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

[khertz]

Man, y'all really did end up the wayward child magnet! How crazy. I can't believe parents would leave their young children anywhere alone, much less at a Disney park or a POOL! How scary is that! I know there are lifeguards, but geez! Plus, there is so much stuff around to distract a kid that they probably won't be where you left them. Scary thought. I guess some people just feel a little TOO safe at Disney!

But anyway, looks like DD had a great time in the pool! My sister was like that when she was little. When we went to WDW when I was 12 and she was 6, it was in February, and it was FREEZING, but she just had to go swimming. Everyone else in the pool would get out and bolt for their towels, but Katie just jumped out and stood there with her arms wide open relishing in it! My dad was sitting out on his chair in jeans and a sweatshirt, she she was acting like it was 90 degrees out!

Have to say, I have no clue which park y'all are going to, but I do hope it's DHS so you get to see the Osborne lights!

 

[DisneyJo]

It looks as though your DD had so much fun in the pool but what is it with all the absent parents?!?!? I'm only just getting comfortable letting my girls go to the pool before me, literally 5 minutes, and their 13 and 11 and have both got their half a mile swimming badge

By the looks of things you're off to Epcot and one of my DIS friends loves taking photos of the odd things people wear, she would love your photo

 

[Ellester]

I'm totally going with Epcot and the LLLLOOOONNNNGGG walk from the buses to the gate. Those are definitely Epcot benches.

I do love the guy with the black socks and shorts in the pic. Such a fashion statement!

People who don't watch their kids amaze me, especially at the pool. We ran into a girl like that at the time share my mom has on Treasure Island, FL. There is a family that has the same week and they would let their daughter go to the BEACH by herself at 4. It's like a 200 yard walk from the pool area to the beach and you can't see the beach from the pool but they thought nothing of sending her to play in the sand while they slept at the pool or went back up to the room. They would also let her get so sunburned each year. She was like a lobster and still playing out in the sun. Poor thing will have skin cancer for sure. We haven't been in a few years, but I can't imagine their parenting will improve now that she's almost a teen. So very sad.

Looking forward to hearing about the rest of the day. I'm glad you dd got the chance to swim, that's always a highlight for my kids.

 

[jenbear123]

I'm just starting your TR but love it so far! We (me and my sister) were in Disney close to the dates you were (Nov 19-24). Just missed each other by a couple days!

Glad to see you were able to fly. Was it as bad as you thought it'd be?

Great location at Pop! Last time I stayed there, we never got to see the Hippy Dippy pool. I know, right?

Oh my gosh. Pirate cruise looks AWESOME. $53.99 per person is a bit hard to swallow but by the sounds of it, it's worth it. Especially if you have a little one. I think I'd like it just because of the pirate theme

Garden Grill looked like lots of fun! I love the C&D duo. They can be quite the flirts sometimes! Maybe that's why I love them so much

Great safari pictures! Rhino butt Also some great gorilla pics, despite the icky smell.

I'm only about half way through Day 2. Seems like I have lots to catch up on!

 

[praisehisname]

Does anything say "Good Morning Vacationers!" like a Mickey waffle? )

Nothing that I'm aware of!

So we sat there for another 20 minutes at least before a young couple (fully dressed in regular clothing, no swimsuits) walked over and told her it was time to go. Neither DH nor I had seen either one of them in the pool area the whole two hours that we had been there.)

That's just sad.

I really thought that I knew about all the special events going on at Disney during our trip like, Jersey Week, Food and Wine Festival, and all the Christmas festivities, but I hadn't read a thing about it being "Wayward Child Week" as well.)

I'm with Jackie--I'd know that walk anywhere. You're headed to Epcot!

Denise

 

[stace208]

It's Epcot!! DH and I agreed based on the trash cans/benches (I think that makes us weird) I still haven't given up on OL though. You said you had 3 days of trip left...

I can't believe you encountered another unsupervised child. This one, IMO, is even worse. The strongest swimmer can drown in mere moments. I know there are lifeguards everywhere but still...

We love Mickey waffles here too! I actually got a Disney tasty baker thing for Christmas. It makes Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Pluto, and Goofy shaped waffles (and other baked goods). They are small and very fun but it takes forever and a day to make enough for a meal.

I hear ya on the bathing suit issue. I try to buy the tankinis so that she's covered but can get those pants down in a hurry. She has 1 traditional style 2 piece but that only gets worn in our pool out back.

Don't make us wait too long to see if we're correct with our guess.
Are you guys getting more snow? It snowed here earlier but didn't stick and now is just rain...

