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

[StitchIsOurHero]

I hate that you didn't love CP...though the breakfast there isn't one of my favorites. I love their chocolate chip Mickey pancakes, but that's about it! Maudie is too adorable! My DS (who's 3, lest you think he's a stalker ) thinks your reveal video from this trip report is a Disney commercial! He keeps asking to watch the "princess find out she's going to Disney!".

 

[katt789]

Ah, thats not good you guys didnt like CP! Then again, we went for dinner last sept and thats a never again for me. I also will never do a 10am breakfast again. I honestly am such a "take one of everything and then take 2 bites of it all" type of eater, so buffets are great for me! Lawl. Ugh, I cannot wait to have kids and bring them to disney!! So magical, I guarantee i will be crying the entire time!

 

[laura74]

On our way in MiL wanted to stop and visit her stone (she bought one of those legacy stones in ’94, she likes to visit it).

We have to visit my daughter's picture in that area in front of Epcot every year too.

We walked slowly up Main Street, and as we approached the castle, I noticed that there was a bridal party taking pictures in front of the castle. I mentioned to the PP Photog that I thought it would be really cool to do that. She said they’d gotten married in the little garden between Main Street and Tomorrowland. While I think it would be an amazing wedding venue, I hope that Maddie never catches on to that being a possibility. We’d go broke!

Similar conversations in our house.

We took several pictures, and after listening to me complain about it for 2 days, DH politely asked his mother if she’d mind not joining us for a few of them. Yay Bryan!!

Wow! Yay Brian!

Now, I’m going to warn you that this review might upset some people.

I can take it.

Bryan’s mom has been insisting for years that his favorite breakfast food from childhood trips to WDW was the Puffed French Toast. We suspect that she’s been confusing him with his brother as Bryan was a very, very picky eater and it’s about as likely that he would have grown wings and flown away as it is that he’d willing put something like Puffed French Toast on his plate, but he got some from the buffet to appease her.

Having said all that, it’s tough to have a bad time watching your 5 year old have so much fun.

True. You put up with a lot for that!

Great update Shannon! I love the photos of Maddie with the characters.

 

[RGirl]

Thanks for the update - loved the cute pics with the characters!

Sorry you didn't enjoy the food much. I am not a fan of most buffet food myself. And I have also learned that I should not listen to everyone and book breakfasts - turns out I forgot that I don't really like breakfast food very much!

Looking forward to hearing about some fun in the MK!

 

[hardingk]

Glad to hear your MIL is leaving soon and your vacation can really start!!

 

[TinksThree]

Love the PhotoPass pictures!! We had lunch at CP last year and it was the best meal of our trip. But I know how places can have bad moments and ours was Chef Mickey's breakfast in 2010. I will probably never do breakfast there again. And you are so right...Disney bacon is a mystery meat!!

 

[IheartDDuck]

Girl, you don't have to apologize for not liking CP. I found the food to be a little overwhelming too. Not terrible, not great either. But I'm also a super picky breakfast eater.

You are right though, you can still consider it a good meal if Maddie had lots of fun. But to me, 90 minutes for characters is a little excessive.

 

[jecskc]

I am so sorry that you dislike your MIL so much. I loved mine and I miss her greatly now that she has passed. And I am sad that my children did not get to spend more time with her and get to know her better.

Loving your TR !!

 

[tralin]

Love the pics in front of the castle. Really love the second to last one of Maddie and Eeoyre.

I got the hint when you told me "CP was convenient" and didn't say much else. I actually cancelled it a few days ago since we aren't huge Pooh fans and I really do have to think about the rest of the family. We are going to Liberty Tree instead for the "comfort food". DH is so happpy. Still trying to get into 1900 for dinner but we can only do it one day. Wasn't going to until your review. What the heck. At least Maddie is starting the day out on good note! Can't wait to hear if the "secret mission" was successful.

 

[MrsTeddy]

I'm sorry the food dissapointed at CP. I really hope it was just an off morning and when we go in July its yummy. We are pretty easy to please tho!

