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

[amandaw]

You really ARE looking out for us. Count me in!!!!!

See....we'd just have to slightly change the cruise you have booked.

 

[shan23877]

I'm so glad that Amanda is looking out for all of us!

That is a neat story. Maddie is so adorable. Glad you had a great time and converted someone to Disney. There were chimps on the loose her yesterday, so people got to see some animals for free. We were out a bit yesterday and sadly (or should I say fortunately) missed them. They actually belonged to a citizen, not the rindy dink zoo we have here.

It was great, and I can't wait to introduce my friend to WDW. Hopefully it'll work out. She and I traveled together a lot in college so I know that she'd be a good fit for our touring style.

That's scary about the chimps! (and that someone owns them ). I'm glad that you and the boys didn't run into them. The zoo here is wonderful. If you ever make it to Chicago, I'll take you. There's lots of great museums and a wonderful aquarium too!

And to make matters more tiresome, my child decided to let every ounce of badness in him shine bright for all to see. I had to put him in time out at one point & he screamed the entire time. He usually isn't terrible, but put him around new people or people he hasn't seen in a while & oh my goodness, he sure can show his tail.

I'm so sorry. Maddie usually saves all of her bad behavior just for mom and dad, but I'm sure that's really frustrating.

We really are. Ed & I made the decision to only have 1 child for a variety of reasons. Most days, I really do enjoy having only one child. But, there are some days I wish he had a sibling to play with instead of always asking us. Not that I don't want to play with him but I have to get things done in the house as well. And I think it's important that he understands that Mommy & Daddy can't always drop everything just to do whatever he wants.

Biology had kind of decided for us, but we still haven't ruled out the possibility of one more. I often think about how much harder it would be though. I know exactly what you mean about being the playmate. I hate having to tell her that I can't play because I have things to do, but I can't just be available all the time. We'd live in a dump!

You betcha! I haven't given up hope!



That's right! I'm just looking out for us. Kids in the club.....Fun chit chat & drinks for the adults!

That sounds so nice....

You really ARE looking out for us. Count me in!!!!!

I'd love to, maybe not this year though. I'm so scared to miss the parks!

That is so cute. My DD thinks that holiday means Disney world! I need to make her realise that isn't always the case!

Maddie does too. She thinks that all vacations lead to WDW, all planes fly to WDW, and that everything is going to be just like WDW. 4th of July fireworks disappointed her too. They weren't as good as Wishes.

See....we'd just have to slightly change the cruise you have booked.

 

[hstrickland]

Ok....so I only have 49 pages to catch up on Obviously I'm quite late to this report....I'm trying to come up with a good excuse, but don't seem to have one

Back to reading...
Heather

 

[kmedina]

The zoo here is wonderful. If you ever make it to Chicago, I'll take you. There's lots of great museums and a wonderful aquarium too!

It is funny you mention that. I had my first interview in over a decade on Wednesday (was at my previous job for over 11 years). Everything was going well until the panel said there is a lot of training in the first year. You can expect to train at headquarters in Chicago about 5-6 times for 2-4 weeks at a time. Yikes. If the job paid better, I may have considered it. With all that travel, I would not even make enough to hire someone to watch the kids around the clock while Crap worked. I have not officially turned it down yet. Then again, I have not received an official offer yet either. Thanks for the offer though. Who knows? I may be there sooner rather than later if they offer to pay me more than we discussed in the panel.

 

[shan23877]

Ok....so I only have 49 pages to catch up on Obviously I'm quite late to this report....I'm trying to come up with a good excuse, but don't seem to have one

Back to reading...
Heather

Hey! Thanks for joining in!

