Screw In the Light Bulb-All New x 13 4/25!!

[afwdwfan]

​

I really like that one!

​

Not such a big fan of this one though.

I’d scheduled us at DHS on the 4th hoping that do something special for the unofficial holiday so trying to get an ADR was a no brainer. After a family vote we decided we’d like to do dinner with Mickey and the gang dressed in their Star Wars finery. I was on hold for an hour the next morning, but I was able to secure the ADR and switch our HBD dinner ressie to lunch. I figure if the food is as horrible at H&V as I’ve heard that it is, we’ll have had a nice lunch

I'm confident that the food will be absolutely horrible, but the experience will be well worthwhile!

I wanted to do a little dance the day I paid it off, and can’t wait to get there!

Be careful. You wouldn't want to hurt yourself doing a celebratory dance.

Tusker House will remain our favorite character breakfast. The food is great, the service pleasant, and the atmosphere can’t be beat.

I'm glad to hear it didn't disappoint. It is definitely on my list of places to eat. I'm just having a hard time working the logistics out...

After 15 minutes he’d only just made it to the machines. After he joined us we made our way to Asia for Maddie’s inaugural ride on EE!

Wow... I don't think I've ever seen that kind of a crowd in AK, anywhere.

I don’t send people to the Island lightly, in fact there are only 3 permanent residents- Bobby Knight (for those of you unfamiliar with Mr. Knight Google Bobby Knight and chair or Bobby Knight hits player), Alex Rodriguez (I assume most North Americans are familiar with his antics), and Alex Trebek. Mr. Trebek may seem like an odd choice, but I find him smug. Tyra Banks comes and goes from the Island. On one hand she annoys me, but on the other I find her show endlessly entertaining. When I’m being logical I know she could be much worse. She’s not out there flashing her private parts to the paparazzi or getting DUI, she doesn’t even clog one’s Twitter feed with political rants. She’s doing her best to parlay her former success as a model into a long-term career. I respect that, and yet she annoys me. I like to think she brings little color and fun to the Island.

I completely understand Bobby Knight and A-Rod... but I was literally laughing out loud when I read Alex Trebek's name.

A-Rod is still an idiot, but Bobby has kind of transformed into a quirky old man who provides comedy gold here lately. And this is coming from a Purdue fan, so I'm a pro when it comes to hating Bobby.

She also refused to believe that her beloved Stacey would give any misinformation, or that her mom might know what she was talking about.

Let's be realistic here... Your track record at this point in the trip is spotty at best.

She was scared of the Yeti, and I was ready to send Stacey to The Island.

Poor Stacey...

And so we joined a standby line that now read 30 minutes. I’d never been in the stand by line so I enjoyed taking photos.

Well, it is a great queue, so I guess if you want to put a positive spin on things...

With that Bryan scooped her up, tossed her into the seat, and snapped the seat belt closed.



We ended up with one of my favorite ride photos ever.

That is great!!!

I'm glad that she ultimately ended up enjoying it!

Our next stop was Kilimanjaro Safari. What else can be said about this? We saw animals, we enjoyed it, I took photos.

That pretty much sums it up.

For dessert Maddie chose a build your own sundae which she enjoyed decorating more than eating. Bryan got key lime pie, and I got a warm cookie sundae. Bryan’s key lime was good, but mine was amazing. It was just delicious.

Warm cookie sundae... really, how could that not be amazing? Warm cookie and ice cream? Yes please!

After filling our mugs we went back to Oak Manor where we changed into bathing suits and went to the pool. I believe this picture series shows how eager Maddie was to swim.

Oh, she doesn't look the least bit excited.

We spent a short while in the main pool (too cold for me! The rains were making the water too cool for night swimming IMO) and then returned to the room where we “enjoyed” a showing of my nemesis Stacey and went to sleep.

Apparently you're quick to forgive and forget! As long as it isn't Bobby Knight, A-Rod or Alex Trebek.

 

[BOG Obsessed]

Impressive number of updates.
My DD4 rode EE for the first time this past Christmas. We did exactly what you did, watched YouTube to prepare her for the experience. Of course today all she talks about is her fear of the Yeti and not the ride itself. She ended riding EE back to back. She's a thrill seeker.
I'm drooling over that mac and cheese pics.
Love your report, great substitute until our next trip which won't be for another year or two.

 

[Mommy Poppins]

Loved all the updates! Can't wait to read more!

As we are now going to WDW in July with my daughter's travel softball team to play at Disney's Wide World of Sports, I am even more interested in just how blazing hot it was! We will be there 7/18-7/27 so I'm sure the heat will be brutal! Not sure how much park time we will have but at least we will be "on Disney property!"

Maddie is gorgeous as always. Love all of your shirt designs!

Oh, and that Mac & Cheese looked divine!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Love the Pocahontas dress ... definitely one you don't see very often!

Sorry for all the drama with EE - but glad that Maddie was brave and rode it and loved it! Wish I got a prize for riding it though

Glad you again enjoyed Tusker House - we tried it for the first time last trip and loved it - so much that we have it planned again for our upcoming trip!

Seems like a really nice evening at DTD. I am kinda with you on Fultons in that it is good but not amazing and can see why you go there since it is convenient to where you were staying but not sure I would go out of my way for it

 

[KatMark]

I'm exhausted just reading your updates.

LOVE the shirts you continue to make...very cute.

I'm glad that Maddie finally went on EE and ended up loving it. As for Stacy, she would be on the moon in my book and not coming back...her voice drives me nuts. But I do love how you put everyone on an Island (and I agree with Bobby Knight and Alex Rodriguez).

Love the interaction with Pocohantas.

I'll have to suggest that meal you ahd at WPE to Mark...I think he would really like it (we had a really good lunch there earlier this month).

It seems as if Maddie was very successful in her purchases with her saved money. Good for her.

