"First Of All, How Dare You" A November 2015 TR! **New TR Link!**

[coloredimage]

I know some people were upset when the FastPass+ system came out, and when ADRs became more of a necessity, because it means less spontaneity.

But guys, I love planning. Even things that don't end up happening, I plan. For me, planning is half the fun.

omg this is hardcore me! I totally understand!

And I like your little game - I'll have to think of some fun things! (I know how to not get wet on Splash Mountain - take my best friend Jey! She's the only person who got wet on our last trip on Splash Mountain and she's somehow capable of getting wet on water rides that aren't supposed to splash you like Pirates, Small World, and the Nemo subs in DL!)

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Oh, I hear you - I am the same way with planning. That is such a big part of the fun of planning any vacation - but especially Disney. And it actually makes me much less stressful when I am there I as I know what we are planning to do next and have ideas of what to accomplish when. Nothing bugs me more to be in the "what do you want to do? I don't know, what do you want to do?" circle. Doesn't mean you can't deviate from the plan, but it at least gives you a starting point. Plus, then when those random extra special moments happen they are that much better!

I love you idea of the game and asking for "challenges". I'd love to propose ideas! And, feel free to respond to any/all with "um, yeah, no"

 

[MarieLightning]

I have been in a July a couple of times and the second was last July and surprisingly it wasn't as bad as I thought it was gonna be compared to the first time many years ago during the 4th of July... Sure it was hot and there was a lot of people.... But nothing you can't handle as adults, kids on the other hand get cranky quickly so a lot of families take mid afternoon break/pool time.

I have read a couple of trip reports from last July (couldn't really find much from early August but I figured it had to be pretty similar), and I was surprised that there were times when people were highlighting hardly any wait times (mostly late at night it seemed, around Wishes time probably, but still), which was unexpected. But then I stopped reading because I don't want to start expecting things to be better or worse than they're gonna be. I'm gonna expect heat, and I'm gonna expect the same type of crowds levels we would have encountered at Christmas. And if it ends up being better, I'll be happy

But I do feel like maybe there is starting to be a shift among people who aren't 100% obligated to do summer vacations. Like, people who are mildly inconvenienced by going at other times of years but can still pull it, even if it means taking their kids out of school for a week. Last November was really crowded, much more than it used to be. Maybe that's where the shift is going with Free Dining, from Summer to Fall. Obviously Summer will always be high season, but still.

Enjoying your report. Look forward to reading more! You two are brave from bringing so many family members at once

Is it bravery or insanity? Time will tell But thanks so much for joining in, I'm glad you're enjoying it!

Sounds like fun. Wish Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary, Happy... To anyone you see with a pin.
Hand out a Disney sticker to any children in front of you or behind you in any line.

We do tend to do that quite a bit - Amber is a lot better at it than I am though. If she sees a button, she always speaks up. She did use to work in a Cedar Fair park, so there are times when we're at Disney that she'll assume a worker mindset XD Picking up trash, for example.

And strangely enough, the sticker idea would be really challenging for us XD Which is kind of the point of course Back in September, we bought and brought along a bunch of glowstick bracelets. We'd thought we'd hand them over to kids at night time parade time. Then we realized that involved talking to strangers and kept them all XD

 

[MarieLightning]

omg this is hardcore me! I totally understand!

And I like your little game - I'll have to think of some fun things! (I know how to not get wet on Splash Mountain - take my best friend Jey! She's the only person who got wet on our last trip on Splash Mountain and she's somehow capable of getting wet on water rides that aren't supposed to splash you like Pirates, Small World, and the Nemo subs in DL!)

Yay, planning sisters! Honestly, considering the fact that I have yet to convince Amber to let us have a vows' renewal ceremony (since we got married more civil style), I've planned that ceremony sooo many times. I even once spent a good hour or two planning a Disney wedding, the 'if we won the lottery' style We figured out which resort we'd put each family member, what kind of passes we'd offer them, the wedding package we'd do, where we would stay, we compiled all the costs... She did help me with that one, so you know, if we win the lottery, Disney wedding is a go! (In front of Cinderella castle too, Jesus take the wheel *fans self*)

Yaaay, I'm glad you like it! And that's a good idea, having a water magnet with you I have heard about a lot of people getting unexpectedly wet on Pirates this past year though, but getting wet on It's A Small World does take a lot of skill!

Oh, I hear you - I am the same way with planning. That is such a big part of the fun of planning any vacation - but especially Disney. And it actually makes me much less stressful when I am there I as I know what we are planning to do next and have ideas of what to accomplish when. Nothing bugs me more to be in the "what do you want to do? I don't know, what do you want to do?" circle. Doesn't mean you can't deviate from the plan, but it at least gives you a starting point. Plus, then when those random extra special moments happen they are that much better!

I love you idea of the game and asking for "challenges". I'd love to propose ideas! And, feel free to respond to any/all with "um, yeah, no"

Exactly! I really find it convenient, and although some rides are harder to switch up if you change your mind (like, you better not change your mind about what time of day you want to ride 7DMT or meet Anna and Elsa ) most of it remains flexible. I was actually just reading a trip report from July 2013 and there were mentions of running to TSMM and Soarin' to get FastPasses, and you know what? For all the nostalgy about paper FastPasses, and the advantages there were to them... I really don't miss that!

I'll be looking forward to hear any of your ideas! I'll probably start a PTR before the week is over And no worries, any of them that would get a no from me, I'll just pass on to Amber

 

[MarieLightning]

Day 4, Part 4 - "Stop Showing Off And Get Back To Work"

After splitting from the rest of the group, Amber and I kept on exploring Mexico for a little bit. I wanted to get myself a small trinket from each pavilion, and Mexico was obviously the best place to start.

