The Grand Gatherers Take Over The World W/PHOTOS - THE END POSTED ON 8/30: Pg 6,#80!

[Lil' Grumpy]

wow! no plans & willing to ride the fast and ferious? for the sake of
fibrillation...you've been hiding behind the "sweet & kind exterior...
a regular thrillseeker! did you also starred in the first harry potter
movie? you know? one of the players in the game portion? ha! if i
was "real" adventeous, i would say you make even running errands
adventure.

off topic..but geez...some people are mean spirited? say something
they don't understand so they're attack it...it's a little scary. i
don't like stalkers projecting their feelings. i'll think it best to keep
far away from those that "make up" elaborate anaylsis based on their
assumptions. anyway, your act of kindness wasn't missed. thanks.

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

Yup, I'm walkin' on the wild side for sure! I am that person you see in line for a thrill ride who is clutching the rail with white knuckles and either being vewwy vewwy qwiet or laughing just a bit too loud because, after all, I'm getting ready to take my life in my hands and (hopefully) cheat death!

I'm also the person you see getting off the ride with a face-splitting grin, high-fiving and whooping cuz I successfully cheated death one more time!

As for the other, I don't know why people act the way do...but I'll tell ya what, don't let 'em scare you off...you can hang out with the Maelstromers any ol' time!

 

[Lil' Grumpy]

p.s.....i've been wanting to say that every time i read "notsoaprincess" makes
me smile....being such a rascally/outcast type. what's so ironic is
finding all the " cuteness" in your reporting style. they're are so bursting
with fun,fun,fun...and i can't adequately expressed how much i enjoyed
reading the little adventure going to the ice skating show. for one of my favorites thing at disney is watching/listening to my kids' reactions. sorta like listening to the things you're doing...so . ha! ..not so a princess..is way out of there..from being the truth! your presentation is pure royality!
& ..... . just fyi.

we get off the wonder sept. 28, and going to the contemporary for 3
days...which means mnsshp on the 30th. however, it looks like the 5th
is going to be the most happening...dwats back at work !

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

we get off the wonder sept. 28, and going to the contemporary for 3 days...which means mnsshp on the 30th. however, it looks like the 5th is going to be the most happening...dwats back at work !

Thanks for the compliments, you silver tongued devil you! It's a shame you can't do MNSSHP on the 5th. As Grammyof2 said above, it's gonna be bangin'!

I'm so envious of your cruise. I live only about 20 minutes from the port, and I look longingly at the Disney ships every time I see one. Some day it'll be me goin' cruisin'!

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

OK, the Dudette’s trip report isn’t ready yet, but I wrote this a few days ago and didn’t get to post it before we left. Trip report comin’ up as soon as I have time to get it from my brain to my fingertips!

I like to plan. I plan lotsa things…baby showers, bridal showers, birthday parties, slumber parties, Super Bowl parties, even grocery store expeditions. But I’ll be honest with you…planning a Disney trip for 10 people for a week is about to kick my planning butt.

I have met my nemesis.

Luckily the Planning Force is strong in me.

I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED!

So, have you heard Disney is offering free dining again?

That means that all table service restaurants in WDW are gonna be jumpin’ and if you don’t have an ADR, chances are you won’t be eatin’ at any of them. I have tried to explain this to the GGs, but they just don’t get it. They think they can just walk up to a restaurant…any restaurant…and get a table. Now THAT would be real Disney magic!!

Ya’ll gather ‘round and I’ll tell you a little story.

Case in point:

I was at MK with a boyfriend. He’s not a Disneyaholic like me, and even though he’s lived in Florida his whole life, he can count his Disney adventures on both hands.

That, my friends, is just sad.

Anyway, he knows that I love Disney; so he and I set off for a day at the Magic Kingdom. It was a pretty busy day in January, so I was showin’ off my skills. My fastpass, hidden Mickey, secrets of the MK skills. He was pretty impressed and somehow got the idea that the park wasn’t as busy as it really was. It got to be lunchtime, and I suggested my favorite CS place, Pinocchio’s Village Haus in Fantasyland.

Gotta love those Figaro fries!!

But ohhhh noooo, he doesn’t wanna do CS. He wants to sit at a table and have someone SERVE him.

Umm.

Well.

Pregnant pause.

