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

[Poohtigeey]

So, I'm not invited on this next trip?

That's ok, I'm sure I can find some more freaks that will wear antlers in public with me!

 

[mom2mek]

So, I'm not invited on this next trip?

That's ok, I'm sure I can find some more freaks that will wear antlers in public with me!

Oh yes you are!

I forgot to mention that you would be in the water wings trying to snag a piggy back ride!

Me - slide
Michelle - fountain jumping
Monica - water wings

Perfect!

You could wear your antlers too if you wanted! And a bathing suit, please!

I think we might be losing it a little!

Sara

 

[DisneyJo]

Sounds like a lovely restful morning, the kids look so cute in the pool and I'm so pleased you found your phone.

I'd love to do a segway tour, it looks so much fun.

Did you have a good time at WDW last week?

 

[mom2mek]

Sounds like a lovely restful morning, the kids look so cute in the pool and I'm so pleased you found your phone.

I'd love to do a segway tour, it looks so much fun.

Did you have a good time at WDW last week?

Thanks Jo! Yes, I had a fabulous time on our trip! The link isn't yet in my signature, (I've got to do some editing), but if you scroll up to poohtigeey or mkluvsmickey, it is in both of their signatures! (report starts on page 74 I think - the rest of the pages are just pre-trip babble)! Please join us over there to find out all about the trip - we had so much fun!

We really enjoyed hanging out with Jen at the party on Thursday night - she said she was meeting up with you the next day for the tea at the GF! I'm sure you found her just as sweet and charming as we all did!

I didn't realize you started a trip report about your moms panel training so I hope to catch up with reading that tonight! I'm sure it was a blast!!!

Sara

 

[julezdisney]

Yay for an update!

As usual, reading this from work, gotta see the pix once I get home.

Just started the girls' trip report that Monica's writing up. Great so far! Totally fun!

 

[mom2mek]

Yay for an update!

As usual, reading this from work, gotta see the pix once I get home.

Just started the girls' trip report that Monica's writing up. Great so far! Totally fun!

Thanks Julia! I know it's been a long time since an update, and then I just post one little snippet of the day! Monica will have our girls' trip done before I even get to MNSSHP!!!

Sara

 

[mom2mek]

Holy smokes! She’s gonna try and update this thing! Can you believe it?

Day 3 - MNSSHP
Part 2 – The Smashing Pumpkins take on the Kona Cafe for lunch!

So when I last left off, we had returned to the house after a couple of hours at the pool, changed, and gathered our stuff for the party and we were on our way around 1:45 to our lunch at the Kona Cafe at the Polynesian Hotel.

On our way in this time, Shawn managed to snag a decent picture of the WDW sign.

We decided, since we were running pretty close to our ADR time, to try out the free valet parking that you get when you use the Tables in Wonderland card. Woo-hoo! Worked out great! Of course, the valet guy told us it was only good for 3 hours, so Shawn wanted to move it after lunch and park the car back over at the TTC even though I told him it would probably be fine for the night. Guess he didn't want to be a rule-breaker!

We took some pics of the Polynesian on our way inside and just oohed and aahhhed over that place. It is so beautiful and I hope we are able to stay there someday.

We made our way up to the 2nd floor where the Kona Cafe is located and checked in.

They sat us down right away, at a large table right near the entrance. We all loved the decorations for Halloween that they had at the Kona. We especially loved the Jack Skellington pumpkin - so much so, that we took a picture to try and replicate it for ourselves when we got home.

We settled in and got down to business!

First things first…we ordered our drinks. MIL had an iced tea, Shawn had a mojito, Mom and Step-dad both had blue glowtinis (this is the best picture I had of the glowtinis - please excuse the half-eaten food in the background)

And I ordered me up one delicous little delight, the Lapu Lapu. I had really been wanting to try one of these, and it did not disappoint! It was very delicious. The kids thought it was a hoot - mommy drinking out of a pineapple!

The kids all got the Tinkerbell/Captain Hook light up drinks and had fun with their new toys! Emily wanted to wear her light up clip in her hair. Katie wanted my Mom to wear hers in her hair! LOL!

It's clipped in through her ponytail here:

Our waitress was very nice and she loved our Halloween shirts. She offered to take a picture of us all together and we dubbed ourselves the "Smashing Pumpkins" since she said we looked “smashing” and clearly…our shirts made us look a little like pumpkins!

Continued in the next post…too many pics….

 

[mom2mek]

Continued…

While we waited for our food, the kids entertained themselves with coloring and “little drink umbrella” wearing!

(Shawn held it up there for her this time)!

At one point while waiting for our food, Michael hit himself in the face with his napkin and his eye got all puffy and watery! (Please note the kids were actually being very good at this meal, it seems as if they were really wild, but all of this was happening in a very subdued way – promise!)

