Why, My Little Guppy Has Groupies! - A Dec. 2013 TR *Completed

[marDgreen88]

I'm so excited for y'all! That sounds like it'll be an awesome trip. And HOORAY for a split stay!!! So so awesome. Too bad y'all will be there about a week after me though!

What a crazy morning. So cool that you got to see a friend!

Wow, that is one loooong meal! I actually think when I went to Coral Reef we were there a while too. But I dunno, oh well. Haha. I do hope that wasn't a theme for your whole trip though!

 

[amazingact21]

Yay on the new trip. Sorry to hear about the deployment coming, and I feel for you about going it alone on the bedtime routine, but I totally agree about making those family memories together to think back on while he's deployed. I'm excited to hear about your split stay. We've done the start-value-then-go-deluxe thing before and it's a great way to essentially make staying deluxe more affordable. I hope it's a great trip!

Alex and I thought about it and decided we needed one more short trip together as a family before he left. Normally, I wouldn't be crazy about a spur of the moment/ on a whim trip, but I'm actually very happy for this one.
Our one condition was that we wanted to try a deluxe. Even if it meant a 2 night trip, we were going to make it happen!

That's a bummer your Test Track FP+ wait was so long! Glad the Rider Swap worked well and you had a quicker wait the second time, though. Yeah, I'm not sure how I feel about the new Test Track. I really liked the old one and only went on the new one once, so I almost feel like I'd need to ride again to really decide what I liked better. I think the designing a car thing was okay once, but I doubt I'd care to do that every time.

I agree, maybe riding it a second time will give us a new perspective on it.
And call me lazy, but I'm just not excited about designing every single time. Alex is, though, so maybe I'm just not the targeted audience with TT.

Totally relate to the "would every day be this slow?" pace. We were the same way for much of our trip. We pretty much decided that two rides and a show was a full morning and/or afternoon. Crazy.

I think this was the first trip to Disney - ever - that I didn't get back to the room each night with aching feet and completely exhausted.
Guess there are advantages to barely doing anything in the parks.

Just saw your comment about Landon being more mobile and restless now. For what it's worth, it looks like he'll be about 1.5 months younger on your next trip than Izzy was on ours and we found that anything of interest (especially dark rides) had her sitting still and looking around to take everything in. I'd been worried about hanging onto her for nothing. Shows were a different story, though - she didn't like sitting still. Also, he may be able to toddle up to the characters on your next trip!

I didn't even think about him being able to walk up to the characters until you mentioned it.
I know this next trip will have different advantages and disadvantages with Landon. I'm looking forward to him actually enjoying the rides, but I also know keeping his attention might be trickier when he can't get down and run around.

Anyway, back to the updates. We ran across that gingerbread display too! Very cool! I don't remember them having that in December 2010, so we were surprised to find it and very impressed.

I don't remember them having it in 2010, either. Must've been a new creation! Perfect justification for returning to Disney year after year; things change! New displays are added!

Aw, that's sweet that you got to meet up with your friend and her baby! We actually had a non-DIS-meet on our trip too. You're right - it is really nice to have real-life friends who are very into Disney and love to discuss all the details. And they brought their baby too! (and two older kids)

Awesome! It was fun chatting with an old friend in a place both of us loved.

I swear Izzy is the only kid in the world that never much cared for Sophie. She half-heartedly played with her a few times and that's it. I'm pretty sure our dog would have liked her more, if given the chance.

Really? That's too funny. I know Sophie's saved us on a dozen occassions when Landon's being especially grouchy.
But, I do agree, our dog always look at the toy jealously. He's like, "It's rubber! It squeks! It should be mine!"

Food looks good, especially that dessert! But, wow, that is a very long meal!

Sad story about the dad and teenager and phone. Good observations about staying in the moment, though.

When we're talking meal time with a baby, that lunch took way too long. I told Alex that if all our meals were going to end up lasting several hours, then we needed to cancel them. I'm happy to say Coral was, by far, the longest, and I don't remember any of our other reservations taking so long we complained about them.

Love the updates, and what a blessing to spend some special time together before your hubby deploys. It will be so neat to see how differently Landon reacts to things you saw just a few months before. Will keep you guys in my prayers. Looking forward to hearing what happens next!

Thank you! While we're setting a bad precedent for future kids (But Landon got to go twice before he was 2!) I am really excited to see how his Disney experience changes. He's so different than he was at 7 months, that I'm ooking forward to him being more observant on the attractions and interacting more with the characters.

I can agree to the fantastic nature of The Land.
That gingerbread display is incredible! Or, incrEDIBLE. See what I did there?

I love listening to the reactions to the crowd on Soarin'. It's the best ride for guest reaction I think!
I haven't been to Coral Reef in years. I'm not a seafood fan unfortunately! I absolutely love the decor inside the restaurant, especially the tanks.
I don't even have kids and I know Sophie. My friends with kids all have Sophies! Glad Alex got Landon down to sleep with not very much issue!
Holy cow, another really long meal? Yikes!

I'm not a seafood fan, either, although I have began branching out in the last year. But the steak there was really good, and I know they have other options on the menu, so I can deal with the fishy smell. Plus, I can't pass up an opportunity to dine next to sea turtles and fish.

Haha, that's hilarious that you know Sophie. She's one popular giraffe. The guy at the cell phone store yesterday even recognized her.

 

[amazingact21]

Hmmm... The Land... Landon... I see a subtle connection as to why you might like the Land, lol.

