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

[IheartDDuck]

My Pop isn't a sit at the resort and relax kind of guy normally either, but suddenly on this trip he turned into one, and there were moments when I was like MOVE IT!!!

AKL is one of my favorite resorts too. It's just incredibly beautiful.

Okay, I totally believed the $60 for salt and pepper shakers at first! Because let's all be real. It's Disney! LOL.

 

[khertz]

So fun to read these updates and how much you fell in love with AKL, and then you got to "make it happen" on your next trip! The salt & pepper shakers story is just too funny, and incredibly sweet of Alex & your mom to go to such lengths to get them as a gift for you.

 

[teekathepony]

Loved reading this one, falling in love with AKL sure is easy! I fell in love with the place on my first Boma visit in 2007 and was so glad to finally get to stay there last year! I am sure you recently felt the same it's nice to hear what lead up to you guys staying there!
I do t know about you, but I spent SO MUCH time on the balcony! And I was always like the only one! I kept looking around and thinking the same as you were -- "don't you people know where you are? And what kind of view you have?"
Mmmmm breakfast at Boma! My favourite breakfast of all.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[USAFdad]

I knew you would believe that they were 60 dollars. I mean all the stuff around them they looked as if they were imported so it made a little sense.

 

[amazingact21]

More and more I think Alex and I would get along great.

Aww Alicia, I LOVE YOUR AKL ENTHUSIASM!!! It is gorgeous. It's hard to believe it's one of the "budget" deluxes.

Haha, you know, when I read 60 or 70 bucks for salt and pepper shakers, I thought, that can't be right. Then I remembered it's Disney... so yeah... it's possible.

Those photos of you and Alex are lovely. Almost a private photo shoot.

Oh, I'm sure you would get along with Alex. I'd just drop you all off in MouseGears, wave goodbye, and be like, "See you all in an hour."

As much as I adore AKL, I think the distance from the parks really hunders it. I can see why it's a "budget" deluxe when you're so far away from EVERYTHING.

Uhm - yeah - I would have believed him and totally put them back. There are some definitely high priced items in Disney and I certainly am no good at figuring out why.

Awesome! They were very sneaky and what a great surprise! I love that they basically punked you and you got what you wanted. Win Win!


It's an awesome resort. I agree that I could easily stay there and never leave, plus I really enjoy all the restaurants there. I could just cycle around among the 4 of them and be very happy.

So this is bad - I forget where you stayed in May. Didn't you stay there or didn't you almost stay there?

Fun updates. Another pseudo NPH sighting - that's cool. I wonder what his amazing room looked like?

I can only imagine the room he was bunked in! Had to be pretty amazing.

One day, I really want to take a trip to Disney and not buy any tickets, simply hang out at several of the resorts and try some of the out-of-park restaurants. To me, that sounds so relaxing.

So was this entire update a way to tell us that y'all DID stay at AKL last month?

I feel the exact same way about the place. The day I stay there will be a joyous one. Sounds like an awesome morning!!

I'll get around to my May trip, eventually. Hopefully, right after Alex leaves in July. And then maybe I can actually talk about my resort.

Speaking of recent trips... Any decision on a trip report yet? I'd love to read about it! No pressure, though, just wanting to make sure I threw that out there.

 

[amazingact21]

My Pop isn't a sit at the resort and relax kind of guy normally either, but suddenly on this trip he turned into one, and there were moments when I was like MOVE IT!!!

AKL is one of my favorite resorts too. It's just incredibly beautiful.

Okay, I totally believed the $60 for salt and pepper shakers at first! Because let's all be real. It's Disney! LOL.

Disney can get away with any price, even on salt and pepper shakers.


I think there's a fine line between relaxing and boredom on vacation. Ideally, I like equal parts down time and park time, but my normal party members go one way or the other. Alex hates staying back at the resort, and my mom prefers the pool to the crowds, so it's hard for me to find that balance.

