Way Out Here, Eh? - A June 2019 TR *PTR Link Posted

[amazingact21]

Lovely lazy relaxed start to your day (though I can feel Alex's eagerness to get to a park from here ). Pity the food isn't a bit better at Shades but it certainly sounds like it's a reasonable price for the room size and quality and the location is hard to beat! The pool looks fun too

We're hard pressed to stay elsewhere besides Shades because it's just so much more affordable and larger than the Disney resorts. And if they fixed the food issue they would without a doubt be our top choice every trip.
I think by the time we finally make it back we'll actually graduate from the kiddie pool section, too! That'll be a nice change of pace.

Glad you had another relaxing day, though I'm with Alex, and know that if i could be at a park- that's where I would be!
Evie looked so cute in her ears- I can't wait to see her pic= one day!

The first thing I am going to do when I make it back to Disney is buy Evie some ears! I can't believe she's still hanging on to that mistake.

 

[amazingact21]

You've got that right. When we stayed there we just ate at the place by the pool and it was not good. We stayed away from any place else the rest of the trip - except for some coffee - as they definitely need to up their food game.

I've tried so many different locations and meals at Shades and they are all glaringly mediocre. It's disappointing. I remember choosing to grab snacks from the Aafes shop rather than waste money at the cafe. Hopefully, since they've refurbed the pools and rooms the next order of business will be their menus.

What we wouldn't give for a monorail ride now. Thought I'd never be nostalgic for its elephant house at the zoo smell but I sure am.

A sign of the times. Disney desperation has hit.

Oh no, being sick on vacation is the worst. At least it was already slated to be a non-park day, and it sounds like you felt better quickly.

I swear I only ever get sick at Disney. I like to think of myself as a relatively healthy person, but throw me into the parks with heat and crowds and junk food, and I'm sure to mess my system up somehow.

 

[amazingact21]

I'd probably be with Alex and be itching to get into a park! I've become better at relaxing at the pool during my afternoon breaks, I still want plenty of park time!

I'm glad Alex was able to spend some time at the CR, but what a bummer about your long wait for lunch. Your salad, though simple, looks quite refreshing and tasty!

Landon looks super excited about his new venture into pin trading and Evie looks lovely in those Minnie ears. She'll be so excited to pick out a pair of ears on your next Disney trip!

It's been fun seeing how everyone falls on the "park or pool time" decision. I seem to be in the minority with the pool, but that doesn't surprise me. I'm just a wimp when it comes to the go, go, go approach.
Landon's excited to eventually go back to Disney and collect more pins. An activity where he can talk to people and get cool souvenirs? Right up his alley!

 

[amazingact21]

June 12th, 2019 Part 2:


Much to Alex’s great relief, we were not to spend another evening hanging out at the resort. Rather than the mundane sight of a pool or the thud of adjacent room doors closing, we were beholding the glorious train station and listening to Mary Poppins tunes float in the air.



The Magic Kingdom. Does stepping foot inside the park ever get old? Surely not.
Especially not when you’re accompanied by a girl who was allowed to wear her special dress for the evening:




Ninety degrees with one hundred percent humidity wasn’t going to deter Evie! Fling that polyester dress on and ignore the sweat! It was princess time!

Guys, do you know how ridiculous I felt packing that costume? We lived out of three suitcases for over 8 weeks. At the time of packing, it came down to bare essentials. What would we need in Germany, what would we need in Florida, and what would we need in England….

And I lost the dress battle.

My sweet little daughter put up an amazing argument and somehow convinced me to shove that sparkly, poofy, ridiculous Cinderella dress in the front compartment of their suitcase.

I’ll never be able to get rid of or donate that suitcase now. The glitter caused too much damage.



In all seriousness, though, Alex and I were happy to see Evie show an interest in the parks. Who were we to stop her from living out her best Disney life? If Evie wanted to traipse around in that contraption, far be it from us to stand in her way.


The park was very crowded that evening, so Alex and I directed the kids to someplace that could chew up a lot of people. The kids got to watch Philarmagic for the first time! Both loved the show and laughed out loud when I turned them around to see Donald in the back.
But I mean, what child can resist the humor in duck butts???

