Somebody's Gonna Pee in a Cup, West Coast - Link to new TR 1/21

[Dugette]

She finally stood up and then came the moment that I’m still trying to figure out… She looked right at me and said “you remind me of Sebastian, only less crabby.” before waving goodbye to all of us and turning to walk to the next table.

Maybe the red shirt?

Well, you can either wait till I’m done or I can show you now but that would make things kind of awkward…

Wow, talk about cracking down on party-crashers! Surprised they didn't go knocking on the stall doors too.

Great to hear about your party experiences and also the dinner in the castle. Glad your DD enjoyed the princesses so much and that DS was finally talked into sort-of enjoying it/getting pictures taken.

Thanks for all the great character pictures in the updates! I actually read this for the first time on my phone while waiting for Izzy to finish eating her dinner, so I was showing her all the pictures and asking her who they were and she knew all of them (including Clarabelle, who she LOVES...and may have just been watching during dinner on MMC). She was only confused about who your kids were.

 

[jecskc]

Kind of weird that they would literally approach you at the urinal to check wristbands. I mean, couldn't they have waited for you at the door?

I understand why they are checking the bathrooms though. I imagine there have been some people who thought they could hide out there and stay for the party.

I need to know if you DD has seen The Little Mermaid yet. She seems to really like Ariel. My niece LOVED that movie and I used to watch her all of the time for my sister, so we wore tha movie out. She is 26 now and still loves Ariel and mermaid stuff.

Looking forward to reading more!!

Susan

 

[shan23877]

Is it wrong that you going to CRT and meeting so many characters makes me gleeful?

I'm so very glad that your family enjoyed CRT!!! Despite having one bad meal, it's still a must-do for us. DD's face with those princesses must certainly be worth the price of admission. And LOL at DS being teased by the princesses. Poor guy had a rough day.

OMG! Hahahaha! YOu should have spun around and shown that CM your "wristband". What on earth was he doing in the mens' room??? I wonder if anyone reported that to guest relations? I can't imagine that he was directed in there...

I'd love to get to one of the special parties someday. The parades and fireworks seem top notch.

Yay for an awesome meet with Tink! Poor DS, he's yet to learn that life with a princess sister means that glitter will pretty much be everywhere, all the time. Tink was just an introduction.

Mary with Bert AND the Penguin? And you're all nonchalant about that??? AWESOME!!

LOVE BTMRR at night. I'm glad that you got a ride!

Great update! Can't wait to see what characters you meet next!

 

[MissMaryQC]

I just gotta say, even though you guys didn't take a bajillion pictures (like I know a lot of us do) the ones you have a wonderful! I mean the kids on the carousal and DD with Cinderella, ADORABLE! I love that DD kept grabbing her pendant and showing it off.

I've heard similar reviews of CRT; foods ok, service is great but the joy in the kids in priceless. Hopefully the joy in my 28 YO sis will be worth the two dining credits we plan on using for the meal!

I'm glad that DS was able to pose with Tinker Belle; I like her. Too bad about the glitter thoughboys

DD wasn't afraid of talking Mickey, yay!!I understand that is a big hurdle for kids (I'll see in a few years).

Burt resting on DS in the photo with Mary Poppins is too cute. You guys saw a TON of characters at the party, that's great!

Sorry about your leg, super ouch.

Sometimes sleeping in is necessary, especially on vacation.

 

[Gracefulskinny]

My, that wristband checker was a little on the....Enthusiastic side! Not sure what I would have done in situation like that.

What a great run of character meets!

 

[pkondz]

Okay! Just got back and am trying to catch up everywhere!

A gentleman and his daughter in line next to us started chatting with us. Turned out they live about 30 miles away from us.

It's a small world af...... No! Nononononono no!!

DS did go ride this one with them. He was feeling a little bit taller and managed to meet the 42” requirement.

Wow! It's like he's able to tap into some alternate universe or something!
If he can tell you how he's able to add inches and you can market it, you'll make a fortune!

ahem....

DS was being carried out by FiL.

And had no interest in being put down.

uh, oh.

But when he saw the silhouette of the Yeti on the wall tearing out the track, that was apparently it.

Did he see the actual Yeti at the end?
If the silhouette did that to him.... <shudder>

On our way out of Asia, we stopped and bought a small stuffed Yeti for DS as a reminder that he rode a scary ride and survived it. He loves his little Yeti, and I think he’s proud of himself now, but he made sure that it was perfectly clear that he didn’t want to ride any more rides with a Yeti in them.

Nice way to make a bad situation better.

And look! We actually have an attraction that has some photographic evidence!!!!

No way! Are you sure you didn't just grab those of the internet?

I was going to say something here, but Leshaface beat me to it!
(And her comment was funnier than mine, anyway!)

Festival of the Lion King.

I have to say, it was a good show. I’m definitely glad I finally saw it. I might be villified for saying this, but it didn’t really live up to the hype, to me. Don’t get me wrong, we enjoyed it, but I don’t think it is something that we’ll need to do every trip, by any means.

I hear you. People talk about this like it's the best thing ever.
I expected something on par with Cirque... and it's not.
It's a good show, but... not something that I have to see over and over either.

I just wanted the show to end so we could get out of there and move on to something else. I think anybody who is a parent, can totally relate to this.

