It's Long Overdue.....Now the IIIEEEEEEEE Trip Report!! Come Find Me!

Unfortunately, yes I do. I think crowds will be heavy there that day. They're doing a party for the planet and it's also their 20th anniversary.

ETA: Maybe I'll be proven wrong!

Hmmmm, with my dining plans, I don't have a lot of wiggle room on the parks. I guess we will hope that everyone attends the special party and we can cruise the rest of the park. :confused3
 
Joining in. Will catch up soon

I love this!

Me too! 4 birth kids and 4 permanent foster placements, two premises who are 3 and 4 and doing well, one 7 year old girl with delays and a special 9 year old who does not really have a fiagndiag but has a feeling tube and can not move much or talk, most like CP plus by both ages 7, 9 , 11 and 13, and we live in Honduras.

yikes, thank you for stepping up and being her voice for permanentcy and her family!

Ditto!

And now on to hear about your trip!

Welcome!! Wow....another mama with special kiddos!! My respect and love!!
 
Hmmmm, with my dining plans, I don't have a lot of wiggle room on the parks. I guess we will hope that everyone attends the special party and we can cruise the rest of the park. :confused3

I hope so! It'll be great no matter what, though. Any Disney day bound to be good!
 


Mike & I found out which house we would belong to at Hogwarts:

I'm a Hufflepuff: We value hard work, patience, loyalty and fair play



Mike is Ravenclaw: Prize wit, learning & wisdom



Now when we go to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, we will be ready and know what merchandise to look for. I actually think the sorting hat did good on our placements!!



What house do you belong to??





**These photos were all found on Google Images and I don't take claim for them being my own........I can't wait until I have my own photos!!**
 
So thought I'd share a little of the magic from our family trip in 2015. Michayla is my non-verbal, autistic and intellectually delayed sweetie.....there is something about Disney that brings her out of her shell. She absolutely had some *+*+*Magical Moments*+*+* that trip and here they are:



We couldn't believe she was leaning in to kiss Mickey's nose......it really was an awwwwwww moment.


We next saw Goofy and he put her head in his mouth and spun her chair around dancing.....she was so happy!






Next was her reaction to Anna......she wasn't interested in Elsa at all but there was something about Anna that really made her happy.




So Winnie the Pooh ride is Michayla's absolute favorite.....well going to Crystal Palace and getting to see Pooh was the best decision we made!! I said to Michayla....."Look, who's behind you?" This was her reaction!!!




So this one is little different.......Michayla used her specialty chair on the trip, one for safety/security but also because the pace would have been too much for her. So we kept her in the chair for the rides we could do that on. We got on the Great Movie Ride and when we reached the Indiana Jones section, we stopped. Well we sat there for a while before they announced that unfortunately the ride had malfunctioned and the CM's would get to us to let us off as soon as they could. Well we sat, and sat.....next thing we know....they are unloading the rest of our vehicle but they told us we need to stay put. We had a couple upper CM's join us on the ride vehicle. We chatted for a while and then the fire department showed up. Well protocol is that the fire department has to unload wheelchair passengers. What's funny about this is we could have taken Michayla out of the chair and lifted it off the ride by ourselves. We felt calling the fire department was overkill......but we got a fastpass good for any ride, so I guess that's cool. We also got this picture!!




So there's a few magical moments with Michayla. Does my heart good to look at these again!!



ADDED: Sorry about the picture size, I had cleared history on my computer and didn't get the settings set right on Flickr.
 
Epcot..... here are my opinions


Frozen Ever After ~ No opinion, have not done it yet

GranFiesta Tour ~ The music is so catchy

Soarin' Around the World ~ Much different than CA version

Test Track- Personal favorite, brings back memories of my senior Prom


These are the ones if we have time:

Journey with Figment ~ I LOVE Figment :figment: Love the music too

The Seas with Nemo ~ Another favorite of mine

Spaceship Earth ~ Very interesting. Don't ask how but I managed to get a pic of it from the plane from the 2017 Cruise :eek:

Living with the Land ~ Love this

All the movies in the different countries pavilions......Same, my state report was Florida back in 5th grade and Epcot got mentioned too

Illuminations ~ If you've seen it before, it's the perfect time to use the lines


Mission Space- Again, this is something you'll think I'm nuts about :scared1: I LOVE it!!!


I did the Flower & Garden in 2003, so I don't have much memories of it. No biggie



Now for Magic Kingdom:


Big Thunder Mt RR ~ My favorite ride!! (Yes it is, I love that version)

Haunted Mansion ~ Another Favorite

It's A Small World ~ I'm sad to read that this may be taken out......it's a classic & what really started it all at a World's Fair and now is a focal point in Disneyland. DL is much different with a huge facade that they use for night shows & Christmas Lights during the holidays. They also added newer characters to the mix (which I'm torn about). I enjoyed the one at MK because it was different & classic. (what?! :scared1: Not cool)

Mad Tea Party ~ Love spinning in the cups!

