What Means "Ay, Caramba?"--Famous for Family of the Day!,Sept TR-Cape May HooRay 4/14

[HappyGal]

No white citrus tea? Noooooooooooooooo! I love that stuff and can't find it anywhere. In fact, my ex-husband works for Coke and says it can't be procured other than large food service distributors! I wonder if the dispensers will be replaced with the RFID chips soon? I sure hope so.

Like Brynn, my Maggie (age 10) loves Ariel. In fact, she is asking for a "real" mermaid tail for her birthday. She's serious about it, too. Gotta love the their passion.

How cool that you have wonderful new friends! It's especially cool that Brandon and Matt are friends too! I look forward to hearing more about ya'lls meet-ups!

 

[STLMickeyMom]

Love, love, love the picture of Sawyer eating his cupcake! That is so how I would eat it too, but apparently that's not appropriate when you're over 4. Kids have all the luck!
Seriously cute pic of Brynn, but why does she look about 15?!? They've all gotten so big!
We stayed at ASmovies on our last trip. We liked it but sometimes I hated being the last stop at the end of the day.

 

[Pimama]

Ahh, now there we go, pixie dust and pizza with a Dismeet thrown in, sounds like a great start. I see Dani and Matt (did I get those names right, I'll have to go back and check) are from my neck of the woods. I will have to go check out their TR, I need a new one!

I'm more than a little jealous that you can hope in your car and beat DW by the end of the day. The $1500+ it takes to fly to fly my family from the other corner of the states is a real budget killer. We have driven down to DL, still 20 hours, and I love being able to pack everything without worry.

I'm learning new tips already (pay for buffets up front- genious!) and can't wait to read more.

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

Yayayayay!!

All Star resorts are actually pretty sweet, I do enjoy them! I actually really like all the value's! Paige prefers them, they feel more Disney! Hope you guys liked it!

Eck, mugs, I'm glad we never had any problems with ours, and I was super glad to see that they had new colors!!

Oh my gosh, Dismeet! Best EVER! Seriously, those two are amazing, I'm sad that we only saw them super super briefly at mnsshp! Glad you guys got to hang out for a bit! I find that Disney people just get each other!

ETA: Totally forgot to mention: sooooo sweet moment with the CM and Brynn, that's so great that they bonded! Also, love her braces!

They do feel very in-your-face Disney, she's right!
We didn't have any problems *after* they magically decided to work.
Amazing does not even describe them. And we got to hang out every day, I think. Spoiler alert, lol!!
That CM really got our trip off to a very magical start! I will let Brynn know you love her braces! She's very proud to show them off to people.

EEEEEE! I'm so happy you updated and I loved this post because WE FINALLY GOT TO MEET!!!

I mean, yeah. This just made me super happy. We also feel the same way about you guys!!

Also, I LOVE that photo of Matt! Brandon's photos are so dang amazing, and oh yeah, can I also just state that I REALLY enjoyed his breakdown of everything in terms of the camera stuff?

I am nowhere near the level he is with photography, though at some point I really would like to get a full frame camera. His post nearly convinced me to go buy one now... except I'm not sure Matt would really love the price tag that would come along with that, hahaha. Ugh but yes, thanks to Brandon for posting that. It made things make way more sense.

Hopefully one day I can actually learn more and be nearly as good as him at photography, because again, if I haven't said it enough, his photos are always stunning.

AH SORRY, I just am so happy about this post I rambled forever. I can't wait to get to my post about us meeting and so many other awesome things, BECAUSE YAY. You guys are the best!

You totally are at his level. Your pictures are spectacular. Just perfect.
If you want a full frame, you could follow his advice, turn to the Canon dark side, and get a used MarkI for starters! Of course, you'd have to get Canon lenses. You're Nikon girl, right?
Ramble away. I ramble about you people like a high schooler over her first boyfriend. Y'all are just the greatest friends ever.

Hi Jenn--I'm following along! Your first day looks like lots of fun even though you were just getting stuff out of the way. I'm jealous you got to meet Dani and Matt. They look like such a nice couple! Can't wait to read more. (This is Allison from Instagram, btw)

It was so much fun--and it was just a bonus day! We weren't even supposed to have arrived yet!
Dani and Matt are just wonderful people, and so much fun.
Thanks for being my Instagram friend (I like that term better than "follower"), too!

AHHHH This update makes me so happy!