In the dump shop after the show, Evie located the wall of Minnie ears and proceeded to try out all of them.




All right, it might not have been every single one but it sure felt like it. I asked her if there was one she liked above all the rest, and of course there wasn’t. She loved them all. Evie is the most indecisive person I know. Asking her to pick a toy in a store or a danish from a bakery or a pencil to write with is an impossible task. She gets overwhelmed with options.

Faced with so many pinks and purples and sparkles, Evie could not make a decision.

While Landon begged us for a pair of – what else – Toy Story ears:



Evie sunk into a panic meltdown. Alex tried narrowing her options down, but then Evie started to feel bad for the rejected ears.

“But those are still cute!”

“Of course they are, but they’re not the ones you want today. Now, what about the rainbow or the blue? Which is better?”

“THEY’RE BOTH PERFECT!!!!”


It was clear Evie was in way over her head, and I made the call to step away from all of them and take some time to think about the options.

Well, actually I had to use our typical method with Evie when she gets like this:
“Evie, if you don’t make a decision by the count of ten we’re leaving without anything.”


Usually, that does the trick and she grabs something, but this time that had the opposite effect and she began crying. Alex and I realized we needed to remove the poor conflicted shopper from her predicament and give her a break.

We left without buying anything (which meant in addition to Evie’s frustrated tears we also had a six year old howling with indignation…”It’s not FAIR, I made a choice!”)

Perhaps some greasy cheesy grub would distract our princess…


Alex and I don’t enjoy the fare at Pinocchio’s Village Haus whatsoever, but a certain bespeckled boy of ours remembered the viewpoint to Small World and had been begging us all week to visit. Landon really wanted to wave to the guests on the boats, and since we had just crushed his Slinky ears dream I felt it was time to fulfill his wish.


The restaurant was completely full that evening, and we had to camp out in the seating area until a family left but eventually we got the boy his vantage point.




Nothing says we’re on a Disney trip like waving to patrons as they sailed away on the happiest cruise that ever sailed. Or so Landon believes…It’s funny, because of the current situation I have been going back to old reports and fixing photo sharing issues and therefore have been reading about Landon’s trips as a baby. Back then I was so adamant about starting Disney traditions and planting the love of the parks in his mind early on.

Remembering last summer when I sat at the table at Pinocchio’s for close to forty five minutes, eating a terrible vegetable flatbread and listening to Landon say over and over again: “Bye, have a great time on Small World!”
…I regretted my enthusiasm just a tad.


After the kids had their fill of being hospitable, Alex and I dragged them over to Winnie the Pooh to use a set of passes I’d managed to get.







We stepped in line and when we were about three people back from getting loaded into a honeypot, Evie shouted “I HAVE TO GO POTTY!”

Noooooo.

Anyone who has ever spent any time at all with a three year old know there’s not a lot of wiggle room when a bathroom proclamation is made. They don’t give a “if we could find a bathroom within the next half hour that’d be great” warning. Oh no. It’s a “code red, I have to go NOW” statement.

By the time the words clicked in Alex and I’s heads and realization hit, we were up. I had to make a split second decision and told Evie, “You have to hold it until we’re off the ride.”


I won’t leave you hanging and will say the story ended well. Evie managed to wait until we exited the ride, I picked her up, and sprinted to the nearest restroom. Then fought for precious seconds with the now soaked (from sweat) and slippery dress to yank it over her head. Pretty sure I can still taste the knock-off tulle and glitter that became trapped in my mouth as I fought for space in the minuscule stall.

Not one of my finer moments, you guys. Not one at all.
But the attraction was ridden and the dress was saved. All well that ends well, right?

The absolute last thing I wanted to do by that point was slip that contraption BACK on my darling daughter, but I realized we hadn’t taken her on her favorite attraction yet that evening. One we promised to make it on when we first entered Fantasyland. And being the good parent that I supposedly am, I knew Evie would be disappointed if she wasn’t wearing her dress for it.


After all…


What princess goes on Prince Charming’s Regal Carousel without her dress?!