When I picked Kona for lunch I think I had looked at the dinner menu on allears because what I wanted to order was not on the lunch menu. But no worries....I had no problem deciding what I wanted to eat. For an appetizer, we ordered two servings of the pot stickers! They were a big hit and gone in no time!

For entrees, my Mom and I both ordered the Polynesian Plate Lunch which was Chicken with Peanut Sauce over sticky rice and served with macaroni salad. It was fabulous! I don't think I left one little speck of anything on my plate. Shawn, my MIL, and my step-dad all ordered the Beef Teriyaki Salad and loved it!

Michael wanted to try the kids fish but only if it was Mahi-mahi since he had enjoyed tasting Shawn's so much the day before at the Coral Reef. He was in luck, the kids fish entrée was indeed Mahi-Mahi! He was very happy! Emily had a hot dog and Katie got the kids chicken I believe. Emily enjoyed eating her hot dog with her chopsticks!

At some point, we all took a look at the desserts that are on display at the counter right where we were sitting. The kids, obviously, opted for the Kona Cone, I chose the Kilauea Torte (I think that’s what it was called – it was like a big chocolate volcano thing), my stepdad got the Chocolate Fondue, my Mom picked some healthy-looking item (how are we related anyways), I think it was called the Apple Stack or something, and Shawn and his Mom both picked the Banana Chocolate Crème Brulee.

I was shocked when Katie said she didn’t really want anything. I knew they were going to bring her out something for her birthday (the waitress had mentioned it), so her not wanting anything made that whole thing a lot easier as I was totally expecting to have to talk her out of a giant Kona Cone!

Out came the cones….

The kids absolutely adored their Kona Cone, but probably only ate about ¼ of it! And naturally, as soon as Katie saw her brother and sister’s desserts, she wanted one. Luckily, just about then, they brought out her birthday dessert and she was thrilled! It was adorable!

We finished up our amazing desserts (I could only eat about ½ of mine I was so full) and settled the bill (that 20% off with the Tables in Wonderland card again really came in handy, especially when you add in alcoholic drinks and desserts)!

Next we were off to the Magic Kingdom! But not before we stopped to take a picture next to this beautiful sculpture:

We also wanted to check out the gift shop that is right there on the 2nd floor. Katie really wanted this Halloween Minnie Mouse:

Michael wanted a sword to go with his knight costume for the party tonight! Shocker -weapons are always on his radar!

And Emily? Hmmm….this is terrible, but I don’t remember…I think she got a new pin, but I’m not positive. Bad mommy.

We tried on some hats and then headed out to the monorail.

The birthday girl:

The guys went back downstairs to pick up the car and re-park it at the TTC, and they were going to meet us back at the entrance to the MK! My mom, MIL, and I took the 3 kids and hopped on the monorail for our quick ride to the Magic Kingdom!

Off we go!
And off we stop!

Up next...when do we finally make it to the party?

 

[jillyb]

Whoa! I'm in sugar shock just looking at those Kona Cones!! My girls would be in hog heaven with those things. I'll have to put Kona Cafe on our list of must dos.

Love the hat pictures!

 

[ProudMommyof2]

Yeah an update! Kona looks so good! My kids would die for those desserts!

 

[Poohtigeey]

Yay!! I LOVE that picture of you in the pirate hat. You look so cute! I think it should be your Facebook picture Dave and I are cracking up at the sugarfest that is the Kona cone! It's probably a very good thing that they didn't eat the whole thing! You all look so great in your orange shirts. I'm happy to get to read an update. Keep them coming.

 

[mkluvsmickey]

Great update Sara! Love all the pics and the orange shirts look great! You do look like "smashing pumpkins"!

I agree with Monica - the picture of you in the pirate hat is great!

So, are you going to show us a picture of the Jack Skellington pumpkin you made at home?

Isn't the sticky rice at Kona the best?!! I could eat just a big bowl of that!

 

[mom2mek]

Whoa! I'm in sugar shock just looking at those Kona Cones!! My girls would be in hog heaven with those things. I'll have to put Kona Cafe on our list of must dos.

Love the hat pictures!

Thanks Jill! The Kona Cones were big hits and the Kona Cafe was one of my new favorite places to go! I want to try it for breakfast next time because I'm dying to try out the Tonga Toast!

Yeah an update! Kona looks so good! My kids would die for those desserts!

Thanks for hanging in there with me! I know it has been slow-going! Hopefully now that will change and I can update a little more quickly!

Yay!! I LOVE that picture of you in the pirate hat. You look so cute! I think it should be your Facebook picture Dave and I are cracking up at the sugarfest that is the Kona cone! It's probably a very good thing that they didn't eat the whole thing! You all look so great in your orange shirts. I'm happy to get to read an update. Keep them coming.

