Say Please in French - A June and Sept. 2018 DLP TR *Updated 4/22

It has been years since my family has been on the Tomorrowland Speedway/Autotopia. Not surprising with my boys. I'm not sure if I have discussed the nightmare it was for Nate to get his license (he got it two years ago, when he was 18, and has not driven since). Ben is on track to do about the same. :sad2:

Uh oh. I don't think I know that story.

"Driving Me Crazy"

There are two flavors of teenagers. Those who want to get their driver's license the second they turn 16 years old. And my boys.

Nate was not really motivated to get his license. He took his Driver's Ed class, and on the first day, they showed the movie of all the horrific crashes. I picked him up that day and he said "I'm never getting behind the wheel of one of those death machines! Or crossing the street." LOL! (#funnynotfunny)

He passed the class, got his driver's permit, but waited a few months before scheduling his driving lessons. When we called, we were told by the driving school "Oh, we're retiring at the end of the year so we aren't doing any new driving lessons"

UGH!

I found a new driving school.

I chose poorly.

The new instructor was horrible- he was ancient and in fact was the instructor who taught some of my local friends how to drive. He yelled at the students, made them nervous and after a few lessons, Nate stopped signing up for lessons.

"Fast" forward more than a year. Nate is now 18. His former driving instructor, who worked for the school that closed down, has now opened his own school. We signup with him- he is awesome!

I tried to get paperwork (not even a refund although I had paid in full) from the other school and he hung up on me.

Nate's 2016 summer job was to get his license before going away to college (late August) and before his driver's permit expired (a few days later, Sept, AFTER he would be at school). They won't let you renew the permit until after the first one expires, so if he didn't get his license before he went to school, we would have to go through that process again, while at school in another state.

Since the new driving school had just opened, there was plenty of availability for Nate to get his required driving lessons.

But scheduling an appointment with the DMV was a nightmare. It was like calling for a coveted Disney Dining reservation- I called several times a day to see if there were any cancellations resulting in an opening in the coming weeks.

Finally, I scored an appointment a couple of weeks before school started. In a pretty sketchy city, but still it was an appointment. Unfortunately, Nate's driving instructor was giving classes that week and couldn't take him, so I did.

Nate failed.

UGH!

We decided to put off the license project until Nate's spring break, and Nate seemed relieved.

Then my phone rang. Mark had found another appointment, 3 days before Nate was starting at UNH.

Sigh.

His instructor was able to take him to this appointment.

While he was gone, I was a nervous wreck.

Finally, Nate texted me.

"I'm done. I'll explain when I see you"

Crap!

When Nate and his instructor pulled up, Nate had a huge smile on his face.

"I have to explain that I have my license."

He pointed at his instructor "He made me send that text. I told him you were kind of high-strung"

Nate has not been behind the wheel of a car since- but he has not really had much need or opportunity- he left for college where he couldn't have a car, I drove him wherever he wanted to go the following summer and during breaks and last year he was in Wyoming with transportation included.

Ben is now 17 and in the process of getting his license.

He is showing about the same motivation that Nate did for getting his license.

I may or may not survive this process.

:car:
 
Last edited:
Glad you enjoyed your voyage on family favorite It's a Small World.

Sorry you couldn't say the same about Pirates. :(

If I recall correctly, you have the same issue with Landon and Soarin'?

As a fellow lover of Peter Pan- I find Skull Rock to be very cool!

That is great info about the path out of Main Street that avoids the parade traffic.

:crowded:
 
I'm blown away by your experience at Inventions (as well as by the price), but as you said, it appears that it was so worth it!



03-jpg.365041

WOW! Just wow!

Love this picture so much!


by a broom, red-headed pirate…doesn’t matter. Evie dislikes them all!

04-jpg.365042

Fan-girling for sure here! (Don't tell him I said that)


Tigger was an enthusiastic fellow. Landon jumped out of his seat when he saw him and began hopping around; Tigger saw that and followed suit.

01-jpg.365049

Impressive!

:tigger:

So, you mention how difficult it is to get a reservation there, yet the restaurant looks empty!

That is cool that there is a "pot luck" of characters to go with the buffet.

What an incredible opportunity, especially meeting with more than one character at once.

Evie has the cutest smile.

Thanks for sharing this wonderful experience with us.

:goodvibes
 
What a great update! No, not because you were not in it (so sorry you were feeling lousy), but how wonderful to read about the time in the park for Alex and the kids and Dougette and her family. Looks like much fun was had, and WOW those views from the top of the maze truly are spectacular!