We've not been back to Fulton's since 2009. I was very disappointed in the Crab they had the last time we were there. I forget exactly what it was called but it was huge "claws" and you got thee of them and they were delicious. The next time we went back, they reduced the amount to two, they weren't as good and they were the same price. Mark and I figure we'll get there again some day, but since we go to Naples/Marco Island after Disney every year, we get our fill of seafood there.

Wonderful updates, Shannon, and glad you are healing well.

 

[Clarf]

Great updates! Glad to hear you are all healed and back to normal. Your shirts are wonderful! Looking at your stuff makes me so wish I could sew. My best friend does though. Hmmmm....I also love your Cubs purse. I hate purses in general, but I'd use that one!

I'm glad Maddie got bribed, er, convinced to go on EE. I'd have done the same thing. And I love that you were laughing at her in line. That would have been me and I would have felt like a terrible mother but would have done it anyway! I wish my almost 5 year old would be big enough for EE in September, but sadly, she is a shrimp and probably still has 2 or 3 more years to go.

Sounds like you had a really wonderful night at DTD and then swimming. I can't believe you go back in 5 weeks! I just made my ADRs for September last week and it seems like forever until then.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Oh My so much to look forward to this trip... Anna/Elsa FP, Star Wars meal, AND maybe Mine Train. I'd be pumped too.

WOW, that Safari FP line sounds nuts. And here we are all assuming nobody understood regular FP (other than the enlightened bunch we all are). Clearly not the case.

Aw Shannon, you had to add a Canadian to the Island??

Um... I'm not sure what to say here... Send Stacey to the Island?????????? I hope it's nice there since guess I have to go now too.

Hmmmmm... the #2 EE condition is interesting... almost like she may have had this meticulously planned all along...

BUTTTTTT CONGRATULATIONS MADDIE for conquering the best ride in all of WDW!!!!

Awww how wonderful to meet a truly great Poca especially given the outfit of the day.

It's hard for me to believe that DTD was never on the radar at all for me until a few years ago. In the day it's less crowded, but at night it just comes to life. I so enjoy just wandering and popping into whatever catches my fancy. A relaxing evening indeed.

 

[Queenofallthings]

Girl, you are an updating machine!

Love the shirts, very talented! Mad die in line to EE made me remember our first trip and Shanleigh crying at everything lol. The looks I got.....geesh!

So many people don't take the time to enjoy the details and I feel the same as you do about Tusker House, simply amazing!

Love all the pics.....Maddie is such a little doll

 

[pkondz]

I’m back! And happy to report that I suffered no major –or minor- injuries this week!

Yay! An improvement over last week!

My through and through finger piercing is healing nicely and I’ve even gotten back to sewing.

That's our Shan. Living life on the edge.

This is one of my new favorites.

Mine too.

after my brother decided not to join us MiL decided that she would.

dun dun dun dunnnnnnn....

Her birthday is April 1

My FIL's was the same day.

MiL decided to get us a little gift too-she’s buying our plane tickets!!!! Sooo nice of her.

whoa! Nice!

saw the rumor that there were going to be Star Wars character meals offered starting on May 4.

That would be amazing. Can you imagine Darth Vader coming over?

Oh... wait.
What if he held up his hand and you started choking on a chicken bone at the same time.
Everyone would think you were just acting and no heimliching would be done.

I wanted to do a little dance the day I paid it off, and can’t wait to get there!

No dancing! You'll re-injure your knee!

Bryan went ahead of Maddie and I to fill our mugs

Really? How rude. I always let the wife and kids go first.

while we took our time strolling and taking photos. POR is really such a beautiful resort. I hadn’t expected to love it nearly as much as I did.

That was our first (of only two, mind you) resort. We loved it too.

We were called in to our table right after meeting Donald and upon entering were just as wowed by the décor as we’d been the first time around. The buffet area of the restaurant is modeled after an African marketplace and it is stunning to look at. The pastries are displayed on tables meant to look like shipping crates and barrels, and above the hot food tables are balconies overlooking the market. This is Disney detail at its finest.

Never been. Sounds pretty amazing.

Miss Maddie for one was quite pleased to find her favorite Krispy Kreme doughnuts available.

Never had one of those either.

Great outfit by the way.

Bryan volunteered to get them for the group and he was gone so long that we went looking for him. After 15 minutes he’d only just made it to the machines.

whoa. That is a lot!

We all have that group of famous and quasi-famous persons who just get under our skin for one reason or another, right?

Nope.
I really don't.
At least no one comes to mind.

Maybe it's just you?

The Island is a place where I can send those bothersome people and not let them bug me!

Mr. Trebek may seem like an odd choice, but I find him smug.

A very atypical Canadian.

I like to think she brings little color and fun to the Island.

So there we were, about to join the 5 minute standby line for EE when Maddie freaked out. She was not going to ride.

<sigh> Been there.

You see, on the AK section of Stacey our heroine braves EE, AND THE GIANT ANIMATRONIC YETI BURSTS OUT AND ROARS. Well DisFriends, we all know that hasn’t happened in many years,

Didn't you hear? They just fixed it!

:

(Actually, I haven't seen a "fixed yeti" thread for a while now.)

She also refused to believe that her beloved Stacey would give any misinformation, or that her mom might know what she was talking about.

Well, of course. If you knew what you were talking about, then you would be on TV, right?

She was scared of the Yeti, and I was ready to send Stacey to The Island.

Bye bye, Stacey.

Shannon: Honey we did not come all this way to sit on a bench and watch you cry. Let’s just go

Maddie : *crying*

Shannon: Do you want to ride then?

Maddie: *crying*

Shannon: Mads, let’s go do something else. We’ll see if we can find Pocahontas

Maddie: *cries harder*

OMG. That was me!

That’s when I shut up.

Probably a good move.

