TR With Photos! A Very Magical Minnie Christmas 2017 Finished 18/1

December 27th! Today was our Autry Museum day and I was hoping to get to the Observatory too. I had surprised the family by making reservations at Medieval Times for the 2:30 show. I had considered the 4:30 show, but I didn't want to incur late charges on returning the car, and I'm glad I made the earlier show as construction on the I5 was going full bore.

First though - money! We needed some cash to see us through to the end of the trip and it was payday for me. I drove up S Harbour and found a Bank of America ATM which didn't let me take a cent! Huh. I drove across the street to Wells Fargo. They allowed me to take what I wanted and we were set to go. I plugged our destination in to the Google Map app and off we went!

Across from the entrance of the LA Zoo is the Autry Museum. Created by Gene Autry and his family, it's a celebration of southwestern culture. We were very interested in exploring this museum. Partly because the kids need culture, and partly because DH was good enough to indulge my DLR dreams, the least I could do was include something OTHER than Disney (although, it's hard to escape, as you'll see presently).

We got there around 11, and we were surprised that there wasn't too many people there. We got a great parking spot and before we even went in, there was a gorgeous bronze statue. I knew what it was before I saw the plaque. Then I had to explain to the kids. Can you guess what it symbolizes?

25660108_10159702750620612_8463392470759983568_n.jpg


Yes! The Pony Express! I'm a horse girl, so I always admired things regarding horses. In fact, most cities around the world should have at least one statue dedicated to the horse, as without them, we'd have no roads as we know them (they're the width they are based on two horses pulling a Roman chariot), railroads (the track widths are for the same reason), agriculture, clearing of land, etc etc etc. Looking back, today was a great day for me too because there were A LOT of horses involved in my day. YAY!

Sorry for the sideways.

26167148_10159702750470612_8596238734507002752_n.jpg


Oh, and the whole "Do Not Touch"... no one paid attention to that. There was a little kid running around climbing on the statues, definitely 'touching' them, and his parents seemed completely unconcerned and/or oblivious. It's my 'thing' when I obey the rules and ensure my kids do too, but there are others who have decided the signs don't apply to them. I have to breathe and talk myself off the annoyance level ledge. But again, my baggage, no one else's. Sooooo...

There was a lovely statue going into the courtyard too.

25994934_10159702750575612_5155535482657436824_n.jpg

26168247_10159702750500612_2493397817654884386_n.jpg


We went into the courtyard and decided we were hungry first. So, we'd eat then go explore. The menu was pretty good - burgers and sandwiches mostly. I ordered a burger for DD11 but I forgot to take off the black bean sauce which TOTALLY ruined her meal :sad2:. I scraped off the best I could and she eventually ate it. She loves cream soda, and this place had one. It sure didn't look like the cream soda she gets at home, but she said it tasted good. I had to try a Sarsparilla. It's like Root Beer, but not quite as strong as A&W's is. Not bad, but I wouldn't have another one anytime soon.

26055886_10159702750705612_5699317759611709676_n.jpg


26113782_10159702750695612_3396416786262054931_n.jpg


This is the first and ONLY place that doesn't upcharge for yam fries! YAY!

26166648_10159702750805612_3794152373571913840_n.jpg




Sufficiently fortified, we headed into the courtyard proper. There was a nice surprise for us Canadians on one wall.

26167010_10159702750880612_8443287039482052540_n.jpg


Why Canadian? Well, "America’s Sweetheart" is actually Canadian! See, here!

And another beautiful sculpture in the middle.

26114054_10159702750935612_4792505483318109659_n.jpg


26165390_10159702751145612_4748535920952257548_n.jpg


This was an amazing sculpture. The detail, right down to the hair on the horse.... just incredible.

26165369_10159702751170612_9081123566829447218_n.jpg


Actually, two. Two amazing sculptures.

26166004_10159702751310612_4993643359266992354_n.jpg


After being suitably amazed, we went inside to pay. They give a US military discount, but not a Canadian Military discount. The guy explained it as his boss's decision. I smiled and said something snarky about choosing who we'll defend in the next war, and he felt suitably ashamed that he gave me the AAA/CAA discount (even though I was honest and said we weren't members). So that was nice. I honestly don't understand the differentiation between US and Canadian military discounts. I mean, if the store doesn't give one to anyone, that's understandable, but allies should be able to get the same discount in the foreign country. I got discounts up the wazoo in Australia...

ANYWAY, there were rooms off the main area, and the first one was the Play Exhibit which was leaving at the end of the month. The history of play and toys was very interesting. There was a big area where kids could play and lots of exhibits describing native toys, and then more mid-century stuff. Some highlights.

Hopi "Mickey Mouse" Gourd Rattle circa 1991

26113841_10159702751760612_1422760177630268543_n.jpg


Very cool 'tree' and behind it a small cave for playing.

25660196_10159702754105612_7009308007739696781_n.jpg


Well! Wouldja look at that!?

26168420_10159702759135612_5477256841465531150_n.jpg


26114295_10159702759215612_8125011496533553159_n.jpg


26167098_10159702759210612_4668938077436224802_n.jpg


25995025_10159702759335612_2602302705547620916_n.jpg


26047269_10159702759325612_8747176377140805189_n.jpg


26000905_10159702759405612_1056121402977640464_n.jpg


25994665_10159702759450612_1741774569816888716_n.jpg


25995077_10159702759500612_7634328971888275775_n.jpg


26001128_10159702759535612_1107596903432931807_n.jpg


26055917_10159702759590612_3065661118943378184_n.jpg


More amazing statues in the hallways

26168390_10159702762910612_8926204578004715176_n.jpg


There was a photo exhibit regarding the Chicano uprising in the '70's but no photos were allowed. We wandered into the actual art GALLERY part. It has native designs from all over the place. I was pleasantly surprised to see some of our local works included.

A welcome pole

25994616_10159702763420612_8183559524341944009_n.jpg


A bead blanket

25659856_10159702766065612_5409494169372303907_n.jpg


A Raven Transformation Mask and a Glass Rattle

26165446_10159702766160612_8976476820367625343_n.jpg


A Bent Box. These were traditionally made out of a slab of cedar, and heated to bend the corners and top, then carved. It was quite the feat of engineering.

26168520_10159702766355612_7469657420982578255_n.jpg


A Tiffany Punch Bowl. Not from our part of Canada of course. I just loved the detail in the silver.

26046977_10159702767085612_6881273144238748665_n.jpg


And some gorgeous Remington statuettes.

26001220_10159702767295612_1666375043866398700_n.jpg


25660079_10159702767220612_435908660257268078_n.jpg


There were some amazing paintings, sculptures, a saddle or two, an Indian motorbike, and so much more. It was incredible. Then we went into the 'cowboy' section. The kids were bored mindless by this time, so they went back to the play exhibit where there were video games (DD11) and little kids to play with (DD13). Some highlights from this section:

25660317_10159702769615612_6774396236254720346_n.jpg


I got to pretend I was in a western movie:

25660388_10159702769870612_340771656258553356_n.jpg


So did DH. More in the next bit.
 
Last edited:
There were other cowboys highlighted too.

26165654_10159702772875612_902440548963638585_n.jpg


Some sang....

26055852_10159702773375612_5743373181931389396_n.jpg


And the most incredible saddle (poor horse who would have carried it).

26001111_10159702773430612_5042049111016472721_n.jpg


26113915_10159702773460612_2881605251320278963_n.jpg


26112349_10159702773595612_2267065459152961737_n.jpg


26112084_10159702773785612_7333963063445647790_n.jpg


26167273_10159702773900612_3227027192155771430_n.jpg


26055988_10159702775800612_3322307082173692197_n.jpg


One more pretty statue and then we had to leave... after checking out the gift shop, of course. It was a great one, with cool stuff and affordable (and not so affordable) things all throughout. I picked up a little pencil case/wallet for my sister. It had an owl on it, she likes owls, and I needed a Christmas present for her. DD11 is into crystals and rocks, so she got 6 for $3 and off we went.

I plugged MT into the Google Map and DH was great in not giving away the destination. We made it to Buena Vista and I was surprised at the area, having never been there. The girls and I oooohed over Knott's large roller coaster we could see from the road, and DD11 had stars in her eyes to ride that! I asked DD13 if she could figure out where we were going. She guessed the Pirates first because it was the first one she saw, but when I said no, she squealed, "THE CASTLE!!" Her class is learning about the Middle Ages and such right now, so she was pretty excited.

We found a decent parking spot as we were there around 1:30, and we headed in. I took my email tickets to the booth and asked about the VIP upgrade. I had purchased through our military discount program, but it doesn't offer the VIP upgrade like the US Military one does. I had tried for the US Military tickets, but their payment system isn't set up for Canadian credit cards (it's the military, what can I say?), so I explained to the ticket lady that we'd like VIP seating. Turns out it was only an extra $6 to upgrade us ALL to the VIP seats! YES PLEASE!

What do you get? Well, first you get these cool lanyards and passes:

26112377_10159702776135612_7393716934443409334_n.jpg


Then you get seated within the first 3 rows, and a souvie towel. YAY! We went in and were given red crowns, meaning we were cheering for the Red Knight. Next stop - photos! Did we want free ones with Royalty or pay $20 for a special one? I splurged - $20 with a dragon in the background. Ha. Then drinks.... I ordered a Malibu with mango slushie in a special goblet. DH ordered an Executioner in a special goblet (his was gold, mine was blue), and DD11 ordered a blue & red slushie mix in a purple goblet. DD13 thought we were nuts and just got a blue slushie in a regular plastic cup.

We did a bit of browsing, and watched a lady get knighted for her birthday.

