The Darling Family's Endless Summer Vacation: August 2013 New 1/24

[dvc4life]

You have some awesome photo pass pictures from this trip. Love them. And the ones of Michael at Star Wars are priceless. My oldest DD would also love to fight Vader.

And, sorry if I startled you at MK that morning after you and Wendy had your picture with Marie in front of the Christmas Tree. I happened to recognize you and wanted to say Hello! Actually, I saw Wendy first then looked at you. And knew it was you. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas trip. I know we did.

Looking forward to the rest of your report!

 

[dismagiclover]

Great update!

Thanks.

Wow! I had no idea that DHS Minnie was meeting someplace else now! I am falling behind on my WDW knowledge now that I don’t currently have a trip in the works.

The Animation Academy drawing classes always sound like so much fun. Is 6 years old too young, do you think? We haven’t done it yet, but I think there is one in DLR too, and I would love to try it out!

I love the Jedi Training photos! What a cool thing that is. DD wanted to do it and planned on it for months, but then she just didn’t end up doing it - the heat and humidity really defeated her drive to do a lot of things. Understandably!

6 might be a bit too young for the drawing class. Michael still sometimes gets frustrated because he can't get the drawing to look like he envisions. Really it depends on the kid, I guess. And I know that August heat can just kill you!

I had forgotten about Minnie moving...bummer about no more pink dress. It was so cute and SO went with the Hollywood theme. Is she back in the animation building in her dressing room? I'm trying to make sure I have my characters spots covered!

We love the animation drawing, even the four year old although sometimes she decides to draw whoever she wants!

How cute is Michael in the Jedi Academy training! Having girls with absolutely no Star Wars interest I doubt that I will ever see it in person. I'm with your DH, it looks like it would be fun!

Christine

Minnie is in the animation building. One big plus to her move is that she rarely has a line. She is kind of hidden back there so that helps. The Jedi Academy Training is fun, but if your kids aren't Star Wars lovers it probably wouldn't make sense, so there would be no reason to watch it.

You have some awesome photo pass pictures from this trip. Love them. And the ones of Michael at Star Wars are priceless. My oldest DD would also love to fight Vader.

And, sorry if I startled you at MK that morning after you and Wendy had your picture with Marie in front of the Christmas Tree. I happened to recognize you and wanted to say Hello! Actually, I saw Wendy first then looked at you. And knew it was you. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas trip. I know we did.

Looking forward to the rest of your report!

I'm sooo glad you said hello at the Magic Kingdom that day! It was fun to actually meet you. We did have a great trip and I actually just went back for Marathon weekend which was incredible too. I hope your trip was fabulous as well! There is no place like Disney.

I've been so slacking on this report guys. Sorry. It is all written so you'd think I'd just get to it, but it seems sooo long ago now. I've taken two trips since then. I'm still going to do my best to finish it up. Then who knows, maybe I will do reports of the latest two trips. Though I can guarantee they won't be near as detailed.

 

[dismagiclover]

Today’s ADR was at an old family favorite. Sci Fi Café. This is always a nice place in the summer because it is dark and cool. So for a little while we can pretend we are not in the hot summer sun in Florida in August. The food on the other hand is pretty ordinary. The kids also didn’t really enjoy the “movie” this time around. I think they may have become too sophisticated for the Sci Fi. Next trip maybe we’ll try Primetime. Anyway after lunch I was ready to go, but everyone else wanted to do one last spin on Star Tours. So I agreed thinking I would just hang out in the Writer’s Stop. Unfortunately, the Writer’s Stop was not its usual quiet place. It was kind of crowded with nowhere to sit. So I headed out and looked for a bench. The only unoccupied one I could find was on the Streets of America. Normally it would have been fabulous to just relax on a bench on the Streets of America. But, it was August. There is no shade on Streets of America. So I sat there and sweated it out. There really weren’t very many people around to watch either. It was just too hot. After what seemed like forever to me, but was probably only about 20 minutes, DH called to tell me they were done with the ride and ready to head out. It was hot as we walked out of the park, but I knew I’d regret not getting a family picture in front of the hat. Here is what we got.