Apparently, it takes a direct order from Mickey Mouse himself to get an order filled that isn’t given to them through the automated system. The CM helping me kept asking for another order of fries. The guy who was putting the orders together told him he couldn’t do it. A manager came over to the CM helping me and told him to forget about it and get filled trays to other customers. I don’t know if they thought someone was just asking for a side of fries that wasn’t actually paid for or what, but the CM helping me seemed to be the only one interested in filling our order. The manager never came and talked to me, but I heard her comment and I might have taken it the wrong way. Either way, I was determined to stand in that spot and hold up a line if I had to until I had my full order on my tray. I might have been “one of those guests” at that point in time to others behind me… Although, I never resorted to rudeness or name calling or anything like that. And I was still polite with the CM the whole time.

Rebel without a fry.

Eventually, the trays started stacking up on the counter, because the CM helping me was appareantly taking the same passive aggressive stance I took and refused to move until they gave him the fries he’d asked for about 900 times.

See last comment. Add emphasis.

Your DW's pic is funny, but I also like how you're looking in the opposite direction!

AK definitely lived up to its half day reputation for us, as we were out of there by just after noon.

I hear ya.

What a cute shot!

I know I’ve had some negative comments about some of our other dining experiences, but this was nothing but a positive experience.

Phew! Had me worried there for a sec.

I’d say it is highly debatable whether the meal is worth the money or not.

I'll answer this in a bit...

Oh, yeah. And there were princesses. DD was in heaven. She hardly ate anything, because she was constantly turning around in her chair watching the princesses move through the room. DS even got into the spirit of it and took pictures with a few of them.

... annnnnd there's your answer.
You're definitely not paying for the food here.
Or at least, not just the food.
Food + location + characters = $$$$

DS was wearing his cowboy boots, and Aurora won him over by noticing them and comparing them to the boots that Prince Phillip wears. He really lit up and I don’t think princesses were quite as uncool at that moment in time.

I love how some of the characters can really interact with the kids. Some better than others, I mean.

They chatted for quite a while, but I really couldn’t hear much of what they were saying since it was on the other side of the table. Ariel posed for pictures with DD and then got up to move onto the next table.

​

Another terrific shot! :thumbsup:

She asked him why he was being a shy goldfish and he instantly turned beet red

She finally stood up and then came the moment that I’m still trying to figure out… She looked right at me and said “you remind me of Sebastian, only less crabby.”

As we were walking out, DD got all excited and yelled “Goodbye Cinderella!” Cinderella turned and gave her a smile and a wave. The perfect end to our dinner experience.

Awwww....

But the character interactions we got and DD’s excitement for seeing the princesses made it worthwhile. It would be hard to justify the cost of that meal otherwise.

See? You already knew the answer.

The CM’s were out in force checking wristbands. They clearly stepped up the enforcement this year.

Oh? Were they lax, before?

a CM came into the restroom and said he needed to see everybody’s wristbands.

So I’m at a urinal thinking Ok, this guy must be standing at the exit just checking people as they go in or out.

Not exactly. I hear him ask a few more times, but from the sound of his voice I can tell he’s moving around the restroom. The next thing I know I hear him asking to see wristbands and he’s standing right behind me.

Well, you can either wait till I’m done or I can show you now but that would make things kind of awkward…

I would've showed him, then said. "Sorry about your pants. At least it's warm, right?"

Seriously, that's so.... creepy.

So I tried to wake her up before she was completely out. I know… it is always a gamble doing that. You just never know how they’ll react to it or what kind of mood they’ll be in.

Oh, I hear ya. I hear ya.

I got her to grumpily watch the fireworks and pointed out Tink doing her thing. She perked up when that happened.

Amazing how they'll bounce back if the right stimulation comes around.

Another cute shot! What are you trying to do to us?

He wasn’t very happy because she got glitter on him.

Not glitter. Pixie dust. Tell him he can fly now.

The kids seemed a little stunned to hear Mickey talk to them…

I've never seen it up close and personal, myself. I think I would be a little stunned too!

Mickey asked them to touch his nose. I don’t think he realized this would come back to bite him when we’d see him later.

They bit him on the nose!?!?

Ferb walked over to DS and started doing the robot. DS then started doing it and it was almost like they were doing a robot dance off.

Awesome! How much were you grinning?

I figured this would be the last time we were in MK after dark and I still needed a night time ride on BTMRR.

Geez, I didn't do that! Never even occurred to me to ride it at night.

As they were riding and meeting Ariel, we were riding BTMRR. As I’ve said before, this is my favorite ride in MK.

It's in my top three.

apparently with 3 weeks to go in 2014, they’d already turned the page on the calendar. We couldn’t find anything anywhere that said 2014, but they had large displays of anything and everything you could possibly want with 2015 on it.

Huh. You'd think that would only come out on or really close to January 1st.

We got to the AoA bus stop and it was clear that we were going to be waiting for a while. There were so many people waiting that CM’s had joined the queues for AoA’s stop with the stop next to it and were standing there directing traffic. Both queues were full…

Ugh. Not a sight that you want to see. Especially with comatose kids in tow.

I sat the stroller down and stood straddling it to try to take up as little room as possible so we could cram more people in. This turned out to be a mistake, because as the bus turned the stroller was getting hit by a pole and driven into my leg. Yeah, the leg with the surgically repaired achilles. It was a miserable ride, and I ended up basically standing on one leg while hanging onto the bars for most of it.

Ouch! That sucks!

I didn’t realize it until we got back to AoA, but it also ripped a hole in the leg of my pants.

Of course.

Salt in the wound.

Thanks for the great updates Andy!

 

[cstorm65]

What a great Christmas Party! And so many fun character meet and greets! Glad your wife and MIL found a place to sit and hold the sleeping kids on the bus. We've certainly been in that spot and it can be "fun" sometimes! Can't wait to read some more.