So fun to read these updates and how much you fell in love with AKL, and then you got to "make it happen" on your next trip! The salt & pepper shakers story is just too funny, and incredibly sweet of Alex & your mom to go to such lengths to get them as a gift for you.

They were pretty sneaky, those two. I suspected Isaac (my brother) had given my mom money for something, because I helped her pick out his Christmas gift on his behalf. However, for some reason I thought I was getting something different, so it was very cool to be surprised by the shakers.

Loved reading this one, falling in love with AKL sure is easy! I fell in love with the place on my first Boma visit in 2007 and was so glad to finally get to stay there last year! I am sure you recently felt the same it's nice to hear what lead up to you guys staying there!
I do t know about you, but I spent SO MUCH time on the balcony! And I was always like the only one! I kept looking around and thinking the same as you were -- "don't you people know where you are? And what kind of view you have?"
Mmmmm breakfast at Boma! My favourite breakfast of all.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

I can definitely see how people fall in love with place when they visit it. And, actually, I think I heard somewhere that the resort is gaining a lot of popularity here lately. I know I've checked availability for a normally down time of the year and they were completely booked!

I did see a lot of guests out on the observation decks and viewing balconies during feeding times, but nobody ever seemed to be on their private room one. I just don't get that!

I knew you would believe that they were 60 dollars. I mean all the stuff around them they looked as if they were imported so it made a little sense.

Exactly. The lowest priced item on that table was, like, 100 dollars, so it was easy to believe.

By the way, our tickers are off by, like, 3 days. Don't cruises usually leave on Mondays? At least the 3 day ones? Oh, wait, perhaps it's Thursdays. Drat. That would do it.

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Yep, your reaction at AKL was pretty much the same ones I had when we checked in last January to the lodge. I love that resort!

I was laughing about the salt and pepper shaker story because I totally didn't think twice about the price tag of $60 either because it's Disney pricing!

 

[Dugette]

Looks like I share the same resort rankings as you with Poly, then AKL. We really enjoyed AKL when we stayed there (June 2010). The lobby and rooms are beautiful, the balconies are amazing, and there are great restaurants in the resort. And, of course, all the animals.

Oh, and we took a nap at AKL once too and we didn't even have the excuse of a kid at the time. I even laid down on a bench seat, so don't feel bad!

That's awesome that they pulled off that gift purchase for you. Like several other people have said, I didn't think it was strange at all that they were $60.

 

[emmysmommy]

Whoa! I'm far behind but I'm glad to get caught up because there were some epic princess moments that happened!

Going back a few updates....
I loved that shot on BTMRR of the castle in the background behind the spiral peak. That was awesome!

Oops! Sorry the first Dumbo ride photo op didn't work out but you DO have a funny story to tell about it in the future.

I have to comment about that Le Fou's brew "I'm right, you're wrong" moment. I can't tell you how many time I've known I'm right and sure enough I'm not and I say oh, guess I'm wrong. My hubby always says did I hear you right, you're what?? Yeah, occasionally I'm wrong. Our DHs can gloat but we still have the power!!

OH MY GOSH. Ariel with Landon… completely precious. And to prove further that he's a ladies man for sure, that interaction with Aurora.

Your enthusiasm for AKL mirrors mine. It's my favorite themed resort ever.
Slick move on your mom's part with those s/p shakers. It is conceivable that Disney could charge $60 for those. All they have to do is put a "Disney vault" label on it and it automatically triples the price.

I love Boma too! I picked Boma for the one Disney breakfast for my son and his GF last trip. I had to show off the best that Disney has to offer and this was the resort and the restaurant. Glad you are an AKL lover as well.

 

[afwdwfan]

My mom and I sipped a couple cups of coffee while Alex meandered around for awhile. Alex, by nature, is NOT a sit at the resort and relax kind of guy, and not having a park to get up and rush to was making him antsy.

I totally understand.

