SOOZE's Grand Gathering... it's so good, I have to bevel! Update! 2/3

[Sooze]

Loving your TR!! The girls look so cute looking out over the water at BWV We were on the 5th floor with a boardwalk view last year and it was a long trek to the elevators (we ended up going down the stairs and coming out at the pool area but at night took the elevator). Were Tim and Lesley there the same time you all were? And on the 5th floor too? If so, do you know if your rooms were in the same hallway? That would be SO coindidental (we were there in 2008 when another famous Dis family were in the rooms right below us but we never saw them - would love to run across a Dis family one day....oh wait, I did meet a very sweet Dis gal who passed along a stroller from the stroller/swap thread but it was a short meeting.)

Thanks! I'm happy you're enjoying the report!! Our trek from the elevators wasn't TOO bad... definitely not as far as Tim and Lesley! We were in Disney as the same time as them but not at the BWV. They were there BEFORE the cruise, and we joined them at the world after they disembarked! We DID stumble on Diane and her family (Lesley's good friends that they often travel with) at Hollywood Studios. It is SO much fun to see people in real life after you've learned all about them via the DIS!

Hey Sooze!

Your dinner at 'OHana looked so delicious and FUN! We always stay at the Polynesian and we've only eaten at 'OHana once. I loved it but my DH & DD weren't crazy about it so we've never been back. Yes, I am considering divorcing the DH and sending the DD to military school.

Sorry to hear your stomach was hurting but glad that Cindy had some Gas-X!

Poor Shae ..... hope her red cheeks/rash don't turn out to be something too bothersome. Hmmmm.....staying tuned to find out!

Debbie

Hi there!! I would LOVE to stay at the Poly someday!! Though I'm afraid we'd be tempted to eat at O'hana every night!

You'll have to stay tuned, but the Gas-X didn't really help! You'll have to see how I finally got that pain to go away.. unfortunately, it lasted most of the night. And Shae's rash... it FINALLY faded when we got HOME! Again.. you'll have to see what it turned out to be!

I just love cliffhangers, don't you!!

 

[TeaForTulips]

joining in! love it!

 

[Sooze]

joining in! love it!

Welcome to the festivities! Glad to have you along!!

 

[lauren_elizabeth]

Yay for finally getting into yall's room! I know how much of a pain that is when everyone just wants to get settled in and chill out for awhile.

Ohana's is such a FUN meal! The whole atmosphere is just a good time I loved how the girls ended up cleaning the restaurant... that's too cute!

Yikes for having awful stomach pain That's never any fun on vacation. Did the Gas-X help you out?

 

[basketlacey]

Love it! Such a beautiful family!

I just booked Ohana for us yesterday. I wasn't sure if I was going to keep that one but seeing the fun you guys are having is GREAT!

 

[Sooze]

Yay for finally getting into yall's room! I know how much of a pain that is when everyone just wants to get settled in and chill out for awhile.

Ohana's is such a FUN meal! The whole atmosphere is just a good time I loved how the girls ended up cleaning the restaurant... that's too cute!

Yikes for having awful stomach pain That's never any fun on vacation. Did the Gas-X help you out?

It always seems like the LONGEST wait, doesn't it?!
The Gas-X barely helped... it took almost the whole night for the pain to subside! More about that in my next update!

Love it! Such a beautiful family!

I just booked Ohana for us yesterday. I wasn't sure if I was going to keep that one but seeing the fun you guys are having is GREAT!

Thank you so much! I'm happy you chose to keep your O'hana ressies. We've had nothing but great times and great food there!

 

[jeremysdisneymom]

I am right there with Tyson--shrimp is good but too much work at Ohana's for me!!! The night we were there, they were not that free flowing with the meat. It took forever for it to come.

Shae is just sooo cute. Love how she and her cousin cleaned everything!

Oh, I can't wait to hear about the first visit to MK---so exciting! I can still remember Jeremy's just like it was yesterday.