 

[SarahDisney]

Next was Princess Aurora. She spent a few minutes with DD before taking some pictures. Aurora made sure to take an extra moment to pay attention to DS whether he wanted it or not. Aurora had almost finished with DD before I could convince DS to go get his picture taken too. DW had already put down the big camera so you get a crappy cell phone picture for that one. DS was wearing his cowboy boots, and Aurora won him over by noticing them and comparing them to the boots that Prince Phillip wears. He really lit up and I don’t think princesses were quite as uncool at that moment in time.

Yay! A princess that finally made him realize that princesses aren't all so bad!
I love it when the characters really try to engage the kids, even when the kids aren't so enthusiastic.

Ariel was in rare form though. She spent quite a bit more time at our table than the others. She chatted with DD about all kinds of things. DD loved her, although, I’m not sure she’s even seen The Little Mermaid yet. They chatted for quite a while, but I really couldn’t hear much of what they were saying since it was on the other side of the table. Ariel posed for pictures with DD and then got up to move onto the next table.

Ariel is my favorite, so I'm glad you guys had a good experience with her.
And DD really should see The Little Mermaid, it's awesome.

She looked right at me and said “you remind me of Sebastian, only less crabby.”

I'm guessing it was the red shirt. With DisneyBounding being such a thing now, the characters are probably looking for it and assume that if you look like a character, you're doing it on purpose.

The last princess to visit us was Jasmine. She didn’t spend a whole lot of time with us, and I can’t really remember any specific conversation she had, but DS was at least a little less shy and joined her for a picture.

Yay, he got in a princess picture willingly!

It was still quite a while before the parade would start, but DS needed to use the restroom. I took him and while we were in there, a CM came into the restroom and said he needed to see everybody’s wristbands.

So I’m at a urinal thinking Ok, this guy must be standing at the exit just checking people as they go in or out.

Not exactly. I hear him ask a few more times, but from the sound of his voice I can tell he’s moving around the restroom. The next thing I know I hear him asking to see wristbands and he’s standing right behind me.

Well, you can either wait till I’m done or I can show you now but that would make things kind of awkward…

I hate to say this, because you don't want to think this happens at Disney, but ... are you sure he was a CM and not just a guy who came into the bathroom looking for "wristbands"? I really hate to think that CMs would be bothering people in the middle of doing their business.

We went in and saw Tink. Both kids were glad to see her.

Finally, a character they both liked!

DS got back into grumpy boy mode though as we were leaving our M&G with Tink. He wasn’t very happy because she got glitter on him.

I don't blame him for that one. Glitter gets everywhere and you can't get it off!

But that soon changed, and look who wasn’t scared…

​

Super cute picture! She looks happy to see Mickey!

Ferb walked over to DS and started doing the robot. DS then started doing it and it was almost like they were doing a robot dance off. I really wish we had gotten it on video, but truthfully, we were all enjoying just sitting down and eating some cookies while we watched the kids having fun.

Sounds like a great experience! As cute as it would be to have a video, I think the important part was that you got a chance to relax and see the kids having fun.

And at least DD got some Ariel pictures without her grumpy brother in them.

Yay!

We got to the AoA bus stop and it was clear that we were going to be waiting for a while. There were so many people waiting that CM’s had joined the queues for AoA’s stop with the stop next to it and were standing there directing traffic. Both queues were full…

Yeah, when that happens, I take the Pop Century bus (although that's a little harder when you have to push a stroller and/or carry sleeping kids ... it does sometimes mean you get to go to sleep earlier)

Sounds like a great experience at the party overall!

 

[amazingact21]

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Mickey asked them to touch his nose. I don’t think he realized this would come back to bite him when we’d see him later.

​

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I love this picture! It's the perfect answer to people constantly questioning why we all kids our kids to Disney at such a young age. Look at the wonder in your DD's eyes.
Adorable.



Sounds like that was a fantastic night. CRT does seem a little pricey, but if you've got little ones that love the princesses, it can beat standing in constant meet and greet lines. And how great of the princesses to actually try and make an effort with your son. They could have just let him be and moved on, but they at least looked for a talking point. Bet your son got a kick out of wearing his cowboy boots.



I think Disney managed the Christmas Party differently this year. Sold a lot less tickets and enforced wristbands a lot more. The sold out aspect scared me a little when I went, but compared to the 2013's the park was empty. Made it much more enjoyable.

But what the heck?!? That guy Cast Member needed to back the heck up.

Who talks to someone when they are the urinal?

I read that part out loud to Alex because he was in the room with me, and he just said, "No way. No flipping way. I'd have had some choice words for him."


What I wanted to know was what the heck that CM was going to do if you DIDN'T have a wristband. Try and make you leave right then and there?

Like, let the people finish their business then escort them out.



BTMRR at night is the best. There's nothing like reaching the top of the coaster and looking over to see the castle all lit up. Especially when it's got its holiday lights on it.



The wait for the buses is the major downside to not taking a car. One time in 2013, Alex and I saw a long wait for Pop Century and we passed an AoA bus just pulling up, so we hopped on that one and walked through the resort back to Pop.
Laziness at its best.



I've noticed the lack of year souvenir merchandise in December. My mom, too, tries to get magnets with the years on them and couldn't because they'd swapped everything out already. Which I don't understand. Why would someone want a 2015 item when they went in 2014?

 

[vamassey1]

DD had a Cinderella dress that she got for her birthday last year that she was going to wear for our dinner with the princesses, so we got her ready and we were on our way just after 4:00.

Your DD is a beautiful Princess!

so we got one with just the 2 princesses, and then we got a family picture with our hostess.

These pictures are great. The interaction with Cinderella is so sweet.

I know I’ve had some negative comments about some of our other dining experiences, but this was nothing but a positive experience.

