"Santa must have heard that we love balloons!" TR *8/27 Update*

[Pesky]

just catching up with your TR. That crawfish stench was a horrible way to start the trip. And I LOVE the activity books! Did you make them yourself or was their a website to download? I'd love to do a couple for our two when they have their surprise in December!

 

[lsulindy]

just catching up with your TR. That crawfish stench was a horrible way to start the trip. And I LOVE the activity books! Did you make them yourself or was their a website to download? I'd love to do a couple for our two when they have their surprise in December!

I found a lot of the pages on the DISigns board. There's an activity book thread there. I made some of the other pages myself. Message me with your email address and I can send you the PDFs. I wanted to find a place to host them, but I haven't done that yet.

The crawfish stench was horrid!

 

[lsulindy]

We decide to head to the Monsters Inc ride next, but DS7 needs to use the restroom. DH takes him to the restroom near Flo's, we head to Hollywood Blvd and Buena Vista Street to look for characters with the plan to meet up at Mike and Sully to the Rescue. I'm really hoping to see Jake, Mr. Incredible, or Mickey in his BVS outfit. But, we don't see anyone along Hollywood Blvd. The kids take a pic with the statue. I ask the photog if he has any magic shots, and he says no. He says they do magic shots by the waterfall, but there are no photographers over there.

I leave the kids there with my parents and walk up and down BVS, but don't see anyone out. When I come back, Pluto is coming out and sets up in the circle behind the statue near where my parents are waiting with the kids.

Pluto video

DH calls to see where we are, and we meet him over by Monsters Inc. In line we discover something that we already know. DS2 is not a crier, but he is a runner. At one point he goes under the railing into the narrow space between the rail and the building and takes off. It's clear sailing for him, but I have a solid line of people ahead of me. I'm pushing through "Excuse me! Excuse me!" while he books it and the whole crowd cracks up. He makes it to the long unused queue off to the side and I stand there for a while and let him run it off a bit. He's having a blast going round and round the empty queue. When the rest of the family make it up to us in the line, DH puts DS2 on his shoulders for the rest of the line!

DS2 loves Mike Wazowski, and I love hearing him say Mike Wazowski, so this is one of my favorite videos!

Mike Wazowski!!

The kids got a kick out of the items in the vending machine.

We all loved the Monsters Inc ride. Unlike Little Mermaid, we were all super impressed and thought the ride was very well done. Loved the doors flying overhead. Everyone was wowed by those.

When we met Lunar New Year Minnie, I had asked about Mulan and Mushu's schedule. Their last meet of the day began at 4:30, and it's 4:30 now! I'm so annoyed with myself and tell the group that we need to book it over there!

We get to the end of Hollywood Blvd and it's the end of the Red Car News Boys show. Mickey is out singing Seize the Day and the kids want to see. Even DD, who has been begging all day to see Mulan and Mushu. I attempt to get them to keep walking, but DH tells me to chill and they head over to watch the show. I stay on the opposite side of the street car because I know I'll get a good video of Mickey riding away from my spot. After the show, DH heads my way and I wind up with a good shot of them waving to Mickey.

Red Car News Boys: Mickey on Street Car video

It's now 4:40, and I know there's no way we'll make it to Mulan in time. We make it over there in time to see Mulan and Mushu leaving the meet area.

Mickey is also leaving

While I'm taking these pics, DH has run through the crowd in the direction Mulan and Mushu are walking. DD gets a quick hug from both of them, but I barely get over there in time and this is the only pic I get.

They posed for a few pics and then began their recessional.

Mulan and Mushu recessional video

Continued here

 

[lilpooh108]

I randomly stumbled on your TR. Great pics! And your parents and your kids together are really cute.

 

[Sherry E]

I love seeing all of the pictures from inside the queues for the Cars Land rides! Believe it or not I have not been on any of the Cars Land rides yet! So I've seen every other part of Cars Land and every other detail there is to see - right down to the cracks in the pavement and the oil stains on the ground by Flo's - except for anything that is directly along/inside a queue for a ride!