The place was even more gorgeous than the pictures made it out to be. Alex and my mom just stood by some couches with Landon while I ran from one inanimate object to another.

Ok, kind of off-topic, maybe, but I'm picturing a scene where you're running around interacting with decorations like Anna during "Do You Want to Build a Snowman" in Frozen.

“I’m serious,” I continued, catching up to him as he walked away. “This could be our next home.”


“I don’t know; I don’t think I’d ever get you into a park if we stayed here.”


“Probably not.”

Well, at least you're honest about it.

It wasn’t until three weeks later, at Christmas, that I discovered those two were in cahoots together. Apparently, my younger brother asked my mom to buy something for him for my Christmas present, and when my mom saw Alex asking about the shakers, she saw her opportunity.


They were actually only about 16 bucks, but Alex knew if he told me an outrageous amount, I would lose interest and not buy them for myself.


And my mom, she used her bio break excuse to run out to the car and hide the gift in the trunk.


Sneaky, sneaky, those two.

Well played...

My dad, when he heard this story at Christmas, broke out in belly laughter and asked me, “Really, Alicia, 60 dollars for salt and pepper shakers? That didn’t send up red flags? Have you ever actually ever bought salt and pepper shakers before?”

Your dad has no idea, does he???

And man, I might not have gotten any good sleep at Pop, but that powernap did me wonders. I woke up refreshed and rejuvenated and full of energy.


Don’t ask me what Alex was doing during that time; I couldn’t tell you.

He was pacing around the lobby impatiently waiting to get to a park!!!!

He did, however, appear in front of me when I opened my eyes. And once everybody was awake, I asked the group if we could get a couple pictures before we left.

Well, that is because he was hovering over you just waiting for the first sign of you to wake up to ensure that you didn't drift off again. You're wasting daylight!

 

[belleinpink]

Gahhhh I need to go back!!!! Disney was in awe when we met talking Mickey in March. I got the opportunity to stay at AKL and lzooooved it! Waking up and walking outside to giraffes... Unbelievable.

$60 for salt and pepper shakers isn't that unbelievable when you consider the fact they sell plastic shower curtains for $100 over at AoA.

 

[olafgypsy]

Yes! AKL is such a beautiful resort!! My only beef with it is that the pool is kind of.....meh. I mean it's awesome by non-Disney standards, but the rest of the resort is so gorgeously themed and then the pool seems like just another pool, like the resort designers were like "oh, crap, guys, we forgot to design a pool! Better just stick this generic thing in here."

Still, of the deluxe resorts, it is my absolute favorite. The gorgeous decor, fantastic restaurants, and OH YEAH, BALCONY VIEWS OF THE SAVANNA more than make up for the distance from the parks IMHO. And the distance actually makes it feel very "retreat like." I can't wait to hear how your stay was!

Also: LANDON AND ARIEL. Cutest picture ever! LOVE IT.

 

[amazingact21]

Yep, your reaction at AKL was pretty much the same ones I had when we checked in last January to the lodge. I love that resort!

I was laughing about the salt and pepper shaker story because I totally didn't think twice about the price tag of $60 either because it's Disney pricing!

The resort really does carry the 'wow' factor when you first see it. I guess because it's so unique, it's takes your brain a few minutes to digest that you're still in Orlando and not in a savannah.

Looks like I share the same resort rankings as you with Poly, then AKL. We really enjoyed AKL when we stayed there (June 2010). The lobby and rooms are beautiful, the balconies are amazing, and there are great restaurants in the resort. And, of course, all the animals.

Oh, and we took a nap at AKL once too and we didn't even have the excuse of a kid at the time. I even laid down on a bench seat, so don't feel bad!

That's awesome that they pulled off that gift purchase for you. Like several other people have said, I didn't think it was strange at all that they were $60.

