Stop and Smell the Roses But Watch Out for the Bees! July '12 It's a Wrap Folks! 2.23

[TinksThree]

It has been crazy around here between Madison's soccer 3-4 nights a week, family get togethers yesterday and today plus we are preparing to leave on our annual Thanksgiving trip to Gatlinburg. I plan to reply and post tomorrow but sometimes plans are overruled by real life!

But I do want to wish Happy Birthday to a special mouse!! Happy Birthday Mickey!!

Hopefully I will be able to post tomorrow!!!

 

[amandaw]

A trip to Gatlinburg during Thanksgiving is always nice! We just took a VERY quick trip to Georgia this weekend to see some of Ed's family. Seeing all of the pretty tree colors made me miss Gatlinburg. We used to go all the time when we lived in South Carolina. I told Ed that I want to take Reid there during Thanksgiving one year. If I don't "talk" to you before y'all leave, I hope y'all have a safe and nice vacation!!

 

[mickeystoontown]

So the trip to Tennessee is definitely on! Yay! Maybe we'll see ya'll there. I think we are going to spend part of our day on Saturday in Gatlinburg.

 

[TinksThree]

According to reports...
"This location will be closed January 2013 through Early Summer 2013 to convert to a Starbucks location. The restaurant will still be themed to fit on turn-of-the-century Main Street USA. Offerings will include Starbucks beverages, artisan breakfast sandwiches and a selection of baked goods, including muffins, scones and specialty treats. They will still offer the same brownies, cookies and seasonal cupcakes that are currently available. The cinnamon rolls will be available at Gaston's Tavern in Fantasyland and the ice cream cookie sandwiches will be available at the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor on Main Street USA.

Known for the fresh baked goods, this counter serve spot also offers sandwiches, fresh fruit and hot breakfast selections. Limited seating available."

I was glad to hear they weren't doing away with it all but boy did this announcement create an uproar! Almost like the one about them serving alcohol in MK!


Awwwww...c'mon Tinks...they were just trying to admire some of God's creations...you know, like a snow-capped mountain, a field of bluebonnets, a beagle puppy or a curvaceous female with Slush Gusher altered bathing suit!

Oh yes, you totally convinved me there!!

Love your update! Sounds like a fun day at Blizzard Beach! We haven't done either of the water parks yet but we may have to start visiting them in a few years. The theming at both parks looks great!

UGH! The tour group! And the CM! That's absolutely ridiculous that they kept pushing y'all back for them to get on buses. I don't blame y'all one bit for saying something. Glad they finally got y'all on a bus.

Can't wait to hear about dinner and the pixie dust!!

We really enjoyed the water parks! I definitely think we will be purchasing that option on future trips...at least some trips. The tour groups were on the verge of being ridiculous!

I really appreciate the water park comparisons. We've never done either, and I'm really glad to hear a definitive opinion for when we finally do. BB looks pretty cool though-love the theme.

That bus wait sounds super annoying-I'd have been very frustrated.

DHS huh? My guess is that Keith picked 50s PT.

Both water parks were lots of fun! The themes are great at each too. We just enjoyed TL more but I think with younger children BB might be the better option in a lot of cases Hopefully I will get an update done this evening and see if you are correct or not on dinner!!

Great update! It sounds like you had fun at Blizzard Beach. We have only visited Typhoon Lagoon so it was great to read your comparison between the two.

Ugh! Sorry about the bus wait!

We had a great day! It is amazing how much gets done on one Disney day..especially looking back I think "We did all of that today!?"

 

[TinksThree]

A trip to Gatlinburg during Thanksgiving is always nice! We just took a VERY quick trip to Georgia this weekend to see some of Ed's family. Seeing all of the pretty tree colors made me miss Gatlinburg. We used to go all the time when we lived in South Carolina. I told Ed that I want to take Reid there during Thanksgiving one year. If I don't "talk" to you before y'all leave, I hope y'all have a safe and nice vacation!!

We went during Thanksgiving about 6-7 years ago and discovered how great it is! Since our family does Thanksgiving the weekend before we never really missed much and just started this family tradition of going. We have gone and seen leaves in all of their glory and we have seen massive snow falls (well massive for Tennessee) which amazes me the differences during the same time of year! Gatlinburg is Keith's "Disney"! I hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving as well!!!

So the trip to Tennessee is definitely on! Yay! Maybe we'll see ya'll there. I think we are going to spend part of our day on Saturday in Gatlinburg.

It is on! And Keith is one happy little boy!! I will look for you guys! We plan on going to Cade's Cove and Clingman's Dome if the road is opened. I think we are driving down to Chimney Rock on Thursday but dinner is always along the strip in Gatlinburg! I hope you guys have a safe trip!!!

 

[TinksThree]

I am going to post a small update. I think most people are pretty busy this week with holiday festivities and we leave tomorrow for ours. I also will be out all next week for a conference. I may be able to post during the week but we have several activities planned for the evenings, so it all depends on how tired I am! Just don't think I have deserted this TR please!!

