Will the time ever come that I've had "enough" Disney? I didn't think so! :)

[tmkinney]

Great start!!! Your kids are too cute. Love the Tink shirt! Can't wait for more!!

 

[Villainess]

I'm joining in - great start!

 

[vdarrell]

Having boys I can totally relate to the car in pocket.

Your children are so cute especially whne they were sleeping with their Mickey and Minnie.

 

[Paparazzimama]

Okay, so where were we? Oh, that's right! DH and the kiddos were up from their nap and we were ready for our dinner at HDDR! We walk out of our room to be greeted by the downpour of the century!!!! Everybody donned their ponchos and we were making a mad dash for the bus stop. The bus transfer system from resort to resort was so incredibly slow our entire trip! And it all started here - as we are standing in our own water puddles trying to get to the Wilderness Lodge! Thankfully, we had allowed for plenty of travel time and we still made it to HDDR with about 10/15 minutes to spare! DBFF had already checked our group in, so we were all just waiting to be let in and seated. Fortunately, that didn't take long and we were at our table in no time! Next thing I know, we have a pail of salad in front of us and a group of singin', dancin' hillbillies entertaining us! My crew thought this dinner was SO MUCH FUN!!! Here are some pics of our night:

As you can see, we all had a GREAT time!!!!!!!!! It was a great end to our first night at WDW and we were all exhausted by the time our heads hit the pillows that night. I set our alarms and we were all off to dream of the big day at Magic Kingdom that we had planned! Next up - breakfast at Crystal Palace!

 

[Paparazzimama]

I am loving your TR!!! Great recap of everything. Ughhh just reading about the run-in with the Bell Services man makes aggravated all over again. I swear that man was a pain!!! AND not to mention that we could barely understand him!

I can't wait to read more!!!

Hey there! Glad you found me! Yes, just typing that whole fiasco was starting all the frustration in me all over again! That's okay though, in the end things all went my way and his life was spared. No Disney jail for me this trip! Stay tuned, my friend!

Great start!!! Your kids are too cute. Love the Tink shirt! Can't wait for more!!

Thanks! I can't wait to show you all my photopass pics!

I'm joining in - great start!

So glad you have you along!

Having boys I can totally relate to the car in pocket.

Your children are so cute especially whne they were sleeping with their Mickey and Minnie.

Thanks! I'm sure they'll grow up to hate those pictures, but it's my job as their mother to hang onto them right? How else could I embarass them in front of potential boy/girlfriends?!?!

 

[mom2mek]

Looks like a really fun time at the HDDR! All the kids (and hubbies) look very happy! Love the napkin twirling pics! Some really great memories were made, I'm sure.

Sara

 

[mkluvsmickey]

Great pictures from HDDR! It really looks like a fun time! You guys don't look a bit tired!

Looking forward to your MK day

 

[Paparazzimama]

Looks like a really fun time at the HDDR! All the kids (and hubbies) look very happy! Love the napkin twirling pics! Some really great memories were made, I'm sure.

Sara

Yeah, DH probably wouldn't be very happy if he knew I put that pic of him twirling his napkin on here. But I just thought it was so cute! It was definitely a great memory for our group!

Great pictures from HDDR! It really looks like a fun time! You guys don't look a bit tired!

Looking forward to your MK day

It was so much fun! And there was so much food and so much entertainment around us that we didn't have time to be tired! I'm working on the first MK post now so stay tuned!

 

[mom_of_3_70737]

Haha! You put the pic of B twirling his napkin!! That is hilarious! Love all the pics, except for the fact that I look like a big nerd! Well, it was HDDR so I guess it was ok Keep up the great report, even though I was there.....I can't wait to read more!