I totally understand! There are chapter links if that helps!
No excuse needed! I'm glad you stopped by

It is funny you mention that. I had my first interview in over a decade on Wednesday (was at my previous job for over 11 years). Everything was going well until the panel said there is a lot of training in the first year. You can expect to train at headquarters in Chicago about 5-6 times for 2-4 weeks at a time. Yikes. If the job paid better, I may have considered it. With all that travel, I would not even make enough to hire someone to watch the kids around the clock while Crap worked. I have not officially turned it down yet. Then again, I have not received an official offer yet either. Thanks for the offer though. Who knows? I may be there sooner rather than later if they offer to pay me more than we discussed in the panel.

I didn't know that you wanted to go back to work. That's too bad that there's so much training far away. The cost of child care can be outrageous, so I don't blame you. Selfishly, I'd love to show you around Chicago, but I get it.

That's a huge amount of training. I know lots of jobs require travel, but that seems excessive.

Thinking good thoughts for a big salary bump for you!

 

[smidgy]

growing up in chicago. we had 2 field trips a year in school. it seemed like it was always either a zoo or a museum.

and it was either Lincoln Park Zoo , or Brookfield Zoo (a western suburb) and either the Field Museum of Natural History, OR the (BEST EVER) Museum of Science and Industry.

either way, by the time I was 13, I could run a tour group!

 

[RGirl]

See....we'd just have to slightly change the cruise you have booked.

Oh, Amanda! It would be MUCH more than a "slight" change!

 

[shan23877]

As you may have guessed, on Maddie’s special princess day we were dining at Cinderella’s Royal Table. We checked in at 8:20 and were directed inside to have our photo taken with Cinderella herself.

The Lobby

The line for photos was on the longish side, but moved quickly. There were friendly CMs in the lobby who chatted with the guests while we waited. When it was almost our turn, Maddie decided that for the photo she’d need to be fully outfitted in Jasmine garb. The new gloves and purse went on, and she was ready to meet her people.

Ready for her close up

You can have these photos added to your PhotoPass card, but unfortunately I forgot.

I really wish that her underpants hadn't been hanging out.

​

After Maddie and Cindy smiled for the camera, we waited on the benches on the right hand side of the room until our name was called. 10 minutes later we were led upstairs.

 

[shan23877]

Cinderella's Royal Table


Note that the price of this meal varies based on the time of year (peak seasons vs regular season), and even on the day of the week (weekday vs weekend). The general price ranges for this meal are as follows:

Adult price range: $65.74-$70.61; Child (ages 3-9) price range: $39.64-$42.04

Tax and gratuity is included. A standard, non-alcoholic beverage is included in this price.


Imaging Package

Guests at Cinderella's Royal Table receive one professional Imaging Package for groups of up to 4 paying Guests, 2 packages for groups of 5 to 8 Guests, and 3 packages for groups of 9 to 12 Guests. Each Imaging Package includes one 6" x 8" and four 4" x 6" prints, and one 6" x 8" print of Cinderella Castle, all in a Cinderella-themed photo holder.


"Fairytale Dining at Cinderella's Royal Table"


Appetizers of the Court

Choice of one:
Rock Shrimp Cocktail - rock shrimp with tomato marmalade

Castle Salad - Mixed Greens with Seasonal Accompaniments

Royal Tasting of Cheese - a trio of cheeses with accompaniments

Roasted Beet Salad - Roasted Beets, Arugula, and Goat Cheese lightly tossed with Cherry Vinaigrette

Soup Of The Day


Entrées Royale:

Choice of one:
Friars Stuffed Chicken Breast - Asparagus, Buffalo Mozzarella, and Prosciutto stuffed Chicken Breast on top of smothered Leeks, Artichoke Hearts, and Sun-dried Tomatoes with a drizzle of a Chardonnay Beurre Blanc

Seafood Pasta - Crab and Crawfish with Pancetta, Spinach, Mushrooms, and Pappardelle Pasta laced with a White Wine Cream Sauce

Her Majesty's Catch Of The Day - Seasonal Fish braised in Pomodoro Sauce served with Vegetables over Angel Hair Pasta

Pork Three Ways - Pulled Pork with a Bacon and Andouille "Etouffee" Sauce served with Spoon Bread topped with Swiss Chard

Vegetarian "Cassoulet" - baked French-style casserole of cannelini and Garbanzo beans topped with wild mushrooms, zucchini, shallots, tomatoes, and herbs

Roasted Beef Tenderloin - Sliced Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Duchess Potatoes, Asparagus, and a Chasseur Sauce


Finale

Choice of one:

Chef's Dessert Trio - Cinderella sent her Chefs around the world to discover new desserts. They are happy to share three of their favorites with you.