Those drinks tasted like another, so we did, then headed in through the doors when called to do so. Our row was the third one up from the floor, right on the ends. At our place was our menu:

26114161_10159702776200612_4290654367854199946_n.jpg


my goblet,

26168268_10159702776230612_6423228030588862015_n.jpg


the towel draped across the back of our seats, the place mat, and a little plastic banner to wave around. We'd done something like this in Australia but it was cool to see it here. Each section was divided by colour - Red, Green, Yellow & Black, Yellow & Red, Black & White, and Blue. We were to cheer madly for our own knight in all his events.

The king and his daughter were up in the top once the knights were announced by the herald.

26112054_10159702776345612_7874678773007522573_n.jpg


On his Friesian.

26114173_10159702776730612_1691280636081213922_n.jpg


All the horses were beautiful. Our knight was pretty great.

26001371_10159702777200612_6373146591301414286_n.jpg


The king and his daughter arrived up top and then we could start!

26114130_10159702777260612_7485809128257911706_n.jpg


First were some horses doing their stuff. I've seen the Lipizzaner horses from Vienna, and these were nowhere close to that calibre, but they were very good and well turned out.

Not a Lipizzaner.

25659846_10159702779125612_4009047719122847432_n.jpg


Here's a bit of info about the breed:

BREED ORIGIN
The Hapsburg family controlled both Spain and Austria when the art of classical riding revived in Europe during the Renaissance. There was a need for light, fast horses for use in the military and the riding school. The Spanish horse, produced during Moorish rule by crossing Berber and Arab stallions with Iberian mares, was considered the most suitable mount because of its exceptional sturdiness, beauty, and intelligence. In 1562, Maximillian II brought the Spanish horse to Austria and founded the court stud at Kladrub. His brother Archduke Charles established a similar private imperial stud farm with Spanish stock in 1580 at Lippiza (nowadays: Lipizza [Italian], or Lipica [Slovenian]) near the Adriatic Sea. Here on the Karst plateau near Triest the type of horse which was bred in Lippiza was called the Lippizaner. Today in Europe the breed is called Lipizzaner or, in America, Lipizzan.

FOUNDATION LINES
The Kladrub and Lipizza stock were bred to the native Karst horses, and succeeding generations were crossed with the old Neapolitan breed and horses of Spanish descent obtained from Spain, Germany, and Denmark. The Kladrub stud produced heavy carriage horses. Riding horses and light carriage horses came from the Lipizza stud although breeding stock was exchanged between the studs. The Kladrub stud produced Maestoso and Favory, two of the foundation sires of today’s Lipizzan. Of the sires used during the 18th and 19th centuries, only six established sire lines: Conversano, black, a Neapolitan, born in 1767; Favory, dun, transferred from Kladrub, born in 1779; Maestoso, grey, a crossbred by a Neapolitan sire and out of a Spanish dam, transferred from Kladrub, born in 1819; Neapolitano, bay or brown, from another Neapolitan sire, born in 1790; Pluto, grey, of Spanish origin, from the Danish stud, born 1765; Siglavy, grey, an Arabian, born in 1810.

By the 1800s, there were no longer any original Spanish horses available, and Arabians were used to strengthen the lines. Of the seven Arabian stallions used, only Siglavy founded a separate dynasty. Two other stallion lines which did not find favor at the Lipizza stud were perpetuated at other studs within the boundaries of the Austrian empire. The Tulipan (Croatia) and Incitato (Transylvanian-Hungarian) lines are still found in Yugoslavia, Hungary, and other eastern European countries as well as North America. In addition to the sire lines, 35 mares established dominant families which are recognized today. Each country established traditions in naming, branding, and otherwise identifying Lipizzans.

ANWAY, the horses here aren't from the Spanish Riding School in Vienna but ARE Lipizzaner. Here's the best photo I could get of a Capriole, part of the Airs Above The Ground they're trained to do. This one kicks front and rear at the same time.

26165313_10159702779355612_7124286359772927123_n.jpg


In war time, they would do this with an officer on their backs, kicking at the enemy both front and back. I find them amazing and it just blows my mind what they do.

Next up was a falconer to show off his mad skillz.

25994660_10159702779830612_2652964101948586582_n.jpg


Soup ('dragon's blood') was first. Yummy bread too. I had to show the kids they could pick up the bowl and drink from it directly as there's no cutlery. YAY!

26001121_10159702780010612_4759797024856489952_n.jpg


Then some show of skills from the knights - spear throwing, taking a ring off a line, stuff like that. Our knight did really well. After each event, the princess would drop down flowers to the knights and they would throw them into the audience. We didn't get one, dang it.

25994621_10159702780185612_3409941708265801817_n.jpg


25994953_10159702780420612_4318150712567339621_n.jpg


They also said aloud the names of people celebrating stuff, and what the special occasion was. There was a quincenera, a wedding anniversary, a few birthdays from kids and adults, a stagette, and even a 'good grades' in the mix.

They had a joust too and if the lance broke, they would still keep going until a winner was crowned (the green knight won this round). As these are real lances hitting real shields, they lower a net to stop wood bits from hitting the paying customers.

26165931_10159702783880612_562578635829959019_n.jpg


There were a few controlled falls from the horses, but meh, it's all in fun. The main course was 'baby dragon' (chicken, so not far off, really, ha). Dessert was lemon pound cake. And by this time, I was stuffed full! Water, coffee, tea, and pop was free and poured by our server a lot.

They introduced a bad guy who said his king had sent a present. It was a guy doing dressage on a pretty Andalusian.

26001388_10159702783380612_1229182263595182651_n.jpg


The bad guy said the king wanted the princess's hand in marriage, blah blah. So instead, the tournament champion met the bad guy in combat. After some back and forth, the Blue Knight won, of course. I won't give away the surprise ending, but it was funny and I got to see more horses before we were informed the show was over by the lights coming up and the horses and knights riding off. Tip wasn't included in the price, so I left our serving 'wench' some cash and we went to the gift area.

26167607_10159702786430612_5189903932510827332_n.jpg


There were two areas - one when you first come in and another further back near the washrooms. They were like centre kiosks in the back with different types of crowns and veils, swords, etc. There was a 'real' armoury where you could buy all types of bladed weapons including katanas and battle axes (!?). There was a table with some t-shirts and some hanging up. There was ONE left of a long-sleeve tee that caught my eye. It has a crown on it and says, "All Hail the Queen". I bought the girls each a crown (same kind but different colours) and that shirt for me, even though it's one size smaller than I'd like. We had a great time and I'd suggest it to anyone who likes that kind of thing.

Behind the gift things were the windows into some stalls. We mostly saw horses' butts, a couple dozing horses (so sound-proof windows for sure), and two falcons. Very cool to see them after the show.

It was about 4pm, so we got back in the Soul and headed back. We dropped it off and only paid a whopping $63! The gas tank only cost me $33 to fill up too - awesome mileage! We walked down Katella and popped into CVS and got DD13 a bathing suit. We walked up to the hotel and we all headed for the pool. I sat in the hot tub and it was heavenly. We met a family while in the pool and DD11 immediately made friends with both the girls. We were alone for about 20 minutes before the loud group of kids and 'adult' came back. We lasted about 5.3 seconds before leaving.

Besides, it was MM tomorrow and we needed an early night for an early start!

Total amount walked today: 4,933 steps or 3.6km. A small day.
 
Oh yeah, I had that taken off when we arrived as we only needed parking for one night.

Ha I totally read that section in your report wrong! I thought you were talking about the parking fee, but you said valet! Don't mind me, just having a brain fart! lol :p
 
Ha I totally read that section in your report wrong! I thought you were talking about the parking fee, but you said valet! Don't mind me, just having a brain fart! lol :p

Nope, you’re right. Valet parking or park your own at the hotel - either was $12/day. We only paid for it one night and I figured since they were available 24/7, why not?! I was writing in short hand again, sorry.
 


Thursday the 28th. We'd heard the night before in the hot tub, that DLR had a bit of a power outage. My Facebook feed was full of the info, and a few of my friends asked me if we'd been involved. Fortunately, we were no where in the vicinity, so yay us! Christmas magic? Maybeeee....

Today I wanted to use our Magic Morning. My original plan had been to do this on Saturday, but due to the exchange rate not treating us well, I had to give up my dreams of getting an AP this time around, so I was able to use the MM later in the week. I had asked the family to be ready to leave the hotel at 6:30 at the latest. They were all ready by 6:15!

We got to the gates and they were empty. YAY!

26001407_10159707188450612_8293054758729485639_n.jpg


So now, I was unsure if these gates would be open or not, so being a herd animal I headed to the far right set of gates and got in line behind a family already there. Turns out, they were the family from the hot tub and pool! My kids were pretty happy meeting up with their kids and we had a great conversation about Disney, the fires, traveling, kids... lots of stuff! It was a great way to get the 30 minutes to pass by quickly.

26169018_10159707188470612_7683491620898751995_n.jpg


Just before 7am, I had DH turn around and see the lines behind us.

26167166_10159707188500612_6602650992654640044_n.jpg


Good timing on our account.

We were in!! Not FIRST in, but close enough for government work, as we say. First up, of course, Peter Pan. The kids and DH hadn't ridden it yet, so we walked through the 5 minute line up and hopped on for a ride to Neverland.

I'm comin' for you next, Jingles!

26166286_10159707188535612_5685401625242410720_n.jpg


This time, I didn't take photos of the ride itself as my camera would not have done it justice and I wanted to just enjoy the ride with DD13. She loved it and even DH could understand the draw.

26055986_10159707188575612_2993429735834159021_n.jpg


We went over to the carrousel. NO one was anywhere near us. We were the only family on the ride, and the CM gave us a private ride. FINALLY, I rode the prettiest horse in the park.

26001013_10159707188645612_3913468187188270662_n.jpg


26166395_10159707188680612_4059713744214644123_n.jpg


The girls wanted to ride Mr. Toad next. I told them the ride wouldn't make sense, but they didn't care.

