Spinal Dalmatians, Eliminations, and The Merry Go Round of Life...June 2011 New 2/19

[Kat in GA]

Beep beep beep...We take a break from the normal TR writing for this special update...beep beep beep!

We bought tickets for the Taylor Swift concert back in April for Sophie's bday. We don't normally buy the kids anything for their bday (we count the party as their present), but this came up and we knew it would be super special. Anyway, we didn't tell her about it. Yesterday we went shopping and I got her this black tule (sp?) skirt. She is so oblivious to what she wears that she didn't even question that I asked her to change into this concert outfit after gymnastics today. We told her that we were going school supply shopping. We pull past the arena (a target we frequent is right across the street from the arena) and she sighs about how lucky all those people are who get to see Taylor Swift. Then we pull into the parking lot. She notices that I'm videotaping her and she gets annoyed, thinking I'm just being annoying or something. Me? Annoying with pictures and video? Never!!! Here is the big reveal! Disclaimer, she has her hands in her mouth for some reason here, but is not a thumb sucker. She wanted me to be sure to put this in before I posted it. . If this doesnt work, I will have to upload to photo bucket when I get home. Please repsond and let me know if you can't see it.
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US#/watch?v=WWBH-NT2-gM

Oh how fun! (And I swear this post was not here this morning when I commented!) Looking forward to seeing her reaction!

But...I cannot see the video on youtube.

 

[teachermommy78]

Where we left off, we had just checked into our dinner at 50's prime time cafe. Sadly, we didn't get a table with a TV as those seem to be 4 people tables and we had 7 people. Our server was Janice.

She instructed us on what she expected of us etiquette wise, and left us to our own devices. The kids were actually really nervous. They didn't really "GET" that she was playing a role. Later on in the trip, they really started to understand the ADRs and the roles people play. But at this point they were all whispering about veggies and "what ifs." Everyone was playing by the rules.

Then I looked down at the table and saw that the table was made of the pattern I had on my kitchen counters growing up!!! I used to be mesmerized by the little boomerangs. Janice said that a lot of people say the same thing. Apparently this was the fashion way back when.

We ordered, and JUST as Janice was coming with our drinks, I caught my MIL with her elbows on the table!!!

I motioned for her to move quick, but Janice already saw. She got a nice LOUD lecture. I wish I remember what was said! I think Sophie was ready to die right there.

I ordered the fried chicken with corn. I am VERY picky with my veggies. I will eat most kinds, but I have to prepare them. I don't like canned, I don't like them overcooked (except broccoli, which I cook the heck out of), I hate them salted/seasoned, etc. So corn is a good bet.

Dessert

I didn't take pictures of anyone else's food. Sorry. It was awkward enough capturing my own. And believe me, those pictures were taken LIGHTNING fast!

My MIL has this hiatal hernia thing. I don't know much about it at all, except that when it acts up, she has a hard time eating. And she gets all burpy. So she ended up standing while we finished eating. Janice was all concerned and kept asking if she was OK, etc, which was nice. She said she wasn't super hungry anyway, so she kind of picked for the rest of the meal. The other servers around us were really going nutty on their guests. A couple got fed, etc. I felt Janice was a bit reserved, but that may have because she thought my MIL was seriously ill as the meal progressed!

Scott and Ethan revolting

Finn after too much sugar

Today was a bit better in terms of Finn's odd behavior. He was a bit more subdued. But then, was it because he was getting used to the trip, or was it because he wasn't feeling well? We decided to let him have his paci and blankie throughout the trip. Normally he only has it at bedtime, but he was so out of sorts. And he knew...after Disney, it was gone! He needed some time to say goodbye, right?

After dinner, we decided to mosey on to the Beauty and the Beast show. We had never seen it, so we thought it would be a great way to end the evening. Scott and I had seen the Broadway version back before kids and liked it, so wanted to see how this one fared.

We got GREAT seats. 2nd row, right off to the side. We were happy!

On our way out, we decided to allow Sophie to use the last two FPs we had for Rock n Roller Coaster. I went with her.

While we were on the ride, it began to POUR and POUR. By the time we got back to POP it was still complete downpour. It didn't look like it was letting up anytime soon. So I did the smart thing. I ran ALL the way back to the room carrying Finn, and screaming for Sophie and Ethan to keep up. After the first couple minutes, it was pointless. We started splashing in all the puddles. It was SO. MUCH. FUN. Great memory.

