Will I be Herding Cats Again?* **** COMPLETED *****

[Roxychica7]

Just found your TR...LOVE the beginning. I'll definitely be subbing this one.

 

[mkluvsmickey]

Great update Sara! Gotta love the first park day!

Love the fall Disney pin - very cute!

And the girls outfits are adorable - were those the new ones you bought? Looks like they fit great!

Looking forward to more!!

 

[mom2mek]

Yipee!!! Another Sara Report. Yours are by far are the best I have read on the Dis. Boy, this will get me through the next four weeks! Yes, that's right, 28 days from now we will be landing in Orlando!

Can hardly wait for the next installment!

Erika

Woo-hoo Erika! 28 days! That's great! Thanks for the compliments! I hope to not drag it out too long...

Your off to a good start on your Epcot day. Everyone looks so happy in the pics, especially Michael. I love the outfits on the kids, did you make them? The girls outfits are just so adorable!


I just realized, this is my 5000 post

Ha! Make them? NOT!!! I don't have a crafty bone in my body! No, just bought them off ebay! Really quite affordable though, considering some of the customs can be a bit pricey - I got all of theirs for around $20/each. The orange and white Minnie one they wore on our last day was the most expensive at $24. Not too shabby!

Congrats on the post count!

Just found your TR...LOVE the beginning. I'll definitely be subbing this one.

Thanks and

Great update Sara! Gotta love the first park day!

Love the fall Disney pin - very cute!

And the girls outfits are adorable - were those the new ones you bought? Looks like they fit great!

Looking forward to more!!

Thanks Michelle! Yes, those were outfits I bought ahead and couldn't try on the girls for fear that it would give away the surprise! They fit, thank goodness!

Sara

 

[julezdisney]

Yay for another installment! I just read it- now I have to log in tonight to see the pictures from home. LOL!

 

[mom2mek]

Yay for another installment! I just read it- now I have to log in tonight to see the pictures from home. LOL!

Thanks Julia! I might even have another installment up by tonight. Don't hold me to it, but I'm gonna try!

Sara

 

[snowbell]

Great updates. The kiddies look so cute in their outfits. I am so sorry that I caught the report late. better late than never I guess.

 

[mom2mek]

Great updates. The kiddies look so cute in their outfits. I am so sorry that I caught the report late. better late than never I guess.

Hey, thanks for jumping in! I haven't gotten very far! Surprised? Not if you read my last report!

I hope to post more tonight...

Sara

 

[julezdisney]

I SO BOOKMARKED THAT STROLLER LINK! I can't believe in all my research I heard NOTHING of this! WHAT!? I so could have used that. Man. Next time!

 

[mom2mek]

Day 2 - Epcot
Part 2 - Birthday Wishes!

My genuine AP was now obtained, and Katie's Birthday Button was in my hot little hands, so we went back to rejoin the group, who, after following my advice were the 2nd in line behind another family of 3 people (as opposed to 15 or 20 people back if they had stopped at one of those first lines to the left)! Woo-hoo! (It's working, it's working...they are following directions...)

Then I left them again to go over to Guest Relations on the right hand side of the entrance to purchase the Tables in Wonderland card! Michael came with me because he thought there would be a gift shop and he really wanted to buy a disposable camera. Unfortunately for him... no can do! Just a lady behind a window!

He started to pout!

We had to have our first "talk".

Ugh.

Not even through the gates on our first day and he was pouting!

Geez. Snap out of it kid...you'll get your camera! But first, we are gonna wait right here for the park to open!

I guess it was about 8:45 when they started allowing us in the park. I didn't notice any opening of that area, like I've heard about before. We ventured in, luckily with no ticket dysfunction, kept Michael from seeing the gift shop on the right hand side across from Spaceship Earth, and calmly walked towards the internal rope drop! I told Shawn that it would be great if he could go on ahead of us and get FPs for Soarin while we made our way to the Character Connection. I thought if we weren't going to go to the MK on our first day (which is what we have always done), then we should start this trip off with a visit with Mickey and Minnie!

Much to my surprise, when we arrived at the internal rope drop, we were right at the rope! I was in utter shock. This has never happened to us before.

Right away the CMs waiting at the rope noticed Katie's birthday button and started wishing her a Happy Birthday (to which she would usually look confused, but whisper, under her breath, with her head held down so no one could even see her lips, much less hear her...a barely audible "thank you")

One of the CMs gave her one of the sweet little YOAMD Tinkerbell pins! Woo-hoo! She was very excited and wanted me to immediately take it out and put it on her lanyard.

Another CM came up, and handed her some stickers. Man, this kid was racking up!

The CM that gave her the Tink pin, shortly came back and quietly knelt down and gave Michael a "Brother Bear" pin and Emily a "Figment" pin! It was so cute and they were thrilled.

Then we saw them!

Off in the distance...heading our way...big feet flopping....

Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, Donald...

And they were heading right for us!

Minnie stopped walking a few feet away from Emily and Katie and pointed at her dress and then back at their Minnie outfits and blew them a kiss. Then she came up to them showered them with love! My only complaint was that I was behind the kids and I would have loved to have seen their faces as all this was going on! I just wanted to jump on the other side of the rope, but I don't think the CMs would have liked that too much! So, excuse the closeness of the pics...I couldn't get anything further back, so unfortunately that means you see like a Minnie nose or a Mickey eye in some of the pics...sorry!

