Touring the Tower of Terror and other Ghoulish Delights! Sept 13 TR | FINALx2 4/17!!!

[khertz]

We have ventured out of the Disney bubble a lot, pretty much every trip in recent years, but never to the outlets. DH keeps trying to convince me we should, but I just don't want to ever find the time for it. lol If we ever do, I hope not to end up at the sketchy one!

So fun that you were able to just pop into Epcot for dinner. That garlic cheese roll...WOW, that looks yum! And so do the oreo bon-bons, another Disney treat I have never enjoyed.

I love that, just when you needed the boost, that guy showed up to tell you how much he loves your video! I definitely understand his enthusiasm. You make fantastic videos!!

So cool that you were able to see IllumiNations from the pool.

 

[Jennifer48]

I've read you can come across great merch cheap at that outlet but I'm like you, don't like to venture off property!

 

[emmysmommy]

Dani, I'm still following along... trying to get caught up between life and work happening. Silly stuff like that.

Oh my gosh!! Ger's bread pudding at Raglan Road was my favorite dessert in all of WDW! Oh so good. I ate the top off the mug and then took the rest back to the resort. It was so awesome especially with the crème anglaise and the caramel sauce.

Oh DisneyQuest - I have mixed emotions regarding that one. We went back for a second time last trip and we tried some new activities like the Cyber space Mountain which was pretty fun. I need to try more things there to really have an opinion.

I love the BC themed tee shirts. I love the resort specific merch. It definitely affects my spending habits.

 

[mrs mouse10712]

Leaving the Disney bubble is not an option for me. The only exception I'll make is to go to WWoHP at Universal. That stinks that you guys got lost. But I'm glad you found a nice outlet and got some cool stuff. I totally understand why you were in a funk. I get so stressed out when I get lost while driving.

You have solidified my choice to stay at the Beach Club for my next trip. My husband and just bought into the DVC in December and I've been going back and forth about what resort to stay at when we go next February. 100% Beach Club.

Those bon bons look amazing! Adding those to my list

 

[evilqueenmindy]

Hi Dani! I'm new to your TR's, but am loving it. I have to completely agree with you about leaving the property for any reason. (And I only live 90 min from Disney) when we were there last in May, my mother broke her glasses and it necessitated a trip to Wal-Mart of all places, I was sitting there, waiting for the glasses, theme park backpack on the seat next to me, watching people buy laundry detergent or whatever else they are getting at Wal-Mart on a random Thursday. . .all the while just screaming in my head "This is not right. This is real world, I'm not supposed to BE HERE for three more days!!!" It was painful. NO LEAVING Disney bubble!

 

[Tiggerrn2]

Awesome updates!!! Loved all the photos!

The kids photos after their BBB experience are so cute! And Pumpkin Spice chocolates are my DD favorites. I make a special trip Downtown Chicago each year to get a bag filled with just that flavor for her stocking at Christmas.

I totally understand your feelings about going shopping outside the bubble. We went outlet hunting this summer for the first time! I was disappointed with them both. My DD did find a cute backpack for $12 (originally $25) but other than that-nothing. We went to both of the outlets as well. And I have to agree with you! I don't like leaving the Disney bubble. Everything looks so trashy outside the "Bubble". But I did like the Target that we stopped at when we first arrived and picked up our food for the week. They had the best selection of Disney shirts and beach towels and misc. stuff.

Ahhhh, Stormalong Bay!!!! Just love that pool! We stayed there with the boys' trip this summer specifically because my DS wanted to be sure his cousin received the full Disney experience (and that pool).
I bought the same T-shirt from Beach Club with Mickey relaxing in the lounger. I just love that Disney has brought back their resort specific items!

 

[__disneygirl]

I hate going off property. The only time I didn't mind it was going over to Jess's apartment, but generally, I want to be in that bubble the whole time. It's really hard to explain to people who don't know, but there's definitely a magic forcefield around Disney World and I really hope that Walt knows that, wherever he is, because I think he'd be absurdly proud of it.

I feel like you have the same kind of intimate, personal relationship with Oreo Bon Bons that I have with Zebra Domes.

 

[glaserjm]

Oh those off-site outlets can be super-sketch. There are so many "outlets" that are not Disney sponsored and just seem to have a mish-mash of tourist crap thrown in with some Disney stuff that seems a little "off" shall we say. Kind of like the creepy "Disney" characters on the strip in Vegas.

I think on this trip we've decided we are going to check out Theme Park Connections and see what that's all about.

Oreo bon-bons...so that's happening. I literally planned out a time to make it over to the Beach Club when we're there in March in order to purchase these once I saw the pics on the TR.

Disney funk happens...I know it feels silly to get in a bad mood at such a wonderful place, but it happens, ya know? The good news is that being there makes it much easier to snap out of your funk than say...sitting in traffic on your way home from work. Clearly it was serendipity that put the superfan in your sights to remind you of how awesome things really are.