26047194_10159707188750612_6983275530020859222_n.jpg


25660213_10159707188755612_7273443875889371314_n.jpg


The girls liked the ride, especially DD13 for some reason. Next up, Alice, as the lines were always super long all week, and I wanted them to experience this ride too. There was already a 10 minute wait, and it wasn't even 7:30!

26167362_10159707188990612_730160283185736893_n.jpg


In fact, it was 7:24, and I made my Big Thunder MP because... Big Thunder.

26111972_10159707189015612_1295171524354058117_n.jpg


DD13 loved this ride too. She fell in love with Cheshire cat and got a pin for herself after the ride.

26047461_10159707189465612_4095586800505244772_n.jpg


Around this time, we heard from DD11 that her sandals were hurting her feet. They're more for beaches than walking on cobblestones anyway, so we started hunting around for better footwear for her. Nothing found in FantasyLand. Just cute decorations in the stores.

25994893_10159707189700612_5909446940749009490_n.jpg


We had breakfast with Minnie at 8:40, so I hoped we'd be out in time for our ride on BTMRR. But before then, we had a bit of time to kill.... what to do, what to do? DD11 asked for Space Mountain. DD13 and DH were definite "NO!"s on that, so DD11 and I stood in line for 20 minutes for Space Mountain.

26114224_10159707189735612_8518238707352731706_n.jpg


The last time we rode, it was the Ghost Galaxy overlay which I'm not too crazy about. This was okay, but I'm not especially fond of twisty-turny rollercoasters in the dark with epilepsy-inducing strobe lights flashing at me. Call me crazy.

26112458_10159707189805612_2173104715346608395_n.jpg


Now this is where I get a little cranky. DD11 and I are behind two grown men. Can you see DD11? Neither can we. And because Grown Man in front of me is, for some unfathomable reason, holding his water bottle like it's an Oscar, my face is in shadow too. Thanks guys. And thanks to the CM loading little people behind larger people. That worked out great.

26165543_10159715708205612_1681725101425665484_n.jpg


Aaaanyway, we ended up having still MORE time to kill. DH and DD13 were waiting for us outside (no luck with footwear in Tomorrowland), so we all decided to go onto Buzz as it was only a 10 minute wait. Not even, really. And we were 'chosen'! My first red ride ticket! That look from DH is, "Why is she so excited about a stupid time ticket?"

25995065_10159707189845612_1765584222649006957_n.jpg


It's because there's a FB page I belong to which gives people a free button if they are 'chosen' on a ride and upload a photo. And it's kinda cool too.

Top shot out of our group again.

25995073_10159707189895612_814391703738917565_n.jpg


FINALLY it was close enough to 8:40 to not make a difference. The spur-of-the-moment couple in front of us was lucky enough to get a spot on the patio. As did we with our reservation. First up, photos with Minnie!

With my phone:

26166453_10159707192805612_6028931807937794537_n.jpg


The PP camera:

26047268_10159715708470612_5985358108393164038_n.jpg


We went inside, paid, DH took a button, and out we went to the patio. The view wasn't bad.

25994646_10159707192945612_851092393225531784_n.jpg


DD11 and DH went in for breakfast first. Not one character came by while DD13 and I waited. They were back in about 5-8 minutes. Then it was our turn to go eat. I ended up in the omelette line based on the good experience from Storyteller's. Yeah, not the same experience. Suddenly, it was like everyone was moving at 1/4 speed. It took over 10 minutes for me to get to the front, order, and receive my omelette.

Then, over in the 'regular' line, it moved even slower! DD13 had already left - she got her food in the 'regular' line and booked it back outside. I waited, no lie, another 10-15 minutes for sausages and bacon. People in line were ordering 2-3 plates at a time because the server behind the line was NOT in a hurry at.all. People would order eggs, bacon sausage, a biscuit. But the gravy on the side. Can I have more gravy? Oh, I want another plate too, I forgot. And I need.... Yup. I was inside for about 20-25 minutes. Getting fruit was a lost cause because people from both ends were just grabbing as much as they could so they could eat in line while waiting for their food. And all the while, the server was as slow as molasses in December - in Winnipeg. So much for getting to BTMRR by 9:40.

MEANWHILE, DD11 and 13 and DH were meeting all kinds of characters:

First up, Max.

26055946_10159707193205612_1761723382141313822_n.jpg


Then Rafiki (I would have freaked! I love him!)
26167712_10159707193230612_123266377545992705_n.jpg


I finally came out and my first character was Tigger! He came by, banged the table to make us 'hurry up' with the autograph books.

26046966_10159707193430612_4907949236039612205_n.jpg


25994738_10159707193490612_5716324240372394486_n.jpg


I gave up the MP for BTMRR and got another one for later.

26168948_10159707193555612_6299046995797088239_n.jpg


Then Hook came by for signatures and photos. He was hilarious.

26047310_10159707193690612_5741359215970799896_n.jpg


26113734_10159707193725612_4800708751415663919_n.jpg


26113973_10159707193765612_5104761099720602250_n.jpg


26055911_10159707193830612_4642679596163747126_n.jpg


Then Chip came by and tried to abscond with DD11's autograph book. We had to tell him he wasn't allowed to do that. Silly 'munk!

26166228_10159707193850612_4544448033579839951_n.jpg


25995000_10159707193950612_7911180924074057905_n.jpg


Then it was Dale's turn to pop over.

26055977_10159707194060612_5746836664716398664_n.jpg


25994961_10159707194240612_7058474739695961709_n.jpg


We waited another 10 minutes or so, hoping Peter Pan would come out, as we saw him inside, but he didn't, so we left. The PP seller came around and wanted a bunch of money for the photo. I said we have PP, showed my code, and we got the photos added to our account. Best money spent. Ever.

On the way to Frontierland, I wanted photos at the Partners' statue. Family was kind enough to acquiesce and we stood in line. It moved quickly though, as there were two photogs on either side, so two lines, minimal waiting. But waiting was had.

26001354_10159707194415612_2664022970931325900_n.jpg


Next batch, next post.
 
I got a quick pic before our turn. I didn't butt in front of anyone, and no one said anything to me. That ws a different story when we were getting placed and some tourists came in and stood in front to get their photo. The people waiting their turn said, "Hey! There's a line up here! You can't do that! You need to wait your turn." These tourists completely ignored that, but they did move along pretty quickly. I think if you want just a quick photo of the statue, there's no problem, but if you want the photo with you IN it, then yeah, wait your turn like you can obviously see everyone else doing.

BUT, here's my photo I took.

26113981_10159707194470612_7678017951306483234_n.jpg


Photo with my camera (phone):

26169171_10159707194585612_3846062862130427538_n.jpg


That's my "All Hail the Queen" t-shirt from the day before. Love it.

This is the PP's shot.

26114221_10159715708585612_5303697088833787032_n.jpg


And then two magic shots too!

26113744_10159715708900612_311507210115460999_n.jpg


26114071_10159715708995612_5169851383108560106_n.jpg


Sidebar - we gave DD13 some money to replace her lost gift card. That money, and DD11's extra money, were both in DH's wallet and they would have to ask him for funds before spending. YAY!

Ok, back to the trip. We were making our way to Frontierland, and I loved their ideas for decorations. Perhaps getting ideas for my place! This would look great on our lampstand outside our front door.

25660220_10159707196375612_1178492839270222570_n.jpg


We even saw a dove come down for a drink!

26167131_10159707196380612_1308967295852125164_n.jpg


26112034_10159707196455612_7589458494937982579_n.jpg


We had a bit of time to waste before the MP would kick in, so we went into the Mercantile shop. DH found DD11 a pair of Minnie Mouse shoes and some socks! She was MUCH happier out of the sandals.

26168561_10159707196590612_8079432352803427724_n.jpg


I bought a cute Minnie Mouse long-sleeved shirt. It was a pink/burgundy mix and really cute. The hanger said it was an XL. The hanger lied. More on that later. I then took the kids over to the pressed penny machine and they pressed some pennies. They really liked the whole idea and would try to find as many machines over the next couple days as they could. Before our BT ride, it was bathroom time. I loved all the decorations in Zocalo.

26055644_10159707196665612_3483252951061603142_n.jpg


26167460_10159707196800612_7337290464302810879_n.jpg


Well! Wouldja look at that? I can make another MP... where to go, where to go? I know!!

26112252_10159707196900612_3043991588424665778_n.jpg


Meanwhile, in the BTMRR fast pass line, even the lizards were enjoying the day.

26047329_10159707196895612_1147823700530653727_n.jpg


Our ride arrived!

26113947_10159707197230612_7836293502740425407_n.jpg


DH waited for us at the end of the ride. The girls sat together in front of me.

26168243_10159707197235612_6483224911924484153_n.jpg


I love this ride so much!

26114127_10159707197410612_6960904124383895167_n.jpg


26169885_10159707197495612_3489360451140993792_n.jpg


How's SWL/GE coming along today?

26047530_10159707197520612_4128868766278900749_n.jpg


OMG OMG OMG I can't wait!

25660334_10159707197585612_4805767432583665309_n.jpg


DD13 thinks the goat is the one who blows everything up at the end.

26168641_10159707197605612_4112337395237335854_n.jpg


He looks pretty crafty, so I wouldn't doubt it.

26112493_10159707197780612_8832298107051556859_n.jpg


26165935_10159707197870612_2518428722552084711_n.jpg


26165968_10159707197880612_8983431421600301110_n.jpg

26112482_10159707197935612_3508285053943024343_n.jpg


I had wanted to meet Flynn Ryder for three years now, and we'd have a chance if we moved a little fast over to Fantasy Faire. Jasmine and Aladdin were just finishing up (I thought it was weird too), and the Flynn line had already formed. We were behind two little girls who were in amazing costumes, made by their mother. One was Mother Gothel and the other was Rapunzel. They had wigs and flowers and cloaks too and looked amazing! We were third in line and finally got to meet Flynn and Rapunzel together!