My Mom took video and I will try and post that too (for what it's worth...it's mostly of our backsides). Still have to download it from the camera though!

M innie was checking out Katie's birthday button! So cute!

Mickey and Donald goofed off with one another, but eventually they stopped and paid attention to all the people who were watching their antics! They were funny!

The CMs introduced the Family of the Day in the Test Track car and then whisked them off for their fun ride on Test Track and we counted down

10...
9....
8....
7....
6....
5.....
4....
3....
2....
1....

and we were off!

It really wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be...the Soarin Stampede, that is. Maybe I say that it wasn't bad because we weren't heading to Soarin...only Shawn was! But later, when we met up, he said it wasn't awful! Crowded - Yes. But not awful.

I debated inside my head as to whether or not we really NEEDED to go straight to the Character Connection. I mean, afterall we had just seen all the characters up close and personal, right?

Hmmm...what should we do?

Sara

 

[AZMickeyfans]

Emily sounds just like Morgan in the mornings. Not something you want to witness first hand! You get her up and run like the wind!

The outfits are ADORABLE! They look awesome in them. I cant wait to see all of the cute pictures you will have with them. Also, that stroller looks amazing. I've never seen one with double sun shields like that. Very cool.

I'm glad you have internal debates too and I'm not the only one! I cant wait to hear what you do!

 

[Avojeo]

Hey Sara!! I have lurked on your other two reports and decided to come out and say how great the updates have been so far. I have to say I love reading your trip reports.

 

[kaysmommie]

Great update! That picture of Katie is so cute! Way to go with the character interaction and pins. Hoping you had lots more magical moments on Katie's Bday trip.

 

[julezdisney]

Aww! You're keeping me hangin' girl! And hey- I'd love to see video of your backsides!

 

[OhioDisneyLover]

Great update. Loved those adorable outfits! You hit the jackpot for character interaction too!

 

[mom2mek]

Emily sounds just like Morgan in the mornings. Not something you want to witness first hand! You get her up and run like the wind!

The outfits are ADORABLE! They look awesome in them. I cant wait to see all of the cute pictures you will have with them. Also, that stroller looks amazing. I've never seen one with double sun shields like that. Very cool.

I'm glad you have internal debates too and I'm not the only one! I cant wait to hear what you do!

Oh, I had plenty of internal debates! PLENTY! If other people could read my mind, 1/2 the time I was questioning something!

That is very true about getting Emily up and running like the wind...unfortunately that means she will crawl back in bed and go back to sleep! She is a little like this in the morning!

Hey Sara!! I have lurked on your other two reports and decided to come out and say how great the updates have been so far. I have to say I love reading your trip reports.

Thanks for reading and for coming out of lurkdum! It's much more fun on this side!

Great update! That picture of Katie is so cute! Way to go with the character interaction and pins. Hoping you had lots more magical moments on Katie's Bday trip.

Thanks Nichole! Oh yes, Katie had a great birthday. This was just the beginning! (I love how they forget they are wearing a button with their name on it, and just think that everyone must know them! So cute!)

Aww! You're keeping me hangin' girl! And hey- I'd love to see video of your backsides!

It's not a pretty sight!

Great update. Loved those adorable outfits! You hit the jackpot for character interaction too!

Thanks! I couldn't believe we were right up there for the characters! Never thought that would happen! Wished - yes. But the realist in me was never as optimistic! I was probably more excited than them! (I tried to contain myself!)

Sara

 

[jeremysdisneymom]

Oh, your pictures with the characters are adorable! I am sure your children had an awesome moment and getting pins-what a treat!

Looking forward to the next installment!

 

[mom2mek]

Oh, your pictures with the characters are adorable! I am sure your children had an awesome moment and getting pins-what a treat!

Looking forward to the next installment!

Thanks Erika - it was a nice way to start our day!

Sara

 

[faerieprincess]

Hey Sara!! I have lurked on your other two reports and decided to come out and say how great the updates have been so far. I have to say I love reading your trip reports.

Welcome to the dark side.....we have cookies!


Great update Sara - i guess the character interaction is yet another incentive to make it for rope drop!

 

[mom2mek]

Welcome to the dark side.....we have cookies!


Great update Sara - i guess the character interaction is yet another incentive to make it for rope drop!

Yes, we have cookies...and candy! Glad you were lured! (oh, we have flowers too!)

Yes, I believe the more rope drops the better! Everyone moans and groans getting up and then sings the RD praises after we are there! Ever see that Samantha Harris Travel Channel special when she talks about "why are you sleeping in? You're at Disney!" So true.

Character interaction and little "dreams"! (Nothing official, but in our minds dreams nonetheless!)

Sara

 

[Poohtigeey]

See, when I neglect the DIS I can come on and read 2 updates instead of 1!! Sounds like a great start. How aggrivating is it when our kids get pouty at Disney! How dare them! Hunter pulled that a couple of times too. I love the morning pics of the girls! They look well rested. Would you be surprised to know that Megan has those same jammies? Great rope drop experience. Can't wait to read more.