Timandlesley's The Sum of Our Thrills TR w/ tons of pics&video 9/27 PTR link pg.58

Lesley I just finished reading yours and Diane's TR as well as Tim & Bryan's TR and let me say, those trips have entertained me just as much as all the others!!

You girls packed a TON into a little bit of time, and I just love that you got upgraded to concierge!! Obviously I could comment on a lot, but let me just say I love the bonding time and all the yummy drinks! (Ever since my 1st Grey Goose Slush a few years ago, I have never made a trip to WS without having one!)

Oh and speaking of bonding, seems like Tim & Bryan developed a real closeness during their guys only trip :rotfl2:

Tim absolutely cracked me up with the "not together" comments, as well as the many "warm embraces" they shared later in the trip.

And then the hibachi chef making references to you and Diane, that was a riot.

Now that I've finally read the reports I missed, I feel complete :goodvibes
 
When we were in line Tim scored a coffee and got REALLY comfy in the chairs:
IMG_7324640x480.jpg

I have these Croc shoes! I wanted blue, like Tim, but they were out. Got red and black (UGA colors....GO DAWGS) instead. Of course, I probably have like 15 pairs of Crocs, just for me, so it isn't that unusual...lol.
 
All caught up! Got behind with the wedding, honeymoon, then coming home to the reception. I like to read along but it is nice sometimes to have more than one updte to read cuz it is hard to wait sometimes! :) Great updates, as usual! :goodvibes
 
Your AK day was SO much fun!!!! I bet you guys so enjoyed having your friends from home to share it with!!!! I had to laugh though.....Tom has Tim's shirt and I have your shirt!!!! :) Ha ha ha!
 

Yet another great update. Love the Bologna! Kids always do better when you make it fun. Sounds like such a great day with your friends, so glad the crowds were manageable and you got sooo much in before you had to leave. Score for you on finding the spray fan!
 
Oh…… I forgot to mention that on our way to the Safari we grabbed fast passes for kali River Rapids, it was now time to use those, so we headed that way:
103_6906640x480.jpg


I really look forward to your yearly TR's. We always go in August and I use yours to get really extra excited for our yearly trip.

With this picture, it took me a second to realize where in the park this was taken. I have never seen the park that empty. Lucky for you!!
 
yay, just found your Tr and all caught up. Love reading your trip reports. Your family seems like so much fun!
Awesome!:thumbsup2popcorn::
 
/
Wow! Sounds like an awesome day at AK!

Can't wait to hear all about your dinner (and drinks;)) and meet up with Diane's family!
yes, it was a great day, update coming up tonight : )
Wow! What an amazing day. So excited that you got to experience low crowds after the debacle from the day before!

Just wondering... no Finding Nemo or Festival of the Lion King?

You KNEW I'd ask!:rolleyes1
I know, I know, didn't do those this trip, there's always NEXT trip right : )
:yay:HI Tim and Lesley...I just caught up! Love your tr as always!!!!:cool1:
Hi!!! So happy you are enjoying it.

Great TR !! Lordy lordy, Luke & Lauren have done some major growing up since your first TR. :goodvibes
I know, makes me sad just thinking about it, wish there was a way to go back and formally document these trips reports somehow instead of online so I could look back and read them easily, they are growing so fast.
Sounds like a great day.Glad you had less crowds to make up for the days before crowds.

That was great that Lauren got to have another girl to hang with. Love her side ponytail...too cute :cutie:
Yes, she LOVED having some girl time, glad you liked the ponytail :)

Great report! I love the inside scoop on Nick hotel. Looking forward to the next 7 days!
Nick hotel was fun, happy you are enjoying the resport

Hey! Looks like it was a little rough at DHS -- we hit a crowd there one morning too BOO! But way to make the best of it! Glad dinner and MK made up for it! King Pin -- I remember seeing him in February, it does look like your kids enjoy trading! :goodvibes That Kona cone does look tempting....