 

[Queenofallthings]

Oh dear...I'm hoping you both recovered...but I'm a little concerned about those rosy cheeks We love O'hana's ... it's one of our favorite places on property...I think if the shrimp wasn't peel and eat that's the only "meat" I would have there...the flavour is delicious.

 

[Sooze]

I am right there with Tyson--shrimp is good but too much work at Ohana's for me!!! The night we were there, they were not that free flowing with the meat. It took forever for it to come.

Shae is just sooo cute. Love how she and her cousin cleaned everything!

Oh, I can't wait to hear about the first visit to MK---so exciting! I can still remember Jeremy's just like it was yesterday.

Oh, I'm sorry O'hana kept you waiting. Next time, try cheering and being obnoxious every time they bring a skewer... they might enjoy the applause so much, that they keep bringing more!

Avabelle's first MK experience was beautiful! I wish my photos captured more of the magic, but you'll get the idea!

Oh dear...I'm hoping you both recovered...but I'm a little concerned about those rosy cheeks We love O'hana's ... it's one of our favorite places on property...I think if the shrimp wasn't peel and eat that's the only "meat" I would have there...the flavour is delicious.

We DO recover, no worries. Just an annoying distraction that makes for good TR material!

I NEVER eat shrimp... I had no idea there were different ways to serve it! I learn something new all the time!

 

[Sooze]

I will begin this episode with this picture:

As we were wrapping up our O’Hana experience, we noticed that you could see the castle peeking up from behind the trees when you looked out the windows of the restaurant. This is Avabelle seeing the castle spires for the first time. Couldn’t you just die? This was the face we saw on Avabelle for most of the trip. It was awesome! And since she was THIS excited to see the castle from afar, we couldn’t WAIT to see her expression when she was close enough to touch it!

Shaelyn helped Avabelle back onto the monorial for our ride over to MK:

The girls were just so happy to have each other.

The monorail was pretty crowded. Every time we rode it on this trip, some of us would have to stand. Here is a random monorail picture, and one of the few pictures of me!

We hung together very well, considering the crowd level. Matt and I had to rethink our usual ‘enter-the-park’ strategy, which involves him grabbing the kids and going through the ‘guests without bags’ entrance while I wait for security. With a group of 9, we found ourselves really having to slow down our usual auto-pilot methods! Not that it was a bad thing, just different. Moving 9 people through various security checkpoints and ticket kiosks just took longer than we are used to.

But it was worth the small bit of chaos. Here we were! Heading towards Main Street!!

Mahna and Pahta. They were like a couple of giddy college kids this trip!

Are you ready for it? The moment precious little Avabelle saw the castle for the first time? Well, here it is:

A moment later, she was jumping up and down and laughing that adorable four-year-old laugh.

The next ten minutes were my definition of euphoria. Watching Avabelle, seeing the sun setting, smelling and feeling the Main Street vibe, appreciating and absorbing the fact that we were all here as a healthy and happy family. Life was perfect at this moment! (I even forgot about my belly pain for ten minutes!) We took the most leisurely of strolls towards the castle. We even stopped to be silly every moment or two:

Two red-faced folk:

We made it to the hub and took time for a few pictures. I just LOVE this one of my in-laws:

A happy princess Avabelle:

Heading through the castle:

Castle shot:

Daddy and Shae Shae:

Castle detail:

Beautiful!

So, what should we do first? Well, if you were bringing a four-year-old to MK for her first time, what would you do?

Yep! Us too!

Matt and Tyson, trying to figure out WHY we are on this ride!

The girls sat together on the boat, of course, and had a WONDERFUL time seeing all of the “dolls” and their great costumes. The rest of us sat back, relaxed, (and one of us tried to stretch out and work out some stomach pain.. ugh!)

Ben + Cindy = Adorableness!

Mahna + Pahta = I hope we can all be this happily married in 35 years!!