Spoiler alert, that plan didn't end up working out for me because in several places I couldn't find something small and cheap enough that made me feel like it was worth spending my money on (looking at you, UK).

We did have a quick look at all this Mexican candy goodness, but passed up on it.

Sidenote - you'll notice there will be a lot of pictures in this update (such as the one above) that were Instagram uploads.

See, Aunt Sarah follows me on Instagram.

Yes, I was being purposely spiteful. I posted a lot of things on Instagram that day, to show off what a great time we were having at Epcot.

I have no shame.

We started making our way out of the Mexico pavilion, but I decided to wait for a really, really quick Duffy draw!

I just can't pass up coloring a Duffy, guys. Plus, it makes a wonderful fan when it's hot out.

With that task completed, we were finally out and on our way.

We passed by this, without stopping (though it made Amber all the more upset).

Of course I instagramed it. Look at all the fun your boys could have had!

We decided to head over to America, to see if there was a showing of the American Adventure soon. It was still a few minutes away, but the Voices of Liberty were performing in the America Gardens Theater. They were nearing the end of their set, but we took a seat in the back to listen to them.

Once they were finished, we headed inside the pavilion and waited for the next showing to start.

Amber was really amused by this painting.

She says the guy on the far right looks like he's thinking, "Oh my God, is he doing this *again*? Come on man, stop showing off and get back to work already!". Cause the guy in the middle is fab, obviously.

Before too long, it was time to head upstairs!

The show was lovely, as always, and it still makes me emotional. This show seriously messes with my head. Like, I'm not even American and I watch this and I want to be like, USA! USA! USA!

With our patriotic souls properly fed, we knew what was in store for us next.

We headed a few pavilions over and got in line to meet a very special someone.

I'll give you a hint.

Look at Amber's dress.

That's your hint.

There was still a bit of time before the next set, so we got ourselves in line and took a few scenic pictures while waiting.

I really like this thing (honestly couldn't say what to call it. It has the shape of an outdoor tend but obviously not of its utility - that thing would be useless if it rained!).

Finally, it was time to step forward for a practically perfect in every way meet!

Okay no, I'm just messing with you.

Well, it was pretty great, but no, we didn't meet Mary Poppins.

We met Belle!

Amber mentioned that she was sad they weren't matching, since she was wearing her yellow dress just for her (obviously, we know Belle wears her blue dress in Epcot, but you know). To which Belle answered by saying that this was what Wardrobe had laid out for her today, but maybe some other time they'd match.

We said our goodbyes and headed over toward Morocco. I wanted to look around the shops a bit, and also see what the line for Aladdin and Jasmine looked like.

I didn't end up getting anything in the stores (though not from lack of wanting to, this is my favorite pavilion with my favorite stores in the World Showcase, but all the gorgeous things are so expensive) and the line was too long, but we did grab a Photopass picture.

We did a bit more walking around and exploring, as I was still on a quest for souvenirs, so we headed over to the UK.

And as you may have guessed from my earlier comment, didn't find anything to my liking. The only things in the 'trinket' price range I had didn't really show off their UKness that much. Like, decorative spoons are nice and all, but they don't really speak to the country they're from all that much.

We exited through the International Gateway. We had big plans for dinner that night!

So, where were we going?

Lord I love the Yacht Club. It is so gorgeous.

And of course, the Beach Club is beautiful as well.

Like, who even gave you permission to look like this?

Someday, Beach Club. Someday.

We made our way into the lobby, to try and figure out where exactly we were headed.

Of course, Amber had to sit in a fancy chair, because that's what one does when visiting a Deluxe property.

So, where were we off to eat? Any guesses?

(One person is not allowed to guess on this. You know who you are).


Click for next post​

 

[coloredimage]

Yay, planning sisters! Honestly, considering the fact that I have yet to convince Amber to let us have a vows' renewal ceremony (since we got married more civil style), I've planned that ceremony sooo many times. I even once spent a good hour or two planning a Disney wedding, the 'if we won the lottery' style We figured out which resort we'd put each family member, what kind of passes we'd offer them, the wedding package we'd do, where we would stay, we compiled all the costs... She did help me with that one, so you know, if we win the lottery, Disney wedding is a go! (In front of Cinderella castle too, Jesus take the wheel *fans self*)

Yaaay, I'm glad you like it! And that's a good idea, having a water magnet with you I have heard about a lot of people getting unexpectedly wet on Pirates this past year though, but getting wet on It's A Small World does take a lot of skill!

This is adorable! I just saw that new area for receptions in front of the castle and it's, ugh, it's like a dream (a pricey, pipe dream) come true!

I've been trying to slyly plan our Summer 2017 trip but I have so many factors I don't know yet - but I have basic plans depending on where we're going already lol

She....she has amazing skills at getting soaked in the strangest of places lol. She's even started to make it into a joke last month when it started happening with way more frequency.

Also, I would have probably done the same as you with the Instagram pictures. I would do the same thing, probably. Especially Epcot. It and MK are tied for my favorite Disney park!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

sounds like a lovely stroll through World Showcase - despite the lack of appropriate and not crazy expensive trinkets at all locations

Cute meet with Belle - I love how they always have good answers for those types of questions

I'll guess Cape May Cafe

 

[abarriger]

What a lovely stroll through World Showcase! I can't wait to spend some time there on my next trip.

I love your idea for a trip! Here are some challenges I think would be fun
-Collect as many souvenirs as you can-- but they have to be FREE!
-introduce yourself to 10 strangers in line (This would scare me. But the other day a lady on public transportation introduced herself to everyone on the back of the bus with her and we had a great time. And when we were done she challenged us all to do this more. But I'm too chicken!)