Oh brother - I hate that picture! I really debated putting it in here at all. But then I thought, Michelle and Monica would probably like it! I don't think it will make it on FB, but we'll see.

I was all for the sugar fest on this night - I had paid a lot of money for those party tickets and I wanted them to stay awake at all costs! I wouldn't recommend getting the Kona Cone on your way back to the resort for bed though!

I'm glad we went with the orange shirts too!

Great update Sara! Love all the pics and the orange shirts look great! You do look like "smashing pumpkins"!

I agree with Monica - the picture of you in the pirate hat is great!

So, are you going to show us a picture of the Jack Skellington pumpkin you made at home?

Isn't the sticky rice at Kona the best?!! I could eat just a big bowl of that!

Oooo....I should go find a picture of our Jack Skellington pumpkin and post it! We didn't have the eyes all black like the Disney one, but it looked pretty good I think.

The rice at Kona was so good! I was really surprised at how good the macaroni salad was...I'm not usually a fan of pasta-type salads that are cold, but this was kind of sweet and really, really good!

Now I'm hungry.

Sara

 

[mom2mek]

Day 3 - MNSSHP
Part 3 - Ready to Party!

We left the Polynesian a little after 4:30 I think and the 3 of us ladies, along with the 3 kids, boarded the monorail for our short trip to the Magic Kingdom!

Well, it should have been a short trip! I probably could have swam to the Magic Kingdom from the Poly quicker than it took the monorail on this day. I don’t know what the deal was. First, we sat at the Poly monorail station for what seemed like forever, and when we finally left and headed to the next stop at the Grand Floridian, we waited there even longer! The doors kept opening and shutting, opening and shutting, but nothing was happening. To occupy the kids, we took some pictures at the GF stop.

Katie working on her pole dance!

Finally, we started moving and made it to the Magic Kingdom around 5:00.

We sat on a bench and waited for the guys to meet us (hoping they were smart enough to have taken the express monorail after they parked and not the slow-moving resort one). We admired all the costumes we saw going into the party and the kids were getting excited about changing into their own costumes (although I didn't really think they would leave them on that long considering the hot and muggy weather that day). Boy, the air was heavy that day!

(Don't the girls just look thrilled to be waiting?)

Shawn snapped this picture of the ferry and the MK from the TTC while waiting for the monorail. So pretty!

Shortly after we arrived, the guys were meeting up with us and we were heading into the Magic Kingdom for the first time this trip and for our first MNSSHP! I couldn't wait.

Ahhh...my happy place. Seeing my kids faces as they enter the park, absorbing all the details, watching my family live in a little Halloween fantasy land – removed from all that is normal and routine – I love it!

This was the first time Shawn and his Mom had been in the Magic Kingdom together, so that was extra special as well.

We all just loved all of the fantastic fall touches and amazing Halloween decorations. The orange and gold garland/ribbons/bunting hung from the fences and the stores, and stacks of pumpkins framed the entrance to the park. I loved the Mickey head that was made out of small pumpkins and gourds – everything looked so perfect.

We entered through the turnstiles without incident, got our bracelets, and stopped for some photopass pictures.

Finally, we made our way under the train station and into the park. It was probably about 5:30 by this point and I asked the kids if they wanted to wait to put their costumes on, or if they wanted to do it right then. They all wanted to get dressed up right away, so my Mom and I took them over to the restrooms right by City Hall while Shawn took some pictures around the flag pole.

(He found this bird in the reeds right behind Roy & Minnie - look how camouflauged it is!)

Be back in a moment with more...picture limit...

 

[mom2mek]

Ok, never mind...the next post was written up and now it is gone - UGH! I will have to rewrite it and post later. Sorry for the 1/2 installment.

Sara

 

[kaysmommie]

Love what you have so far. The pictures of all of you with the matching shirts is cute! The resort monorail got stuck for 20 minutes on us the next morning. they must have been having some issues with it .
Makes me so aggravated when I lose every thing I just typed. That is the worst part of writing trip reports.

 

[mom2mek]

Love what you have so far. The pictures of all of you with the matching shirts is cute! The resort monorail got stuck for 20 minutes on us the next morning. they must have been having some issues with it .
Makes me so aggravated when I lose every thing I just typed. That is the worst part of writing trip reports.

Thanks Nichole! Yeah, what the heck was up with the monorails that week? We had trouble with them at least 3 times.

I should have my "lost" installment re-done today! Someone you know shows up in it!

Sara

 

[mom2mek]

Day 3 - MNSSHP
Part 4 - Who is that calling my name?

Ok, so back to the flag pole. Here are some other pictures Shawn took of the scenery while waiting around for the rest of us.

So, in the bathroom, Mom and I managed to get the kids transformed into two witches and a knight and I snapped a picture in the bathroom before we headed out.