 

[MeMom]

How do I love thee?
Let me count the ways...
with syrup,
with strawberry jam,
with butter,
plain,
sitting out by the pool,
in the room,
at the food court....

I'm such a dork. Every time I read Can you dig it? on the side of the building, I kind of answer the question in my head.

Yes, I dig being at Pop Century.

Sometimes it takes all the willpower I have not to get in the car and start driving south when I see pictures like this.

Some of us know the order of the bus stops at Pop, so I guess we'd be cheating, huh?

That is certainly an interesting duo.

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Alright folks, we have a winner! The grand prize for the "Disney Mystery Park Challenge" goes to................................................................


























Charleston Princess!!! Congratulations! You were the first person to correctly solve the "Metro/Retro" mystery! And for your efforts, you are rewarded with this very large, very shiny, Disney Cup trophy!

But wait just a minute. I need to acknowledge the runners up for their correct responses as well. So a much smaller, yet still quite nice, trophy will be awarded to Momof2Disneyboys, DisneyJo, Ellester, Praisehisname, Stace208, and Memom (Well, Memom didn‘t officially answer, but I know she knows the answer!).

Thank you to all who participated! I hope your prizes don't disappoint you. I told you upfront that I am the queen of cheap, so if you want real prizes, you'll have to go over to Widg's TR!

So what did that sign at the bus stop say?

That's right! Epcot!

Why on earth are we going back to Epcot instead of Hollywood Studios? Well, I had a very good explanation. If you recall, we went to Epcot on the first day of our trip. DH and I wanted to go to the Food and Wine Festival, but we knew that might not be a good idea on the weekend. I had read that it gets rather rowdy on Friday and Saturday and isn't a great place to take your kids. Well, no way was I going to let a bunch of wild drunks keep me from enjoying myself, so I came up with the idea of a do-it-yourself Food and Wine Festival. Since DH and I aren't drinkers, it's just going to have to be a Food Festival (but without the festival)! My plan was to save most of our snack credits so that we could snack around the world! So let's get to it! There's a multicultural food extravaganza awaiting us!

Before we could get to World Showcase, we saw this sweet lady standing all by herself! We can't have that, now can we?!

We didn't have time to see all the countries when we were here on Veteran's Day, so we wanted to start with the ones we missed and work our way back around. Since we started in Mexico last time, we chose to begin our journey on the opposite side of the lagoon in Canada. O' beautiful Canada!

Don't they look thrilled waiting for me to take pictures?

When it comes to landscaping, Canada totally takes the cake! Just gorgeous!

I also had another very good reason for returning to Epcot. Since we didn't finish the countries on Wednesday, that also meant that our passports and Kidcot masks were incomplete. DD really wanted to finish them, so we checked Canada off the list and moved on to England!

A street show was in progress.

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

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

We went into one of the gift shops to get our passport and masks taken care of and found these guys hanging out in the back!

They were great. Tigger was very energetic, just as you would expect!

DD had been on a mission throughout our trip to find some books. She loves to read and would rather have a book than a toy any day. Well, this had been quite a challenge so far. Apparently my DD is odd, because there are not many books for kids throughout the parks. She was so excited when she found a shelf of books in this store.

She wasn't satisfied until she looked at EVERY book in that store! We were there for quite a while. After a grueling search, she finally settled on buying this one.

Oh so VERY appropriate!!!

DD wanted her picture taken here because she loved the Alice dress in the store window.

One last look back at my beloved England before we moved on.

Somehow I didn't get a picture, but we had our first snack in France. We shared a delicious crème brulee from the bakery!

We skipped through France quickly since we had thoroughly explored that country earlier. In fact we left Europe for another continent altogether. Welcome to exotic Morocco!

I love the keyhole walkways, the colors, fountains, tile work, light fixtures, architecture............ it's all so gorgeous!

DD wanted to take this little tea set home.

DD couldn't wait any longer. She wanted to read her new book, so DH sat down with her for a while and told me to go take some pictures.

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

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I wanted to show DH where we did the pick-a-pearl earlier in the week so we stopped off in Japan.

He thought the Bonsai trees were very cool!

It was somewhere back in this area that we had our passport stamped. The CM wrote our names in Japanese. We thought that was neat even though we had no idea how to read it.

The pond area is breathtaking!

We really wanted some egg rolls but couldn't find them anywhere in Japan. Do Japanese people not eat egg rolls? I thought that was a common food eaten by most Asians. Maybe I'm wrong though.