I never even thought of that.

Alicia, you nailed the Soarin' experience perfectly. One of my favourite things and one of the things I always share with people at home is the "audience" reaction. How many rides/attractions are there where people applaud EVERY SINGLE TIME? Plus the simultaneous seat-belt click.

Oh, the belt click part...that is another favorite.

How wonderful to meet up with an old friend in Disney so spontaneously.

It was nice to be able to visit with her for a bit. I tried to see her when she worked at Goofy's during her CP but I could never catch her.

OK, I can't lie. I would LOVE to be the guy in the tank messing with people. OMG how fun!!!

After reading about your Tigger scaring incident, I'm not surprised by this.

You know, it almost makes me cry hearing that story about the table near you of the father and daughter (or whatever their relationship was). Whatever the story really was (and you're right, without knowing you can't judge), but the image itself makes me really sad. And I see that sort of thing so often these days. Plus with MyMagic+ Disney is practically begging you to be on the phone all day. Put the phone away away people and enjoy the moment.

I know not every second of a trip can be sunshine and rainbows and lasting memories, but I still think there are times when putting the phone away and holding a simple conversation is valuable. I guess what made me sad was the fact that it wasn't the teenager on the phone, like it tends to be. She never once pulled out her device, just sat and stared at the fish.

I live on a farm and minored in crop and soil science... To say I love that place is an understatement.

Wow. Yep, I could see the Land being a great place for you.

That is always an amazing way to experience those attractions for the "first time" again.

It does make an attraction you've ridden dozens of times feel new and fresh.

Always nice to reconnect with an old friend. And I can't think of a better place to do it.

There are worse places to meet up, that's for sure.

So the Coral Reef is a natural choice for lunch...

Well, my father in-law used to own a steak and seafood restaurant, and his motto was, "If you're going to serve seafood, you have to make the best darn steak in town that way people will keep coming back."
And that's kind of the rule of thumb I follow whenever Alex wants seafood. Coral Reef does have a great steak, so I didn't mind eating there again.

I like that picture.

I like it, too, if only because he's sleeping. The best kind of baby....

I love The Land, there is so much going on in there, I could seriously spend a huge chunk of my day hanging out in there! I loved that gingerbread display, it was just as impressive as the GF gingerbread house!

Exactly! Although, really, I would have to devote an entire week to Epcot if I wanted to be able to sit back and relax at all my favorite spots.
Day 1: The Land
Day 2: Fountains of Nations
Day 3: World Showcase
Etc, etc.

That's so cool that you got to see one of your friends in Disney! And meet her baby, how adorable! I seriously have no Disney friends, it's sad. No one I know really gets my Disney obsession other than my sister. Another reason I need to move to Florida.

It can be hard, not having anyone that gets the fascination. Thank goodness for the DISboards...we understand.

Coral Reef is so pretty! Poor Landon, getting cranky and tired, but at least he can sleep whenever he wants! I get tired and cranky in Disney and I just have to deal with it, I wish I could take a nap on a bench or something, but that would be weird...

They've got it made. We even provide them with a rolling bed. Sunshade and all.
I will say, I was in Epcot once when I had a nasty cold (thank you week-long cruise) and Alex and I only had the one day to do everything, so we didn't take any breaks. Well, I was so exhausted that I took a nap in the aquarium.
It was cool and dark and everybody just thought I was sitting there watching the fish.

Haha, I never wear my glasses either, just when I drive. I have this theory that if I wear them all the time, my eyes will get worse, and you know what? I think it's true, because the last eye doctor appt. I had, my eyes were exactly the same, and I go every 5 years maybe! Luckily I can still see pretty well, I just need them to drive and watch TV if it's far away...ok, this is way too much info about my glasses wearing habits. Just wanted to say, I can relate!

I'm the same way. If I'm not driving or watching something on the tv, they're just sitting on my desk.

Anyway, Coral Reef looked yummy, everything you guys had looked so good! I wasn't a huge fan of the place, it was good, but not great like you expect, so it will probably be a while before I go back! Your dessert looked amazing! I do love the desserts there!

The desserts there are really amazing. I wonder if I can go and just get an appetizer and dessert?

Awesome pics!

Thanks!

I'm so excited for y'all! That sounds like it'll be an awesome trip. And HOORAY for a split stay!!! So so awesome. Too bad y'all will be there about a week after me though!

I know! When we were deciding on dates, I told Alex, "Everyone's going the first week!" As it turns out that's not the case, but still. I was hesitant to pass up all those DISmeets.

Wow, that is one loooong meal! I actually think when I went to Coral Reef we were there a while too. But I dunno, oh well. Haha. I do hope that wasn't a theme for your whole trip though!

Probably. They aren't the fastest place to eat. I guess they want you to get your money's worth out the view and not feel like you're rushed.

 

[USAFdad]

When your mom and I did Soarin. We sat next to a guy. It was his first time riding it and man did he love it.

 

[amazingact21]

When your mom and I did Soarin. We sat next to a guy. It was his first time riding it and man did he love it.

I vaguely remember you telling me that. So, you got to experience Soarin' like I did.

 

[amazingact21]

Monday, December 2nd, 2013:

Bellies full, I asked my mom and Alex what they wanted to with their afternoon. Originally, we were all going to go back to the room and rest until our CP package was due, but two things were swaying me from doing exactly that.

