Who Invited My Mother In Law? A Moderately Deluxe TR All New X 3 & PTR Link 2/3 !!

[RunningthruDisney]

Really enjoyed reading about your trip!!!! Sounds like you had a great time

 

[RGirl]

Thanks for the wonderful TR, Shannon! I enjoyed coming along on your trip with you. It was a blast!

I'm sorry to see it end, but I'm excited to be writing TRs at the same time again soon!!!!

Will be joining you on your PTR in short order!

 

[shan23877]

You visited Belle 9!!! times, I think that might be a record of some sort!

Thank you again for sharing your trip with us, it was so much fun to read and vicariously enjoy all those girly moments! Maddie is such a lovely little girl, and the thought of her tearing up during Wishes because she didn't want to leave brought tears to my eyes as well.

I'm heading over to you PTR now!

Yup, 9 times! I'm glad that we did, because we can't find Belle as easily any more. I bet we'll break our own record on the next trip.

Thanks for reading Marissa, I so appreciate the kind words.

Great Trip Report!

Thank you so much for sharing your trip with us!

And thank you for reading and joining in!

Ya hear that all the time don'tcha? "No Mommy! No! Don't make me go to Disneyworld! Not the Magic Kingdom! Anything but that!!!"


What?
too much?



uh, huh. Stoic on the outside, but on the inside he was probably a bowl of jello.

or sick of Maddie and I's constant park touring. I think he needed to rest!

Naw. He doesn't look silly at all.

really.

:

It's rare that he gets silly, so I loved that picture.

Sad. A large group of disabled teenage cheerleaders. Wonderful though that even with their disabilities that they still get picked to be on the squads.

ahem.

Isn't it? I was so glad that those cheerleaders had overcome such obstacles!

Looks interesting. What's it do?


As you touch the wall the "honey" inside the wall responds and moves with you. It's pretty cool!


Oh, I believe it. You wouldn't believe the amount of rides we skipped when we took the DDs when they were 4 & 8.

Or maybe you would.

I totally believe it. Glad you understand our touring style

Sorry to hear about you guys splitting up. Maybe a few more trips to Disney will help you get back together... Oh, no, wait. I forgot. Going to MK makes you heavy hearted.

Nevermind.

Once again I fall into your trap.

I have this visual now of you crowd surfing at MK.

I love that visual! That's how it felt! Well, like that or a lift-sized foosball table


Geez! What are you trying to do to me??? I'm at work on a break, but there are other people around. I don't need to be seen with tears running down my face ya know.

Warn a fella, would'ja?


Seriously, that's a really sweet moment there.

Sorry Ponzi, Next time I'll give you a heads up.

Warning! Possible emotional moment ahead!

Which is exacerbated by a) getting up early... nothing worse when you're sick and b) leaving Disney.

Exactly

Doughnuts for breakfast? Don'tcha love vacations?

Sorry to hear that you had such a miserable time afterwards (sick, ears, etc.) but glad to hear you're feeling better now.

Thanks tons for the TR Shanoopie!

Thanks for joining in! I really appreciated it!

You're the best Ponzypoppins.

Really enjoyed reading about your trip!!!! Sounds like you had a great time

We really did! Thanks for joining in!

Thanks for the wonderful TR, Shannon! I enjoyed coming along on your trip with you. It was a blast!

I'm sorry to see it end, but I'm excited to be writing TRs at the same time again soon!!!!

Will be joining you on your PTR in short order!

Thanks Roni! I had fun sharing it.

That's what I told Amanda-between the 3 of us we'll have 3 different vacations to write PTR and TR about. We should have stuff to read for the next year or so!

 

[hstrickland]

I hate when good TRs end. However, you'll be doing another one soon We aren't doing a big WDW trip this year because of Cancun, so I'll have to live vicariously through yours I'll be anxiously awaiting it....think I'll hop over to the PTR and find out where yall will be residing and dining for the week.



Heather

 

[amandaw]

That sounds fun! Will you be keeping CR TPV though? 'Cause I really hope you get to do that! It would be lots of fun to celebrate Reid's birthday at WDW though. I think it's awesome that you guys get 'Mardi Gras' break. That's something that I wouldn't even consider here in Illinois. Do the schools also have a traditional spring break too?