Valrhona Chocolate Mousse - A light chocolate mousse presented with berries and raspberry sauce

Almond Cheesecake - with Lingonberry Jam

Seasonal No Sugar Added Sorbet - with berries


Kid's Picks

Appetizers
(Pick One)

Bite-sized Cheddar
Cheese and Grapes

Garden Salad with Ranch Dressing

Entrees
(Pick One)

Cheese Pizza

Chicken Nuggets


Desserts
(Pick One)

Decorate Your Own Dessert - Choice of: Frosted Cupcake or Vanilla Ice Cream
Yogurt Parfait

Sliced Apples

No Sugar Added Raspberry Sorbet


Beverages
(Pick One)

Small Bottled Water

100% Apple Juice

1% Milk


Kid's Whole Meals

For a Nutritionally and Well-balanced offering, Kids Complete Meals below are available. These meals include an entree, a vegetable/side, a dessert and a choice of one (1) beverage listed above.

Beef Tenderloin - served with Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans and a Yogurt Parfait

Turkey Pot Pie - topped with a Cheese Biscuit and served with a Yogurt Parfait

Roasted Chicken Leg - served with Whole-Grain Pilaf, Broccolini, and Sliced Apples


Beverages

Coffee, Tea, Hot Cocoa

Minute Maid Apple Juice or Orange Juice

Milk

Soda

Iced Tea

Lemonade

Punch


Additional Beverages (Extra charge)

Cappuccino - $3.69

Espresso - $3.19

Still and Sparkling Bottled Water - $3.25

Bibbiddi Bobbiddi Brew - A frozen smoothie served in our Cinderella's collector's mug. Take home a piece of the castle. $8.20


​

We were led to a table on the far side of the restaurant opposite the staircase, on the upper level. In addition to our flatware etc, on our table was a “royal invitation” as well as a children’s menu and crayons, and Maddie's Wishing Star. The rolls and butter was already waiting for us too, which was great because we were hungry!

​

Our waiter (who’s name I cannot remember even though he was amazing. Of course I still have the receipts for nearly every other meal we had, but not this one. Let’s call him Tony) greeted us immediately and offered us drinks. We stuck with our usual Coke, Diet Coke, and Sprite. While Tony was filling our drink order another CM was delivering appetizers to all of the children. We thought it was a little strange that they were served before we had even ordered, but it was 8:40 and Maddie was starving so it ended up working out really well.

When our drinks arrived, Tony took the orders for the first course only. Maddie was already having the aforementioned children’s appetizer- cheese and grapes. I ordered the Soup Du Jour (Mmmmm I’ll have that) which was Spicy Chicken and Corn Chowder. Bryan was torn. He really wanted to try both the Royal Tasting of Cheese and the Chowder. Upon the server’s recommendation he went with the Cheese platter, and I said I’d let him taste the soup.

Tony returned quickly with my soup and Bryan’s cheeses as well as an additional cup of the soup for Bryan. He brought him both since he’d been on the fence. He also brought a wand for Maddie as well as a wand for me and a sword for Bryan. Maddie thought that was amazing, and frankly so did we. Tony was really going the extra mile already.

A bad photo of the Cheeses

The Soup

The Princess and her Wand

​

The soup was amazing. It was spicy and creamy and there were really nice chunks of chicken breast as well as a nice amount of sweet corn. Bryan loved his cheese tasting. I tasted a few and we discovered that Bryan and I have opposite tastes in cheese. Turns out that I like the soft and stinky ones while he prefers the hard crumbly ones. Who knew?