Sounds like a fabulous meal all around. We're eating her for the first time since it became a 2 credit meal. DD doesn't know we're going. Even though she's 15 I think she'll love it almost as much as your little Princess.

Oh, yeah. And there were princesses. DD was in heaven.

She does look like she's in heaven.

The first princess to visit our table was Snow White and DS reluctantly joined DD to pose for a picture..

DS doesn't looks like he's enjoying it in these pictures.

As we were walking out, DD got all excited and yelled “Goodbye Cinderella!” Cinderella turned and gave her a smile and a wave. The perfect end to our dinner experience.

This is so cute!

Fortunately I was right and we had plenty of room to grab a front row spot just in front of the Fire Station.

Great parade mojo!

a CM came into the restroom and said he needed to see everybody’s wristbands.

This was a little too much. I guess in the past people hid in the bathrooms.

Apparently that was all the pictures DW took of the parade…

Lovely pictures!

We went in and saw Tink. Both kids were glad to see her.

Tink is always a fun visit, even is she shares her glitter.

The kids seemed a little stunned to hear Mickey talk to them

Haven't seen this yet either.

I love it in the daytime, but it is just a different ride at night. I don’t know why, but it just is

Totally agree with you on this one!

I knew that there was no way we’d get everyone ready to go for RD the next morning, so we made plans to just leave at around 9 and make the best of whatever situation we’d run into at EPCOT.

I'm curios to she just how much sleeping in you do.

 

[afwdwfan]

Sounds like a great time at dinner and a really fun party with lots of characters. That is excellent that you got a picture of just the two Cinderellas. I also love the picture of the kids with Mickey- fantastic smiles!

That picture with Cinderella turned out great. It is framed in DD's room now.

Glad to hear that you had decent views of the parade, the projection show and the fireworks. And then you zigged when everyone else zagged so you had short wait times for all of the things you did!

I was glad things worked out so well for us. Much better than the night before when we went for MSEP and Wishes.

Hurray for a ride with the hanging possums!

I can never get enough!

Poor DS on EE.

Yeah... I probably should have kept him off of it... but he survived.

Too bad about FotLK, but I completely understand. Both not being wowed by it (although liking it) and the effect that underwhelmed kids can have on an experience like that.

Yeah... I think hearing so many people talk about how great a show is for a few years before you ever get a chance to see it builds the expectations a bit high.

That’s insane about Restauranta-whatever - can’t spell that. I can’t believe it would be that hard to get fries anywhere! We have eaten there a couple of times (but many years ago) and enjoyed it as far as CS places go. But we have NEVER had an experience like that. I bet all your other food was cold by the time you were able to eat it too.

The other food really wasn't cold. Well the other fries were, but it wasn't too bad. I think it is just one of those things. You could have service issues like that anywhere. And unfortunately, I think service problems are becoming a bit more common.

MVMCP and CRT??? Oh, I am in for this!

It was a great evening!

Love the pics with Cinderella - your DD looks so cute!!! Makes me all nostalgic for the first time Willow met her. In fact, seeing your pics, Willow just HAD to see the pics of the first time she met Cinderella at 3 years old. I’m so happy to read that you enjoyed CRT - we have always had such a great time there. The food may not be four-star, but it has always been good; service good; princesses amazing! Your pictures truly tell the story - I love that your DD and DS both had a great time!

It really was. I didn't really have high expectations, to be quite honest. I kind of figured that we'd do it, wince at the cost of the meal and hope that DD at least enjoyed the princesses. But her reaction to that dinner made everything worthwhile.

What in the world????

That's kind of what I was thinking. I can only imagine the look on my face when she said it.

OMG! Restroom wrist-band checks!!!!

Somebody is going above and beyond...

Love the parade pics. I’m interested to see that they brought out life-size Olaf for the parade. I am sure he’ll be meeting in WDW soon (I’m assuming he isn’t yet as I haven’t seen anything about it, but I haven’t followed carefully) since he’s at DLR and apparently joining DCL soon.

I haven't heard anything about him meeting there either. Seems like they're missing a great opportunity.

Nice that the decision to wake up DD turned out to be the right one! Love the pics with Tink. And love DD’s stunned look seeing talking Mickey!

Yes, it worked out well. We got some great character time after the fireworks.

Oh my goodness! Mary, Bert AND a penguin??? Nice meet to stumble upon. WOW!

Ok, I never realized it was that big of a deal to meet all 3 until I saw all the reactions. I guess they aren't really characters we seek out, since our kids aren't too familiar with them, so it was just a right place, right time thing.

And Santa Goofy too? Y’all did well!

BTMRR! One of my faves (maybe my absolute fave in MK), and Willow loves it too. And at night! Perfection!

It is a great ride. Especially at night!

 

[afwdwfan]

Maybe the red shirt?

That's all I could think of. But the way she said it just seemed totally random.

Wow, talk about cracking down on party-crashers! Surprised they didn't go knocking on the stall doors too.

I wouldn't put it past him!

Great to hear about your party experiences and also the dinner in the castle. Glad your DD enjoyed the princesses so much and that DS was finally talked into sort-of enjoying it/getting pictures taken.

We always enjoy the parties, and CRT really did impress us. I guess I didn't go in expecting us to enjoy it so much. It was more an attitude of let's just do it for DD since she doesn't get to ride everything, but we all had a good time.

Thanks for all the great character pictures in the updates! I actually read this for the first time on my phone while waiting for Izzy to finish eating her dinner, so I was showing her all the pictures and asking her who they were and she knew all of them (including Clarabelle, who she LOVES...and may have just been watching during dinner on MMC). She was only confused about who your kids were.

