There's a First Time for Everything! A Christmas In November TR

[ladybugmom]

How much did you get? It is fun, isn't it? We don't get it often so it's great when it finally comes.

We probably got 1-2 inches. But then everything turned into ice! Everything started melting yesterday but then it froze again last night so we are home from school again today!

 

[Lovemy3babes]

Aw, her whole outfit is adorable! The shoes were a perfect addition. What a fun morning you had at Magic Kingdom. We've never done Tom Sawyer's Island so I suppose we should check it out next time just to say we have. LOL! And what a perfect meeting with Tink!! You made that one special mom. That's awesome!

 

[DisneyJo]

Your DD looks so cute in all her Minnie stuff, is she her favourite character?

How sneeky of you to have a little chat with Tink but what an awesome memory for your little girl

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Great update!! LOVE the minnie shoes and ensemble!
I think you were super-mom on the Tink calling and letter! Way to go!

What a wonderful MK day! I hope it continues to be great!

 

[donnajean17]

Awesome update! Sometimes the best plans are when there are no plans!

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

OMG.. what an amazing day at the MK... from calling Tink to meeting her.

I had a friend that worked at Disney. She sent an Aurora costume, tiara, wand and shoes to my dd Lily, who was 5 at the time. She put a sweet letter in there from Aurora telling Lily to come see her soon. Well, we did.. at Akershus. When Aurora got to the table and Lily started telling her thank you for sending her the dress, etc., Aurora said, " Why it fits you perfectly and I just knew you would love it! " OMG..it was so sweet and Lily was so stunned.

What a trip down memory lane for me. Keep 'em coming.. stuck at home in the snow

Aww, that's so sweet! What a great memory. Can you just imagine what goes on in their little heads when something like that happens? Glad you got a snow day so you could relax and do some reminiscing!

Another great day! I loved your dd's Minnie shoes, although I noticed they did not make it through the whole day! Smart mommy to bring some extra shoes!

She said one of the shoes was rubbing the back of her heel and I didn't want her to get a blister, so we changed out. I had a feeling that would happen since it was her first time wearing them so I pack the trusty flip flops! She wears them all the time now though and they are fine!

I cracked up over the "bon bons" comment. I suppose you sit around watching the soaps while you eat them, right? We SAHM's have such an easy life! I wouldn't trade it for the world, but a house gets alot messier when someone (or two or five) is always home.

Oh yes, I watch soaps, eat bon bons and have DD do all the cleaning and cooking while I loaf! My MIL is, well, interesting. It was a funny moment though. I propped my feet up on a chair, leaned back against the wall, popped one in my mouth and told DH, "I wish your mother could see me right now!" We got a chuckle out of it anyway.

That's good to know about Tink's Treasures! My oldest was able to wake her up on our trip three years ago, just by a fluke. It's nice to know we won't have to race over there if we want to do it again!

I like the new way much better too. We would have never made it for the store opening.

Do they still let people ride the Riverboat now that it has the show on it? It's never been my favorite, but my ds always wants to ride it for some reason. Ditto on your thoughts on TS Island. My kids love running around over there. I look at it more as a time sink, but if they like it I guess it's worth the trip over.

I think you can only ride the Riverboat right now if you are invited on by a CM, but don't quote me on that. Not sure how long they will have the Tiana thing going on.

Hoping your get back to see the lights. I would have been totally bummed too.

We shall see.

Replies in purple.

What happened to her adorable shoes? Were they pinching her feet?

Aww, that's so great!!

Denise

I'm copying this from above.............She said one of the shoes was rubbing the back of her heel and I didn't want her to get a blister, so we changed out. I had a feeling that would happen since it was her first time wearing them so I pack the trusty flip flops! She wears them all the time now though and they are fine!

It was a very "Disney like" moment!

We probably got 1-2 inches. But then everything turned into ice! Everything started melting yesterday but then it froze again last night so we are home from school again today!

Same here. We have a snow day today too. I'm hoping things get back to normal tomorrow though. Glad you got some for your girls to play in and I know your older DD is loving a snow day off from school!

Aw, her whole outfit is adorable! The shoes were a perfect addition. What a fun morning you had at Magic Kingdom. We've never done Tom Sawyer's Island so I suppose we should check it out next time just to say we have. LOL! And what a perfect meeting with Tink!! You made that one special mom. That's awesome!

Thank you! I was very pleased with her souvenir pruchases this year. NO JUNK! Shoes are very practical. My mom actually made the Minnie shirt for her. She just took a plain white shirt and embroidered the Minnie with her sewing machine!

You should check out TSI. There isn't much to it, but it is fun for the kids.

Your DD looks so cute in all her Minnie stuff, is she her favourite character?