 

[Disney Kidd]

Day 4, Part 4 - "Stop Showing Off And Get Back To Work"

After splitting from the rest of the group, Amber and I kept on exploring Mexico for a little bit. I wanted to get myself a small trinket from each pavilion, and Mexico was obviously the best place to start.

Spoiler alert, that plan didn't end up working out for me because in several places I couldn't find something small and cheap enough that made me feel like it was worth spending my money on (looking at you, UK).

We did have a quick look at all this Mexican candy goodness, but passed up on it.

Sidenote - you'll notice there will be a lot of pictures in this update (such as the one above) that were Instagram uploads.

See, Aunt Sarah follows me on Instagram.

Yes, I was being purposely spiteful. I posted a lot of things on Instagram that day, to show off what a great time we were having at Epcot.

I have no shame.

We started making our way out of the Mexico pavilion, but I decided to wait for a really, really quick Duffy draw!

I just can't pass up coloring a Duffy, guys. Plus, it makes a wonderful fan when it's hot out.

With that task completed, we were finally out and on our way.

We passed by this, without stopping (though it made Amber all the more upset).

Of course I instagramed it. Look at all the fun your boys could have had!

We decided to head over to America, to see if there was a showing of the American Adventure soon. It was still a few minutes away, but the Voices of Liberty were performing in the America Gardens Theater. They were nearing the end of their set, but we took a seat in the back to listen to them.

Once they were finished, we headed inside the pavilion and waited for the next showing to start.

Amber was really amused by this painting.

She says the guy on the far right looks like he's thinking, "Oh my God, is he doing this *again*? Come on man, stop showing off and get back to work already!". Cause the guy in the middle is fab, obviously.

Before too long, it was time to head upstairs!

The show was lovely, as always, and it still makes me emotional. This show seriously messes with my head. Like, I'm not even American and I watch this and I want to be like, USA! USA! USA!

With our patriotic souls properly fed, we knew what was in store for us next.

We headed a few pavilions over and got in line to meet a very special someone.

I'll give you a hint.

Look at Amber's dress.

That's your hint.

There was still a bit of time before the next set, so we got ourselves in line and took a few scenic pictures while waiting.

I really like this thing (honestly couldn't say what to call it. It has the shape of an outdoor tend but obviously not of its utility - that thing would be useless if it rained!).

Finally, it was time to step forward for a practically perfect in every way meet!

Okay no, I'm just messing with you.

Well, it was pretty great, but no, we didn't meet Mary Poppins.

We met Belle!

Amber mentioned that she was sad they weren't matching, since she was wearing her yellow dress just for her (obviously, we know Belle wears her blue dress in Epcot, but you know). To which Belle answered by saying that this was what Wardrobe had laid out for her today, but maybe some other time they'd match.

We said our goodbyes and headed over toward Morocco. I wanted to look around the shops a bit, and also see what the line for Aladdin and Jasmine looked like.

I didn't end up getting anything in the stores (though not from lack of wanting to, this is my favorite pavilion with my favorite stores in the World Showcase, but all the gorgeous things are so expensive) and the line was too long, but we did grab a Photopass picture.

We did a bit more walking around and exploring, as I was still on a quest for souvenirs, so we headed over to the UK.

And as you may have guessed from my earlier comment, didn't find anything to my liking. The only things in the 'trinket' price range I had didn't really show off their UKness that much. Like, decorative spoons are nice and all, but they don't really speak to the country they're from all that much.

We exited through the International Gateway. We had big plans for dinner that night!

So, where were we going?

Lord I love the Yacht Club. It is so gorgeous.

And of course, the Beach Club is beautiful as well.

Like, who even gave you permission to look like this?

Someday, Beach Club. Someday.

We made our way into the lobby, to try and figure out where exactly we were headed.

Of course, Amber had to sit in a fancy chair, because that's what one does when visiting a Deluxe property.

So, where were we off to eat? Any guesses?

(One person is not allowed to guess on this. You know who you are).


Click for next post​

Beaches and Cream!

 

[MarieLightning]

This is adorable! I just saw that new area for receptions in front of the castle and it's, ugh, it's like a dream (a pricey, pipe dream) come true!

I've been trying to slyly plan our Summer 2017 trip but I have so many factors I don't know yet - but I have basic plans depending on where we're going already lol

She....she has amazing skills at getting soaked in the strangest of places lol. She's even started to make it into a joke last month when it started happening with way more frequency.

Also, I would have probably done the same as you with the Instagram pictures. I would do the same thing, probably. Especially Epcot. It and MK are tied for my favorite Disney park!

It is so gorgeous! But yeah, definitely not happening in this lifetime (unless, of course, lottery )

It's definitely a lot trickier to plan trips when there's so few details available. Even for August there are some things we're not sure of yet - will Arendelle be complete (and will we managed to get FastPasses for the Frozen ride at all), will Rivers of Lights be operating or will they have the Jungle Book show continue on, will there be a dessert party for the new Star Wars fireworks.

That does sound like pretty impressive skills! You know what would be hilarious though? If you took her on Kali River Rapids, and she only got moderately wet rather than drenched.

I don't know that it ended up doing much, but it was a good way to be passive aggressive about it at least

sounds like a lovely stroll through World Showcase - despite the lack of appropriate and not crazy expensive trinkets at all locations

Cute meet with Belle - I love how they always have good answers for those types of questions

I'll guess Cape May Cafe

It was nice, and it was a nice day to do it too. It was warm of course, but not overwhelmingly so. I might try again in August, I'd really have to have a little something from each pavilion!

I know, it's so great that they're always so well prepared! And Belle is always adorable.