Winnie the Pooh ~ Have to ride this one for Michayla. She lights up on this ride. (As a life long Pooh lover, I agree)

Mickey's Philharmagic ~ This will be a good escape and time to rest our feet with a really fun show. (We love this show too)

Monster's Laugh Floor ~ Another fun break (Funny show :rotfl2:)

Seven Dwarf's Mine Train ~ This is a fun coaster and hopefully we'll be able to get on it. (Another favorite too)

Pirates of the Caribbean ~ This was closed on our other trips so we need to check it out this time. Sorry to see the redhead scene redone....... (wait, what?! :scared1:)

Festival of Fantasy Parade ~ Didn't get to see this last trip & I love a parade! (It is awesome)

Happily Ever After Fireworks ~ Fireworks.....enough said!! (This is new since the last time you were there)


If We Have Time:

Country Bear Jamboree ~ A piece of my childhood from DL that is no longer there. (I LOVE the Country Bears, in fact 7 year old me always used to scream like Tennessee in the film about "TRIXIEEEEEEEE" :rotfl2:)

Dumbo ~ I like the double Dumbo set up here

Hall of Presidents ~ I enjoy this show as a break but not sure I'm ready for the new addition......I don't think I'd be relaxed after seeing it.....lol (uh, no thank you. Can't stand all the stuff on TV)

Jungle Cruise ~ Always good for a laugh

Magic Carpets of Aladdin ~ Haven't been on this one, but it's like the Dumbo ride so I get it. (it's awesome)

Peter Pan ~ A must on every DL trip but if the line is long like it is at DL....we'll have to pass this trip

Prince Charming Carousel ~ Love Carousels

Splash Mountain ~ I can take it or leave it......its the getting wet thing. (Not a problem

People Mover ~ Another blast from the past at DL that I miss.....if we have time, we'll definitely do this one (my sister LOVES the people mover too)

Under the Sea/Ariel ~ Like the queing area is awesome (Yes it is)

Carousel of Progress ~ This one makes me smile....not sure why (the music is catchy, listening to it now)

Enchanted Tiki Room ~ It's the Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room........ (Oh god, don't let my mom see that, she hates it :eek:)

Full Trip on the Train ~ Walt loved trains.....so do we! (I do too)


These are the ones we can skip:

Astro Orbitor ~ I haven't ever ridden this ride at either DL or MK (I have, I like the WDW view, I made my dad take me on it last time)

Barnstormer ~ I haven't rode this one either (Neither have I, I'd like to)

Buzz Lightyear ~ I will ride this with kids but can skip it just as easily (No big deal)

Space Mountain ~ Love the ride, but not the MK ride vehicle (Not a problem, I love that version :scared1:)




OMG!! Those magic moments make me cry :sad1: To be fair, I'm a hufflepuff myself because I love eating
 


Soarin' Around the World ~ Much different than CA version I can't wait to see it....hopefully we will get on it without a long wait.



Spaceship Earth ~ Very interesting. Don't ask how but I managed to get a pic of it from the plane from the 2017 Cruise :eek: that's cool that you got a pic from the plane!!



Illuminations ~ If you've seen it before, it's the perfect time to use the lines Kinda my thoughts....everybody go watch the show & we'll go ride the rides!!


Mission Space- Again, this is something you'll think I'm nuts about :scared1: I LOVE it!!! I got claustrophobic when they closed the doors.....it freaked me out!



It's A Small World ~ I'm sad to read that this may be taken out......it's a classic & what really started it all at a World's Fair and now is a focal point in Disneyland. DL is much different with a huge facade that they use for night shows & Christmas Lights during the holidays. They also added newer characters to the mix (which I'm torn about). I enjoyed the one at MK because it was different & classic. (what?! :scared1: Not cool) I'm not sure they've made a decision yet but it does sound like this may happen.


Pirates of the Caribbean ~ This was closed on our other trips so we need to check it out this time. Sorry to see the redhead scene redone....... (wait, what?! :scared1:) Because of human trafficking, they thought the redhead and auction was inappropriate.



Hall of Presidents ~ I enjoy this show as a break but not sure I'm ready for the new addition......I don't think I'd be relaxed after seeing it.....lol (uh, no thank you. Can't stand all the stuff on TV) I try to ignore the news......it's just every day, in your face.....ugh



OMG!! Those magic moments make me cry :sad1: To be fair, I'm a hufflepuff myself because I love eating Thank you.....I tear up when I see her reactions at Disney.......they are really special!!! WooHoo for the Hufflepuffs!!!
 