At this point, I honestly don't know where we'll stay. Just so much going on and I am tossing around a lot of different scenarios in my head.

Mardi Gras break is definitely nice! Some schools get the whole week off, some just get Monday & Tuesday but the schools where we live usually get Mon, Tues & Wed. So, Reid will only miss 2 days of school, which is nice. They do still get Spring Break as well - it is always built in around Easter - either the week leading into Easter or the week after.

 

[TinksThree]

Better late than never to finish reading your TR! I loved every moment of it! The last posts were so great and you have some amazing pictures of Maddie and her meets! I totally agree with your assessments of the restaurants! I am disappointed though that you ate so little food and you should really be ashamed in limiting those character meets!!

Yay on a new PTR!! Heading over there now to join in!!

 

[kmedina]

Sorry I missed a lot of this, but I am really looking forward to catching up.

 

[kmedina]

I have to say again I love the Cinderella skirt you made for Maddie. She looked absolutely adorable. Her sitting on the floor for 5 minutes in DtD reminds me of Xander. Anytime he has had enough, he goes straight for the floor. Like you, I ignore the stares. Crap cannot and is always worried about what other people think. I think if they have a kid who has never done that they must have the only kid on the planet who has not. I am glad you and Maddie worked everything out even though Bryan missed Earl of Sandwich. I thought about him while I was working because there is an Earl of Sandwich in the casino right across the street from the job I went back to. Even after 8 months, I never ventured over there. I have yet to try it. I was going to meet a fellow DISer there last summer, but she had to cancel her plans. I will let you know when I finally go. I also think it was cool that you got extra time at DHS (still my favorite park).

How awesome to get a decent Phineas and Ferb line! The line antics are cute. It's cool that Maddie participated. Xander always skips on those type of things, but I am hoping Connor will do them. Glad you skipped the 90 minute Buzz and Woody line, and I thought our wait in that line was ridiculous. Cannot wait to read about your evening at the Poly.

 

[kmedina]

We have not done the luau yet. I was worried about finding something Xander would eat. Sounds like the waiter was not patient enough to allow people to ask for substitutions. Hoop Dee Doo was great and Mickey's Backyard BBQ was all right. I've heard the pole is distracting in Category 2, which is a shame. Six trips to the bathroom sounds like me. Crap is always teasing me for going too often, but I really need to go often. Thanks for the tips. I wanted to try it next trip. I will buy category one and see the later show. Hopefully, you enjoy it more if you watch it again.

 

[kmedina]

Hurry before we have to swim in the bathtub. That is funny. Too bad the water was cold, but I bet she enjoyed it anyway. I love Play n Dine. We've done it every trip with Xander so far and already have plans to do it again next trip. Xander is not as into Jake as Maddie, but he loves Handy Manny. He is obsessed with speaking Spanish (he speaks fake Spanish all the time).

I love the luck you had with Toy Story that morning. Yay for Bryan on holding the top score for 35 minutes. I also think it is funny that you beat the lady to be the first to ride. She should have waited for her family anyway rather than trying to be rude to people entering with their whole family. The 40 minute line for Buzz and Woody is a bummer. I want to do that again this trip, since the boys slept through it last trip. We are not planning on getting to the park early that day, so it may not work out. I love the Little Mermaid show too.

 

[kmedina]

I need my caffeine in the morning too. At home, I only drink Pepsi. While at Disney, I settle for coke, since I do not like coffee. Good thing Maddie did not know about the Playhouse Disney show. Xander always demands to watch it multiple times each trip, and we have to find excuses to keep it down to one. The Beauty and the Beast show there is my favorite. While I am not really into Princesses in particular, Belle is my favorite (even though I like the Little Mermaid cartoon better). I cannot miss seeing Beauty and the Beast each trip. Whenever the touring cast comes to Vegas, I have to watch the show too. As a matter of fact, it will be here tomorrow. We have tickets for Saturday.

We've only eaten at 50s once and were not impressed. The food was okay, but our server did not do any of the fun things I read about. Like Bryan, I purposely kept my elbows on the table. She never said anything. I guess she was just not into it. A nearby server was, and I was jealous that we were not seated in that section. Glad you got a fun server.