Noted!

What a lovely stroll through World Showcase! I can't wait to spend some time there on my next trip.

I love your idea for a trip! Here are some challenges I think would be fun
-Collect as many souvenirs as you can-- but they have to be FREE!
-introduce yourself to 10 strangers in line (This would scare me. But the other day a lady on public transportation introduced herself to everyone on the back of the bus with her and we had a great time. And when we were done she challenged us all to do this more. But I'm too chicken!)

I lovelovelove the World Showcase. It is gorgeous. And Morocco is so incredibly beautiful in the midst of the gorgeouness. Sigh. So much pretty!

Awesome, I'll take note of these! Free souvenirs, that'll be a thinker!

Ooof, though, introducing ourselves to 10 strangers in line XD Amber would probably be much better at this than I am.

Beaches and Cream!

We'll see in a moment!

 

[MarieLightning]

Day 4, Part 5 - Awww The Bears Are Watching TV!

Now, before I move on to dinner (and reveal its location), I have to give a bit of back story!

While I was working on the Pre-Trip Report for this family vacation, Amber and I got a message from another member on the board! Her name is Margaret, on here she goes by @mustlovecats, and she's a bit more of a silent presence on the board, but she's a total sweetheart. And I mean, look at her username - obviously we had to be friends!

We'd never spoken to her before, but she told us she'd read some of our Trip Reports, and now was reading the PTR I was working on - and she told us that she and her husband, Chase, would be at the World at the same time!

She wanted to know if we wanted to meet up some time for dinner, which we had to look into a bit at first because obviously this would require ditching the family for a bit. Ultimately, we figured they probably wouldn't take offense (and I mean, considering none of them were in the park anymore by the time dinner came about, we clearly made the right decision) and agreed to dinner!

Thus, we made plans to meet during our first Epcot day.

Now, I have to say here - Margaret didn't only check to see if we could meet up. She actually took us out to dinner. They were on the Deluxe Dining Plan, and according to calculations, they would be falling a little under in their credits, and since credit sharing is now a possible thing, she was willing to share with us.

Honestly, Amber and I were both flabbergasted by this. It was such a kind offer and coming from someone who'd just decided she thought we seemed like nice people because of the reports we wrote, but had never actually met us! We were definitely taken aback by the offer.

We chatted pretty consistently from the moment she messaged us until our departure, so by then we had arranged everything pretty well - or well, she had. She wanted our input on dinner, but both Amber and I felt it should really be up to them where we ate, especially since they were so generously sharing their dining credits with us.

So that's really the main reason why we were currently out of Epcot, which had not been part of our initial plans, and waltzing through the gorgeousness that is the Beach Club.

But I have to confess - I might have been a bit sneaky by asking you guys to guess where we were eating at this conjuncture.

Because we weren't eating at the Beach Club at all. We were just passing through!

We walked by Cape May Cafe, and came to the immediate conclusion that if we were ever to eat there, it'd be during breakfast. Amber's not a fan of breakfast food, but neither of us eats fish, and although that's not usually a problem with most places that will serve fish among their offerings, an open air buffet is something different. The smell was very strong.

At some point, we decided to pause and sit while making our way to our actual dinner destination, because we were still a bit early, so chances were Margaret and Chase wouldn't be there yet.

We hadn't been sitting five minutes when a couple walked up to us and said hi!

And I have to admit here - at first I didn't recognize them. Which, they probably realized because my first reflex was to say 'Hi', a tad confusedly, and then after a couple of seconds passed I went 'Oh hi!', more enthusiastically. That's probably a bit of a giveaway! But in my defense, the only pictures we'd seen of them were on their wedding day (which were amazing by the way), and Disney park going fashion is a tad more casual than wedding wear

We all greeted one another and decided to start heading toward the restaurant. Being a terrible trip reporter I didn't take a single picture of the place itself (I do have some food pictures though, so please don't throw rocks at me). We were just too busy talking the whole time!

So, where were we eating then?









Yachtsman Steakhouse!

This suggestion came in part from Margaret because she had realized, through reading old trip reports, that Amber is a fan of steak.

But I mean, see what I mean here about how incredibly generous their offer was? They didn't just take us out. They TOOK us OUT.

There was a very fancy feel in there, let me tell you something.

Margaret checked us in, and we sat in the waiting area for a moment, but we were seated before too long.

Since this is Signature Dining, the meal included an appetizer, an entree and a dessert. We checked out the menu, I made everybody laugh at me a bit because I said I didn't want something too big and then proceeded to order something that's the opposite of small (okay, it wasn't the biggest offering in the house, but it wasn't the smallest either).

First things first, the glorious basket of bread was brought out.

Then, it was time to order.

I didn't take pictures of Margaret and Chase's food, so I can't really remember what they had, but Amber and I had the following.

As an appetizer, we both got the Caesar salad.

I'm gonna level with you here. Fancy places confuse me sometimes. I mean, it was tasty Caesar salad, definitely. But looking at it now, I still think it looks weird.

Now, Amber, being the steak lover that she is, did what you'd expect of her.

She ordered the Bison Strip Loin.

She was very curious about it, and she wanted to be able to say she'd ate bison, so that was her train of thought when she ordered it.

Unfortunately, Amber eats her meat well done - she has since her cancer treatment, during which she couldn't eat meat anything under well done, and acquired a taste for it that way. As you can see, this Bison is the opposite of that, but that's just how it's cooked (they don't ask you for how you want it done if memory serves). As such, she wasn't able to eat a whole lot of it. She still thought it was nice, it just wasn't cooked to her preference. It came with mac and cheese bites, and those were quite yummy.

As for myself, I went the logical steakhouse route and got a steak.