Kind of gross, I know…taking a picture in the bathroom, but oh well…I did it anyway. Emily looks thrilled, doesn’t she? No worries – she was all smiles – just probably perplexed as to why Mommy was taking a picture in a bathroom!

I donned my Mickey Pumpkin light-up necklace and my fancy headband with black cats, passed out silly headbands to my mom and MIL and we were off to the party.

As we walked down Main St, the party CMs (In their totally fabulous purple pants ) were ushering people out of the park to our left hand side and at the same time, welcoming all of us party-goers on the right side. They were passing out the maps and many of them wished Katie a “happy birthday” as she walked past. She looked so cute strolling down Main St in that really long orange light up witch skirt and pointy hat.

When we reached the ice cream parlor, we decided to hop in line for a photopass picture with the castle in the background.

(You can see the dark clouds over head - we were so afraid we were going to have drenching rains like the night before)

This isn't a great picture of the kids' faces, but I love how Emily is holding on to Katie!

Funny thing was, that after she took the first picture, the castle stage show finished up, and the smoke from the fireworks is in the background of the 2nd picture. NO worries anyway – it wasn’t that great of a picture to begin with.

Our first stop was Tomorrowland (which felt very strange for Mom and I…as we ALWAYS are rushing to Fantasyland upon arrival at the MK). I thought we might get a ride on Space, Buzz, or the TTA before doing a little Fantasyland and then starting our trick-or-treating right at 7:00 in Toontown.

Michael loved this cloud - said it looked like a person's face and wanted us to take a picture of it! Do you see it? Neat, huh? Kind of looks like Maleficient, no?

Immediately upon entering Tomorrowland, Katie fell asleep in the stroller and Michael wanted to ride Stitch. Ick. Can you believe it? First ride at the Magic Kingdom – Stitch? Only from a 7 year old boy!

Shawn, my MIL, and my step-dad took him to ride and my mom volunteered to wait with the sleeping Katie. So, where oh where, do you think Emily and I started out?

Yep! You guessed it! The People Mover – or TTA! We walked right on as usual and we were off on our ride through Space! She just giggles and giggles on this ride.

Love the Tinkerbell costume this lady was wearing:

When we got off, the Stitch riders were still not out (posted wait time had been 5 minutes, but I guess it’s kind of a long ride once you add in the pre-show and all), so Emily and I decided to ride Buzz.

As I was walking through the queue, I heard my name being called. But being an unfamiliar voice (with a slight Jersey accent, I didn’t pay attention! Oops! I heard it again and looked through the crowd to see, none other than Nichole (kaysmommie) from the DIS. I was so surprised as I knew they were supposed to have been at the party the night before. We quickly tried to spit out a few words as we were walking through the line, but I heard enough to know that they had had a rough couple of days with Thomas being sick, and that they got a raincheck for the party from last night due to the ….RAIN!!!! : It was so funny to see a fellow DISer in real life!

Emily and I rode Buzz and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, even though we are worse than pathetic at actually hitting anything when we shoot! I just can’t stand those red dots – I can’t tell which is mine!

When we got off the ride, I saw Nichole again and got a little bit more detail about their trip. Thomas and Kaylee are just as cute in person, and Tom and Nichole looked like they were having a fabulous time together – what a beautiful family! We said our good-byes and I was kicking myself for not having my camera – I left all my stuff in the bag with mom at the stroller.

(Katie was still sleeping)

Emily and I went back to my Mom and she told us that the other crew had gotten off Stitch and then separated – Shawn and step-dad to the bathroom, and Michael and my MIL had gone ahead to ride Buzz. Once the two guys met back up with us from the bathroom, my mom and step-dad rode the TTA, and Shawn took Emily back on Buzz. I stayed with Katie. All of this was surprisingly not driving me nuts yet. I was beginning to think my original plan of a few things in TL, followed by some Fantasyland before 7:00 wasn’t going to work though. Oh well. I was just going with the flow.

Eventually, MIL emerged with Michael (having bought the ride picture from Buzz, IN A FRAME, and the picture was just not that good). Oh well. Couldn’t really say anything about that – she wanted him to have it (even though you can’t even see him in it and she is looking in the opposite direction with sort of a grimace on her face).

Then, Mom and Step-dad got off the TTA, and then Shawn and Emily made it out of Buzz. Phew. All back together.

Now where?

 

[mkluvsmickey]

Great updates Sara! The kids look fabulous in their costumes!

Isn't MNSSHP the best! Your pictures are making me want to go back right now! You guys really blend in to the scenery with your awesome orange shirts and orange stroller.

That is so random that you ran in to Nichole in the Buzz queue! You probably had better luck meeting that way than if you tried to set up a meet!

Looking forward to more!!

 

[DisneyJo]

I love how your stroller matches your shirts, very well planned. The kids look so cute all dressed up and I'm glad you're not going mad yet!!!