When we were almost finished with our appetizers, Tony returned to take the orders for our main course. Maddie chose the Kid’s Complete Meal consisting of sliced Beef Tenderloin, mashed potatoes, and green beans. She was really happy to have steak available to her since she’s not really crazy about most “kid’s food” and gets pretty sick of pizza and chicken strips. I also chose the Roasted Beef Tenderloin, an adult’s portion for me though. Byran was once again torn. He wanted to try the beef, but didn’t want to order the same thing as Maddie and I did so he went with the Friars Stuffed Chicken Breast.

Right after we ordered, it was time for the Wishing Ceremony. The lights are dimmed in the room, and everyone is encouraged to close their eyes and make a wish. Maddie found this to be one of the best parts of the evening. I’m not sure what she wished for, but she swore that it came true and to this day is convinced that it was her wish that made the lights flicker on and off. I showed these photos to my MiL recently and said that I’d challenge anyone to look at these photos and tell me that trips to WDW aren’t worth it.

Wishing Ceremony

Triumphant! And proud of her new powers as ruler of the universe?

​

Again, entrees were delivered quickly. The Beef was delicious. It was tender and juicy and the sauce was great. I’m usually kind of a purist about steak, I don’t really like sauce on it, but this one was perfect. It didn’t overpower the flavor of the beef at all and was a perfect compliment to it. I loved the potatoes as well, and Bryan enjoyed my asparagus! Maddie said her steak was great, and she ate quite a bit of the potatoes (she didn’t touch the green beans but that was no surprise). Bryan wasn’t as impressed with his chicken as we were with our beef. He liked it, but after trying our meals he wished that he’d gone with the beef as well.

The Chicken

The Beef

Attempting to bully me into sharing my meal?

​

As we ate our entrees, the princesses began to make their way over to our side of the room. We met Snow White first. She was sweet but didn’t visit us for long. She was quickly replaced by one of the best Auroras that we’ve had the pleasure to meet. She chatted with Maddie at length about the fairies, spinning wheels, Prince Phillip, and of course how beautiful Maddie’s outfit was. In fact they chatted so much that I couldn’t get a very good photo of them!

Pointing out Daddy's weaponry

Mom! We're trying to talk here!

Ariel came next, and like meals in the past, she was kind of bratty. I assume that’s meant to be “keeping with character”, but I find it a little off putting. However, Maddie likes her just fine and I suppose that it’s her opinion that matters. I have to give Ariel props because Maddie mentioned the “flounder in the bathtub” information that she’d been given at the BBB, and Ariel whispered to her that he was in the sink in the kitchen that very minute. Maddie thought that was hilarious.

Finally it was time to order dessert. Bryan doesn’t like chocolate so he ordered the Almond Cheesecake, and I went against Tony’s wishes and had the trio. Tony had encouraged us to try the mousse, but I wanted to try them all. Perfect Tony sensed that we’d ordered the complete meal for Maddie not for it’s nutritional value but for the more grown up option of steak, so he offered her the cupcake or ice cream in place of the yogurt parfait. She chose the ice cream.

When dessert was delivered, Tony once again came bearing gifts. We got an extra dessert in the form of the Valrhona Chocolate Mousse. He said that he really wanted Bryan and Maddie to get a taste of it, and suspected that once I tried it I’d want more. The Trio consisted of a small portion of the cheesecake, mousse, and a small berry tart. They were all excellent, and Tony was right-the extra mousse didn’t go to waste. Bryan enjoyed the cheesecake, but Maddie was full and enjoyed decorating her ice cream sundae more than she enjoyed eating it.