I cannot remember which, though. Looking at the menu, the only thing that comes with mashed potatoes is the Filet Mignon (8 or 10 oz), but that doesn't look like a filet mignon, so I'm thinking I probably asked for a sides swap. It's obviously not a prime rib, but it also doesn't look like the New York Strip Steak. That would leave the Kansas City Strip Steak, which was 18 oz, which would explain why everyone was like "..." when I ordered it after saying I didn't want something too big, but somehow I don't feel like that's right either? Maybe the menu has changed since (although the menu I'm looking at right now says it was updated November 2015. I really don't know guys).

Oh well. It was steak, and it was delicious!

Then, it was dessert time!

Someone got Sorbet (I think both Amber and Margaret?)

Someone got this cake thing (based on the picture I'm pretty sure it was Chase, so I don't know why I didn't think it appropriate to take a picture of their meal but decided it was A-Okay once dessert time came, but oh well) which I am again confused as to what it was. I feel like it was something with apples, but there's nothing apples on the menu. The mystery continues!

I got Creme Brulee!

It was very tasty. Definitely adequate Creme Brulee consistency and all.

We pretty much rolled out of dinner at that point. This is definitely a place I would recommend. The atmosphere was nice and fancy but without being too stuffy, definitely a great place for a special occasion. And the food was amazing.

Plus, we had great company, so of course that made the meal even better!

However, since I'm such a goof, there is no picture of our dinner partners from that night. Margaret actually also realized that a little later and messaged us saying we'd forgotten to get a picture of all of us together!

Thankfully, we had other plans to get together again later in the week, so you'll get to see them yet!

At this point, we parted ways - I think they were either done for the night, or headed to a different park. We were simply going back into Epcot - gotta catch IllumiNations!

Our dinner had been scheduled fairly early, so there were still a couple of hours until fireworks. We didn't really have plans for the evening though, so we took a leisurely stroll back to the park.

At that point, it turned out that Mom and Grandma would not be coming back, but Kameron and Curtis were. We told them we'd met them in Canada, which is our prime IllumiNations viewing spot because you can just comfortably sit and lean against the fence while waiting, and it's also a great unobstructed view once the show actually starts!

However, Curtis and Kameron wanted to try and find some things to do while waiting, so Amber suggested taking them to see O Canada, since it's right there.

I didn't want to lose our spot, so I elected to stay behind. However, I wasn't entirely pleased with all of them going either, because I hate having to hold a spot by myself for several people. Like, one or two, find. But one lone person trying to claim space for four? Ugh, I hate it.

However, this is what greeted them when they arrived there.

Kameron messaged me, saying they had just started one showing so they'd have to wait til the next one. I was less pleased.

However, Amber decided to just leave them there and come back out to me, because she's that nice a wife. I know, she's much nicer than me. She did make me promise that we would see O Canada, which of course I said yes to. Like, come on.

She did end up briefly ditching me again for a bit though, but this time was for a much better cause.

Grey Goose Slushie!

We shared it while sitting and chilling. I played on my phone a bit, Amber caught up on the Trip Report notes. The boys soon came back out to join us, and we chatted some and passed the time while waiting for the fireworks to begin. We also stalked ducks.

We stood up a little before the start of the show, and before we knew it, it was time!

Now, this was a big hit with them, but especially Curtis. He was pretty much blown away by IllumiNations (rightfully so, as Amber would say).

So we enjoyed being amazed, despaired once more that the rest of the family was missing out on this, and soon it was time to head out. The park was closed.

We headed out of Epcot, promising that we, at least, would return. I don't remember much about the bus wait and line - I imagine it was probably substantial, but we made it back to the resort before too late.

Once we got into our room, we realized the tv was on. Which was weird. We hardly ever watch tv at Disney, let alone leave it on all day after leaving in the morning.

Then we looked over at the bed, and our bears were arranged like this.

Notice the remote on the bed?

A+ MouseKeeping.


Click for next post​

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Wow - so I was way off on my choice of where you were eating!

That was so nice of them to offer to cover you for that meal - and like you said for "TANKING you OUT!"

Looks lovely - definitely a place I want to try, though my wife doesn't eat beef or pork so something with "steakhouse" in the name is lower on the priority list for her. Some day - I think I can convince her with the promise of garlic to smear on the bread

glad you all enjoyed dinner and lack of pictures is definitely a good sign that you all got a long well!

Also glad that the big boys were able to make it back for Illuminations - I do think it is the best night time show on property!

And solid work by Amber to come back and not leave you by your lonesome for too long!

 

[MarieLightning]

Wow - so I was way off on my choice of where you were eating!

That was so nice of them to offer to cover you for that meal - and like you said for "TANKING you OUT!"

Looks lovely - definitely a place I want to try, though my wife doesn't eat beef or pork so something with "steakhouse" in the name is lower on the priority list for her. Some day - I think I can convince her with the promise of garlic to smear on the bread

glad you all enjoyed dinner and lack of pictures is definitely a good sign that you all got a long well!

Also glad that the big boys were able to make it back for Illuminations - I do think it is the best night time show on property!

And solid work by Amber to come back and not leave you by your lonesome for too long!

It's okay, you still get points for trying!

I know, it was! We were definitely blown away by the offer and the location!

They do have a chicken option, and probably fish too But yeah, I can understand why a steakhouse wouldn't have the strongest pull to her. Everything was delicious though, so I'm sure any meal option, even if it isn't steak, would follow that trend!