As usual Maddie is ADORABLE! She's always dressed so well and is such a girly girl I love it!

 

[shan23877]

Does MIL leave in the next installment???????

Very soon!

You know, one of my favorite things about our BWV stay was the walks to DHS and Epcot. Not just the convenience of it but the actual walks - it was so nice to start the day quietly with a peaceful walk (especially the one to DHS).

I like it too. It's nice to start the day with a little peace and quiet before joining the masses. That was my favorite part of the day at CBR, the walk across the resort to OPR was so nice!

Heather is cruising right now, I do believe!!!! I'm guessing she might be starting a TR while I am enjoying the views of Alaska with Mickey.

Yay! I'll have 2 DCL TRs to read!

Great photopass pictures in front of the castle! Glad y'all were able to get some of just the 3 of y'all.

Thanks! I was glad to get some at last, but we made up for the lack of them later in the trip!

Bryan reminds me of Ed - wanting to sample all of the biscuits & gravy.



I'm so sorry the food wasn't good. Sounds like y'all might have hit it right before it got refreshed.

We probably did. We did dinner there last trip, and the food was fine. Not spectacular, but not bad. I did most of our character meals for breakfast figuring that breakfast food is pretty hard to make badly. This was just disappointing.

But, at least Maddie enjoyed the characters! Although, I agree with you that 90 mins is long for a character meal.

She had a lot of fun! It was probably the length of time that we waited that really put the meal in a bad light. We did every character meal available (except CMC breakfast and MBYBBQ) and none of them came even close to taking this long. I was also really eager to get going knowing what was coming next.

Maddie is always so adorable in her pictures! I love her dancing and her little poses! So glad you finally got some family pictures!

Thank you so much! Posing and dancing are her specialties.

Oh no! Sorry you didn't enjoy your food and you waited so long for characters. Weird! I mean I've been there twice, both times for breakfast. The first time was at like 10:30 or so, and the second time was at 8:05. Both times the food was great and the characters came around quickly. It's such a shame that yall didn't get to enjoy it as much as you wanted. I'm so sorry!

We enjoyed our dinner there last trip, the food was good and the characters came around pretty quickly. I was really surprised to have had such a long wait this time. If the food had been less than good, but the characters were fast, we wouldn't have minded so much. It was still a lot of fun though! It didn't dampen our spirits, the best part of the day was yet to come!

We've eaten there for breakfast on at least one of our MK days on every trip. I've never eaten the Mickey waffles. I know, I know, I'm just not much of a waffle fan. I do agree with you on the eggs. Most of the time I find them too runny for me. Don't even get me started on disney bacon. It's either rock hard or barely cooked. they can't ever seem to get it right for me. LOL!!

I LOVE waffles, they are my favorite things to have for breakfast. So for them to be bad was really disappointing. My fave thing to have with my waffles? Bacon, and lots of it. Disney always lets me down with the bacon. Though, there was one place that we had really good bacon this trip. I'm gonna go through my notes and see if I wrote down where it was.

Your DH sounds just like mine. He knows that I'm antsy to get going when we are at MK. He usually tells me to go ahead and he will catch up. LOL!

Isn't that sweet? I just can't sit there watching everyone else enjoying MK!

Love the Photopass pictures. Such a beautiful family.

Thank you so much!!

I'm sorry the food at CP wasn't good. We ate breakfast there last year and loved it. We waited forever for Tigger too, but finally our waitress took us to him after we had been there a while.

CP always gets really good reviews for breakfast, I'm guessing we just got there at the tail end of a batch of food. Tigger always seems to take forever, I think it's because he's so popular, he ends up giving each table a lot of time. And that's a good thing!

Those are great pics of Maddie with the characters and your family in front of the castle! I can't wait to hear more about Maddie's day!

Thank you! No matter what else happened at breakfast, those were some of the best character pics we got of her! More Maddie's day coming up soon!

Great photopass pictures. I'm glad you were finally able to get some family pictures of just the 3 of you.

Thanks!