How sneeky of you to have a little chat with Tink but what an awesome memory for your little girl

Thank you. She loves Minnie. I'm not sure who her favorite would be, but she is really fond of Minnie.

I was afraid I would get busted sneaking over to Tink, but she wasn't paying me any attention!

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Great update!! LOVE the minnie shoes and ensemble!
I think you were super-mom on the Tink calling and letter! Way to go!

What a wonderful MK day! I hope it continues to be great!

Aw thank you! It wasn't really my idea though. DD came up with the letter all by herself. (I say "letter", but she was 5, so it didn't really say much! ) I just sort of took it from there.

Awesome update! Sometimes the best plans are when there are no plans!

That's true. I like a mix of well planned days and go with the flow days. Towards the end of the trip, I'm always more apt to go with the flow!

 

[trixiequilts]

I got my pendants in the mail today!

Thank you for posting about them!

 

[LoveMyTwoPrincesses]

What an awesome MK day! It is so much fun to have a chance to go back and do some favorite attractions. Your DD's Minnie shoes are adorable(as well as your DD).

 

[Tiggerrn2]

Wonderful update!! You do a great job of making special family moments. I love the little videos. Can't wait to read more.

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I got my pendants in the mail today!

Thank you for posting about them!

You are welcome! Hope you enjoy them!

What an awesome MK day! It is so much fun to have a chance to go back and do some favorite attractions. Your DD's Minnie shoes are adorable(as well as your DD).

Thank you. I really like those shoes too. I'm glad she chose to spend her money on them.

I really love having 3 days at MK. To me, it takes two days to really cover the park. Then, that third day is a great way to go back and just do your favorites.

Wonderful update!! You do a great job of making special family moments. I love the little videos. Can't wait to read more.

Thank you. We don't get to go to Disney often (only been twice in 30 something years), so I try to make it as special as possible. The letter was all DD's idea though.

Glad you liked the videos. I love pictures, but sometimes only video will capture the true feeling of the moment.

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Just a little side note.................

The update I posted the other day with Remy inspired me to have a Disney dinner night. We do that from time to time just for fun. We have now had an Ohana night, Nemo night, etc. So I was thinking it was time for another special meal. I had big plans for this one too. There was a recipe for french onion soup I had been wanting to try out, and I was thinking about doing the fancy mac n cheese to recreate our meal at "Gusteau's". Well, we had another snow day today which meant I had all my little after school kids running around here for 11 hours! By dinner time, I was not feeling so ambitious. So how did our fancy French meal turn out?

It sort of morphed into gourmet tacos! French, Mexican, it's all the same, right? But I thought my DIS friends could appreciate it anyway!

Another update coming soon!

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Are you ready to spend a gorgeous night in the Magic Kingdom? Me too! Let's go!

We left Pixie Hollow and took an evening stroll through Fantasyland. I just love how certain rides look at night, and I wanted to get a few pictures. One of those rides was the carousel.

The castle is also so pretty from the back with the light streaming through the stained glass windows.

The teacups are another pretty nighttime ride.

Next was Tomorrowland. Another place I like to be in the evening. There are so many pretty lights in this area.

While we were in Tomorrowland, DH got to choose a few favorite attractions as well. We took one last spin on Buzz Lightyear and enjoyed another comedy show at Monsters, Inc.

It had been a wonderful last day at the Magic Kingdom. We had all gotten to do our favorite rides one last time, and now we just wanted to enjoy the spirit of Christmas that fills the air around Main Street. I knew it would be a while before we would return to Disney and I just wanted to etch every detail of this last hour into my mind forever. The castle dream lights had been turned on, so we spent some time up by the hub enjoying the view and the Christmas carols.

Those were the only two pictures that turned out of the castle lights. I think I had the wrong setting on again. (It was a new camera and I wasn’t used to it yet.) So I will just add a few pictures that I took last year since the castle looked exactly the same.

As you can see, it was about 6:50. We had to leave by 7:00 because of the MVMCP. I remember thinking when I took that picture that I now knew how Cinderella must have felt when that clock struck 12. I had that same sick feeling in the pit of my stomach knowing that my time as a princess was almost up, and that our fairytale was coming to an end.

We walked ever so slowly towards the exit. I just wanted to savor every second. But unfortunately, we eventually made it to the turnstiles where this cheerful CM bid us farewell. I was not feeling nearly as chipper.

Continued in next post.............................

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

My only saving grace was that we had a fantastic dinner awaiting us across the lagoon. So I swallowed my grief and tried to focus on the great food and fun to come.

A few more departing photos. Can you tell I was clinging on for dear life here?