Flynn's page I drew for him has his satchel, a frying pan, and an angry looking Maximus. He loved the page and told us how Maximus once ate all the apples in Disneyland. I left it to my DH to take our photo. My mistake. He doesn't know how to get my phone to focus and get the right levels (hint: touch the centre of the screen and wait a second). So this was the best I could do after playing with some levels in the editing process.

26165301_10159707198120612_870987448972318164_n.jpg


Guess I'll have to do this AGAIN when I go back. Oh. Darn.

The next priority was Tom Sawyer's Island. The line up wasn't too horrible - 10 minutes maybe. Made slightly longer by a family just waltzing onto the raft when the rest of us had been waiting, but whatevs, right?

The raft didn't work, so we disembarked, then waited for 2 minutes while the CMs brought in the other one. A few families left thinking they couldn't get another ride, but the majority of us stuck around and we got back on. Soon, we were on the Island.

26166827_10159707198185612_2265466931717696311_n.jpg


Will Turner's blacksmith shop!

26047340_10159707199525612_4962563740364695871_n.jpg


The kids took off and we ended up going the wrong way through the Pirate's Lair. I was snapping what photos I could and heard my DH laughing his head off. I came around the corner and he said, "DD11 was rubbed the gold bar and got scared. Go ahead, do it!"

So I did and this happened:

26112392_10159707199605612_8962595779820506489_n.jpg


"Hey! Take your hands off my gold! I have my eyes on you!"

DH laughed, "That wasn't it. Do it again. It scared the daylights out of her!"

So I did. And this happened:

26000876_10159707199775612_6521270997099257311_n.jpg


He popped up, growled something, and disappeared again. So funny!

The kids ran off and DH and I wandered around then sat. I saw I some construction going on:

26112047_10159707199985612_6137207410758796485_n.jpg


DH wanted to catch a parade, and it was also a priority for DD13, so we finally got everyone together to catch the raft back in order to get a good seat near Small World. On the way, I made a MP selection because DD11 wanted a ride down Splash. She had wanted Matterhorn in the morning too so she could have done all the mountains, but the line up was WAY too long and no one wanted to ride it with her. So we settled for a wet ride.

26166023_10159707200145612_8855301323051016857_n.jpg


We found a decent space near the back of Small World to camp out. I went over to get a treat... cash only... back to DH for some cash.... back to the cart and FINALLY got my FIRST (yes, you read that right!) Mickey Ice Cream bar

26167258_10159707200210612_9191488648933362033_n.jpg


More pretty decorations while we waited.

25994777_10159707200255612_2434919694744937640_n.jpg



After waiting about 45 minutes or so, the parade started! I took scads of photos, so I'll start the parade ones in the next post.
 
This ballerina started off the show. She was on pointe the majority of the parade! Her ankles must have been killing her by the end of the parade!

26055718_10159707200365612_9209970402151920344_n.jpg


Now, we had just settled in, when some large guy came out of nowhere and plonked himself between me, DD13, and the little boy beside her. I guess waiting for a decent seat is for suckers? DD and I were sitting on the rail, DD11 and DH on my right were sitting on the concrete one level lower, and this guy was on the lowest step, just up from the ground. NO ONE stood up in front of us... except one little boy as a float went by so his mum could get a photo, but he stood up directly in front of the late guy who was video taping at the time. Karma dude. Karma.

Toy soldier band was next. I was amazed by their ability to still play even with probably not being able to see well, AND having to march in those super hot and awkward costumes!

26001410_10159707200810612_6005092623442225216_n.jpg



And these guys could PLAY! They were incredible!

26168409_10159707200885612_4856427194973312391_n.jpg


Next, some elves came by and danced for us.

26165981_10159707201045612_2736735629268924241_n.jpg


And the gang showed up with their North Pole float. TONS to look at on this float.

26001076_10159707201155612_4802260487513539616_n.jpg


25660223_10159707202060612_8535645537033473717_n.jpg


26166022_10159707202140612_957955999063630906_n.jpg


There were floats in the shape of books interspersed between acts or other floats. It was really cute.

25994613_10159707202195612_1044007402269259368_n.jpg


Then some skiers. This was at 1:30. They must have been sweltering!

26047446_10159707202255612_1042056313041396409_n.jpg


The books were propped up with other books. SUPER cute!

26168099_10159707202345612_4339190355190345153_n.jpg


26047419_10159707202450612_770564170656070366_n.jpg


26168643_10159707202520612_2692131027289805718_n.jpg


25994823_10159707202820612_1852324970554157429_n.jpg


It was 25 degrees Celsius (about 80 Fahrenheit). Hard to think 'winter wonderland'

26167986_10159707202915612_4397084783573645626_n.jpg


26195565_10159707203100612_3845610151093883156_n.jpg


This had Clarabelle dancing with chefs and Gingerbread Men. SO cute!

26056044_10159707203215612_2789315617709110469_n.jpg


The dawgs got into the spirit too!

26047329_10159707203535612_8992287358707420790_n.jpg


Lady Tremaine and her two girls even danced by. They were AWESOME! The redhead especially was funny.

26047281_10159707203725612_5146104161122291616_n.jpg


26166795_10159707204960612_2349387301119236401_n.jpg


Then we were invited to an Enchanted Christmas Ball.

25594411_10159707204970612_2990786683946064996_n.jpg


26165290_10159707205045612_1712599267913507460_n.jpg


First up - Snow and her Charming. (I would LOVE To see the new characters from Once Upon A Time in one of these parades!)

26165917_10159707205210612_4397776818113264715_n.jpg


The float had Tiana and Naveen, Aurora and Phillip, and Cinderella and the Prince on board.

26166590_10159707205410612_5321000476672096207_n.jpg


26166153_10159707205505612_8132439785086714217_n.jpg


With the Beast and Belle on the back.

26168316_10159707205545612_3794103778894860142_n.jpg


And dancing up the rear was Ariel and Eric.

26047338_10159707205620612_3561487202650623855_n.jpg


26167747_10159707205910612_5416976435511755869_n.jpg


26165610_10159707205985612_3284583744806318823_n.jpg


25994749_10159707206130612_6189911910139200349_n.jpg


26196225_10159707206520612_5186060493635472519_n.jpg


26114261_10159707206625612_3602865805088677181_n.jpg



Next bit, next post.
 


Parade, continued.

26114131_10159707206735612_3886815492157801460_n.jpg


26047421_10159707206780612_647614271496827435_n.jpg


I don't know why the attention to detail still surprises me, but it does.

26166828_10159707206785612_7151199006565145321_n.jpg


26001220_10159707207880612_3005833372409184597_n.jpg


26047516_10159707208075612_7520222883930271851_n.jpg


26166789_10159707208220612_3809573348027696811_n.jpg


26113719_10159707208365612_1206203928323074367_n.jpg


The big guy!

26055726_10159707208630612_6716641082923392595_n.jpg


26166757_10159707208735612_2670096114473011092_n.jpg


This was the temp that day - AWESOME!!

26169201_10159707208765612_3744287035648047329_n.jpg


It was now time to get a new FP... BTMRR at night! The kids will LOVE this!

26047339_10159707208785612_3044097902427438992_n.jpg


But first - the Tiki Room by request of said kids. The line up for Dole Whip on BOTH sides was too long, so I had to do without this time around. Sad panda. :sad:

26000888_10159707208845612_5878642482935767293_n.jpg


26165143_10159707208945612_5584348500899817259_n.jpg


26000959_10159707208970612_4181461524309345972_n.jpg


26000920_10159707209225612_1422174336965365286_n.jpg


26165647_10159707209370612_4326648718163145402_n.jpg


26167546_10159707209435612_4169999881949577479_n.jpg


The drums and masks and birds all worked, but some flowers on one side didn't. It was weird and I was surprised the staff hadn't picked up on it, but I guess if no one mentions it, they can't fix it.

26166035_10159707209665612_3750791602959931848_n.jpg


26167883_10159707209755612_5051024708566988602_n.jpg


Now I want to go to Aulani!

HEY! It's time for our FP to Indy! YAY! DD11 and I headed off while DD13 and DH did the Tarzan Tree House.

25995026_10159707210570612_4122537216289893609_n.jpg


25994915_10159707210990612_4992889394941163600_n.jpg

Had we seen any, we would have. I grossed out DD11 by explaining what guano was.

26166358_10159707211095612_5966172063589093264_n.jpg


Naturally we did. Ha.

26000862_10159707211170612_7802293513149038763_n.jpg


Did that too.

And we TOTALLY did this!

26056096_10159707211520612_2315771626157410831_n.jpg


I love everything about this ride too. The themeing, the details, the cool factor... and the ride is pretty fun.

26046991_10159707211740612_3213893453789775360_n.jpg


After successfully avoiding a giant boulder, we headed to Critter Country to be ready for our Splash FP. The family hadn't done Winnie The Pooh yet, so off we went on what DH considers the scariest ride in the park.

26166976_10159707215085612_4751441679136808780_n.jpg


26167522_10159707216390612_8871243005005109121_n.jpg


We were maybe three minutes early, but the CM taught me a cool trick. If your MP time has hit but your app with the return time part won't let you scan in, you can go to the main page, use your TICKET bar code, and scan in that way! Aweeeeeesome!

26001193_10159707216500612_1778973707475687066_n.jpg


DH decided he didn't want to get wet, so it was just me and the two girls on the ride together.

26167970_10159707216575612_6536909840687149304_n.jpg


26168601_10159707216615612_888076639587223569_n.jpg


26167030_10159707217090612_7257717335847868294_n.jpg


26168183_10159707217740612_4159263440979792933_n.jpg


Slidin' to the next post...
 
The fun before the screamin'...