1. She would close her eyes the entire time, and a parent’s hand would be provided in case she accidentally opened them

2. She would receive a prize for her bravery

3. Her father would carry her though the line in case there were any scary Yetis

4. She never had to do it again if she didn’t like it.

Some day she'll either be a corporate lawyer or a hostage negotiator.

Aw. Poor Maddie.

I found it impossible not to laugh at her.

Did you at least try to hide it? Or were you unable to?

Yeah.... I do the same thing.

Friends please remember this story the next time you see a crying child in line. There is a chance that the child is not being forced by cruel parents insisting on getting the most out of their WDW vacations. We got LOTS of dirty looks in that line. I’m sure my laughter didn’t help though.

You may have been the reason for a "mean/thoughtless parent" thread on the DIS!

<high five>

A sweet CM overheard and asked what the trouble was. I explained that the Yeti scaring some of us, and the CM said that if she rode in the seat closest to the loading platform she wouldn’t even be able to see him.

Pretty smart. I wonder how often that line's been used?

With that Bryan scooped her up, tossed her into the seat, and snapped the seat belt closed.

... while Maddie screamed and begged for release...

The single rider that had been paired with us was horrified.

And what was the verdict?

This is the photo version of her Victory Dance

A kid's buildup is never as intense as reality.

We had a discussion about dramatic license and how not everything we see on TV is true.

Good idea.

I'm still a little mad at Stacey though.

On the island? Just off-shore?

We’d met Pocahontas last trip and were very disappointed in her interaction with Maddie. Mads however was not letting this outfit go to waste and was determined to meet her.

Well... of course.

I am pleased to report that we met the best Pocahontas EVER

That's great!

We stopped to get a snack first, and since there were no pretzels around, Maddie chose a frozen lemonade.

In lieu of pretzels, frozen lemonade is an excellent choice.
I wonder if I'm possibly related to her some how?

After that M&G we’d lost steam. It was hot and we were getting grumpy. It was time to leave AK.

Yup. Someone does not look overly princessy in this picture.

I’d never been to AKL, and while I can’t say that we explored, they do have nice bus stops!

You should take a peek inside next time. It's quite something.

and built a light saber.

Did she? And just how much was Bryan wanting to?

We steeled ourselves for the madness of World of Disney, and upon entering did not come out for nearly an hour.

I agreed to buy her the Snow White dress in exchange for 3 days’ worth of stuffies.

Yup. Hostage negotiator.

Just how long did it take before she started shooting arrows at you guys?

After a quick stop at POFQ we were on our way back to DTD. The boats are a much more pleasant way to travel there than the buses.

That was our favorite part of staying at POR.

There was a line to check in at the host stand, but most of the people waiting did not have reservations, we were led right in.

Where you promptly hoisted your nose high into the air and marched triumphantly in.

Or at least felt like that, right?

I didn't take any decor photos, but it's exactly what you'd expect the inside of a grand boat to look like.

I expect lots of purple shag rug and gold filigree on everything.

Lots of dark wood and nautical touches.

Oh.

For her entrée Maddie had settled on “the legs”. 10 oz. of steamed snow crab legs with roasted red potatoes

How was she at handling them?

And Bryan and I went for the Crab Experience for Two –which no longer seems to be on their menu. It was a sampler of King, Snow, Blue, and Dungeness crab with corn on the cob and red skinned potatoes.

Well, it looks amazing from your picture.

Bry insisted that we go back in and purchase some of the very expensive products. I resisted at first, but boy am I glad that he made us go back in! I got some of the sugar scrub, and every time I use it I am reminded of what a wonderful night we had at DTD.

Nice.

After filling our mugs we went back to Oak Manor where we changed into bathing suits and went to the pool. I believe this picture series shows how eager Maddie was to swim.

Who wouldn't be? Nothing better than a late night swim.

It had been such a relaxing and pleasant night that Bryan agreed to a longer trip this year!

Score!
Thanks for all the updates... but really... only eight?
Slacker.

Thanks Shantasmania!

 

[STLMickeyMom]

so many updates!!! love it!

i love your princess shirts! they are all so pretty and well done.

i couldn't believe how pretty it was at POR either. it was so peaceful whenever we walked around. and i loved crossing the bridge to get to the bus stop. so pretty!

it's so not nice, but i totally had to laugh at the pictures of maddie in line for EE. that's how our oldest was on mine train last time. the first time we rode it, she couldn't get enough and then the last trip, she was terrified it would be too scary. we kind of did make her ride because we knew she'd like it once she was on, which she did. of course, we got the looks from other people, but...what are you gonna do? and....we totally gave her a prize for riding EE twice in a row. they must totally know us parents are in line bribing our kids to get on!

maddie looks so cute in her Pocahontas dress! i'm glad you guys saw her. we couldn't find her anywhere when we went.

and she looks so precious in her princess dress and fancy ears at DTD. sounds like a good ending to your night (especially a stop into basin!).

 

[katt789]

Ahahahaha, hey, I critique people when they seem to not care about their jobs and I would do ANYTHING to get to do the job! Lol.

YES HE IS PERF. Seriously though, being the first Naveen I’m not surprised!

The shirts are AMAZING! I seriously want some lol!

Yay for Tusker, it’s definitely one of my hands down favorite places to eat, especially for characters and lunch, like, it’s just perfect!! Glad you guys enjoyed again, and love the poca dress!!

Oh goodness, what an EE story that is! I’m glad that maddie eventually got on and did enjoy it! And darn Stacy!! UGH

Yay for great character interactions!!! Love that Poca was better this time around!

What an enjoyable evening and afternoon at DTD, I really do enjoy having such relaxing events in a trip, it just makes it nice and lovely and awesome!!

 

[foodrocksluver]

Maddie looked so beautiful in the Pocahontas getup.