You know it was hot because I didn’t get any pictures of just the kids. Plus I’d planned on getting pictures of DH and I with our shirts, but it was too hot. Just wasn’t feeling it. Anyway we hiked back to the car and headed back to Kidani. Our afternoon plans would hopefully keep us a little cooler. The plan for the afternoon was Typhoon Lagoon. So we changed into our suits and headed over. I think I once again complained about how far away Animal Kingdom villas are from everything. Anyway we arrived at Typhoon Lagoon and the first things the kids wanted to do was introduce the wave pool to DH. So that is what we did. The boys were very happy DH was there because he was willing to go much farther out with them than me. So we spend lots of time getting smacked by a very large wave. Wendy went way out with the boys for a bit, but she eventually retreated to my neck of the woods. Eventually the boys felt like looking for something else to do. They settled on Crush ‘n Gusher, a water rollercoaster. Wendy decided to pass so we sent the boys off for their thrills. Then Wendy and headed for the lazy river to get some relaxation in. Here are a few shots.

Eventually we reconnected with the boys who reported they loved Crush ‘n Gusher. They said it was a pretty long slide so that made the wait seem more worthwhile. Here are a few pictures.

We may have gone on a few more slides, but before long we headed out. Though we did stop for some donuts. As we headed out there was a Photopass guy near the exit. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity for a fun family picture. The photopass guy tried getting creative and posed us like this.

Can you find the kids? They are hiding. This doesn’t really seem like much of a family picture to me. Plus I’m in my bathing suit. I would much prefer that my children are standing directly in front of me. This picture will not be getting displayed anywhere. There are some cute pictures of the kids in their hiding places though.

On the long drive back to Kidani we discussed dinner plans. The boys were wondering when we were going to work in the kitchen sink. We decided now was as good as time as any. So after changing our clothes we headed back out again to the Beach Club. I may have complained about Kidani’s distance from everything again. (Are you seeing a pattern? BWV has definitely spoiled me.) There was a bit of a wait for Beaches ‘n Cream and John was starving. So DH took him to the gift shop and he came back with a whole box of Ritz crackers. I wish I had a picture to show you. The box of Ritz crackers accompanied us into the restaurant. DH had never been here before which seemed to strange to me. I guess every time I’ve come it has just been me and the kids. Anyway the plan had been to just order the kitchen sink for dinner. (Don’t judge.) However, the kids wanted French fries. So why not? Ice cream and French fries for dinner! We are the most awesome parents ever! The kitchen sink arrived and what a moment it was. I wish I’d taken a picture with the camera. The ones I have are from my phone and aren’t very good. DH was absolutely ecstatic. Ice cream is his favorite food. He had never been this excited about a meal in his entire life. Wendy was a bit overwhelmed by the size of the thing. Her face in this picture kills me.

The boys just couldn’t believe their luck. The reality was even better than their imaginations. I was just thinking about all of the miles I’d need to run to work these calories off. Did we finish it?

You bet your bottom dollar we did. Though most of the credit goes to DH. He was determined. He did mention as he walked out that he wasn’t feeling too hot. And that he wasn’t 20 anymore. Since I’d try to watch my intake I was still feeling ok. I suggested a walk around the lovely Boardwalk or a stroll through the World Showcase to work off some of the calories. I was promptly vetoed and instead we rolled ourselves back to the car. On the drive back to our room DH mentioned this might have been the best Disney day ever. He loved the Jedi Training, the water park and of course, the Kitchen Sink. I agreed it was a great day. The amazing thing about Disney is most days are the Best Day Ever!
Next up: Another Magic Kingdom Day!

 

[dvc4life]

Great update! What fun at the water park. Typhoon Lagoon is really fun. We like that park better than Blizzard Beach. And the photos of the kids are really good.

I loved Wendy's face in the photo with the kitchen sink. I don't think she could believe it. And who would judge, you're on vacation and cupcakes are acceptable for breakfast so ice cream and French fries are perfectly acceptable for dinner! Us cool parents gotta stick together on the food front. Those memories are what they will remember most. "Remember when mom and dad let us eat ice cream and ff for dinner while on vacation?"