Scott and I had purchased stuffed animals for each kid prior to leaving Chicago, and our plan was to have them on the bed when we checked into our room. Well, if you remember, we didn't get back to the room on check in night until really late. Therefore, Scott put them out after I took the kids to the car that morning. Here is their reaction to the surprise friends!

Then it was EARLY to bed. I think we were all asleep by 8:30 pm.

 

[Scarlett824]

Rock on Sophie!!

I love Finn's shirt!

 

[shocky5]

I love Disney World and everything about it but truly my favorite memories are just like the one you describe about your family in the rain....

Love Sophie's pic before riding R&R again!


**Couldn't get the youtube video to play for her Taylor Swift reveal! But how fun!

 

[teachermommy78]

Rock on Sophie!!

I love Finn's shirt!

$3 at Wal-Mart!

I love Disney World and everything about it but truly my favorite memories are just like the one you describe about your family in the rain....

Love Sophie's pic before riding R&R again!


**Couldn't get the youtube video to play for her Taylor Swift reveal! But how fun!

It was a great memory!

Sophie is quite a ham sometimes!

Aw man! Really? It's a great video, if I do say so myself. Many friends and family members are getting teary watching. It is one of those "surprise" videos where the kid is actually emotional!

 

[teachermommy78]

We woke up bright and early with what goal? To hit rope drop. As I remember the morning went uneventfully and we were heading for MAGIC KINGDOM! WOOHOO!!! Here is the view outside of our room:

As we are driving, we notice that the car is getting LOUD. It is chirping like crazy. And getting shakier. Scott plans on bringing it in soon. We just need to figure out a day. No time to worry about that now, we're going to MK!!!

We get to the TTC and head up to the monorails. It is CROOOOWDEEEED! But, we get monorail gold...sweet!

We get on, and focus on Finn. We have a super cute shot of Sophie seeing the castle for the first time on the monorail (it's in my PTR, if you want to see! ). I want to catch his first REAL glimpse (he was a tiny baby last time).

AWWWW!!!! He was so excited!!!

Again, we were about 20 minutes past rope drop. Oh well. Once we got through the gates, we realized how light the crowds were.

Also, I must say...I used the Tour Guide Mike park planner and it worked GREAT!!! We experienced crowds, but never REALLY overwhelming. We avoided the EMH in the mornings like the plague and got to the parks as early as possible.

We put our blinders on and headed straight for Fantasyland with the goal of getting Dumbo out of the way!

The estimated wait was 15 minutes. Awesome! I got in line with the kids and Scott ran for FPs. Where? I can't remember.

Sophie doing the famous "No dancing on rides" shot!

After Dumbo, we zigged over to Small World, which was walk on.

Then we zagged to Snow White, which was a 10 minute wait. Finn was covered in stickers by a CM at the entrance.

Up next was Winnie the Pooh! We headed there, stopping to splash a bit.

Continued in the next post

 

[teachermommy78]

The line was pretty manageable and we were excited to check out the interactive queue! My FIL was chosen to carry the red "time check" card through the line.

We then headed to Peter Pan, used our FPs there, and went to the carousel.

We tested our luck on the sword!

Except for Philharmagic (which we had a "bonus" FP for), we had finished Fantasyland! It was 10:39 am (I took a pic of my cell phone). We finished Fantasyland in just over an hour! When we went through there later it was gridlock. It was incredibly crowded and congested. I was so glad we followed a good plan!

Up next...We meet some ghouls!!!

 

[jeremysdisneymom]

There is nothing like that first moment seeing the castle! So precious! I still get goosebumps when I see it each trip.

Wow, you got a lot done that morning. I love TGM. We have used him every trip but this one. I winged and it worked out well for us. You soon learn his philosophy for which park and it works even if you don't subscribe to his service.

So glad you liked the Pooh queue. It looked like so much fun!

 

[ZFamily5]

Wow! I missed a lot! Thing3 would just die if we took her to a Taylor Swift concert!! She loves her, as does Sophie I'm guessing! I have a feeling they would get along! Love love love the picture of Finn seeing the castle for the first time on the monorail!! It's such a magical moment! And the picture of Sophie doing the "No dancing on the ride" dance is adorable! I noticed your new ticker....inquiring minds want to know...