We were so happy to finally "meet" you guys, but like you said, it feels like we've known all of you forever. Stupid 2,606 miles between Seattle and Georgia (I may or may not have done a Google directions search to get that number).

This is bringing back so many good memories of that day!

So that's the story behind the Ariel photo! What an great cast interaction. It's always nice when someone goes above and beyond like that, especially at Downtown Disney, where I often feel like the cast members don't care as much.

I have a confession: we still have not eaten at WPE. I know, we should, but Earl of Sandwich is so good!

I loved going pin shopping with you guys, and of course building those amazing potato heads.

I'm so, so happy that Brandon got all those amazing photos. It really brings back the day in vivid detail. He has some very serious talent.

Can't wait to see what happens next (though I think I have some inkling )!

YES! That is the story of the Ariel picture! So now you know why I had to rush back into the store to get it like my life depended on it...because it probably did!
Well, I have a confession, too: we still have not eaten at EOS. We're even.
You guys saved the potato building session by seeking out the "regular eyes." Look, minutes in and we have avoided TWO Brynn meltdowns! And you already know that our great behavior streak continued. I think you were our good luck.
Just wait until you see the photos from the actual parks with you guys in them. And the video. SO MANY MEMORIES!!!!!!!!

Yay!!! This post is a LOT happier than your last post! I LOVE Julia and Brynn's shirts! Marie is my favorite character! Those new cups are cool! Back in Feb, they only had blue pink and black. That CM was very sweet to give Brynn the photo! ready for the next update!

And it just gets happier, I promise!!
The kids all love Marie, too! You'll see a stuffed Marie make a very serious appearance with Sawyer next update ;-). And later in the trip we had an hilarious encounter with the real Marie!
I do like the colors of these cups, though I do have some complaints about them. I'll go into that later. For the most part, though, they're great!

Wonderful updates - so much joy already and no parks yet! Yeah for a DISmeet!

What a wonderful exchange between Brynn and that CM - moments like that can really make a Disney vacation Magical!

Caption for that picture of you with the pizza should read: can you be finished taking that picture? 'Cause I need to be eating this pizza

It was a great start to our official vacation segment of the trip! What a wonderful young lady she was!
That is TOTALLY what I was thinking in that photo!!!! Plus, in general, if he asks me to stop so he can take a photo, he gets an eye roll shot. If he's taking a photo posed with a character or pictures of action, I don't mind...but I hate to stop what I'm doing!
BTW, we were both talking last night about how much we love your screen name.

LOVE!!! all of, the room requests being granted, getting to ride the bus, the Ariel photo and cast interaction, officially meeting Matt and Dani for the first time, WPE, and last, but not least, the technical camera jargon! Thanks for that Brandon!

You photog people...geez...

Great updates! How cool that Julia wants to be a director - perfect resort for her!

How annoying about the mugs. New technologies are so great, but also so irritating!

Looks like you had a great time - and great lunch - at DTD!

Can't wait to see/hear about the room and the first park of the trip.

She's going to be a great director, too...she can boss with the best of them!
The new mugs were a bit annoying, but maybe once they work correctly all the time and people figure out how to use them, it'll be better. New technology seems to always go that way.
Can't wait to write the next update!

ooooh.. it just occurred to me that I now have another little one that I will HAVE to buy a ridiculous amount of Mr.Potato head parts for! By the time I thought to buy them, Jack was pretty much too old, so I'm excited to go for it this time! Thanks for the reminder!

Confession: we still haven't bought any. We play with them every single time. We did mean to come back in here to get them later, but it didn't happen.

I laughed when I read about your kids singing on the bus. My DS did the same thing and his song selection was similar too though he sang Wheels on the Bus followed by a song he made up. He didn't sing It's a Small World until our second bus ride. I think we had the background music on the bus to thank for that one. I'm looking forward to hearing more about your trip!

Children are wonderful entertainment...unless, of course, you don't have children and don't "get it" yet (though some without kids do enjoy their antics!). I can honestly say I am never bored!!

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

No white citrus tea? Noooooooooooooooo! I love that stuff and can't find it anywhere. In fact, my ex-husband works for Coke and says it can't be procured other than large food service distributors! I wonder if the dispensers will be replaced with the RFID chips soon? I sure hope so.

Like Brynn, my Maggie (age 10) loves Ariel. In fact, she is asking for a "real" mermaid tail for her birthday. She's serious about it, too. Gotta love the their passion.