My whole philosophy when it comes to dozing inside Disney is that if they didn't want people to do, then they should have such comfortable seats. I'm sorry, you set up a couch in a nice, cool, air conditioned building and don't expect echausted guests to fall asleep? Impossible.

Whoa! I'm far behind but I'm glad to get caught up because there were some epic princess moments that happened!

Going back a few updates....
I loved that shot on BTMRR of the castle in the background behind the spiral peak. That was awesome!

Oops! Sorry the first Dumbo ride photo op didn't work out but you DO have a funny story to tell about it in the future.

I have to comment about that Le Fou's brew "I'm right, you're wrong" moment. I can't tell you how many time I've known I'm right and sure enough I'm not and I say oh, guess I'm wrong. My hubby always says did I hear you right, you're what?? Yeah, occasionally I'm wrong. Our DHs can gloat but we still have the power!!

OH MY GOSH. Ariel with Landon… completely precious. And to prove further that he's a ladies man for sure, that interaction with Aurora.

Your enthusiasm for AKL mirrors mine. It's my favorite themed resort ever.
Slick move on your mom's part with those s/p shakers. It is conceivable that Disney could charge $60 for those. All they have to do is put a "Disney vault" label on it and it automatically triples the price.

I love Boma too! I picked Boma for the one Disney breakfast for my son and his GF last trip. I had to show off the best that Disney has to offer and this was the resort and the restaurant. Glad you are an AKL lover as well.

As I tell Alex every time he proves me wrong, "Guess I can give you that one." Gotta make sure they're right every once in awhile.

We loved Landon's interaction with the princesses. Totally blew us away with how happy he was with them. I'm sure when he's 15 he'll be mortified by those stories, but as the mom, I already cherish them.

AKL is an easy resort to love. While it is far away from everything, you can't beat the theming and the views. Not to mention, it almost gives you a 2 location vacation. For awhile you're in Disney, and then the rest of the time you're relaxing in a savannah.

Ok, kind of off-topic, maybe, but I'm picturing a scene where you're running around interacting with decorations like Anna during "Do You Want to Build a Snowman" in Frozen.

I think Alex would probably say that's accurate. At least her quirkiness and overenthusiasm over every little detail.

Your dad has no idea, does he???

None at all. Just a couple weeks ago, we were visiting our local zoo, and I had to explain to him the concept of a "dump shop." He was confused and curious all at the same time.

He was pacing around the lobby impatiently waiting to get to a park!!!!

Well, that is because he was hovering over you just waiting for the first sign of you to wake up to ensure that you didn't drift off again. You're wasting daylight!

Yeah, I won't deny that Alex was bored beyond belief that morning. Even though he was in pain from not taking his medicine, he'd still rather be in the park riding dark rides than sitting around doing nothing.

Gahhhh I need to go back!!!! Disney was in awe when we met talking Mickey in March. I got the opportunity to stay at AKL and lzooooved it! Waking up and walking outside to giraffes... Unbelievable.

$60 for salt and pepper shakers isn't that unbelievable when you consider the fact they sell plastic shower curtains for $100 over at AoA.

Before you go back, you need to write a TR about your wedding.

Just sayin'

I wanna hear about Disney's reactions to the different attractions/shows. And I want more wedding pictures. Your cake was AMAZING, and I loved, loved, loved your monorail shots. Ah, those are my absolute favorite wedding pictures. I just think they are the coolest.

AND I want to hear about your stay at the GF! How amazing was that?! To stay at a monorail resort...


Do you know if/when you're going back next? Obviously, you're planning on february since that's the princess half, but what about before then? Don't you get annual passes for having a wedding there? You gotta use those babies!

Yes! AKL is such a beautiful resort!! My only beef with it is that the pool is kind of.....meh. I mean it's awesome by non-Disney standards, but the rest of the resort is so gorgeously themed and then the pool seems like just another pool, like the resort designers were like "oh, crap, guys, we forgot to design a pool! Better just stick this generic thing in here."