Although I haven't been on the Cars Land rides yet, I know what you mean about not really being able to look at details more closely because the line was moving. That happens to me in other lines. Disney is so great about adding in these fantastic details that I want to be able to soak them in and really pay attention. But at the same time, the Cast Members are trying to move the lines along so I often have to zip right past everything that is interesting about a line in the first place (this happens to me all the time while waiting for Haunted Mansion Holiday, for example).

Also, I think it's a great idea to put the "Continued here" links at the bottom of each post, directing readers to the next installment! While there are a lot of people who read every page - including all of the comments by other DIS'ers - there are some folks who want to just skip to the next installment and read only the TR itself. By doing what you're doing, the people can choose to skip right ahead to the next installment, and they don't have to sift through pages to find it or go back to page 1 to find an index or Table of Contents link for the next installment. This way, the link is right at the bottom of the post and they can go straight to it! Fantastic idea!

I think that if I do another TR, I am going to steal that "continued here" idea and start adding the links at the bottom of the posts. Of course, I will be sure to credit you with the idea - I am very good about giving credit where credit is due if someone has a good idea for something, especially if it inspires me in some way!

This "continued here" idea would even work if I do another multi-TR thread (like my existing thread). In the very last post of one TR, I can include the link to the first post of the next TR...and just keep it going that way. It can save people a lot of time in wading through lots of pages (if they don't want to read comments) or going back to my first post to get a link to the next TR!

 

[lsulindy]

I randomly stumbled on your TR. Great pics! And your parents and your kids together are really cute.

Welcome! We had to travel at a slower pace with mom in a ECV and dad with Parkinson's, but like I told them when they apologized, it wasn't about running through the parks. It was much more important for the kids to have those memories with their grandparents. Plus, they paid for the air tickets!

I love seeing all of the pictures from inside the queues for the Cars Land rides! Believe it or not I have not been on any of the Cars Land rides yet! So I've seen every other part of Cars Land and every other detail there is to see - right down to the cracks in the pavement and the oil stains on the ground by Flo's - except for anything that is directly along/inside a queue for a ride!

Although I haven't been on the Cars Land rides yet, I know what you mean about not really being able to look at details more closely because the line was moving. That happens to me in other lines. Disney is so great about adding in these fantastic details that I want to be able to soak them in and really pay attention. But at the same time, the Cast Members are trying to move the lines along so I often have to zip right past everything that is interesting about a line in the first place (this happens to me all the time while waiting for Haunted Mansion Holiday, for example).

Also, I think it's a great idea to put the "Continued here" links at the bottom of each post, directing readers to the next installment! While there are a lot of people who read every page - including all of the comments by other DIS'ers - there are some folks who want to just skip to the next installment and read only the TR itself. By doing what you're doing, the people can choose to skip right ahead to the next installment, and they don't have to sift through pages to find it or go back to page 1 to find an index or Table of Contents link for the next installment. This way, the link is right at the bottom of the post and they can go straight to it! Fantastic idea!

I think that if I do another TR, I am going to steal that "continued here" idea and start adding the links at the bottom of the posts. Of course, I will be sure to credit you with the idea - I am very good about giving credit where credit is due if someone has a good idea for something, especially if it inspires me in some way!

This "continued here" idea would even work if I do another multi-TR thread (like my existing thread). In the very last post of one TR, I can include the link to the first post of the next TR...and just keep it going that way. It can save people a lot of time in wading through lots of pages (if they don't want to read comments) or going back to my first post to get a link to the next TR!

Catching the details in the queues is even more difficult when you're shuffling 3 kids through!! They do enjoy when I point stuff out to them though. We didn't have many long waits at all, which was great, but I missed a lot of detail. The rides in Carsland are very well done. You need to check them out!!