The last stop for our passports and masks was America. We completed both projects and were quite proud of ourselves! The CM there even gave us a certificate to commemorate our accomplishment!

I LOVE THESE GUYS!!! I could listen to them all day. It makes you feel so patriotic!

They were gracious enough to pose for a picture for me!

We slipped into the counter service place in America, but there wasn't anything on the menu here that we wanted to sample. They did have this very pretty gingerbread house though!

We strolled by Italy without stopping. No snacks there!

Next stop was Germany where we got a delicious pretzel with spicy mustard! It was very good! We shared one but wished we had each gotten our own. DD ate half of it by herself. Again, no picture. I guess we were too busy eating!

We entered China next and finally found our egg rolls. They sell them in pairs so it worked out perfectly for DH and I to share. I just can't believe I didn't take pictures of all our goodies!

There was one snack I was determined to try and it's home was here, in Norway.

DD and I got the school bread (left) and DH got the cream horn (right).

OH MY WORD! That school bread was so, so good! It tastes kind of like a cross between a doughnut and coconut cake! YUM, YUM!! It was so good that I immediately went back in the bakery and got another one wrapped up to go. That would be breakfast the next morning! Sinful, I know!

DH liked the cream horn too. I tried it and it had a good texture, really flaky and light, but it just didn't have that much flavor.

We made one last stop on our food festival tour, Mexico! Again, I have no pictures. What was I thinking? We got the nachos and shared them. They were good, but nothing amazing. Man what a concoction we had going on in our bellies!

Now that we had completed our own little version of the Food and Wine Festival, it was time for us to leave World Showcase behind. It had been so much fun snacking our way around the world and doing the masks and passports. What a great afternoon!

So the good news for this afternoon was that there was no crying and no more wayward children! The bad news was that I still hadn't seen those lights! Only one full day left......... will it ever happen for me!

Firsts tally: 71 (Daisy Duck, I'm counting one for all the new food and experiences in WS.)

Up Next: Dinner & Dancing in Mickey's Backyard!

 

[ladybugmom]

YAY!! What fun!! On our last trip Ally filled up her passport, too!! It was so much fun for her!! We aren't drinkers either so I LOVE the idea of snacking through the WS!! YUM!!!

 

[sharonW]

I'd forgotten how beautiful Epcot really is!!
Was your trip over nj teachers convention?
Everything seemed to be decorated already.
Your little girl is sooo cute, its just great
experiencing all that magic through kids eyes!

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Man, y'all really did end up the wayward child magnet! How crazy. I can't believe parents would leave their young children anywhere alone, much less at a Disney park or a POOL! How scary is that! I know there are lifeguards, but geez! Plus, there is so much stuff around to distract a kid that they probably won't be where you left them. Scary thought. I guess some people just feel a little TOO safe at Disney!

That's what we thought that they expected the lifeguards to look after her. Crazy!

But anyway, looks like DD had a great time in the pool! My sister was like that when she was little. When we went to WDW when I was 12 and she was 6, it was in February, and it was FREEZING, but she just had to go swimming. Everyone else in the pool would get out and bolt for their towels, but Katie just jumped out and stood there with her arms wide open relishing in it! My dad was sitting out on his chair in jeans and a sweatshirt, she she was acting like it was 90 degrees out!

How do kids do it? I guess we were like that too. I just can't handle it anymore. I'd rather get in a hot tub now than a pool!

Have to say, I have no clue which park y'all are going to, but I do hope it's DHS so you get to see the Osborne lights!
Sorry! Still no DHS!

Replies in purple.

It looks as though your DD had so much fun in the pool but what is it with all the absent parents?!?!? I'm only just getting comfortable letting my girls go to the pool before me, literally 5 minutes, and their 13 and 11 and have both got their half a mile swimming badge

By the looks of things you're off to Epcot and one of my DIS friends loves taking photos of the odd things people wear, she would love your photo

I have no idea what was going on that week. We never had any experiences like that last year. Very odd. I don't take my eyes off of mine in the pool either. If you're going to have them, you have to watch them.

Send your friend on over here then! I don't have anymore pictures like that though.

I'm totally going with Epcot and the LLLLOOOONNNNGGG walk from the buses to the gate. Those are definitely Epcot benches.

I do love the guy with the black socks and shorts in the pic. Such a fashion statement!

