Disney - Dining (Crystal Palace)

The last time we went to DisneyWorld, we made special plans for a then, five year-old Acadia to have breakfast with Cinderella and some other princesses inside Cinderella Castle.  It is a little pricey, that is true, but as soon as we arrived, we knew right away that it was worth every single penny!  First of all, hello!  We were eating in a castle!  The food was delicious - and it was all-you-can-eat.  The characters all came to our table and we were able to get special one-on-one time with each, getting autographs, hugs, and photos.  If we had only known, we would have booked more character meals like that!

So one of the first goals I had when planning this trip was to do just that!  I wanted to book more of these characters meals!  When I learned about the dining plans we could use when staying at the resort, I found an easy way for us to get to have so many of these great experiences.  The dining plan we chose included these character meals in their options!  We were able to do several!

I knew that Rori would love the princesses, just like Acadia had when she was 5, but I wasn't sure who Cadi would want to see now that she was older.  I asked her, and her answer surprised me: Eeyore.  I had no idea she loved Eeyore that much!  But of all of the Disney characters, Eeyore is the one she wanted to meet the most.

And so, for our first day in DisneyWorld, I made plans for us to eat lunch with Eeyore, Pooh, Piglet, and Tigger at the Crystal Palace. 

It was our first day, first character meal, and we... well, we were all feeling a little goofy.  It is true that Disney brings out the kid in everyone.  Of couse, with some of us, that isn't much of a stretch. ;)

Essentially, all of the character meals work the same.  You are seated, it is all-you-can-eat (most are traditional buffets, with just a couple that bring the food to your table in bottomless dishes), and as you dine, characters go from table to table, visiting every guest.  If by chance you miss one (like, if you're up getting more food when they come by), you let your server know and they make sure the character comes right over.  The food is always delicious and getting to see the characters without having to wait in line is pretty awesome.



We actually made a second visit to Crystal Palace on one of our last days in WDW.  It was actually kind of a "Magic Moment" because we didn't have a reservation.  Due to bad timing on a thunderstorm, we missed out on a dinner show we were originally scheduled to see, so Disney credited our meal voucher and we ended up with extra dining opportunities.  It is usually hard to get into a character meal without a reservation (which usually need to be made MONTHS in advance), most of the time IF you get in, it is only after a very long wait.  But when we asked if there was a way to get on the list, explaining how our previous dinner show had been cancelled, they got us in pretty fast.  And we appreciated it!

Since it was near the end of our trip, and we had already visited with all of the characters already, when we were done eating, and after Acadia got to see Eeyore, she took off to ride some more rides.  The rest of us waited for Pooh, but after that we left, too.  We didn't feel the need to wait longer to see Piglet or Tigger again.  And we didn't want to take up valuable table space for no real reason when they had been so great to get us in so quickly.

Not every dining experience is going to get it's own post, but this one, being our first, and being one of Acadia's very favorite experiences, deserved it. :)

Disney - Pin Trading

This was something entirely new to us... Pin Trading!  I don't even know if people were trading pins the last time we went.  But in researching for this trip, I learned a little about pin trading and thought it would be fun to try it out.  It turned out to be a great element of our Disney experience!

You may have been noticing the lanyards we wore around our necks just about every moment of everyday.  The lanyards weren't all that important, but what we carried in them, was!  They held our "key to the world" and without them, we couldn't get into any parks, buy any meals, get into our resort... but with them, we could do everything!  Even buy souvenirs without our credit card or ID (up to $50, anything over that they made you show ID for security reasons).  By flashing our "key to the world", we were allowed to ride rides after hours, use Disney transportation to anywhere we wanted, and check in to our reserved dining experiences.  (And don't worry, if you lost yours, you just notified a cast member right away and they cancelled the old one and got you a new one.)