Also, saw your tweets last night regarding Vegas and the desire for it to be Friday. Hope your day is going better today...I totally hear ya on the wanting this week to be over!

 

[danimaroo]

I am way super far behind for a bazillion reasons (one being my DLR trip for the Tink Half - yay!) but anyhoo...

BAILEY'S MILKSHAKE. LOBSTER SANDWICH. I kinda got stuck on those photos for a while. And then when I finally moved on OREO BON BONS.

Please don't ever stop with the food photos.

And I really wish that DLR would have a Basin White shop in GCH or something. WDW isn't on our radar for a few years, but DLR will continue to be. I could just pony up and buy online, but what fun is that?

YAY FOR THE TINK HALF! That's fabulous.

Hahaha, the food just doesn't stop in Disney World. But it kills me since I'm NOT there and I'm here eating boring chicken and brown rice. Lame.

DLR used to have a Basin in DTD, right? I feel like I read that somewhere but it closed down. LAME. Basin is the best and should be in DLR!

Ah Basin!! I desperately need more toner from there and am really hoping I make it to dtd next week!! Oh my gosh Brynn is such a perfect little princess!! Ah, all the kids look so cute!!

Hmm..I’m totally sitting here not remembering any rain that day! WEIRD! Unless it hit while we were in lunch at Epcot? Although I do remember MiSi being delayed because of rain…but I don’t remember rain…lol

Haha, definitely love to stick on property! But to me there really is something still magical and awesome about being off property in Florida, but I guess that comes with the desire to explore and see things and just move down there lol. Glad you at least found some stuff to buy to make the trip worth it!

Awwe!! So awesome that you were recognized by so many people about the video! Your videos are really really well done, and amazing. I can’t say enough about them! Heck, I watched them yesterday (when I didn’t move from my bed and spent all day on youtube, yup, one of those) They’re just such awesome videos that show that you don’t have to be a kid to enjoy Disney magic, that it’s for people of all ages and that’s really wonderful, it can help people my age who are all “disney’s for kids” see WHY I want to go so often! Lol.

I LOVE BEACH & YACHT CLUB AND I CANNOT GET OVER HOW AMAZING THEY BOTH ARE. All I want is to be back there with a swimsuit so I CAN SWIM lol, and how amazing that you could see fireworks form the pool, that is beyond amazing!

THOSE BON BONS LOOK DELICIOUS….yet another reason to go back to BC!! Lol. YAY!! MNSSHP!! I totally ran into you guys that night! SUPER PUMPED to read all about what you guys thought!

Next week?! Haha girl you are in Disney World more times than I can count! But you should get some then for sure!

Oh man that rain hit hard... it eventually stopped, but it did hit hard as soon as we got in the car.

Yeeeaaaahh, the next time I leave property is strictly to go to WWoHP and see that. But that's it. I won't be leaving for other reasons... at least for now. It'll probably change in the future if/when we have kids and potentially rent a car.. plus stay in a larger villa. But for now, NEVER AGAIN.

Aww, that makes me happy that you watched them again! I love having them because then I re-watch them and get all excited to go back again. But it's true, Disney isn't just for kids, and that's what I make those videos.. to show that.

Yeah, I love BC so much. The pool is hands down the best!

The Bon Bons are the best. I'm just glad they still have them because it was a sad day when they were taken away from Cape May... AND I KNOW! I'm so excited to get to MNSSHP day. It was such a fantastic day.

Oh my! All those great food items. And right now, my mouth is just watering for one of those coconut clusters. Oooh, I can almost taste it.....

I know! I am wishing I had some here right now. Next trip I might need to stock up on those.. they are my favorite!

Ha Ha, I beat my DW this time on the response. (clearly her job is more demanding, or I'm a bigger slacker, actually both)

Leaving the bubble, this is kind of a big thing for us. we try to save some dough by doing lunches and breakfast in our rooms so we have to make a Publix run when we first get there. We try hard to get everything that first time, but without fail we find we have to go out again. But, anytime we leave the bubble there is a perceptible change in attitude.

Some of those outlet stores can be quite sketchy, but my co-workers insist that I have to bring a souvenir back for them. Therefore they get the cheap knockoffs, they will never know the difference, and I'm not dropping too much coin on non family or friends. So it is kind of worth it for us to leave the bubble.

Have you guys gotten enough ornaments to start a dedicated Disney Christmas tree yet? That is our goal but we have not acquired enough yet, maybe next year, and we have to get a pickle soon!

I now have R.E.M's "night swimming" running through my head. There is no better way to take off some of the Disney soreness than a swim in the pool and a soak in the hot tub. We need to get to Beach Club just to swim in their pool, I love lazy rivers so much. Oh and I can put a hurt on the Cape May crab leg buffet, next time I go I'm going to have to record it for posterity sake.

I'm so glad you got that little boost to help you out of your funk. It's a shame to be in a bad mood at Disney. You did the same thing for me recently when I had the Disney withdrawals and wanted nothing to do with Disney or the boards after my last trip. Watching your video got me back out of it for sure. Now my problem is I'm obsessed again. You wouldn't believe how much your TR update just improved my day.