AK day with your friends, how fun! Glad you had that morning with them! I love the group shot at Kali! Classic! Can't wait to hear about your family reunion with Diane and crew!
Yes, it was a crowded one that morning. King Pin is such fun, what a great guy, the kids KILLED the Kona Cone. Reunion with Diane and crew update coming tonight, stay tuned.

Great update Lesley! Looks like you had some real good "Harry Potter" karma at AK!!!! How fun to be able to tour with friends! You all seemed to be having a wonderful time!! LOVE all the dancing you guys did too!!:goodvibes
Glad you enjoyed it, yes Harry Potter definitely helped us on that day!

That's great that the crowds were low. The picture of Tim (not using the bathroom) had me:rotfl:.
Happy the humor wasn't lost on you : ) He is always doing something that makes me laugh

Something about this transition is cracking me up! From EWWWWWWWWWWW to LUNCH in 2.2 seconds :lmao:
You know, you cracked me up with this post, I didn't even realize the wording, that was soooooooo funny!!!
Great update! Glad the crowds were so much better at Animal Kingdom than they had been at DHS the day before! Looks like you had a fun time hanging out with friends -- Tim and Luke's dancing pictures are cracking me up!
Yes, we definitely appreciated the low crowd day after the mornign we had before. Luke breaking it down on the bench in the one photo cracks me up too.

So fun that you met up with friends from home! We did that in 2007 and it was fun to get some pics and ride a few rides together!




I feel like a loser, but I can't see her in there!




I'm trying to figure out how you got this pic, because everyone in your group rode, right?









Awwww, no picture?
Look closely, can you see her face by the pole? No, I should have taken a picture of the baby duck, sooooo cute!

Hi Lesley!
I just got to read all your installments this morning. What fun! The Nick Hotel looks pretty awesome. When my kids are better swimmers and can enjoy the water area, we'll be trying a couple nights there.

Great pics! Stinks that you keep getting rained out at the pools. Hope you get some swim time in. Looks like the girls had fun at AK together.

Oh, and isn't it WONDERFUL to have a car while in Disney?! We almost always have one, too, and it is so much more convenient than the buses sometimes.

Can't wait for more!
Hi, glad you are caught up. The girls had a great time together, Lauren was sad to see her go. Yes, having the car came in handy more than once this trip!

What a fun AK day!

The girls are just darling, looks like they had a great time together!

One of these times, I need to ride Kali again; but without fail, I always get soaked on those rides!! I'm just lucky that way.

Yea, Diane & her crew join you. Can't wait to hear all about it!!
It was a fun day. The girls had a blast, makes the day so much more fun when the kids have other kids to "hang" with. They join us this evening, and I'm working on the update now, so stay tuned.

Sounds like a great day with friends at AK.
It really was!

Your daughter is so adorable!! When are you goen to WDW again? We should meet up :goodvibes
Thanks so much! November (hopefully) but without kids : )
 
I came back from the long weekend with 2 great updates! (Or was it three?) I don't know but it was a lot


IMG_7376640x480.jpg


I think this close up of Luke and Tim is such a perfect picture, you should definitely frame this one!


103_6917640x480.jpg


Of course T & L's antics always entertain. I fear that those folks on the OTHER side of Tim by the 'bathrooms' got a little bit of a fright watching him 'play' by the water feature. :rotfl2:

And oh, Le Cellier, how I love thee. Let me count the ways.
Your pretzel bread, so salty and delish.
The warm and creamy cheddar cheese soup, my biggest wish.
And your filet, hands down best I've EVER had.......sorry Dad!
Your smores, and chocolate "moose"...I love them, though they've given me a big caboose!!!

I call it, "Ode to Le Cellier"
I agree, I love that picture of the two of them. Glad we continue to entertain you, Tim entertains me daily : ) LOVE your ode to Le Cellier, it's GREAT!