How cool that you have wonderful new friends! It's especially cool that Brandon and Matt are friends too! I look forward to hearing more about ya'lls meet-ups!

For real. I don't know if it was just this resort or all of them. They had the nastier varieties, but not the kind I am addicted to. That ended up making me like the resort less.
Oh, I've seen those! Kind of cool/creepy. Brynn is clumsy without a tail; I can't imagine her with one!
Brandon is wonderful friends with both of them! They're pretty much our only "couple" friends, I think. It's rare to find two people who get along great with another set of two people.

Love, love, love the picture of Sawyer eating his cupcake! That is so how I would eat it too, but apparently that's not appropriate when you're over 4. Kids have all the luck!
Seriously cute pic of Brynn, but why does she look about 15?!? They've all gotten so big!
We stayed at ASmovies on our last trip. We liked it but sometimes I hated being the last stop at the end of the day.

No one bothered to teach me that it's not appropriate after age 4. I always end up with that much chocolate on me!
FOR REAL. All my kids look like their grown now. What's up with that!?!
That bus ride definitely put a damper on our opinion of buses. Luckily, we take the van everywhere so it wasn't really an issue after that!

Ahh, now there we go, pixie dust and pizza with a Dismeet thrown in, sounds like a great start. I see Dani and Matt (did I get those names right, I'll have to go back and check) are from my neck of the woods. I will have to go check out their TR, I need a new one!

I'm more than a little jealous that you can hope in your car and beat DW by the end of the day. The $1500+ it takes to fly to fly my family from the other corner of the states is a real budget killer. We have driven down to DL, still 20 hours, and I love being able to pack everything without worry.

I'm learning new tips already (pay for buffets up front- genious!) and can't wait to read more.

YES! Check out their TR! If you like this one, you'll love hers. We have very similar senses of humor, and she is a magnificent writer.
See, I want to go to DL and am running into that same problem. That's really why we haven't made the leap. Five plane tickets across the country really adds up!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

I love bonus days!!! Nothing like it to get the little things done and not have it really affect your plans.

Clearly Brynn can see the good in people (Cruella). THAT is a fabulous trait to have!!!

Hmmm, you know with all the new RFID items and all the associated kinks, it makes me think that Disneyland is on to something by sticking to the old school system. Heck they even use hand stamps for park re-entry.

I LOVE DISNEY CM'S!!! My God that was just the sweetest thing with the Ariel photo. Also, I may have to try Brynn's strategy, lol. Genius!

That's so great that you FINALLY got to meet Matt and Dani in person. They sure do come across as totally awesome people. I'm especially excited for a later meet meet up (hint: it involves Matt and the Kids I think at Magic Kingdom) as I saw some of Dani's photos on FB. One of those was just adorable.

That photography stuff is seriously impressive and awesome!!!! And YAY CANON!! Haha, all that gear makes my little Elph look pretty puny, but I do agree on the Vixia video cams. Fabulous.

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

I love bonus days!!! Nothing like it to get the little things done and not have it really affect your plans.

Clearly Brynn can see the good in people (Cruella). THAT is a fabulous trait to have!!!

Hmmm, you know with all the new RFID items and all the associated kinks, it makes me think that Disneyland is on to something by sticking to the old school system. Heck they even use hand stamps for park re-entry.

I LOVE DISNEY CM'S!!! My God that was just the sweetest thing with the Ariel photo. Also, I may have to try Brynn's strategy, lol. Genius!

That's so great that you FINALLY got to meet Matt and Dani in person. They sure do come across as totally awesome people. I'm especially excited for a later meet meet up (hint: it involves Matt and the Kids I think at Magic Kingdom) as I saw some of Dani's photos on FB. One of those was just adorable.

That photography stuff is seriously impressive and awesome!!!! And YAY CANON!! Haha, all that gear makes my little Elph look pretty puny, but I do agree on the Vixia video cams. Fabulous.

Hmmm...I may just agree with you on approving the old-school ways. But hand stamps!? That's county fair level old school!
We were lucky to get to see Dani and Matt every single day, I think (and some days ALL day!), but I know exactly which photos you're talking about. You should friend me on FB!
Brandon is a die-hard Canon fan. I'm just a fan of actually having my own personal photographer. I know nothing. But I CAN use that video camera!