 

[DisneyJo]

It really does sound like a fun day and for DH to say that must make you feel so happy

 

[Ariel484]

Hi Jenny! I was thinking about you last weekend...I hope you had a wonderful time and some great runs!! Can't wait to hear about it.

 

[RGirl]

Ugh - that August heat - it’s a killer! Smart move heading to TL. I love the PP pics that you got at TL. They turned out really great (well, other than the slightly oddly staged one ).

I wish I had ice cream and french fries for dinner right now! What a fun idea. And I love Wendy’s face in the background of the kitchen sink!

 

[dismagiclover]

Great update! What fun at the water park. Typhoon Lagoon is really fun. We like that park better than Blizzard Beach. And the photos of the kids are really good.

I loved Wendy's face in the photo with the kitchen sink. I don't think she could believe it. And who would judge, you're on vacation and cupcakes are acceptable for breakfast so ice cream and French fries are perfectly acceptable for dinner! Us cool parents gotta stick together on the food front. Those memories are what they will remember most. "Remember when mom and dad let us eat ice cream and ff for dinner while on vacation?"

I actually like Typhoon better than Blizzard Beach too, but my DH doesn't. He thinks the slides are wayyy better at Blizzard Beach. I think the wave pool is sooo much better at Typhoon Lagoon that it trumps the slide. I don't feel even a little bit bad about the french fries and ice cream for dinner. You are right. Those are the memories that tie us together.

It really does sound like a fun day and for DH to say that must make you feel so happy

It was a great day! I don't know if I've ever had an actual bad Disney day!

Hi Jenny! I was thinking about you last weekend...I hope you had a wonderful time and some great runs!! Can't wait to hear about it.

Hi old friend! Marathon weekend was awesome! I did the Dopey and it was the something else! Believe it or not the races weren't the toughest part. It was those 3:00 am wake up calls. I tell you by Sunday I was sooo over the pre-race stuff.

Ugh - that August heat - it’s a killer! Smart move heading to TL. I love the PP pics that you got at TL. They turned out really great (well, other than the slightly oddly staged one ).

I wish I had ice cream and french fries for dinner right now! What a fun idea. And I love Wendy’s face in the background of the kitchen sink!

Sometimes the water parks are the only place to be in August! Wendy's face really did crack me up. That kitchen sink is something else!

 

[Ariel484]

Hi old friend! Marathon weekend was awesome! I did the Dopey and it was the something else! Believe it or not the races weren't the toughest part. It was those 3:00 am wake up calls. I tell you by Sunday I was sooo over the pre-race stuff.

That is great!! I'm so happy to hear you had a good time, and CONGRATULATIONS on becoming Dopey! I totally believe what you're saying about the wake-up calls...pretty brutal. But you did it!! Enjoy some much-deserved time off (and sleep!).

 

[chattadisser]

Yeah for getting the kitchen sink. Double yeah for finishing it!!! We've gotten it once but didn't come close to finishing it!

Fries and ice cream sounds like a dinner every wishes they could have.

Congrats on the Dopey!!

Christine

 

[dismagiclover]

That is great!! I'm so happy to hear you had a good time, and CONGRATULATIONS on becoming Dopey! I totally believe what you're saying about the wake-up calls...pretty brutal. But you did it!! Enjoy some much-deserved time off (and sleep!).

Thank you! Recovery did take a bit longer this time and I went to bed really early the first few nights I was home.

Yeah for getting the kitchen sink. Double yeah for finishing it!!! We've gotten it once but didn't come close to finishing it!

Fries and ice cream sounds like a dinner every wishes they could have.

Congrats on the Dopey!!

Christine

DH was determined to finish that thing, so most of the credit goes to him. Fries and ice cream is a pretty good dinner.

 

[dismagiclover]

Another Disney day was upon us. The best thing about this vacation was the Disney days just kept coming. By this point wed been in Florida for 3 weeks and it was really starting to feel like we actually lived there. I loved it! Anyway this morning we headed for the bus stop. We were going to the Magic Kingdom and its the one park that is easier to take Disney transportation than to drive our own car. After the not so short bus ride (remember we were at the Animal Kingdom) we arrived. After going through security and waving our cards over the Mickey head we were watching this lovely site.