Just a comment about Peter Pan. It is WAY better in FL then in CA. They have a really cool interactive que now that even if you do have to wait it makes it worth it because then you can see all the cool stuff in the que. I love that ride and we purposely picked a non early entry day and went straight there and then of course it was down :/ By the time it came up and we got back to it the line was huge. They REALLY need to figure out a better way for that ride. Some of my other faves are Spaceship earth, people mover, living with the land. Those are things that are not at DL and I love them cuz you can just sit back and enjoy. The new soaring is cool but they do have it at DL so if you did miss it you can at least see it at DL. It is def cool but I liked them both. We just missed the Avatar stuff and I was bummed. I am anxious to check it all out but who KNOWS when we will get back. Shelby really wants to work for Disney but wants to do the college program at DL vs DW and I keep trying to convince her to do at least once back there. I think she would get more out of it because there is so much more but also selfishly I want to be able to go back when she is there LOL. You will have an amazing time no matter what and it is getting close!!
 
Just a comment about Peter Pan. It is WAY better in FL then in CA. They have a really cool interactive que now that even if you do have to wait it makes it worth it because then you can see all the cool stuff in the que. I love that ride and we purposely picked a non early entry day and went straight there and then of course it was down :/ By the time it came up and we got back to it the line was huge. They REALLY need to figure out a better way for that ride. Some of my other faves are Spaceship earth, people mover, living with the land. Those are things that are not at DL and I love them cuz you can just sit back and enjoy. The new soaring is cool but they do have it at DL so if you did miss it you can at least see it at DL. It is def cool but I liked them both. We just missed the Avatar stuff and I was bummed. I am anxious to check it all out but who KNOWS when we will get back. Shelby really wants to work for Disney but wants to do the college program at DL vs DW and I keep trying to convince her to do at least once back there. I think she would get more out of it because there is so much more but also selfishly I want to be able to go back when she is there LOL. You will have an amazing time no matter what and it is getting close!!

I remember the que areas there and Haunted Mansion were pretty neat!

So if you guys get to the point of wanting to apply for the College Program, let me know......just some things passed on from Derek I want to make sure you know. :crazy:
 
Yea I know there are a lot of negatives. I have told her about that but she knows. She just wants to try it out to see what she thinks.
 
Yea I know there are a lot of negatives. I have told her about that but she knows. She just wants to try it out to see what she thinks.

Oh I think the experience is worth the negatives.....as long as you are aware and are prepared. Derek was not in the beginning and it kinda threw him off but he thought being there was worth there since he did it 4 times......lol
 
Yea she really doesn't want to do DW but I am hoping she will do it at least once and then DL once and she wants to try and get into CSU Fullerton which is like 15 mins from Disneyland. Then she hopes to work in the parks and possibly do an internship for disney. We are going to Cal Arts end of this month so she can see what programs there are and what she needs to do to accomplish her goal. She wants to work in imagineering.
 
We are 12 days out......party:

I have a few clothes set aside and travel size toiletries stacking up. The plans are as set as they can be at this point. I'm really hoping the kids work schedules will work with our dining reservations. I have back ups to the 3 WDW ones but the 2nd Ohana and California Grill are not at times I like. I keep trying to secure new times, but no luck yet.



Can't wait to see this kid!!!!
 
So let's flash back to 2015 for our WDW Family Trip and see the characters we saw with a PhotoPass Photographer with them. We love seeing the characters and watching the kids interact with them. First up is Elsa & Anna. Elsa was.....well.......cold and not very fun, but the kids loved Anna who was very chatty and bubbly.






The girls did the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique our first day at the Magic Kingdom, so having dinner with Cinderella in the castle was a must do. We have Ariel, Elsa, Cinderella, Anna & Snow White!!




At the EPCOT Character Spot, we were able to see Mickey, Goofy & Minnie. First time this has ever happened, but the Goofy pictures were lost. We even called after we got home because Goofy had played with Michayla so much and we were disappointed they couldn't find them. They did say that we weren't the only ones with missing pictures. One of the cameras had an issue, so all the photos taken on it for the first 3 hours were missing.






We saw Aurora in the France Pavilion.




At Hollywood Studios we ran into Pluto.




I was thrilled when we saw King Louie & Baloo at the Animal Kingdom! I love Baloo but we'd never seen King Louie before.




We took the girls to the Rafiki's Planet Watch and the girls got to see Rafiki himself.




Back at EPCOT we got some nice bear hugs from Duffy. Michayla was smitten with Duffy.




Our last day was at Magic Kingdom we started by seeing Tinkerbell.




We finished our day at Be Our Guest for dinner. Before saying goodbye to the castle, we took our turn at meeting the Beast. Such a gentle giant.

 
Woot Woot!!! I'm so thrilled and excited for you and Mike!! I can't believe they lost your Goofy pictures :sad2: Something worse happened to me (it is in my TR just an FYI)
 
Woot Woot!!! I'm so thrilled and excited for you and Mike!! I can't believe they lost your Goofy pictures :sad2: Something worse happened to me (it is in my TR just an FYI)

I know, it made me sad but I'm so thankful Mike got some on our camera!
 

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