Still, of the deluxe resorts, it is my absolute favorite. The gorgeous decor, fantastic restaurants, and OH YEAH, BALCONY VIEWS OF THE SAVANNA more than make up for the distance from the parks IMHO. And the distance actually makes it feel very "retreat like." I can't wait to hear how your stay was!

Also: LANDON AND ARIEL. Cutest picture ever! LOVE IT.

Thank you! We couldn't have asked for a more magical experiences with the princesses.


I agree! The pool there could be a lot better. And while I know they needed all available space for the animals, I do wish they had at least one quiet pool. Trying to cram all the resort guests into that one big pool just seems cramped to me.

 

[belleinpink]

Before you go back, you need to write a TR about your wedding.

Just sayin'

I wanna hear about Disney's reactions to the different attractions/shows. And I want more wedding pictures. Your cake was AMAZING, and I loved, loved, loved your monorail shots. Ah, those are my absolute favorite wedding pictures. I just think they are the coolest.

AND I want to hear about your stay at the GF! How amazing was that?! To stay at a monorail resort...


Do you know if/when you're going back next? Obviously, you're planning on february since that's the princess half, but what about before then? Don't you get annual passes for having a wedding there? You gotta use those babies!

Pushy little thing aren't you I was actually just thinking the other day that I should do a TR for the wedding trip. I'll probably start one once I get all our pictures back since the wedding was our second full day of the trip.

We're going back for a day trip in December while we're home for Christmas. I desperately wish we could go for our anniversary again, or Disney's birthday, but we don't have the leave We did get passes!! They're about to expire since we activated them last year when we went for our anniversary instead of spending the $$$ to only go for a half day. But have no fear!!! Tim has said we'll never not be passholders again. Even said if the day comes where we have to decide between grocery shopping or renewing passes we'll just have to eat the grass One day we won't live 12 hours away.... One day

 

[amazingact21]

Pushy little thing aren't you I was actually just thinking the other day that I should do a TR for the wedding trip. I'll probably start one once I get all our pictures back since the wedding was our second full day of the trip.

We're going back for a day trip in December while we're home for Christmas. I desperately wish we could go for our anniversary again, or Disney's birthday, but we don't have the leave We did get passes!! They're about to expire since we activated them last year when we went for our anniversary instead of spending the $$$ to only go for a half day. But have no fear!!! Tim has said we'll never not be passholders again. Even said if the day comes where we have to decide between grocery shopping or renewing passes we'll just have to eat the grass One day we won't live 12 hours away.... One day

Ugh, I hate having to work around leave. It can be so hard to get it sometimes. Sorry that you can't make it there for Disney's first birthday. That would've been cool.
But hey, a day trip in December. At least it's something to look forward to.

Alex swears he never wants to not be a passholder again, either. Unfortunately, it's looking like 2015 might have to be a break year for us. We will get to do a Disney cruise though, so no complaints.


Are you doing a long trip for the Princess Half? You should totally make it a trip and do a bunch of fun girl things. Meet the princesses, eat at BOG, stay in the royal rooms...at least, that's what I'd do if ever get the chance to run that half.

 

[amazingact21]

After a wonderful trip to Animal Kingdom Lodge, my mother and I were completely worn out (Yes, the 15 minute nap in Jambo's lobby did nothing for us. We are pathetic.)

The two of us needed more sleep. Bad time. So, I basically thrust Landon on Alex and told him to strengthen his father/son bond within Pop Century's laundry room.

He might've taken the clothes hamper a little begrudgingly but he did it, and I managed to get a solid hour of sleep. Back then, an hour was like gold.


I could function on an hour.
An hour was the equivalent of a five hour stretch of nighttime sleep.

I was good to go!



When I did venture out the room, I called Alex and found him sitting on the ground, looking bored silly.