I howled with laughter when you mentioned that you couldn't stop laughing at her in the Everest line. It's awful, but I know when I have kids I'll be doing the same thing

And what a bummer that you didn't get more Blue Crab at Fulton's. I'm a Maryland girl and I live for blue crabs

 

[amandaw]

I can't believe how quickly your next trip is approaching!! I am sooooo insanely jealous that y'all are getting to do the Star Wars meal! I read about it and it instantly made me wish we would be during that time. I think it's going to be so fun!

Looks like y'all had a great day @ AK & @ DTD. I'm glad you pointed out that Maddie wasn't being forced to EE. That she wanted to but still cried. People do need to remember that when they witness these things they don't have all the facts AND they don't know the child. I've been there with Reid & have also received the nasty looks. But, I'm glad she rode & liked it in the end!

I'm thinking we're going to go back to WPE in Oct if we can squeeze in DTD. I like EoS but Reid really doesn't. I think the food @ WPE is very good!

Sorry your crab cake was a bit disappointing. It does LOOK yummy though!

Oh - and I'm loving all of your Etsy creations! I pop into your store every now & then to see what you have up for sale.

 

[TruLovesKiss]

Thank goodness for no more injuries! And happy to hear that your finger is healing. Ouch! I cringe just thinking about it!

Oh I just LOVE those princess tees! (I want to see DinoElsa! haha jk)

Eeek! I can't believe that your trip is coming up so soon!! Oh boy! It will be interesting to see how it goes with your MiL... at least you know now what to expect.

YAY for a ton of awesome updates!!! (I totally slacked this week and didn't do mine. )

We LOVED Tusker House too! I'm having a really hard time deciding between it and Akershus as one of our breakfasts.

OMG, your whole "sending to the island" concept cracked me up!! I would definitely send the 'Ohana Jackee Harry to the island. bwahahaha

Whoo hoo, go Maddie! That's great that she rode EE.... even though it took all morning. What a cute Victory Dance. Jorie asks me at least once a week to measure her to see if she is tall enough to ride it yet, lol. I sure hope that she grows another 1/2" before November.

Good choice at WPE! Now I'm dreaming of that mac & cheese too! Oooh I can not wait to have it again.

What a great afternoon & evening in DTD. (minus the rain and the long bus ride of course.... ugh, why are DTD buses always the worst!?)

Maddie's Jasmine swimsuit is so darn cute! I think I remember that one from your PTR.

 

[Cinderella909]

Sneaking in to make a quick comment, really just to let you know that I'm still reading along! Love Maddie's pocohantas dress! She is so lucky to have such a talented mom! And, what updates... you've been so busy! Maddie certainly looked scared and love that picture! She'll laugh at it when she's all grown and looks back at her great memories. Can't wait to read more! And, it won't be long until you're back again! And, that will keep that Disney spirit going!

Enjoy! Karen

 

[emmysmommy]

What great updates Shannon! I had to go way back to your cruddy CRT dinner, your amazing Tiana & Naveen meet, you sewing your finger, planning with your MiL for your upcoming trip, and those adorable tees! (You are so creative.)

You brilliantly handled the Yeti dilemma. And I'd love to put Stacey on that Island sometime. She's too cute and perky! You are so creative.

Maddie's Pocahontas outfit was perfect for AK. That interaction with Poca and the bracelet was adorable. Characters that put that extra special effort and enthusiasm into the greets make the experience extra special.

I haven't seen a Fulton's review in some time. They completely escape my notice but WPE and EoS, those are two of my favorite places to eat in DTD!

I'm looking out for that Mine Train open in May as well. I'm wondering if I need to adjust our park plans to be in MK every day. Now I realize we will be visiting WDW at the same time.

 

[shan23877]

Oh my gosh! I can't believe that you got the Star Wars dinner!!! I love SWW and I'm so bummed that we can't afford to go for a couple more years. I can not wait until you start that TR!

We're super excited about the dinner. I had wanted to do SWW for Bryan this year, but he wanted to avoid the crowds. I can't wait to share!

Wow so many fun updates!

Love your shirts! they are so simple but fun at the same time!
A Star Wars Character dinner, is amazing! I am glad you got it!

Maddie looks so cute in her Pocahontas dress! I always feel kind of sorry for Pocahontas, like people over look her. But, I love her. So I love to see kiddos excited to be dressed like her!

Yay for being brave and trying EE! I always say you never know if you are going to like something unless you try it, so try it once and if you hate it, it will be over in a few minutes and you never have to try it again. I hate to see people judging others with crying children. Sometimes being a good parent means letting your kid cry. If you are going to a place like Disney expect to hear some crying, it happens there!

Looks like a great afternoon and evening. Its so nice to have some more relaxing time at Disney.

Sounds like you have another wonderful trip on the horizon!

Thank you!

Maddie loves Pocahontas, and was so excited to meet her and wear that dress.

Thanks for understanding. We knew she'd love that dang ride!

It was super nice. I'm hoping that remembering that now will help me slow down next month.

I really like that one!


Not such a big fan of this one though.

I had a feeling you wouldn't

I'm confident that the food will be absolutely horrible, but the experience will be well worthwhile!

I'm guessing you're right. I've eaten pretty bad food to meet characters, so I supect we'll survive. Maddie and Bry are really excited!

Be careful. You wouldn't want to hurt yourself doing a celebratory dance.

Good call, I have to be careful with my old lady knees.

I'm glad to hear it didn't disappoint. It is definitely on my list of places to eat. I'm just having a hard time working the logistics out...

I read your update today (I swear I'm going to get better about actually commenting). I hope that you fit it in! It's great!

I completely understand Bobby Knight and A-Rod... but I was literally laughing out loud when I read Alex Trebek's name.

A-Rod is still an idiot, but Bobby has kind of transformed into a quirky old man who provides comedy gold here lately. And this is coming from a Purdue fan, so I'm a pro when it comes to hating Bobby.