The first: it was nearing 3 o'clock, and we had to be in the WS for the 5 o'clock show. By the time we found our car, drove back to the resort, we'd just have to turn around and come right back.

And the second, well, we hadn't exactly tired ourselves out that morning. I can be pretty lazy on vacation, but even I couldn't get burnt out just by going on two attractions and eating lunch over the course of 2 hours.


I knew Alex wouldn't want to leave. He's the type of person that could get to a park at opening and stay hours after it closes. His philosophy is, "You can rest after your Disney vacation."

Not a second is wasted with him, I'll say that.


I was concerned what my mom would want to do since she's a firm believer in the power of naps by the pool, and I knew she was still battling her cold, but she was fine with sticking around. I think she realized it would take more effort to leave than to just hang out in Future World for a few hours.


The decision made, I insisted it was time we get the munchkin on a ride.



A ride, you say...what about this?


This counts, right?


I am not a fan of such crazy antics, but Alex has taught Landon to love being held up in such ways that make me close my eyes. He claims he's preparing him for the roller coasters, but I think he just wants me to develop gray hairs early.



Anyways, the kiddo needed to go on something. My mom mentioned The Seas with Nemo and Friends, but I wasn't in the mood.

I'd spent enough time with fish for one day.


I thought about what else was around and thought it'd be cool to go on his shirt's namesake character's ride.

Sure, Figment might not be the best attraction in the world, but it would start teaching him early on how to use his imagination. What child doesn't need to know the importance of creativity?



To Figment we went!







There were more people over in that area than I thought there'd be. Guess Captain EO was drawing a big crowd in.









"Hey, why don't we get a picture of Landon in front of the entrance. You know, to commemorate the event."

"Whatever."

"Hey, it's his first Disney ride EVER! If he's going to live in our house, he's going to appreciate this later."

I got a big eye roll for that one.


"Ooh, let me try and get his onsie in the shot!"




Obviously, that didn't really work out, but at least I got the picture.


We saw a mom and her two kids using their Fastpasses for Figment as we approached, but shockingly, we were greeted with an empty queue.


Landon was actually pretty observant of the items along the walls.





Until his dad caught his attention.


I don't know where the heck we are, but I think I like it!




It wasn't long before our car arrived to take us off into the great unknown.







This was the moment of the "big test." The time where we'd find out if rides were going to be an adventure for Landon or something he'd be completely terrified of. I'll admit, I thought it could go either way. He loved music and had a pretty laid back attitude, but the dark sometimes freaked him out.

But the only way to find out how the rest of the week would go was to give it a whirl.



The answer?





I don't think Landon knew what to think. He seemed to enjoy following Figment when he moved or popped out, but the loud noises unnerved him. At one point, he turned around to look at me, my mom, and Alex and you could tell he was thinking, "Are we supposed to be freaking out right now? I kind of want to freak out? Well, their acting cool, so I guess it's not time to cry yet."


I wouldn't say Landon enjoyed going on the ride, but he also wasn't scared, so I counted it as a success. Most likely, he was in sensory overload and his poor little brain couldn't process what to do with all those sounds and sights.



In the Imagination Lab, we took him to the dancing lights on the floor, and he was interested in watching the older kids play.

Dsc02260 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

He even busted out some of his best moves when he heard the music from the floor.



Shortly after that picture was taken, Alex and I both thought it'd be best to give his brain a rest and leave the overly loud room. Give Landon's poor head a rest for awhile. (My mom had gone on ahead without us.)

The gift shop pulled Alex away from me.

His first park shop!


Oh, it had been too long!

It's a miracle it had taken this long for Alex to hit the souvenirs. I think if we hadn't been in such a rush to get to our Soarin' Fastpasses, he would have browsed the TT exit shop.

He checked out the shirts (like we don't have enough Epcot merchandise as is) and we both debated getting a Figment pin for Landon's collection.



He thought it was a good idea.

Dsc02263 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


Our final decision, though, was that it was only the first day of the trip, that we had plenty of time to buy him stuff. Plus, we had seen Figment pins in a ton of other shops around the park and knew we could wait until a bigger purchase to get it. As it turns out, we never did get him one. Guess we should have bought it when we thought about it. Oh well, the pins aren't going anywhere, they will still be there in May.




We met back up with my mom outside, and I couldn't help but take a shot of the globe when I saw it.

Dsc02265 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


It's like a compulsion. I see the globe from different locations and I just HAVE to take a picture. It's not like I don't have 100 other pictures of the figure, I just feel the need to do it.

Maybe the twenty photographs a day are to make up for all the months I can't wake up and see the globe.

Sounds like good enough reasoning. We'll go with that.




I continued to stare at Spaceship Earth with my mom while Alex went and retrieved our stroller.

Dsc02270 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr



Let me summarize what I saw when I happened to look over at him.

A black double stroller.

A black City Mini stroller.

A black City Mini stroller.


And hey! A black City Mini stroller.




We did have something tied to the handlebars to make ours stand out, and there was a fairly unique Mickey blanket in the storage compartment, so ours wasn't hard to pick out of a lineup, but it was still the fact that there were 4 almost identical strollers parked side by side that I thought was ridiculous.



While Alex was gone, my mom asked if we could go buy the one souvenir she wanted.

Absolutely!

My mom really wanted a pair of embroidered Mickey ears; she got the inspiration for them on our May 2012 trip, when we sat behind a couple with some at the Poly beach.