Say what I will about what a pain the outfit was, Evie had a blast and at the end of the day that’s all that matters. Her smile stretched from ear to ear, and she was beaming brighter than the luminescent lights on the carousel. Evie has precious few things she likes at Disney, so Alex and I have come to embrace the ones she does and cherish the moments when we can.

(I really shouldn’t be surprised that this is one of her favorites. Before the lockdown, she had been taking horseback riding lessons for about 5 months and loved it. Evie’s all about horses. Toys, clothes, books, anything and everything she can get her hands on. Usually shy, you ask her about riding, and she takes off with words like trot, reins, and mane.)



When the horses slowed we escorted our gal off her ride. This was where the night took a turn and we should’ve left the park.
Alex pulled up the wait times and realized everything else had laughably high waits. We weren’t sure what to do next and so we landed on another viewing of Philarmagic.

Because obviously we learned nothing from the first dump into the gift shop…


Rather than fight the Minnie ears again, we offered to teach the kids how to pin trade. Landon suffered from the classic pin trader delima of not wanting to relinquish any of his current pins. Poor guy. He has realized he’s a pin collector not a pin trader.

We finally convinced both of them to complete a trade just this once, so they became familiar with the process and could say they’d done it. And fortunately, there was an amazing Cast Member willing to work with them. She was patient and friendly and guided them through how to ask to see her lanyard.

Honestly, I don’t know if the kids remember the actual act of trading so much as they recall the nice lady who helped them get a pin they liked. She was so great with the two of them that by the end Evie and her shared a hug. The girl got up and told me, “Your kids just made my night.”

To which I had to reply, “No, YOU made their night.” I thanked her and let her know she made their first pin trade extra special and told her she was a great Cast Member.

I love having exceptional Cast interaction. Those men and women who go a step beyond what they have to are what make little moments memorable. I can remember most of my special encounters with CMs around the parks, and they are a large factor into what makes WDW unique. I think I’ll always return to the parks so long as I am able to have opportunities to meet the people behind the magic.


And while Landon was sorry to part with a pin, he enjoyed his new addition and admired it the rest of the trip:



(He got the Flounder emoji pin.)




Continued in Next Post:

 

[amazingact21]

Continued From Previous Post:



Upon exiting the gift shop, Alex and I dragged the kids over to the Tangled tinkle spot and made them sit down at a table. It was muggy in a way only a Florida summer night is, and it was time for Evie to shuck her dress once and for all.


The clock has struck midnight, Princess, time to return to your pumpkin.




That spot in the park is one of my favorite secondary firework viewing locations. No, you don’t get to see the projections. But the fireworks are close and you get to sit away from large crowds. It’s a very relaxing way to see the show.


I told the kids we were going to watch Happily Ever After this way, and they both freaked out. Lots of whining and bemoaning their sorry lot in life. Alex tried to convince them that they would still get to see the fireworks and hear the music, but they didn’t believe us.
No faith in us adults…





As expected, once the show began and the music was piped into nearby speakers, the soundtrack loud and clear for their little ears to hear, Landon and Evie got over their complaining and enjoyed the show.










When the show was over, I thought we went and rode It’s A Small World, but the picture I have has Evie still in her dress. So maybe we did that before the fireworks?




No matter when it happened…Small World was ridden that evening. And by that point it was officially Extra Magic Hours inside the park.


Years ago, this was Alex and I’s go-to time to visit the MK. We planned our trips around one nighttime EMH evening. Having a virtually empty part at one in the morning??? There’s nothing like it.

Unfortunately, times have changed and those glorious evenings are now a nostalgic memory.


Word had gotten out, and where Alex and I expected a low key stroll through the different lands we instead got a cattle drive through a sea of sweaty stinky bodies.

Magic Kingdom was sooooo busy. I was shocked by the sight.


We hadn’t ridden Haunted Mansion yet this trip, and I wasn’t sure if we were returning to the park again, so I made us all wait in line for thirty minutes to ride. Right before we were let into the stretching room a kid got sick, and that’s about the last thing in the world I like to bear witness to. Between that and the volume of people I was bumping into and dodging around, I got off the attraction ready to leave.