The Trio

The Cheesecake

Little Jasmine with the Finished Product

While we were partaking in the veritable dessert buffet, Belle came by to say hello. She was by far the best of the princesses that we met that evening. She chatted for a long while with Maddie and then stopped back by once she’d met everyone on our level for another visit. She again picked up the “Beast has tangled fur after Test Track” storyline seamlessly and made Maddie giggle with tales of him riding the ride until he’s dizzy and saying that she makes the FGMIT at the BBB put blue bows in his hair when he’s there. She was very glad to hear that Maddie loves to read books like she does, and was of course flattered when Maddie explained that she’d dressed up like her for Halloween. I could have kissed that young lady. She really made a little girl’s day.

Tony came by to clear our dessert plates and thank us for dining with him that evening. Bryan took that opportunity to slip him another $15 (gratuity is included at CRT) and we had the chance to thank him for giving us such excellent service. He was the best waiter that we had on the entire trip, and I am so grateful that he took the time to make sure that we had a great meal. He really went above and beyond, and because of him we had a fantastic experience.

So would we eat at CRT again? Of course we would!! In fact, Bryan and I would probably eat there without Maddie! It was so great for us to be able to have such wonderful food and service at a character meal. Maddie counts it as her “favorite place to eat in the whole world” and wants to eat there every trip. We ate breakfast there on our last trip and didn’t feel that the food lived up to the “2 credit charge” but for dinner we found it to be more than worth it.

Make your reservation as early as you can because they can be tough to get, but I’d 100% recommend that everyone try Cinderella’s Royal Table.

The view (Wishes in the background)

​

Wishes had just started so we headed down the stairs hoping that we’d be able to find a spot to watch. As we left, Maddie stopped a few of the CMs to say “thank you for a lovely evening” and treat them to a curtsy. It had been a lovely evening indeed.

 

[shan23877]

growing up in chicago. we had 2 field trips a year in school. it seemed like it was always either a zoo or a museum.

and it was either Lincoln Park Zoo , or Brookfield Zoo (a western suburb) and either the Field Museum of Natural History, OR the (BEST EVER) Museum of Science and Industry.

either way, by the time I was 13, I could run a tour group!

I wish that I'd have had that chance when I was in school! I started going to them in college, and I love it! The aquarium is Maddie's favorite, but that might change. We want to take her to see the Mythbusters exhibit at The Museum of Science and Industry. She loves Mythbusters.

We've never taken her to Lincoln Park Zoo, but this was her 4th or 5th visit to Brookfield. She loves it there, especially the dolphins.

I'll have to consult you before we plan our next museum trip!

Oh, Amanda! It would be MUCH more than a "slight" change!

Oh, I can't wait to hear!

 

[kmedina]

Maddie looks so beautiful all dolled up. I want a daughter so much. Yours is pretty awesome. Yay to CRT. I had a feeling that is where she was going. That was so nice of “Tony” to bring Bryan both appetizers. I lean more toward the soft cheeses to while Crap likes them all. There may not be a cheese he does not like. I got teary eyed again when I saw the picture of Maddie making her wish. That is the difference between boys and girls. While Xander liked CRT both times he went, he never got that into it. We always seem to have great luck with Aurora on our meet and greets. After the boring one you had before, I am glad you got a good one this time. Now that Tony brought you the extra mousse too, I believe he is right up there with Keir as one of CRT’s excellent servers.

Belle sounds awesome. Based on the fact she came back to see Maddie a second time after she saw everyone else, I am guessing she enjoyed Maddie as well. Even if it was only for a few seconds, it is cool that you saw Wishes from inside the castle.

I didn't know that you wanted to go back to work. That's too bad that there's so much training far away. The cost of child care can be outrageous, so I don't blame you. Selfishly, I'd love to show you around Chicago, but I get it.

That's a huge amount of training. I know lots of jobs require travel, but that seems excessive.

Thinking good thoughts for a big salary bump for you!