He had walked Landon around the resort, checked out the gift shop (what's new) and the arcade and found the walkway over to Art of Animation. He was just beginning to let Landon try and conquer the bowling balls pinned to their stands (does that holding shelf have a name). From the looks of it, I couldn't have picked a better time to reunite with the boys. Alex wasn't looking forward to moving the laundry along while trying to keep a baby from climbing in a dryer or sticking his hand in the candy vending machines in the corner of the room. Or something equally as disturbing and/or terrifying.


We all walked over to the laundry room, passing what had to be the loneliest
pool on property.



I couldn't believe there wasn't one person swimming or sitting out on a pool
deck.

It was 1:30 in the afternoon!

And while, yes, it was December, it was also Florida. And the temperature was in the realm of "while I'm not sweating, I'm still hot!" (I want to say it was in the high 70's, the hottest day of the trip.)


Clearly, most of Pop Century was out and about having non-swimming fun.


We had to wait for the dryer to finish, so I asked Alex to walk us over to the
playground.
Unfortunately, it was one of the play areas that had rocks on the bottom.




Whoever came up with the idea to put rocks on the ground had a cruel, cruel
mind. I was wearing flip flops, and the little pebbles kept flying up and
getting stuck under my feet, so I was constantly reaching down going "Oww, owww, owww."

(It also doesn't help that my brilliant kid likes to put rocks in his mouth if
you're not watching.)

I mean, I understand that there's really no good ground type for a playground.
Sand gets everywhere, that soft spongey type of foam warms up to a thousand degrees, and regular cement just invites kids to crack their skulls on its surface.

But still....rocks?



Following the playground disappointment, nothing exciting or wonderful happened.
We retrieved our laundry, met back up with my mom in the rooms, and started getting ready for our evening.


Earlier in the week, on our arrival day, we had purchased tickets to that night’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Alex and I had attended MNSSHP before, but never the Christmas one, so we really wanted to check it out and see if it was as fantastic as the fall event.

I’d planned on all of us (read: Landon) to wear adorable holiday outfits to get in the festive spirit, but it was just too hot for the clothes I had packed. The baby had these green stripes pants with a reindeer on the butt, but if I’d put him in that, he would have passed out from heat stroke within an hour.

So, I had to improvise with what I had left at the bottom of the suitcase. No laughing at our very normal wear to a very not-normal Christmas party!





While the party didn’t begin until 7pm, all of us got to the park close to 3:30pm. Alex was losing his mind wasting any more time. He’d eaten breakfast, he’d walked around AKL, he’d walked around Pop, he’d done about as much resort walking as he could handle. The only steps he was willing to take were to an attraction line.

I’d booked us all Fastpasses for those last few hours leading up to the party for that very reason, so we were all planning to go have some fun that afternoon.


Landon was starting the party off strong by grabbing a power nap in front of bag check:





For some reason, I was positive I’d made our ride times from 4-5, 5-6, and 6-7, so I was content letting Landon take a good long nap. My mom, Alex, and I pushed Landon through the castle and found a spot to kill time right near the carousel.

The castle had her best face on for the party later that night, if I do say so myself.




Eventually, Landon woke up, he ate a little, and my group took him up to the entrance of our first fastpass of the evening. Alex scanned his MagicBand and got the familiar white light, rather than the green go-ahead. Not unheard of, especially back then when the system was still in testing phase.

The guy, someone young enough to be in the college program but perhaps not actually in it, scanned Alex’s band and then gave us a sad look.

“You guys are half an hour late. Your passes were for 2:55-3:55pm.”

Oh no!

“I must have written down the time wrong.”

The Cast Member began apologizing for being the bearer of bad news, but we kept telling him it wasn’t his fault. I definitely made an error in reservation times and completely missed our window of opportunity.

Just when we were beginning to walk away, heads hung low, the Cast Member called us back. He told us that he could override the system and give us new passes for that time, but then all our other Fastpasses would be voided.

I thought about it.

Our other reservations were Dumbo and Jungle Cruise. Both attractions we’d already done on previous days.