 

[Paparazzimama]

Okay, so when I last left you, we had returned to our room at POR after an exhausting first day in WDW! But, I forgot to tell you that before turning in for the night, my DH and kiddos told me that there was no way they could get up so early the next morning (we had an 8:10 ADR at CP) without hot chocolate to get them going. So . . . the next morning found me at the food court at 6a.m. filling everyone's mugs with yummy hot chocolate. (Except for mine - I need the hard stuff to get me going - good ole' Coca Cola Classic!) I got myself dressed and ready then woke my bunch up around 6:30 - their hot chocolate was cooled to a sippable point by that time - and we were all ready and to the bus stop at 7:15! I was really nervous about us making it this morning considering how tired everyone was from the day before - but I should have known that the excitement of the day to come would be enough! We arrived at the Magic Kingdom around 7:55a.m.:

And checked in at the Crystal Palace right away. We only waited about 5 minutes before our names were being called to be seated. DH and I were not really impressed with this meal. The food was pretty subpar (wasn't expecting much anyway) but the character interaction is what really let me down. The characters spent the least possible amount of time at each table and didn't really intereact much with the kids other than posing for a picture. Still, it wasn't like it was so bad that it ruined our morning - just not something we will be back to do probably. Here are some pics from our breakfast - you can tell that the kids really enjoyed it. (Although, they never mentioned it again like they did other meals, so they probably weren't too impressed either)

Like I said, it wasn't a mood-killer and everyone was happy, but we were definitely ready to ditch the CP and get our MK day started with some rides!!! After we settle up with the check, DH informs me that his head and stomache still have him uneasy from the major migraine the day before so we are going to have to take it easy to start off. We tell DBFF and her crew and we all decide that it's probably best that we not try to stick together since we'll probably be "touring" at different paces. Everybody is cool with this and we head out to start the fun! Oh, but first we all stopped and had our picture taken in front of the castle! Our photopass CD is supposed to arrive tomorrow, so I'll be able to post those tomorrow night! Next up . . . how many rides to we get to go on and how did DH hold up?

 

[Paparazzimama]

Haha! You put the pic of B twirling his napkin!! That is hilarious! Love all the pics, except for the fact that I look like a big nerd! Well, it was HDDR so I guess it was ok Keep up the great report, even though I was there.....I can't wait to read more!

Hahaha!!! I know! He would kill me!!!! But it was too cute not to post, am I right? And you so don't look like a nerd - I think we all looked GREAT considering we had been up since 2:30a.m.!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait until our CD get here tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Paparazzimama]

After stopping to take our picture in front of the castle, the kids are begging us to let our first ride be Space Mountain! We head to Tomorrowland and see that there is no wait for the Buzz Lightyear ride. We tell the kids that dad needs to "test out" his body on something small before trying SM so we all take a spin on Buzz. We always enjoy this fun game so we were laughing and enjoying ourselves immensely by the time we got off. DH said that he was feeling pretty good and that he was sure he could handle SM now so off we went! Here is a pic I took of DH before our spaceship launched!

The ride was as fun as ever and the squeals of the kids in front of me was worth it all! They absolutely love this ride! Oh, and I should mention that the wait time was 10 minutes! It actually took less than that, but that's the time that was posted outside. From there, the kids wanted to ride the Astro Orbiter. DH cannot do rides that go in a circle so I took them on it while he did a little souvenier shopping. Here are the kids and I on the ride:

And the view of the castle from there:

Next up were the teacups - a ride that neither DH or I can handle so we watched the kids while they took a whirl!

After this ride, we headed into Fantasy Land and went on every ride that we wanted with hardly any waits. We've been so many times now that we only stop at the ones we really like and skip over the smaller stuff. The first one that we stopped at was Peter Pan - which usually has a terribly long line, but at this point it was only 5 minutes!!!!! So in line we went. While "snaking" along, the kids inform us that they want to ride together in their own ship! What?!?!?! How could they possibly be ready to ditch us at 7 and 5 years of age? Are you feeling me here? {Sigh} So, DH and I quickly come to grips with the fact that we are no longer needed at their side for some tasks and move on. Here are some pics on our "flight".

From there it was a whirlwind of fast lines and fun rides - Snow White's Scary Adventure, Mickey's Philharmagic, the Haunted Mansion . . . it was A BLAST!!!

Here is a pic of DS trying to become king:

And us waiting in the theater for Philharmagic - one of our faves!

When we finished up in Fantasy Land, we headed over to Frontier Land to take a ride on a runaway train! The wait time for BTMRR was 10 minutes and we went on twice in a row. After that we hopped on over to Splash Mountain (20 minute wait) and took a dip - or should I say GOT SOAKED!!! Atleast DH and I did. We left Frontier Land and headed into Adventure Land. (Can't wait to post some photopass pics from here!) We rode POTC with no wait:

Then met up with DBFF and her family at the Dole Whip stand! It was a much needed "cooling off" break for everybody. At this point DH has held up very well but is in much need of a midday break. Fortunately, I had "planned" for such a thing and after the DH's taking the kids on a tour of the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse we headed back to POR.

