We're Home From the Road!! 17 Days of Travel with Tons of Pics~COMPLETE!!

[DizNee Luver]

Day 8, Part 5:​

Our Small World journey continues.

 

[DizNee Luver]

YAY about Derek. I know I saw that on FB that is awesome! I hope he finds some direction finally and finds something he loves! That would be cool if you could do a family trip finally just know it will be VERY hot that time of year. But obviously you gotta go when you can go.

At this point we are looking at hopefully finally getting back to DW in summer of 16 and then fall. We have completely blown off Hawaii since we couldn't get in to the Aulani and we tried even to go to a regular time share and it just wasn't working out so we are now thinking we might take a cruise. We are thinking we might leave out of Orlando and do a 7 day cruise (not disney but because they are way more expensive then Royal Carribean or the others) but after the cruise doing just 4 days at DW. 1 day each park.

It wouldn't be big but something since if we go back that November it would just be mom and I going for the food and wine and then hopefully having dad and the girls come in at the end of it and go to universal. If we did 2 trips then we could get AP's.

Anywho that would be awesome and I'm not going on the Diva trip either.

We can't go this year cuz mom may be having surgery and then next year she gets her condo in Mexico in Feb so she and my dad will go (not girls and I) and then in 17 we MAY get to go just depends on finances. If we do the cruise during the summer of 16 and then DW in Nov I don't know if there will be any money left to do the diva trip LOL.

I would like to go since by then it will be a LONG time since we have been but as always life is unpredictable.

One thing we are realizing is that the days of us doing trips with the girls are getting less and less as they are getting so busy and then with school etc.

I told mom that we need to just plan on doing trips by ourselves or with my dad. I will miss them but it is just getting harder and harder.

I know you are like me though and I have to have something to plan and think about or I get sad. So we have lots of maybes at least so hoping some of these things pan out!

That's a bummer that the Aulani thing didn't work out. I know Mike really wants to get back to Hawaii (in fact that was supposed to be the next "big" trip) but this would be the best time to do WDW with Derek's discounts and we'd have 4 adults for 4 kids. Not sure we'll get it worked out but sure gonna try!!

 

[DizNee Luver]

Day 8, Part 6:​

Tyler went and got some cotton candy and it was Shy's first time.....like most kids, she loved it!!





We went back to the kiosk in Fantasyland to get a time for BTMRR. It was time for lunch, so we headed to Jolly Holiday.

















It was delicious.....like always!!

Michayla was getting fussy, so Derek & Tyler took her back to the motel. Mike & I took the kids to BTMRR but it was down, so we decided to head back to the motel so the kids could go swimming. Mike took Anthony, Addy & Shyann to the pool while Michayla napped and I did laundry.

 

[WDWJonasGirl]

Woot!! I'm so excited for Derek!!

 

[DizNee Luver]

Woot!! I'm so excited for Derek!!

Thanks Kaitlin!!

 

[kelmac284]

Well I hope it all works out for you to go visit Derek. That would be awesome!

I know what you mean we plan lots of things but with everything going on in our lives very few of them ever seem to pan out. But at least it is fun to look and plan and hope that a few of them work out.

I have only been to Hawaii once YEARS ago. I was 23 so over 20 years ago. I would love to go back and love to take the girls but who knows if that ever will happen.

Just have to plan for things that are more feasible.

Nice updates. We love Jolly Holiday. One of our new faves.

I was thinking too while looking at your pics that it is so funny how since I have been to Disney so much that I can look at a pic and know exactly where something is and I can totally envision the sights sounds and even smells. Like I am sure you know each ride tends to have a smell (mostly the indoor ones). Pirates does, splash and even space. It is a full sensory experience.

I am glad that I have been enough that I can look at a pic and be transported there but also makes me sad because as I am sure you feel the same no matter HOW many times you go you always want to go back.

 

[DizNee Luver]

Well I hope it all works out for you to go visit Derek. That would be awesome!

I know what you mean we plan lots of things but with everything going on in our lives very few of them ever seem to pan out. But at least it is fun to look and plan and hope that a few of them work out.

I have only been to Hawaii once YEARS ago. I was 23 so over 20 years ago. I would love to go back and love to take the girls but who knows if that ever will happen.

Just have to plan for things that are more feasible.

Nice updates. We love Jolly Holiday. One of our new faves.

I was thinking too while looking at your pics that it is so funny how since I have been to Disney so much that I can look at a pic and know exactly where something is and I can totally envision the sights sounds and even smells. Like I am sure you know each ride tends to have a smell (mostly the indoor ones). Pirates does, splash and even space. It is a full sensory experience.

