MINMATE'S TRIP REPORT ALL LINKS HERE: OUTLAST, OUTWIT, OUTNUMBERED: WDW With 4 Kids!

[minmate]

Originally Posted by kimwim8

Thank you so much for sharing. I just finished reading your reports last night, and it was great to come online this morning to put faces to the story.

What a great trip and you have some wonderful pics to look back on!

Thanks again!

Thank you! I love your avatar pic w/Aladdin and Jasmine! We have never actually seen Aladdin in the parks -- I can't tell where that is you spotted them together?

[kimwim8]

Originally Posted by minmate

Thank you! I love your avatar pic w/Aladdin and Jasmine! We have never actually seen Aladdin in the parks -- I can't tell where that is you spotted them together?

That was in Morrocco (Epcot). We just happened to time it right. Aladdin was AWESOME and gave my kids "magic carpet rides" (picked them up & turned in circles). One of our favorite memories. There was no other kids in the area at that time, so we had a good 5-10 minutes of Aladdin & Jasmine together. And Jasmine remembered DD5 from the PSB that morning...so that made it even more special.

Thanks again minmate for the reports and photos.

[minmate]

Originally Posted by kimwim8

That was in Morrocco (Epcot). We just happened to time it right. Aladdin was AWESOME and gave my kids "magic carpet rides" (picked them up & turned in circles). One of our favorite memories. There was no other kids in the area at that time, so we had a good 5-10 minutes of Aladdin & Jasmine together. And Jasmine remembered DD5 from the PSB that morning...so that made it even more special.

Thanks again minmate for the reports and photos.

That sounds so awesome! When we're in World Showcase we don't seem to see a lot of the characters... usually we time it right in only one or two pavilions.

[Kanga1]

Oh, Minmate...what a WONDERFUL read!! I read your entire trip report from the "Predawn nervousness" to "Sam (again) I am" and it was like a terrific book that I couldn't put down!! And I'll have you know that you have the honor of being the FIRST trip report I have ever read! Even though I've been on these boards for some time, I just yesterday discovered the Trip Report Board! It's now prominently booked next to all the rest of them. Thought my DH would enjoy your trip as well and, knowing that he would NOT sit at the computer for that length of time to get it all read, I printed it all out for him...ALL 56 PAGES!! You owe me some ink girl! But I digress. Anyway DH kind of rolls his eyes at me ("Here she goes...talking about the DIS boards again") when I say, "Here, some fun reading material for you." So he starts it last night in bed and reads until he can no longer stay awake...and then takes the rest of it too WORK so he can FINISH it! He can't put it down. We love it and can't wait until our trip begins.

"I remember back two days ago, and can almost see the ghost of my family where we stood waiting to enter the park that day, the girls donning their princess dresses."

I LOVE this part!!! It gave me shivers when I read it. I can't tell you how many times I've ended a vacation and felt that same wash of feeling come over me...just could never put it into words.

Quick question: Did you write this on a daily basis or wait until you got home? I'm amazed at all the details.

Thanks again, Minmate. Don't know if you know it or not, but you sprinkled pixie dust in our house yesterday. Have a wonderful, Disney day!

[tuckerkeys]

this report has been my favorite one from this year! i am amazed at all of the detail you put into it! i felt like i was right there with your family and it brings me a little disney joy! thank you for the hard work you put into the reports! your kids will thank you one day to have something so detailed to read on their disney trip!

[minmate]

Originally Posted by Kanga1

Oh, Minmate...what a WONDERFUL read!! I read your entire trip report from the "Predawn nervousness" to "Sam (again) I am" and it was like a terrific book that I couldn't put down!! And I'll have you know that you have the honor of being the FIRST trip report I have ever read! Even though I've been on these boards for some time, I just yesterday discovered the Trip Report Board! It's now prominently booked next to all the rest of them. Thought my DH would enjoy your trip as well and, knowing that he would NOT sit at the computer for that length of time to get it all read, I printed it all out for him...ALL 56 PAGES!! You owe me some ink girl! But I digress. Anyway DH kind of rolls his eyes at me ("Here she goes...talking about the DIS boards again") when I say, "Here, some fun reading material for you." So he starts it last night in bed and reads until he can no longer stay awake...and then takes the rest of it too WORK so he can FINISH it! He can't put it down. We love it and can't wait until our trip begins.