I cracked up at the extra kid playing tag.

Sometimes the best things happen when mom is not around. Probably the coolest thing ever for Ben was during the Year of a Million Dreams, after Jedi training, they asked Ben if he would like to meet all the characters. Mark took one (and only one) picture.

P8190537 - Copy.JPG


I was back in the room with Nate who was not feeling well.

I have a lot of satisfaction knowing my family had such a magical experience as I'm sure you do looking back at those few hours in Paris.

:hug:
 


:woohoo:

I could not be happier for you and your family that you currently have a placement that you are excited about.

And

party: for Disney dreams in the very near future!!!

:goodvibes
 
Woohoo!!
So excited for you all that you're getting to fulfill your dream of living in England :goodvibes plus getting a wee holiday (helping you learn the lingo-not a vacation in sight lol) to WDW can't hurt either :rotfl::thumbsup2
 
Wow! So excited for you and your family with this exciting new adventure! I hope it all works out as it's supposed to, and that Landon manages the transition without too much heartbreak. And a Disney trip is just the cherry on top! Excellent news!
 


I saw the London news on Facebook, but lots more exciting news to go along with it!! I hope London goes through smoothly. I admire the adventurous spirit you & Alex have when it comes to choosing where to live. I was terrified to move 2 hours away from home when DH and I got married, never mind moving to another country! But y'all are getting to visit some amazing places and make wonderful memories with your kids.
 
Congratulations on your exciting news!!!! I am so happy for you guys and your kids are getting such an amazing experience getting to live abroad and experience all that history and culture.
 
A little late in joining, But I’m here! I’m planning our first trip to DLP this spring so trying to read up on it! We also have two kid so excited to see how the trip is with them!

Loving the report so far! And congrats on the move! We are also going to WDW tentatively this August!
 
Congratulations on your move to England and your Disney World trip. Let me know if it happens to be the last week of July/first week of August - I would love to try for a Dismeet!
 
UGH!!! So sorry I have been absent for so long- I have been so busy IRL that I have had trouble keeping up with the Beach Club FAQ and I have not even been able to check out any of the trip reports I am following. But yours is the first one I am checking on.

I also loved hearing about the cool experiences you had at the Cologne zoo. What a perfect spot for a birthday celebration!

:simba:

I completely understand. Life gets hectic!

Everyone had a great time at the Cologne Zoo. Although, Evie's favorite animals are the 3 donkeys that live down the street from us. Every afternoon before we go pick Landon up from the bus, we walk down to their field and visit with them. Evie enjoys the elephants and monkeys, but really all you gotta do is give her some farm animals and she's a happy camper.



Nate has not been behind the wheel of a car since- but he has not really had much need or opportunity- he left for college where he couldn't have a car, I drove him wherever he wanted to go the following summer and during breaks and last year he was in Wyoming with transportation included.

Ben is now 17 and in the process of getting his license.

He is showing about the same motivation that Nate did for getting his license.

I may or may not survive this process.

My oh my...driving is not where your boys' interests lie. As the parent of the unwilling kid, I'm sure the whole process for you was a bit frustrating. You just wanted him to find a good driving school and get the license and be done with it all. But on the flip side, at least it's not something that he absolutely needed. I suppose if he (and ultimately Ben) don't need to drive to get by, that's okay....unless it means you're going to be the one driving them around forever and ever. Thennnn maybe not so much. :rotfl:



If I recall correctly, you have the same issue with Landon and Soarin'?

As a fellow lover of Peter Pan- I find Skull Rock to be very cool!

That is great info about the path out of Main Street that avoids the parade traffic.

Yes, Landon did NOT like Soarin'. He recently hit the 44 inch mark, and when I told him he go on some more coasters at Disney, he replied with, "But I don't have to if I don't want to.":rotfl2:

Those arcade walkways beside Main St. were genius, and I bet they are really useful in the winter when it's cold and windy outside.



Sometimes the best things happen when mom is not around. Probably the coolest thing ever for Ben was during the Year of a Million Dreams, after Jedi training, they asked Ben if he would like to meet all the characters. Mark took one (and only one) picture.

What?! That's just a mom's luck. Have to stay back and take care of one kid and the other ends up experiencing something unique and cool. That sounds about right....:rotfl: At least Mark captured the moment in a photo! And it was a Disney memory that Ben got to experience with his Dad, which is special in its own way.