I appreciate the honest review of CP. I, personally, enjoy it. I will definitely admit though that while the buffets at Disney World are convenient, and do have some good food, it is still a buffet. You're going to get some food that has sat out too long, and when they're cooking mass quantities of everything like that, sometimes it just isn't going to come out perfectly. I guess that's kind of the gamble of booking one of them.

I totally agree. I've worked in restaurants forever, so I'm usually pretty understanding. I think that on this particular day it was a combination of the slow service, bad food, and characters taking forever that did us in.

The last time we ate at CP it was for dinner and our experience was much the same as yours. We ate at Hollywood and Vine 4 years ago and the food was so bad DW won't even consider going back there, even though DS loves Disney Junior.

It's funny that you say that because we had a great meal at H&V later in the trip! We were the first people in the door though, so that might have made a difference. That's too bad because DD is a DisJr. nut and she had a ton of fun with the characters there.

How cool that you saw the bridal party in front of the castle! What a beautiful venue!!

I loved watching them get their pictures taken, I can't imagine how beautiful that wedding album was! And what a venue! I read up on Disney weddings the other night out of curiosity, and Holy Cow!!! DH and I better start stocking the $ away now just in case DD wants something like that!

That's too bad that you guys weren't too big fans of CP! We had thought the food was great, maybe you guys just got a lackluster batch. Glad that Maddie had a good time though!

I think that it may have been just bad timing. We've enjoyed dinner there before, this just wasn't. All was not lost, Mads had a great time with the characters!

I'm just not a fan of buffets so I feel you on the CP. I love the atmosphere but the food not so much.

Jill in CO

Buffets are not my favorite things either, but for breakfast I usually love them. The view can't be beat, but I'm ready to move on to other places. I really hope that Be our Guest does a character breakfast, I'd love to try that one.

Loving you review so far!

Thank you!

It is very difficult traveling with my mom too so I know what you're feeling! Our first trip when I had but one kid who was 2 at the time was me, my husband, Tyler, and my mom...I vividly remember being in MGM in tears and telling her it was the worst vacation ever and it was all her fault! We have travelled at the same time since but never "together"...just at the same time. We just don't travel well together...

Some people just don't travel well together. My mom and I do ok because we both like to go-go-go and see everything. Also, with my mom I'm not at all shy about speaking up!

And we have found Crystal Palace to be one of the longest character meals too...it seems like it takes forever for those guys to get around!

Looking forward to reading more!

It does seem to take a while, and it always seems to be Tigger that takes the longest! Have you ever watched him though? Every single person in the place seems to want a picture with him, adults included. I've always assumed that's why.

CP hasn't really been doing it for me lately either and I am glad we will be skipping it next trip

I'm ready to take a break from it too.

OF COURSE she had to bounce and twirl around while you were looking for MiL's paver! That kid is super cute!

Thanks! I assume that Brynn would approve?

I guess everywhere does have off days and off times. I'm not a big breakfast eater, but I do love CP breakfast. Honestly, though, since I don't eat much at breakfast because I'm not big on breakfast food, I wouldn't notice if something tasted sub-par (except corned beef hash--I tried it for the first time ever there last trip and I am NOT a fan). I guess I just love it for the characters...and getting there before park opening...and the fact that my kids could eat their weight in fruit and boiled eggs. (yuck!)

I love breakfast food, so I was bummed. I don't enjoy Corned Beef Hash either. I stick to waffles and eggs. Maddie wouldn't eat a boiled egg if you paid her, but the fruit? I think she probably put away 2 or 3 pounds of it at every meal!

I giggled a little at the restaurant's description because, yes, a chef WILL come to your table; I even took a picture of him for my TR! But this trip I am so happy not to have to see him (sorry, Chef) since Brynn can now tolerate most dairy! We can just steer her away from yogurt and we'll be just fine on our own! That deserves a banana dance.

That totally deserves a banana! or 3.

That's awesome. You must be so relieved!

I LOVE your family in front of the castle. So cute! You are adorable!!

Thank you!