Waving as we came in to dock:

((Cont’d in next post))

 

[Sooze]

Next stop for a family of musicians:

Avabelle sporting the sassy 3D glasses:

This was SO much fun. I’m not sure why, but we often bypass this attraction when we come as just the 4 of us. What a special treat to have the whole family go see this. The moment that stands out for all of us was watching the girls react to the 3D effects. When Ariel’s jewels come spinning out into the audience, both girls just started reaching out to try and touch them. And when Ariel’s outstretched arms come at you, both girls were trying their hardest to give her a hug. It was so touching to see their genuine need to touch the things from the screen that were jumping out at them. Awesome!

Our last attraction before we staked out parade spots was the Haunted Mansion. There was absolutely NO line, but we went to play with the hands-on stuff anyway!

Story behind this picture. See the fish on the left of Uncle Ben? It had a stream of water flowing from his mouth. As you can see, Uncle Ben had made a GREAT picture opportunity, but just as I snapped it, the fish stopped spraying water. So now, the picture just looks creepy!

We had a great ride and I was BLOWN AWAY by the new ending!! How amazingly COOL!!!

It was about 8 and the parade was starting in an hour. People were already finding spots, and we wanted to make sure Avabelle had a front row seat. We found a place in front of the Hall of Presidents (our usual spot!) I volunteered to sit and save spots while the rest of the family rode POTC. This also gave me a chance to spread out my hoodie and lie down! This made ALL the difference in the world!! Just 20 minutes of lying down cured my belly ache. I was so GLAD!! Of course, in about 20 minutes, the crowds were really encroaching and I texted Matt to tell them to HURRY UP! I DISPISE saving spots when the crowds start coming.. I feel guilty not having people with me, but taking up all of that space. Soon, we were all together again. Cindy and I busted out the Dollar Store glow bracelets, and all was well!

The parade was wonderful, as always. The girls attracted the attention of all the characters (though the adults screaming the names of each character MAY have helped a bit….).

As soon as the parade was over, we made our way to the hub to snag a spot for Wishes. I was very interested to see how this Memories show affected Wishes. I wasn’t even sure if Wishes still was the same. We had a very easy time finding a wonderful spot with a GREAT view of Tink’s flight path! VERY quickly after we arrived, the Memories show began. This, as I found out that evening, is a PRE-SHOW to Wishes. It begins at around 9:45… so you have something to watch while you wait for Wishes.

OH. MY. GOODNESS!!!!!! We were COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY by the technical wizardry demonstrated in this show. I mean… take your breath away effects done on the castle. Oooohs, Aaaaaahs, Gasps….. it was an INCREDIBLE 10 minutes! We cannot wait to go back to MK and see this again. The only downer was that the pictures of guests that are being projected on the castle were much too small to be able to see any of them! Our picture MAY have been put on the castle, but we never would’ve been able to tell! Oh well, the other effects were so amazing, we didn’t care!

Wishes soon started. Avabelle screamed with joy as Tink flew right over our head. Our whole family was smiling from ear to ear as the stunning fireworks display lit up the sky. Again… life at that moment couldn’t have been any more perfect!

As the music was winding down and the crowds started inching to the gates, we find this:

All together now…. Awwwwwwwwwwww!!! Her early flight and day of adventure had taken its toll. There were EMH at MK this evening, but NONE of us were up to it. It was a unanimous decision to head back home and hit the sack. We had another day of memory-making ahead of us. We joined the cattle drive to the entrance, moo-ed as we squeezed onto the monorail, disembarked at the Poly, dragged our tired selves to the van, and finally made our way to our villa. The kids were out cold within moments. The adults opened some wine and chatted for just a short bit, but the draining day forced us all to bed quickly! Can you imagine how tired I was?!?! I’ll just say, that I remember getting into bed, but I don’t even remember laying my head down. I truly think I was asleep before I hit the pillow!!

Tomorrow was Hollywood Studios, and my family had convinced me to audition for American Idol. Stay tuned to see how THAT goes!