Oh and BTW if we ever see you guys at WDW while we are there I'm totally pulling the awkward rabid fan and running up to you guys to let you know how much I enjoy you TR's

Hahaha, props to you for getting here quicker... slacker.

See, I get the Publix run at the beginning of a trip, but then not leaving after that! In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Matt and I end up doing that in the future when/if we have kids and rent a car.

I totally get the knock-off stuff and think it's fine.. but this store was sketchy as heck! It had both Disney and non-Disney stuff and was just.. tiny. And yuck.

We have a TON of Disney ornaments but we like having a mix on our tree... but they are taking over, hahaha.

I love that song so much, it reminds me of summers at this summer camp I worked at. And I agree, swimming is the best. Clearly you need to stay at Beach Club for those two reasons alone.

I'm so happy my TR helped you get out of a Disney funk! I feel your pain, trust me I do.. but the video helping is awesome news and again, makes me happy!

Hahaha sounds good, make sure to say hi!!

Hehe, yup you definitely like Basin to have it cross over into two updates!!!

Aww how cute is Brynn??? Awww how cute are ALL OF THEM??!!

Are you sure the Small World Ear Hat ornament isn't a Halloween decoration on account it's SO FREAKIN' SCARY???

Yeah, there are a lot of sketchy looking places outside the bubble. Glad you found a nice outlet eventually.

Aww yeah, to be able to just pop into Epcot for even a few minutes is just an awesome bonus. Hopefully one day I will get to stay at one of the Epcot resorts and do just that. I actually spent quite a bit of time at or near the Epcot resorts last trip, so staying there would have really been helpful.

See that, the guy running up to you is just a perfect example of why Disney is so great. You can be in a huge funk and then BAM, something happens that completely changes it. Awesome!!

Ahhh I can't wait for the next day!!!!!!!

I DO! I clearly am in love with it!

Those kids... they're too adorable for words.

Hahaha, how do you feel about IASW Holiday in Disneyland? I mean, it's so darn beautiful! But it would potentially scare you, so.. I'm just curious how you'd handle that!

SKETCHY PLACES GALORE. Gross.

Yeah, it's awesome just walking into Epcot, hanging out, and then leaving. Having that luxury is why I love BC so much.

And I agree! It was really awesome and just made the time and effort I put into the videos SO worth it. He was just so happy, hahaha.

I can't wait to post all about the next day!! It's a good one.

I love that someone came up to you about your video! I often find that pick me ups like that happen right when we need them!

So wishing I could make an Oreo bon bon appear in front of me.... they look delicious!!!

I know, it was such a perfect moment and the guy was just SO nice and so excited! It was adorable.

OREO BON BON... APPEAR!

That didn't work... and I don't feel like waiting until September... wah.

i know you didn't eat there this trip, but what is with Chef d'france getting rid of remy!?!?! i heard that and was so sadden by this it was the only reason i wanted to eat there now im not so sure. Have you heard any word on whether he will come back? i hope so

I don't know, but it's a sad thing! I am wondering if Remy was just getting run down... or maybe he's off to Disneyland Paris?! Who knows, but I was sad they got rid of him. It was THE reason we loved it there so much!

Then, Matt saw it... there were little lizards hanging out on the roofs, actin' all Godzilla-like.

I could see a movie being made about it... Tiny Town: ATTACK OF THE LIZARDS.

I died when i saw this! i took me a minute to find the little dinos but when i did a totally can see the trailer. If the can do sharknado they can over sized lizards

Hahaha so true... they could totally film a little movie about them!

SENDIN MAD DAPS RIGHT BACK ATTCHYA, YO.

omg I am still so sorry we got THAT lost in Orlando. we seriously felt super awful. buuuut I see you mentioned something about Wizarding World....BWAHAHAHAHA. Maniacal laugh....MANIACAL LAUGH....

I cannot believe this past weekend was a year since your January trip when we hung out in MK, but I cannot wait to read about our NEXT day in MK!

PLUS SEATTLE HANGS. IN REAL LIFE. SOON.

WORD.

Hahaha it's okay. It was all SO confusing! Orlando is weird and Google Maps was not helpful at all! But yes, I will only leave for WWoHP!

THAT IS CRAZY! I can't believe it's been a year, WOWOWOWOW. And I know, our next day ruled.

YES FOR SEATTLE HANGS.

Love your Trip report so far!!

We just booked our Honeymoon at WDW after getting married at DL the week before You have me so excited for it all, and i have been making lists of food we need to try, curse all your delicous food pics!

Also i must stay at Beach Club! Thanks for that!!

I am hooked! Such a great report

Thank you so much! That sounds like an amazing wedding AND honeymoon! How perfect, seriously. The food photos are both awesome but not so awesome.. I realize when I write these, I get hungry, hahaha.