I love the Magic Kingdom opening show. It is so upbeat and it means a Magic Kingdom morning is coming your way! Not much better than that. This morning was another divide and conquer morning. The boys were heading for Space Mountain while Wendy and I were off to meet Merida. We headed up Main Street at the brisk rope drop pace. (I think I may get up Main Street faster at rope drop than I do when Im running a race.) The boys split off from us and headed to Space Mountain while we went to hop in the Merida line. Amazingly, the boys were the first riders of the day on Space Mountain! Amazing because there were lots of people in front of them, but they all headed for the fastpass machine. So my boys headed for the standby line and they are now victors of the Space Mountain Rope Drop Fast Walk! Yay! Meanwhile Wendy and I were waiting around to meet Merida. She didnt come out until 9:15 so we did have to wait a bit. We were the fourth group in line. In front of us were some Welsh folk that we chatted with. They were very excited to meet Merida because she is a Celtic princess so they feel like she is their princess. I joked with them about how their accent may be a tad bit better than Meridas accent. They said they were interested to see what kind of accent she actually had. After our conversation with some real Celts we went up to meet Merida. Merida was a bit confused at first. She thought Wendy might be a mouse.

Wendy assured her she was not. It was just a hat. Then Merida wanted to discuss hair.

The princesses all seemed to want Wendys hair tips this trip. After getting all the answers she needed Merida agreed to pose for a photo.

Then I jumped in to say hello. I feel so old next to these two.

Merida was fun! Im glad we were able to meet her. The boys had finished Space Mountain and had hiked over to Splash Mountain to get us fastpasses. On their way back to find us who did they run into? Why it was Chip n Dale. DH was actually quite excited because they were in their western gear. Hed mentioned earlier how much he liked their Western outfits. (Remember his Lone Ranger thing.) The boys went in for some hugs.

Then they posed for a picture.

DH apparently does not know the proper procedure. He should have then hopped into the picture. Alas, he did not so that is all the pictures of Chip n Dale. We found the boys shortly after this meet in front of the Hall of Presidents. I asked if anyone wanted to head in. Everyone declined. So I sent the boys to the stocks.

(Actually they sent themselves. They think this is fun.) Then we headed over to Fantasyland and the Darling family finally rode Peter Pan all together. I also distinctly remember riding this ride together at the MNSSHP that we went to. We got lots of attention as we waited in line that day. Here is why.

Dont they all look great? DH sometimes bemoans that this picture will never go away. Hes right about that. (Secretly he loves it though.) Anyway, we had a great ride. As we left Peter Pan we saw some people I wanted to meet. The Tremaineswere out! The boys didnt want to meet them. They wanted to ride Buzz Lightyear. What is up with these boys and always wanting to ride rides? Dont they know we are in Disney World? There are lots of other things to do! So we sent them on their way and went to have a bit of a chat. The step sisters asked Wendy what she liked to do and she mentioned she likes to dance. They then started telling us about their dancing skills and wanting to know about hers. I mentioned I thought Wendy might be a better dancer than Cinderella. Druzilla responded, Who isnt? Anyway I told Wendy she should demonstrate a leap for them. So she did. (In her flip flops no less. Very impressive.) I didnt get her mid air, but here she is after the landing.

Anastasia and Drizilla immediately started talking about their incredible skill as well. They insisted Wendy teach them something. So here is Wendy giving an impromptu ballet class in the middle of the Magic Kingdom.

Awesome! They werent half bad. Though the step mother was not impressed. We said goodbye and headed off. Who would we come across next?

 

[AprilRenee]

Love the ballet class! Lol

 

[DisneyJo]

Oh wow that ballet class looks hysterical, I love it when the characters interact like that, it must have made Wendy's day :

 

[RGirl]

Aww - I love the MK opening show. Can’t believe we didn’t see it on our trip.

How cool that the boys were the first riders on Space! And you got some great Merida pics - she is so fun to meet.

I love Chip ‘n’ Dale in their western wear - just too darn cute!!!

Awww - I love the MNSSHP picture. Adorable.

That may be one of the best Tremaine Family interactions of all time!

 

[chattadisser]

The opening MK show is so much fun. It's just gets you excited for the day to come.

Cute pics with Chip N' Dale in their western attire!

Christine