I wish I could give credit for the "Continued here" links. I read a few old trip reports before our trip. Sometimes you get good tips from the comments, but they're time draining to go through, a lot of it is just chit chat, and it's old chit chat so you can't even join in on the conversation. A lot of times, I'd just go to the posts from the Table of Contents, but then it's hard to navigate to the next post. I came across one that sometimes had the Continued here, and it made it so much easier. I don't have too many comments in my TR, but I'd decided I would do that in mine since it really made things easier for me! If I remembered which one that was, I'd definitely give credit!!

 

[DisSmis]

Loving your trip report. It is so great that the grandparents were able to go! Beautiful family

 

[lsulindy]

Loving your trip report. It is so great that the grandparents were able to go! Beautiful family

Welcome and thank you!

 

[LizzieinDisney]

Loving your TR! Disneyland is my home park and I haven't been back in a few years, so I am living vicariously through you. It looks like you had a great trip!

 

[lsulindy]

After seeing Mulan and Mushu, we pulled fastpasses for Goofy's Sky School and got on Jumping Jellyfish with almost no wait.

And then the Golden Zephyr

We went on this a few times in a row with no line. Simple ride, but the kids enjoyed it.

It was almost time for the 5:15 Pixar Play parade to pass, so we grabbed a snack and waited for it. There were few people in the area.

Pixar Parade Video

Continued here

 

[lsulindy]

Loving your TR! Disneyland is my home park and I haven't been back in a few years, so I am living vicariously through you. It looks like you had a great trip!

Thanks! We did have a great trip!

 

[lsulindy]

After the parade, we took turns riding Goofy's Sky School. The kids loved it. DD says it was her second favorite ride after RSR. I can't remember exactly, but I think at some point DH had grabbed a second set of FPs while we were snacking/parade waiting, b/c I think the kids rode 4 times with different combos of me, DH and my dad. I know I rode twice, once with my dad and the kids and once with DH and the kids. The first time through DDs bow flew off. We thought it was lost for good, but then when DS stood up to get off the ride it fell out of his lap. The kids thought that was hilarious. After that DS was the "bow police" making sure the bow was removed on almost every ride so that it wouldn't get lost!

We then all made our way together to Mickey's Fun Wheel, where we opted for the non-swinging option. The kids really wanted to swing, but my parents didn't, plus the line was 3x longer and it was almost time to head over to World of Color (I think I failed to mention this but DH had gotten us fastpasses for the blue secion after getting the RSR ones and before he met us by Toy Story Midway Mania.)

We walked around paradise pier. My dad, DH and DS hopped in line for California Screamin' (the longest line I saw for this all week was 15 minutes. Can't believe that any coaster has such short lines) while my mom and I took DD and DS2 to get our spots for WoC.

We arrived at the back of the line just as they were beginning to let people in. We got what I thought would be a good spot based on Hydroguy's map.

We were at the green star beneath the "windmill" and above the question mark right against the railing.

When we got to our spot, I realized DS2 had crashed in his stroller during the walk around Paradise Pier from the fun wheel.

The guys met back up with us and the area started to really fill in.

About 10 minutes before the show is to start, an announcement comes on that the show is cancelled due to technical difficulties. They'd been spraying some of the fountains when we were walking around the pier. I guess something wasn't working properly. The kids were so disappointed, but I reminded them that we'd have another night to try again. The park was due to close at showtime, so we head out in a mass exodus. Most are heading to the right, so we go left towards the Redwood Creek Challenge. We pass by Soarin' and there's still a couple of minutes till closing, so we hop in line. Wind up riding with a 15 minute wait while dad sits on a bench next to the sleeping baby.

We then head out of DCA. Tried to get a pic of Oswald's but my new camera just wasn't cooperating.

My parents, DH and the older kids went to eat a late dinner at IHOP and I went back to the room with the sleeping baby. It was a long, fun day!