 

[mom2mek]

Wow! What a great morning so far! Love those almost-empty Main St pics! We have an early morning ADR at the CP in a couple of weeks and I am looking forward to a nice leisurely stroll down Main St without crowds of people running over my feet or stopping in the middle of the street to look at their map and having me dodge and weave around them! Always fun!

Wow! You guys split up? Do people do that? Hehe!

The views from AO look really nice, but I can't do that ride - too much like the swings at the other theme parks - makes my stomach I do love those castle views though - so pretty!

I can't believe they didn't want to ride Peter Pan with Mommy or Daddy! Well, at least you got a nice, romantic boat ride over London! (Love that part!)

Can't wait to hear about the rest of your day!

(Are you and Katie now at the same spot in your TR's?)

Sara

 

[mkluvsmickey]

Love the update - can't wait to see your photopass pictures!

It's cute that your kids want to ride together - at least they get along!

I can't believe the short wait times you guys had - what a great MK day!

 

[MegansMom]

Hey Sweetie---SO loving the TR so far!!!! Your tales of the short waits reminds me SO much of our first trip as a family back in September 2006---oh how fun it is to soar through those queues!!!!! Sounds like you are off to a great start on your MK day!!!! I love that you guys (you and your friends) were so flexible that you were okay parting ways for a bit!!! We have friends that want us to go with them sometime soon, and I wouldn't mind as long as everyone is as flexible as you guys were---I think it is only human to break off and do things by yourselves. If you have any tips, I would love to hear them---maybe then we can look into going with them at some point!! I am sure they would love our help---they have 4 kids under 5!!!!!

I also thought it was so cute that the kids wanted to ride together at PP!!! I know it is hard to let go, but that is sweet that they wanted to be together!!!

Can't WAIT for more!!!! Jen

 

[Paparazzimama]

Wow! What a great morning so far! Love those almost-empty Main St pics! We have an early morning ADR at the CP in a couple of weeks and I am looking forward to a nice leisurely stroll down Main St without crowds of people running over my feet or stopping in the middle of the street to look at their map and having me dodge and weave around them! Always fun!

Wow! You guys split up? Do people do that? Hehe!

The views from AO look really nice, but I can't do that ride - too much like the swings at the other theme parks - makes my stomach I do love those castle views though - so pretty!

I can't believe they didn't want to ride Peter Pan with Mommy or Daddy! Well, at least you got a nice, romantic boat ride over London! (Love that part!)

Can't wait to hear about the rest of your day!

(Are you and Katie now at the same spot in your TR's?)

Sara

You are going to LOVE enterring the park before it opens! Talk about a great shot of the castle!!!! I think Katie and I are at about the same point in our TRs so we should both be posting about our dinner in the castle soon!

Love the update - can't wait to see your photopass pictures!

It's cute that your kids want to ride together - at least they get along!

I can't believe the short wait times you guys had - what a great MK day!

Oh, it most certainly was a GREAT MK day!!! I'll never be able to go in any time that's not off-season now - totally spoiled!

Hey Sweetie---SO loving the TR so far!!!! Your tales of the short waits reminds me SO much of our first trip as a family back in September 2006---oh how fun it is to soar through those queues!!!!! Sounds like you are off to a great start on your MK day!!!! I love that you guys (you and your friends) were so flexible that you were okay parting ways for a bit!!! We have friends that want us to go with them sometime soon, and I wouldn't mind as long as everyone is as flexible as you guys were---I think it is only human to break off and do things by yourselves. If you have any tips, I would love to hear them---maybe then we can look into going with them at some point!! I am sure they would love our help---they have 4 kids under 5!!!!!

I also thought it was so cute that the kids wanted to ride together at PP!!! I know it is hard to let go, but that is sweet that they wanted to be together!!!

Can't WAIT for more!!!! Jen

It was definitely A LOT of fun going with our closest friends! The thing that made it easy for all of us was that we had each been on a trip with "clingy" people that though we should all stay together the whole time and it DID NOT WORK!!!! Like in a major way! So going into this we knew that time apart was both needed and appreciated. It was never an issue when someone said that they were going do their own thing. We had a dinner together every night so we knew that we would get to be together again soon. It was truly great and I hope that you get to experience that with your friends! Of course your friends can't be as great as ours . . . Shout out to Katie! Stay tuned, CRT is up next!!!