I could not be happier for you and your family that you currently have a placement that you are excited about.

Thank you! The idea of moving there is a lot better than some of the alternatives. (I don't think many people would rather live in North Dakota :laughing:.)
 
Woohoo!!
So excited for you all that you're getting to fulfill your dream of living in England :goodvibes plus getting a wee holiday (helping you learn the lingo-not a vacation in sight lol) to WDW can't hurt either :rotfl::thumbsup2

Haha, thank you for the well wishes and the lingo help! I have no doubt that, just like Germany, there will be an adapting period where I have to get used to the new culture. However, I'm really looking forward to it and am excited that we will be arriving during summer break, so we can start exploring right away.



Wow! So excited for you and your family with this exciting new adventure! I hope it all works out as it's supposed to, and that Landon manages the transition without too much heartbreak. And a Disney trip is just the cherry on top! Excellent news!

Thank you, Meghan! Landon's outlook has improved a little bit now that the news has started to sink in. He wants to see England on maps, likes to measure out the distance between our current home and our new one. And the distance between England and Disney World. (Priorities, right?)



I saw the London news on Facebook, but lots more exciting news to go along with it!! I hope London goes through smoothly. I admire the adventurous spirit you & Alex have when it comes to choosing where to live. I was terrified to move 2 hours away from home when DH and I got married, never mind moving to another country! But y'all are getting to visit some amazing places and make wonderful memories with your kids.

Thank you! My dad was in the military, so I have actually never lived in one house longer than 4 years. Ever.
It's just kind of what I'm used to, and I think Alex discovered how passionate he was about traveling once he moved over here and started exploring.
We are trying to get our wanderlust taken care of now while it can be supported with Alex's job and while the kids are young enough not to need roots. We kind of think once they are teenagers and have hobbies or more focused needs, we will try and stay in one place longer. But for now...it's going and seeing as much as we can while we can!

And, for what it's worth, I think you and your hubby have gotten to see and do a lot since I've met you on the boards! You've been out to Disneyland in CA, you just went to the mountains, AND you've gone on two trips with podcast group. And the tours you did on that ABD trip...talk about once in a lifetime opportunities. (Plus, I wouldn't have been as familiar with Rome before my trip had I not read your reports!)



Congratulations on your exciting news!!!! I am so happy for you guys and your kids are getting such an amazing experience getting to live abroad and experience all that history and culture.

Thank you for the kind words! We're not sure the kids will remember much from their time in Germany, but we're optimistic that they'll be able to recall England and some of the trips we'll eventually take.



A little late in joining, But I’m here! I’m planning our first trip to DLP this spring so trying to read up on it! We also have two kid so excited to see how the trip is with them!

Loving the report so far! And congrats on the move! We are also going to WDW tentatively this August!


Welcome, thank you so much for joining!

Disneyland Paris is such a beautiful park with really intricate details; it's a great park for Disney fans to experience at least once.
If you have any questions or want to spit ball ideas about tackling the parks with kids, feel free to ask! I'd love to help.



Congratulations on your move to England and your Disney World trip. Let me know if it happens to be the last week of July/first week of August - I would love to try for a Dismeet!

Thank you, we are getting more excited about the move every day.

Unfortunately, our trip is tentatively planned for June, but with the move so uncertain you never know. We might have to push it back a few months!
 
Saturday, June 16th, 2018 Part 1:

The 3rd morning of our Disneyland Hotel stay dawned bright and early for Alex and me….but not so much for the kids. Rarely are we ever awake before those early birds, but they must have really gotten wiped out the night before because they were still snoozing when our alarms went off:
0000.JPG

(Word to the wise: never share a bed with Landon. He’s gotta be one of the worst bed hogs around.)



In case I haven’t harped on breakfast in Paris enough, I’ll bring it up again. Once dressed and functioning, Alex and I walked the kids over to the Starbucks and ordered the breakfast sandwiches and pancakes. Alex tried to get a hot chocolate with his food, but the barista misunderstood him and gave him a café latte instead.

Alex doesn’t drink coffee.

:scared1:

Yes, you read that right. My crazy husband doesn’t drink coffee. Of any kind.

Not a lick.

Do I need to pause here to allow you to soak that in?