Well, during the morning we had covered quiet a bit during EMH at Magic Kingdom and then we headed off for an afternoon of fun in the sun at Blizzard Beach....it is now supper time!! And for those plans we head off for Hollywood Studios!!

We arrive at DHS under gloomy skies. Actually some pretty angry looking clouds!

The Mickey sitting atop the Crossroads of the World (a replica of the one in Hollywood, CA which doesn’t include Mickey) actually acts as a lightning rod. His copper ear serves the purpose! This feature may be about to prove handy!

We send Chris off to get FPs for ToT and Keith walks over towards the big hat. We begin to see rain drops falling so we decide to head where our 6:45 ADR is: 50’s Primetime! (hmmm…I believe a certain someone has figured Keith out! ) Just as we get there and Chris meets up with us the bottom lets out! Lighting, thunder, pouring rain, the whole sha-bang! We’re hopeful by the time we finish eating the storm will have passed.

We wait to get called by hanging out outside….

I suppose Chris thought he was “cool” but we finally convinced him with the lightning he probably wasn’t in the safest place! After all, he didn’t have Mickey standing high above him!

We manage to claim a seat inside. I love the retro feeling here and I always feel like I have gone to my grandmother’s house! A few pictures of the living room area as well as the bar area (The Tune-In Lounge):

Before long they are calling for their cousins and we are taken to our table. We got a booth with a tv which I like a lot better than the free standing tables! We settle in and then our server comes over. He is simply hilarious!!!! He was extremely talkative and funny! He got on to the guys since they had their elbows on the table (they always do). He gets our drinks and then talks about our surroundings like a little toy and some freaky looking figurines.

We place our orders and chit-chat with the server. His name is Josh from Tennessee. We talked about all things Disney and he even discussed tips on working at Disney seasonally. He could tell just how much I love Disney!!

While we wait for our food, I snap pictures of my surroundings.

We were close to the Kitchen but it wasn’t a big deal due to it being tucked away in a corner and how the tables are situated.

I could also see the bar area:

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Continued in the next post....

 

[TinksThree]

I love the retro tables!

This is his little toy friend…

See...elbows on the table!!

Soon our delicious food arrived!!! Some people say this food is just “okay” but I have yet to eat anything that leaves me feel as though I have not been fed well! I feel like I have left Grandma’s!!

Chris chose to order Aunt Liz's Golden Fried Chicken. This is 5 pieces of chicken with mashed potatoes and corn (per Chris' request since he does not like collard greens).

Madison chose Dad's Grilled Pork Chop with steamed veggies and roasted garlic mashed potatoes.

Keith and I got the A Sampling of Mom's Favorite Recipes which includes crispy fried chicken, fork tender pot roast and traditional meatloaf with all of the fixings (mashed potatoes, green beans and collard greens).

We all dig in! It was delicious!! We all left extremely full and satisfied!! The whole time we were there our waiter would talk to all of his tables together and were pitting states against states and getting onto the kids that couldn’t finish their ice cream. Like I said, he was so full of character, just a whole lot of fun!!

These were just plain scary to me and they stared at me the entire meal!!!

Soon it is time to pay the bill and when he brings it out to the table he has a little something for me!!

PIXIE DUST! He said he loved how much I love Disney and wanted me to have something to take home! Little did he know that Tinkerbell is one of my faves and my DisBoard name shows it!! I did not leave without telling him these facts and I really felt the magic! .

We head out and try to decide...what now?!?

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If I do not get to say it later... I hope everyone has a very Happy Thanksgiving!! And safe travels to all of those venturing out by trains, planes and automobiles!!!

 

[amandaw]

That weather looks horrible! Hope it didn't linger around too long for y'all!

I really like PTC! I'm with you on the food....it's always been good to me. And it sounds like y'all had great service! That was so sweet of him to give you the light up Tinkerbell.

 

[shan23877]

Yay for a wonderful meal at 50s! (and I was right!!! ) Your server sounds like a real gem - people like him are the reason we keep coming back. Just incredible that they manage to find so many wonderful people to work there and empower them to do what it takes to make a guest happy. I love it!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! Travel safely!

 

[sherylcin]

Finally had a minute to catch up a little. Glad you're busy too so I wasn't TOO far behind! I'm glad to see your comparison of the two water parks too. Since we haven't been to either one yet but are thinking about going in January (if the weather cooperates), your reviews are especially appreciated! I am veerrryy sad about Main Street Bakery closing in January for the switch to Starbucks! At least we can get the cinnamon rolls at Gaston's. Woot! Woot!

50's Prime Time is so much fun when you get a fun server. They really make the experience special! So now the only question is..................how many times will you ride TOT????

 

[TinksThree]

That weather looks horrible! Hope it didn't linger around too long for y'all!

I really like PTC! I'm with you on the food....it's always been good to me. And it sounds like y'all had great service! That was so sweet of him to give you the light up Tinkerbell.

It was definitely a huge thunderstorm! Typical summertime in Florida....that thankfully doesn't hang around too long.

I think this meal was what the whole PTC experience is about! I am hungry just thinking about the food!