The lanyards also held valuable information for the girls, like Ryan and my cell phone numbers in case they got lost.  Ryan was the designated Fast Pass holder, and kept them in his lanyard, whereas I was the designated Photo Pass holder and kept them in mine.  We didn't go anywhere without these lanyards!  And it was the only essential thing we needed wherever we did go.  I'll be honest, after living that way for two weeks, when we got home, it was really weird having to think of what I did need to take with me while running errands instead of just grabbing my lanyard. lol

We each had our own lanyard themed particularly to our interest.  Of course, Rori had Princesses, Cadi had Tinker Bell, I had Mickey, and Ryan had Jack Skeleton.  :)  Before we went to WDW, I purchased a few "lots" of trading pins from e-bay (Totally the way to do it - new, these pins cost anywhere from $7 and up, but buying a "lot" on ebay was only about $1 per pin, sometimes less!).  The thing is, you can bring any tradable Disney pins, no matter how old or "cute", so I didn't care what pins we got in the lots.  (Though, I did buy a few special pins specifically for us that we wouldn't want to trade.)  Then, when we got to WDW, each day we filled our lanyards with 10 tradable pins or so, and throughout the day, whenever we saw a cast member with pins on their lanyard, we traded.

It is mostly geared toward kids, but every cast member we met was willing to trade with me if I wanted, too.  They have to make the trade as long as it's a tradable pin, the pins on their lanyards are not their own, they are Disney's.  So you can give them your lamest pin and get their best.  Sweet deal! lol

The girls had a ton of fun and came home with some GREAT pins!!!  Here are a few pics of them trading...

Disney - Downtown

This was the first time any of us had visited Downtown Disney.  I didn't really know what to expect.  I had always thought of it as a night scene, full of clubs.  But it wasn't like that at all!  There were tons of shops, lots of dining, and places to catch great shows, like Cirque du Soleil. 

We made two visits to Downtown Disney, and I think the kids would have loved to have gone again!  The first time we all went together.  Later, Ryan took the girls back to play some more while I did... laundry.  Yeah, a mother's work is never done. ;)

Downtown Disney is where you'll find the biggest Disney store... like, ever.  It was huge!  And it was fun!  Just about everything Disney was there.  Outside, the girls had fun taking pics with icons...

Another really cool store was the Lego store.  Check out all of these Disney scenes entirely made of Legos!

But the best part as far as the kids were concerned, was DisneyQuest.  Just walking around Downtown Disney, and visiting the shops is free... but to get into DisneyQuest, you need to have admission to "water parks & more", which of course, we had. :)  It was totally fun and, once inside, all of the games/rides are free!  DisneyQuest is a huge, 5 story arcade and even making two trips, the girls didn't get enough. lol

Acadia especially loved the area where she was able to design her own rollercoaster on a computer, then she was able to get into a simulator where she could basically ride her own rollercoaster!  That was super cool!!!

There was a whole lot more we could have explored at Downtown Disney!  It was a ton of fun!

Disney - Magic Kingdom (Parades & Shows)

My favorite shows are the night shows, but I do really like the other parades and shows that they have in the parks.  And it is really too hard to pick a favorite.  They are all so colorful and fun!

I remember the first time I saw a show on the stage in front of Cinderella Castle.  It was the first day of our DisneyWorld trip with my sister and her family, seven years ago.  After the show, my sister admitted to me that she had teared up when Mickey came out.  And I admitted that I had teared up when the Princesses came out. lol  It is corny, but I LOVE those shows!!!  It was a different show this time, (I'm sure they change every year.) but I still loved it!  My very favorite part of this year's show is when Minnie tells Mickey that she always wanted to be a princess and Mickey says, "Aw, Minnie, you've always been a princess to me!"  :)  *tear*  Now tell me that doesn't just make you feel all sweet and mushy inside! lol

The first time Rori saw the street dance party parade was while Cadi and I were shopping on Main St.  Ryan had taken her out to the street to watch it and she loved it!  As it passed, the cast members at the end invited her to go along with them down to where the parade would stop and do the actual street party part, but she didn't want to leave us there at the store.  It was sweet because she REALLY liked the parade/dance party!  So, we made sure to catch it later when we were all together and could take some time to truly dance in the streets.  I don't have pictures of her (or anyone else) dancing, but I think Ryan did get some on video. :)