Continued Here

 

[lsulindy]

Happy Mardi Gras!! ​

We wake up Tuesday morning a little slow. The kids put on their absolutely precious Mardi Gras attire (if I do say so myself) and we head out for a day at Disneyland! We stop on the way out for a quick bite at the hotel breakfast. My parents were moving even slower than us and say they'll just meet us there. We had bought 5 day park hopper tickets which came with one Magic Morning. DL and DCA opened at 10am this day, with DL having a MM opening at 9.

I'd wanted to be at the gates 15-20 minutes early, but instead we arrive at the plaza right at 9, we walk up to lines crossing the plaza. The DL lines were butting into the DCA lines (which were very small b/c DCA wasn't opening for another hour). I walk up to a CM at a exit only gate to the side before we enter the crowds with our crew and ask her which line we should be in for MM. She says "Hmmm... I think Magic Morning is 2 or maybe it's 16. Um yeah. 2 or 16."

So, DH takes off into the crowd to go look at the signs at the gates. (there were signs above the gates, but the lines were so long that you couldn't see them from the end of the line) He comes back and says this line had a Magic Morning sign and we should get in that one. (I think it was 22) Once we get in line, there are irate people everywhere. All had stories of waiting in the wrong line when that's the line a CM had told them they should be in. Well, the line is moving, but it is SLOW.

At one point a CM passes by and the man behind us asks "I've changed lines 3 times already, is this the line for Magic Morning" Response "You know that is a good question... I'm not sure about that." DH goes to the front to see what's going on and comes back, says that most people in the line do not have Magic Morning, so we're standing there waiting while they argue with CMs b/c they can't get in. We had been the only moving line, but barely moving. Two CMs start coming through the line and we see them forming another line to the side of us. When they get to us, we see that they're trying to sort out the people in the line who don't have MM and forming another line of those people.

So, the line is still crawling, but we're much closer to the gate. Meanwhile, there's this random line on the side of us and people who are just getting to the plaza are very confused and have no idea where to go or even how to get there through the sea of lines. Well, all of a sudden all the other lines start moving quickly through the gates and we're still crawling. I guess they started letting in the regular entry guests at this time. We finally make it through the gates 45 minutes after getting in line, and 45 minutes into our "Magic Morning"

Our plan had been to do Peter Pan first, but we arrive to see a 45 minute line. So, we go to Mr. Toad's instead. The wait is about 10 minutes.

I remember this ride from my childhood visits to WDW. I liked it for nostalgia reasons, but my kids weren't too impressed.

Next we headed over to Pinnochio which was a walk-on.

DS was very excited to see NOCHIO in the window by the exit. He wanted to just stay there and hang out with him.

Continued here

 

[PHXscuba]

Your kids' T-shirts are adorable!

I can't believe they were that disorganized for a Magic Morning! It's not like they don't do this three times a week! And shouldn't everyone who was there around 9 have been there for MM? Should have been most of the turnstiles doing that, not just a few.

I think I value Magic Mornings more when it's crowded -- they are earlier and seem to attract fewer people overall (especially compared with the bigger lines to come later). Plus I can see people buying one-day tickets when they arrive at the gate and being surprised/confused that Disneyland doesn't open until 10. Some people just see a line and get in it, whether they know what it's for or not.

PHXscuba

 

[WDWJonasGirl]

I love the kids shirts

 

[lsulindy]

Your kids' T-shirts are adorable!

I can't believe they were that disorganized for a Magic Morning! It's not like they don't do this three times a week! And shouldn't everyone who was there around 9 have been there for MM? Should have been most of the turnstiles doing that, not just a few.

I think I value Magic Mornings more when it's crowded -- they are earlier and seem to attract fewer people overall (especially compared with the bigger lines to come later). Plus I can see people buying one-day tickets when they arrive at the gate and being surprised/confused that Disneyland doesn't open until 10. Some people just see a line and get in it, whether they know what it's for or not.