26165771_10159707218495612_7839521861588795783_n.jpg


Where the train goes through. I can't remember if it did before or not. If not, it's a great addition.

26169271_10159707222270612_2811814438234270098_n.jpg


26165853_10159707222340612_1033723079049665988_n.jpg


DD11 is so casual. DD13 and I are screaming with delight, DD11... meh... LOL. She loves this ride.

26169068_10159707222460612_2047162636382668258_n.jpg


Now we were a little hungry. We went to NOS and I thought about the Blue Bayou as a treat. We checked out the menu and the kids were 'nu-uh'! DH had asked about the restaurant we ate at last time - French Market. I said, why not check out Café Orleans? They had a lineup but we were asked if we wanted to get a text? Could be 10 minutes... could be 30....? DH said sure, and the kids and he sat on a bench right across from the entrance, while I ran around the corner to the Bat En Rouge to look at dresses!

I grabbed three to quickly try on, but there was a guy sitting on the only seat in the place - which was in the 'dressing room' - a curtain which was pulled around in a semi-circle in the corner. I asked the CM is there was a dressing room. She said it was over there. I said, "There's a guy on the seat..." and she asked him to move. He honestly had no clue, and the look on his face was, "Oh, I just wanted to sit while my wife shopped..." but NOPE! My turn, buddy!

I tried on Belle, Alice and Minnie. Minnie looked great! Ok, put that in my mind for later. I quickly got redressed and returned the dresses and zipped back to the bench, just as we got our dinner text! Perfect timing and it was about 10 minutes too! We were shown to a nice table right by the door and the kids got the kids' menu. I explained they were older, but we'd be happy to pay full price for the kid's item anyway. No worries! First, let's peruse, shall we?

26055706_10159707222775612_5324561712008189337_n.jpg


I had the Lobster Cobb, DH had the Steak and Potatoes I think. I had the Mint Julep for a drink too.

26055858_10159707222890612_1007294472030792879_n.jpg


That was some good salad!

26167876_10159707223125612_9169344197389566993_n.jpg


The kids ate so much macaroni, I had to order another plate/bowl for them!

25660267_10159707223310612_678559171364851726_n.jpg


And what for dessert? Any bets?

26055645_10159707223430612_3924996175054785509_n.jpg


YUP!

26001406_10159707223495612_4179457600723692784_n.jpg


They were perfect and we loved them!

On our way to our last ride, BTMRR, we saw a murder.

26166351_10159707223520612_1080646865715627924_n.jpg


It was 5:30 and PERFECT for a night run!

26113757_10159707223590612_2197204042218042860_n.jpg


DD11 said she loved it even more than daytime, as I knew she would. We then decided to head to DTD for some shopping. DD11 had wanted to spend all her money at the Lego store for the last 3 days, so off we went. BUT FIRST! A night castle shot:

26166997_10159707223710612_5840263191278616742_n.jpg


And a not-so good shot of the main street all lit up.

26167333_10159707223845612_8714710440169159609_n.jpg


And then the tree...

25994522_10159707223990612_1203925905821785347_n.jpg


But FINALLY, the Lego store. DD11 bought 5 sets - one was a gift, four for her. DD13 bought two sets, both for her. I had fun in the store too.

26114250_10159707224070612_7235882242752350337_n.jpg


26113771_10159707224060612_1586329073093591384_n.jpg


25994526_10159707224150612_8454889510279535354_n.jpg


26166783_10159707224230612_7492149497150454944_n.jpg


Dh took photos of me and the girls with the Hulk, but it's on his phone and I don't have his photos yet.

Outside was this cool bench, and the girls were happy to hang with some friends from Heartlake City.

26047540_10159707224270612_2053314132319774166_n.jpg


26166314_10159707224275612_7832799444227223813_n.jpg


I went back into the Dress shop and had the girls help me decide - Minnie dress or the Apple dress? They liked both, but I liked Minnie on me better. And wouldn't you know it, I had enough for a matching (kind of) Dooney! My very first! I'm not a purse person (coats are my thing), but this purse makes my heart sing.

26000922_10159707224285612_3961813300153660196_n.jpg


I also grabbed a pressed penny book for the girls, and went into the Pandora store to talk about bracelets. The manager, Erica, was awesome! I said I'd be back the next night.

DD11 got herself some slippers by asking her sister for a Christmas present.

25994641_10159707224290612_1523427549980081421_n.jpg


We all went to bed dreaming of our great day (at least I did!) and planned on going back to DCA the next day after a quick breakfast in the hotel. DH was insistent on getting me a nutcracker. He had been buying me one every year since we were dating, so he was upset we hadn't seen any at all! He was on a mission tomorrow and the first thing we were doing was assisting him on completing it!

Total steps taken: 16,620, 10.8km
 
Last edited:
Our final day :sad: Bloomed beautiful and warm and sunny... and expensive! :rolleyes1 Today was SHOPPING DAY! Mainly because DH wanted the nutcracker and I found out that the shirt I bought was actually 2 sizes too big... so I bundled it and the receipt into a bag and put it into the back pack, hoping to exchange for a smaller one at DCA this morning.

But first! Breakfast. A quick something at the hotel for the kids and DH. I even had a bowl of Froot Loops to ease the pain of leaving. Then off we went in search of a Nutcracker. We decided to make the day about DCA, so we angled to the left security lines. I was following a guy with a SW backpack and the next thing I knew, I was behind a different family! I said, "Hey! How the heck (ha) did that happen? I was right behind him!" The wife said, "No you weren't. HE (gesturing to her DH) was." And then the wife, the kids, the hubby... all in line before us. I was 99.9% sure I was behind backpack guy and this family slid in front.....

So I have a few PTSD issues, nothing earth-shattering, but this kind of behaviour is a trigger for me, so I had to take deep breaths, get off the topic in my head, etc etc. When the chance came to get our bags inspected, I purposely went to a different line than those in front of us, and then we were all just waved through quickly, and we got in line at DCA, while I made sure I was no where near those other people.

26047220_10159711962060612_5966296235708377989_n.jpg


26112349_10159711962115612_4667119154278604772_n.jpg


First things first - FAST PASS for Racers!

26047392_10159711962075612_5393402670045578024_n.jpg


And then hunt for a nutcracker. First we went to Elias & Co. Nope, nothing there. They suggested we go across the street to Katz. DH went and the girls and I went to check out the timing on Soarin'.... 30 minutes!? Nope. We'll wait for our FP time to up and book it then.

26114224_10159711962185612_801029876424469709_n.jpg


By this time, DH had been told they didn't have any at Katz, but here's a phone number to call. I had also discovered that no store in the front of DCA had the same Minnie shirt in their store either, so I had to hang on til later to exchange it, probably when we end up at DTD later today.

I called the main warehouse (?) number and they looked on their system. Now, I work in logistics - warehousing, inventory, receipts, issues - the usual supply chain management stuff. The nice lady said there was supposed to be a Jack Skellington (!!!) in Trolley Treats, and a Minnie over at China Closet. I know inventory systems and how they often don't have correct info. It's actually one of the major factors why Target in Canada failed. I work with a country-wide inventory system which is like peeling an onion - it has many layers and makes you cry. For this person to sound so SURE there were two left.... I had my doubts.

BUT, we went to Trolley Treats first. DH went to the nice CM, and the girls went to the pressed nickel machine (that actually took us a few minutes to figure out because the girls thought it was a penny for the longest time) and then the front counter for a treat.

26112318_10159711962255612_7095226548850533348_n.jpg


Mary, the CM in Katz, said there was NO nutcracker (dang it, nearly had a Jack!) in her area, however she called over to China Closet and they DID have one left! DH and I thanked her profusely, and he booked it over to DLR - this was the ONLY time we used our park hoppers the whole time!

Meanwhile, the girls and I were wondering what to do... Animators! Seems a couple of ladies from the Frozen north (see what I did there?!) and their friends were visiting, so we went over and joined the long line, already in progress.

26114063_10159711962275612_1487760392986837396_n.jpg


It was a LONG line. We waited at least 30 minutes. DD13 wanted to do Turtle Talk again and I wanted to do a drawing class. Neither of which we managed to do today. BUT finally, it was our turn! DH had told me he had the nutcracker in hand and was headed back to DCA. I told him where we were and he said he'd meet us.

The line was SO long, in fact, I had time to make another FP selection:

26165513_10159711962490612_5473374570293635226_n.jpg


We met the ladies first. And they were awesome - especially when they found out we were from Canada and knew all about snow. We had great discussions about snow forts, snowball fights, all the fun stuff to do in the snow.

The PP photographer got some amazing shots!

26111899_10159715709465612_7701550203788366172_n.jpg


26113917_10159715709505612_9014823233597385529_n.jpg


26047050_10159715711965612_716725197638322553_n.jpg


And then we went to see the boys. My kids were SO excited to meet Olaf! He's their favourite and we missed him last time. I was excited to meet Kristoff!

26195796_10159715712130612_2451549679745210989_n.jpg


*excuse her pants falling down. They're her favourites and are slightly too small).

26167149_10159715712160612_168267151465365255_n.jpg


26166678_10159715712430612_6991715160526210817_n.jpg


Done with the groups, we headed outside, where I misread DH's text that said he was outside the Animator's Studio, and headed to the fountain where we waited for HIM outside FFF&P. The Trolley came by and we got to hear some cool tunes.

26167977_10159711962745612_5311822112841799409_n.jpg


After some texting back and forth, we headed his way and he headed ours and we met up to walk BACK to Smokejumper's for a quick bite to eat. This was our first time in the restaurant and I loved the soundtrack!

26195534_10159711962935612_853971511451630600_n.jpg


The food took a while, and they forgot DH's onion rings, but it was tasty and filling. DH had time to tell us about HIS adventure! Once he figured out where China Closet was, he made it through the DLR gates really quickly. He hit one of those 'no people' windows which often comes up during the day. He made is way into China Closet and realized, had we turned LEFT instead of right after leaving the Silhouette Shop the other day, we would have seen Minnie right there!