Him: Aren’t there sit-down places here?
Me: Of course there are, but…

Him: Isn’t there one in Cinderella’s Castle?
Me silently: It’s CinderellAH Castle, you poor under-Disney-educated man.
Me outloud: Yes, but….

Him: Let’s go there, then.
Me silently: Are you high?
Me outloud: They’re probably booked.

Him: Let me talk to the guy…I’ll get us a table.
Me silently: Sure you will…in APRIL.
Me outloud: OK, honey.

So off we go to the castle. We wait for our turn to talk to “the guy” and are told politely but firmly that there are no tables available for lunch or dinner. For the next three weeks.

Me silently: Told ya so, told ya so.
Me outloud: Thanks for trying…wanna go back to Pinocchio’s?

But Mr. I Don’t Do Counter Service was bound and determined we were going to eat at a “real” restaurant with “real” waiters. He persevered, and we wound up getting in at Tony’s. After we checked LTT, Crystal Palace, and every other CS place between Tomorrowland and Frontierland, none of which met his high standards.

And that was when there was no free dining.

The defense rests.

So anyway, back to the free dining and ADRs for 10 people. I thought choosing a resort was hard, but this escalates the difficulty factor to about a 10+. It’s like going from a single Axel to a triple Salchow.

Since our trip is a double birthday celebration, it’s a given that the two birthday babes get to each pick a place for dinner. My choice is the castle. In all the times I’ve been to MK, I’ve never eaten there; and by George, I’m gonna. Erica wants sushi for her birthday dinner.

Yuck.

Ick.

Phooey.

But it’s her choice, so I researched sushi at WDW. I got recommendations for the Japanese pavilion in EPCOT and California Grill, but far and away the most recommended sushi place is Wolfgang Puck’s in DTD. After perusing the menus, I agreed and decided on Wolfie’s. Cuz I’m the planner, dagnabbit, and I think it’s going to be cool to take the boat from POR to DTD and eat on the patio overlooking the water.

When all is said and done, we have ADRs at 50’s Prime Time Café, Wolfgang Puck Café, Le Cellier, Cinderella’s Royal Table, 1900 Park Fare, Boma, Crystal Palace and O’Hana. Now I realize that buffets are not the best use of TS credits if you’re trying to get the biggest bang for your buck; but I figure with all the kids in our gang, it’s a pretty safe bet they’ll all be able to find something on the buffet to tickle their taste buds.

Besides, it’s FREE, and I’m gonna laugh my posterior off every time I see the check and waltz out without paying. Right, Zzub?

OK, there’s another reason, too.

I think it’ll be really cool to eat with Mary P. and the Charmings (Cindy and Prince…you know them, right?). My sister is a Winnie the Pooh and Tigger fanatic, and who doesn’t love Stitch?

The funny thing is that these character meals are more for the adults than the kids. They’d be content to do without, but my BIL was like, “Really? Breakfast with Stitch? Coooooooool!!”

I wanted to add the Princess Breakfast in Norway, too, but I was afraid the kids would stage a revolution and force us to breakfast on Pop Tarts and Mountain Dew.

Hey, it could happen. Sure they LOOK harmless, but they’re sneaky.

Our Crystal Palace reservation is before the park opens, and we’re hoping to scoot over and wake Tink while everyone else is trying to get down Main Street. I’m also hoping to get some “almost empty MK” photos with the gang in front of the castle. The whole group thinks this is a way cool idea, so it just goes to show that, contrary to popular belief, I CAN please everyone. Once.

We’re going to MNSSHP on October 5; and believe it or not, I’m NOT planning the costumes. That’s right. It’s every Grand Gatherer for himself.

I can sense your doubt, but I’m serious. Just wait and see if I’m not.

Oh, ye of little faith.

 

[horsegirl]

You clever little Fawwy! I wuv Pinocchio's too! Sounds like you'd make a super duper travel guide, then you could write about all your journeys. You remind me of Sam, that cute blond travel host. She's perky like you!

Would you just keep writing, though, please?

 

[nicolemarie]

I love your report - I can relate to the planning syndrome. Hope your trip lives up to the pre-trip expectations!

 

[New England Eeyore]

I haven't been over to the TR board in a while, but tonight I decided to come, and yours was my randomly selected choice. I love it! I cannot wait for your actual trip and the wonderful report that will go with it. I identified with you a lot, because this line could so apply to me:

Whaddaya mean I’m a Planning Nazi? That’s so harsh!