"I remember back two days ago, and can almost see the ghost of my family where we stood waiting to enter the park that day, the girls donning their princess dresses."

I LOVE this part!!! It gave me shivers when I read it. I can't tell you how many times I've ended a vacation and felt that same wash of feeling come over me...just could never put it into words.

Quick question: Did you write this on a daily basis or wait until you got home? I'm amazed at all the details.

Thanks again, Minmate. Don't know if you know it or not, but you sprinkled pixie dust in our house yesterday. Have a wonderful, Disney day!

Well, This is just about the NICEST compliment EVER! I think I should print it out and show it to MY DH! I had written the BASICS ever night during our vacation (the succession of rides and such)... and sometimes just a word or two to jog my memory of things *I* wanted to remember. It probably took me three days off and on at home to write up the entire report. At first dh figured I was just doing it for a journal. He was in shock that I'd actually post it, and in utter disbelief that ANYONE would actually want to read it... all of it nonetheless! He has actually not read it yet! So, way to go to YOUR dh! Thanks to both of you!

By the way, I also keep a running journal of every day life on my desktop. There are people in my life (mainly dh and MY sister) who have a terrible time with remembering their memories, much less the details. I am pretty much the opposite. One of my earliest detailed memories is from age 2. Nothing special about it either, not a memory about a traumatic experience or anything but it has checked out as accurate. Of course, as I age, I've noticed that sometimes life can be a blur. So I don't want myself, my dh or my kids to forget some of the details in life that made us all laugh and cry... the details that make us so unique. I don't get everything down, but I do what I can and because of it, I am able to remember such insanely funny things that may not mean anything to others but brings back the ring of laughter to my ears... such as when my ds (now 4), was 2 and fell in love with a big clunky cable connector and called it his "dopelarp!" Who knows why!!!! But he lost it for a long time and just a few days ago, the kids all came running into the house to show me, "Mom, mom! Look what we found! What did Buddy call this again?" Mom to the rescue! Of course, as soon as Buddy saw it, he seized it and I think it is now hidden at the bottom of his superhero dress-up clothes!

So, THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH for making MY day... making me feel like I've touched another in a good or happy way!

[minmate]

Originally Posted by tuckerkeys

this report has been my favorite one from this year! i am amazed at all of the detail you put into it! i felt like i was right there with your family and it brings me a little disney joy! thank you for the hard work you put into the reports! your kids will thank you one day to have something so detailed to read on their disney trip!

Tuckerkeys, thank you so much for such a generous compliment! I appreciate you taking the time to not only read the whole thing but to post such a nice compliment about it as well!

[GingerbreadCoffin]

So for I am loving it!Its making me antsy to pack up the kids and head out.^_^

[Steph5324]

Thanks so much for the wonderful report. We're heading to WDW on May 11 for my son's fifth birthday, his first trip there. We're trying very, very hard have realistic expectations for what this trip will be and your report is really helping me do that: At times frustrating, at times wonderful, at times exhausting, at times infuriating, lots of potty stops, and completely magical.

And I loved your pictures. What a beautiful family, you are truly blessed, but you know that, right?.

[minmate]

Gingerbread -- I'm so glad my report hasn't scared ya off but made you excited instead! Are you going soon?

Steph -- Happy birthday to your son! I'm sure you'll have a super time! Thank you for the compliments, especially about our family! Yes, I feel blessed, but one can never be reminded too often!

[GingerbreadCoffin]

Kiiinda soon.We will be there Sept 18th-23rd.Me and the kids have never stayed on property or been to multiple parks over multiple days.Very excited.I know that its probably a recipe for disaster but I thrive on that sort of chaos.It sort of like in the movie Parenthood.When the grandma talks about the rollercoaster.That exactly how I feel about this family

[minmate]

Gingerbread -- well what better place to take a rollercoaster family than WDW?! LOL... have fun planning and going too!