So, no offending me with the CP reviews. We ate there last year and it was fine, but we weren't wowed and didn't return. I was a bit bummed after we ate there, because we never saw Tigger. He never came to our table, and I did mention it to someone, and Tigger was doing something with some other family, and we never got to say hi. It wasn't a huge deal--my kids were less into the characters last year than this year--but it was kind of a let down.

I wasn't impressed by their food either. I feel like it's pretty easy to do a decent breakfast buffet, and we have had meals at other breakfast buffets that we've liked better.

It was fine at dinner last year, not special. The only reason I booked it was because it was in MK. We did the castle breakfast last year, and it was much better. I'm sure you've noticed that characters are very important to Maddie, so I do try to book one per day for her. I figured breakfast buffets would be the least offensive.

CP is in a killer location, though--love that castle view!

Great pics of Maddie, as always! Such a sweetheart!

It does have that location going for it... we had a great view!

Thank you!

 

[shan23877]

I hate that you didn't love CP...though the breakfast there isn't one of my favorites. I love their chocolate chip Mickey pancakes, but that's about it! Maudie is too adorable! My DS (who's 3, lest you think he's a stalker ) thinks your reveal video from this trip report is a Disney commercial! He keeps asking to watch the "princess find out she's going to Disney!".

We didn't love CP, but we didn't hate it either. It was just a combination of everything. I think we just got the tail end of a buffet.

That is the sweetest thing I've ever heard. I teared up a little when I read that! How awesome!!!! That just made my day, so thank you!

Ah, thats not good you guys didnt like CP! Then again, we went for dinner last sept and thats a never again for me. I also will never do a 10am breakfast again. I honestly am such a "take one of everything and then take 2 bites of it all" type of eater, so buffets are great for me! Lawl. Ugh, I cannot wait to have kids and bring them to disney!! So magical, I guarantee i will be crying the entire time!

The strangest thing was knowing that you guys enjoyed the meal literally right after we were there! It is so strange! I'm thinking that we got the tail end of some pans.

I can't wait for you to have a little one to take, it really is a whole new experience. Everything is so new and magical to them. It's amazing.

We have to visit my daughter's picture in that area in front of Epcot every year too.

We always visit it for her too.

Similar conversations in our house.

I looked on the Disney Wedding sight after this trip. It's frightening! Beautiful, but frightening.

Wow! Yay Brian!



I can take it.

Tough guy.


True. You put up with a lot for that!

It makes it worth it.

Great update Shannon! I love the photos of Maddie with the characters.

Thanks! and you didn't touch the tea thing. Remarkable restraint.

Thanks for the update - loved the cute pics with the characters!

Thank you!

Sorry you didn't enjoy the food much. I am not a fan of most buffet food myself. And I have also learned that I should not listen to everyone and book breakfasts - turns out I forgot that I don't really like breakfast food very much!

I booked them because I knew we'd need to do some character meals, and I figured that breakfast would be the least disappointing. I really do like breakfast food though. I think that we got the tail end of the batch. We didn't hate it though. Maddie had fun, so that's worth it.

Looking forward to hearing about some fun in the MK!

We had some very girly fun that day! Can't wait to share it!

Glad to hear your MIL is leaving soon and your vacation can really start!!

It got less stressful, that's for sure.

Love the PhotoPass pictures!! We had lunch at CP last year and it was the best meal of our trip. But I know how places can have bad moments and ours was Chef Mickey's breakfast in 2010. I will probably never do breakfast there again. And you are so right...Disney bacon is a mystery meat!!

Thank you! I think a lot of the character meals can be hit or miss. We've had both good and bad experiences at CP and 1900. Chem Mickey's has always been good for us though. I guess you never know!

What's up with the bacon? They do so many things well, you'd think that bacon wouldn't be the bad food?!

Girl, you don't have to apologize for not liking CP. I found the food to be a little overwhelming too. Not terrible, not great either. But I'm also a super picky breakfast eater.

I'm kinda picky too. I hate over-cooked eggs, the waffles must be fluffy, and the bacon should be crispy. Perhaps I'm too hard to please?