We were having dinner at the Polynesian Resort, so we decided to take the Monorail. Big mistake! We had to wait about five minutes or so for the next train. While we were standing there, another family got in line behind us. It was a woman (I assume she was the mother, but it was questionable by her actions.) and three kids that I would estimate to be about 10, 12, and 14 years old. Those were the worst behaved children that I have ever seen in my life. They were running around near the monorail tracks, fighting with each other, and were just plain obnoxious. The mother just acted as if they didn't exist while she was texting nonstop on her cell phone. When the train finally arrived, we walked away from them hoping to board a different section of the monorail from them. Well, no such luck.

I can hardly describe to you the things that unfolded on that ride to the Poly. Those kids were absolutely out of control. They were all wearing those wheelie shoes and were "skating" around the car the whole time it was in motion. Our first stop was the Contemporary. Just in the few moments that it took to get from the MK to the Contemporary Resort, I was already praying that they would get off at the first stop. Well, they did, sort of!

When the doors opened to let the passengers on at the CR, one of the kids goes flying out the door on those wheelie shoes. The mother looks up from her phone for the first time throughout all this mayhem and SCREAMS at him to get back on. Then she immediately goes back to texting! Well that kid couldn't have cared less what she said and he continued to jump on and off, and on and off, as if he was daring the doors to close on him. Finally the doors shut and he just happened to be "on" when they did! It was unbelievable. Unfortunately for them, another poor, unsuspecting family got onto our car during our CR stop.

Then, as if it wasn't like a zoo on there already, the girl who was about 10 starts POLE DANCING on the monorail handrail! She had long blonde hair and she kept flinging it in DH's face. I thought he was going to blow his top! That little girl had no doubt seen some things in her life that she shouldn't have because she had the stripper moves down pat! It was just HORRID!

That was the longest ride on public transportation in my life! Even my DD spoke up and said, "Those kids don't know how to act, do they Mama?" I know the mother had to have heard what she said, but I don't care. Someone needed to say it!

Our next stop was the Ticket and Transportation Center. By this point I was thinking, "If they don't get off, I will!" Finally, my prayers were answered and they were gone. The other NORMAL family in the car with us was just starring in disbelief. I looked at the father and said, "I'm sorry. I wanted to warn you to pick another car when you got on because you just had no idea what you were in for!" We all laughed, but really, there was nothing funny about it!

The train FINALLY arrived at the Poly and we bolted off that thing like it was on fire. Let me tell you, I am not a drinker, but I was seriously contemplating sucking down something intoxicating after that ride!

So where was dinner? At OHANA!!!! This was our favorite meal last year and the only one we would be repeating this time. We had been craving eating here ever since our last trip and we were all very excited to be back.

DD likes the food here, but she loves the umbrellas they put in her drink!

Before our food came out, the entertainment started. This lady sings and plays that little Hawaiian guitar (can't remember right now what it’s called).

Well, she called everyone up for a dance and handed out all those pretty leis. As soon as she started playing the song, I knew I was in trouble. Of all the songs she could have chosen, she decided to play "In This Life" by Collin Raye. It's kind of an old song, but it's beautiful and one that my DH has always loved. He has played that song for our DD on his guitar ever since she was just a baby. He still sits on the floor outside the bathroom and plays it for her while she takes her bath. For whatever reason, that song has just always described his love for her. As soon as DD figured out what she was playing, she looked up at DH and said, "Daddy, that's our song!" My poor husband is pretty tough, but that almost did him in. I could tell he was about to loose it, and I already had. DH and I had a long struggle with infertility before being blessed with our sweet girl, so when it comes to our DD, I guess we both are pretty big saps.

Another one of those priceless moments that I wouldn't trade for anything. This is the song she sang if you’re interested. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zfpAkQvSpk

By the end of the song, I had tears streaming down my face and DH was barely hanging on. Yes, I know we are dorks!

We headed back to the table and tried to regain our composure. Lots of delicious food was waiting for us when we got back, so that helped lighten the mood.

After our very delicious meal, it was time for the Congo line! Shake, shake, shake, senora!

And then a little limbo!

How low can ya go?

After all that shakin' and movin', DD was in a very silly mood!

This cracks me up!

Didn't I teach her that her eyes would get stuck like that one day!

What a great night! We laughed, we cried, made some great memories and had some fantastic food. Does it get any better than that?

Well, we are at Disney, so yes it does! Our night wasn't over just yet. We took this on our way down to the beach.

What a beautiful pool! I hope that thing doesn't erupt while we're down here.

The ducks were enjoying a late night dip.

DD thought the beach was so cool!

Cont. in next post............................