We had to try to see the afternoon parade a couple of times before we actually got to see it.  One of the drawbacks of going when we did is that you usually get a good thunderstorm at some point in the afternoon.  It doesn't last long, but if the timing is right, it can totally cancel a show or parade.  But that was one of the reasons why we went for as long as we did, so we would have... time.  No worries.  We knew we'd catch it eventually.  And we did! :)

FrontierLand was the best place to watch it for a few reasons.  First of all, even though the map indicates that it starts on Main Street, it usually starts in FrontierLand.  And that means, as soon as it passes, you can go ride rides while the rest of the park is still waiting for the parade to come by.  Second, there were good benches, crates, and other items to provide good seating along the path so we didn't have to stand the whole time.  And third - Dole Whips (think pineapple soft serve) are close by!  Waiting for the parade is the PERFECT time to get one.  YUM! :)

lol, I just love the Tremaine family!  They were awesome in character.  So fun!  And it was fun when the characters could walk by and give "high fives".

The parades/shows are cool because they are just so... happy!  Watching them just feels good.  I didn't feel like we had to watch any of them more than once (Although if we were going to, it would probably be the dance party because it was just so fun!) but I am definitely glad we made the point to see them (instead of just giving up the first time we were rained out).  Especially the Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade.  This whole trip was a dream come true for us.  We wanted to go, we worked hard to get there, and we were loving every minute of it!  This was our dream come true and that parade was our parade.  We had a lot of fun watching it. :)

Disney - Magic Kingdom

My favorite WDW park!  I don't know why, but there is just something about walking through that gate, under the tunnel, and down Main Street heading towards the castle.  It feels amazing, it feels... magical! 

We visited Magic Kingdom more than any of the other parks.  Tons of rides, great food, meeting characters, watching shows, even just walking around taking everything in... it is all awesome at Magic Kingdom.  I posted about some of my very favorite memories that took place in Magic Kingdom already, and I've got a couple that I'm holding out for a later post, but I think I can come up with one or two more to post now, too.  ;)




Some of my favorite moments were little things that just added to the whole feel of the trip.  Like the time a lady gave me a handful of Fast Passes!  She was about to leave for the day and couldn't use them, so she gave them to me.  It was a "magical moment" that we returned to another family on a day that we were leaving the park with Fast Passes in hand.  We selected the family based on their Boston Red Sox apparel, and let them know it, too! lol  Which reminds me of how we kind of kept track of the Red Sox vs. Yankees paraphanalia that we saw.  We may be biased, but we are sure we saw more Red Sox fans.  ;)


Or when someone pointed out an alligator in the river by Tom Sawyer's Landing.  We later felt dumb, realizing that it was probably fake, since surely Disney wouldn't let an alligator swim free in its park.  But everytime we went by there, no matter how long we watched, we never saw it again.  So then we felt dumb for feeling dumb, it hadn't been fake at all! lol


It is really hard to pick favorite moments at Magic Kingdom because really, the whole time is amazing.  Just being there is amazing.  We absolultely loved it!


Oh, but I do have just one more thing to say about Magic Kingdom: Dole Whips.  Delicious!  The end. :)

Disney - Epcot (World Showcase)

One of the things I want to do someday, is to go to Epcot during the Christmas season.  It was our original thought when we first planned this trip, but then we realized that taking the girls out of school for that long would be unwise.  So, our plans changed and my dream remains. :) 

However, even when not during the holidays, World Showcase is fascinating!  11 countries are showcased and we saw them all.  Though, we had to do it over the period of a couple days.  We began in Norway, where we had reservations at Akershus Castle to have breakfast with princesses (more on that later).  But here we are exploring Norway while we waited for breakfast.  Have you ever seen a viking princess?  Well, now you have!

I don't have a collage for each of the countries, but Mexico did need it's own.  We had a lot of fun in Mexico!  First of all, it was all inside - hello, air conditioning!  Plus, they just had a ton of stuff to look at and play with.  With the bongos and maracas around, you know Aurora had some serious musical moments... yes, more dancing!