 

[ZFamily5]

Awwww! This whole update had me sitting here with a smile on my face! I'm sure my family thought I was crazy! LOVE Avabelle's reaction to seeing the castle and the picture of Avabelle and Shae on the monorail is too cute! Everything about this update made me smile, from Mahna and Pahta on IASW to Tyson's face riding IASW! Thanks for starting my day off right! Can't wait to hear more!

 

[mermaid764]

Awww Avabelle's reaction to the castle had to be the most precious thing I have ever seen, what an awesome picture!

What an amazing night you guys had at the MK, and yay for finally feeling better.

Can't wait for more

 

[micandminforever]

Your pictures were wonderful. Thank You for allowing us to is MK through the eyes of the young and the young at heart. Matt and his brother were lucky to be raised in a home with parent that love just being with each other and family. I am sure that has carried over into their marriages, and been a blessing to you and your SIL.

 

[cdotla]

Great report so far!

Love your neice's reaction to seeing the Castle for the 1st time!

And that shot of the 2 brothers walking with their daughters on their shoulders through the Parks is ADORABLE! I can see why their wives and parents were so moved. Great capture with the photos!!

American Idol audition?!! I am definitely excited to hear about this!!!

 

[Sooze]

Awwww! This whole update had me sitting here with a smile on my face! I'm sure my family thought I was crazy! LOVE Avabelle's reaction to seeing the castle and the picture of Avabelle and Shae on the monorail is too cute! Everything about this update made me smile, from Mahna and Pahta on IASW to Tyson's face riding IASW! Thanks for starting my day off right! Can't wait to hear more!

So glad I could start your day with a smile! It was such a magical day!!

Awww Avabelle's reaction to the castle had to be the most precious thing I have ever seen, what an awesome picture!

What an amazing night you guys had at the MK, and yay for finally feeling better.

Can't wait for more

We caught so many great moments with Avabelle... that was the beginning of a face-filled-with-excitement trip for her! Stay tuned for more adorableness!

Your pictures were wonderful. Thank You for allowing us to is MK through the eyes of the young and the young at heart. Matt and his brother were lucky to be raised in a home with parent that love just being with each other and family. I am sure that has carried over into their marriages, and been a blessing to you and your SIL.

Thanks so much! We tried to keep our iPhones handy and our lenses pointed at Avabelle at all times!

And you are SO right! ALL of us (my SIL and I included) come from families where mom and dad stayed intact our whole lives. I don't know how that happened, but it is a correct assumption that the love of just being together has blessed all of our lives and marriages!

Great report so far!

Love your neice's reaction to seeing the Castle for the 1st time!

And that shot of the 2 brothers walking with their daughters on their shoulders through the Parks is ADORABLE! I can see why their wives and parents were so moved. Great capture with the photos!!

American Idol audition?!! I am definitely excited to hear about this!!!

Thanks so much! I knew this was going to be an amazing trip to write about! So glad you're here to enjoy!

American Idol audition! Let's just say it was an AMAZING morning for us all at DHS!!

 

[Aunt Bee]

Great Trip Report and what a beautiful family! Our extended family of 20 is heading to WDW the week after Christmas (are we crazy??) for our own Grand Adventure. We have our family reunions at WDW every 3 years and this year we decided to choose the Holiday time; hope we won't regret it.

This year we will have a 3 year old and a 4 year old who will see the castle for the first time. They've actually seen it before but were too young to remember. Anyhow, just seeing your little one's face made me smile and also made me very excited to think of my two little granddaugthers seeing the castle and meeting a princess for the first time.

Thanks for sharing your wonderful pictures and your story.

Aunt Bee

 

[Native NYer]

Avabelle's expressions are just priceless! I love seeing how excited kids get when they experience the magic of Disney.

 

[BsAngel]

Cant wait hurry up the girls remind me of my neices when we took them at that age oh what memories

 

[mreid1974]

subbing!!! Really enjoying your TR thus far. Have always wanted to try O'Hana and after reading this we are definatly gonna have to try it. I also love reading first time trips for people. Whether it be kids or adults. And seeing her face seeing the castle for the first time reminds me of when we took my step son to Disney for the first time.