Kind of weird that they would literally approach you at the urinal to check wristbands. I mean, couldn't they have waited for you at the door?

Well, he did wait for me. Actually, I don't think he ever actually checked mine in the end. I think he left while I was washing my hands.

I understand why they are checking the bathrooms though. I imagine there have been some people who thought they could hide out there and stay for the party.

Oh yeah, definitely. A couple of years ago at the party, I noticed how they were checking the bands and I was thinking how easy it would be to hang out in MK after 7 to at least watch the parade and maybe Holiday Wishes without having a party ticket. They just had a few checkpoints where there'd be 3 or 4 CM's checking bands for the first couple of hours of the party. If you just avoided those checkpoints, didn't go in shops and didn't try to ride rides you could probably just fade back in the crowd and hang around the park all night.

This year, they were much more aggressive about it. The checkpoints seemed to be manned all night long and CM's were just walking around on the streets randomly asking guests to show their bands. I think it was probably a case of someone being assigned to go check the restroom just to make sure nobody was hiding out in there with hopes of seeing a parade that was about to start, but he took it upon himself to be a little more proactive...

I need to know if you DD has seen The Little Mermaid yet. She seems to really like Ariel. My niece LOVED that movie and I used to watch her all of the time for my sister, so we wore tha movie out. She is 26 now and still loves Ariel and mermaid stuff.

Well, she doesn't have much attention span for movies. Aside from Frozen, her attention span only works for the half hour shows like Doc McStuffins, Sofia and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. We did show The Little Mermaid to the kids before our trip since we were supposed to be in a Little Mermaid room, but she had no interest in it at all. We haven't watched it since the trip though.

Looking forward to reading more!!

Thanks!

 

[afwdwfan]

Is it wrong that you going to CRT and meeting so many characters makes me gleeful?

I guess about as wrong as it is when I get excited to see an update from you where you rode more than 2 rides in a day.

I'm so very glad that your family enjoyed CRT!!! Despite having one bad meal, it's still a must-do for us. DD's face with those princesses must certainly be worth the price of admission. And LOL at DS being teased by the princesses. Poor guy had a rough day.

I'm not sure if it will be a must do next time. We'll have to see what DD's mood is and how much money's in the bank account. But it definitely exceeded my expectations.

OMG! Hahahaha! YOu should have spun around and shown that CM your "wristband". What on earth was he doing in the mens' room??? I wonder if anyone reported that to guest relations? I can't imagine that he was directed in there...

My assumption is that he was supposed to check the restroom to make sure nobody was hiding out in there with hopes of seeing the parade that was going to start soon. I think walking around asking to see wristbands was his own doing, and I didn't show him.

Although I did make the comment that "I can show you but it will be awkward"... and he seemed to drop it.

I'd love to get to one of the special parties someday. The parades and fireworks seem top notch.

They definitely are. The fireworks are especially impressive!

Yay for an awesome meet with Tink! Poor DS, he's yet to learn that life with a princess sister means that glitter will pretty much be everywhere, all the time. Tink was just an introduction.

He should be used to it. Our washer and dryer are basically nothing but a glitter containment unit. All our clothes have glitter on them.

Mary with Bert AND the Penguin? And you're all nonchalant about that??? AWESOME!!

Yeah, well, I guess we'll leave it to the character experts to tell me we stumbled on something rare.

LOVE BTMRR at night. I'm glad that you got a ride!

BTMRR after dark is the best!

Great update! Can't wait to see what characters you meet next!

Well, I can promise you it wasn't Duffy!

just gotta say, even though you guys didn't take a bajillion pictures (like I know a lot of us do) the ones you have a wonderful! I mean the kids on the carousal and DD with Cinderella, ADORABLE! I love that DD kept grabbing her pendant and showing it off.

Thanks! Pictures just don't seem to be a priority for us. I know it is kind of wrong for a TR writer, but I'm no photographer myself. I might grab a few on my phone from time to time but that's it. DW carries the camera, and if she just wants to enjoy the show or the moment, that takes priority.

I've heard similar reviews of CRT; foods ok, service is great but the joy in the kids in priceless. Hopefully the joy in my 28 YO sis will be worth the two dining credits we plan on using for the meal!

I saw several adult princesses who seemed to be enjoying the royal treatment. If she's a kid at heart and willing to go with the flow and interact with the princesses, I think she'll enjoy it. If not, then why did you book that ADR to begin with?

I'm glad that DS was able to pose with Tinker Belle; I like her. Too bad about the glitter thoughboys

Hey, glitter gets all over everything and you can never get rid of it!!!!

DD wasn't afraid of talking Mickey, yay!!I understand that is a big hurdle for kids (I'll see in a few years).

Yeah, they were a little bit caught off guard by it, but it didn't take them long at all to get over it.

Burt resting on DS in the photo with Mary Poppins is too cute. You guys saw a TON of characters at the party, that's great!

We did. That's one of the bonus features of the party. They have characters out everywhere! I know everybody wants to see the rare ones like Jack Sparrow and the 7 Dwarfs, but we always just look for the short lines and see whoever we can.

Sorry about your leg, super ouch.

Yeah. My own fault though. I should have been a little more careful where I put the stroller.

Sometimes sleeping in is necessary, especially on vacation.

Unfortunately... Missing rope drop just doesn't sit well with me.

My, that wristband checker was a little on the....Enthusiastic side! Not sure what I would have done in situation like that.

Well my natural reaction to be a smart @$$ at least shut him up.

I really think it was a case of him being assigned to check the restroom just to make sure nobody was hiding out in there, and he just got a little too carried away with his responsibilities.

