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

[Momof2Disneyboys]

YAY for another beautiful day in Epcot! We were in MK for a little bit that day and then DTD. It was our last full day. So hard to get ready to go home when the weather was so perfect!

Great pictures of World Showcase. All your little snacks around the world sound so yummy!

Can't wait to see if you made it back to DHS. . .

 

[DisneyCP08]

mmmmm I love all the food. hmmm.....i think im going to drop everything and drive to epcot for some snacks. Loved the update and loved the fact the DD had to read her book. My little sister was the same way and still loves to read. Saw you guys were lucky with snow, all we had was lots and lots of rain. but back home in Fayetteville they had some snow and ice. Can't wait to here more.

 

[DisneyJo]

Thankyou so much for my trophy, it'll look great in my cabinet

What a fabulous idea to do your own F&W festival, it sounds as though you tried some delicious things

 

[Tinkermom76]

I just added School Bread to my list of things to try on our trip in December

Thanks

 

[stace208]

Wow! What a beautiful Epcot day! Your photos are fantastic

My DD got that same book in England. She got another one too but I can't remember which one. She loves those Little Miss/Mr. series.

I plan to snack around the world in April! On my last 2 trips the only times I was in WS was either on my way to, or out of, a meal so I never felt like snacking. This time we don't have an ADR so we can fill up on yummy snacks. It does make odd belly concoctions though, doesn't it!

Yay for no wayward children today!

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

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

I sure hope they do!

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.

Well since I live in NC, I am probably spoiled in the BBQ department. I should have known better than to order anything like that. If we eat there again, I'll get the chicken or your sandwich.

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.

It's ok to laugh. It's funny to all of us now. It wasn't very funny to DD at the time though. She loves the Dinosaur movie, but the ride was a whole different story. I really think they should put a warning on that ride to let parents know that it can be really scary for little ones. Maybe DH would have listened to me if they had one. Glad you like it though.

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.

SORRY!!!! I know! I guess I didn't take food pictures b/c I had no intention of doing a TR. That just sort of happened! I'll do better next time! We will visit AKL in daylight for sure next time. Maybe we will try the breakfast at Boma. I've heard good things about it.

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

He was hiding back there, wasn't he! They are so beautiful. I could stand there for hours admiring them.

Can't wait to read more!

Replies in purple.

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.

Yes, you are missing a lot. You should make it a priority to get over there on your next trip. It's awesome!

YAY for another beautiful day in Epcot! We were in MK for a little bit that day and then DTD. It was our last full day. So hard to get ready to go home when the weather was so perfect!

Great pictures of World Showcase. All your little snacks around the world sound so yummy!

Can't wait to see if you made it back to DHS. . .

Oh I know. The weather was beyond gorgeous. It was very difficult for us to go home on Monday too!

Our snacking was lots of fun. I just really wish I had taken pictures of everything. I don't know where my brain was!

mmmmm I love all the food. hmmm.....i think im going to drop everything and drive to epcot for some snacks. Loved the update and loved the fact the DD had to read her book. My little sister was the same way and still loves to read. Saw you guys were lucky with snow, all we had was lots and lots of rain. but back home in Fayetteville they had some snow and ice. Can't wait to here more.

Snacking around the world was great. We got to try lots of good stuff! Pick me up on the way to Epcot!

We got more snow today too! Too bad you didn't get any. It's nice to have some every once in a while. Maybe you'll get some before winter is over since it has been SOOOO cold this year.

Thankyou so much for my trophy, it'll look great in my cabinet

What a fabulous idea to do your own F&W festival, it sounds as though you tried some delicious things

You are very welcome! I think it will look splendid on display in your lovely English home!

All our snacks were good and a few were great! It was a very interesting way to eat lunch!

I just added School Bread to my list of things to try on our trip in December

Thanks

If you like coconut cake and doughnuts, you'll be happy! Bring one back for me!

Wow! What a beautiful Epcot day! Your photos are fantastic

My DD got that same book in England. She got another one too but I can't remember which one. She loves those Little Miss/Mr. series.

I plan to snack around the world in April! On my last 2 trips the only times I was in WS was either on my way to, or out of, a meal so I never felt like snacking. This time we don't have an ADR so we can fill up on yummy snacks. It does make odd belly concoctions though, doesn't it!