Since we had no Fastpasses and nothing else to do, all of us walked over to MouseGears.



This picture doesn't do it justice, but the front part of the park was packed!

Dsc02273 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


I had never seen Epcot so crowded before. Not even on its 30th birthday. And especially not in that part of the park, where there weren't any rides or shows going on. It overwhelmed me for a minute or two.

Luckily, the crowds were slightly thinner inside the store. I guess nobody wanted to waste park time perusing the merchandise.


My mom made the all-important decision on which ears to buy:

Dsc02274 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

A big choice for any Disney fan.



Alex tried on some of the holiday hats.

Dsc02278 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

And discovered he had too big of a head for any of them.



Because my mom had covered our tip at Kona the night before, we paid for her embroidery to compensate her. There was a line for the ear embroidery machine, so the CM told us it would be about 15 minutes.

No problem.


We were in MouseGears, one of the best shops on Disney property (in my opinion). None of us had issues walking around the shop to kill time.

The three of us split up, all to look at different things. My mom wanted to find some Christmas gifts for my younger brother and his girlfriend. Alex wanted to see the shirts, and I had to check out the holiday specials.


 
Dsc02282 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

What an interesting decoration. It fit so perfectly within MouseGears; definitely one of my favorite Hidden Mickeys I spotted on the trip.



I debated buying one of these:
Dsc02283 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


Then figured Landon would just rip them off my head every time I carried him, so I passed.



Then I thought about buying this:
Dsc02284 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


Isn't that a cool ornament?!

I love the Hitchhiking Ghosts, and it would be something so different to have on your tree. Something besides the princesses and the park icons. I cannot for the life of me remember why I didn't end up getting it, but whatever the reason was, I regret it now.





Continued in Next Post

 

[amazingact21]

Continued From Previous Post


Soon after I had my fill of holiday shopping (or lack thereof) I met back up with my mom, and we went to pick up her ears.

They looked great. Just the thing she was hoping for.



Landon was starting to get hungry and restless, which meant it was time to try out the Baby Care Center for the first time.
While not as exciting as a headliner or a nighttime show, I was sort of looking forward to checking out the Baby Care Centers, seeing what they were like. Exploring a new part of the park.

Not to mention, the ability to give Landon free reign in an open space had me cruising right along at a brisk pace.



I got a little turned around along the way; the Baby Care Center is stuck in an odd out of the way place between Future World and the World Showcase. Honestly, I don't think I'd ever even been to that part of the park before this trip.

Dsc02286 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


Instead of walking through the main sidewalk to get into the World Showcase, we hooked a left and followed a side pathway. About halfway along the water there was a small building, and I want to say a set of bathrooms was located in there. There was definitely a First Aid station at the front, and at first glance, those were all the entrances I could see.



I had to walk farther up the walkway to spot a small alcove in the right side of the building. You can sort of see how off to the side it is in this photo:
Dsc02287 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


We were almost adjacent to the Mexico pavilion but not even in the World showcase.



I don't know, I found the location of the center to be a little out of place. It made sense to put it halfway between the two major parts of the park, but that was the only time I visited it since I had to go down a long side pathway to get to it.

It was a little too out of the way for me.



When I did make it around the corner and parked the stroller, I was relieved to see I'd actually found the place.

Dsc02290 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


While I was not a big fan of where the center was, I have to admit it was very nice inside. Of the four that I went to, it was the second largest and had a nice layout to it.

There was a room down a hallway to my right for changing tables and highchairs and along the way there were 2 playrooms and a set of bathrooms. Directly ahead of the front door was a kitchen where you could buy some necessities if you needed and a room off the kitchen for nursing moms.


As soon as I was inside, it felt like a completely different world. You know how you forget where you are, sometimes, in rides and restaurants. Like, whenever you're eating lunch at Sci Fi, you completely lose track of time and don't even think about the fact that it's actually daylight out. Or when you're in Spaceship Earth, you occasionally can't remember what the time is because you're seeing so many other eras.

It's one of those wonderful Disney touches that make the place spectacular.

And the Baby Center had that same effect.


It was this calm oasis of quiet, cool, peacefulness.




Ahhh, now I get it.


It only took a second for me to understand why so many other DISers took refuge in the buildings. I don't know if anyone remembers PirateKate's TRs, but she visited them a lot throughout the day, and she was what made me want to check them out. And I could definitely see why.


I got Landon squared away and then took him into one of the rooms that had a small table with some chairs alongside a display rack with souvenirs.

Gotta sell the merchandise any place you can...


There was a father and daughter playing in there while they waited for the mom and a younger baby to finish whatever they needed to do, and Landon was having a field day watching them. After they left he stood around banging on the table and waddling in circles around it.

It was pretty clear he was happy to finally have some play time.

Alex, my mom, and I were relieved he could burn off some energy, and we weren't complaining about sitting down in an air conditioned room away from the masses. It gave us a break just as much as it gave the baby one.

We might have stayed longer than we did, but a mom had entered the back changing room with a screaming infant. Apparently, the kid picked their Epcot day to start teething and there was nothing in the kitchen they could buy to ease the pain.

Well, so much for that peaceful setting I was raving about.





That was fine. We needed to make our way to the American Pavilion, anyways.

But not before my mom put on her new ears!




Let me rephrase.

TRIED to put on her new ears.


"It looks like you're crowning her."

I dub thee- Grandmother! Queen of the grandson!