I am glad that I have been enough that I can look at a pic and be transported there but also makes me sad because as I am sure you feel the same no matter HOW many times you go you always want to go back.

Mike's mom took all of us in 2003 to Hawaii~~1 week on Oahu & 1 week on the Big Island. Mike & I renewed our vows on the beach. Anthony was supposed to have gone with us (he was a foster child at the times) but his bio mom decided she didn't want to miss her 2 visits (one hour each) with him, so we had to leave him behind. We were so mad at her. We'd like to take the kids now that we have 4 that have never been.

I love planning & dreaming....it keeps me sane at times. I also love seeing everyone's pics from their trips cause like you.....it transports me.

 

[kelmac284]

Mike's mom took all of us in 2003 to Hawaii~~1 week on Oahu & 1 week on the Big Island. Mike & I renewed our vows on the beach. Anthony was supposed to have gone with us (he was a foster child at the times) but his bio mom decided she didn't want to miss her 2 visits (one hour each) with him, so we had to leave him behind. We were so mad at her. We'd like to take the kids now that we have 4 that have never been.

I love planning & dreaming....it keeps me sane at times. I also love seeing everyone's pics from their trips cause like you.....it transports me.

EXACTLY. I LOVE planning trips. I am so OCD that I look up all kinds of stuff and get tour books from AAA and maps and love to plan out the routes and points of interest etc. My problem is every time I plan something I worry that it is going to be too many expensive trips too close together or what have you and since I have to rely on my mom I don't want to overdo it. I try to keep things as economical as possible. She loves to travel as much as I do so she is always game but now with her leg it makes it even harder.

Besides planning our trip next summer we want to get back to Disney over Thanksgiving of 15 and then we are looking at the cruise of 16 and dw for nov of 16 so lots of stuff and it all costs money so trying to see if that many trips would be feasible. It is kind of a lot but it is just how it all worked out and I hope that they happen. It is so fun to plan and I just hope that it works out.

On top of everything else mom has her week in a timeshare ALREADY paid for that we had to buy to reserve for Hawaii. That's the only bad thing about her timeshare is she has to pay for and deposit her week to get it ready to put on a trip and then like this one where it didn't work out she is now stuck with a week that expires. SOOOO I told her I STILL really want to go to Vegas and although I know that is probably not somewhere she would want to spend her week we can't use it for any of the other trips we have planned so might as well.

We are talking about maybe using it over president's week if she doesn't have her surgery or if possibly spring break but again that is totally up in the air.

But at least lots of things to think about.

 

[DizNee Luver]

EXACTLY. I LOVE planning trips. I am so OCD that I look up all kinds of stuff and get tour books from AAA and maps and love to plan out the routes and points of interest etc. My problem is every time I plan something I worry that it is going to be too many expensive trips too close together or what have you and since I have to rely on my mom I don't want to overdo it. I try to keep things as economical as possible. She loves to travel as much as I do so she is always game but now with her leg it makes it even harder.

Besides planning our trip next summer we want to get back to Disney over Thanksgiving of 15 and then we are looking at the cruise of 16 and dw for nov of 16 so lots of stuff and it all costs money so trying to see if that many trips would be feasible. It is kind of a lot but it is just how it all worked out and I hope that they happen. It is so fun to plan and I just hope that it works out.

On top of everything else mom has her week in a timeshare ALREADY paid for that we had to buy to reserve for Hawaii. That's the only bad thing about her timeshare is she has to pay for and deposit her week to get it ready to put on a trip and then like this one where it didn't work out she is now stuck with a week that expires. SOOOO I told her I STILL really want to go to Vegas and although I know that is probably not somewhere she would want to spend her week we can't use it for any of the other trips we have planned so might as well.

We are talking about maybe using it over president's week if she doesn't have her surgery or if possibly spring break but again that is totally up in the air.

But at least lots of things to think about.

Combining a cruise & WDW would be a fun trip!! (but spendy)

I've never been to Vegas, but think it would be fun to go!! I know Beth knows all the best places to see!!

 

[WDWJonasGirl]

Oh I've done that before. It's fun

 

[WDWJonasGirl]

I think Anthony's shirt is hilarious :

 

[DizNee Luver]

I think Anthony's shirt is hilarious :lmao

It's very fitting for him!!