He doesn’t need any tea in the mornings, either.
(Nor does he drink sodas except every great once in awhile.)
He simply….wakes up. A big glass of water with his breakfast and he’s good to run off for a full day of work. On the weekends, he’ll have an energy drink, but not because he needs the caffeine, more as an indulgent treat for himself.

How? HOW?!

Anyways, because of the misshap I ended up taking his café latte as well as the vanilla latte I had ordered. I was at Disney, what was a little splurge while on vacation?

The majority of the trip, Alex and I got by with our very limited French and German, but this Starbucks visit was where our words got lost in translation.

Apparently, the name ALEX got turned into:

0001.JPG

I don’t even know….

:rotfl2:

We’re pretty sure the barista had no idea what Alex said to him and just threw a bunch of vowels on the cup and called it a day. We were the only ones ordering at the time, otherwise we never would have guessed that the drink was intended for us.

Haicae’s café latte would have sat on the counter indefinitely, growing cold and abandoned….:laughing:



After our redundant meal at Starbucks, my family walked over to the Disney Studios Parc and got in line for the opening of Extra Magic Hours.

0002.JPG

I’m almost positive EMH at the Studios was a new occurrence; I don’t remember them happening back in 2016, and therefore it was a little more crowded here than compared to the other park.

They had also just begun the Summer of Superheroes celebrations and that was drawing in big crowds. Anything new in the parks brings in the masses, no matter which park you’re referring to.


Once the park opened and we were allowed in, Alex and I walked the kids over to our main priority…Crush’s Coaster. Because there’s no Fastpass for this attraction, the lines build up really quick and even during EMH you’re looking at 45-60 minute wait times. So Alex and I knew this had to be the very first thing we accomplished that morning.

Walking over there, it reminded me a bit of the old Toy Story Midway Mania rush. Does anyone remember that craziness? Where one party member rushed to the FP kiosks to grab passes for later in the morning while the other members clawed their way to the standby line?

That used to be pure madness.

Those were the good ol’ days….::yes::


Along the way, we ran into Dugette and her family, who had the same goal in mind as us. We all made it to the entrance and entered the line when the wait time was posted at 25 minutes.

The time was pretty accurate, and I rode first with Landon while Alex waited at the exit with Evie. The Rider Swaps at DLP resemble Universal’s system more so than the WDW version. In order to take advantage of the perk, the family member staying back with the baby waits right next to the exit where a Cast Member is working, and when their party member exits the ride, that CM walks the waiting parent through the exit and right on to the attraction.

Did that make sense?

Basically, rather than getting a card that works as a Fastpass and requires the user to walk through the FP queue, the parent gets led right to the loading platforms.

It worked rather easily, but I also think that might be because not as many people use it as in WDW. I only saw a handful of other parents making use of it throughout my entire trip. Probably why they can get away with the more laid-back approach.



A blurry picture of Dugette and Izzy on the coaster:

0003.JPG


Crush’s Coaster is located across the street from Cars Quatre Roues Rallye, and the entire time Evie had to stand around and wait for everyone to finish with their turns she had to watch the little vehicles whip and spin and send passengers giggling into one another. Something about the ride appealed to my daughter, and she begged us to take her on it.

Alex and I had never seen her so insistent about a Disney ride before (other than the carousel) and were really excited to see her show an interest in anything Disney related. So, no matter if it was the wisest use of our Extra Magic Hour time, we headed there next.

Dugette needed to run to Customer Service and Dug wasn’t in the mood to ride Cars, so Izzy tagged along with my family. She was the sweetest kid, very quiet and polite; bringing her along was an absolute breeze.


Because the attraction is a slow-loading ride, we had to wait about twenty minutes for our turn despite there not being that many people ahead of us. Leave it to Evie to pick the rides that move the slowest!

Alex was the backseat chauffeur to the older kids:

0006.JPG

(Oh, look, you can see Dugette and Dug in the background! Goes to show how long the wait really was, that she had enough time to make it to the front of the park and then back again before we were up.)



Evie shared the front row with me:

0009.JPG


It was a fun ride and Evie loved it even more having experienced it herself. Although I haven’t gone on either, I think it’s very similar to Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree in California and Alien Swirling Saucers in Hollywood Studios. Anyone done both and can confirm this?



After handing Izzy back over to her parents, our group walked through Toy Story Land and I snapped this adorable photo:

0010.JPG

One of my favorites of them from the trip…



Our journey deposited us in front of Ratatouille:

0011.JPG

Where we were able to hop in line and make it to the front in less than ten minutes. Lucky us!