It is your new duty to keep the small child entertained by keeping your royal crown out of his reach.




Off we all went. Between three adults, the stroller, the backpack, and the baby, there was just too much of us to all fit in a single line. It never failed someone had to lead the pack or trail behind. The joys of expanding your travel group.

I didn't mind that afternoon, though. I got to watch my three favorite people walk past the first pavilions.




It was a quiet time for me. I half-listened to my mom's and Alex's conversation as they walked ahead of me. Mostly I gazed out at the Seven Seas Lagoon and soaked up the fact that I was on vacation.

I was in Alex's favorite park with my son, who was being doted on by my mother.






I knew that moment wasn't going to happen again. Just as I was aware that my mother was loving every second she got with Landon.

It was a special moment, the first of several that week that made me step back and be grateful for the opportunity I was given. One of those classic Disney moments that everyone tries to convey to other people, where there's absolutely nothing going on in your mind and around you but contentment and joy.

It's those moments on my trip that I look forward to most, it's the thing I miss the most when I'm away from Disney, and I was feeling very glad that something like that popped up on our first park day.




I could see our final destination way, way, way off in the distance.




The Imagineers were right. I don't know if I'd walk the length of the showcase every trip if America wasn't in the dead middle.


Sneaky designers...



I was trying to be positive right then, though, so I focused on somewhere closer.



If I can make it to Italy, I'm almost there.






Look at that sky. A perfect December sky in Florida. It sure beat the last time we went to a Candlelight Processional. 40 degree weather with heavy drizzle for 4 hours.




We got to Germany, resisting the urge to go buy some caramel sweets along the way, and we stumbled upon drastically heavier crowds.



They came out of nowhere. And all of a sudden we were hitting traffic jams, weaving around slow walkers, going wheel to wheel with other strollers. It was a Food and Wine weekend heavy, but rather than booths occupying spaces to the side, it was just more people.




We came upon the Italy pavilion and AHHHH, it all made sense.



People were in standby line for the Candlelight Processional.


That night, Neil Patrick Harris was narrating, and in case you weren't aware, he draws in a big crowd.

I don't think the word big does it justice.

Humongous?

Gargantuan?

Ridiculous?






My mom took one look at the line and asked, "Those people aren't waiting for the show, are they?!?!"

Yep.

"That's crazy. Look at that. You can't even see the stadium from back here. They don't honestly think they'll get in, do they?"

"They hope they will. Certainly not the 5 o'clock show, maybe not even the 6:45 one, but it's possible they could get into the 8 o'clock showing."

"Wow. Is he really that popular?"

"I've read horror stories on the DISboards."

"Really? I mean I know he's on that one show, but still."


My mom seemed unimpressed with NPH’s fan quantity.

"Well, you gotta think. He hosted the Tonys and the Emmy's, so he's obviously popular right now."


My mom's response to that: "I feel bad for the other narrators who don't get this kind of reception. He's no more special than them."


That had Alex and I rolling. She was basically trying to take NPH down a peg or two. Who was he to warrant a mass pileup along the World Showcase sidewalk?


"Luckily we have guaranteed seating," Alex commented as we walked past what had to be hundreds of men and women staking out their spot in line.

Here's a quick video Alex took of the crowds as we passed by



The four of us got to the front of the theater and found a Cast Member who could tell us where the line formed.

"All the way down! Just keep walking!"


What?

Oh my. If we thought the standby looked long, the package line was insane!


We kind of looked on in horror as we passed by people with 5:00 o'clock stickers on their shirts.

Past the American pavilion.

Past the Japan pavilion.




Past the France pavilion.


Past the UK pavilion-

Oh, wait!

There it is!

Between the UK and Canada is where we found the end of the line.


I repeat...between the UK and Canada.





What the?!

How the?!

We had just traversed from one end of the World Showcase to the other.


Just to get in line for a show!



And the only thing my group could say was,

"There's no way in heck we're all getting into that theater!"

"Absolutely not."

"Did you see all those people in front of us?"


We began talking to the guy in front of us, who seemed just as shocked.

Actually, everyone around was in disbelief. Folks passing by were stopping to ask, "What are you waiting on? Oh, the Candlelight Processional? Isn't that in America?! All the way over there?!"

You know how sometimes, when you're around strangers and everyone's starting to stress out, your nerves get the best of you and you start throwing out pessimistic observations.

Okay, not everyone does that, but my group does.


"It's impossible. I've been in that theater, there's no way we'll all fit."

"Oh, I'm going to be mad if we booked this guaranteeing a spot and we don't get in."

"They must have overbooked."


Alex kept proclaiming that he wouldn't be upset if we didn't get to see the show, but he would go to Guest Relations and get our 2 Table Services refunded for just 1.

A Cast Member walked down the line asking everyone to put on their stickers showing they had a package. He said something like, "You'll need it when you get to the theater."

And Alex mumbled, "You mean if."


The guy smiled and replied, "Everyone will get in, I promise."

We looked at him like he had two heads.


Sure, Guy, sure...


Looking back, we might have overreacted a tad.

And what was funny was, most of the folks were there to see Neil Patrick Harris, not the actual show. We had 2 or 3 people stop walking to confirm that NPH was actually going to be on Disney property, that it wasn't some other imposter.

Alex and I do watch How I Met Your Mother, but we're not diehard fans of the actors or the show. It's just something we DVR and view to get a chuckle in.