Beach Club is awesome and I can't recommend it enough!

Thank you again, and I hope you continue to enjoy my TR!!

 

[danimaroo]

I love your TRs so, so much. When we were at DTD a couple weeks ago I picked up a couple shampoo and a couple conditioner bars from Basin -- oh my GOSH. They're amazing! I'm still not convinced I'm using enough of the conditioner bar, though. It's pretty sad when you can't figure out if you're shampooing/conditioning your hair correctly.

Also...and I am ashamed to admit this...I've never had an Oreo bon bon (or school bread, but I've already been shamed about that!). They look AMAZING. Next time you eat one, enjoy it for me, too!

I'm always torn as far as leaving the Disney bubble. I never do because I'm worried that the vacation magic wouldn't be the same, so I'm glad someone feels the same way! But then again, I always want to go over to Universal to go to Hogwarts! I keep those vacations separate, though, since I always want to go over to MK when I'm at Universal so it's easier just to make two long trips because, hey, why deprive myself of a vacation?!

In closing, I love your Mexican Duffy pin. SO CUTE!

Dawww thanks lady! I'm so happy you got the bars at Basin.. I AM OBSESSED. But I know exactly what you mean about the conditioner bar. The key for me is REALLY getting it all up in my hair, and then letting it sit in my hair for a few minutes before I rinse it out. That's when my hair is happiest!

It's okay, the Oreo Bon Bons are kind of hard to get nowadays anyway... unless you're staying there. But they are worth the trip! I'll enjoy it for you, don't you worry about that.

That only reason we'll leave is to go to WWoHP. But I have no idea when that'll be, because a one-day ticket into Universal for two parks is going to be crazy expensive. BOOOOO.

I also love Mexican Duffy.

We have ventured out of the Disney bubble a lot, pretty much every trip in recent years, but never to the outlets. DH keeps trying to convince me we should, but I just don't want to ever find the time for it. lol If we ever do, I hope not to end up at the sketchy one!

So fun that you were able to just pop into Epcot for dinner. That garlic cheese roll...WOW, that looks yum! And so do the oreo bon-bons, another Disney treat I have never enjoyed.

I love that, just when you needed the boost, that guy showed up to tell you how much he loves your video! I definitely understand his enthusiasm. You make fantastic videos!!

So cool that you were able to see IllumiNations from the pool.

If you can find the outlets, you can find some gems there! I was just not in a good mood by the time we got there, hahaha. Just don't go to the tiny sketchy one. Oh my gosh it was terrible!

That Garlic Cheese roll is TO DIE FOR. I want to go eat one right now.

The dude had the BEST timing for spotting us and saying that. It meant the world to me! And thank you so much. I'm trying to get better with each one, I hope our next one is good!

Yeah, that was a perfect little moment in the pool and I was so happy. I had no idea you could see them from there!

I've read you can come across great merch cheap at that outlet but I'm like you, don't like to venture off property!

You definitely can, but after that incident, I don't think I'll be going to the outlets again!

Dani, I'm still following along... trying to get caught up between life and work happening. Silly stuff like that.

Oh my gosh!! Ger's bread pudding at Raglan Road was my favorite dessert in all of WDW! Oh so good. I ate the top off the mug and then took the rest back to the resort. It was so awesome especially with the crème anglaise and the caramel sauce.

Oh DisneyQuest - I have mixed emotions regarding that one. We went back for a second time last trip and we tried some new activities like the Cyber space Mountain which was pretty fun. I need to try more things there to really have an opinion.

I love the BC themed tee shirts. I love the resort specific merch. It definitely affects my spending habits.

Brenda, I TOTALLY understand! I finally had some free time today to catch up on TRs (including yours), but I swear, time just flies by! It's so crazy.

YES! I'm so glad you understand the amazingness of the Bread Pudding!!! It's the BEST!! That was smart to bring the rest back, I am so doing that next trip! And yeah, those sauces just make the pudding the best.

DisneyQuest is an interesting place to visit, that's for sure. I agree, I probably need more time there to form an opinion.

I LOVE the resort specific merch, too. I'm a total sucker for it all.

Leaving the Disney bubble is not an option for me. The only exception I'll make is to go to WWoHP at Universal. That stinks that you guys got lost. But I'm glad you found a nice outlet and got some cool stuff. I totally understand why you were in a funk. I get so stressed out when I get lost while driving.

You have solidified my choice to stay at the Beach Club for my next trip. My husband and just bought into the DVC in December and I've been going back and forth about what resort to stay at when we go next February. 100% Beach Club.

Those bon bons look amazing! Adding those to my list

Yup, totally with you on leaving for JUST WWoHP. That'll be the one thing I leave for in the next few years. It wasn't the best afternoon, but we got out of our funk pretty quickly and that guy SO helped!

YAY! I'm glad you are going to stay at Beach Club. We love it SO much. It's so hard to stay anywhere else now... we always find ourselves just wanting to be back at Beach Club, our home.