Yay for no wayward children today!

How funny that your DD picked the same book! There were tons of them to choose from. It is a cute little series, isn't it?

Same here. We always eat at one of the Epcot restaurants and are too full to snack. I'm actually glad that we didn't have an ADR there so we could sample some of the goodies! Make sure you do a better job of taking pictures than I did! And yes, it can make your stomach revolt. Just don't ride TT afterwards! Can't wait to see what yummy stuff you guys choose!

 

[praisehisname]

I need to acknowledge the runners up for their correct responses as well.

Thank you! That's my first ever cyber trophy!

All of your snacks sound yummy! What a good idea that was to save your snack credits!

Denise

 

[jayally]

I am posting so I can finish reading the rest of your trip. I love the pictures. I have spent the past couple of hours reading your TR so I didn't read all the comments so sorry if this was asked. What kind of camera were you using? I have a small waterproof olympus and a Canon S3 IS that does pictures and video but I am thinking about getting one of those Flip video cameras. I would like a camera that does it all but they each seem to have their pros and cons.

 

[Charleston Princess]

Rinky, I am going to blame you for the fact that when I went grocery shopping yesterday, I had to buy cream horns from the bakery section. They were quite tasty!

 

[MeMom]

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

It was so good that I immediately went back in the bakery and got another one wrapped up to go.

What a great picture of the guys in America!

I'm glad to hear you like the schoolbread. It's not only good, it also one of the cheaper snacks.

I had to buy cream horns from the bakery section. They were quite tasty!

We have to do what we have to do

out here

to keep the Disneyness going.

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Thank you! That's my first ever cyber trophy!

All of your snacks sound yummy! What a good idea that was to save your snack credits!

Denise

You are so welcome. I hope you will display it with pride!

We still had snack credits left over at the end of the eating adventure! We always end up with too many of those. Last year, I went into the gift shop on our last day at ASMo and used all the left over ones to buy stocking stuffers for DD. She was quite pleased to have those Disney touches on Christmas morning!

I am posting so I can finish reading the rest of your trip. I love the pictures. I have spent the past couple of hours reading your TR so I didn't read all the comments so sorry if this was asked. What kind of camera were you using? I have a small waterproof olympus and a Canon S3 IS that does pictures and video but I am thinking about getting one of those Flip video cameras. I would like a camera that does it all but they each seem to have their pros and cons.

and thank you for your nice comment. I don't blame you. When I am trying to catch up on a TR, I don't read the chit chat either. My camera is a Canon SX 10 is. It's 10 MP and has a 20X zoom which absolutely ROCKS! I just got it before this trip. I desperatly needed a new camera and this was my birthday gift last year from my DH and my parents. It has a flip out video screen and you can take pictures while you video tape. I really love it! It is called a prosumer camera b/c it has all the bells and whistles of a SLR, in a point-and-shoot design. Here's a link with all the info on it if you are interested: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/643179-REG/Canon_3633B001_PowerShot_SX20_IS_Digital.html If you click on the demo link it will show you all the features.

Rinky, I am going to blame you for the fact that when I went grocery shopping yesterday, I had to buy cream horns from the bakery section. They were quite tasty!

You have no idea what a laugh you have given me this morning! Why is that? Because I just realized that I had been calling that thing a Fench horn ever since we got back and it's a CREAM horn!!!!! As soon as I read your post, I busted out laughing at myself! What an idiot I am sometimes! I mean, really.............. why would they be selling a "French" horn in NORWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lord help me! I've got to go back and change that right NOW before anyone else reads it! This reminds me of the scene in Toy Story where Mr. Potato Head has his parts all mangled up and looks at the Pig who just says, "I don't get it." To which Tater replies, "I'm Picasso, you uncultured swine!" I'm feeling very much like uncultured swine right now!

Anyhow.............. I am so sorry that my pictures forced you into purchasing that nutritionless junk at the grocery store. I'll try not to be an enabler anymore!

What a great picture of the guys in America!

I was so excited that they posed for me!!! I love that picture. I am such a patriotic person that I get teary eyed hearing them play and march down the street!

I'm glad to hear you like the schoolbread. It's not only good, it also one of the cheaper snacks.