PHXscuba

I later read on the DISboards that the photo system was down that morning causing many of the delays. It was awful though. I had read some stuff about the entry procedures, but since they started a while before our trip, I trusted that it would all be worked out by the time we arrived. I was wrong. Overall, we enjoyed our DL trip more than our WDW ones, but the entry procedures are one place where WDW definitely wins out.

I knew that I should have skipped our MM and swapped around our days, but for a couple of silly reasons I didn't. I made the wrong choice. We would have been much better off skipping our MM, and going to CA on Tuesday and then going to DL Monday or Wednesday avoiding going to CA on a day when DLR guests had EMH. I messed up. Friday morning at DL with no MM was a MUCH better experience than Tuesday with MM. Friday had an earlier open and we had the park to ourselves until 11. Tuesday was a late open, so MM was that much busier, plus whatever photo system confusion was going on. Once we finally got in though, it was definitely more crowded than Friday morning. Friday had been the day I was most worried about. But, the place did get PACKED late afternoon and evening.

I love the kids shirts

Thanks!! Finding yellow shirts that were close to the same yellow in the right sizes was extremely difficult, and I almost gave up. But I love the way those came out. I especially love the color combo in the pics with Lunar New Year Minnie and Lightning McQueen. And the Mardi Gras shirts are the main reason that I didn't switch around our days even though I knew I should have. I really wanted to be in DL on Mardi Gras day. Even though the Mardi Gras celebration happened on Monday too. I wanted to be there with our shirts on the real Mardi Gras. (Plus I thought Monday was the last day for Lunar New Year at CA. Got myself all upset on Monday that we missed Mickey, Mulan, and Mushu and it turns out they were there on Tuesday and Wednesday too! Silly me. Even though my husband loves to point out that we did see them. I got my mind stuck on the fact that I didn't get a "real" picture. I knew I was being irrational, but I was so annoyed with myself and I couldn't shake it.)

 

[lsulindy]

We're leaving Pinnochio, and it's now 10:05. Due to the Valentine's Day Limited Time Magic, the prices are meeting with the princesses this week. The night before I had read a great tip on the DISboards. Get there 15 minutes before the princesses arrive, meet the first set of princesses right away, then get right back in line and you're in the perfect spot to meet the second set when they switch. They are supposed to start meeting at 10:30, so I take DD and DS2, and DH and DS7 head off to do Space Mountain.

My parents call and I tell them that we're heading over to the princesses and they can meet us there. They left the room 1 hour after us, and get into the park 20 minutes after us. They can't believe we they hear about the morning we had. Apparently they waltzed into the park with no line at all.

We stop on the way to try our hand at the sword in the stone. No luck.

We get to the princess area and the queue is not yet up, and the waiting area isn't open. There's a long line starting at the steps where you would enter the queue. Merida is close by, so DD wants to go meet her, but I don't want to leave our spot as there is already a very large crowd here. My parents arrive, so they take DD over to Merida right as the workers are arriving to set up the queue.

It takes the about 20 minutes to wait for Merida.

By the time they come back, the queue has been assembled, and DS2 and I have moved into our waiting spots, and the princes and princesses have arrived. DD came to stand with me and my parents went find a shady spot to sit and wait.

Sometime around then according to the timestamp, DH and DS ride Space.

The line is moving VERY slowly and we're quite a ways back in it. I quickly realize that this is not going to work out the way we had planned.

waiting

At about 10:45, the CMs start announcing that at 11:00 the princesses will change to another set and that those currently in line may be seeing a different set of princesses. I start snapping pics of the current set b/c I don't think we'll be able to meet them.

Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip

Cinderella and Prince Charming

Snow White and prince

I started chatting with the couple behind us. Turns out she was a DISer too. (and darn if I can't remember her screen name now!!) They had been by the previous afternoon and the line was almost 3 hours long! She read the same thread I had, but that strategy clearly wasn't working for us!