I had planned on seeing the Candlelight Processional that evening before I even knew who was going to be there. And I booked the package so we wouldn't have to wait in standby.

We would have been there no matter what celebrity was there, so it was frustrating to us that this mass mayhem was happening for no reason.


Darn NPH, ruining our Epcot night.







Before I wrap up this update, since it’s getting long in the tooth, I will go ahead and say that my mom, Alex, and I had to eat crow. A nice big 'ol bite of it.

We were wrong.

Everyone had a seat.

The theater is deceiving and there's a lot more space than it look like.


A lot.

There were no angry guests or visits to the Guest Relations center, everybody who had a package got to see the show.


Nothing like a little overreaction by us to start off the holiday show, though.






Up Next: Landon tries to steal the show.

 

[marDgreen88]

I'm glad Landon's first ride was a somewhat success!

The path the Baby Care center is on is one of my favorites! I always walk from Future World to World Showcase (and vice versa) on that path. There's never anyone there!

...and then I kept reading and found out you DIDN'T like it. Oops.

Your mom's ear hat is precious!

Well I'm glad you got to see the show! I have to admit that I LOVE How I Met Your Mother and NPH, so I think it's awesome you got to see him!

 

[Dugette]

Nice relaxing time in Epcot. Glad you got Landon's first ride in and he more-or-less enjoyed it! Izzy loved those musical squares afterwards too.

Yes, the Baby Care Centers are definitely an oasis of calm within the busy parks (when not occupied by screaming infants, of course). They were nice for short, quiet, calm breaks.

That's a good description of a special Disney moment when you were all just walking along. It's nice to have a few seconds here and there to appreciate all the magic of being together in an amazing place.

Your walk around World Showcase for the Candlelight Processional reminds me of when we did it in 2010...walked past the standby, wondered what they were thinking, walked way far the other way, and finally found the end of our package line. Hope the show (and NPH) was worth it!

 

[dtr_angel]

Apparently I replied to this in my head so I doubt you saw it via ESP haha.

What a great day at Epcot. I'm glad Landon's first ride was a hit. I never saw the baby care centers but I'm glad it was a nice retreat from the park for everyone. I'm not sure if I've been on that path at Epcot. Definitely not the most convenient location! Wow the crowds sound crazy! I'm glad you got a seat. I'll admit I do love how I met your mother and NPH so I would've been super excited. I can't wait to read about the show!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[khertz]

Great choice for Landon's first ride! Paxton was somewhat ambivalent about his first ride too. Didn't love it, didn't hate it either. I think at that age they just really have no idea what the heck is going on or how they are supposed to respond to it.

That baby care center is waaaaay out in BFE, but it is definitely one of the nicer ones! I liked that there was an actual play room with a few toys. Paxton definitely enjoyed himself in there. It's so funny how you step into that BCC and the door closes behind you and suddenly it's just calm. And you didn't realize how loud it is outside until you are inside and it's so quiet!

That is absolutely nuts that the line went all the way back to the other end of WS! Glad you got into the show, though.

 

[afwdwfan]

I knew Alex wouldn’t want to leave. He’s the type of person that could get to a park at opening and stay hours after it closes. His philosophy is, “You can rest after your Disney vacation.”

I'm just going to say that Alex is right.

I am not a fan of such crazy antics, but Alex has taught Landon to love being held up in such ways that make me close my eyes. He claims he’s preparing him for the roller coasters, but I think he just wants me to develop gray hairs early.

And he's right again. Landon obviously loves it!

“Are we supposed to be freaking out right now? I kind of want to freak out? Well, their acting cool, so I guess it’s not time to cry yet.”

You never know how that first ride will go (or if we're being honest, any ride), but I'm glad that he did ok with it.

We were in MouseGears, one of the best shops on Disney property (in my opinion). None of us had issues walking around the shop to kill time.

It really is. We always manage to spend way too much time and money in there.

I don’t know, I found the location of the center to be a little out of place. It made sense to put it halfway between the two major parts of the park, but that was the only time I visited it since I had to go down a long side pathway to get to it.

It was a little too out of the way for me.

That's kind of funny, because I always walk down that path and we never went into the Baby Care Center in EPCOT.

It always seems like a quick way to get between Mexico and the TT area. A little less crowded than going back to the middle of the park.

I didn’t mind that afternoon, though. I got to watch my three favorite people walk past the first pavilions.

Sounds great! And you're absolutely right about how it is the moments like this that make the trip all worthwhile.

My mom’s response to that…. “I feel bad for the other narrators who don’t get this kind of reception. He’s no more special than them.”


That had Alex and I rolling. She was basically trying to take NPH down a peg or two. Who was he to warrant a mass pileup along the World Showcase sidewalk?

I like your mom!

Between the UK and Canada is where we found the end of the line.


I repeat….between the UK and Canada.

I have to say, I'd be as concerned about actually getting in as Alex and your mom. I mean I'm glad that you did get in, but I'd have been very apprehensive by the time I walked that far to find the end of the line.

Up Next…Landon tries to steal the show.

He'll make sure to take NPH down a peg or 2.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Wow, I don't think I've ever seen that many people in that spot before. I guess they all had EO or Figment FP+.

YAY, first ride sounds like a win.

Haha, your stroller dilemma sounds like me in the parking lot searching around 50 identical rental cars. Of course it doesn't help that I tend to search for my own car half the time. You know, the one sitting back at home.

Embroidered Ears are a right of passage and absolutely necessary. Glad your mom chose to get them.