Isn't it wonderful? I think I remember reading that you got one at the F&W festival, right? It really is a yummy treat. And the one for breakfast the next morning was just as good.

We have to do what we have to do

out here

to keep the Disneyness going.

You need to read my reply to CP!

Replies in purple.

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

After filling up on all the yummy treats around World Showcase, we contemplated what to do next. We had quite an interesting concoction of food in our bellies and were a little leery about getting that all stirred up. However, this was our last day at Epcot and we wanted to go out in style! We discussed our favorite attractions (Soarin' and Test Track) and concluded that

would be our safest bet. I just kept thinking about what our boat Captain told us as we were leaving for the Pirate Cruise. He was adamant that everyone MUST use the bathroom before we got on the boat since their was no restroom on board. He told us that, "You must go NOW because we do NOT hang it over the side at Disney!" That vision was stuck in my head and no way were we going to have a "revenge of the Food and Wine Festival" while going 60 miles an hour on Test Track!

So we took our last very peaceful ride on Soarin' and our bellies thanked us for it!

Once again, I lingered and stalled as we wrapped up our last Epcot day. It is so hard for me to leave, knowing that I won't be back for a while! Eventually, we had meandered our way back to the front of the park where the monorail was pulling up just in time for our departure. The sun was beginning to set and everything had that warm pinkish, orange glow.

We took the monorail to MK where we transferred to a Fort Wilderness bus. We enjoyed the ride through the campground. It's such a shady, peaceful looking place. We got off at the bus junction area and figured out which bus to take to get to our dinner reservation. While waiting for our next bus, I spotted Minnie's golf cart!

Our bus dropped us off here.

And this is where we would spend the next three hours having the time of our lives! Mickey's Backyard BBQ!!!

We got there early so we could do the meet and greet before dinner. Unfortunately, they had already cut the line off so I just snapped a picture and we moved on. (And you'll have to forgive me because I snapped A LOT more pictures after that.)

Dinner is served buffet style and everyone is assigned to a picnic table that surrounds the dance floor. They serve baked chicken, ribs, beans, hot dogs, corn on the cob, potato salad, cornbread, tossed salad, watermelon and all-you-can-eat Mickey ice cream bars!! You also get unlimited beer and wine, but we had lemonade and tea!

Here is my very happy girl with her hot dog, corn on the cob and baked beans!

The girl LOVES watermelon! She ate her body weight in it that night!

The food here was just ok. Being that I am a Carolina girl, I am very spoiled in the backyard bbq department, so this just didn't compare to what I'm used to. But since we were not all that hungry after eating around the world, it didn't matter that much anyway. We finished up our meal just as the characters started coming out.

Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Chip and Dale all marched out to dance with the kids. DD went straight for Minnie, but as you can see, so did about a thousand other little girls.

Here's DH trying to get her to go out and dance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-UVmmhz0Q4

Do you remember in my introductions how I told you that my DD is sweet and smart, but occasionally a drama queen? Well, the drama queen was about to rear its ugly head! DD got so mad because there were too many kids on the dance floor for her to get to Minnie. She tried her best to get near her, but every time she moved, someone would cut her off or step in front of her. I had read lots of reviews about the BBQ and I knew the first song was going to be total mayhem! I tried to explain to her that if she would just wait for the next song, the floor would clear out some and she would get her turn. Well, she wasn't having it! She had a mini meltdown right there during the Boot Scootin' Boogie! We pulled her off to the side and tried to give her a minute to get it together, but when she looked back and saw those little girls spinning around with Minnie, she lost it. She started crying and I couldn't do a thing with her. After several minutes of this, I told her that she could get an attitude adjustment or we were leaving. She pondered that for a while and decided it was better to share Minnie than to leave empty handed. And just as I had told her, the floor had really cleared out by the second song. The crowd just kept dwindling all night until there were very few people left by the end of the evening!

She finally got her turn!

This is a short video clip of her dance with Minnie!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0_t7acHtuE

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

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Her next two steppin’ partner was the main mouse himself!

And another handsome fellow, Chip!

And Dale!

And last but not least, Goofy!

Goofy was the BEST!! He just grabbed her up and flung her around that dance floor like a rag doll! It was so cute!!!

This is the band that played for us all night. They were EXCELLENT!!