 

[PirateKate]

I saw that picture of the view from your room and I thought it looked very similar to the view from our room in May. We were in 3133, probably about two doors down. I thought it was a great location, with the lake right there and the fifties pool close by.

I'm glad Sophie had fun on Rock N Roller Coaster.

People ask me all the time if my boys are twins, too. I would think that the height difference would make it obvious, but I guess not.

Good job finishing all of Fantasyland before the crowds picked up.

 

[teachermommy78]

There is nothing like that first moment seeing the castle! So precious! I still get goosebumps when I see it each trip.

Wow, you got a lot done that morning. I love TGM. We have used him every trip but this one. I winged and it worked out well for us. You soon learn his philosophy for which park and it works even if you don't subscribe to his service.

So glad you liked the Pooh queue. It looked like so much fun!

Thank you!!! I love looking in the background and seeing the other two as well. I really liked TGM. I wonder how close the park predictions are to touring plans. I ended up printing an entire pack of printer paper, so I think I got all the info I need. I would just want the park predictions for next time. I'll have to research that a bit more!

Wow! I missed a lot! Thing3 would just die if we took her to a Taylor Swift concert!! She loves her, as does Sophie I'm guessing! I have a feeling they would get along! Love love love the picture of Finn seeing the castle for the first time on the monorail!! It's such a magical moment! And the picture of Sophie doing the "No dancing on the ride" dance is adorable! I noticed your new ticker....inquiring minds want to know...

The Taylor Swift concert was so fun. Sophie petered out about halfway through and got a bit whiny, but then perked up again. Oh yes, we have our next trip planned! Another 10 days. Although we were thinking that maybe 7 days every 2 years would be ok. I do like having 10 days...a lot.

I saw that picture of the view from your room and I thought it looked very similar to the view from our room in May. We were in 3133, probably about two doors down. I thought it was a great location, with the lake right there and the fifties pool close by.

I'm glad Sophie had fun on Rock N Roller Coaster.

People ask me all the time if my boys are twins, too. I would think that the height difference would make it obvious, but I guess not.

Good job finishing all of Fantasyland before the crowds picked up.

I did like that location. It was very, very quiet. So quiet, in fact, that I'm sure my kids disturbed those around us. I think the boys are going to look a lot alike as they get older and their height evens out. I couldn't believe how fast we finished fantasyland so quickly, but I was super happy about it!!! That was the only area I was stressed about. Next time we go we'll have the expansion to get to, but since it's not until 2014, hopefully it won't be SOOOOO crazy still. But we will definitely head there first again!

 

[ZFamily5]

The Taylor Swift concert was so fun. Sophie petered out about halfway through and got a bit whiny, but then perked up again. Oh yes, we have our next trip planned! Another 10 days. Although we were thinking that maybe 7 days every 2 years would be ok. I do like having 10 days...a lot.

Do you know where you want to stay yet?

 

[lbuzz52]

wow, you got a lot done in that hour in FL! I love the Pp pics of the sword!

 

[teachermommy78]

Do you know where you want to stay yet?

Not yet! It will depend on finances. Probably one of the values, but renting points is also an option!

wow, you got a lot done in that hour in FL! I love the Pp pics of the sword!

I know! Getting there early really does make a huge difference! And thank you! I think my favorite PP pics are the unposed ones!

 

[teachermommy78]

Holy "beginning of the school year busy-ness" Batman! Wow...I have been so busy. I haven't even thought about my TR since the last post! I promise not to abandon it, but my updates may be a bit less frequent for a bit!

Where we left off, the kids were trying their luck at the sword. Scott went to go get FPs somewhere, and I think the kids rode the carousel again. Then we went and checked out the gift store. My FAVORITE of all the theming!

It was a bit after 11 at this point and we had early dinner ADRs, so we decided to go for lunch.

We went upstairs and it was completely empty! We had never been to Columbia Harbor House before and were VERY pleasantly surprised. We all really enjoyed our food and the atmosphere. I got the fish and chicken basket. It was great. I didn't take pictures. And I remember the dessert being spectacular, but I don't remember what it was!

We decided to head to the Haunted Mansion, since it was so close by. The HM has been a struggle with my kids for months. They wanted to go on it, they didn't want to go on it, and so on. In the end, they decided to brave it out. We talked about the stretching room ahead of time, and told them that silly people would probably scream. It was at this point that we encountered our first Brazilian Tour Group of the trip. About 50 of them got in line JUST in front of us!