I knew I'd have you on board. Bobby annoys me less, but I just assume that's because I avoid him. Like change the channel if he comes on avoid him.

Let's be realistic here... Your track record at this point in the trip is spotty at best.

You may have a point.

That is great!!!

I'm glad that she ultimately ended up enjoying it!

Me too! I love that ride!

Warm cookie sundae... really, how could that not be amazing? Warm cookie and ice cream? Yes please!

It was soooo good.


Apparently you're quick to forgive and forget! As long as it isn't Bobby Knight, A-Rod or Alex Trebek. [/QUOTE]

Well, I wasn't happy about it, but since she wasn't officially on the island...

Impressive number of updates.
My DD4 rode EE for the first time this past Christmas. We did exactly what you did, watched YouTube to prepare her for the experience. Of course today all she talks about is her fear of the Yeti and not the ride itself. She ended riding EE back to back. She's a thrill seeker.
I'm drooling over that mac and cheese pics.
Love your report, great substitute until our next trip which won't be for another year or two.

the mac and cheese is to die for. I cannot wait to have it agian!

Thank you! Hopefully I can finish this one up and have another one in a month or two!

Loved all the updates! Can't wait to read more!

As we are now going to WDW in July with my daughter's travel softball team to play at Disney's Wide World of Sports, I am even more interested in just how blazing hot it was! We will be there 7/18-7/27 so I'm sure the heat will be brutal! Not sure how much park time we will have but at least we will be "on Disney property!"

Maddie is gorgeous as always. Love all of your shirt designs!

Oh, and that Mac & Cheese looked divine!

It was HOT. I think at WDW where you're in and out of A/C it's not as bad, but when you're sitting at softball games you'll probably feel it.

I'm with you-just being there is great! I don't care how hot it is!

That mac and cheese was amazing. you have to try it!

Love the Pocahontas dress ... definitely one you don't see very often!

Sorry for all the drama with EE - but glad that Maddie was brave and rode it and loved it! Wish I got a prize for riding it though

Glad you again enjoyed Tusker House - we tried it for the first time last trip and loved it - so much that we have it planned again for our upcoming trip!

Seems like a really nice evening at DTD. I am kinda with you on Fultons in that it is good but not amazing and can see why you go there since it is convenient to where you were staying but not sure I would go out of my way for it

thank you! She loves that little dress

Me too! Why don't we get prizes for riding thrill rides? Not fair.

Exactly. If we weren't staying at POR we'd find a different restaurant. It wasn't bad though.

I'm exhausted just reading your updates.

LOVE the shirts you continue to make...very cute.

I'm glad that Maddie finally went on EE and ended up loving it. As for Stacy, she would be on the moon in my book and not coming back...her voice drives me nuts. But I do love how you put everyone on an Island (and I agree with Bobby Knight and Alex Rodriguez).

Love the interaction with Pocohantas.

I'll have to suggest that meal you ahd at WPE to Mark...I think he would really like it (we had a really good lunch there earlier this month).

It seems as if Maddie was very successful in her purchases with her saved money. Good for her.

We've not been back to Fulton's since 2009. I was very disappointed in the Crab they had the last time we were there. I forget exactly what it was called but it was huge "claws" and you got thee of them and they were delicious. The next time we went back, they reduced the amount to two, they weren't as good and they were the same price. Mark and I figure we'll get there again some day, but since we go to Naples/Marco Island after Disney every year, we get our fill of seafood there.

Wonderful updates, Shannon, and glad you are healing well.

Haha! Thanks Kathy!

I suspected you'd feel the same about ARod and Bobby, but I didn't know you weren't a Stacey fan.

Tell Mark to try it next time it's beyond good.

That makes sense. We always try to load up on seafood at WDW since we rarely get the good stuff here.

Great updates! Glad to hear you are all healed and back to normal. Your shirts are wonderful! Looking at your stuff makes me so wish I could sew. My best friend does though. Hmmmm....I also love your Cubs purse. I hate purses in general, but I'd use that one!

I'm glad Maddie got bribed, er, convinced to go on EE. I'd have done the same thing. And I love that you were laughing at her in line. That would have been me and I would have felt like a terrible mother but would have done it anyway! I wish my almost 5 year old would be big enough for EE in September, but sadly, she is a shrimp and probably still has 2 or 3 more years to go.

Sounds like you had a really wonderful night at DTD and then swimming. I can't believe you go back in 5 weeks! I just made my ADRs for September last week and it seems like forever until then.

Thank you!

Bribed is probably the right word We were surprised that Mads was tall enough as early as she was, and for the most part she's loved them!

Did you get all the ADR that you wanted? I love making ADRs, but it does seem like FOREVER for the trip once they're made.

Oh My so much to look forward to this trip... Anna/Elsa FP, Star Wars meal, AND maybe Mine Train. I'd be pumped too.

WOW, that Safari FP line sounds nuts. And here we are all assuming nobody understood regular FP (other than the enlightened bunch we all are). Clearly not the case.

Aw Shannon, you had to add a Canadian to the Island??

Um... I'm not sure what to say here... Send Stacey to the Island?????????? I hope it's nice there since guess I have to go now too.

Hmmmmm... the #2 EE condition is interesting... almost like she may have had this meticulously planned all along...

BUTTTTTT CONGRATULATIONS MADDIE for conquering the best ride in all of WDW!!!!

Awww how wonderful to meet a truly great Poca especially given the outfit of the day.

It's hard for me to believe that DTD was never on the radar at all for me until a few years ago. In the day it's less crowded, but at night it just comes to life. I so enjoy just wandering and popping into whatever catches my fancy. A relaxing evening indeed.

Rob, I suspected that this update would hurt you. I should have clarified that Stacey was in danger of going to the island, but ultimately did not. Now if she pulls that stunt agian...

I'm so glad she liked EE after all that. She's excited to ride it agian.

Poca was great, such a sweet girl.