Accurate, but harsh.

I am planning a girls-only weekend with my 2 best friend for December. I met with them this weekend to go over a few basics, accompanied by a 3 page (typed, single spaced) outline of my notes. I think I scared one of them. I told them we need to decide where we wanted to eat in June so we could make ADRs and I told them I would put together a list of the top-choices, and direct them to the appropriate menus on the web. She asked me "Do I have to decide what I want to order off the menu now too?"

Of course I told her that I would prefer she do so, so I could add that into my notes, but if she insisted, we could wait until our arrival for that choice.

But you've got to admit, it's really fun being the Nazi planner, isn't it? We end up with really great trips. I took my Dad last fall, and he was very doubtful he'd like it. He ended up loving it, wants to go back every year, and said it was the best-planned trip he'd ever had. I said, "Tell your friends. I work cheap."

Maelstrom!

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

I am planning a girls-only weekend with my 2 best friend for December. I met with them this weekend to go over a few basics, accompanied by a 3 page (typed, single spaced) outline of my notes. I think I scared one of them. I told them we need to decide where we wanted to eat in June so we could make ADRs and I told them I would put together a list of the top-choices, and direct them to the appropriate menus on the web. She asked me "Do I have to decide what I want to order off the menu now too?"

Of course I told her that I would prefer she do so, so I could add that into my notes, but if she insisted, we could wait until our arrival for that choice.

But you've got to admit, it's really fun being the Nazi planner, isn't it? We end up with really great trips. I took my Dad last fall, and he was very doubtful he'd like it. He ended up loving it, wants to go back every year, and said it was the best-planned trip he'd ever had. I said, "Tell your friends. I work cheap."

Maelstrom!

...is a FASTPASS?!?!

It's so cool that you clicked on my li'l ol' trip report! Hey, is your dad "the Postman?" If so, I read your TR and thought it was great.

Y'know, they complain to high Heaven about us planners, but when push comes to shove, where would they be without us? Roaming around aimlessly with no ADRs, no idea where to go to wake Tink and totally confused when somebody screams, "I found the paintbrush!!" on Tom Sawyer's Island.

Good luck planning your trip...can't wait to read about the adventures of Girls Gone Disneywild!!

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

Greetings from the Pittsburgh airport! Just checking in to let ya'll know that I have unexpectedly been sent out of town by my boss; and while it's good for me professionally, it's vewwy vewwy bad for my trip report.

I worked on it a little last night, but 11 hours a day doing training has kinda fried my brane...brayn...whatever! I'll be back in funny Slorida late Saturday night and will probably find this thread languishing on page two!

Thanks for your patience...don't give up on me!!

 

[New England Eeyore]

...is a FASTPASS?!?!

It's so cool that you clicked on my li'l ol' trip report! Hey, is your dad "the Postman?" If so, I read your TR and thought it was great.

Y'know, they complain to high Heaven about us planners, but when push comes to shove, where would they be without us? Roaming around aimlessly with no ADRs, no idea where to go to wake Tink and totally confused when somebody screams, "I found the paintbrush!!" on Tom Sawyer's Island.

Good luck planning your trip...can't wait to read about the adventures of Girls Gone Disneywild!!

No, I've never written a TR report before. I totally wish I had written one of that trip with my Dad because there were so many funny things that happened, but I let too much time go by and the memories aren't as fresh in my mind. I have to take copious notes on my next trips though because all of you excellent writers are inspiring me to give it a try.

I look forward to reading more when you get back!

 

[BratTink]

Hey! I want to hear about the dudettes day in Disney, Dude.

You made me go take the Princess Test. I'm Cinderella. Strange as I HATE to clean but do believe I have a fairy godmother and mice talk to me

 

[tammyandtommy]

Umm hello, how is the planning going? Have the dudettes gone to WDW yet?

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

I remember when life was simple and carefree. When the only things that mattered were memorizing spelling words and making sure there was a baloney and cheese sandwich (no PB&J for me) in my lunchbox.

Why, it seems like just last week that I had time to work, socialize with friends, watch American Idol, The Apprentice and Survivor (what did I watch before reality TV?) and still have ample time left for plenty of Dis’n with my fellow Maelstromers.