Also, congratulations on becoming DVC members! You joined at a great time; have you seen all of the awesome perks they just announced?! Where is your home resort?

And see? This is why you need to stay there. You can eat the Bon Bons!

Hi Dani! I'm new to your TR's, but am loving it. I have to completely agree with you about leaving the property for any reason. (And I only live 90 min from Disney) when we were there last in May, my mother broke her glasses and it necessitated a trip to Wal-Mart of all places, I was sitting there, waiting for the glasses, theme park backpack on the seat next to me, watching people buy laundry detergent or whatever else they are getting at Wal-Mart on a random Thursday. . .all the while just screaming in my head "This is not right. This is real world, I'm not supposed to BE HERE for three more days!!!" It was painful. NO LEAVING Disney bubble!

Hi there!! I'm so glad you've decided to join my TR!!

I'm glad you understand, and I feel like I would have been like "THIS FEELS WRONG!" When you're in that bubble, it's just so hard to leave. You get slapped in the face by reality and it just doesn't feel right!

Thank you for commenting and I'm glad you're following along!

Awesome updates!!! Loved all the photos!

The kids photos after their BBB experience are so cute! And Pumpkin Spice chocolates are my DD favorites. I make a special trip Downtown Chicago each year to get a bag filled with just that flavor for her stocking at Christmas.

I totally understand your feelings about going shopping outside the bubble. We went outlet hunting this summer for the first time! I was disappointed with them both. My DD did find a cute backpack for $12 (originally $25) but other than that-nothing. We went to both of the outlets as well. And I have to agree with you! I don't like leaving the Disney bubble. Everything looks so trashy outside the "Bubble". But I did like the Target that we stopped at when we first arrived and picked up our food for the week. They had the best selection of Disney shirts and beach towels and misc. stuff.

Ahhhh, Stormalong Bay!!!! Just love that pool! We stayed there with the boys' trip this summer specifically because my DS wanted to be sure his cousin received the full Disney experience (and that pool).
I bought the same T-shirt from Beach Club with Mickey relaxing in the lounger. I just love that Disney has brought back their resort specific items!

Thank you! I thought the kids were too cute.

Those PS chocolates are dangerously good! I get why your DD loves them!

Yeah, that whole leaving property thing was just not a good idea... and I mean, I bought a couple things, but nothing that made it worth getting lost. It just felt weird. But I would love Target I'm sure! I feel like stopping on the way to Disney is okay, but then after that, nope! I'm not leaving, haha.

SAB IS THE BEST. I think your DS knows what he's talking about, haha. I love that t-shirt! It's just so perfect for representing Beach Club!

I hate going off property. The only time I didn't mind it was going over to Jess's apartment, but generally, I want to be in that bubble the whole time. It's really hard to explain to people who don't know, but there's definitely a magic forcefield around Disney World and I really hope that Walt knows that, wherever he is, because I think he'd be absurdly proud of it.

I feel like you have the same kind of intimate, personal relationship with Oreo Bon Bons that I have with Zebra Domes.

I'm so with you. People just don't understand. It's part of the reason Disneyland threw me off during our firs trip, since you leave to go across the street and off-property... and there's just all sorts of reality. I think Walt would love the Disney World bubble so much, it's what he always wanted... People losing themselves in the magic.

Hahaha it's so true! I need to try Zebra Domes, ugh. NEED.

Oh those off-site outlets can be super-sketch. There are so many "outlets" that are not Disney sponsored and just seem to have a mish-mash of tourist crap thrown in with some Disney stuff that seems a little "off" shall we say. Kind of like the creepy "Disney" characters on the strip in Vegas.

I think on this trip we've decided we are going to check out Theme Park Connections and see what that's all about.

Oreo bon-bons...so that's happening. I literally planned out a time to make it over to the Beach Club when we're there in March in order to purchase these once I saw the pics on the TR.

Disney funk happens...I know it feels silly to get in a bad mood at such a wonderful place, but it happens, ya know? The good news is that being there makes it much easier to snap out of your funk than say...sitting in traffic on your way home from work. Clearly it was serendipity that put the superfan in your sights to remind you of how awesome things really are.

Also, saw your tweets last night regarding Vegas and the desire for it to be Friday. Hope your day is going better today...I totally hear ya on the wanting this week to be over!

Yeah, we definitely went to one that had some Disney stuff, and then random Warner Bros. stuff! It was yucky. Those creepy characters in Vegas and in Times Square are the WORST.

Theme Park Connections I've so wanted to check out! Let me know if you find anything good!!

Oreo Bon Bons are WORTH IT. I swear they're the best. But be aware they do sometimes sell out of them during the evening!

Yeah, that afternoon just put me in a crabby mood but that guy totally took me out of my funk. He was awesome and has no idea how much his words meant to me!