You are right though, you can still consider it a good meal if Maddie had lots of fun. But to me, 90 minutes for characters is a little excessive.

90 mins was by far the longest we've ever waited at a character meal-by almost 30 minutes! But, those meals are for Maddie, and she had fun. Mission accomplished.

I am so sorry that you dislike your MIL so much. I loved mine and I miss her greatly now that she has passed. And I am sad that my children did not get to spend more time with her and get to know her better.

Loving your TR !!

I'm really glad that you posted that because I didn't realize how I was coming off.

I really don't dislike my MiL. Maybe I was expecting too much from her this trip, but I was really just disappointed in the way she acted. If she acted like that all the time I wouldn't have been so upset, (and we wouldn't have invited her. ) I really thought that she'd be so happy to be there with her granddaughter that she'd be as happy as we were. I'm upset that she said and did mean things, but I still love her.

I'm sorry for you that you've lost your MiL, I think grandparents are so important. I don't blame you for wishing that she were here for you kids.

Thank you!

Love the pics in front of the castle. Really love the second to last one of Maddie and Eeoyre.

Thank you! I thought we got some really good character pics at that breakfast!

I got the hint when you told me "CP was convenient" and didn't say much else.

I didn't want to tell you not to do it, but since that was the last experience we had there... and if your kids aren't huge Pooh fans, well there are better meals out there.

I actually cancelled it a few days ago since we aren't huge Pooh fans and I really do have to think about the rest of the family. We are going to Liberty Tree instead for the "comfort food". DH is so happpy. Still trying to get into 1900 for dinner but we can only do it one day. Wasn't going to until your review. What the heck. At least Maddie is starting the day out on good note! Can't wait to hear if the "secret mission" was successful.

I've never tried LTT,but I've heard really good things about it! I'll bet that your DH will be happier there!

If you don't get 1900, that's what next trips are for! I do think that it's the character meal that the teens might like the best though.

That's a lot of pressure on my dining reviews!

Maddie's favorite way to start the day is with characters.

Operation Secret Mission results will be revealed in the next update!

I'm sorry the food dissapointed at CP. I really hope it was just an off morning and when we go in July its yummy. We are pretty easy to please tho!

I think that it was just an off hour. Katt really liked it, and she was there right after us.

I'm sure that you'll enjoy it, the location is awesome!

As usual Maddie is ADORABLE! She's always dressed so well and is such a girly girl I love it!

Thank you! I wish that I could take credit for how she dresses, but usually I just buy the pinkest and sparkliest things that I can find because that's all she's gonna wear! The Cubs t-shirts that I buy her? They sit in her closet until they don't fit anymore.

I did do the packing for her, so I guess I can take some of the credit!

Thanks so much!

 

[katt789]

The strangest thing was knowing that you guys enjoyed the meal literally right after we were there! It is so strange! I'm thinking that we got the tail end of some pans.

I can't wait for you to have a little one to take, it really is a whole new experience. Everything is so new and magical to them. It's amazing.


I know right?! So weird, maybe we were just hungrier? I definitely agree on the eggs not being that good, and Disney having horrible bacon. I also tried the stuffed french toast (which is so highly recommended) and I didn't like it, the great things for me were the potato casserole thing, and the fruit & salmon.

ACK! Don't even!! I CANNOT WAIT (I should probably get working on that boyfriend before we think of little princesses though LAWL )

 

[laura74]

Thanks! and you didn't touch the tea thing. Remarkable restraint.

Ha! I had to go back and look. I guess since it's a buffet you couldn't be all special-ordery like tea drinkers get.

 

[merbobear]

That's too bad about your experience at CP! I have eaten there twice, but both times were for dinner. The first time, last year, we raved about it to anyone that would listen (mostly ourselves) and so it was a no-brainer to repeat the meal this year. Well, this year, it was good...but not even a shadow of what I had remembered from a year prior. The character interaction was still great, but it did take them a while to make it through (I have never been warned about a 90 minute character rotation when being seated, though!).