What a great run of character meets!

We had a great evening with the characters!

 

[afwdwfan]

Okay! Just got back and am trying to catch up everywhere!

Welcome back.

It's a small world af...... No! Nononononono no!!

Wow! It's like he's able to tap into some alternate universe or something!
If he can tell you how he's able to add inches and you can market it, you'll make a fortune!

ahem....

Did he see the actual Yeti at the end?
If the silhouette did that to him.... <shudder>

No, I don't think he saw it. Heck, I know where it is and even if I look for it I can't see it half the time. It just depends on when the light flashes as you go by.

Nice way to make a bad situation better.

It worked out well. He at least had something positive to take away from it.

No way! Are you sure you didn't just grab those of the internet?

Maybe...

I was going to say something here, but Leshaface beat me to it!
(And her comment was funnier than mine, anyway!)

I don't know what your comment would have been, but hers was great.

I hear you. People talk about this like it's the best thing ever.
I expected something on par with Cirque... and it's not.
It's a good show, but... not something that I have to see over and over either.

Good assessment. I think that was my problem. It has been built up so much that I was kind of like... "that's it?"

Rebel without a fry.

See last comment. Add emphasis.

Your DW's pic is funny, but I also like how you're looking in the opposite direction!

If you don't look at the dinosaur, he can't see you.

Or something like that.

I hear ya.

I like the park, I love the details and theming. But when you look at it as a one day park ticket costs almost $100, details and theming just aren't enough to keep me there. My time is better spent elsewhere.

What a cute shot!

Thanks!

Phew! Had me worried there for a sec.

We had some great meals, but it just seemed like overall, resort-wide the dining didn't quite live up to our past experiences and expectations.

I'll answer this in a bit...

... annnnnd there's your answer.
You're definitely not paying for the food here.
Or at least, not just the food.
Food + location + characters = $$$$

I love how some of the characters can really interact with the kids. Some better than others, I mean.

Yeah, it is always great when you get a character that just adds a little extra. You don't forget them.

Another terrific shot! :thumbsup:

Thanks

Oh? Were they lax, before?

To an extent. I remember watching their wristband checking methods at a party a few years ago, and I really feel like it wouldn't have been too difficult to stay in the park to watch the parade and fireworks without a band. They really only had a few checkpoints set up... maybe 3 -4 CM's across a walkway at locations between lands. If you avoided them and didn't go in any stores or on any rides, you could probably just find a place to mingle in the crowd until showtime. Even the check points seemed to go away a couple of hours into the party.

This time, the checkpoints were much more thorough. They had enough CM's there that there was virtually no way you could walk from one land to another without one of them asking to see your band. They also had CM's just walking around randomly asking to see bands. It was much more thorough than the past.

I would've showed him, then said. "Sorry about your pants. At least it's warm, right?"

Seriously, that's so.... creepy.

Well, he kind of let it go when I made a comment as he was walking past me. I don't think I ever actually ended up showing him my band.

But if he would have pushed the issue or tapped me on the shoulder or something, he would need some new shoes and pants.

Amazing how they'll bounce back if the right stimulation comes around.

Another cute shot! What are you trying to do to us?

Just making up for the lack of pictures from other updates.

Not glitter. Pixie dust. Tell him he can fly now.

Let's make sure there's nothing he can jump off of first...

I've never seen it up close and personal, myself. I think I would be a little stunned too!

It is a bit of a shock. I know it has to be prepackaged phrases, but some of them just weren't quite in context. Overall though, I thought it was very good.

They bit him on the nose!?!?

Not exactly.

Awesome! How much were you grinning?

Quite a bit. It helps that I love Phineas and Ferb.

Geez, I didn't do that! Never even occurred to me to ride it at night.

Major fail...

It's in my top three.

It is my number 1 in MK, number 2 overall. RnRc for the win. I kind of like rollercoasters, if you couldn't tell.

Huh. You'd think that would only come out on or really close to January 1st.

You'd think...

Ugh. Not a sight that you want to see. Especially with comatose kids in tow.

Not at all. I definitely regretted not driving at that moment in time.

Ouch! That sucks!

Thanks for the great updates Andy!

Thanks for reading!

 

[afwdwfan]

What a great Christmas Party! And so many fun character meet and greets! Glad your wife and MIL found a place to sit and hold the sleeping kids on the bus. We've certainly been in that spot and it can be "fun" sometimes! Can't wait to read some more.

It was a great evening, overall! We really enjoyed it.

I was glad that they were able to sit. When the double bus pulled up, we were right next to the back door, and they ended up opening both doors and having everyone board from both ends so that really helped us.

Yay! A princess that finally made him realize that princesses aren't all so bad!
I love it when the characters really try to engage the kids, even when the kids aren't so enthusiastic.

It is always great when a character makes the extra effort. Although, I'm sure that the princesses at CRT are probably used to the grumpy brother being dragged along to dinner so their sister can see princesses and have some experience dealing with them.

Ariel is my favorite, so I'm glad you guys had a good experience with her.
And DD really should see The Little Mermaid, it's awesome.

Well, DS has actually watched it, and seemed to enjoy it. She just won't sit still long enough to watch a full feature length movie.... unless it is Frozen.

I'm guessing it was the red shirt. With DisneyBounding being such a thing now, the characters are probably looking for it and assume that if you look like a character, you're doing it on purpose.

I was wearing a red t-shirt with Mickey Mouse on it and blue jeans. Oh well! It just really seemed totally random.

Yay, he got in a princess picture willingly!

Finally.