Landon was upset we were leaving and not riding Space Mountain again, but as we pulled up the wait time app on the way to the front of the park, it was posted at 60 minutes.

That’s a hard no from us.

Sorry, son, tonight was not your night.

Extra Magic Hours was a massive letdown and left a bad taste in my mouth. There was too much rudeness and mayhem and chaos running rampant around me, and I made the journey back to Shades feeling worn out.

Words that I never thought possible were forming in my head.

“I think I’m ready to leave.”


Perhaps nine nights was too long for me. Maybe this trip had been too full. Possibly the obsession I had for the parks wasn’t as strong as it once was.

Because all I wanted to do was go back to the room, sleep, and do something different the following morning.







Up Next…Disney’s Not Letting Me Go That Easily

 

[rdkeim]

What an event filled night! I laughed at your description of the dress/potty run. Stressful at the time but maybe it will be a fun memory in time. Massive crowds like that are bad enough for adults but with 2 kids in tow - no fun. We have Sept trip booked (moved from March). I'm waiting to see how things play out. From what I understand, I can't move it again only cancel. One upside would be lower crowds - I think what you experienced with EMH won't happen for a very long time. Hope you get your park mojo back!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

My sweet little daughter put up an amazing argument and somehow convinced me to shove that sparkly, poofy, ridiculous Cinderella dress in the front compartment of their suitcase.

I love this! Seriously love that Evie was so excited and determined to bring the dress and that you caved and packed it lol

Say what I will about what a pain the outfit was, Evie had a blast and at the end of the day that’s all that matters. Her smile stretched from ear to ear, and she was beaming brighter than the luminescent lights on the carousel.

You're melting my heart here

The girl got up and told me, “Your kids just made my night.”

To which I had to reply, “No, YOU made their night.”

Disney magic at it's best! I'm betting you made the castmember's night too by telling her how special she was


I'm sorry the EMH weren't fun like you'd hoped and that people were rude. Really hoping a night's sleep works it's magic and tomorrow makes for a new day!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

we were beholding the glorious train station and listening to Mary Poppins tunes float in the air.

Man I can't wait to behold that station and listen to those tunes again!

Fling that polyester dress on and ignore the sweat! It was princess time!

Nothing gets in the way of princess time!

The glitter caused too much damage.

“THEY’RE BOTH PERFECT!!!!”

GIRL I get this. It's so hard to pick one from a group of perfection.

The restaurant was completely full that evening, and we had to camp out in the seating area until a family left but eventually we got the boy his vantage point.

Oh neat I didn't know this existed! But I'm with you on the food. Pretty bleh.

(from sweat)

HA thank you for clarifying, I thought for a second maybe you had lied about the story's happy ending....

To which I had to reply, “No, YOU made their night.” I thanked her and let her know she made their first pin trade extra special and told her she was a great Cast Member.

LOVE THIS. CMs that go out of their way are the absolute best.

(He got the Flounder emoji pin.)

I have the same one!

Perhaps nine nights was too long for me. Maybe this trip had been too full. Possibly the obsession I had for the parks wasn’t as strong as it once was.

Because all I wanted to do was go back to the room, sleep, and do something different the following morning.

Dang, as big of a bummer as that sounds I totally get it. It's a lot to deal with, especially when you add in the heat and crowds.

 

[missangelalexis]

Choosing ears is tough! Poor Evie and her internal struggle!

I'm glad Evie was able to hold it through the ride and you made it the bathroom in time!

Aww sounds like a sweet pin trading encounter with the CM!

Watching the fireworks fromt that side of the park is pretty cool. Even better when you get somewhere to sit and relax while watching!

I'm sorry EMH was such a let down I hate those moments on a trip where you're kinda sucked out of the magical bubble.

 

[cindianne320]

One year ago was our meeting-during-tornado-warnings dinner in MN! I cannot believe it's been that long! I was so happy to log on tonight and see your updates.
Oh, the toddler potty run. been there, done that. Mostly with success...

Acacia is much like Evie- the Carousel being one of her favorites!

I'm sorry that EMH were NOT magic... I miss Disney, and I'm sad that to reopen there has to be changes- but maybe curbing attendance a bit isn't such a bad thing...