Yay for a wonderful meal at 50s! (and I was right!!! ) Your server sounds like a real gem - people like him are the reason we keep coming back. Just incredible that they manage to find so many wonderful people to work there and empower them to do what it takes to make a guest happy. I love it!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! Travel safely!

You were absolutely correct!! When you think about the number of people working at all fo the locations just in orlando, it really is amazing that they have such great CMs. I try to put the "bad" ones in perspective because of this!

We had a great Thanksgiving weekend! I hope to post a little about it this week. I have an out of town conference so I am unsure how much I extra time I will have but hopefully it won't delay an update! I hope your Thanksgiving was great as well!!

Finally had a minute to catch up a little. Glad you're busy too so I wasn't TOO far behind! I'm glad to see your comparison of the two water parks too. Since we haven't been to either one yet but are thinking about going in January (if the weather cooperates), your reviews are especially appreciated! I am veerrryy sad about Main Street Bakery closing in January for the switch to Starbucks! At least we can get the cinnamon rolls at Gaston's. Woot! Woot!

50's Prime Time is so much fun when you get a fun server. They really make the experience special! So now the only question is..................how many times will you ride TOT????

I am hoping once I get this week behind me I can update a lot more frequently but i feel liek i have said that before!!

The water parks are a great add on for us now that we have gone that route. I keep finding the things Keith likes and I plan to stick with those!!

Oh you know me a TOT so well!!!

 

[sherylcin]

I forgot to say that I think it's really special when a CM goes out of their way to do something cool for a guest. The light-up Tink was a really nice ending to your dinner at PTC. Love to hear stories like this; it's why we continue to return to the happiest place on earth!!

 

[TinksThree]

I forgot to say that I think it's really special when a CM goes out of their way to do something cool for a guest. The light-up Tink was a really nice ending to your dinner at PTC. Love to hear stories like this; it's why we continue to return to the happiest place on earth!!

It's the little things that can go so far! I agree that when CMs go out of their way, it just makes the magic that much greater!!

 

[Angies1274]

We haven't tried PTC yet. I'll definitely have to look into it for next trip. I'm sure DH and the boys would get a kick out of it. The atmosphere looks very cool and those portions look huge!

Yay for some pixie dust! Glad to hear you had such a wonderful meal.

Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving! My in-laws want us all to take a family trip to Gatlinburg next summer. We've never been but it sounds like a lot of fun.

 

[ssbn740]

Just trying to up my post count so I can PM someone. Sorry for the inconvienicance

 

[TinksThree]

We haven't tried PTC yet. I'll definitely have to look into it for next trip. I'm sure DH and the boys would get a kick out of it. The atmosphere looks very cool and those portions look huge!

Yay for some pixie dust! Glad to hear you had such a wonderful meal.

Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving! My in-laws want us all to take a family trip to Gatlinburg next summer. We've never been but it sounds like a lot of fun.

PTC is a lot of fun (most of the time) and the pixie dust just added to the night! We love Gatlinburg! I think ya'll would really enjoy it! I am going to post a few pictures!

 

[TinksThree]

I posted a semi-update on my other TR and this is the link if you want to jump over there to read! I will be back tomorrow (hopefully!!) for another update! I really hope to get back on track!!

It's that time of year!

 

[TinksThree]

Let's see where did I leave off weeks ago? Oh yeah! We were just finishing up a wonderful dinner at 50's PTC which was Keith's choice after conquering us all at TSMM!

So we have finished up our meal and it is now time to decide what to do next! Out full tummies don’t want to take on TOT just yet so we head off towards TSMM because Keith has yet to learn that the lines stay obscenely long there! He says you just never know, so we head off in that direction. Along the way we stop and listen to Mulch, Sweat and Shears.

They are so much fun and Madison and I sang along to “We Are the Champions” and everyone sang “Play that Funky Music”! Then we pressed on….yep, TSMM was just too long of a wait. So we decided to go to One Man's Dream. This never gets old!

Leaving TGMR we make our way to TOT! I love riding TOT at night! Even Keith has admitted that this is a great ride with different experiences at night and day. I am helping my aunt plan her family’s trip next year and Keith keeps going on and on about things to my cousin…yep, he still hates Disney!!

Our redneck picture:

Continued in following post....

 

[TinksThree]

We ride TOT and walk over to Rock-n-Roller which has a wait just too long for us, so we decide to ride The Great Movie Ride and then call it a night. Friday is our final day and we want to make the best of it!!

Does Anyone notice what is wrong with this? HINT: When Charlton Heston signed his name he got distracted.......

We actually enjoy this ride and we always can’t wait to see if we get the cowboy or gangster version. This time it was the gangster version!

The montage of movies at the end is one of my favorites….some of those memories bring back so many memories!

Wow...it seems like forever ago since I started Thursday! But the keep count, we had made Magic Kingdom EMH and then Blizzard Beach. We ended the day at DHS....it amazes me what you can accomplish in one day!!!

 

[sherylcin]

Quite the marathon day!! It's a great day when everyone is happy with the plan and enjoying themselves! I really like being in the parks at night. Something about all those lights.............

Funny about Keith giving your cousin Disney tips! I think he's secretly a pretty big fan!!