I love Animal Kingdom. Sounds like you and your friends had a blast. I love to experience Disney with friends. :-)
We did have a great time!

Another great update! Tim cracks me up with the fountain pic and him and Luke dancing... adorable! I also love your TV to show what's coming soon. To me it sounds like Biergarten is next! That seems like the most fun place, I can't wait to read about it!
'Thanks, Tim and Luke crack me up too, glad it made you smile as well, next update coming up tonight so stay tuned.
What a fantastic AK day with friends!
We're trying Flame Tree for the first time next month. Any recommendations?
It was such fun. Yes, I love the pulled pork BBQ, the key lime desert is yummy (after you peel the top green jello layer off), the beans and cole slaw are yummy too. Tim LOVES the rib combo there.
Loving the update!!! Can't wait for the next installment!
Coming up tonight :thumbsup2

Great update! Glad you had some AK mojo! You can't beat a 5 min wait at EE two times in a row, in June! Glad you had a great time with your friends. the pictures from the safari are great...tons of giraffe's!

Looking forward to reading about your dinner with Diane and her family!
Yes, tons of giraffe's, such a great one. The wait times rocked that day! Update with Diane and family coming up tonight.
What a great day at AK, I love Kali...nothing like getting soaked on a super hot day. It actually helped us stay at the park a little longer in August because we weren't overheated....I love that ride.
Kali is GREAT, definitely a life saver for us at AK over the years.

Awesome update! Lauren is right about girls walking and talking, she is so funny. Also, love her side ponytail, I remember rockin that look when I was a kid. Can't wait to read more.



Melissa
She was a trip walking and talking and with her side ponytail that day : )
:rotfl2: for Tim not using the bathroom.

The perils of the state mandated signs. I guess it is classified as a water feature and regulated like a pool. But :scared1: and:rotfl2:
and of course EWWWWWW.
Happy we could give you a laugh, we had lots that day

Pictures of the girls at AK are so cute, heck all the kids pictures are cute. I would guess that a CM took the picture of all of you on Kali, how very nice. Love the low crowd levels.
Thanks, you are too sweet. Yes, the CM took the pic of us, she offered to get me to put the camera away I think ;)


Great updates. Will Luke and Lauren ever get to swim?:confused3
YES, stay tuned:thumbsup2

Ohhh what kind? Im currently looking at Cannon.. its tough choice..
The Canon EOS Rebel T1i Digital SLR Camera LOVE it, but feel we need to invest in a bigger lense soon for close up shots.
Lesley[/QUOTE]



Ohhh okay I just knew it was a Rebel I think everyone I have talked to about Cannon has a rebel..:lmao:
So im studying up :thumbsup2
I love your new update, we wished we had spent more time at AK, we missed a lot because it was soooo hot and we were torn on what to do since we only had one day planned there. Next trip we wanna do more at AK
the "bologna" thing cracked me up[/QUOTE]

Happy you enjoyed the update, bologna was super fun!

Lesley, Is the new Canon an SLR? I have a XSi, and I am dreading using it in the parks. I love the camera and it takes lovely pics...it is just big compared to my lovely little Nikon coolpix. Any advice???

How wonderful that you were able to spend time with friends in AK (and even more friends at Epcot...which I am looking forward to reading about!)
Ours is:It is the Canon Rebel Xs EOS. I agree, it's a pain to carry in the parks especially in the heat of June so that's why I brought it out in the evenings, I carried my small ones during the day, that worked best for us.

Lesley I just finished reading yours and Diane's TR as well as Tim & Bryan's TR and let me say, those trips have entertained me just as much as all the others!!

You girls packed a TON into a little bit of time, and I just love that you got upgraded to concierge!! Obviously I could comment on a lot, but let me just say I love the bonding time and all the yummy drinks! (Ever since my 1st Grey Goose Slush a few years ago, I have never made a trip to WS without having one!)