Oh my gosh, Vegas was brutal. We were BEYOND over-scheduled and it was the most exhausting trip I've ever been on. Being around people for 14 hours a day without breaks just isn't my thing. But fortunately we got back last Friday, so we've finally eased ourselves back into every day normal work and snuggling our dogs. I'm just happy to be home and definitely don't want to go back to Vegas for a long time.

THANK GOD tomorrow is Friday though, this week has dragged by!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Hahaha, how do you feel about IASW Holiday in Disneyland? I mean, it's so darn beautiful! But it would potentially scare you, so.. I'm just curious how you'd handle that!

You know, for some reason I think I'd love it!!! All the Christmas songs and the little Disney character adds. Yeah, I think I'd be good on there.

Also, I'm trying to figure out your ticker but the whole "days" countdown is confusing me. What are the actual dates? It seems a lot of people are planning September trips, so I'm actually considering one myself, so I'm trying to keep track of all the dates.

 

[danimaroo]

Chapter 34: Happy Anniversary, for real!
Day Seven: September 17th, 2013

This morning, we decided to just let ourselves sleep in a little bit because unfortunately, Matt was starting not to feel well. He had a stuffy nose and what seemed to be the start of a head cold. Wompwomp.

We decided to get up at around 8:30, and he still wasn't feeling very good. I think every trip someone manages to get some type of cold because of how much running around we do. We have vowed that next year we are probably going to have a MUUUUUCH more laidback trip than we did this time, just for this very reason.

BUT! We were both still in good spirits because today was a very special day... It was our three year wedding anniversary!!! And now, you get to enjoy story time and what I would consider a super fast overview of our relationship:

Matt and I have been together for 10 years. When I was 18 and just graduated from high school, and Matt was about to start his senior year of college (summer of 2003), we met during that summer and have been together ever since.

Fun fact about us: For a year and a half of our relationship (and about a year after we met), after Matt graduated from college and I transferred schools between freshman and sophomore year, we did long distance.

Matt lived in Seattle, and I lived in Boston while going to school. It was tough, but we saw each other every 3 months. Back then, Skype/Facetime didn't exist (I sound like an old-timer here), so we only had phones to talk. But we made it a-okay, and I eventually moved out to Seattle in 2005!

We probably would have gotten married sooner in our relationship, except that I was still finishing up college (and getting fantastic financial aid because I was over 24 and financially independent of my parents), so we waited until I finished so I could continue getting said awesome financial aid.

He proposed on February 29th, 2008, on Alki Beach here in Seattle. It was a perfect proposal and the best part was... he totally caught me by surprise. I'm the QUEEN of figuring out surprises ahead of time, so for him to get me like this, (and he got me GOOD), let's just say I was sobbing, hahaha.

We got married on September 17th, 2010, on Alki Beach, and the wedding was amazing. It did rain, forcing our wedding to be inside, but as they say, rain on wedding day is a sign of a good marriage (or so of heard, and so far, so good!). We had Wall-E and Eve wedding cupcake toppers:

Everyone in our wedding party wore Chucks/Converse sneakers... and Matt's Mom surprised us with custom-painted Where the Wild Things Are Chucks to wear during our ceremony:

And this is probably one of my favorite photos of the wedding, when Matt saw me for the first time that day:

If you feel like actually reading more about our wedding and some of the bumps I ran into during the planning process, our wedding was actually featured on one of my favorite Wedding Blogs, A Practical Wedding. This is a link to my/our story: http://apracticalwedding.com/2011/02/wedding-graduates-danielle-matt/

Sooo yeah, that's a very quick rundown of our relationship, but needless to say, we are still very happy together (if you couldn't tell, haha).

SO BACK TO THE TR...

We got ourselves going, albeit extremely slowly, and I decided to have the healthiest breakfast ever...

Oreo Bon Bon and Napoleon?! Yes please!

We then exchanged anniversary cards. We decided not to do gifts this year since going to Disney is a big gift in itself, but we definitely still wanted to exchange cards!

We both got each other 2 cards, and Matt had me open his second card... aaaand I cried.

The card was perfect. I have no idea how he'll beat that one in the future, but it made me cry and it was beautiful and yeah... Lots of happy tears!

We decided that a morning in Animal Kingdom sounded like a good time, so we finally got ourselves out the door at around 9:45. On our way down to the bus stop, we decided to stop by and say hi to our BFF Turtle Friends!

There were SOOOO many of them! I always loved visiting them during our trip. Turtles are kind of my favorite thing ever.

So while we're standing there just talking to our turtle friends, because we do indeed talk to animals, a woman stops us and says, "So um, not to be creepy but.... I WATCHED YOUR VIDEO! Matt and Dani!!"

Hahaha, we started cracking up! She then went on to tell us how she and her kids and husband all watched our videos numerous times to get excited for their trip to Disney World, how she loved the first song, etc. It MADE MY DAY! I mean, it's not some professional video I'm putting together over here, but knowing that some people watched it to get excited for their Disney trip just... it just makes my day because I love making people smile and be happy. So this lady just totally made me really happy and I almost cried again. I'm such a sucker for that kind of stuff.