 

[kmedina]

I love that you were able to get Maddie back on the Tower of Terror. Something tells me Xander will not be willing to ride again until Connor is finally tall enough to ride. Since Connor is 5th percentile in height, I am guessing that will be a long time away. I cannot see what "guy" Maddie picks out for her reward for trying. There cannot be too many left that she does not already have. In that aspect, I bet she enjoys being an only child.

We have not done Cape May dinner yet, because I am not a seafood fan. We all loved the breakfast. Crap would probably love it, so I am saving it for when we finally get to stay at BC. The desserts do look good even though they are small.

I absolutely adore the character topiaries and need to take a trip during Flower and Garden one year. We will just have to hide from the extra bees I am sure we'll see buzzing around. It is hilarious that you were your Queen shirt the same day Maddie wore her princess shirt. Too bad you did not take a picture. I may do that someday myself if I ever have a daughter, but I will totally be doing it on purpose. Bryan really does spoil both of you. I love that he told you to get both Queen shirts. I know Crap would have talked me out of buying even one.

Connor would go crazy for the Lightning and Mater topiaries. He is so into cars right now but even more into Cars. Crap never wants to stay for Illuminations. I think he would love your touring style with the midday breaks and leaving before the wee hours of the night. Every trip, I try to tour a little slower for him. We are finally starting to get to more of a compromise. I just hope he lets us stay for all of the Halloween party this year.

I was also surprised by how long it takes to cross Epcot. They should not even give 8am reservations when they wait until then to open the line. Everyone will be late. That is probably why we had a long wait to get seated last time even though we were already late. Everyone must get there between 8:15-8:20 for all reservations from about 8 to 8:30. I am glad you got your beloved salami, especially since the potatoes were not good. We really liked Snow White there too. I do not remember seeing Cinderella, so I had to review our pictures. We had Mary Poppins instead in December 2011.

I LOVE the Princess dress you made Maddie. I wish I could hire you to make our Halloween costumes. The ready made ones are terrible, and I do not have your talent.

Glad you got to ride Soarin twice that morning and once the night before. The rude is growing on me, but I have never experienced short wait times. On vacation, parents ca give their kids as much sugar and salt as they want. Vacations should be special, and I already happened to think you are great parents anyway. Those crowds looked terrible, lol.

Love the stock pp photos of Flower and Garden. Truly beautiful.

Lunch at 11:30 after an 8:00 breakfast is a pitfall of deluxe Dining. Crap got irritated whenever I scheduled a sit down meal less than 5 hours before the prior one, so I had to get crafty last trip. We are doing the regular plan this trip, and I guarantee he will suggest we return to the deluxe plan the one after that. Italian food is my favorite, so I loved your Via Napoli review. Glad to hear it was good. Deep dish pizza is my favorite. You are so luck to live in the home of deep dish pizza since you love that style as much. You like the thin style. Crap only likes the thin style, so we have to compromise a lot. Hopefully, you get dessert next to time you dine there.

I love all of Maddie's Halloween costumes. It is cute that she did not want to get her costume filthy before Halloween. Xander always wants to wear his all the time beforehand and could not care less if he gets dirty. Boys and girls are so different. The dress you made is actually my favorite even though she looked darling in Cinderella's wedding dress. I adore that Bryan dressed as her Prince Charming. It is even cuter that he swore he would never dress in a costume.

I am glad Snow White was worth the 45 minute wait. Maddie's cheeks were read, but she was awake and having a good time. That is good. You are not crazy for asking Via Napoli to fix the credit mess. It is not always convenient to go back to your front desk to correct the problem, especially toward the end of the trip. Even if it was a printing glitch and your credits were all really there, she should have understood your concern. I could not agree with you more on the sharpies used for coloring. Huge mistake. Crayola needs to sponsor the stations. Enough said. Every line to see a princess in Epcot has always been so long. That is the only time I am glad I do not have a daughter. Glad the Belle and Beast line was only 20 minutes though. Xander asked me about the phone booths too. Even in Vegas, it is hard to find a pay phone and almost impossible to find a phone booth.

We finally saw most of one of the Fairy movies. This is the first trip I am looking forward to seeing Pixie Hollow. I love the topiaries and agree it was good you stopped.

