should I tell them I did that?”

We walked to China and Aubrie found a pink parasol she loved. We bought this for her and she was in heaven!

When we got to the Outpost, we saw a face painting station and the kid’s had been looking forward to doing this. So, Dillon got the Fire Breathing Dragon & Aubrie got the Tinkerbelle face.

We made it to Germany and were so excited to see Snow White! I think Aubrie was mesmerized with her b/c she just stared in awe!

After getting her signature, I got in the LONG line for the Werther’s Original caramel shop. This place was cool! The vanilla cupcake with vanilla icing and caramel drizzle was heavenly! I also loved looking through the cuckoo clock and teddy bear shop in Germany.

We knew that Epcot had EMH’s on this night but we thought WS would close at the normal time, so we rushed through Italy taking a few pics here and there.

​

 

[PetersonFamily]

After leaving Italy, we saw the American Adventure, which is wonderful and then rushed over to Japan. I wanted Aubrie to do Pick a Pearl and realized we were just as happy watching someone else pick a pearl. We were rushing to see all the countries b/c we had an ADR at Akershus and then it was time to leave, or so we thought. We ran through Morocco, France (again) and England. So, then we kept walking past Canada and all the way around (again) to Norway.
This is where it got interesting. We had a perfect vacation until my run in with the evil stepsisters of Akershus!

We arrived in plenty of time for our ADR. Then Aubrie had to go to the restroom, so Aubrie, Dillon and I left to go to the restroom right around the corner from the restaurant. Jer stayed to wait. When we came back Jeremy said they called our name but we couldn’t be seated without everyone in our party. I told the 2 girls at the check-in podium that we were back and all present. She said that we would have to wait now b/c we weren’t there when they called us. I told her where we were, that my husband was still there to wait and she then said when a table was ready, we would be seated. WE WERE THE LAST FAMILY SEATED FOR THE NIGHT!! Every family that was originally behind us went in ahead of us b/c my daughter had to go potty!! Are you kidding me? I would understand if we had left to ride Maelstrom but to take your kid to the potty and then lose your spot and not be seated next when you do get back? Ridiculous! I asked to speak to a manger when I saw all of the families going in and realized what they were doing. When we were called in we got in line for the Belle picture and I was in tears standing there. I couldn’t understand why some people have to be so mean. I also couldn’t believe that we had a spotless vacation until then, and then the last hour of our time at Disney was stressful. Basically, I didn’t like the restaurant. We enjoyed seeing the princesses again and the pictures we received of Aubrie and Belle.

Jeremy liked his meal but I don’t think he disliked any of his meals!! He had the traditional kjottkake.

I wasn’t impressed with the food and didn't take a picture of my meal, so I'm not sure what I had. The manager dodged us all night and never did talk to us even though she approached us at one point and said she would be right with us. The restaurant was clearing out and we went to the window to watch the fireworks. We were getting ready to leave the park when we looked over and saw that Maelstrom was still open. We went to ask the CM if the park was still open and he told us EMH for Epcot included the WS! I didn’t realize that so, even though we were exhausted, I was so excited when we learned we could stay and play a little longer.
I was so glad we got to ride Maelstrom b/c I thought we ran out of time and missed it. We all really liked this ride. We decided to head back towards France and England. We were feverishly trying to use up all of our snack credits and it was fun going through each country deciding to try this and that, like candy bars, etc. I did want to buy something at the French bakery. The line was incredibly long when we were there for lunch, but I really wanted to get a crème brulee. When we arrived, the line was non-existent and I walked right in and bought the crème brulee and a piece of chocolate cake.

I regretted that we didn’t get to see the movie about France, since I have always loved it and the song in the movie, Carnival of the Animals. We hung out in France, took a PP pic and the kids ran around.

I took a picture of Dillon in the red phone booth in England and then we sadly headed towards the entrance.

We still had time before closing but we were so tired and basically finished in WS. Jeremy wanted to ride Test Track w/ Dillon before we left. So, while they waited in line for 1 hour, Aubrie and I shopped around Mouse Gears. Well, I shopped and Aubrie slept in her stroller. I used some of our snack credits on a few goodies and purchased a Christmas ornament. When Jer and Dillon were finished riding, we took our last PP pics, said goodbye to Epcot and hurried to the car because it was SO cold!

We passed out once we returned to our room and the next morning, after using the last of our snack credits at our resort bakery on muffins & danishes, we headed home to Texas.

Writing this trip report was so much fun and allowed me to relive our trip ten months after we said good-bye to the World! Thanks to those who followed our family on our journey and for sticking with me even when there were months b/w posts!!

Final Thoughts:
1.) If we decide to drive again for our next trip, we will always drive to & from the parks. It didn’t take away any of the magic for us at all.

2.) No more DDP for us. It was way too much food and it’s pretty bad for us, who love sweets, when we start turning down desserts. The QS meals, w/ a few TS meals thrown in, will be just fine for us next time.

3.) We will stay away from Akershus on future trips.

4.) We will always have one dinner in the castle, since it’s a great way to see the princesses w/out standing in line, and I will always eat the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake at least once on every trip!!

5.) We will never do the Dessert Party again! Glad we tried it once but we didn’t really have to have that view w/ those desserts.

6.) We will spend more time at WS so we are not rushing through, so we can do more Kim Possible missions and so we can see the movie in France!

7.) We will ALWAYS use PP! I treasure these family pictures and didn’t have to bother other families by asking them to take our picture.​