Anyway, we said goodbye since she was unloading bags or something from her car, and waved goodbye to our little turtle friends, as well, then headed over for the bus stop. Unfortunately we missed the AK bus, but we figured one would come around soon.

But then we realized that we'd apparently missed the announcement that EVERYONE who was staying at Beach Club should go to Animal Kingdom right then and there.

Seriously, there was a HUGE crowd of people waiting for the AK bus, which just wasn't showing up.

Meanwhile, THREE Magic Kingdom buses showed up... and on number three, we figured this was a sign that we should go to Magic Kingdom instead of Animal Kingdom. So what did we do? Ran over to the Magic Kingdom stop and got on the bus!

There is something so liberating about throwing your plans out the door and having the freedom to just choose to go to whatever park you want to. I was a big fan of doing this, as it reminded me more of our honeymoon where we just rolled out of bed with no plans and went wherever the heck we wanted. There will be more of this during our next trip for sure!

We got to Magic Kingdom and the clouds were so pretty that day!

Has anyone else noticed that the clouds down in Disney World are always so perfect? Maybe it's just me.

On our way into the park, we decided to hunt down Matt's family stone again..

It was actually pretty difficult to find because it was hard to read, but we found it!

On our way in, I took a photo of the MNSSHP sign because I was super duper excited... We were going THIS NIGHT and I'd been looking forward to it for so long!

Getting into the park was pretty easy since it was quiet there, but it was pretty hot out.

One thing I love about Magic Kingdom on nights where there is a Halloween party... the park is almost always dead during the morning/afternoon. Everyone thinks to go to other parks since MK closes early for the party, which means it's actually a fabulous day to go to Magic Kingdom. But shh, don't spread that secret too much, haha.

We stopped out front and decided to get some PhotoPass photos taken because we hadn't done any in that area yet... plus I wanted to take my own photos since it was so gorgeous out.

After thanking the PhotoPass photographer, we headed in through the left side to go see if we could get more Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom cards at the Firehouse. Unfortunately the line was super long, so we left and headed over to...

Continued in next post​

 

[danimaroo]

Chapter 35: A Genie, a Crab, and a Candlestick walk into a bar...
Day Seven: September 17th, 2013

SURPRISE!! Starbucks!

But of course, I had to first stop and take a whole ton of photos because I can't walk two steps down Main Street without stopping for photos. It's impossible.

We both decided we needed a little coffee to wake us up and ordered some iced vanilla lattes. While we were waiting for our drinks to come up on the bar, I could hear Move it! Shake it! going by.

Okay so, I'd never really stood around to catch this parade ever in the past, but since we were waiting around for drinks, I went outside to take some photos and video.

This is one of the most RANDOM parades ever with the most random assortment of characters. I mean, you have Genie, Sebastian, and Lumiere all shakin' it like it ain't no thang... Again, a genie, a crab, and a candlestick all in the same parade.

...

what.

But that's the glorious thing about Disney... they can pull it off and make you dance your face off no problem.

That being said, I totally danced a bit once Matt had his drink and we started heading down Main Street towards New Fantasyland. That music just starts making you dance.

Things were roped off around the castle, so we decided to head towards a different path that I'd NEVER walked on ever before to Fantasyland.

It was so weird that I'd never been this way before... just to the right of the castle, where you come out by some bathrooms, the Tea Cups, and the Cheshire Cafe. Don't ask how we've never been down this way, but this was totally new for me!

Aaaand look at those crowds. No one was around I guess, yay for no people.

We continued on towards New Fantasyland, stopping to take a little peek on Snow White's Mine Cart Coaster progress.. So crazy that they'd laid all of the tracks down!

Like pretty much everyone else here, I'm VERY excited for that to be done. It's going to look amazing once it is complete! And it's insane to me that it should be done by our next trip. WHAT.

Matt and I had promised ourselves that during this trip, we would go and get a cinnamon roll at Gaston's Tavern, so that's exactly where we were headed.

There wasn't anyone really in there, so we got our cinnamon roll pretty quickly.. and I was shocked at how ginormously huge that thing is.

We'd never sat down in Gaston's Tavern before (it was always insanely busy during our January trip since it'd just opened), so I was actually pretty excited to see all of the details inside... Disney does such an awesome job with this stuff!

The cinnamon roll was REALLY good. It wasn't dry, and I LOVED the maple flavor on it. Matt agreed that it was pretty tasty, as well.

We enjoyed our roll and chatted about all sorts of random stuff... and then since there was no one around, I made Matt go sit in Gaston's chair... it seemed to fit him pretty perfectly, no?! I mean, Matt IS 6'5" afterall.

We'll just pack up that chair and bring it on home. Cool? Cool.

After we finished, we headed out of New Fantasyland... and yeah, I just realized I never mentioned how the crane was out. We are never able to avoid the crane when we were in Disney World, hahaha.

January and September, that's just how it seems to go.