Oh and speaking of bonding, seems like Tim & Bryan developed a real closeness during their guys only trip :rotfl2:

Tim absolutely cracked me up with the "not together" comments, as well as the many "warm embraces" they shared later in the trip.

And then the hibachi chef making references to you and Diane, that was a riot.

Now that I've finally read the reports I missed, I feel complete :goodvibes
Happy you found our guys and girls reports and you enjoyed them, they were such fun, such great memories, hopefully it won't be the last ones. Tim cracked me up with those comments as well and yeah, that chef wouldn't leave us alone : )

I have these Croc shoes! I wanted blue, like Tim, but they were out. Got red and black (UGA colors....GO DAWGS) instead. Of course, I probably have like 15 pairs of Crocs, just for me, so it isn't that unusual...lol.
Too funny!
All caught up! Got behind with the wedding, honeymoon, then coming home to the reception. I like to read along but it is nice sometimes to have more than one updte to read cuz it is hard to wait sometimes! :) Great updates, as usual! :goodvibes
CONGRATS again, looks like your reception was fun. Happy you enjoyed the updates.

Your AK day was SO much fun!!!! I bet you guys so enjoyed having your friends from home to share it with!!!! I had to laugh though.....Tom has Tim's shirt and I have your shirt!!!! :) Ha ha ha!
It was such fun. That is funny about the shirts.

Yet another great update. Love the Bologna! Kids always do better when you make it fun. Sounds like such a great day with your friends, so glad the crowds were manageable and you got sooo much in before you had to leave. Score for you on finding the spray fan!
Yes, it was fun for the kids with the bologna safe word for sure : )
Oh…… I forgot to mention that on our way to the Safari we grabbed fast passes for kali River Rapids, it was now time to use those, so we headed that way:
103_6906640x480.jpg


I really look forward to your yearly TR's. We always go in August and I use yours to get really extra excited for our yearly trip.

With this picture, it took me a second to realize where in the park this was taken. I have never seen the park that empty. Lucky for you!!
Yes, park was so empty, it was great!
yay, just found your Tr and all caught up. Love reading your trip reports. Your family seems like so much fun!
Awesome!popcorn::
Welcome! I am glad you are enjoying it so far, another update coming tonight.
 
Found your trip report the other day and am trying to get caught up. Not much time lately but hope to be able to spend time on it this weekend. Just wanted to drop you a line and let you know I'm on board! I've read the first bits about staying at the Nickelodeon resort, sliming at the pool (so cool!) and getting supplies at WalMart. Loved that you surprised the kids at Nick! :banana:
 
What a fantastic day at AK with your friends! The "girls talk when we walk" comment cracked me up! :rotfl2: Oh, what children say!
 
Found your trip report the other day and am trying to get caught up. Not much time lately but hope to be able to spend time on it this weekend. Just wanted to drop you a line and let you know I'm on board! I've read the first bits about staying at the Nickelodeon resort, sliming at the pool (so cool!) and getting supplies at WalMart. Loved that you surprised the kids at Nick! :banana:
Well, I'm glad you found us, have fun catching up!

What a fantastic day at AK with your friends! The "girls talk when we walk" comment cracked me up! :rotfl2: Oh, what children say!
It was a good day, glad we could make you laugh : )
 
So we got onto the bus back to AKL soaking wet and exhausted. We got back to the room and dried off, showered and got ready to head to Epcot to meet up with Diane, Bryan , Matthew, and Eric, we were excited to see our friends again.
My pretty girl waiting for the elevator:
IMG_7486640x480.jpg

The kids had fun playing around as we waited for the bus (love it when my kids play together):
IMG_7491640x480.jpg

IMG_7492640x480.jpg

We got there pretty quickly, Luke wanted to “TRY” to hold the ball, not too successful but I was in too big of a hurry to see my friends to keep trying:
IMG_7494640x480.jpg