I hate to say this, because you don't want to think this happens at Disney, but ... are you sure he was a CM and not just a guy who came into the bathroom looking for "wristbands"? I really hate to think that CMs would be bothering people in the middle of doing their business.

It was a CM. I did turn to look and make a comment to him. I'd seen that same guy outside checking wristbands in Town Square.

I'm assuming it was a case where he was supposed to check the restroom to make sure nobody was hiding out waiting for the parade. Whether he took it upon himself to verbally ask to see wristbands, or he didn't realize how bad it seemed until he did it, I don't know.

I mean it wasn't like he tapped me on the shoulder and said show me your wristband right now. When I told him I could show him, but it would be awkward, he kind of got a funny look on his face and didn't say anything else so I don't think he really meant for it to sound the way it sounded... if that makes sense.

Finally, a character they both liked!

I wasn't sure we'd ever find one!

I don't blame him for that one. Glitter gets everywhere and you can't get it off!

I hate glitter.

Super cute picture! She looks happy to see Mickey!

She definitely got over her fear of characters in a big way!

Sounds like a great experience! As cute as it would be to have a video, I think the important part was that you got a chance to relax and see the kids having fun.

We really needed a few minutes to just sit down and relax. And the kids were having a blast!

Yay!

She told DW that Ariel was her favorite princess that night.

Although, she also said Cinderella is her favorite princess.

It tends to change from time to time, but it is usually one of those 2.

Yeah, when that happens, I take the Pop Century bus (although that's a little harder when you have to push a stroller and/or carry sleeping kids ... it does sometimes mean you get to go to sleep earlier)

Yeah, that would have been a possibility, but I noticed POP had a pretty big line too. I didn't pay enough attention to how the buses came and whether or not it would have been quicker.

Sounds like a great experience at the party overall!

It really was!

 

[KatMark]

Great update, Andy.

The kids look so happy on the Carrousel.

In all of our visits to DW, we have NEVER eaten at Cinderella's Royal Table. We were supposed to go in July for our girls trip, but then we had to change our dates and we could not get a reservation. I'm going to keep checking though.

Awesome parade pictures. I do love that parade. And so glad you got a good spot for the Castle Show and Holiday Wishes (sometimes it is best to just leave the camera put away).

DS and being grumpy because of the glitter. The pictures of your DD with Tink are priceless.

I love the pictures with the talking Mickey Mouse as well (still haven't seen him and not sure if I want to). Have I ever mentioned to you how much your son looks like you?

I'm glad you got to do Big Thunder at night...I agree with you (don't ) that there is nothing like it at night. And the photopass picture of your DW and DD before they went on Mermaid and to see Ariel is adorable, as are the pictures with Ariel.

Ouch on the leg getting banged again and then a hole in the pants.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Hi, Andy! I'm so glad I found your trip report - it's great!

First, holy cow on the guy that stopped in the middle of the road! I realize we all want a good picture of the entrance sign, but the threat of being killed while doing so is a terrible plan!

Hooray for your excellent upgrade to the Cars suites! I bet your kids were super excited!

GOOD GRIEF at the crowds and stroller craziness at Hollywood Studios! I can't imagine dealing with that after a full night of sleep, let alone doing so after driving all night! Major props to you for keeping it together as well as you did!

Your daughter as Chip - adorable.

I can sympathize with your wife and her troubles getting out of bed - that's me practically every morning! For some reason Disney is my exception - I have the ability to leap out of bed the minute my alarm goes off while in Disney World. I can't imagine why.

You're a man of my own heart - I adore the teacups, too!

Another good grief on your crazy boat ride! I wonder if the guy did have to pee in a cup...

Your daughter looks fantastic for her meal with Cinderella! And "Bye, Cinderella!"... my heart melted.

A wristband check in the bathroom?! That guy was taking his job seriously!

SANTA GOOFY! If I ever attend the MVMCP, I will definitely be getting a picture with that guy!

 

[afwdwfan]

I love this picture! It's the perfect answer to people constantly questioning why we all kids our kids to Disney at such a young age. Look at the wonder in your DD's eyes.
Adorable.

Absolutely! The parents enjoy it, the kids enjoy it, why wouldn't you want to go???

Sounds like that was a fantastic night. CRT does seem a little pricey, but if you've got little ones that love the princesses, it can beat standing in constant meet and greet lines. And how great of the princesses to actually try and make an effort with your son. They could have just let him be and moved on, but they at least looked for a talking point. Bet your son got a kick out of wearing his cowboy boots.

Oh absolutely! It was worth it in the sense that we didn't have to wait in all the lines or get FP+ for the princesses. I have a feeling that DS wasn't the first boy to ever eat at CRT against his will. They seemed to be very good about keying in on it and trying to win him over.

I think Disney managed the Christmas Party differently this year. Sold a lot less tickets and enforced wristbands a lot more. The sold out aspect scared me a little when I went, but compared to the 2013's the park was empty. Made it much more enjoyable.

I agree. The crowds were much more manageable than years past.

But what the heck?!? That guy Cast Member needed to back the heck up.

Who talks to someone when they are the urinal?

I read that part out loud to Alex because he was in the room with me, and he just said, "No way. No flipping way. I'd have had some choice words for him."


What I wanted to know was what the heck that CM was going to do if you DIDN'T have a wristband. Try and make you leave right then and there?

Like, let the people finish their business then escort them out.

Well, as I've said before, I'm assuming that he was supposed to check the restroom to make sure nobody was hiding in hopes of seeing the parade without a party ticket. I just think the part where he walked around repeating his request to see the wristbands ended up sounding worse than he intended it to sound. It isn't like he tapped me on the shoulder and told me he needed to see it right away.