The clerk had taken Minnie out of her box to make sure she was good (she was), and it even had DH's name on a sticky on the side, as they put it aside for him! MORE Christmas magic!! He paid and went through the gates to DCA... and saw a horde of people milling around in the esplanade - busses had dropped their passengers. He RAN across to beat the incoming crowd, and made it through the gates before it got busier. He told me to open the HUGE purchase bag he had so I could see the newest addition to our collection.

26001189_10159711962885612_6271473897882498379_n.jpg


*yes, that's beer. For brunch. We're Canadian Sailors. That's what we do.

Minnie was adorable! The skirt was poofy, the whole design was so sweet. YAY! Carrying it around all day wasn't a highlight, but she was light so it wasn't too hard.

We still had about an hour to kill before our Soarin' passes came live, so we headed to Redwood Trail. The kids loved it! They took one look and lit out for parts up and down, while DH and I wandered around and looked the sights, decorations, and little jokes.

26168059_10159711963650612_4635685576742528120_n.jpg


26229939_10159711962945612_8022549282476559525_n.jpg


26112314_10159711963790612_6005633291659799175_n.jpg


I asked the CM if you're only allowed to "hoot" down the left tunnel and "holler" down the right.

26111979_10159711963875612_8763809482032589894_n.jpg


26113745_10159711965335612_8388132932980419447_n.jpg


26165906_10159711965805612_4597740361914001023_n.jpg


26167834_10159711966215612_8235076268986174082_n.jpg


26047017_10159711966685612_5149309609953587589_n.jpg


There were so many amazing things to see! Little gifts with a letter tag on them - part of the scavenger hunt to make the word "Santa Claus" no doubt. DD had an amazing interaction with Chip:

26166998_10159711966690612_3484201742608939384_n.jpg


26047478_10159711966815612_7443012115178304008_n.jpg


He led her over to sit with him on the ledge for a bit.

26168133_10159711967040612_3712198770488928567_n.jpg


She asked him what he got for Christmas. He led her over to his big bag o'goodies.

26047373_10159711967190612_8279064647601536033_n.jpg


26114093_10159711967390612_358243379688361383_n.jpg


The girls took me through the cave to find my spirit animal.

26111930_10159711967490612_5877363452687507892_n.jpg


You put your hand in the spot in the middle and press a little, then your spirit animal appears.

26169940_10159711969635612_5292629987441486814_n.jpg


Mine is a beaver?!

They don't know me very well.

26165453_10159711969825612_1408202288642083402_n.jpg


Santa Goofy was meeting in the middle, so I hopped in the line. Then he went on break. That's okay, lots to look at while he had a quick cookie and milk break.

26168018_10159711969905612_7678454936300934089_n.jpg


26165696_10159711969940612_5083323759792855390_n.jpg




Next batch in next post.
 
26114227_10159711969985612_2720589681030927598_n.jpg


26055584_10159711970080612_8039710054002137871_n.jpg


Time was getting close for our Screamin' FP too! BTW, I made that MP selection about five minutes prior. Awe.some! We now had 3 Fast Passes we needed to use in a hurry: Screamin', Soarin', and Racin'... uh Racers!

26055760_10159711970090612_671992757975040695_n.jpg


It was soon my turn to meet Santa Goofy! He gives good hugs.

26001199_10159711970335612_3657974123596043857_n.jpg


We finally managed to wrangle the girls together and we headed up the road to our Roller Coaster ride. Just me and DD11, of course. While in line, I had made another FP for Guardians - which would be our last ride of the day.

26114135_10159711970460612_4422482613714745679_n.jpg


"Mum, I blinked. We'll have to do the ride again!"

26168055_10159715712550612_6988405713453083418_n.jpg


"Oh.... OK!" Yup, it had definitely grown on me.

20 minutes later, we scooted in for our Soarin' FP. What I found with a LOT of people using MP was they would all go to ONE of the stands... when there were two. Most CMs would show people the second one, but many people just stood in line to 'ding' their ticket. I managed to get around a lot of people by using the second machine, however I did find that they were placed in such a way that only ONE person at a time could get between them, as they weren't staggered. I also heard a handful of people over the week who would try to 'ding' their ticket... but the return time was over an hour away, or the FP had already been used, so they didn't understand that it was a single use kind of thing, nor that it had to be redeemed under 5 minutes of the return time.

For the most part, those Max Passes were worth the $50 I paid each day. $50? Yes. Thank you exchange rate. :sad2:

The family LOVED Soarin'! LOVED it! They loved the sights, the sounds, and the smells. DH said that he finally found the size of tv screen he wanted for our bedroom. Silly - our bedroom is smaller than the screen! :tongue:

While we were in Soarin', Racers went down and we ended up with a Multiple Experience MP.

26055573_10159711970600612_5178551305198050005_n.jpg


Soooo, no more Racers for us this trip, as it never came back up.

I noticed on the app, that Loki and Thor were meeting in Hollywood Land in a few minutes. We went over and sat by Monsters Inc and the little gift shop there... and no Loki. No Thor. We saw Mr. Incredible walk by though and I debated going over to get his photo as I have a picture for them, but I decided to stay put. Then, walking around the FRONT, was Loki! The kids said, "Mum! Go! There he is!" I was not far behind him, and *poof* He was gone! Where'd he go? I went to the end of the block and he was no where to be found. DCA was getting ready for their NYE party and counting down.

26001332_10159711970675612_7002659892087498743_n.jpg


But we saw Mrs. Incredible, and I asked her if we could have a photo. Yup!

26112178_10159711970740612_2179221139233884142_n.jpg


We went past the lineup for Spidey and Capt America, who was making his way to his spot... and then I noticed a crowd sitting and standing in the little theatre... I asked someone if this was the lineup for Loki and Thor and it was! So I guess I found out where they went - back stage!

DH, DD11 and I joined the line. DD13 went and sat down as soon as the show was over. First Thor came out all in chains.

26055946_10159711970805612_3348191416350888381_n.jpg


Then Loki came out to mock him.

26113856_10159711970820612_2542022069428393182_n.jpg


Some back and forth banter...

26167995_10159711970920612_8035850244233687835_n.jpg


Some chain breaking...

26055753_10159711970970612_7329913923106249159_n.jpg


And it was decided they'd meet some 'humans' to see if we're worthy of Loki's notice.

25994783_10159711971045612_6313249042696853051_n.jpg


It was a LONG line because they were taking their time with each group who met them. They were awesome. The girls before us were completely twitter-pated (as Thumper would say). Part of you KNOWS they're not the 'real' actors, but these guys were good, very charismatic, and focused all their attention on you.

DD11 had taken Norse mythology last year, so she was happy to explain to the two Gods about the play and the part she played (she even did some of her lines at Thor's urging!).

26165670_10159711971105612_8220569952118049559_n.jpg


26047374_10159715712635612_2449092658237146312_n.jpg


Loki was chatting with DH here while Thor was completely focussed on DD.

26047375_10159711971195612_2404223341338067469_n.jpg


I had quickly drawn Loki's horn helmet and a necklace he stole from Freya in the stories DD was taught. He was looking and said, "What's this?" I explained, and said, "And for some reason, DD doesn't want you to know that, but I figure it's okay because we're both tricksters, and the more you know..." He agreed and said he'd keep it a secret... for now!

26055680_10159711973565612_2245247092170856383_n.jpg


26111922_10159715713050612_7078894325193824865_n.jpg


Then it took me about a MILLION years to find Thor's page.

26167531_10159711973775612_1880485960293037693_n.jpg


He said, "It's okay. Take your time. No rush." and was very sweet. He even drew his hammer under his autograph.

25994918_10159711973925612_1939567617124179610_n.jpg


We made it over for photos and we were deciding where to stand...

26166332_10159711974140612_5684616939147189126_n.jpg


DD couldn't decide who to stand beside because she likes both characters. So Loki said, "Just stand beside whoever you like more!"

So she stood beside Thor.

He said, "I guess that didn't turn out quite the way I had planned..."

26168229_10159715713110612_7150270564856707083_n.jpg


26047470_10159715713300612_8005194355792882148_n.jpg


AWESOME experience! Our multiple pass was still good.... so we decided on Grizzly to cool down a bit!

26001380_10159711974410612_1539535740195773264_n.jpg


While we didn't have long to wait, I did have time to make another MP for Screamin'.

26167780_10159711974560612_4783409605927644327_n.jpg


We were in a raft with two other couples - one had never done the ride, and the other were frequent visitors. The last time I rode this, DD11 didn't get a DROP on her and I was soaked through. This time was slightly different - we ALL got wet, but some people got more wet than others. It was a nice cool-down though.

We were a little hungry, so we headed to the Festival of Food, but first, I got to meet some silly bears.

26047037_10159715713445612_715526915737226417_n.jpg


More coming up!
 
Last edited:
On our way to nowhere in particular, I saw a nice shot... too bad my DSLR spent the day in the backpack and I used my iPhone for this instead. It would have been nice had it not been so grainy.

26056126_10159711975330612_6881537578475146483_n.jpg


I grabbed a pork belly with adobo rice at one of the Festival of Foods booths and while I was wolfing that down, DH decided he wanted a hotdog, DD11 wanted popcorn, and DD13 decided on a mint dessert from a different booth. While waiting for DH's hotdog, the Drummers came out.