 

[RyansMommy1]

Oh my goodness - the fun is beginning!!!! I just started reading Matt and Dani's trip reports a couple days ago - they seem like amazing and fun loving people and it is so nice that you guys got to finally meet and hang out at DTD!!! (Also nice that they helped wrangle children).

Soooo excited to read more and continue to relive your trip with you!!!

 

[Queenofallthings]

I love those magical moments that CM's make possible....Brynn must have been over the moon with her Ariel pic!

I don't think there is anything more special than having a Dismeet with people you feel like you've known for years! Love those!

 

[Stasieki]

Great update! We started doing Fri - Fri trips, leaving Thursday after school. I love getting that Friday full day in. Since we live in TN, though, it's an 11 hour drive. We usually stay in Lake City, and then get to Disney around 11:30 Friday.

I also love having the full weekend on the tail end to get ready for the real world to kick in again

I am so envious of your DH's camera knowledge and abilities. I "try" to take DSLR photos, but don't take it out of Auto. LOL. I think it defeats the purpose

 

[Mommy Poppins]

So glad you started your TR! Can't wait to read more about your trip. We left on Thursday morning, so you were arriving as we were leaving! I wanted to stay through the weekend but DH had orders to leave for Afghanistan on Saturday so we had to go home, do laundry and repack!

Love that you got to meet Dani and Matt. I follow her trip reports as well and you're right, she is an awesome writer!

Forgot to add, that I was addicted to the white citrus tea when we were at the Poly in September. It was always in a separate container--not the main soda machine. Sorry they didn't have it at AS-Movies, that's really a bummer!

As always, your kids are adorable and they do grow up so fast!

 

[heatherlizz602]

What a great start!!!

So glad Brynn got her Ariel picture....that's awesome!!!
My daughter is going to be Ariel for Halloween. Complete with the red wig that she has worn every. single. day. for two weeks now. But, as long as she's happy and hasn't asked me to dye her hair red yet I'm cool with it.

Bus riding is so fun for kids....I don't get it...but glad they got to give it a shot!!

Whoa....the camera stuff...I'm with you I'm just glad I can point and shoot

Can't wait for next update!!!

 

[vleeth]

Now you've got me hungry for Wolfgang pizza. I've only had it once...and it was great!

 

[ricknroll]

Looking forward to more geeky details from Brandon. I'm a fellow video geek with very similar kit (7D, Vixia M41, Hero 3 Black), and we're heading to the World in 3 weeks! The video from last year is outstanding.

 

[GatorMommy2007]

Can I just pay Brandon to follow my child around Disney and snap pictures? I am seriously jealous of all of your beautiful pictures!

And how often do you make it down to Panama City? It's quite close!

 

[thornton0511]

Yay for update...favorites!! I love the beginning of a Disney trip!
Gotta be honest Jenn I have been working on ADR's and dining plans for like a year now for our Dec trip (obsess much?) and my "final plans" did not include WPE because I really wanted to do Raglan Road and we were not planning on more than one trip to DDisney,but after seeing you post.....back to the old drawing boards to see if I can weasel in WPE...sigh. It looks so yummy though and creme brulee is soooo good. What's a girl to do? BTW I have been reading your past TR (loving it) and I cannot believe how much you kiddos have grown....my goodness!

 

[evabraniff]

Aaahhhh I'm excited! I LOVE your trip reports! On board for this one too!

 

[JDUB]

Great bonus day!!! We always head to DTD on first day for WPE lunch and shopping. Love the Cms magically touch with Ariel pic. I'm sure we will see her in many pics to come.
Great job Brandon with tech update. I'm sure you get a lot of questions about videos and pics.
Also were you guys crammed in Movies standard room? Family of 5 are always a challenge for storage space. Can't wait to see your system setup!

 

[lvcourtneyy]

Ouch! Sorry to hear about your back but I'm glad to hear the doctor and the grandmother were able to help. And hey, it worked--who cares what kinda looks the other moms had!

I don't think a road trip with kids could take place without incessant questions. It just wouldn't be real.

Wow what awful service. I mean, I get locking the doors at night for safety I guess but don't you think it'd be a good idea to OPEN them for people?

I don't blame Brynn one bit. I full out scream at the sight of bugs. What a bad way to start a vacation. At least you knew you'd be at DISNEY soon.

Julia's note is too cute!

YAY WDW sign!

Oh wow-- so are the All Star resorts within walking distance of each other then?

Good logic about the love bugs! Those things really are EVERYWHERE!