I also love that picture of you holding Maddie in front of the castle, it reminds me of myself & my dd...with her ridiculously long body and legs, looking all grown up and big-kid-like, but still wanting me to hold her and carry her like a little baby! Despite the fact that she's a back breaker, I'm all too happy to oblige. Love when big kids are still our little babies at heart!

 

[Caretames1]

I see where Maddie get her molestation tendencies from



We enjoyed CP food last time we were there, but I see where food can be poor at times. I hope you caught it at the wrong time.

We waited the whole hour we were there for all the characters as well. We were ready to bolt when Piglet came along.


I pay at the beginning of the meal to avoid just that!

 

[CatNipRules]

I see where Maddie get her molestation tendencies from

LOL!! I was thinking the same thing, but couldn't find a good way to say it. LOL!!

 

[shan23877]

ACK! Don't even!! I CANNOT WAIT (I should probably get working on that boyfriend before we think of little princesses though LAWL )

What about Naveen? Isn't that the plan?

Ha! I had to go back and look. I guess since it's a buffet you couldn't be all special-ordery like tea drinkers get.

That's too bad about your experience at CP! I have eaten there twice, but both times were for dinner. The first time, last year, we raved about it to anyone that would listen (mostly ourselves) and so it was a no-brainer to repeat the meal this year. Well, this year, it was good...but not even a shadow of what I had remembered from a year prior. The character interaction was still great, but it did take them a while to make it through (I have never been warned about a 90 minute character rotation when being seated, though!).

I think it's on the website about the 90 minutes, or maybe in the confirmation emails? and the server warned us too.

Isn't that the worst? When you remember a place as fantastic and when you go back it's just not? So disappointing.

I also love that picture of you holding Maddie in front of the castle, it reminds me of myself & my dd...with her ridiculously long body and legs, looking all grown up and big-kid-like, but still wanting me to hold her and carry her like a little baby! Despite the fact that she's a back breaker, I'm all too happy to oblige. Love when big kids are still our little babies at heart!

Thank you! She still wants to be picked up and held all the time, and as long as I can hold her, I will.

I see where Maddie get her molestation tendencies from

I wondered if anyone would catch that!

I was trying to get the camera out of the picture, but it sure does look like that, doesn't it?

We enjoyed CP food last time we were there, but I see where food can be poor at times. I hope you caught it at the wrong time.

We waited the whole hour we were there for all the characters as well. We were ready to bolt when Piglet came along.


I pay at the beginning of the meal to avoid just that!

That's a great idea!! From now on we'll pay at the beginning of the meal, I wish I'd thought of that because I'm always ready to leave by the time we're done.

I'm sure it was just a bad morning. I think the CP is by far the longest wait for the characters.

 

[RGirl]

I booked them because I knew we'd need to do some character meals, and I figured that breakfast would be the least disappointing. I really do like breakfast food though. I think that we got the tail end of the batch. We didn't hate it though. Maddie had fun, so that's worth it.

We had some very girly fun that day! Can't wait to share it!

I booked character breakfasts for that reason too - it made sense that it would be harder to mess up breakfast food at a buffet. However, forgetting that I'm not really into breakfast food - well, that didn't work out so well! The characters are fun there though, and it's awesome that Maddie had such a good time. Willow did too - and SHE LOVES breakfast food.

Can't wait to hear about some girly fun!!!

 

[KatMark]

I'm all caught up again (sorry I've not gotten here sooner...so much going on with my MIL...although it is because she is ill and NOT a pill ).

I love the updates; we've never done Ohana for dinner...we really need to get there. I'm not even going to say what I'm thinking about your MIL and her behavior. All I'll say is "Seriously?"

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy your food at CP. It is our must-do and only character meal we do anymore. I am a HUGE puffed french toast lover. You are right...Disney does NOT know how to do bacon at all. I think, perhaps, you hit the end of the food or something, becasue ours has always been warm. I can't comment on the eggs becasue I don't do them.

I do love the photopass photos WITHOUT the MIL; and the pics of Maddie with Pooh and friends are great.