For those unfamiliar with the attraction, it uses a trackless system that moves you from room to room and can turn you in any direction in the blink of an eye. The premise behind the ride is that you are a rat and Remy is taking you on a journey through a restaurant in order to get you to a feast. It’s brilliantly designed, and if it weren’t for the 3D aspects negatively affecting me, I would try to experience Ratatouille multiple times a trip.

It’s going to be an excellent addition to the France pavilion in the World Showcase and will easily build up long wait times. At least that’s my prediction…


After riding Ratatouille, the other adults in my party wanted to try and hit up Rock N Roller Coaster as the last ride during Extra Magic Hours. I remembered the Paris version being really rough, and all I could think about was how it gave me a headache the last time I tried it.

I didn’t want to risk feeling puny so early on in the day (especially since I refused to take more Dramomine) and therefore I offered to watch all the kids while everyone else went. I hung back in an open area next to Tower of Terror and let the kids take turns playing tag and hide and seek.

0014.JPG


0015.JPG


Nobody ran off, I didn’t misplace a small child, and the other three adults found me less than twenty minutes later, so it worked out perfect.

Alex did tell me when he saw me again that the ride was still jerky and that it was probably best I had skipped it. Good to know I had made the right call!




Continued in Next Post:
 
Continued From Previous Post:


Next on the agenda was trying Disneyland Paris’s version of the Backlot Tour. The app was a little deceiving and said the wait was only ten minutes, but we all ended up standing around the loading corrals for closer to twenty. Both families had set plans to get to by eleven, therefore there was a little bit of anxiousness associated with the tour. It really came down to crossing our fingers and hoping our vehicle didn’t break down or get delayed along the route.


Alex, myself, and the kids got the very last row while Dugette and her loved ones sat right in front of us. While everyone else was loading, Dug very kindly turned around and took a picture of all four of us together:

0019.JPG

I don’t even mind that Landon wasn’t cooperating and wouldn’t smile, because getting a family picture on a ride like this is such a rare gem. The seven of us then proceeded to get an awesome group selfie, but I can’t seem to find my copy so hopefully Dugette will share it when she writes her report.


The tour was pretty straightforward and short, with us passing some larger props used in 90’s era films and winding through a back road until we reached Catastrophe Canyon. Fire engulfed a tanker trunk and all three kids were thoroughly intimidated by the scene. Then the gallons of water rushed down and they all laughed over the fear of getting soaked.

And then…our tour looped back through the same road and past the same props we had already seen.

0027.JPG

I tried really hard to get a selfie with this airplane in honor of Evie. It was from the Micheal Bay movie I watched when I was twelve and first heard the name Evelyn. I fell a little bit in love with the actress, Kate Beckinsale, and thought she was the most beautiful woman with such an eloquent name and just knew if I ever had a daughter I would want her to be called something so lovely.

Anyone care to take a guess at what movie I am referring to?


The tour’s finale included a destroyed London with a pass by some famous vehicles, and before we knew it we were finished. It was a lot shorter than I expected, and everything was definitely outdated, but that being said it was fun to do once. I wasn’t upset to experience it.

AND! If you stick around for my family’s race recaps I’ll be able to show you all some up close and personal pictures from the tour. Alex and I got the chance to see everything in depth on our race courses, which gave me a little more of an attachment to the attraction than I ever thought I would have.



Okay, back to June, though. I do believe Dugette had a lunch reservation to scurry off to (get it, Dugette, har dee harr harr) while Alex and I really wanted to try and see the Mickey the Magician show that we’d heard nothing but amazing reviews of.

The early morning walk to Starbucks and playtime with his friend had caught up with Landon, and he was feeling a bit tired:

0032.JPG


He was also getting hungry, and that made for a somewhat irritable five year old over the next hour. He refused to allow me to take a good photo in front of the show sign when we arrived at the entrance:

0034.JPG


And bickered with his sister over animal crackers while we got in line. We managed to walk up to the entrance, which were sets of turnstiles, at eleven o’clock and encountered Cast Members who were shocked to see a family turning up to wait 50 minutes before the show.

They didn’t hide their criticism when they repeatedly told us, “The show does not begin until 11:50.”

“We know.”

“Then why are you here?”

“We’re waiting.”

….

“Why?”


Just about then, other families started sprouting up around us and before the Cast Members knew it, a significant line had formed. To which they began glaring and speaking in rapid French whispers.