26166291_10159711975445612_3117084232930985190_n.jpg


DD11 and I had a bit of a wait for our last ride on Screamin' so we went to listen to the drummers and eat our food. I am learning how to drum with a Scottish Pipe Band. I used to drum in Sea Cadets years ago, and everything I learned then has done me no good now - different sticks, different holds, different everythings! I find it incredibly challenging and difficult, and now that I'm in rehearsals for a musical, I can't practice drumming until May when the show is over (rehearsals are the same night as practice). All that to say, I know how incredibly hard drumming is as a corps. Every stick has to be held the same, hit from the same height as the others, hit with the same force, at the same time, in the same area of the drum. These guys were incredible. Absolutely amazing and the highest level of professional drummer I've ever seen. They make it look effortless, which speaks volumes as to hard difficult it is and how many years of practice they must have under their belts.

26047034_10159711975665612_3583265458367546259_n.jpg


3:35 hit and DD11 and I were on our last ride of Screamin'.

26167919_10159715713645612_7990846122334296751_n.jpg


Not quite blinking, but she's close... We're pretty excited to ride again once the re-theming is complete.

Next we decided to go under the sea for one last time. I love the designs of the ride, even if it's not in my top 10 of favourite rides. Even the VENT screens are themed, for goodness sake!

26166517_10159711975775612_7885187029287113798_n.jpg


As a seasoned sailor, I'd advise against sailing on this ship. Doesn't look very... shipshape to me. :duck:

26165684_10159711975810612_9098164171425883918_n.jpg


By now we were tired. And wanted to shop. DD11 wanted to go back to the hotel pool. DH was about at the end of his rope. DD13 didn't really care if we stayed for our 7:00 GotG or not. I gave DD11 a choice - GotG or hotel pool. She chose... POOL!! :eek:

I never thought I'd see the day when my little daredevil would choose to swim in a pool over riding a thrill ride! But she did. So I asked if anyone had any choice of where they wanted to eat. No one did... and we had a bit of spare cash... so we made a reservation.

26165658_10159711975945612_6747177182956117782_n.jpg


We had a bit of time to waste before our reservation, so we turned into Carsland for a last spin with Mater.

26112265_10159711975970612_6927374031584283620_n.jpg


We wandered back to the fountain area, but I had to get a picture of the girls with a drummer first. Not a real one, dang it.

25995018_10159711976005612_8013232073213301995_n.jpg


Hey! Here's a joke for you - how do you know when a drummer's at your door?

The knock speeds up and slows down.

I'm here all week.

Our dinner experience in the next post... later. I'm on the way to catch my kids' school recital!
 
it there wi-fi working in Disneyland and DCA?

I am also Canadian, and wonder how you can use the App and Maxpass on the phone? do you just get a US package with cell phone provider?
 
it there wi-fi working in Disneyland and DCA?

I am also Canadian, and wonder how you can use the App and Maxpass on the phone? do you just get a US package with cell phone provider?

The Wifi is quite spotty throughout DLR/DCA, so I just used a US package I have with Telus. It's $7/day and gives me the same plan as at home. So data usage, etc etc, all the same. I used Wifi at the hotel and wherever I could, of course, but if it wasn't available, I have a ton of data on my plan, so it wasn't a hardship to use data at the parks.
 
Dinner at Carthay! I was excited to eat upstairs after the delicious appies our first night.

We were about 20 minutes early, but I checked into the counter and they told us to grab a seat. We took a corner booth and relaxed for a bit. A host came over and asked us if we had a reservation, and yes, we did, so right at 5:30 we were taken to the elevators. Stairs or elevator? Elevator please! I was so blown away, I didn't take any photos but I should have.

Then we arrived upstairs. The place is gorgeous - crystal, wood tables, plush carpets - and we were taken to the right and down a ramp to the lower dining room. I think this is the family space as we weren't the only family there, but it was still beautiful. DD11 and I took the bench, while DH and DD13 took the chairs across from us.

The lights are on, but dim, so if you're hard of seeing like DH is, either bring glasses (he didn't) or your phone so you can use the flashlight option to read the menu. It's not as dim as Blue Bayou, but DH was holding that menu right up to his nose.

The tables are gorgeous.

26166406_10159711975145612_5904990131970585397_n.jpg


DH was surprised when our server placed the napkin on my lap. He asked if he could do it himself. My kids were animals and we're never taking them anywhere nice again, until they're at least 30.

The inlay is so pretty.

26168927_10159711975250612_5945543318755449475_n.jpg


We were hungry, but I knew if we had appies, we'd be too full for dinner, especially since DH had had a 3500 calorie brownie earlier. But we DID get bread! And it was still warm so the butter melted in it. OMG, so good!

26167353_10159711975245612_7883885253239393619_n.jpg


The kids' menu was really cute.

26166280_10159711975450612_3239748399770373905_n.jpg


It was nice they offered us the option for the kids menu for the girls. I knew DD13 wouldn't want anything off the adult menu, and if she did, she probably wouldn't eat it all.

26047389_10159711975235612_9065670215959608887_n.jpg


The girls couldn't understand (or didn't want to because they were tired) the menu options. So I boiled it down for them: pasta with sauce or butter, fish, chicken tacos, or steak. They finally decided on the Orecchiette pasta with marinara sauce.

Dh had the house pasta (ravioli? something stuffed at any rate), with the turkey sausage. I had the new addition - hangar steak with green beans instead of potatoes. DH and I had a glass of wine each, and the girls had Shirley Temples.

DH's wine was nice and cold. Mine, also a white, was not. That was disappointing. The Shirley Temples kept coming though, and the girls were happy about that. After two loaves of bread, our meals arrived. Warning: I like my meat 'scared' on the pan. Just walk the cow through the kitchen and I'll cut off what I want. In this case it was, "As rare as the chef will allow me to have".

25994875_10159711975560612_7463746133689892905_n.jpg


It was delicious! The beans could have been cooked slightly longer, but I ate every bite on that plate because it was so tasty.

DH said it was the best meal he's ever had. And had he NOT had that huge brownie two hours before, he would have easily eaten every bite, but as it was, he had to leave 1/3 of the sausage and some of the pasta. He said the bowl was deceivingly deep, and there was a lot of food in there!

The girls ate all their pasta too, I was happy to see, and they said it was very tasty.

We had some time to check the décor out during our meal. We have a long living room, so we're looking at the crown and ceiling here to see if we might be able to incorporate any ideas into our home.

26165996_10159711975550612_4235992935960340959_n.jpg


I'd be pretty happy with the crown and some pot lamps in my living room.

Even the chandeliers were decorated for the holidays. SO cute and looked pretty easy. Maybe I'll do the same for our place next year (although our dining room shade is a little different. I like the different layers they've incorporated and how it makes it look very festive.

25995050_10159711975875612_6084218686937831213_n.jpg


After being suitably stuffed we paid and headed out. I wanted my Pandora bracelet, so DD13 and I headed back to DTD with the family, and we waited for Erica to serve us again. We finally realized I couldn't use my DLR g/c in their store, but she gave me all the details I needed to get my bracelet. She was awesome.

We then went to WoD, with DH and DD11 outside, and I headed to the jewelry counter. I wanted the introductory set. They had that, but not in the size I needed. The size they had was 2 sizes too big. Ok, then, what about another deal in the size I need? Nope.

Now, I could have gone to the store in NOS, but my feet were tired and I was tired, and I just wanted it over. I finally decided on a bracelet, two beveled end things, and a "Minnie" bead - red with white polka-dots to match my dress. They said to go shopping and when I was done, to return to them and I could get everything there.

I sent DH and the kids back to the hotel and spent some time doing some retail therapy. Earlier, we had ordered a sign from the character guy outside WoD, so it was going to be ready later. I sent them back to the pool and I would get the sign and some shopping done, then follow. They took off and I had some time to myself! I bought an olive green spirit jersey (all the Rose Gold ones were sold out), a set of small Mickey studs and cuffs (2 sets of earrings) with Swarzki crystals in them, a couple t-shirts for my neighbours, some mickey-shaped magnets for other friends, and because there was a Gift with Purchase going on, I added two beach towels (one for each of the girls), and a t-shirt for DH (Mickey leaping saying, "Leaving Work on Friday like...") that he had admired earlier in the week. Oh, and while I was there, a t-shirt for me that said, "I Live in Fantasyland" because I do.

I returned to buy everything but they didn't have the Minnie bead I wanted. *sigh. Fine, I'll just get the white one with the little Minnie heads on it instead. I'll get the other one another time.

Loaded down with my purchases, I headed to the artist guy. Earlier, we had discovered that just our last name would be $45 (and another $10 for the cardboard tube to carry it in :sad2: ), but if we did just our initials with our names after, it was more expensive.... weird?! We decided on our last name, and the characters we wanted. DD11 wanted Mulan and Jasmine. DD13 chose Capt Jack Sparrow, I asked for Merida and Maleficent's dragon. DH asked for Belle (his favourite). This is what we ended up with.

26112205_10159711975840612_3697650419790935002_n.jpg


So now I just have to get to Michael's and frame it. Maybe each time we go back, we'll get another one, for each of our first names.

I returned to the hotel and the girls loved their towels, and DH liked his tshirt. We packed our junk as best we could, and then headed to bed as we had to be ready for the shuttle at zero-dark-thirty (5ish).
 
Our departure had arrived at last. :sad: We got up at some ungodly hour - 4:30 I think, and got ourselves cleaned up and final things packed up. It was difficult to get the suitcases closed, but somehow we managed. All the large stuffies were either in hand or in a large Disney shopping bag, and we went down to the lobby. We had been told they were open 24/7 but they weren't open for us to go inside until 5am. I gave the front desk staff the remaining Maple Chocolates and local tea I had been giving to the housekeeping staff every day as a thank-you, and we waited for our shuttle van.

She arrived about 5 minutes after I had expected her, but the luggage was loaded and then we got in (too bad we weren't loaded too, ha), and we had one more stop for a couple more people before we hit John Wayne Airport for our trip home.