But I did find it a little disturbing that he was walking behind me asking to see wristbands. And I did tell him I could show him, but it will be awkward. At that point, I think he realized how bad what he was doing sounded and he didn't ask anymore.

BTMRR at night is the best. There's nothing like reaching the top of the coaster and looking over to see the castle all lit up. Especially when it's got its holiday lights on it.

It is always a must do. And I kind of thought the snowflake projections on the mountain were a nice touch!

The wait for the buses is the major downside to not taking a car. One time in 2013, Alex and I saw a long wait for Pop Century and we passed an AoA bus just pulling up, so we hopped on that one and walked through the resort back to Pop.
Laziness at its best.

Yeah, I regretted not driving. I don't know if taking the POP bus would have been faster or not. Both were lined up quite a bit.

I've noticed the lack of year souvenir merchandise in December. My mom, too, tries to get magnets with the years on them and couldn't because they'd swapped everything out already. Which I don't understand. Why would someone want a 2015 item when they went in 2014?

I know... And our last 3 trips have been in December and I've really noticed this issue. In 2011, first week of December, there was limited selection, but not too hard to find. In 2012, second week of December, there was limited selection at limited locations. We had to look hard to find dated merchandise we wanted. in 2014, third week of December, I never saw a single item dated 2014. I realize they don't want a lot of year specific items to have to unload at outlet prices later, but you can't tell me they don't have enough mark up to at least keep some limited inventory available until the end of the year.

Your DD is a beautiful Princess!

Thanks!

These pictures are great. The interaction with Cinderella is so sweet.

Yeah, Cinderella was fantastic!

Sounds like a fabulous meal all around. We're eating her for the first time since it became a 2 credit meal. DD doesn't know we're going. Even though she's 15 I think she'll love it almost as much as your little Princess.

Oh, I'm sure she will be thrilled with it!

She does look like she's in heaven.

We just couldn't get her to eat though! She loves her princesses.

DS doesn't looks like he's enjoying it in these pictures.

No, I think he was ready to get out of there!

This is so cute!

It was. And again, Cinderella was awesome! I thought it was great that she acknowledged her from across the room!

Great parade mojo!

We've had good luck with this location before. I like standing there because you still have that MS/TS atmosphere, but you don't have to be super early and you get to see the floats coming by on the right side and then right in front of you!

This was a little too much. I guess in the past people hid in the bathrooms.

I'm sure they did. I don't think it would have been too hard to hide out in past years to see the parade and fireworks at the parties.

Lovely pictures!

Thanks!

Tink is always a fun visit, even is she shares her glitter.

They enjoyed Tink a lot! I don't even know what they talked about, I just kind of stood back at the M&G. DD had already covered me in enough glitter that I didn't want to get any more on me!

Haven't seen this yet either.

It is definitely odd! But kind of cool too. Especially when the comments are actually in context.

Totally agree with you on this one!

There's just no way I'm going to miss out on BTMRR at night.

I'm curios to she just how much sleeping in you do.

Well, the plan was to give us about an extra hour and a half compared to our wake up time to be there for RD...

 

[glaserjm]

I can't believe the story about the urinal! I told DH about it and his response was, "If a CM ever approaches me at a urinal and requests to see my hands, I don't think they'll like the outcome."

I totally agree about BTMRR at night, it's a whole other experience. I also love Splash at night. If you can time it to ride either one of those during Wishes, it's pretty awesome.

I love the character meet and greets from your night, so cute!!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Cinderella was phenomenal, and just chatted away with DD while we had our photo op with her.

Excellent! I love it when they take their time with the kids.

He really lit up and I don’t think princesses were quite as uncool at that moment in time.

It's ok, buddy. Your secret is safe with me, and the other thousands of people on the DISboards.

She looked right at me and said “you remind me of Sebastian, only less crabby.”

Because of all the red, I guess?

DD got all excited and yelled “Goodbye Cinderella!” Cinderella turned and gave her a smile and a wave.

Nice! Glad it was such a good experience.

The next thing I know I hear him asking to see wristbands and he’s standing right behind me.

Well, you can either wait till I’m done or I can show you now but that would make things kind of awkward…

Reminds me of the story of John Wayne going to the bathroom. He comes out all soaking wet, and his buddy asks what happened. He says, "Well, I went to the urinal, and all of a sudden everybody around me was turning towards me and saying, 'It's John Wayne!' 'John Wayne!'"

I know… it is always a gamble doing that. You just never know how they’ll react to it or what kind of mood they’ll be in.

I see you are quite the gambling man there.

Ferb walked over to DS and started doing the robot. DS then started doing it and it was almost like they were doing a robot dance off.

How cool is that??

I figured this would be the last time we were in MK after dark and I still needed a night time ride on BTMRR.

Well, yes. Yes, you do. Better get that remedied.

MiL asked if we wanted to ride again.

Well, you don’t have to twist my arm.

But as we approached the entrance, DW called.

NOOO!!!! Come on, one more ride!

I could have probably worn an L and been fine, but if I’m going to spend that much money on a shirt, I want one that has some room to shrink.

Especially Disney clothes. I've noticed they either shrink a lot or make them small. I've started going a size larger when I buy clothing there. Also, I'm fatter than I used to be.

We couldn’t find anything anywhere that said 2014, but they had large displays of anything and everything you could possibly want with 2015 on it.

For your time-traveling needs.

I sat the stroller down and stood straddling it to try to take up as little room as possible so we could cram more people in. This turned out to be a mistake, because as the bus turned the stroller was getting hit by a pole and driven into my leg.

Next time, kick an old lady out of her seat.