 

[tmkinney]

Don't you just love the MK? Getting there early is awesome, no wait times! I'm jealous you get your photopass cd so quickly. I am in a share, and a couple people in the group need more time (another week! ) I am so impatient, I want it NOW!!! Can't wait to see your pics!! I'm going to have to get busy updating my TR, you are moving along quickly!! (that's a good thing!!)

 

[Paparazzimama]

Don't you just love the MK? Getting there early is awesome, no wait times! I'm jealous you get your photopass cd so quickly. I am in a share, and a couple people in the group need more time (another week! ) I am so impatient, I want it NOW!!! Can't wait to see your pics!! I'm going to have to get busy updating my TR, you are moving along quickly!! (that's a good thing!!)

Yeah, DBFF and I aren't patient enough to be in a Photopass share group. We agreed to share with each other b/c we knew that we'd each be working as fast as we could to get them done and order the CD! I hope they don't put it off any longer than this week - I'm sure your anxious to get your pics.

 

[Paparazzimama]

I left some very important information out of the last post - FOOD!!!!! Since we had a big breakfast and an early dinner planned for this day, we decided to have some good ole' junkfood for lunch! The kids were LOVING us!!!! This is a quick rundown of what we munched on during our tour of MK: 2 Churros, a Dole Whip Float, a Coke Float, a frozen raspberry lemonade slush, a Sprite, and a Smart Water. Doesn't sound like much now that I'm typing it, but it was plenty on a hot day of walking.

When I last left you, we had headed back to POR for some "rest" before our dinner at CRT. We left MK around 1:30/2:00 and had to be back at the bus stop by 4:30, so we had just enough time recover. When we got back to MK, we headed straight to CRT to check-in. Once our names were taken at the desk, DBFF and I got in line with the girls to take our picture with Cinderella. We were SO EXCITED to find out that because of our party size we were getting 3 picture packages!!!! So, Brooke and I took a pic, DBFF and her girls took a pic, and then we did one with all of the girls - they came out SO GOOD!!!!! I will scan one later tonight hopefully. Once our pictures were taken, we were expecting to be called shortly for our table . . . we were sorely mistaken! I don't know the exact time that elapsed, but it was every bit of 30 - maybe even 45 minutes! The kids were totally restless by the time that our names were called.

Here are the kids heading up the staircase to the dining room:

In spite of our long wait time, we enjoyed this meal immensely!!!! The food was amazing and the atmosphere unlike any other! The kids were totally "enchanted" by the fairy godmother and loved meeting Suzy and Perla.

Here is DH with his gigantic bottle of water that they brought him - it was a glass bottle too! He could have really hurt somebody with that thing!!!

Here are some more pics of us enjoying our dinner:

After the fairy godmother's wishing cermony, DH surprised me with a necklace that I had been eyeing earlier that day - everyone say it together . . . awwwwwww . . . It was a silver charm like a little lantern with tinkerbell inside. (She's my FAVE!!!) Here is a pic that DD took of me after I put it on (notice my permed and dyed eyelashes!!):

Since we were celebrating DH and DS's birthdays this trip, they got these cute little "fall festive" cakes:

And we also got a creepy little cake because of their MNSSHP that night:

Oh, and I can't forget this cute pic of DBFF and her family that I snapped:

After our dinner, we left MK (MNSSHP had started, so we couldn't have stayed anyway) and headed over to Epcot for EMH. Boy, was it PACKED!!! Wait times were pretty hairy so we didn't try to tackle much. We rode the new Spaceship Earth - which we loved! The new interactive part with your picture at the end is so much fun! The kids talked about it several times during the rest of our trip. We watched Illuminations, which was a first for us and it certainly did not disappoint! I loved the twinkling lights on the buildings during it! We took a ride with Figment (a must-do for our kiddos) then did some shopping at Mouse Gear. By this time, we were pretty wiped out (since our bellies were so full!) so we slowly made our way for the buses. Once we made it back to our room everyone crashed! Up next - Hollywood Studios and the new Toy Story ride!!!!!

 

[mom_of_3_70737]

Great update....Lovin your TR!!!