The weather really wasn't too hot that day, but we're directly in the sun and starting to sweat pretty good. I can feel it running down my back and DS2 is getting super antsy. I doesn't help that we're just queuing back and forth around metal chains and the people are really packed into the area. The CMs had announced that the princesses would just be giving out signed cards and not doing autographs. But, they were signing anyway. Cinderella was first in the line to meet and bless her heart, was taking an especially long time with each child. Leaving Snow White, Aurora and their princes many times alone behind her without a child at all. I appreciate them having quality time with the kids, but it started to get a little frustrating seeing how inefficiently things were moving with such a long line backing up.

I start thinking that maybe missing the first set would be our best option. I was working with the assumption that the first set on Friday would probably be same as today's first set. We could just get there even earlier on Friday, and catch the first set then. With the long lines, we'd never be able to properly time getting the second set. I figured that seeing the second set today, and seeing the first set on Friday would probably be our best shot at seeing everyone. I discussed this possibility with the DISing family behind us. I was eying the line and the speed it was moving and knew we'd be very close to the cut off point.

We got to the front of the line and the CM informs us that they're cutting off this set, and we'll be first in line for the next set. Since we were right by a chain that let to outside of the line, my parents came and grabbed DS2 from me. I hated being that close to the meet and him not being able to meet. But, he wasn't lasting one more second in that line. Poor thing had been in it now for 45 minutes.

Then the CM tells us that the next set is delayed, and they actually have enough time for us to see this set. I inform her that we'd like to wait for the next set, and that the people behind us really want to see this set so I'm letting them go ahead. This makes the CM really testy. Says she is not allowed to do that and that if she lets us dictate which set we're seeing then she has to let everyone in this whole line dictate which set they're seeing and then it would be chaos. Normally I don't speak up, I usually do what they tell me to do even if I'm questioning it, and kick myself later. But, I was just very annoyed at the moment and surprised myself. I told her nicely but firmly that we had worked it out with the people behind us and that it wasn't going to affect anyone else in the line. They were taking our spot, and we were waiting. Then, I told them to go ahead and go. So, unlike me. She got a little huffy, but oh well. I did feel a bit bad for her. I wouldn't have wanted the job of manning that monster line. But, no one else in line even knew it had happened and it all worked out.

The princes and princesses left and we had to wait about 10 minutes for the next set to arrive. I guess the Beast was having some issues. DH and DS arrive at this time and we get to talk to them across the chain divider since we're on the end. They think we've already met the first set and are waiting for the second. He couldn't believe that we had yet to meet anyone at this point.

At 11:20, DD meets with Jasmine and Aladdin (only DD corrects me every time I say Aladdin, it was Prince Ali!!)

I accidentally order the CD before saving the pic of Jasmine with the border. I realized my error and did a screen grab. I was hoping since I saved it right after, that it would be on my CD, but no such luck.

We leave the princess area at 11:30. The whole shebang took an hour and fifteen minutes. I was hoping to have met them all in that time, and I'm not looking forward to coming back again on Friday. I also thought we'd have done more in Fantasyland before even going over to the princesses, so we haven't accomplished near what I had planned. But DD is thrilled and I'm glad that we got the meet the Beast. So, it's all good. The princess line is now over 2 hours long!

My memory is fuzzy, but I know DH and DS rode Star Tours and then maybe Astro Blasters (or Matterhorn?) before meeting back up with us.

Continued here

 

[lsulindy]

We leave the princess area, and I call DH. They're in line for the Storybook Canal boats. I'm disappointed because that's a ride that I really didn't want to miss. He tells me to just meet up with them. This is something that I never ever would have done at WDW, but we've seen a lot of it at DL. It's another narrow around the chains queue, and it's packed in tight. I still can't believe I did it, but I excused me all the way through, and DD and I met up with the guys. Everyone just moved out of the way (as best they could). At WDW there may have been a riot. It was strange, and I didn't like doing it. My parents had found another shady spot and were working on a snack.