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I had made a 7:30 reservation at Ohana in hopes of being done in time to watch the MK Christmas fireworks from the Poly beach. Well it worked out perfectly. There were only about 10 or so other people on the beach that night. We sat next to the speakers so we could hear the music they pipe in for the fireworks show. It was beautiful! So I guess I squeezed in a little more Magic Kingdom time after all.

The finale is amazing!

See, who says you have to pay admission to enjoy the MVMCP! We just did the party last year, so we didn't want to do it again the very next year. This was the perfect way to enjoy a little bit of it without actually going.

We walked down to the dock to catch the ferry back to the Magic Kingdom. All the torches were lit and it was beautiful reflecting on the water.

That's the castle way at the end of the pier.

The Grand Floridian across the water.

While we were waiting at the dock, we could hear the luau in the distance. It sounded like one heck of a party! We might have to check that out sometime.

Unlike our ride to the Poly, our ride back was quite peaceful. I love taking the ferry at night.

And with that, another great day had ended. It was back to Pop and off to dream land for us.

Firsts tally: 68 (Fireworks on Poly beach)

Up Next: Breakfast, Bathing Suits, & Bouncing Back For Unfinished Business!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

OOH, great pics from a fun last night!!
You've got me really curious about the bouncing back!!

 

[ladybugmom]

Ugggh!! I cannot believe that Mom and her kids!! I am so sorry you had to experience that! YIKES!!! Your O'hana report had me crying like a baby!! What a magical evening! O'hana is my absolute favorite place to eat!! YUM! Can't wait to eat there again in May--we're actually booked twice--once for dinner and once for breakfast!! And watching Wishes from the Poly beach--another favorite of mine!! Your TR just keeps getting better and better!!

BTW--I received my carriage necklaces over the weekend!! I'm sooo pleased!! Thanks again for sharing!!

 

[Ellester]

First let me say, your dd is just SO adorable! Those freckles are so sweet! It was a great end to the day. (If you can block that family out of your mind, pole dancing? That is just unbelievable! I feel sorry for those kids.) We've never done Ohana for dinner but I keep thinking about it. Maybe next time.....

Does that unfinished business have anything to do with the lights?

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

OOH, great pics from a fun last night!!
You've got me really curious about the bouncing back!!

Well, I don't want to mislead anyone and have you dissapointed by the next update, so I'll tell you that "bouncing back" doesn't mean we booked another trip. But oh how I wish it did!

Ugggh!! I cannot believe that Mom and her kids!! I am so sorry you had to experience that! YIKES!!!

It really was hard to believe what I was seeing. It was like we were trapped in a very bad dream!

Your O'hana report had me crying like a baby!! What a magical evening!

I just can't believe she played that song. I mean, I think it came out in the late 80's/early 90's. What were the chances of her picking THAT song? Amazing. It was just more than my little heart could take! But they were tears of joy, so it's ok!

O'hana is my absolute favorite place to eat!! YUM! Can't wait to eat there again in May--we're actually booked twice--once for dinner and once for breakfast!! And watching Wishes from the Poly beach--another favorite of mine!!

I am so with you on Ohana! We have decided that we will be eating there twice a trip from now on too! I got the recipe for the honey lime salad dressing they use and it is soooooooo good! Good for you for booking two ressies! I am so looking forward to reading all about it if I can see beyond the drool on the screen! Watching the fireworks on the beach is the best. No crowds, the reflection on the water, the music piped in......... very nice!

Your TR just keeps getting better and better!!

BTW--I received my carriage necklaces over the weekend!! I'm sooo pleased!! Thanks again for sharing!!

Thank you! I am so glad you like the pendants. I think they are so unique! Can't wait to see them on your girls in the TR!

Replies in purple.

First let me say, your dd is just SO adorable! Those freckles are so sweet! It was a great end to the day. (If you can block that family out of your mind, pole dancing? That is just unbelievable! I feel sorry for those kids.) We've never done Ohana for dinner but I keep thinking about it. Maybe next time.....

Does that unfinished business have anything to do with the lights?

Aww, thank you. I love the freckles too, but she's going to hate them when she's older!

Yes, pole dancing. Very sad indeed. I have always said that some people just should NOT reproduce!

Ohana is hands down my favorite meal at WDW. It was even better this year than last. The salad dressing, the noodles, the peanut sauce, the shrimp.......... it doesn't get any better! If the menu sounds appealing, then you have got to try it. I can honestly say out of all the meals we have eaten at WDW, this is the only one that totally rocks my world!

Not telling on the lights just yet!

 

[sharonW]

What a MAGICAL trip, omg, your pics are the most
BEAUTIFUL ones I have ever seen!! The castle pics
just took my breath away...I am so lovin your TR!!