I hope your next day was more magical than this night!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

I laughed when you wrote about packing Evie's Cinderella dress in your PTR - I'm glad she was so happy to wear it in the parks. It makes packing it (nearly?) worth it! It's also lovely that she was able to wear her dress on Cinderella's carousel - perfect!

I don't think I've ever eaten at Pinnochio Village House, but understand the appeal of waving to the Small World riders. As a kid I loved eating lunch at the lunch spot that overlooked the log flume ride at our local theme park. It was lunch and entertainment in one!

Evening EMH at MK was one of my favorite times at MK. I loved being able to practically walk-on to multiple rides. I haven't been since 2016 so I'm not surprised to hear that it's gotten busier, although that's still a bummer. It's hard to maintain your exciement about the parks when you feel overtaken by crowds and your evening didn't go as you planned.

 

[lvcourtneyy]

It won’t stop me from staying there again, though, so I guess I need to hush up and color.

I never heard this expression but I love it.

And once finished, both begged us to take them to the pool. Alex asked them three or four times which they would rather do, go into one of the parks or swim.

Oo poor Alex. I like to spend as much time in the parks as possible too but I feel that I'm going to have to learn to change that soon lol

The only way to mend the kids’ broken hearts over the loss of their water play was a promise of a monorail ride.

That fixes all ails, doesn’t it?

I would give a lot of things for a monorail ride right now!

I’ve got a lot of “one days” in terms of Disney, if you haven’t figured that out yet….

That's how they keep us coming back so often.

So much time had passed that Alex went up to the window to see what the issue was. No idea what the holdup was, but we eventually got our food and we ready to chow down.

Yikes that was a fail of the system for sure.

It wasn’t until a few months before the trip that the kids finally noticed Alex and my pin collection and began showing an interest in them. We promised them the next time we went to Disney, we would buy them a starter pack and teach them how to trade.

Aw I look forward to moments like this in the future

She never did get a pair of Minnie ears.
And she has yet to let me live it down….

those are the memories that tend to stick forever- no matter how many other things she got that trip lol.

The Magic Kingdom. Does stepping foot inside the park ever get old? Surely not.

Definitely not.

My sweet little daughter put up an amazing argument and somehow convinced me to shove that sparkly, poofy, ridiculous Cinderella dress in the front compartment of their suitcase.

smart girl lol

Evie is the most indecisive person I know. Asking her to pick a toy in a store or a danish from a bakery or a pencil to write with is an impossible task. She gets overwhelmed with options.

I feel her on that. I also get overwhelmed with too many options.

Remembering last summer when I sat at the table at Pinocchio’s for close to forty five minutes, eating a terrible vegetable flatbread and listening to Landon say over and over again: “Bye, have a great time on Small World!”
…I regretted my enthusiasm just a tad.

But the attraction was ridden and the dress was saved. All well that ends well, right?

Mission accomplished!

Landon suffered from the classic pin trader delima of not wanting to relinquish any of his current pins. Poor guy. He has realized he’s a pin collector not a pin trader.

I also feel this 100%!

 

[suse66]

Great updates! Evie is too cute in her princess dress and I love that you got them started in the fun of pin trading! I totally understand how hard it is to pick the perfect pair of ears! There are so many to choose from!

 

[vamassey1]

Evie is just lovely in her Princess dress. I can understand why she insisted on packing it. Riding on the carousel is just perfect. I LOL when reading your potty run. I can see this so vividly. I'm glad Landon had the chance to greet the Small World riders. I always look up to see if there is someone who needs a wave. Congrats to the new pin traders. It really great they got to experience with a really great CM. I know the CMs are really looking forward to making more magic. I hope the next morning brought a better outlook on park touring.

 

[Steppesister]

I think pools are something the kids are starting to associate with their trips back to Florida. "We go back to the states, we get Disney, beaches, and pools."

Seems like a great way to think of Florida!

Who would have ever guessed we would reach a point where we miss smelly monorail rides?!

LOL!! This certainly has been the year to become nostalgic for most anything at Disney.

Does stepping foot inside the park ever get old? Surely not.