Xander starts kindergarten next month. We have him enrolled in the same private school he went to preschool for. It hit me recently that we will not have much extra money at all with all of that extra tuition. I also figured we can send him there for longer than just kindergarten if I find a job. Plus, now that Connor is one, I think he will be okay without me all day long. I worked away from Xander all the time when he was a baby. I did not start working from home until he was almost 2.5 except for one day a week when he was about 8 months old. I only took six weeks off to have him. From six weeks to eight months (except rare days when I would bring him to the office with me for the entire day), I had my MIL watch him one day a week while Crap and I worked. Other than that day, we were on completely different shifts.

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

Your meal at CRT sounds absolutely wonderful!!!! I'm so glad that you all had a great time! Those are definitely the types of experiences where you know the Disney magic is alive and well!

 

[hstrickland]

So glad y'all enjoyed CRT...you hear good and bad. Probably the bad stems from the price. We absolutely love it, too!!! I had no idea the price went up??? Oh well...guess you can consider the pictures part of the price, also. We've done breakfast and lunch, and never really considered the price since we were using DxDp. Ok...and tell me....I didn't see Major Domo's Pie on the menuThat was the best stuff ever!!

It was like a puff pastry with the shredded beef...delicious!!! And I didn't see the blueberry cheese buckle dessert either...guess it has been 2 years since we've been for lunch Enough about food, right

Maddie looked cute in her princess costume! It's amazing how the little girls really think all the princesses are real....precious, isn't it?! Ya have to wonder what her wish was all about and what was going through her mind??

Heather

 

[Bethislucy]

Sounds like a really fun night at CRT. The food did look really good.

 

[Nalshersmom]

Maddie looks like she is loving every minute of everything. I hope my girls enjoy themselves as much! We have BBB at 8:40am and CRT at 8:05pm. We were hoping to get earlier reservations for both, but at 180 days that was the best we could get. We were trying to figure out if we would be in the castle during 9pm wishes. If we are, I hope we get a good seat. I love all of the pics, but I cannot help but notice the lady's bottom in the background of one of the Maddie as Jasmine pics. I can't wait to hear more about your trip!

 

[ericamcl]

I just love reading about Maddie- she is too cute!

So glad you had a nice time at CRT. I really want to try it out sometime but DH is not really interested at this point.

 

[PrincessAmongPrinces]

What a great CRT experience! I love the pics of Maddie during the Wishing ceremony. Too precious!! Your waiter sounds outstanding - that really makes such a difference! I would love to try CRT one day, but I feel like I might always get outvoted.
Awesome update! Looking forward to more.

 

[Caretames1]

What a great update! Love the photos, you are really enjoying your new camera!

I loved how Maddie is so excited to be there, having great meets, and just taking it all in. You can tell it's a truly magical experience for her. I love when Kadence feels the magic too.


Ahhh, the soup of the day, sound good, I have that! Put it on Seabasses tab!


Your food looked good, I may try CTR for supper next year. We've only done breakfast.

 

[katt789]

I'm glad CRT was so great for you! I know I loved it for dinner a year ago, but when I've been reading about breakfast there, it just doesn't seem worth it (and we did Akershus for breakfast and it really wasn't worth the price)

The wishing ceremony is just too cute, I love it! I'm glad Maddie's wish came true!

Yay for good princessess (and may I add, the two who were the best, got down to her level.... good for them)

I love CRT, and it's such a great place for people of any age, sure it's expensive, but it's IN THE CASTLE....the food is delicious, there are princesses, there's so much food, you get swords/wands, its possible to watch wishes while you eat, and it's IN THE CASTLE hahaha. It's a great time!

 

[marDgreen88]

Your dinner at CRT just sounds like it was wonderful! That's so good to hear! I've basically been dying to try that place out but I couldn't justify the 2-credits, because I hadn't heard such great things about the food... but now I'm changing my mind!

Those wishing pictures of Maddie seriously just made my day. She is so precious! Ahh, kids in Disney.