The line split and we asked the CM if the wait was significantly different on either. She said that at this time of day it was minimal. We decided to go interactive! I'm so glad we did. The fun activities lightened the mood drastically!

Soon we were in the stretch room. We decided that Sophie would ride with me, Ethan with Scott, Finn with my MIL and Grandpa. Sophie CLUNG to me. A few feet from the Doombuggy, Sophie and a couple other kids began to whimper. I whisked her onto it, and we were off! I'm not going to lie. She hated it. Her eyes stayed closed the entire ride. And she cried a bit. Not sobbing, but sniffles. She did spot the hidden mickey in the dining scene, though! She was excited to look for it. And wouldn't you know it? The ride STOPS. Right in the middle of the flying ghosts part. UGH. Here she is when we exited.

Here's Ethan waiting for a High 5!

He did OK. Scott said he clung to him. Finn was OK as well. Definitely scared, but not freaking out.

"So kids, thumbs up, or down?"

Finn didn't understand the question, apparently.

After this, we went to ride 2 of the mountains! We had FPs for both. The Brazilians were on Big Thunder, but were riding standby. It was oddly satisfying to fly by them!

Finn and my MIL walked around a bit. We all had fun! Then we headed to my FAVORITE RIDE EVER! Splash Mountain is the best. I love the theming, the music, and the long ride. LOVE IT! I don't have any pictures, but it was lovely!

When we got off, we found out that another group from the family had arrived and they were in the park!

Next up...Touring with a bigger group...in torrential downpour.

 

[Kat in GA]

I am so sorry that the kids hated HM. (Especially since that is one of my favorite rides at MK) But they seemed to perk right up by getting on Big Thunder.


We really did have a lot of rain that week. Way more than a typical afternoon storm kind of thing that is typical in Florida. It was more like all afternoon. And now with Irene coming this weekend, I hope we have some days without rain!

 

[ZFamily5]

That stinks that the kids didn't like HM...then again, neither did I, and I'm quite a bit older than them! Glad BTMRR and Splash cheered them up though! Splash Mountain is my favorite ride too!

 

[kittylady1972]

Just getting caught up...love it! Can't wait to read more!

 

[PirateKate]

I'm sorry your kids were scared on HM. I admit, it kind of gives me the creeps, too. I know it's fake and all, yet there's just something about it that doesn't suit me. And the cars always stop when I ride it, usually in the room where Madame Leona is calling forth the spirits, wherever they're at.

We love CHH, too. I frequently forget to go upstairs, but maybe next time, we'll remember. And I've never noticed the theming with the giant in the gift shop. I love how no matter how many times I go, there's still something new to discover.

 

[teachermommy78]

I am so sorry that the kids hated HM. (Especially since that is one of my favorite rides at MK) But they seemed to perk right up by getting on Big Thunder.


We really did have a lot of rain that week. Way more than a typical afternoon storm kind of thing that is typical in Florida. It was more like all afternoon. And now with Irene coming this weekend, I hope we have some days without rain!

I'm guessing that in time the kids will enjoy HM. I wouldn't have done as well as they did at that age! I stress so much over the weather only to have a blast anyway. I tried my best to go with the flow on this trip!

That stinks that the kids didn't like HM...then again, neither did I, and I'm quite a bit older than them! Glad BTMRR and Splash cheered them up though! Splash Mountain is my favorite ride too!

They seem to get over things quickly!

Just getting caught up...love it! Can't wait to read more!

I'm glad you are enjoying it!

I'm sorry your kids were scared on HM. I admit, it kind of gives me the creeps, too. I know it's fake and all, yet there's just something about it that doesn't suit me. And the cars always stop when I ride it, usually in the room where Madame Leona is calling forth the spirits, wherever they're at.

We love CHH, too. I frequently forget to go upstairs, but maybe next time, we'll remember. And I've never noticed the theming with the giant in the gift shop. I love how no matter how many times I go, there's still something new to discover.

I get a bit spooked as well. When I went in High School, the CM jumped at me as we were getting off the ride and I almost peed in my pants. I think that scarred me and I am always on guard!

We tried CHH mostly due to one of your TRs!