DTD is so nice isn't it? I really enjoy the atmospere in the evenings. WoD is always kind of crazy, but I think that's any time.

Girl, you are an updating machine!

Love the shirts, very talented! Mad die in line to EE made me remember our first trip and Shanleigh crying at everything lol. The looks I got.....geesh!

So many people don't take the time to enjoy the details and I feel the same as you do about Tusker House, simply amazing!

Love all the pics.....Maddie is such a little doll

Thanks Jaquie!

Isn't it funny? It's as though people don't remember thier own kids being that age!

Tusker is just awesome isn't it? We love it there!

 

[shan23877]

Yay! An improvement over last week!

Any week without an injury is a good week

My FIL's was the same day.

What a coincidence!

whoa! Nice!

I was shocked and so appreciative. A very generous gift.

That would be amazing. Can you imagine Darth Vader coming over?

Oh... wait.
What if he held up his hand and you started choking on a chicken bone at the same time.
Everyone would think you were just acting and no heimliching would be done.

I've never seen the movies? Does he do that? Is he able to harm people with just his hands? He doesn't even need a light saber?

No dancing! You'll re-injure your knee!

My old lady knees can not handle the dancing. A good thing because I'm a terrible dancer

That was our first (of only two, mind you) resort. We loved it too.

It's only our 4th, but we love it there. It's just so beautiful

Never been. Sounds pretty amazing.

You should try it. It's such a cool place.

Never had one of those either.

I'm tempted to send you some Krispy Kremes, but they're really only good when they're fresh.

Nope.
I really don't.
At least no one comes to mind.

Maybe it's just you?

You Canadians are too nice

A very atypical Canadian.

Except Trebek. I stand by that.

Didn't you hear? They just fixed it!

:

(Actually, I haven't seen a "fixed yeti" thread for a while now.)

God help me if they do. She'd freak out!

Well, of course. If you knew what you were talking about, then you would be on TV, right?

an excellent point

Some day she'll either be a corporate lawyer or a hostage negotiator.

You're probably right. At least this will have all been worth it.

Did you at least try to hide it? Or were you unable to?

Yeah.... I do the same thing.

Nope, laughed right at her. I think she knew she was being ridiculous.

You may have been the reason for a "mean/thoughtless parent" thread on the DIS!

<high five>

Awesome! That probably was me! Score!

Pretty smart. I wonder how often that line's been used?

I don't think it was the first time she's needed to say that.

In lieu of pretzels, frozen lemonade is an excellent choice.
I wonder if I'm possibly related to her some how?

You two are definitely kindred spirits.

Yup. Someone does not look overly princessy in this picture.

grumpy princess indeed

You should take a peek inside next time. It's quite something.

I'm eager to check it out. Maybe next trip...

Yup. Hostage negotiator.

Just how long did it take before she started shooting arrows at you guys?

You know, she never did. The dogs have been spared as well

That was our favorite part of staying at POR.

That boat is perfect. Such a nice ride.

Where you promptly hoisted your nose high into the air and marched triumphantly in.

Or at least felt like that, right?

It always feels a little like that.

How was she at handling them?

Well, once Bryan cracked them and de-shelled them she was great at dipping them in the butter!

Who wouldn't be? Nothing better than a late night swim.

It's so nice. One of my favorite things about vacation

Score!
Thanks for all the updates... but really... only eight?
Slacker.

Thanks Shantasmania!

I'll do better next time. Thanks Ponzherbert!

so many updates!!! love it!

i love your princess shirts! they are all so pretty and well done.

i couldn't believe how pretty it was at POR either. it was so peaceful whenever we walked around. and i loved crossing the bridge to get to the bus stop. so pretty!

it's so not nice, but i totally had to laugh at the pictures of maddie in line for EE. that's how our oldest was on mine train last time. the first time we rode it, she couldn't get enough and then the last trip, she was terrified it would be too scary. we kind of did make her ride because we knew she'd like it once she was on, which she did. of course, we got the looks from other people, but...what are you gonna do? and....we totally gave her a prize for riding EE twice in a row. they must totally know us parents are in line bribing our kids to get on!

maddie looks so cute in her Pocahontas dress! i'm glad you guys saw her. we couldn't find her anywhere when we went.

and she looks so precious in her princess dress and fancy ears at DTD. sounds like a good ending to your night (especially a stop into basin!).

Thank you so much!

Oh laugh away! I did! Kids sure keep things interesting don't they? I bet we're not the only ones offering bribes...

Huh. I'd better check with Kenny the Pirate to see where she is now. I know we arent' going to be able to miss seeing her agian.

It was such a nice ending. I can't wait to get back to Basin!

Ahahahaha, hey, I critique people when they seem to not care about their jobs and I would do ANYTHING to get to do the job! Lol.

YES HE IS PERF. Seriously though, being the first Naveen I’m not surprised!

The shirts are AMAZING! I seriously want some lol!

Yay for Tusker, it’s definitely one of my hands down favorite places to eat, especially for characters and lunch, like, it’s just perfect!! Glad you guys enjoyed again, and love the poca dress!!

Oh goodness, what an EE story that is! I’m glad that maddie eventually got on and did enjoy it! And darn Stacy!! UGH

Yay for great character interactions!!! Love that Poca was better this time around!

What an enjoyable evening and afternoon at DTD, I really do enjoy having such relaxing events in a trip, it just makes it nice and lovely and awesome!!

Thanks Katt! If you need any shirts for June, let me know. I can ship them to WDW to save on shipping!

Poca was so nice, such an improvement over last year.

I'm so glad we took the time to just relax at DTD that night, it was great!

Oh Naveen. I hope we're lucky enough to find him agian this year, I'm pretty sure I need to

Maddie looked so beautiful in the Pocahontas getup.