We were heading over to go on the Haunted Mansion, and of course this meant walking through the Tangled area... like I said, I'm obsessed.

The wait for Haunted Mansion was 15 minutes, but AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT (we were so spoiled on this trip, #firstworlddisneyproblems)... so I busted out My Disney Experience on my phone and scheduled us a FastPass+ reservation right then and there!

As we got through the queue to the second area where you scan your bands, the scanner made a fun little spooky noise when we scanned our bands. I really liked that touch!

This was definitely one of those times I was appreciating having the MagicBands and the ability to make us reservations right then and there for a FP. I REALLY hope Disney considers having some FP+ reservations set aside for last minute reservations.

Matt and I are not the type who like to plan out every moment of every day of our trip months in advance, which is why we've been feeling a bit down about the MagicBands/FP+ system.

I'm still on the fence about them, mainly because I want to know what they're going to do once they're all rolled out and regular FP machines are gone... but of course they were pretty great to have this trip because we still had access to the normal FP system.

Next, I see the Country Bear Jamboree for the first time ever, we continue a magical morning in Magic Kingdom, and eat at one of my favorite places!

Continued in next post​

 

[danimaroo]

You know, for some reason I think I'd love it!!! All the Christmas songs and the little Disney character adds. Yeah, I think I'd be good on there.

Also, I'm trying to figure out your ticker but the whole "days" countdown is confusing me. What are the actual dates? It seems a lot of people are planning September trips, so I'm actually considering one myself, so I'm trying to keep track of all the dates.

I think you'd love it, too. It's too amazing not to love it, trust me on that!

Haha, I had to go with that ticker because I have 3 Disney trips planned, and the other tickers take up too much space in my signature! Anyway, it looks like we'll be there the 10th-21st! Sticking with pretty similar dates to last year. We thought about going a week earlier but realized it would be way too stressful with work (I'm very busy at the beginning of the month). If you're there we will definitely have to meet and say hi and get a photo!!

 

[epsmith921]

Just wanted to say thanks for the updates today!! It's a Friday and a week I can't wait to be done with, so this was a wonderful pick me up!

Love changing plans last minute!! And you're right, MNSSHP days are the days to hit MK. Lots of people don't park hop so they skip MK entirely that day.

Hope you had a wonderful anniversary and many more!!

Ps - the 17th was our arrival day so I'm reading your play by play and reminiscing about what I was doing at the same time - way too much fun for me! So thanks for that as well!

 

[keys1388]

oh my goodness! Brad and I get each other two cards! a funny one and a sentimental one! And I feel like I got him the card Matt got you, or vice versa! Is it bad that I can't exactly remember? Haha! Those cupcake toppers are too too cute!

The weather looked so beautiful that day in the Magic Kingdom! And going back to your previous post, the first time I went to WDW, which wasn't until 2002, I remember thinking how WEIRD it was that were nothing around for miles once you crossed under the WDW sign! I was so used to DIsneyland, and staying at my cousin's house two miles down the road!

 

[APears]

Your post about your wedding is SO beautiful and inspiring! You two are clearly meant to be, which makes reading your TR so much fun!

 

[maddiebee]

So, I'm really bad at following TRs, in the sense that I can't keep up and never end up seeing the Op's responses. I just went back and read them all! Where in the South Shore are you from? I grew up in the seacoast of Maine/NH but have lived in Boston for the past 8 years. I have a lot of south shore friends! Also, my best friend just moved to Seattle and is loving it!

I alway seem to be reading your updates when Im starving too. UGH THOSE BON BONS. I cant tolerate gluten and while I love Disney because they offer me so many options, I just want one of those monster cinnamon rolls!

I love that you were able to schedule a FP+ for HM right away like that. Thats one of our favs too and I hope that kind of thing will still be an option on our next trip!

Oh AND, your wedding photos!!!! You two are just so sweet together. You seem like a really happy pair and I love that.

 

[blklotus]

Um, I for sure just teared up reading your wedding story. </nerd>

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Dani, that is so beautiful that you got married in the same location as the proposal. Like... movie beautiful. No wonder you're one of my fav couples. Without a doubt clearly soul mates.

Also, rain on your wedding day is evidently ironic according to Alanis Morisette. Also ironic is that is in no way at all ironic.

Disney healthy breakfasts rule. I approve!!

That just totally cracks me up that you just changed your plans like that. AND I LOVE IT!!!!!

Haha, yeah I may have already let that cat out of the bag regarding MNSSHP days. But it is STILL the absolute best time to go to MK. Just glorious!

OMG Dani, Move It Shake It is an obsession, pure and simple. I seriosuly can't get enough of it. The rhythm is gonna get ya. Just sayin'

Aww Dani, that Rapunzel Tower photo looks like a postcard. So pretty.

Haha, wonder no more because FP+ is all rolled out and FP machines are gone, history, kaput. I'm still hoping for some tweaking; Mostly more than 1 park per day. This one park per day thing is just too hard for a hopper like me.