Oh, and I guess China will have to have it's own, too.  I loved China... I loved SHOPPING in China!  I came home with some beautiful jewelry from there.  In fact, just a couple of weeks ago, my neighbor borrowed one of the jewelry sets to wear with her gown for Homecoming.  It is such a good thing that I bought it. ;)

Here are some of the other countries we visited, too... Itay, US, Canada, and the U.K.  The U.K was fun because they had an acting troop performing in the streets when we were walking by.  They used volunteers from the crowd and got them to act along with them.  It was hilarious!  Other countries had various performers, too.  It was so fun to watch!

And Morocco, Japan, and France (I didn't really have any pictures from Germany :S) ...

Okay, I LOVE this pic of Rori in Morocco!  I kind of wish I had purchased them, at least the skirt.  They had little coins on them, so every move she made resulted in a tinkling sound.  She loved shaking her hips! lol  If Ryan had been there to consult with, I bet we would have gotten it.  I had hoped to go back, but we just didn't ever get back to that shop.  Maybe someday... :)

A neat program they have for the kids, to help them to enjoy the World Showcases a bit more, is Kidcot.  Each country had their own Kidcot station staffed by natives from that country.  The kids could color a bear and get the handle and back stamped by each station.  Those who purchased "passports" also got messages written to them in their native language.  Acadia filled her passport and has something written in each of the languages.  Poor Rori, hers was left in the hotel room the second day we went, so we didn't get all of hers signed. :S

Epcot is really, really cool.  I didn't really appreciate it as much the last time we went to Epcot.  This time I knew I would want to spend more time there.  And now I know that I would like to spend even more.  It was so interesting, beautiful, entertaining, and fun!  Loved it! :)

Disney - Epcot (Future World)

I will have to split Epcot into two seperate posts, there is just too much to cover!

I love Epcot!  Magic Kingdom is my favorite park, but Epcot is probably my second favorite.  It is practically two parks in one, which is why (and how) I will be splitting up my posts.  World Showcase will be coming later, so for now I'll focus more on Future World.

We had at least one meal booked everyday we went into Epcot, two of them breakfasts with princesses in Akershus Castle, and on those days, Aurora arrived dressed appropriately.  She kept her dress on for quite awhile after breakfast, so you'll mostly see her in it. :)

Spaceship Earth (the huge globe) is beautiful!  I loved it lit up at night and insisted on getting several pictures taken with it. ;)

One of the first things we did at Epcot was to go for a test drive on Test Track.  It was a fun ride, but we also had fun checking out the cars in the showroom afterwards.  Acadia found a new GMC Acadia and sat behind the wheel for awhile.  She is sure she will own one someday. lol

Another area we all really liked was The Seas with Nemo and Friends.  The aquariums were great and we had fun watching all of the fish.  I loved the dolphins!  We all absolutely love Turtle Talk with Crush, where Crush came and talked with the kids.  He learned about the human world and we learned about the sea turtle world.  Many of us have found ourselves quoting Crush... even as recently as this weekend.  Dude... he was awesome!  Of course, we also had to stop by and see Bruce.  It got a little intense when we found ourselves needing to remind him that girls are friends, not food... they barely escaped with their lives! ;)

In revisiting these photos, I found more of Rori dancing!  I believe we were waiting for Ryan and Cadi to get us some yummy treats :)  And I'm kind of cheating because technically, the dancing pics were taken in World Showcase.  So were the ones of us saving the world by playing Kim Possible.  In Innovations (the same place where Rori found a fire truck to play on), there was a station where they were enlisting guests to help save the world.  Well, you know us, we're all about saving the world! ;)  lol... So, we signed up, were given a country to report to, and there they gave us our communicator which directed us on our mission.  We followed clues, answered questions, witness suspicious activity, and even had our picture secretly taken before finally comleting our mission.  Yes, we definitely saved the world. ... You're welcome! ;)

One of my very favorite things at Epcot was not caught on film... Soarin'.  Oh my, I LOVED IT!!!  It was absolutely incredible.  We flew over California, smelled the orange groves, went back to Yosemite, saw the Golden Gate Bridge... it was amazing!  We went on it several times.  I could have gone on it several more times!  I look forward to doing that again! :)

Epcot cannot be done in one - or even two - days.  We were there three seperate days and still didn't see everything.  It is just a very cool park with amazing things to see and do.  Stay tuned... next will be World Showcase. :)