Wait.

That WAS just last week.

Since then, real life, in the form of my boss and a FAB-U-LOUS career opportunity, stepped in and wreaked havoc on everything from my evenings out with the gang and my TV fix to my precious Dis’n time. I like to fancy myself a Wonder Woman of sorts…I even used to have the underoos to prove it…but flying, teaching and sleeping have usurped socializing, reality TV and Dis’n.

And lemme tell ya, those dogs suck.

Here’s the deal…when the dudette contingency of the Grand Gatherers hit The World, it was a whirlwind kinda day. Because it was only one day, I didn’t take notes. The plan was to do a trip report about the day’s adventures as soon as I got back. And I DID start it. I promise I did. I even worked on it a little bit while traveling. Unfortunately, things have gotten kinda fuzzy around the edges, and I’m finding it difficult to remember enough details to do the day justice in a trip report.

And, truly, the most memorable thing that happened was that we named those little brown birds you see hopping all over WDW. They are now officially Tigger Birds because of their happy little bounces.

There were no meltdowns and not even a squabble worth noting. No rides broke down, there were no mermaid costume mishaps, and it was just a really nice, fun day hangin’ with the Main Mouse and his homeys.

So, instead of writing a trip report consisting of, “We rode Splash Mountain, had a Dole Whip and saw Cinderellabration,” I decided to hold off until I have something Disney-worthy to write about.

Now, finally (insert fanfare)…Songbirds Loose at WDW

May 6, 2006 - Wooo hoooooooo! Finally, a planned trip to the World that is actually happening on schedule! The plan for the day was to have a very loose plan. Pick a park and do whatever we want whenever we want. My mantra for the day: “It’s OK not to have a plan.”

Cast of Characters:
My cousin Dani, her daughters Izzi (13) and Lilli (8), and myself
Fellow Maelstromer Rhonda, her son Wesley (4), and their friend, Kim

We left for the house of mouse a little after 7:30 a.m. armed with cherry pop-tarts and a variety of beverages. Dani and I dressed to impress in an Eeyore baseball shirt (me) and Vintage Mickey T-shirt (Dani). Lilli wore her favorite fairy T-shirt, which she said was "...close enough to Tinker Bell." And Izzi, our 13-year-old Goth wannabe, was dressed in black jeans, black tank top and black boots. Oh, and black eyeliner. Lots of black eyeliner. She may look Goth, but there's not a morose, uncommunicative bone in her sunshine soul.

The day’s chariot of choice is my little white Saturn Ion because it gets better gas mileage than Dani’s big-a$$ conversion van.

We made good time and were at Epcot a few minutes before 9 a.m. BTW, does anybody know why it stopped being EPCOT and started being Epcot Center? That’s just wrong, y’all! Walt’s dream was the Environmental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, for pity’s sake!

In no time flat, we were in clear sight of the slightly imperfect geodesic sphere, otherwise known as the ginormous silver golf ball. It may be silly, but I just love that thing. It’s so grand…and shiny! Our journey to a parking space was delayed by a group of three men with two very pretty little dogs on leashes standing in the middle of the road. I stopped, and they stayed. I inched forward, and they gave me a dirty look. I motioned for them to cross the road, and they motioned for me to go around them. Excuse me? Don’t cars have the right of way on the road? As Lilli said, “How rude!” We all agreed that those guys were in serious need of some pixie dust, so as we went around them, we yelled out the windows, “Have a magical day!”

We breezed through the bag check and ticket stations in about five minutes flat and stopped to admire the Daisy and Donald Tunnel of Love topiaries. Oooh….ahhhh….movin’ on. The theme for this year’s Flower and Garden Festival is Romance, so can someone tell me why Stitch is at the back of the Tunnel of Love? Don’t get me wrong…I love and adore Stitch as much as the next girl, but romantic? I must be missin’ sump’m.

I brought a couple of hitchhikers with me in the form of meniscus tears in my knee, so I was gonna be ECV’n it around Epcot. I have an aversion to riding an ECV around The World, but there was no way I could hoof it, so I swallowed my pride, forked over my $40 bucks and got to rollin’. Once I had my wheels, we headed for Spaceship Earth. I miss Walter Cronkite, but it’s still a nice way to start the day at Epcot. Plus we found a new hidden Mickey!