“Go ahead, please. We don’t mind missing the other rides. This is the one we were looking forward to doing.”

And that was a major perk of the new Fastpass system. Just like that, the Cast Member changed our passes and allowed us to go on an attraction we otherwise would have had to walk away from. With a paper pass, you miss your window, and that’s the end of it. But with FP+ you get a lot of leniency with the timing. At least, depending on the situation.

I’m not saying the new system doesn’t have its issues or drawbacks, but I will say, this December trip really sold me on it.



We thanked the guy profusely, I mean, to the point where he was getting embarrassed by the attention, and we all walked inside.

The reason we were so desperate to get in??? We were rounding out the Magic Kingdom’s Princess trifecta!

We’d seen Ariel in her grotto, and we’d visited Cinderella and Aurora within their room at Fairy Tale Hall; it was time to make one last stop and see Rapunzel and Snow White!

(Of course, now those girls are all scattered throughout the Magic Kingdom, demoted to stepsister status in order to make room for the new Frozen girls, but at the time that was their locations.)



We didn’t have to wait at all before we were meeting Rapunzel.
I, personally, love her. I think Disney was in a bit of a princess slump for a decade or so, and I was, frankly, getting bored by their projects. (The non-Pixar ones.) But when Tangled came out, I felt like the company had gotten their groove back.

So, while not my favorite princess or film of all time, Rapunzel holds a dear place in my heart. She kind of brought me back to the Disney world after a break away from it. So I owe her a little gratitude and was thrilled to meet her.

Landon, though? Not so much.



From afar, Rapunzel seemed pretty cool, another pretty lady to smile at and win over. But then she shoved her hair in his face and WHOA!

It wasn’t just hair; IT WAS TOO MUCH HAIR!




Landon did not appreciate this particular princess’s beautiful locks. All he wanted was for her to get out of his face and leave him be.

And I can’t completely blame Landon, Rapunzel was being a little odd and continuously shoving her hair under his nose. My mom even politely went, “I don’t think he likes that very much.” Kind of in hopes Rapunzel would take a step back and give the baby his space, but she just kept on going, missing Landon’s “what the heck?!” face.

When I saw him put a hand in front of his mouth and try and shove the stuff in question away, I knew we needed to move on as quickly as possible, before Landon melted down. So, one fast group shot (where Landon’s looking at the nearest door, thinking, “Let me out!”) and we were done.


Rapunzel was just too much woman for Landon.

He much preferred the classic, more demure princesses.

Like Snow White.

While we were getting our group shot with Rapunzel, Snow White was standing next to the photopass photographer, calling out Landon’s name, smiling, waving, trying to get him to look towards the camera. Then, she came right over to us and led us to her spot in the room.

My kid was still a little traumatized over the hair fiasco, so he didn’t do much but stare. Snow was great and took it in stride. She held his fingers and kept a one sided conversation going straight at him for a good minute or two.

When Landon finally relented and cracked his first smile at her, she made a big deal over it and exclaimed, “Oh, I’m going to have to tell Bashful he has a twin!”

It was an adorable interaction, and Snow actually ended up being the princess that impressed my mom the most as far as character similarity goes. She said after we left that that Snow was spot on in terms of looks and voice. And I have to admit, she did do an amazing job. In my mom’s terms: “When I picture Snow White, THAT’S what comes to mind.”




Once the meet and greets were over, thanks in large part to the Cast Member at the entrance, my group ended up on Main Street. Sadly, I do not remember why we were there. Perhaps to visit the Baby Care Center, perhaps not. I don’t know.

I guess it’s official now.
I have now waited too long to write my updates.
This is the first time I’ve forgotten something about my trip; guess I need to start writing more frequently!

Anyways, we were along the sidewalk in the hub when we came upon the end of the Move It, Shake It, Celebrate It Street Party.

And like Rob says, you can’t NOT stop and watch some of it.