People who don't watch their kids amaze me, especially at the pool. We ran into a girl like that at the time share my mom has on Treasure Island, FL. There is a family that has the same week and they would let their daughter go to the BEACH by herself at 4. It's like a 200 yard walk from the pool area to the beach and you can't see the beach from the pool but they thought nothing of sending her to play in the sand while they slept at the pool or went back up to the room. They would also let her get so sunburned each year. She was like a lobster and still playing out in the sun. Poor thing will have skin cancer for sure. We haven't been in a few years, but I can't imagine their parenting will improve now that she's almost a teen. So very sad.

Looking forward to hearing about the rest of the day. I'm glad you dd got the chance to swim, that's always a highlight for my kids.

Wow that is unbelievable! Isn't it amazing how those kids make it to adulthood? There are so many things that could happen to them. I'll never understand it.

Kids do love the pool, don't they? I think they would rather swim than anything else!

I'm just starting your TR but love it so far! We (me and my sister) were in Disney close to the dates you were (Nov 19-24). Just missed each other by a couple days!

So glad you are joining in!

I've heard that is a good week to go also for low crowds. How was it?

Glad to see you were able to fly. Was it as bad as you thought it'd be?

Yes, it was. I don't want to do it again. Not saying I never will, but I don't want to.

Great location at Pop! Last time I stayed there, we never got to see the Hippy Dippy pool. I know, right?

That pool is huge. You don't realize how big it is in pictures. Maybe next time you'll get to take a dip!

Oh my gosh. Pirate cruise looks AWESOME. $53.99 per person is a bit hard to swallow but by the sounds of it, it's worth it. Especially if you have a little one. I think I'd like it just because of the pirate theme

It is great and worth every penny. My husband still tells everyone about it. It made quite an impression on him.

Garden Grill looked like lots of fun! I love the C&D duo. They can be quite the flirts sometimes! Maybe that's why I love them so much

It was. They have great character interaction there and the food is good.

Great safari pictures! Rhino butt Also some great gorilla pics, despite the icky smell.

It was worth the smell to watch them. They are amazing creatures. Stinky, but amazing.

I'm only about half way through Day 2. Seems like I have lots to catch up on!Just skip all the chit chat and you'll be caught up in no time!

Replies in purple.

I'm with Jackie--I'd know that walk anywhere. You're headed to Epcot!

Denise

You are CORRECT! You have a prize waiting for you in the next episode!

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

It's Epcot!! DH and I agreed based on the trash cans/benches (I think that makes us weird)

Yeah, that probably makes you weird, but it also makes 90%of Dissers weird too, so don't worry about it!

I still haven't given up on OL though. You said you had 3 days of trip left...

I can't believe you encountered another unsupervised child. This one, IMO, is even worse. The strongest swimmer can drown in mere moments. I know there are lifeguards everywhere but still...

I can't believe it either. I would never let my child swim or do anything alone for that matter. I really hope they were there and we just didn't see them.

We love Mickey waffles here too! I actually got a Disney tasty baker thing for Christmas. It makes Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Pluto, and Goofy shaped waffles (and other baked goods). They are small and very fun but it takes forever and a day to make enough for a meal.

Oooh, that sounds like a neat little thing! It would be worth it every once in a while though to use it even if it did take a long time. I love making Disney food! I prefer for Disney to make it for me though!

I hear ya on the bathing suit issue. I try to buy the tankinis so that she's covered but can get those pants down in a hurry. She has 1 traditional style 2 piece but that only gets worn in our pool out back.

I agree with you on that. I just want to teach her modesty now while she is young, so that hopefully when she is grown she will look like a lady.

Don't make us wait too long to see if we're correct with our guess.
Are you guys getting more snow? It snowed here earlier but didn't stick and now is just rain...
The answer is up!

Replies in purple.

How do I love thee?
Let me count the ways...
with syrup,
with strawberry jam,
with butter,
plain,
sitting out by the pool,
in the room,
at the food court....

You're a nut!

I'm such a dork. Every time I read Can you dig it? on the side of the building, I kind of answer the question in my head.

Yes, I dig being at Pop Century.

You're not a dork. Obsessed maybe, but not a dork. Maybe we could get a two for one deal at a rehab facility!

Sometimes it takes all the willpower I have not to get in the car and start driving south when I see pictures like this.

Well if you ever get to the point that you can't resist the urge anymore, pick me up on the way down!

Some of us know the order of the bus stops at Pop, so I guess we'd be cheating, huh?

Yes, that's cheating, but I gave you credit anyway.

That is certainly an interesting duo.