That's true, lack of pictures means there wasn't really a proper time or lull in the conversation to take one

Amber definitely agrees with you! And I mean, I really love IllumiNations too, even if it's not my favorite. I would gladly watch it every night of the trip if it didn't mean missing out on Wishes and Fantasmic Though, in a sense, Fantasmic and IllumiNations are even for me. Few things compare to the feeling I get when Sorcerer Mickey appears at the end of Fantasmic, and the reaction of the crowd, it's such a magical, 100% Disney moment. But Fantasmic is such a process. You *could* plausibly just show up... but you really shouldn't. IllumiNations does require spot stalking, but not in quite the same way, so it gets points for that for sure.

I know, isn't she the best? Saving that many spots is just too anxiety inducing. I'm glad she returned sooner than anticipated.

 

[felynn]

Those bears need some fresh air and sunshine! It's not healthy to sit and watch TV all day.



My best impression of a sanctimommie.

Wonderful looking dinner. Such a nice treat!

 

[MarieLightning]

Those bears need some fresh air and sunshine! It's not healthy to sit and watch TV all day.



My best impression of a sactimommie.

Wonderful looking dinner. Such a nice treat!

Great impression Probably could have used a "Kids these days, always using their technology. In my days, we played outside!", but I'll still give it 10 out of 10

It was definitely a nice treat, and so yummy!

 

[MarieLightning]

It's A PTR!

Hey guys!

I bring you this short update to let you all knows that I've started our August Pre Trip Report!

Let's Play Games! Au August 2016 PTR



Please come and have a look, and join in the fun!

We're doing something a little different this time around. I'm not gonna be telling you about our next trip - you're gonna be telling me!

Curious? Just click on the link!​

 

[MarieLightning]

Day 5, Part 1: Where Is Everyone?!

We woke up on this day with a slightly changed philosophy as for the days to come. At first, I was a bit anxious at the thought that a repeat from the day before would occur today. Especially since we had a Fantasmic Dining Package planned. What if they ended up skipping out of the park halfway through the day, never to return?

Then we figured - if that were to happen, it's their money to waste. If they want to pay premium price for a meal, and then pass out on the main reason for paying that premium, it's not our problem.

So we got up, freshened up, left our MouseKeeping envelope.

And we headed on our way out!

To be honest, from this point on, I'm relying everything on memory and pictures. Amber's notes in the Trip Report journal ended with the night before, and I didn't write down anything either. But hey - if I managed to finish my November 2012 TR, two years in the making, with just what I remembered of it to go off of... I think I can do this!

We waited a bit longer than hoped for in the lobby, but we were on our way not too much later than anticipated. So that's a win.

We were on our way to Hollywood Studios! (Which I'm sure you could tell from the Fantasmic Dining Package).

Tower of Terror, looming in the distance.

Hollywood Studios was one of the two parks decked for the holidays while we were there.

We made it through bag check and all pretty quickly, and we were in!

How cute is this?

Now, we had a plan of attack for this. We wanted to know Tower of Terror out of the way, and we figured first thing in the morning was the best way to go, because most people head straight to Toy Story Midway Mania or Jedi Academy. Although, maybe we just got really lucky, cause thinking about it now, I don't think they were doing Jedi Academy in November. I think it was in refurb.

Oh well. Yay us!

We split up from Grandma, Mom, Aunt Sarah and Elsye to head down Sunset Blvd. I was glad Uncle Butch would be getting to experience the ride this time!

Passing past the stores, cause ain't nobody got time for that.

And here we are!

13 Minutes wait time! Which is usually ToT talk for, there's no wait at all. Win!

We got in line, and at that point Ramsey was definitely starting to rethink his decision to go on. He was getting scared, so we assured him that if he decided once we got to the front that he didn't want to go on, he wouldn't have to.

Amber was the nice soul who escorted him out - though admittedly, it was at my suggestion. I figured she wouldn't mind, since she doesn't really like Tower of Terror at all, and we wanted to make sure Uncle Butch wouldn't have to skip out on it.

It was great, as always. The boys were definitely fans. Boston, not quite so much, but he did it!

We made our way back toward the center of the park, where we'd established we'd meet up with the rest of the group.

While waiting for us, Aunt Sarah had gotten in line to meet Daisy with Elsye. However, while they were in line, Daisy left and Pluto came in. They'd met Pluto the day before, so instead she went over and got in line to meet Goofy. Which ended up getting switched out for Chip and Dale, but they hadn't met those chippies yet so they stuck through with it.

Thing is, she never told anyone about switching lines, so for about 5-10 minutes, Amber and Uncle Butch were looking all around the place for them while I stayed with Grandma and Mom. Amber headed toward Pixar Place to see if they were maybe there, but then she just was not coming back, or answering to Messenger, so we couldn't find her anymore either!

That girl wanders off like nobody's business.

Of course, she returned unharmed, and they ended up finding Aunt Sarah, so Uncle Butch came to get the boys so they could get in line with them. It did make for some pretty cute pictures, so you know.

Dale noticed Elsye's ears had fallen on the ground, so he picked them up. Silly chipmunk, that's not how you wear Minnie ears!

There you go, much better.

With this cute meet done, it was time to start heading toward our first FastPass+ of the day.

We passed One Man's Dream along the way, though it wasn't time to stop in yet.

I posted this picture on Instagram, with the caption 'How Dare You'

I mean, don't get me wrong, I loooved The Good Dinosaur when I went to see it. It definitely made me cry, a lot. It was stunningly beautiful, the scenery looked so real.

But how dare they replace the One Man's Dream movie with sneak peaks! Ugh. Blasphemy.

Not quite as blasphemous as if they take it out entirely, but that's a sob story for another day.

At that point we paused briefly as a few people needed a bathroom break.