Nope!!

I’ll never be able to get rid of or donate that suitcase now. The glitter caused too much damage.

But I mean, what child can resist the humor in duck butts???

What immature adult can resist the humor of duck butts?

Well, actually I had to use our typical method with Evie when she gets like this:
“Evie, if you don’t make a decision by the count of ten we’re leaving without anything.”

One of the best parenting strategies ever!

Perhaps some greasy cheesy grub would distract our princess…

Always seems to help me!

Remembering last summer when I sat at the table at Pinocchio’s for close to forty five minutes, eating a terrible vegetable flatbread and listening to Landon say over and over again: “Bye, have a great time on Small World!”
…I regretted my enthusiasm just a tad.

We stepped in line and when we were about three people back from getting loaded into a honeypot, Evie shouted “I HAVE TO GO POTTY!”

There's Honey Pots and there are.... Honey Buckets.

Great framing on this shot!

Word had gotten out, and where Alex and I expected a low key stroll through the different lands we instead got a cattle drive through a sea of sweaty stinky bodies.

Magic Kingdom was sooooo busy. I was shocked by the sight.

Yep. Just not the same anymore.

 

[Lesley Wake]

Ok, caught up!

I really love this shot! All the colors just pop!

The tides turned on Navi River, though, and my mom came to the realization that she didn’t want to sit next to two curious kids on their very first time through a ride. From my spot behind them, I heard a constant stream of:

“What’s that, Nana?”

“I don’t know.”

“What are those things?”

“I don’t know.”

“Are those animals from the movie?”

“I don’t know.”

“What about-?”

“Just sit back and enjoy the ride, baby.”

“But who’s that?”

“I DON’T KNOW, SWEETIE.”



My mom was all too happy to see the shaman at the end, signaling the finale of the ride and end of her inquisition.

Haha! Yeah, maybe if its the first time getting to ride the questions wouldn't be the best!

Landon was hooked. Throughout the meal, he’d ask us, “Do you need any more water, let me ask Bob. Need more bread? I got this.”

Bob made Landon feel like a grown up, and to this day he still remembers the name of the CM who paid attention to him.

I love it!

A few minutes later he came back with a plate and two sugar cookies for the kids. Then he whispered to Landon to come to him. He whipped out a paper cup with a lid, and he opened it a crack for Landon to see inside.

“Is this all for us?!”

“You betcha. You’re the boss, and the boss gets extras.”

Landon’s night was made:

That was pretty amazing!

In the dump shop after the show, Evie located the wall of Minnie ears and proceeded to try out all of them.

All right, it might not have been every single one but it sure felt like it. I asked her if there was one she liked above all the rest, and of course there wasn’t. She loved them all. Evie is the most indecisive person I know. Asking her to pick a toy in a store or a danish from a bakery or a pencil to write with is an impossible task. She gets overwhelmed with options.

I know the feeling! Which is how I ended up going from 1 to 20 minnie ears in about a year!

I won’t leave you hanging and will say the story ended well. Evie managed to wait until we exited the ride, I picked her up, and sprinted to the nearest restroom. Then fought for precious seconds with the now soaked (from sweat) and slippery dress to yank it over her head. Pretty sure I can still taste the knock-off tulle and glitter that became trapped in my mouth as I fought for space in the minuscule stall.

That's good! We still tease my cousin about the time he left a puddle on Big Thunder!

(He got the Flounder emoji pin.)

That's a pretty cute pin-I'd totally trade for it!

Extra Magic Hours was a massive letdown and left a bad taste in my mouth. There was too much rudeness and mayhem and chaos running rampant around me, and I made the journey back to Shades feeling worn out.

Words that I never thought possible were forming in my head.

“I think I’m ready to leave.”


Perhaps nine nights was too long for me. Maybe this trip had been too full. Possibly the obsession I had for the parks wasn’t as strong as it once was.

That's too bad, but I think we all have that point at times! And it's not like you were living a stress-free life right then!