One of the best things about living close to WDW and having APs is that we don’t have that I-have-to-see-everything-today-or-die-trying sensation. The day started out mild and breezy, and we strolled/rolled around looking at the flowers and topiaries. In spite of the fact that I have a brown thumb that encourages plants to just give up and die, I love flowers. My grandmother could grow roses in a bed of rocks, and my mom is into African violets; but when it comes to me, obviously the gardening gene skipped a generation.

Lilli liked Lumiere a lot and insisted that I take this picture:

Confession number 1: All four of us are karaoke divas, and we left the area singing, "Be our guest, be our guest, put our service to zee test…." with really bad French accents.

And consider yourselves forewarned: This won't be the last time we burst into spontaneous Disney song!

Next: Soarin', Crushin' and Meetin'!

 

[MOMOFMNM]

love it!!

your pics are fab girl!!!

wtg!!!

awesome!!!


truely

thank you

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

We made our way over to The Land to see how long the line was for Soarin’, and scored a 15-minute wait time. I love, love, love, LOVE Soarin’. While waiting, we discussed whether or not we should ask for the front row and decided that we could live with people’s feet hanging over our heads. And whaddaya know, we got the front row anyway! Happy re-birthday to moi! Before takeoff, the CM suggested that Lilli and I take our shoes off since we were wearing Crocs with the strap in front. Let me tell you, everyone should ride Soarin’ barefoot at least once! My toes were in Heaven, and it really is a different ride without people’s feet hanging over your head. Lilli’s favorite part is soarin’ over the surfers…she tries to nudge them with her toes. Dani likes the orange groves the best…we breathe in the scent of orange blossoms, and it’s like home to us Florida natives. Izzi likes the skiers and always lifts her feet so she doesn’t get them in the cold snow. And me? Well, I like the fireworks over Disneyland…it’s like being inside those zip-boom-zing-bang bursts of brilliant color. Soarin’ ROCKS, so we decided to ride it again RIGHT NOW, but, alas the line was too long. We have a rule that we don’t wait in line longer than 20 minutes for ANY ride. Can you say Fastpass?

The line was short for Living With The Land (I think everyone was in line for Soarin’), so we hopped a slow boat through Disney’s greenhouses. I was the photographer, but Lilli was the director, pointing out not-to-be-missed opportunities for photographic genius. At her urging, we got these gems:

And my favorite:

Really, what's not to love about a Mickey-shaped Cinderella pumpkin?​

Maybe it was looking at all that food, or maybe it was the fact that cherry Pop-Tarts and Coke don’t make a very sustaining breakfast; but we were all famished, so we decided to eat lunch in The Land. We decided on Chinese, and the four of us split two meals…that way we could sample four different entrees. We’re good lookin’, talented AND smart! I also took the opportunity to take a pain pill for my knee, and Lilli said, "Oooh…it’s gonna get fun now!" I have NO idea what she meant by that. OK, well maybe I do…but that’s a story for another time !

After lunch, we scooted over to The Living Seas. I love aquariums and have a fascination with sea life, so this is always a highlight of any day at Epcot. Plus we were going to see Turtle Talk With Crush for the first time! We timed it just right (this no plan thing is really working!) and got seats for the show starting in 10 minutes. Lilli sat on the floor, and Izzi was able to squeeze her skinny 13-year old behind in on the front row. Crush was totally awesome, Dude! He was asking a little girl what she liked to eat and was getting the usual kid cuisine answers like, "Pasgetti, hot dogs, and candy," when I hear someone call out, "Sushi!" It got a laugh, and when Crush responded, "Whichever one’a you dudes said Sushi, is gonna hafta exit the premises," there was an even bigger laugh. Turns out it was our very own Mz Iz…needless to say, she was quite impressed with herself! We decided Crush was so much fun that we’d try for a do-over later in the day.

Pictures of the stingrays in The Living Seas:

By this time it was getting close to 1 p.m., so we started making our way to the Mexico pavilion for our mini-Maelstromer Meet. I was really looking forward to this! Rhonda and I are part of a group of crazy, caring, funny Disney maniacs known on the DisBoards as The Maelstromers and were going to be meeting for the first time. Fun stuff!