We had danced until our feet were about to fall off, so we took a break and hit the ice cream freezer. They had all the frozen treats that they sell in the parks in the snack carts. We all chose these!

While we enjoyed our dessert, the trick roper came out and put on quite a show!

Then they acknowledged everyone who was celebrating a birthday.

They sang "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus, so DH and DD had a slow dance. No tears this time, thank goodness!

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

 

[disneybarbie]

aww wow.. I've never done the BBQ, probably will wait til I have children to take to WDW (!!) but it looks like fun!

I love Minnie's outfit too! cute boots hehe

It sounds like you have a really good way with DS to stop the 'drama queen' moments

Emma x

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Cyclone Sally tried to teach the kids how to line dance! Notice I said tried! How hilarious it was to watch all these little kids try to do the Electric Slide and the Macarena!

I believe they were playing Rocky Top Tennessee here! (If you don't like country music, this might not be the place for you.)

The characters came back from their break and put on a little show for us.

Doing the Chicken Dance!

Swing your partner one more time!

In this short video, the characters are trying to teach the kids how to do the "Cotton Eye Joe". DD never did get the hang of it, but none of the other kids did either! Mickey is so cute though! Just look at him go!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMZOVbLn1Go

The characters did a very patriotic dance to "This Land is Your Land".

And that's all folks!

We LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Mickey's Backyard BBQ! What a one-of-a-kind experience for your kids to get to dance with the characters all night! Even if the food was just mediocre, it was still such an awesome experience. The music was so upbeat all night and everyone there looked like they had the time of their lives. I know we did!

We stayed for the entire event. We actually had to drag DD out of there when it was over. What a great night!

We ended up bribing DD out of there by offering to take her to the playground down by the water. She played there for about 30 minutes before we headed for the dock to catch the ferry back to MK. We bundled up in our coats and rode outside on the front seat of the boat. What a gorgeous night and a great view.

We caught a glimpse of the Electric Water Pageant during our ferry ride.

Our destination off in the distance.

The monorail was just pulling in. This would have been a beautiful picture if there was more light.

There were two other little girls on the ferry and they carried on the cutest little conversation with DD about all their adventures during the week. DD told them about meeting Tinker Bell and how she had gotten her letter. It was the most precious thing. I wish I had video taped it without them knowing.

We made it safely back to Pop where we crashed instantly. A hoe down at Mickey's place will really wear you out!

Firsts tally: 73 (Mickey's Backyard BBQ, Electric Water Pageant)

Up Next: A Rude Awakening, Literally!

 

[micandminforever]

I loved the hoe down pictures. They made me want to try to fit the backyard BBQ into our plans, when we go in June.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

The BBQ/Hoedown sure looks like a fun time! You guys really did a lot of stuff on this trip!

I'm scared to hear about your rude awakening.

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

aww wow.. I've never done the BBQ, probably will wait til I have children to take to WDW (!!) but it looks like fun!

I love Minnie's outfit too! cute boots hehe

It sounds like you have a really good way with DS to stop the 'drama queen' moments

Emma x

You are too fast! I don't think I had even finished editing before you had posted! I think you would enjoy the BBQ more with kids, but it would be fun without them too! If someone goes there, and doesn't have fun, something is wrong with them! I love the costumes too. The characters look so cute in their picnic/hoe down clothes.

As for the drama queen moment............ DH is the cream puff and I am the stern one. I love her to death, but I can't put up with that mess. It had gone on long enough and she needed to get a grip.

I loved the hoe down pictures. They made me want to try to fit the backyard BBQ into our plans, when we go in June.

It was one of the highlights of our trip. I'd put it second behind the pirate cruise. If not on your June trip, you should do it on the next one. Such a great experience!

 

[Charleston Princess]

There is something absolutely magical about the sunset at Disney! You captured the lighting perfectly with your monorail shot!

I have never seen any pictures of the Barbeque! How fun! I am glad that DD was able to get over her fit and enjoy the night! I know how these meltdowns can really put a wrench in things.

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

The BBQ/Hoedown sure looks like a fun time! You guys really did a lot of stuff on this trip!

I'm scared to hear about your rude awakening.

We really did get a lot done. That's what great weather and low crowds does for your trip.

The rude awakening wasn't horrible. Don't think that. It was just not what I wanted to see.