Next thing we knew we were meeting up with our friends, hugs were exchanged and things were right in the world : ) Luke was happy to see “his boys”:
IMG_7495640x480.jpg

They had already done and seen a lot and it was our first time in Epcot for the trip so after some discussion we decided to do Sum of All Thrills. Diane and Tim sat this one out:
IMG_7496640x480.jpg

I rode with Lauren, we went inside to get briefed:
IMG_7497640x480.jpg

Lauren wasn’t tall enough to do the EXTREME (upside down) simulator which was fine by me, they gave her a card for the less extreme experience.
IMG_7498640x480.jpg

Lauren got busy building our roller coaster:
IMG_7499640x480.jpg

IMG_7501640x480.jpg

Luke and Matthew were working hard on there more extreme ride:
IMG_7500640x480.jpg

Bryan and Eric were working on there less extreme ride too:
IMG_7502640x480.jpg

What’s great about this ride is you can see the person you are riding with in the helmet of your simulator the entire time you are riding and while you are waiting in line you can see the faces of the people riding on the monitors too. I snapped this of Luke and Matthew during their ride:
IMG_7504640x480.jpg

Lauren was excited to ride:
IMG_7507640x480.jpg

We had a good time.
After that we started walking towards the World Showcase. We spotted the Tron O Rail again:
IMG_7508640x480.jpg

Happy boys together:
IMG_7509640x480.jpg

We got to Germany about 45 minutes before our reservation time:
IMG_7510640x480.jpg

While Diane and the boys checked into Biergarten I spotted a sign that said characters (meaning Snow White – Lauren’s favorite) was there until 6:00, well it was around 5:45 at this point. I saw a Photopass photographer who told us that she would be out In 5 minutes, SCORE. So a HAPPY Lauren and I waited in line for Snow White:
IMG_7512640x480.jpg

Before we knew it around the corner she came (good thing too because our table was ready and they wouldn’t seat us until Lauren and I got over there so my dining party was being patient : )

IMG_7514640x480.jpg

Snow White was beautiful and very sweet, Lauren adored her:
IMG_7515640x480.jpg

IMG_7516640x480.jpg


CONTINUED IN NEXT POST!
 
Then we said our goodbyes to Snow White and hurried over to find the rest of our gang to be seated at Biergarten:
IMG_7517640x480.jpg

We were seated at a table just right for our party size, we were thrilled the band was playing:
IMG_7518640x480.jpg

The kids got to dancing:
IMG_7520640x480.jpg

The boys got to drinking:
IMG_7521640x480.jpg

It really was a pretty restaurant. We went up to the buffet and loaded our plates. Bryan and Tim (having been here in December) told us the band isn’t out the whole time and if the kids wanted to dance do it now, well you didn’t have to tell Lauren twice:
IMG_7522640x480.jpg

I don’t have her and I dancing on film, but I did dance with my daughter for a bit before Luke and Eric got up and joined us and I was able to fade away and take some pics:
IMG_7523640x480.jpg

IMG_7524640x480.jpg

Chicken dance time:
IMG_7527640x480.jpg

IMG_7528640x480.jpg

IMG_7530640x480.jpg

Get it boys!!!
IMG_7531640x480.jpg

The food was pretty good. I wasn’t impressed with the meats, I wish they had some Bratt’s and buns with some mustard, now that would have been good. They did have some killer warm and cold potato dishes though, most of my meal consisted of that, the desert was yummy too. But the main thing I loved about this meal was the laughter, dancing and good conversation shared with friends and family!
Here is a video I took of the kids dancing:

The music winded down, we finished our deserts, found our waiter who had abandoned our table for about a half an hour so we could pay the bill. The boys finished off their beers:
IMG_7536640x480.jpg

And we headed back out into the World Showcase.
My handsome boy in Germany:
IMG_7540640x480.jpg