The five minutes we caught was well worth our while. Despite the fact that my mom, Alex, and I have all seen the show a hundred times, it was still just what we wanted to do at that time. We didn’t know it until then, but then again, you rarely know what unplanned things are going to turn into a fun time until you do them.

It simply made us all happy. It wasn’t anything special or exciting, it was just a good time. My mom and I danced around like fools, and Alex held onto Landon and pointed out all the exciting characters to him.

I take my earlier statement back. Something exciting did happen.

The Mad Hatter, up on top of his float, spotted Landon and was constantly trying to get his attention. He was waving and pointing and making silly faces at him. Landon either didn’t see him or didn’t care to acknowledge him, which just made the Mad Hatter try harder. It was hilarious to see.

An all around good time.



My mom, Alex, and I found out that morning that the Christmas party had sold out yesterday afternoon, and we weren’t sure what to expect in terms of crowds. We knew we were not going to escape the masses that had been around us all week leading up to that point, but I will admit, we would not, in a million years, have predicted the street party crowds to stay exactly where they were after the floats went away.

It was about 6:30pm and all of Main Street was packed! All of us kind of realized right then and there that if we wanted a good spot for the parade and the fireworks show, then we’d have to stay where we were.

The idea really bummed us all out. None of us wanted to see our 60 dollar tickets being spent on a sidewalk for three straight hours, but unfortunately that was what our fellow guests at the party had decided on.

Accepting our fate, all of us got comfy on the curb. At least we had this beautiful sight to keep us company:




So far, the party wasn’t going exactly as planned, but we figured we’d hold back judgment until later. It could always get better. Right?




Up Next…It Almost Came to Blows

 

[MEK]

It wasn’t just hair; IT WAS TOO MUCH HAIR!

There is something just WRONG with this picture! I don't blame Landon for not wanting to be around all that hair and there goes Rapunzel forcing it on him! It looks like some kind of animal. Yuck! I'm surprised he didn't start crying right then and there. I sure would have.

Ahhh - the sold out Christmas party. I attended one of those. It was rough, I agree. I sometimes wonder if that's why I have always preferred the Halloween party over the Christmas party. I do hope things improve.

Yay for a 1 hour nap!

It does seem strange to see the pool totally empty!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Alex does look bored... but that is one heck of a hat!!

Wow the pool. Granted I'm never back at POP in the middle of the day but that can't be normal. And I honestly don't remember a day below 80.

See Landon and I would get along great. He is just clearly an Ariel guy.

YES MOVE IT SHAKE IT and yes YOU CANNOT NOT STOP!!!! Or at least I cannot not stop. And that's exactly what it does. It just makes you happy.

Hmmm, This was December 5th right? At first I was thinking this was the party I was at, but I was at the the one on the 6th. So for a bit there I was surprised because I had no crowd issues at all despite a sold out party. Now I see it was a different party... and the next update sounds pretty ominous.

 

[khertz]

That's really great that the CM was able to override and let you back in. I did find that while I miss the old FP system, FP+ did have its advantages too.

I'm sure you know how much I love Rapunzel myself, but well...it's all about the performer, and it sounds like you didn't get a good one! Disappointing, but that's good that your Snow experience was better and she got Landon to crack a smile. She definitely looks the part!

YIKES! Those crowds on Main Street are frightening! What a bummer that you were basically forced to spend the party sitting on the curb to hold your spot. Definitely NOT what you want to have spent all that money for.

 

[Dugette]

Love that Alex is wearing Landon's hat in the pic. Nice of him to spend that father/son time so you could power nap (and he did chores too! )

That is really strange the pool was empty. Almost makes me wonder if they evacuated and closed it? Really odd.

Aw, too bad Rapunzel was overly hair-aggressive, but I'm glad that Snow White made up for it! Also nice that you were able to get your FP time changed.

That party and the curb-waiting scares me.