What a great pixie dust moment for Brynn!

Yeah, the photopass lanyards are awful. CMs kept telling me I should wear it to make it known to the photographers that we have it but I had no trust in that system. In January, one of the photographers had a tool of some kind and tightened the clasp for us and only then did it hold!

WPE is so awesome! Yay for meeting Dani and Matt!

Aw the girls' outfits are SO CUTE! Marie is one of my favorites!

I can't say I understood much of Brandon's text update but I do find it very interesting. I really want to save up and buy myself a fancy DSLR because I love trying to photograph things so I'd love to really get into it. I also love the idea of being able to rent lens and cameras! It sounds like a great way to get a feel of them before having to drop so much money on them. Once I'm ready to make the jump, I'd love to ask him some questions about it!

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

Oh my goodness - the fun is beginning!!!! I just started reading Matt and Dani's trip reports a couple days ago - they seem like amazing and fun loving people and it is so nice that you guys got to finally meet and hang out at DTD!!! (Also nice that they helped wrangle children).

Soooo excited to read more and continue to relive your trip with you!!!

They really are so great! I'm glad you're reading their TR!

I love those magical moments that CM's make possible....Brynn must have been over the moon with her Ariel pic!

I don't think there is anything more special than having a Dismeet with people you feel like you've known for years! Love those!

She was...she IS! It's still hanging up next to her bed at home!

Great update! We started doing Fri - Fri trips, leaving Thursday after school. I love getting that Friday full day in. Since we live in TN, though, it's an 11 hour drive. We usually stay in Lake City, and then get to Disney around 11:30 Friday.

I also love having the full weekend on the tail end to get ready for the real world to kick in again

I am so envious of your DH's camera knowledge and abilities. I "try" to take DSLR photos, but don't take it out of Auto. LOL. I think it defeats the purpose

I keep finding that each year our trips start earlier and earlier! We don't ever come back early, though. We're a "get home at midnight Sunday/Monday" kind of people!
I'd love to know something about cameras, too, but even in Auto my pictures aren't great!!

So glad you started your TR! Can't wait to read more about your trip. We left on Thursday morning, so you were arriving as we were leaving! I wanted to stay through the weekend but DH had orders to leave for Afghanistan on Saturday so we had to go home, do laundry and repack!

Love that you got to meet Dani and Matt. I follow her trip reports as well and you're right, she is an awesome writer!

Forgot to add, that I was addicted to the white citrus tea when we were at the Poly in September. It was always in a separate container--not the main soda machine. Sorry they didn't have it at AS-Movies, that's really a bummer!

As always, your kids are adorable and they do grow up so fast!

Wow, that had to be a super busy (and emotional) time for you guys. How long will he be there?
They did have the machine for the tea, but only the other flavors were in it. The white citrus came out as water. I tried it every day to see if flavor would magically show up, but no luck. What I did note is that the tea machines didn't have the Rapid Fill contraption on them, so people without the mugs were making good use of getting free drinks. Maybe they just ran out?

What a great start!!!

So glad Brynn got her Ariel picture....that's awesome!!!
My daughter is going to be Ariel for Halloween. Complete with the red wig that she has worn every. single. day. for two weeks now. But, as long as she's happy and hasn't asked me to dye her hair red yet I'm cool with it.

Bus riding is so fun for kids....I don't get it...but glad they got to give it a shot!!

Whoa....the camera stuff...I'm with you I'm just glad I can point and shoot

Can't wait for next update!!!

I have tried to get my kids to want that wig, but they are funny about things being on their head, I guess? More about that later; it comes into play.
Maybe you can teach me to point and shoot!

Now you've got me hungry for Wolfgang pizza. I've only had it once...and it was great!

It is the best pizza ever. Makes all other pizza pale in comparison.

Looking forward to more geeky details from Brandon. I'm a fellow video geek with very similar kit (7D, Vixia M41, Hero 3 Black), and we're heading to the World in 3 weeks! The video from last year is outstanding.

Wow! Long lost twins! Have so much fun on your trip! Hopefully we'll get some of the video for this year done while you're having fun without us.

Can I just pay Brandon to follow my child around Disney and snap pictures? I am seriously jealous of all of your beautiful pictures!

And how often do you make it down to Panama City? It's quite close!

I'm sure he wouldn't mind an extra trip to Disney!
We go every year for a week to PCB with my parents. We're usually there in late May/early June. Did you watch the video?