While those of us not needing to potty were waiting around, someone came up to Aunt Sarah and told her that Sorcerer Mickey was meeting inside the building next door (I think where they used to have the Pirates of the Caribbean thing?) with virtually no line. So she gathered up the kids and zoomed away.

They were back out not too long after everybody was back out of the bathrooms, although my letting them know where they had gone did bring forth a bit of eye rolling. I'm glad the kids got to meet him though.

Finally, we were on our way for real!

Pixar Place, here we come!


Click for next post​

 

[MarieLightning]

Day 5, Part 2 - Nooo, Now I Can't Shoot The Targets!

Our destination was, quite obviously, Toy Story Midway Mania!

We got through the FastPass line pretty quickly, and sent Kameron, Curtis and Mom with Grandma since she had to go up the accessible route.

Grandma had decided to rent a scooter that day, which Mom paid for as an early birthday present. She was getting a bit sore and tired (which, with what we know now about her foot, I'm surprised she didn't need one every single day we were there).

Look at this cutie face.

Amber's ready to win it (*snort* yeah okay)

This is my game. She's got Buzz. I beat her at this. It's all fair game.

Our scores, however...

Well, they were quite pitiful.

Because as we got to the last section of the game, the cart started swiveling and put us at an angle where we couldn't shoot anymore!

It was pretty annoying, but not much we could do about it. I mean, we could have complained, but for one thing it's not the Cast Member's fault, and for another, what could they have done about it? Even if they'd offered to send us through again, they wouldn't have been able to do so for the whole lot of us. So we just moved on.

At this point, some people were starting to get a bit hungry, and lunch was still a little while away. Not very far though, so we did suggest most people should split something so not to spoil their meal.

Boston spotted the popcorn stand in Pixar Place, and decided that was what he wanted. I stayed with him, Aunt Sarah and Elsye as she got a few servings of popcorn, while Amber lead the rest of the group to the best of places for treats in Hollywood Studios.

Soon, we joined the rest of the group.

Starring Rolls, how I love thee.

Amber and I decided to split something, which unfortunately mosts of the time means we have to bypass the cupcakes, cause Amber doesn't like peanut butter or red velvet or happiness.

So, we split up this M&Ms covered brownie, and it was definitely very very good. Very rich, as well.

Kameron and Curtis decided to split this baby up.

And this was Ramsey's pick.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter. Noms.

We told him to hold while we took a picture. Once we were done, he asked if he could put his face in it.

We said yes.

Meanwhile, Elsye offered popcorn to everyone. One piece at a time.

Cutie.

We stuck around and relaxed for a bit, before heading over toward our next FastPass+ selection!

Listen. I love Frozen.

Would I still be happy in life if all things were not Frozen?

Yes.

Am I upset that they are?

Not really.

And this show is really fun. The hosts really make it, and we haven't had one instance yet where the hosts weren't brilliant. So we keep going back, cause it's just a fun experience (and I love singing along!)

The kids really enjoyed it, too. Elsye did sing along some, but it was a bit too dark in there to properly capture the performance.

Once we were done belting out Let It Go and other various Frozen tracks, we started making our way toward lunch.

Of course, we were eating at Mama Melrose! Sheesh, do you know us at all?

(Well, maybe you don't. That's okay too)

They added some Disney Descendants actors shots up there.

Dove Cameron is an adorable human being, so we had to take a picture.

Speaking of adorable human beings.

Man I miss that child.

I can kind of already foresee Boston is gonna be a bit of an angsty, quiet teenager. I mean, he's already a pretty quiet kid.

We had to check in in two groups at this point. When I made the initial reservation for this, it was for a group of ten. Then, Curtis joined in, and I wasn't able to add him in to our group. So I took Kameron out and got the two of them a reservation by themselves.

I'd thought of asking for two tables closeby, but it slipped my mind. Ultimately, I think they probably preferred it that way.

Amber did try to take a creeper shot of them.

We didn't take everybody's food picture, but Amber and I got the same thing.

Caesar salad for an appetizer.

Steak for the entree.

And if you're wondering if eating at Yachtsman ruined Mama Melrose's steak for us, it most definitely did not. Still as good as usual.

Interestingly enough - probably due to our large group size - instead of bringing platters of dessert to share, they brought us each an individual plate.

Chocolate cake, Tiramisu and mousse (I can't remember what was the flavor of it). As usual, Amber hardly liked any of the offerings, but that never deters her from wanting to go back. She's typically too full from eating her whole steak plate to want dessert anyway.

Also, there was one small win during the win. When the waitress came in, she looked at Elsye and established that she was two, so we didn't have to pay for her. I mean, she mostly ate off of everybody's plates anyway. Kid doesn't have that bit an appetite. We still got a ticket for her for Fantasmic so that was the main thing.

Mama Melrose meal, successful as always.

At this point, we'd figured we'd try to catch the next showing of Indiana Jones, so we started making our way toward that area.

Of course, you can't pass through The Muppets Courtyard without getting some shots.

They had posters for the new (now cancelled) TV Show.

Click for next post​

 

[MarieLightning]

Real Life Update #3

Quick RL update before I move on to an actual Trip update!

I meant to update at least once this week (I need to make sure I keep my updates ratio to 2 or 3 a week if I want to finish this TR before our August trip!) but this week's been, well, unpleasant.

Let me preface this by saying I'm a big baby.

Why?

I hate the dentist. With a passion. Always have. Probably always will.

I know it's silly to be scared of going to the dentist, but I am.

I remember once as a child, I had to go to a cleaning with a baby tooth that was loose and on the brink of falling. I would not let them do anything to be at all, because I was scared they would hurt it or make it fall. I didn't even let them take a look.

My mom wasn't happy about it. She confiscated the little surprise box treat they let me have regardless after we left.