I howled with laughter when you mentioned that you couldn't stop laughing at her in the Everest line. It's awful, but I know when I have kids I'll be doing the same thing

And what a bummer that you didn't get more Blue Crab at Fulton's. I'm a Maryland girl and I live for blue crabs

Thank you!

It was so ridiculous. I had to laugh at her! I'm glad you'd do the same!

They were really good! I wish there had been more!

I can't believe how quickly your next trip is approaching!! I am sooooo insanely jealous that y'all are getting to do the Star Wars meal! I read about it and it instantly made me wish we would be during that time. I think it's going to be so fun!

Looks like y'all had a great day @ AK & @ DTD. I'm glad you pointed out that Maddie wasn't being forced to EE. That she wanted to but still cried. People do need to remember that when they witness these things they don't have all the facts AND they don't know the child. I've been there with Reid & have also received the nasty looks. But, I'm glad she rode & liked it in the end!

I'm thinking we're going to go back to WPE in Oct if we can squeeze in DTD. I like EoS but Reid really doesn't. I think the food @ WPE is very good!

Sorry your crab cake was a bit disappointing. It does LOOK yummy though!

Oh - and I'm loving all of your Etsy creations! I pop into your store every now & then to see what you have up for sale.

Thanks Amanda! We are getting super excited for the next trip!

I am so glad to know that I'm not the only parent that's been through this. Admitting this has been very theraputic.

WPE was delish! I cannot wait to have that mac and cheese agian!

Thanks for keeping up with the TR and Etsy Amanda, can't wait to hear about the cruise

Thank goodness for no more injuries! And happy to hear that your finger is healing. Ouch! I cringe just thinking about it!

Oh I just LOVE those princess tees! (I want to see DinoElsa! haha jk)

Eeek! I can't believe that your trip is coming up so soon!! Oh boy! It will be interesting to see how it goes with your MiL... at least you know now what to expect.

YAY for a ton of awesome updates!!! (I totally slacked this week and didn't do mine. )

We LOVED Tusker House too! I'm having a really hard time deciding between it and Akershus as one of our breakfasts.

OMG, your whole "sending to the island" concept cracked me up!! I would definitely send the 'Ohana Jackee Harry to the island. bwahahaha

Whoo hoo, go Maddie! That's great that she rode EE.... even though it took all morning. What a cute Victory Dance. Jorie asks me at least once a week to measure her to see if she is tall enough to ride it yet, lol. I sure hope that she grows another 1/2" before November.

Good choice at WPE! Now I'm dreaming of that mac & cheese too! Oooh I can not wait to have it again.

What a great afternoon & evening in DTD. (minus the rain and the long bus ride of course.... ugh, why are DTD buses always the worst!?)

Maddie's Jasmine swimsuit is so darn cute! I think I remember that one from your PTR.

hahahaha! I'll see if I can find a Dino-Elsa pic to show you! LOL!

Rachel, I swear I'm going to get caught up commenting on your TR, I have been reading and I'm so sad it's winding down. Will you do a PTR for the November trip? I'd love to follow along!

I bet that Jorie will love riding EE as soon as she can! It's such a good ride! I hope she makes it by November!

DTD buses are dreadful aren't they? Just awful!

Thanks!

Sneaking in to make a quick comment, really just to let you know that I'm still reading along! Love Maddie's pocohantas dress! She is so lucky to have such a talented mom! And, what updates... you've been so busy! Maddie certainly looked scared and love that picture! She'll laugh at it when she's all grown and looks back at her great memories. Can't wait to read more! And, it won't be long until you're back again! And, that will keep that Disney spirit going!

Enjoy! Karen

Karen you are way too kind to me. Thanks for popping in, I worry when you don't.

More coming right up!

What great updates Shannon! I had to go way back to your cruddy CRT dinner, your amazing Tiana & Naveen meet, you sewing your finger, planning with your MiL for your upcoming trip, and those adorable tees! (You are so creative.)

You brilliantly handled the Yeti dilemma. And I'd love to put Stacey on that Island sometime. She's too cute and perky! You are so creative.

Maddie's Pocahontas outfit was perfect for AK. That interaction with Poca and the bracelet was adorable. Characters that put that extra special effort and enthusiasm into the greets make the experience extra special.

I haven't seen a Fulton's review in some time. They completely escape my notice but WPE and EoS, those are two of my favorite places to eat in DTD!

I'm looking out for that Mine Train open in May as well. I'm wondering if I need to adjust our park plans to be in MK every day. Now I realize we will be visiting WDW at the same time.

Thanks Brenda! That's very sweet of you. I've been terrible at commenting lately, but I have been reading. Congrats to Em and her beau! And to the mother of the bride of course! I swear I'm going to get caught up soon!

Those characters that go above and beyond like she did are the best. they are the reason we continue to stand in those lines.

I loved WPE! Can't wait to eat there again next month! Fulton's is okay. I'd rather try some places at Swan/Dolphin once DDP stops making sense for us.

how funny! What are your May dates? We'll be there until the 10th.

 

[shan23877]

I'm going to keep throwing tons of updates at you guys because our next trip is just 27 days away!!! I really want to get the TR done so that I can do one for our next trip without getting confused.

The One With Akershus Royal Banquet Hall​

On the 5th day of our trip we woke up a little late, but that didn’t stop us from taking some more photos of the resort on our way out.

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Our ADR was for 8:00 am, but we didn’t arrive at Epcot until 7:55, and it took us another 10 minutes to hoof it back to Norway.

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It didn’t seem to matter as the line to check in at the podium was all the way back to the lagoon. Once we’d checked in we took a few photos and were called in a mere 5 minutes later.

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Once you’re called in, you’ll be directed to the immediate left of the entrance to have you photo taken with Belle-this photo is included in the price of the meal, and other than ETwB it’s currently the only opportunity to meet Belle in her yellow gown.