DS7 gets put across from us in the back of the boat and DH, DD, me and DS2 are all on the same side. I couldn't get pics of most of the houses because they were blocked by others on the boat.

(*side note - do I really already have 300 trip pics in this report? crazy!)

Lookie, some proof I was actually there.

Agrabah

Awk! Cave of wonders!

Mr. Toad's

Prince Eric's castle

DH was bored, but I liked seeing the details of Storybookland. The kids enjoyed it too!

We decide that we'll head over to New Orleans to check out the Mardi Gras festivities. I want to see Tiana's show, Goofy's processional, and meet Mickey, Minnie, and Tiana. I need to go find out what times all that is happening and plan out the rest of our day around them. I figure it will take us a while to work all that in.

One our way, we see the tea cup empty, so the kids jump in. The little one is missing because he was strapped in to the stroller.

We arrive in New Orleans just as Tiana is starting her show. I sneak my way through with the kids and manage to get a good spot to watch slightly to the side.

One of the performers invites dd up and gives her a tamborine.

After the show, I want to find the character meet spot. The crowd is thick there are a lot of steps around, and I don't know where I'm going, so I head off with DD to try to find them leaving DH with DS7, DS2 in the stroller, mom in the ECV, and my dad in the large walkway closer to the Rivers of America. I find the Courtyard of Angels tucked into the back and see Minnie meeting. There are only a few people in line and the CM is telling them that they should all get to see Minnie, but that she is about to leave. I run back through the crowd motioning to DH to bring me the kids and quick!

He doesn't know what's going and just takes off running towards me with the kids leaving my poor parents behind in the crowd. Whoops. I get a little too high strung sometimes. I run back with DD and get in line. The CM tells me that we'll be the last ones to meet Minnie right before DH gets there with the boys. I ask when Mickey will be meeting and the CM says that Mickey is too busy meeting people in ToonTown that day and won't be making it to Mardi Gras. What? It's Mardi Gras day people! poop.

Right before we meet Minnie, Goofy makes his way down the stairs. The CM informs everyone that he will not be meeting or taking pics, he's just passing through.

He stops to check his schedule with a CM

Minnie calls us over to meet, but DS2 is enamored with Goofy, and Goofy loves DS's hat and shirt.

So, Minnie's handler calls Goofy over and asks him to get in the pic with us.

my pics, once again my camera doesn't like the glare:

Photopass pics:

In the rush over, DS7's hat got left in the stroller, plus I didn't even know we'd be meeting Goofy at the time. DS had been so excited to show Goofy his hat, and it rubbed extra salt in the wound that Goofy was so enamoured with DS2's hat. I make a big deal gushing over the fact that we got a pic with Minnie AND Goofy together and that was very rare b/c Goofy wasn't even doing meets. Secretly, I'm a little bummed about the hat too, and bummed about the missing Mickey, but I can't let the kids know that!! C'est la vie!

The CM tells us that Tiana is about the come out and that we can meet her with no line if we stay put. Sounds good to us. Before she got there, DH had time to run out to the stroller and get DS's hat. So, he didn't have it with Jester Goofy, but he did have it with Tiana.

The kids had a nice chat with Tiana about Mardi Gras and New Orleans.

Photopass pics - lots of border options for Tiana:

Mardi Gras Continued Here

 

[PHXscuba]

That's a bummer that you waited so miserably long for the princesses, but I like the set you got to meet better anyways!

The pictures of your kids with Goofy and Minnie are great! That's what I love about Disneyland -- more often there is a little more flexibility about impromptu changes with characters and letting them take a quick photo together.

PHXscuba

 

[lsulindy]

Yes, I was happy with our set and my decision to wait. I would have been better with the waiting that long if I hadn't had the expectation in my head that we'd see both sets in an hour. I'm glad that strategy worked for people on Monday, but it didn't work for us. Our wait was shorter than any other time that day though, and we got to see Prince Ali and the beast, so the result was ok.