 

[amazingact21]

What an event filled night! I laughed at your description of the dress/potty run. Stressful at the time but maybe it will be a fun memory in time. Massive crowds like that are bad enough for adults but with 2 kids in tow - no fun. We have Sept trip booked (moved from March). I'm waiting to see how things play out. From what I understand, I can't move it again only cancel. One upside would be lower crowds - I think what you experienced with EMH won't happen for a very long time. Hope you get your park mojo back!

Were you part of the group trying to reserve park reservations yesterday for your September trip? If so, how did it go? I've heard some crazy stories about ridiculously long waits.

I love this! Seriously love that Evie was so excited and determined to bring the dress and that you caved and packed it lol

You're melting my heart here

Disney magic at it's best! I'm betting you made the castmember's night too by telling her how special she was


I'm sorry the EMH weren't fun like you'd hoped and that people were rude. Really hoping a night's sleep works it's magic and tomorrow makes for a new day!

Evie was so happy to have that dress at Disney, that I'm glad she fought for it. But man...all that glitter.

Who knows what EMH will be like in the future, if they even return! In hindsight, I guess I should have appreciated them a little more.

 

[amazingact21]

Man I can't wait to behold that station and listen to those tunes again!

I never imagined I'd go this long between trips. It'll probably be two years.

Oh neat I didn't know this existed! But I'm with you on the food. Pretty bleh.

They also have little signs you can hold up, too.

Choosing ears is tough! Poor Evie and her internal struggle!

I'm glad Evie was able to hold it through the ride and you made it the bathroom in time!

Aww sounds like a sweet pin trading encounter with the CM!

Watching the fireworks fromt that side of the park is pretty cool. Even better when you get somewhere to sit and relax while watching!

I'm sorry EMH was such a let down I hate those moments on a trip where you're kinda sucked out of the magical bubble.

Poor Evie is so indecisive when it comes to picking souvenirs! Of course, by the time we get to go back to Disney I'll just be so happy to be back that I'll probably let her get several of them.

I think being able to sit down and relax during fireworks is one of my favorite perks! There's nothing like being seated after a long park day.

 

[amazingact21]

One year ago was our meeting-during-tornado-warnings dinner in MN! I cannot believe it's been that long! I was so happy to log on tonight and see your updates.

Aw man, that seems like another lifetime ago! I'm so glad you guys were able to have dinner with us, and I got to meet (most of) your family.

Acacia is much like Evie- the Carousel being one of her favorites!

Hopefully one day they'll be able to meet, because I agree, they sound very similar! It is amusing that I've met your kiddos when mine weren't around, and then you've met mine without yours. My SIL and family will be moving back to MN in about two years, and so I have no doubt I'll head back there with Landon and Evie so they hang out with their much older cousin.

I laughed when you wrote about packing Evie's Cinderella dress in your PTR - I'm glad she was so happy to wear it in the parks. It makes packing it (nearly?) worth it! It's also lovely that she was able to wear her dress on Cinderella's carousel - perfect!

Evie definitely won that battle! But in the end, she had a blast wearing it and riding the carousel with it, so I guess it was worth all that glitter. So much, though. SO. MUCH.

I don't think I've ever eaten at Pinnochio Village House

Trust me, you're not missing out.

 

[amazingact21]

I never heard this expression but I love it.

It was a favorite of my mom's growing up. She told us quite a bit to "hush up and color" when we started to argue.

I like to spend as much time in the parks as possible too but I feel that I'm going to have to learn to change that soon

Haha, yeah, your trips will certainly be changing soon. I like to think of going to Disney with kids versus adults only as different...neither one is better or worse, they just each have their unique aspects.

those are the memories that tend to stick forever- no matter how many other things she got that trip lol.

This trip will forever be remembered to Evie as the one where "Mom didn't buy me ears like she said she would."

Great updates! Evie is too cute in her princess dress and I love that you got them started in the fun of pin trading! I totally understand how hard it is to pick the perfect pair of ears! There are so many to choose from!

I love pin trading and its ability to get guests talking to other guests and Cast Members. The number of great interactions I've had with others over the years because of pins has been numerous. And Landon is so talkative and chatty that this was a great excuse for him to talk.
I just hope pin trading doesn't end with everything happening. That would be disheartening.