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Once we’d met our first princess we were led to our table-the exact same one we’d been given on our last visit. Akershus is broken up into 3 dining rooms-one to the right of where you’ll meet Belle, the large main room is directly in front of the doors, and a smaller one off to the left of the main room. We were seated in the dining area adjacent to Belle. For my money it’s an awesome location. It’s very near the cold buffet, and it’s the first stop the princesses make when visiting.

Our server, Knut, approached the table quickly and offered beverages and explained that we were welcome to sample from the cold buffet and that he’d be around shortly with our family style hot offerings.

It’s been well documented in my TRs how much I enjoy the fact that salami is available on the buffet at Akershus, and I wasted no time in securing some as well as a cinnamon roll or two. Maddie selected fruit, and Bry stuck with the salami and a croissant. The quality of food on the buffet is decent, and we’ve always found the pastries and fruit to be fresh and plentiful. I especially enjoyed the cinnamon rolls.

Soon enough Knut brought our breakfast platter. The platter consists of scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, and breakfast potatoes. The eggs were hot, and the sausage was tasty. I’ve heard many, many people here on the DIS say how much they enjoy the potatoes, but they just aren’t for me. I’m still baffled by it-I love potatoes, I love cheese, so I should love these. I just don’t though. The bacon was typical Disney bacon. Most of it was left on the platter.

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The food here was fine. It didn’t wow us, but by that point in the trip we were several days into character breakfasts. It could be that we were just tired of the same old stuff.

Soon enough the main event began-princesses began to visit!
Aurora was first. It’s been awhile, and I didn’t take great notes. I assume we enjoyed her.

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Cindy was next-same story there.

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Snow White was up next, and SHE was memorable! We heard her before we saw her as she positively squealed from the next table “It’s my princess twin!” She seemed genuinely excited, and spent a ton of time talking to Maddie about the dwarves, apples, and other princess things. And after a few hugs, she insisted on a kiss. I love these photos.

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Ariel stopped by, and while she seems to have amused Maddie I don’t remember much about her either.

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At Akershus, much like other character meals, there’s a parade of characters and children every hour or so. Since we have always been in one of the “side” dining rooms I find it hard to get photos of this parade. That’s okay though, I’ve seen it before.

After the parade Knut arrived with this

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We settled up with Knut who had been delightful-pleasant and attentive and made our way out into the bright sunshine for another theme park morning.

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall

Food -- 3

Service –5 Knut was everything you’d want in a character server.

Would We Return? Well I think you all know the answer to that. We’ll continue to go until DD is over princess meals (roughly her 75th birthday I assume). It’s a great alternative to CRT at 1 TS credit for those that can’t get CRT reservation or are turned off by the 2TS requirement there.

 

[shan23877]

The One with &#147;New” Test Track​

We got to Future World at 9:05 and sent Bryan ahead to the Land to secure Soarin’ FP while Mads and I made our way to Test Track.



At 9:05 the wait was only 10 minutes, but climbed steadily while we waited. Bry made good time, and got back to us by 9:15. The wait was already up to 35 minutes. While we waited, Maddie and I watched with interest as they filmed something out on the grass in front of the attraction. Anyone know what this was all about?

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We joined the standby line, and while most people think it’s boring we enjoyed it. Well, Bryan enjoyed it, and both of us had fun taking photos to send to my little brother the family gear head.

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I’ve also heard that most don’t enjoy the design a car part of the queue. While I don’t think it’s essential to the ride experience, I like it a LOT more than the old pre-show and found it to be a great way to spend 15 of the 30 minutes we waited.





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I didn’t find the ride to have changed much at all, but we all liked it. A tip- secure your hair before riding.

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We played around at some of the interactive stations on our way out, and then began to make our way to the Land to use our Soarin FP.

The standby line had already reached a hour, so we were grateful to have our FP (apparently I did not take any notes about characters, but did take note of all standby wait times).



Soarin’ over California works up an appetite, so we hit up our favorite open-before-11 Future World pretzel cart. Maddie had expressed interest in riding Test Track again, so Bryan made his way back across the park to get the FP while Mads and I enjoyed a snack on the benches outside of the Character Spot.

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You may be shocked to know that we did not pop into the Character Spot for some QT with Mickey and Friends. Rather we made our way to World Showcase-where we got in line to meet Mulan.

The line to meet her is almost always short this time of morning, and we were meeting her in no time. She was lovely and loved her bracelet. The PP photographer with her was amazing, and seemed almost as excited as Mulan about the gift.

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Having taken care of priority one, we doubled back to Mexico so that Maddie could begin her scavenger hunt.

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Maddie is notorious for getting bored and hating World Showcase, so this year I’d printed up the flag of each country and had a question that Maddie had to ask a CM in each one. If she completed them all, she’d get a souvenir.

We were off to a great start as she actually let us go inside the pavilion! We had fun shopping, and Maddie modeled some goods after she’d found out what the CM’s favorite food was.

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On the way out, we saw Fiesta! Donald and this time I insisted we stop. I’ve wanted to meet him forever! We were lucky to get in line right before they cut it off, and had a great time with Donald.

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In Norway we stood around for a loooonnnnnggg time while Maddie colored not only a Duffy, but also a Perry. I was pleased to see that the sharpies at the Kidcot stations had been replaced with good ole Crayola washable.

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We moved on to China where we were told that only the CM at the Kidcot station would translate Maddie’s name to Chinese characters. Since that was Maddie’s scavenger hunt goal we got in line. The CM was very sweet and took quite a bit of time talking to each child.

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Maddie was starting to get hot and whiny, so to appease her we paused in Germany to meet Snow White. The line was longish but we were in line behind 2 very sweet DCP CMs who we enjoyed chatting with. Snow wasn’t in quite as good a mood as she’d been that morning, so the M&G didn’t last long.

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Snow White had done little to improve Maddie’s mood, but luckily it was lunch time. We all needed a break, and I had a surprise for her!
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