Alex and I have a strong suspicion people might have started queuing up because they saw us at the front and were suddenly like, “Oh, wait, it’s time to line up! Better go over there!” At least that was the impression we took away from how unpleasantly surprised the Cast Members were by our actions.

That or they were just having a rotten day and were in no mood to deal with guests.

Disneyland Paris regulars…is it normal for the lines for Mickey the Magician to start so early?

Or did Alex and I really commit a faux pas?

My apologies to those Cast Members if we did.

WE’RE USED TO FESTIVAL OF FANTASY CRAZINESS! WE FORGOT PEOPLE DON’T DROP ELBOWS FOR BEING FIRST TO GET IN PHILHARMAGIC HERE.


Guests with Mastercards had the ability to book “front of the line” tickets to the show, and they had a small corral area at the front reserved for them. However, there really weren’t that many and by the time the rest of us standby goers were allowed entrance into the theater there were tons of good seats still available.

Alex managed to seat us one row up from the center walkway and in the dead middle of the row. It was fantastic.


The show began and immediately, I was blown away by the detail. The premise of the show was that Mickey Mouse was trying to learn magic and a lot of his buddies came to try and show him how it was done.

0036.JPG

About half the characters spoke French and the other half spoke English, so while I couldn’t understand everything, most of it was easy to follow. And honestly, I was so engrossed in the mechanics of the show and the music that I could have cared less what everyone was saying.

The show stands on its own without the dialogue.

A ton of characters had their moment in the spotlight, but a few included:

Belle and the Beast:

0039.JPG



Rafiki and his animal pals (who were presented by incredible puppetry):

0043.JPG



And my favorite scene of the show, Genie:

0045.JPG


Which will make you want to rush out and book tickets for Aladdin the Muscial. I saw what they did on stage at Disneyland Paris and have since wanted to take Landon to see it on West End. If Evie had been three back when we went to London, I probably would have taken us all. But that’s something that will inevitably happen down the road…



What show with magic could be complete without everyone’s favorite ice princess:

0047.JPG


These were just the few that Alex remembered to take photos of during the performance. I didn’t take any of my own, because I was so wrapped up in watching. Dugette described the show to me as something you would see on a Disney Cruise, and I completely agree with her. This was amazing, every move choreographed with intention and purpose. They didn’t let a single second of their time go to waste, and it’s now second only to Festival of the Lion King for my favorite Disney show.

It’s Alex’s favorite now.

0052.JPG

I think he would work a weekend trip down to the Paris parks just to be able to see it again, that’s how much he enjoyed it.


So I have to say, Disneyland Paris has its faults. And it doesn’t have near as much as the Walt Disney World parks. But man….the headliners they do have are incredible!!! They didn’t just do something well, they did the best you could possibly come up with. I don’t think there could be anything better than a dragon under the castle or an Adventureland with its own Skull Rock or a runaway rail car that goes UNDER THE WATER to its own island track.

I love it all.

And now I’m sitting here thinking, “Man, I want to go back and experience all these things again.”

The power of the Disney parks.




Up Next…Was it as Bad as a NPH Candlelight Processional?



 
Welcome, thank you so much for joining!

Disneyland Paris is such a beautiful park with really intricate details; it's a great park for Disney fans to experience at least once.
If you have any questions or want to spit ball ideas about tackling the parks with kids, feel free to ask! I'd love to help.

Thanks! I may take you up on that! I went once way back like 20 years ago! I dont think you even needed to plan thing back then! Right now I’m working on my must dos list as a start!

I will say even with the :scared1: price tag of inventions it’s on the top of the eating list! It reminds me a lot of the plaza breakfast in Disneyland, which if I remember correctly had Hook, Minnie, Rafiki, Pooh, Perla, I know I’m missing some people. But it was a wide mix and ms 4 loves characters right now!

Oh this Mickey Magic show looks ahmazing! Going on the top of the list too! I have a MasterCard need to look into how I get the passes!
 
lthough, Evie's favorite animals are the 3 donkeys that live down the street from us.

Evie has great taste!

Donkeys are such fun, mischievous animals!