I thought so too. I can't believe I didn't notice them at the park that day. Well, now we know that opposites do attract!

Replies in purple.

YAY!! What fun!! On our last trip Ally filled up her passport, too!! It was so much fun for her!! We aren't drinkers either so I LOVE the idea of snacking through the WS!! YUM!!!

You are too fast! I hadn't even finished editing it yet before you had posted! I'm embarrased that you read all my typos!

The passport is great isn't it? What a great learning tool too!

Snacking around the world is a great way to use up those snack credits (if your stomach can handle it!) We did that instead of a CS lunch.

I'd forgotten how beautiful Epcot really is!!
Was your trip over nj teachers convention?
Everything seemed to be decorated already.
Your little girl is sooo cute, its just great
experiencing all that magic through kids eyes!

WS is gorgeous! That's why I love it so much!!!

Yes we were there for Jersey Week. It was the first weekend of our trip (Nov. 7 & 8). The Christmas decos. begin the 2nd week of November. It's a great time to go!

Yes, Disney wouldn't be the same without my DD. It is so fun to watch her experience all the fun things there!

 

[Panotchr]

I really like the idea of your own Food and Wine Festival!! I think we will do that this summer!!! I am totally stealing your idea, but I will give you credit

As a teacher, it makes my heart just melt to know how much your DD loves books!

Your pictures are GREAT.. but the best ones have your DD in them. She is so stinkin' cute! Love the tutu over the shorts.

 

[Charleston Princess]

I love my trophy!

World Showcase is such a wonderful place for food and great pictures!!! You had both!!! Love all of your shots in Canada, England, and Morocco!!!

I guess I really need to try the school bread on the next trip! My mouth is watering just looking at the photos.

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I really like the idea of your own Food and Wine Festival!! I think we will do that this summer!!! I am totally stealing your idea, but I will give you credit

I don't have that idea copyrighted! Feel free to use it. I'm sure someone somewhere has come up with that same idea too. It's a great way to use all those snack credits. And we still had plenty left after all that snacking!

As a teacher, it makes my heart just melt to know how much your DD loves books!

Your pictures are GREAT.. but the best ones have your DD in them. She is so stinkin' cute! Love the tutu over the shorts.

Aw, thank you! She disigned that outfit herself! Her problem is that she wants to wear the cute costumes, but they give her the mad itch. She was trying to be cute like all the other little girls without being miserable. I told her to go for it. It was her trip too.

It makes my heart melt too that she loves books. I'm not sure if that's just her personality or if I've steered her that way since I am a teacher. Either way, I'm happy about it. She is a very good reader too. I'm so proud of her!

Replies in purple

I love my trophy!

I'm so glad you like it. I fully expect to see it sitting on your mantle next year when you post more pics of your Christmas elves!

World Showcase is such a wonderful place for food and great pictures!!! You had both!!! Love all of your shots in Canada, England, and Morocco!!!

I guess I really need to try the school bread on the next trip! My mouth is watering just looking at the photos.

Yes indeed. Good food and beautiful scenery, what could be better?! If you like doughnuts and coconut cake, I think you will love the school bread!

Replies in purple.

 

[Charleston Princess]

You know Haddon and Ingrid will enjoy checking out the trophy!

 

[jenbear123]

Okay, I've read a bit more. You're updating like Speedy Gonzales!

I've heard mixed reviews about Flame Tree BBQ. Some say it's amazing, others say they'd rather eat garbage I ate there once but stayed away from any of the "BBQ" related stuff. I think we had a sandwich of some sort. Maybe turkey? It was pretty good. A bit of an overload on the bread though. Otherwise the lunch we had was satisfactory. I wouldn't say it's at the top of my list or anything.

Too funny about Dinosaur. I know I shouldn't laugh about poor DD's distress. I went on it for the first time last year. I love dinosaurs and the movie so it was a pretty cool experience for me If I had been DD's age, yes I would've been PETRIFIED! It's definitely a bit scary for the smaller kids in my opinion. Too bad her face paint got washed away.

What no pictures from Boma? Just kidding. Glad to hear you had a great dinner there. AKL is lovely isn't it? I highly recommend going back and visiting it in the day time. The savannah is lovely to see.

Those tigers at the Jungle Trek are shy, aren't they?! Every time I go there, they always have their back turned towards us or are completely out of view. That one hiding it's face behind that bush is great

Can't wait to read more!

 

[martinolichfamily]

Great update!

We have yet to make it to the World Showcase...I am really missing something!! Great pics! We have only made it to Mexico.