I love handing the kids iPads to get things done, so I can totally relate with you that afternoon. Crap decided to buy Xander his own mini in October. In January, I decided I would buy the new iPad for myself, since Xander had one before I did. Connor broke the screen on Xander's iPad, so we got Xander a new iPad mini in March (before the cruise). We covered the broken glass on Xander's and gave it to Connor. On the flights, all four of us were playing with our individual iPads. It worked nicely on the flights down there but not as well on the way back. You really did get a fantastic view at CG. You've tempted me to finally dine at CG (on the trip after our next). I have to try the best dessert ever. What a bummer you had to ride the bus back with a bunch of obnoxious, loud singing, unsupervised kids.

Once again, your experience with the monorail proves it value is over rated. After trying to ride it 6 times and only riding it 2 at the GF last time, I have no qualms at all staying at AoA this trip. Other than Lilo, it looks like you had some great characters at Ohana. Stitch was a lot if fun for us too. It's cool to see Maddie enjoying the parade. Xander never joins them, but I think Connor will (when he is older).

I have never seen the welcome show either and doubt we will on this upcoming trip. Someday, I want to see it. The picture of you and Maddie in front of the castle is very cute. On no, the dreaded people in suits comment. Hopefully, the little girl or her Dad took your hint. Poor Mads. Glad you were quick on your feet with that one. I bet the characters really do enjoy Maddie as much as she enjoys them. Her questions are so cute and thoughtful. Plus, I bet Eric only kisses hands of the most special girls. My kids take the pictures, maybe give a hug and there off. As such, they miss out on the special interactions. Yet another reason I need a daughter. Sounds like Woody and Jesse were a lot of fun. I am glad Bryan made it back in time to see that.

I love Uncle Cory's quilt and think it is really cool that Darth is stitched into the back. What a fantastic load if gifts Maddie got for Christmas. The American Girl dolls are divine. We wandered into the Hollywood store a few years ago, and I was in love. Crap would not let me get Xander a boy doll. If I ever have a daughter, I will return. She will take her Dollie to lunch too, which is an adorable concept. I peeked in the dining room and was overjoyed.

Sorry to hear that your sneezes were more than just allergies. Even if you were feeling better, I doubt you would have been impressed with the ziti. Like Bryan, I find Tony's average even on the verge of being below average. You are quick on your feet coming up with the meatball reasoning. We did love the lady and the tramp items and ambiance. Good thing your "few minutes" made you feel a little better.

I agree with you on Chef Mickey's. Xander loves it though, so we have to dine there each trip. It was so cute of Donald to come back to show Maddie that "he" found his hat.

I love that Maddie told Terrance he was her adad's favorite. That made me giggle. How lovely to wrap up with a nice set of princesses. The cheerleaders making their own "fast pass" line is quite rude. Cast members should not allow that. It is surprising sometimes to see what cast members allow some guests to do. We were setting up for a photo line on DCL recently when a family who was with the group in front of us almost literally shoved us out of the way. Crap told me not to say anything, but it really bothered me. If they were going to come out of nowhere and cut the line, they should have done it before the group they were "with" rather than after that group was leaving and we were already setting up. Crap said DCL must allow last minute line cutting for the same group since the cast member said nothing. What was worse was that we had waited over 20 minutes. Connor was fine while we were setting up and started crying when we had to back up for the cutting group. Then, they proceeded to take a ton of poses. I hope the group behind us did not think they were with us, since we said nothing when we were forced back in line. I frequently get the I do not want to leave tears from Xander too, but he does it far worse on DCL than WDW or Dl. Watching Wishes while crying with Maddie was a great way to end your trip.

It is too bad you were so sick on the return flight and did not all have seats together. The airplane is always so filled with germs, because it is not like people can cancel their flights and stay in a hotel for 2 weeks while they get over their colds. Then, they are not cleaned very well between guests, so sickness spreads. It is not your fault though. Someone who did not want to cancel their expensive WDW vacation (and I do not blame them) got you sick. What can you do? It is just a shame that all the sneezing messed up your ears and caused vertigo, which is no fun at all.

I love your recap on favorite meals and total characters. Your character count has me in awe. for all of your changes since the trip with the new jobs, house, school, etc. I enjoyed reading this very much and am looking forward to your next one.

 

[Z28KatCar]

Finished up Maddie's latest princess gown this evening, and couldn't wait to share. I really like this one!

OMG! I love the dress! I'm trying to get caught up on the trip report