Oh God the screaming infant. I find that comical since a friend and I find Epcot to be the place most likely to have screaming children. You would think it would be MK, but for us, it's Epcot. So every time we're somewhere and a child is screaming or throwing a tantrum, we remember Epcot.

"It was a special moment, the first of several that week that made me step back and be grateful for the opportunity I was given. One of those classic Disney moments that everyone tries to convey to other people, where there’s absolutely nothing going on in your mind and around you but contentment and joy. " <------LOVE THAT!

“Luckily we have guaranteed seating,” AHHHH I HOPE PEOPLE COULD HEAR THAT, LOL

I tell you, I saw the line-up for the CP and I still have a hard time believing everyone fit. Unreal. Pitty the poor standby line though.

 

[MEK]

That was a great upset. I love reading your thoughts as they are happening.

So wonderful that your first family ride was a wonderful success. I can see where Figment might be just a tad of sensory overload for a baby. It's a tad of sensory overload for me.

Yay for finding all the baby care centers. Can't say I have ever been on the inside, but its a great concept. And babies LOVE watch other kids. Probably better than any Disney attraction.

I was getting very nervous as you were describing the CP line. Holy cow. I am sure I would be pessimistic too. Darn good think you decided not to leave and come back - smart choice.

I have to admit that out of all the narrators I would absolutely love to see NPH. There is just something about him and I heard he does any amazing job.

Can't wait to see what happens next.

 

[amazingact21]

I'm glad Landon's first ride was a somewhat success!

The path the Baby Care center is on is one of my favorites! I always walk from Future World to World Showcase (and vice versa) on that path. There's never anyone there!

...and then I kept reading and found out you DIDN'T like it. Oops.

Your mom's ear hat is precious!

Well I'm glad you got to see the show! I have to admit that I LOVE How I Met Your Mother and NPH, so I think it's awesome you got to see him!

I could see how that pathway would be less crowded. I never looked at it like that before.


NPH was a pretty cool narrator to listen to, and I'll just say this wasn't the only night we saw him.

Nice relaxing time in Epcot. Glad you got Landon's first ride in and he more-or-less enjoyed it! Izzy loved those musical squares afterwards too.

Yes, the Baby Care Centers are definitely an oasis of calm within the busy parks (when not occupied by screaming infants, of course). They were nice for short, quiet, calm breaks.

That's a good description of a special Disney moment when you were all just walking along. It's nice to have a few seconds here and there to appreciate all the magic of being together in an amazing place.

Your walk around World Showcase for the Candlelight Processional reminds me of when we did it in 2010...walked past the standby, wondered what they were thinking, walked way far the other way, and finally found the end of our package line. Hope the show (and NPH) was worth it!

Those lines can be pretty ridiculous! When we were there in 2010, the standby was super short. I wanna say we got in it about 30 minutes before the show. People really wanna hear they favorite celebrity narrate...

Apparently I replied to this in my head so I doubt you saw it via ESP haha.

What a great day at Epcot. I'm glad Landon's first ride was a hit. I never saw the baby care centers but I'm glad it was a nice retreat from the park for everyone. I'm not sure if I've been on that path at Epcot. Definitely not the most convenient location! Wow the crowds sound crazy! I'm glad you got a seat. I'll admit I do love how I met your mother and NPH so I would've been super excited. I can't wait to read about the show!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

I really liked the Baby Care Centers. Even when I just needed five minutes of quiet with Landon, they were the perfect.
Plus, I'm kind of shy when it comes to nursing in public, so the nursing rooms were incredibly helpful for me.

 

[Marsheliz]

Great Epcot day! I need to take more time at Epcot on a future trip!

I think I missed your dates to your trip. When is it again?

I never thought my DH would agree to a weekend trip in June (obviously yall are a lot closer than me) but what's the saying? You only live once but if you do it right, once is enough.. ))

I laughed about the part where you were setting the precedence for future children. Our Landen has been twice and going one more time before 3 and Lawson has been three times- four times before he turns 6 in July...) being born into a Disney family has its perks!

 

[amazingact21]

Great choice for Landon's first ride! Paxton was somewhat ambivalent about his first ride too. Didn't love it, didn't hate it either. I think at that age they just really have no idea what the heck is going on or how they are supposed to respond to it.

Yeah, they don't give much of a reaction at that age. Unless they hate it, of course. Then EVERYONE knows.

That baby care center is waaaaay out in BFE, but it is definitely one of the nicer ones! I liked that there was an actual play room with a few toys. Paxton definitely enjoyed himself in there. It's so funny how you step into that BCC and the door closes behind you and suddenly it's just calm. And you didn't realize how loud it is outside until you are inside and it's so quiet!

You really don't. But it was so nice, sometimes, to be able to get a few minutes of peace in the centers with Landon.

He's the worst when it comes to going down for naps and bedtime, so I'm afraid on this upcoming trip I'll have to go in there just to get him to settle down.

I'm just going to say that Alex is right.

If it's just a short trip without kids, I could do it, but not every trip all the time.

You never know how that first ride will go (or if we're being honest, any ride), but I'm glad that he did ok with it.

That is true. And I'm sure the things he was cool with in December might terrify him in May.

That's kind of funny, because I always walk down that path and we never went into the Baby Care Center in EPCOT.

I didn't think of how empty that path would be until Marissa pointed it out, but now I can see it. I guess I just don't stray too far from my normal path.