On the way to Mexico, Lilli and Izzi stopped to add their artwork to one of the sidewalks:

And we stopped to admire this Tower of Flower Power:

We met up with Rhonda, Wesley and Kim and enjoyed a visit in the cool Mexican air conditioning. It was getting waarrrrmmm and would soon be hottttttttt. There is a reason they call this the Sunshine State! It was a lot of fun getting together…Lilli and Izzi thought Wesley was just adorable (well, duh, he IS adorable!), and Rhonda is as sweet and southern as they come. I admired Wesley’s pins and gave him a Maleficent off my lanyard to go with his Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip collection. He was so polite and said thank you with no prompting from Mom. Rhonda, you and Mark have done good with your little man! With a final, “Maelstrom is a FASTPASS!?!?!” we said our goodbyes…but we’d see each other again because it really is a small World after all!

Confession number 2: I have been derelict in my duties as a Viking because we didn’t ride Maelstrom. There were about six thousand people in Norway (I didn’t stop to count, but I’m pretty sure there were that many), so we waved as we went by, reminiscing about seeing Jules Niessen at Christmas. Jules Niessen is a mischievous little Norwegian elf and was one of our favorite Epcot Christmas storytellers, along with La Befana in Italy.

Izzi particularly liked La Befana because she called Lilli a pinhead, due to all the pins on her hat. Lilli wasn’t feeling the love quite as much and decided to put the pins back on her lanyard after that.

No time to write more now, and I don't have a zippy little ending for this chapter. Endings are hard y'all! I also don't know why some of my photos are so big. I will try to figure it out, but no promises!


Next: The Great Clacker Search, Princess Alert! and More Topiaries

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

Warning! Photos of all sizes ahead! Obviously, my photo re-sizing powers are on the fritz.

By this time, the sun was out in full force, and all four of us were wilting like delicate flowers in the heat. We were in search of the elusive bamboo clacker garden that I’d read about on the Dis, and guess what? It’s not in China! However, one of the best living garden sculpture thingamajigs is in China, and we gave it high honors. It even breathed fire…or mist…or something.

Roaming around China, we spotted Mulan and Mushu and were inspired to sing, “When will my reflection show the me I am insiiiiiide?” Lilli isn’t shy, and while the other three of us were singing quietly, she wasn’t afraid to belt it out. Several people smiled at her as they passed by, and she was very gracious to her adoring public, smiling back and even waving a couple of times. She is truly a Diva in the making!

We stopped in Italy for an icy strawberry Gilatti (spelling?) and sat on a shady bench overlooking the water while we enjoyed it. Not only did we score a cool breeze, we had this view of the slightly imperfect geodesic sphere:

Feeling refreshed, we continued our journey around the world in search of the bamboo clacker garden, which we deduced MUST be in Japan. We are truly bril-yant!

As we were approaching the American pavilion, we stopped to enjoy the fife and drum corps:

They were awesome, and I loved singing with the crowd to “She’s a Grand Old Flag” and “God Bless America.” I’m a bit of an American history buff, and they reminded me of what so many have sacrificed for the freedoms we enjoy. I love to travel, but when it’s time to come home, I can’t imagine that being anyplace other than the USA. There was something truly special about standing in a crowd of strangers, all of us unashamedly belting out our pride and love for this country.

The flag bearer stood so straight and tall that Lilli said, “You can tell he’s really proud to be the one who gets to carry the flag.” And she was absolutely right.

We decided to stay and watch the American Adventure and got to enjoy an acapella vocal performance by The Voices of Liberty. As a group, they had such a clear, pure sound that any instrumental accompaniment would have detracted from the beauty of their voices. Maybe we enjoyed it more because we all like to sing ourselves, but they were the highlight of our day at Epcot. Lilli has decided that rather than being a chef when she grows up, she wants to be a singing cast member at Disney. If you have a chance to hear them, don’t miss it!

It was at the American Adventure that we came in contact with a CM named Lonnie. Now, we all know that there are CMs who have pixie dust flowing through their veins, and there are CMs who are in dire need of a pixie dust infusion. Then there’s Lonnie. Lonnie was trying his best to be funny and personable, but he just couldn’t quite pull it off. When a couple tried to come into the pavilion with a drink, he said, “The show doesn’t start for 15 minutes, which will give you plenty of time to finish that outside.” He winked and smiled like he’d made a funny. Umm…not so much. He was trying to get people to move to the floor for the Voices of Liberty performance and kept “teasing” a group of young women by saying, “How many times do I have to tell you to get on the floor,” until they moved. He was trying his best…he even found out that it was one of the young women’s birthday and had The Voices of Liberty sing “Happy Birthday” to her. He just needed to attend Pixie Dust 101 again. Poor Lonnie.