So, all of this to say, it's been a while since I've been to the dentist.

Last time, actually, was in 2011. At the time, the dentist told me I should have my wisdom teeth removed, because although there is technically enough room for them in my mouth, they're so deep set in that I couldn't possibly clean them properly.

At the time, I didn't make an appointment because I was waiting on my work's insurance to kick in.

Fast forward to today. I still haven't had them removed.

But now, the date is set, and that date is June 17th.

Because for the past couple of weeks, I've been having some teeth pain. This week took a turn for the worse. The pain would peak every night around 11, keeping me from going to sleep until at least 2, or 3 in the morning. I missed work twice in the past two weeks because I just was not able to sleep until so late that I wouldn't have been able to properly function.

Nothing would do it. I took Advil, I rubbed Vaporub on my cheek, I used a heating pad and an ice pack, I mouthwashed and gargled salt water. I bought numbing gel and drops. It all gave temporary relief at best.

So Friday, Amber got on the phone and called around for an emergency appointment. She managed to get me in to a clinic yesterday morning, and the dentist confirmed that my two upper wisdom teeth have major cavities in them, but ultimately all four should be taken out.

They did prescribe me a stronger pain killer as well as an antibiotic, because he could see an infection as well. That's been helping, and I managed to go to sleep at 11 last night and slept in til 10 this morning.

So, that's how my week's being going. I am not looking forward to getting them out and the aftermath at all (I work in a call center, so my speaking recovery better be speedy). But I am looking forward to being pain free.


Now, in other, much better, brighter news.

Amber has been accepted in the Nursing Program!







Okay, so technically, she's been accepted since April, but it was conditional. She's been taking three night classes this term - Chemistry, because she graduated high school five years ago and they told her she had to re-do it to get into the program, and then Humanities and English so that she could be considered a full time student and lower the cost of classes. It also means she'll have two of the mandatory CEGEP classes out of the way during the actual program, so that's good.

So, her acceptance to the Nursing program was dependant on her getting at least a final grade of 75% in Chemistry.

She's been anxious and stressed out about it, because the second half of the term has been a bit more difficult. I wasn't worried because she would have had to majorly fail her final to not achieve 75%.

But then, just barely passing has never been enough for Amber.

She got her final grade this week - at 86%

Her final exam itself was a grade of 86% as well (over a class average of 56%, might I add...)

(Also worth mentioning that her final grade in English was 98%, and her final grade in Humanities was 101% - although the system only recognizes up to 100%, so that's what it shows.)

So now she's in for real, and definitely happy about it! Now she gets to relax for the summer until the grinding starts.

And that's a good thing, because we have two, possibly three weeks of vacation to look forward to together!

(77 days til Disney!)​

 

[MarieLightning]

Day 5, Part 3 - "Pick Me, Pick Me!"

We were out of the Muppets courtyard before too long.

And soon in line for Indiana Jones!

Here, we decided to split up the group. Most everybody went with Grandma, to sit in the handicap section.

Meanwhile Amber, Kameron, Curtis and I tried to find spots further down, closer to the stage.

Why, you ask?

Amber reeeaaally really wanted to get picked as one of the volunteers. So when the time came, she stood, jumped up and down, screamed 'Pick me!' a lot while waving her arms around and overall tried to do everything in her power to get picked.

And she did not.

She was very sad.

But she got over it and we enjoyed the show.

She's especially excited that it will still be running when we return this August, and she will try again to be part of the show.

Once it was over, we headed back out to the park and met up with the rest of the family to use our Star Tours FP+.

Again, Amber tried to follow tips so that she may be the Rebel Spy (be settled in your seat quickly, wear a pleasant expression).

Once again, it failed.

Poor girl. It was not her day.

We browsed in the gift shop for a bit (I'm especially excited to do this this time around, because they'll have more The Force Awakens stuff and Rey and Finn are gifts to this world and I want as much Rey merch as I can get) and then made our way over to Studio Catering Co to regroup, get water and establish what was the next course of action.

Ramsey decided at that point that he wanted to build a lightsaber - that was to be his big souvenir of the trip. So he headed back with Aunt Sarah to get that, and Boston went along (we think he may have gotten something Lego related but we're not sure).

After they returned, we decided it was time for splitting up again. Mom and Grandma were tired and wanted to rest some more. Kameron and Curtis also wanted a break, so the four of them headed back to the resort. We gave them a specific time at which they should meet us on Sunset Blvd, for Fantasmic.

We stuck with Aunt Sarah, Uncle Butch and the kids for a bit, because we had a specific meet in mind, and figured the little ones would enjoy it, so they came along with us.

We had to go meet Phineas and Ferb!

Amber is very sad that you can no longer meet them. I wish you could still, but it wasn't much of a surprise. Now that the show is over, it was really a matter of time - plus, they were definitely gonna be doing something over in that area with the new lands being built.

We let the kids go first, so that they would then be able to go off and catch Disney Jr Live on Stage (which we gave them the time for the next showing).

Elsye was really taken with Phineas. It was pretty cute.

Not as much with Ferb, though.

But she did relent and give him a hug.

Parting hug for Phineas!

Then it was our turn! Yay!

They are such cool and nice kids.

Amber's not sure what she was doing in this picture.

We passed by Lightning McQueen and Mater after our meet, and noticed that the rest of the group was in line to meet them (which, they had some free time still before Disney Jr, so they decided to hop in since it's typically a pretty fast moving line and the boys love Cars).

Unfortunately, following this meet, there was a slight... accident in the group. So by the time they were done taking care of that, they'd just missed the beginning of the show. They did good getting some photopass shots instead, though.

Using the force!

And being silly.

Click for next post​