Sounds great! And you're absolutely right about how it is the moments like this that make the trip all worthwhile.

Those are the times that make Disney so great.

I have to say, I'd be as concerned about actually getting in as Alex and your mom. I mean I'm glad that you did get in, but I'd have been very apprehensive by the time I walked that far to find the end of the line.

He'll make sure to take NPH down a peg or 2.

I still can't believe we all got in. The math just didn't seem right.

Wow, I don't think I've ever seen that many people in that spot before. I guess they all had EO or Figment FP+.

YAY, first ride sounds like a win.

I think it was so busy that day that everyone was congregating at any attraction they could.

Haha, your stroller dilemma sounds like me in the parking lot searching around 50 identical rental cars. Of course it doesn't help that I tend to search for my own car half the time. You know, the one sitting back at home.

I haven't ever thought about trying to remember a rental car before. There were a couple moments where I was trying to find my car instead of my mom's, but luckily I recognize hers pretty easily since I see it all the time.
But trying to keep track of a vehicle I JUST picked up....

Oh God the screaming infant. I find that comical since a friend and I find Epcot to be the place most likely to have screaming children. You would think it would be MK, but for us, it's Epcot. So every time we're somewhere and a child is screaming or throwing a tantrum, we remember Epcot.

I could see Epcot being the place a kid would throw a fit. The park is so big and spread out, and there's not as much kid-friendly areas. At least compared to MK.

<------LOVE THAT!

Thanks, I really aprreciated that moment.

I tell you, I saw the line-up for the CP and I still have a hard time believing everyone fit. Unreal. Pitty the poor standby line though.

Ugh, I felt so bad for the people who'd wasted their entire afternoon on the hopes that they might get in. I mean, you pay so much money for a park ticket, I couldn't imagine wasting it by sitting in a line all day.

That was a great upset. I love reading your thoughts as they are happening.

So wonderful that your first family ride was a wonderful success. I can see where Figment might be just a tad of sensory overload for a baby. It's a tad of sensory overload for me.

Figment really is a bit much. I don't know what the heck I was thinking when I decided to pick that ride first.

Yay for finding all the baby care centers. Can't say I have ever been on the inside, but its a great concept. And babies LOVE watch other kids. Probably better than any Disney attraction.

So long as someone's paying Landon attention, he thinks it's the best day ever.

I was getting very nervous as you were describing the CP line. Holy cow. I am sure I would be pessimistic too. Darn good think you decided not to leave and come back - smart choice.

I have to admit that out of all the narrators I would absolutely love to see NPH. There is just something about him and I heard he does any amazing job.

Can't wait to see what happens next.

I still don't see how we all fit.
My only guess is that since most people were standing two to 3 people per row in the line, it made the whole thing seem longer than it actually was. I don't know, though.


Alex and I certainly weren't upset that NPH was hosting. He seems like such a nice guy that we enjoy all his works.
And I guess that was good, because he pops back up later in my report.

 

[amazingact21]

Great Epcot day! I need to take more time at Epcot on a future trip!

I don't know how much time we'll get to spend there once Landon gets older, but it made for an easy day when all he did was sleep and eat.

I think I missed your dates to your trip. When is it again?

I never thought my DH would agree to a weekend trip in June (obviously yall are a lot closer than me) but what's the saying? You only live once but if you do it right, once is enough.. ))

We're going May 12th through May 16th, so it looks like we'll just miss each other.

And, that's exactly right. I've kind of come to the philosophy of, "I'm never going to look back and wish I HADN'T taken that trip to Disney."

I laughed about the part where you were setting the precedence for future children. Our Landen has been twice and going one more time before 3 and Lawson has been three times- four times before he turns 6 in July...) being born into a Disney family has its perks!

Right...

I can just see future kids now, though, "But Landon got to go to Disney TWICE in one year! Why can't I?"

 

[Dugette]

Those lines can be pretty ridiculous! When we were there in 2010, the standby was super short. I wanna say we got in it about 30 minutes before the show. People really wanna hear they favorite celebrity narrate...

Wow, not bad! Of course, our night in 2010 was Whoopi Goldberg, so I suppose she drew a big crowd, hence the crazy long line.

 

[emmysmommy]

What a great plan to go to WDW for some family time before your hubby deploys later this year. I told my son and his wife when he got back from Afghanistan last year that we would take them on a cruise. We had to delay it until next year but I get the need to spend that time together.

That gingerbread display at The Land is amazing. Did it smell gingery too? Such details! I didn't make it into The Land in December so missed that display.

What timing that you were able to see your friend and share your babies. So much better than seeing photos on FB.

I haven't been to Coral Reef in a few years but it is such a lovely restaurant. I almost prefer the 3rd tier seating since when we were seated at the aquarium we had a lot of visitor at our table. (The kid variety that were climbing on the walls next to us.) I am not a fish fan so haven't had a strong desire to return after our 2nd visit. Maybe I need to rethink that because it is a remarkably themed restaurant.

If that was the only meal for which Landon was grumpy, that is definitely pretty impressive.

Ha ha! Landon's first ride was Figment! He seemed to enjoy it. So cute.

That line for CP, wow! We saw Whoopi and the line was only to Morocco. NPH would have been my first choice - absolutely without a doubt. I was skeptical as far as how many people the theater would hold as well. Glad that worked out!

Love the grandma ears - very nice title - Queen of the Grandson. Looks like she wore them proudly.