Roger Curly.JPG

Roger.jpg

(Obligatory Roger photos)

:eeyore:


My oh my...driving is not where your boys' interests lie. As the parent of the unwilling kid, I'm sure the whole process for you was a bit frustrating. You just wanted him to find a good driving school and get the license and be done with it all. But on the flip side, at least it's not something that he absolutely needed. I suppose if he (and ultimately Ben) don't need to drive to get by, that's okay....unless it means you're going to be the one driving them around forever and ever. Thennnn maybe not so much. :rotfl:

I am perfectly willing to cart them around wherever they need to go, at least for the time being. Especially since we are not paying the budget-busting teenage boy car insurance rates. Nate hasn't needed a care at college, and he is about 30-40 minutes away, and near both my dad and Mark's mom, so it is not inconvenient to get him for visits. Ben will be in school next year, so he won't need a car, and if he ends up living in Washington DC, he really won't need to drive (much).

:car:

when I told him he go on some more coasters at Disney, he replied with, "But I don't have to if I don't want to.":rotfl2:

It is actually fun to watch the kids' tastes and thrill thresholds change over the years.

:thumbsup2


At least Mark captured the moment in a photo! And it was a Disney memory that Ben got to experience with his Dad, which is special in its own way.

I was so happy for him. We still joke that Mark took exactly one picture of the meeting (contrasting what Mom would have done), but it was perfect!


Thank you! The idea of moving there is a lot better than some of the alternatives. (I don't think many people would rather live in North Dakota :laughing:.)

So true!

::yes::
 
Yes, you read that right. My crazy husband doesn’t drink coffee. Of any kind.

Not a lick.

Do I need to pause here to allow you to soak that in?

He doesn’t need any tea in the mornings, either.
(Nor does he drink sodas except every great once in awhile.)
He simply….wakes up. A big glass of water with his breakfast and he’s good to run off for a full day of work. On the weekends, he’ll have an energy drink, but not because he needs the caffeine, more as an indulgent treat for himself.

How? HOW?!

:scared1:

Apparently, the name ALEX got turned into:
0001-jpg.369520


That is hilarious!

This is my favorite Starbucks name screwup:



Marc with a c.jpg

Although my husband is Mark with a "k", my brother is Marc with a "c" - which is the French spelling.


After handing Izzy back over to her parents, our group walked through Toy Story Land and I snapped this adorable photo:
0010-jpg.369525

AWWWWW!!!!



For those unfamiliar with the attraction, it uses a trackless system that moves you from room to room and can turn you in any direction in the blink of an eye. The premise behind the ride is that you are a rat and Remy is taking you on a journey through a restaurant in order to get you to a feast. It’s brilliantly designed, and if it weren’t for the 3D aspects negatively affecting me, I would try to experience Ratatouille multiple times a trip.


What is better than being at DLP with a new friend?

:grouphug:
 
We managed to walk up to the entrance, which were sets of turnstiles, at eleven o’clock and encountered Cast Members who were shocked to see a family turning up to wait 50 minutes before the show.

They didn’t hide their criticism when they repeatedly told us, “The show does not begin until 11:50.”

“We know.”

“Then why are you here?”

“We’re waiting.”

….

“Why?”

:rotfl2:


These were just the few that Alex remembered to take photos of during the performance. I didn’t take any of my own, because I was so wrapped up in watching. Dugette described the show to me as something you would see on a Disney Cruise, and I completely agree with her. This was amazing, every move choreographed with intention and purpose. They didn’t let a single second of their time go to waste, and it’s now second only to Festival of the Lion King for my favorite Disney show.

Wow! Oh, wow!!!

This show sounds amazing, and like Dugette says, as I was reading your description and looking at the pictures, reminded me of a Disney cruise production.

Also reminded me of the Disney Aladdin show at California Disneyland. I went one afternoon by myself, while the boys rode California Screamin' The show blew my socks off!!! The guys never did get a chance to see it, and now it is closed at the theme park. Like you, I would love to see the musical on Broadway or in the West End.

:genie:

We took the boys to see Disney's Lion King stage show in Boston, gosh, when they were 6 and 3 or maybe 7 and 4, with our playgroup friends and family.

It was fabulous, even though Ben slept through the second act on Mark's shoulder.

:simba:
 
Wow following your descriptions of the attractions in your latest update I now really, really want to go to DLP!! Ratatouille sounds like such fun and the Magician Mickey show looks amazing!
Laughing out loud at the Starbucks cups ( both Alex’s & “Marc with c”s):rotfl:
Love the photo of Landon and his new friend :love:
Have you seen those world maps that allow you to scratch off the places you’ve visited? Not sure of the cost but I bet Landon and Evie would enjoy uncovering all the places you’ve been :goodvibes
 

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