The line up was SUPER long! I had never been in one so long before. I was informed by a VERY officious Delta lady that we should ALL do the check-in kiosk prior to getting to the desk. I have horrible luck with these things, but ok, I'll give it another go. Sure enough, I didn't do something, or did do something I shouldn't have, and got the "cannot check you in" message. When I told her, she came over to help me. We went through the whole passport scanning rigamarole again and it seems there was something I had missed on the last page or something, and BING! Out came our boarding passes.

It was finally our turn to see the nice guy at the front. First suitcase - 56lbs. Second one - 36lbs. So yes, we were THOSE people at the end of the line of desks, moving stuff from one suitcase to another in order to make the 51lb limit achievable. I literally SAT on the kids' suitcase so DH could close it. We finally managed that. Then one sandal went in a carry-on, while the other one went in the front flap of the big case.... Ugh. At 6am, I'm not at my best, and DH and I decided we'd pay the extra $100 for the overage, because we'd had it.

So back to the desk again, where the guy who had served us before (and had our passports) was busy, but he sent us to his co-worker right beside him. She weighed our bags... 53lbs!! I said, "Yanno, we'll just pay the money. We're done." She said, "I feel bad charging you $100 for 2 pounds!" I was, "Whatever, we just can't move stuff around anymore." She realized we were Canadian military and couldn't waive that fee, but she DID waive the overage charge!! YAY!! pixiedust:

So both suitcases were plonked onto the belt and we were told we'd have them checked straight through to Victoria. Heavenly! We grabbed our shopping bags and backpacks (kids), and carryons (DH and I) and headed toward security. While in the loooong line there, DD11 asked for my camera and took this awesome shot.

26001212_10159715698415612_333020462806598423_n.jpg


So pretty.

We went through the long security line and the guy at the desk asked where we're from. I told him. He said, "Oh yeah, I know where that is."

"You do!?" :eek:

"Yeah, I used to live in Nanaimo."

"That's my home town!" :eek:

It is, indeed a SMALL world, folks. Unbelievable.

He was laughing at my shock, and so was I tbt.

Then stuff into bins, shoes and belts off, and through the screening so we can put our shoes and belts back on and take stuff out of bins, and off we went for a bite to eat! The Scottish Restaurant suited us just fine (McDonald's), and DH got the girls some stuff as our flight was boarding pretty quickly.

We boarded and this was the first of the "overhead bins don't have much room so do you want to check your bags to Seattle?" We declined, but then we noticed... a LOT of people were using regular-sized suitcases as 'carry on' bags. Well no wonder there's no room - if you're putting a standard suitcase in the overhead bin instead of a regulation-sized carry-on bag, of course you'll run out of room!

DD13 and I sat together on this leg. I had her take some photos of our flight:

26169941_10159715698430612_3208666886187935078_n.jpg


26113969_10159715698955612_6653475231090731325_n.jpg


26113914_10159715699330612_7030271157551696984_n.jpg


I took a nap. Woke up to a million of her selfies and stuff like this:

26113877_10159715699835612_3075110126387787442_n.jpg


26166383_10159715700120612_844158764625535544_n.jpg


Then it was mountains and ocean again.

26001295_10159715700125612_6024944252137626546_n.jpg


We made it to our next gate in lots of time, and I tried to get us on an earlier flight to Victoria, but as we had checked baggage, there was no way that was happening. So we sat around, watched planes land and take off, played on my phone, napped, had a Starbucks vanilla frap... and then realized our boarding time had arrived.

26229320_10159715700255612_3108843247249811670_n.jpg


But our plane hadn't. It was another 20 minutes before that happened. We boarded and DD11 and I sat together for our final leg. We landed to a cloudy and rainy and cold afternoon at home. Our house sitter had texted me where she left the car - three car lots up and two over - and we found the car! Squished the luggage into the trunk and back seat between the girls, and off we went... to the gas station because the house sitter hadn't put gas in the tank. :sad2:

We finally got home and unpacked and I immediately told DH I was going back again in October for my birthday.

Well, that's about it I guess. If you made it though, then I :thanks: very much for following along and I hope I was able to give some ideas of what to do and what not to do!

I will probably have a final thoughts post tomorrow once I gather them all up.
 
So, why a Magical "Minnie" Christmas? Because, as you'll see by the photos of the following merch I ended up coming home with, the majority was Minnie-centric. Not to mention, the last two days of our trip was ALL about Minnie. And really, she rocks the dots, so I'm not complaining.


7501055889952.jpg
* My first D&B purchase. I love it. I'm a coat person, but this purse is everything I've been dreaming of. I am now officially hooked on D&B and will be on the hunt for another handbag in the parks again.

32746.jpg
* I'm going to miss her when she goes, but I'm sure she'll be reinvented as someone more powerful! And the pin looks great!

So here are some final thoughts.... more for me I think, as reminders, because I'm sure you're much more switched on than I am.

th
th
2616531-pandora-silver-barrel-charm-0.jpg
* My first Pandora purchase. The charm wasn't exactly what I wanted, but there's time to get more!

Plan well in advance if you're doing anything OTHER than DLR/DCA. I felt like an amateur at USH, even though I'm a DLR vet and we spent 5 days at various theme parks in Australia. I think part of it is there's little information on USH's site regarding front of the line prices and photo prices and whatnot. I'll be better prepared next time, and I WILL invest in those FOTL passes because no one had fun standing in long line-ups that day.

th
* Bye-bye Screamin'. You converted me from a, "meh" to a "WHOO HOOO" on the first ride. I'm looking forward to going on an Incredible mission with you in October!

If you're going to rent a car for a day trip which includes visiting an attraction in the morning, pick it up the night before. It's worth it to avoid line-ups and getting a later start. Any little bit to help avoid lineups and such is worth it IMO. Costco had the best prices I found, and after a tip on the board, I checked again closer to our trip, and saved $40 as the price had dropped.

image_3d8eb23d.jpeg
* Best day EVER when Canada started selling these babies throughout the country in different stores. Made our trip so much easier to budget for and to spend money in the Parks.

Using gift cards at DLR? Once they're activated, take a photo of the back so that if ( or, when, in our case) they get lost or... acquired by others... you may have a way to cancel and then re-issue them.

59a901def3472000018979da-image_29e38794.jpeg
*My Christmas present from DD13. Love. It.

38244.jpg
* Christmas present from DD11. I use this at work every day. Love. It.

Max Pass is worth the money. Especially at $10/day/person. I might even pay up to $20, but no more than that, to be honest. At the current 'introductory' price, it's a great deal. While I was hesitant at first because I don't like spending money if I don't have to, it made it so much easier to get Fast Passes without running all over the place, plus with my knee in the shape it was, that would have been horrible for me. DH is directionally challenged so getting him to run around to the paper FP machines would have been a huge time-waster. Plus, it was a great way to include the kids into the decision-making process, asking what ride should we FP next, etc. I liked being able to make selections from anywhere, once we had gone through the gates for the day. Also, the first day of purchase gives you that code for the photographers, which worked every day we purchased. Getting the photos included was a great bonus too, and we got A LOT for our money.

image_76b2bab6.jpeg
* The latest addition to our Nutcracker collection. She's adorbs.

When using MP, remember there's usually two poles to redeem your ticket at, so take advantage of that and go for the one not used. It may seem rude, especially to those of us who are used to waiting our turn in lines, but if DLR/DCA only wanted one line for redemption, they'd only put one pole up. As there's two, and they often call out, "please use the other machine" to those who don't, go for it! It will sometimes let you redeem 5 minutes early, and if you're on time and the app hasn't refreshed, just back out to where your ticket bar code is and use that as your redemption. It was a great idea a CM taught me. Now if only I could find that exact 'bing' for my phone as a ring tone or text notification... It would make me so happy to hear that every day!

file_60b58110.jpeg
* New shirt number one. Next time I'll pack three fewer shirts to allow for cute purchases such as this!

Speaking of the App... it's awesome. The updates were pretty regular and very close to the actual wait times, etc. Knowing wait times, where characters were or would be, and what time, as well as making dinner reservations and finding washrooms and food... it is a great help and helped us navigate and do a lot more than ever before.

59bccea613f460000192b7d2-image_2215dc2d.jpeg
* My new dress! I LOVE this dress! I didn't buy the crinoline but might next time, maybe. Now... white shoes, red shoes, or yellow shoes?

The Desert Inn & Suites was a great hotel for our needs. We were toward the back, but not so far back it was hard getting back at the end of the day. It was quiet, clean, and while the breakfast was very basic, it was free and did the trick for the family until we had a larger meal elsewhere. The indoor pool and hot tub was a great way to relax and have the kids burn off a bit more energy (if only I could bottle that, I'd be rich!). We wanted to get up to the observation deck to watch fireworks each night, but we were so wiped out by 9:30, we only heard them from our room. Next time we'll make it a priority to catch at least one night in the park and one night at the hotel. It was two doors down from Tony Roma's and 5 minutes away from the security tables. We were very happy with the hotel and even DH said it was just fine for our needs, as I was worried he'd want a more high-end hotel.

59932d4cd1c69700017f08b9-image_94c0b04f.jpeg
* My second shirt purchase. Truth in advertising.

While we had a few glitches here and there, once we're on holiday-mode, I try to let things go if possible because there's really nothing we can do about it until the situation sorts itself out. People will always drive me bonkers, but I'm sure I drive them bonkers, so we're even. I plan as much as I can in advance - basic day events, a bit more money for food and merch than I think we need, and double check Costco car rental rates before we go - and then I have a routine which makes my day go easier and makes the trip nicer for the family.

59932d82d1c69700019841de-image_896f88f9.jpeg
* My last clothing purchase. DH likes it, so I'll get a friend to get me a different one on her trip, and give him this one. It's very comfy.


th
* I bought the set for the horse. Disney needs more horse-only pins, imo

The weather was great, the food amazing, and the memories priceless.

Thanks for reading along. Now to plan my October trip!
 
Last edited:

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!










Top