 

[DizNee Luver]

Day 8, Part 7:​

About 4:30, after the kids got to swim & I finished up our laundry, we headed back to Disneyland (Betty, Mike, me and the 4 littles). We left Betty & Anthony at the flag pole so they could watch the Flag Retreat Ceremony. Mike & I took the 3 girls down to the new Fantasy Faire area to do Michayla's special pass for the princess meet-n-greet. This was the first time we had seen the new area. We found a CM to find out what we needed to do. They had us wait at a chained area and he returned within 2 minutes and had us come in. We get inside to see Mulan. Michayla freaked out and scream/cried the entire time!!! I felt so bad for her, since usually she's ok and she had taken a nice break from things. You could tell the gal playing Mulan wasn't feeling comfortable with what was going on.











Next up was Snow White who really tried to make things better for her. After we got our pictures with her, she held Michayla's hand to go in to see Ariel.











She still wasn't happy and at this point, I was just wanting to get Shy's & Addy's pictures as quickly as possible.









**keeping this one G-rated** (she pulls her shirt up when upset)



We got done & thanked them a lot and went back into the courtyard area for PFF. Michayla seemed happier once we got outside. These are a few pics from the area.

 

[DizNee Luver]

Day 8, Part 8:​

We stopped and got a couple pics at the castle and then found a bench in the shade. We waited until we saw the flags down before Mike headed back up that way to get Betty & Anthony.







Mike got up there to see the very end of the ceremony.







Does anyone else think this guy is hot???



We decided to do a round trip on the train, so we headed to the New Orlean's station. These are pics from our train ride.

 

[DizNee Luver]

Day 8, Part 9:​

When we got back to the NOS Station, we headed to Big Thunder Mt Railroad to take our last ride at Disneyland. Betty sat out & watched Mike & I with the 4 littles. Shy usually loves this ride, but I think she was getting worn out and was glad when we were done.







We started to make our way out of Disneyland, making a stop at the Emporium to pick up some gifts for the twins biological sister we all would be meeting later in our trip (for the first time).



We said our goodbyes to Disneyland and decided to do a laid back meal at the IHoP across the street. We were seated in the back and didn't realize that Tyler & Derek had gone back over to DCA for a while & then came in to eat at IHoP too!! We didn't see them as they were put in the front & they have walls & wait service station that blocks seeing. This was our dinner.











After dinner, Betty was craving some Cold Stone Ice Cream, so we stopped & grabbed ice cream to take back up to the room. Got kids to bed & we adults weren't too far behind them.

 

[DizNee Luver]

Day 8, PHOTOPASS PICS:​

Shyann trying to pull the sword from the stone....she looks thrilled doesn't she?? lol







Ty, Anthony & Addy joined Shy to try & pull out the sword.





The Princess Fantasy Faire~~Mulan:













The Princess Fantasy Faire~~Snow White:







The Princess Fantasy Faire~~Ariel:









Mike & I did some pics at the castle to honor our 30th Anniversary this year!!















Splash Mountain Ride Photo:

 

[WDWJonasGirl]

Love the photopass pictures!! You and Mike's shirts are hilarious. Sorry that Michayla wasn't thrilled with the princesses. Normally, I prefer the furry characters and my sister likes them. I do tolerate them though and I managed to see most of them on the Disney Cruise.

 

[DizNee Luver]

Day 9, Part 1:​

This morning we slept in & it felt AWESOME!! We got up and gathered our beach stuff and headed towards Huntington Beach. I've never been to a California beach (at least, not as an adult) and the twins have never been on a beach (they've been to the coast but never on the sand) Ty & Derek decided to pass on the beach trip. It was beautiful and not too hot or crowded!! The twins weren't quite sure what to think of the sand at first (especially Michayla) but eventually figured it out & had a blast. We played in the surf and sand for a few hours.

 

[DizNee Luver]

Love the photopass pictures!! You and Mike's shirts are hilarious. Sorry that Michayla wasn't thrilled with the princesses. Normally, I prefer the furry characters and my sister likes them. I do tolerate them though and I managed to see most of them on the Disney Cruise.

Thanks Kaitlin!! We had those shirts done up for our actual 30th Anniversary (St Patty's Day) but figured that it was a big milestone & we could celebrate all year....including at Disneyland!!

Michayla did good with Pooh & Duffy but wasn't a fan of actual faces this time.

 

[DizNee Luver]

Day 9, Part 2:​

More of our time at Huntington Beach.









LOVE this picture of Michayla caught mid-jump!



Back to the beach pics!





































We stayed until about 1pm. It started getting warm & the crowds were starting to show up. It also was past time for lunch for everyone, so we walked back up the beach towards our van. The sand was SOOOOOO HOTTTTTTT!!! Ye~OUCH!! We actually loved the pavement under our feet as it was actually cooler.....lol