After the American Adventure, during which Dani and I both teared up at the space shuttle Challenger segment, we made our way over to Japan where the angels smiled on us and we found the bamboo clacker garden. Which wasn’t working. DWATS! If it had been set up right, I think it would’ve been a very cool thing. Of course Lilli’s answer to the problem was, “Let’s just come back next weekend and see if it’s working!”

As we passed through France, we saw Princess Aurora sitting on the wall under a shade tree all by herself; so we decided to help a princess out and stop by to say hi. I tried to get Lilli to take a picture with her, but she didn’t want to. Lilli is in girly-girl denial. She is definitely a girly-girl, but she wants everyone to think she’s not. The fact that she’s chosen to go to Glamour Girls Girl Scout camp this summer isn’t helping her cause any. Anyway, she turned her pert little nose up at the picture idea, but she was very happy to sit on the wall next to Aurora and have a little Diva-to-Princess chat. Lilli has a guest of honor name badge with the villains on it, and Aurora seemed to be a little concerned about one villain in particular! In spite of her fright, she very graciously posed for a photo op:

We bid her adieu and left France singing “I know you, I waltzed with you once upon a dream…I know you, the gleam in your eye is so familiar a gleam…” which is one of my very favorite Disney songs.

Meeting Aurora also started us on the “Who’s your favorite princess?” conversation. Me, I’m a princess purist. Cinderella and Belle are really cool chicks; and Belle especially gets mad props for having backbone and standing up to the Beast, but they’re NOT princesses. Izzi and I decided that Jasmine was the Princess with the most pizzazz, while Lilli opted for Ariel and Dani stood her ground and chose Cinderella.

Cinderella shminderella. Yeah, right, whatEVER.

We couldn’t agree on which princess was best, but we all love Cinderella’s song. “A dream is a wish your heart makes, when you’re fast asleep….”

In England Lilli and Izzi took a walk through the garden maze; and I snapped more topiary pictures because, after all, you can never have too many topiary pictures!!

These photos are for my sister, who is a Winnie the Pooh fan from way back. She loved him so much that for her third birthday, she had an elaborate Winnie the Pooh cake, complete with red balloon, honey jar and buzzing bees. When she spotted the cake, she was so overwhelmed with joy that she…yep, you guessed it…picked it up and hugged it! To this day we still ask her if she wants to eat her cake or wear it. We think it’s hilarious…her, not so much.

Sing it with me…you know you know the words, “…willy nilly silly old bear!”

Cheap…I mean…inexpensive souvenir alert!! In Canada, they have leather key chains for a mere $5, and they engrave them for free. There are several character shapes; and, based on Lilli’s excitement when she saw the Tink one, something tells me I just might be getting one for my birthday. Hmmm…if I have a leather key chain, doesn’t that mean I should have the jacket and boots to match?

Confession number 3: I am expensive, but worth it!

Next: Back to the Future, Pungent Man, and Lilli’s Hidden Mickey

 

[Lil' Grumpy]

...hey!..princess, not so in wolf clothin....my puter went poof! and all
the pounding only made dingy noises....so here yours belated mother
day greetin............oh, boy! oh, girl!!! more reporting but first i gotta
not to forget....to wish a happy,happy mother day with lots of !

cos you know ? you got to have a dream, to have a dream come true??
yep, it's true!


by the way, see?...those malestormers have no idea the bandit i can
really be! [he,he,..i like being all sneaky] ..but you seen my lil
temper ....


fastpass my fanny pack!!!..you 're a regular ginger snap & you have
gammy's spices all over! i can see yours now stuffed with smiles,
hugs and all the goodies! goofy,me!!...here's one of my special
...that today was extra special.

now i can't wait to read your "news"...

 

[SoNotAPrincess]

Li'l G...you're a sweet bandit, and I always look forward to your posts. You really know how to spread the pixie dust, doncha?

Next chapter should be up tonight!

 

[tammyandtommy]

Woo Hoo I cant wait!