After dinner Diane and family had fast passes to Test Track to use, so we told them we would stroll through World Showcase and meet them over there so we could ride the buses back together so the kids could swim together and the adults could share some adult beverages and conversation poolside.
So, we headed around World Showcase. Lauren found someone else to trade pins with:
IMG_7541640x480.jpg

Then they BOTH found someone to trade with:
IMG_7542640x480.jpg

Then we just had fun strolling through the shops and playing:
IMG_7543640x480.jpg

IMG_7544640x480.jpg

IMG_7545640x480.jpg

Steady Lauren, STEADY:
IMG_7546640x480.jpg

IMG_7547640x480.jpg

I always love Luke’s poses in Mexico, he just looks like a natural (maybe I should be worried for his Spring Breaks of the future in college):
IMG_7548640x480.jpg

CONTINUED IN NEXT POST!
 
We met up with Diane, Bryan, Matthew and Eric and we headed to the bus stop, I snapped this shot on the way out:
IMG_7551640x480.jpg

We rode the bus back to AKL, ran upstairs and the kids threw their suits on, I poured wine into my Disney mug (yeahhhhhhh, you read that right) and grabbed some snacks, Tim grabbed a few Bud Lights he had in the fridge and we headed down to the pool:
IMG_7552640x480.jpg

Diane and Bryan gave me a nice card and a very cute Mickey shirt for my birthday. We enjoyed adult conversation and the kids FINALLY enjoyed a nice long swim in the pool. I remembered that Night Vision Goggles were used in the savannah behind the pool and the kids and I really wanted to try it, so I suggested it to Diane and we all went over, it was SO cool!
IMG_7556640x480.jpg

IMG_7557640x480.jpg

At what other resort in the world can you go over to a Savannah in your swim suit and look through night vision goggles and see a giraffe, I just LOVE Animal Kingdom Lodge. I tried the goggles too, they were really cool, totally looks like day light.
Well, after the adult beverages were consumed, the pool slide closed down and the kids were ready for bed we said our goodbye’s and headed upstairs, another WONDERFUL Disney day chock full of good times with great friends, and we were happy knowing there was much more fun to be had!
NextEpisode62010640x480.jpg



NEXT INSTALLMENT HERE:http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=37346227#post37346227
 
loved you update!!
Sum of all thrills looks so cool--thanks for the descriptions, we are looking forward to try it out in 10 days!

meeting up with friends sounds like so much fun--glad the kids finally go to enjoy the pool:goodvibes
 
:woohoo:

And oh, Le Cellier, how I love thee. Let me count the ways.
Your pretzel bread, so salty and delish.
The warm and creamy cheddar cheese soup, my biggest wish.
And your filet, hands down best I've EVER had.......sorry Dad!
Your smores, and chocolate "moose"...I love them, though they've given me a big caboose!!!

I call it, "Ode to Le Cellier" :teeth:

Cute! And soooooo very true for me....:thumbsup2
 
Sum of all Thrills looks like a very fun ride, what a great addition to Innoventions.

The kids looks like they had a BLAST dancing at Biergarten!!! What a very fun evening with your friends, and I bet your kiddos were thrilled to finally be able to swim! :thumbsup2
 
The kids had fun playing around as we waited for the bus (love it when my kids play together)
Me too... I've been inspired by you to take more pictures of that happening, too! It just seems to happen more often in Disney World than anywhere else...:confused3

Next thing we knew we were meeting up with our friends, hugs were exchanged and things were right in the world
You all just look so natural together now!

Wow! That is a stunning Snow White! She's perfect!
 

PixFuture Display Ad Tag












Receive up to $1,000 in Onboard Credit and a Gift Basket!
That’s right — when you book your Disney Cruise with Dreams Unlimited Travel, you’ll receive incredible shipboard credits to spend during your vacation!
CLICK HERE














DIS Facebook DIS youtube DIS Instagram DIS Pinterest DIS Tiktok DIS Twitter

Back
Top