WDW: December 13, 2011

We were all moving slow our last morning, but got out "on time". We ended up with an extra table service meal, so decided to grab breakfast at Boma after checking our bags. Breakfast was incredible and our server Sue beyond great, but the morning was not without event. After wasting entirely too much time resolving a payment issue with the rude, not-at-all-helpful manager, we were finally off to the Magic Kingdom at almost 10. The crowds were already getting heavier, but we had few priorities anyway - so all was well.

The first stop, without a doubt, was the Emporium to track down Hartley's hat. She was so excited to find it!

Next we watched a few minutes of the castle show again, and rode "it's a small world" for the last time this trip. We got just our second Dole Whip (a travesty, really!), and visited with the Princesses and the Mice one more time before telling them goodbye (or, rather, "see ya real soon!").

With the day's early delays, we weren't going to have nearly as much time at Epcot as I had hoped - but it was still the perfect way to end our trip. We at lunch at Electric Umbrella, spent a bit more time wandering our favorite park, and ended the trip like we did last time - with a Mickey bar and the Fountain of Nations. It's a tradition I could get used to, even if we only had room for half of said Mickey bar. Literally, all 4 of us working on one. (It's no wonder I gained weight at my OB appointment 3 days after our return, right?!)

We did all the boring things you have to do on the way home (get gas, return the car, check the carseats, etc), thankfully without a hitch. Our flight was delayed about 30 minutes, but the wait wasn't bad. The flight was uneventful, the drive back from Columbus long.

"I miss Disney World already, mama."

Don't we all, kid.

Here's to October 2012... hitting the World for the first time as a family of 5, and showing Baby Brother the ropes!

Next: WDW: September 26, 2012

WDW: December 12, 2011

Our last full day. Always such a bummer!

We took it slow again in the morning (especially trying to get some stuff packed), and made it to Epcot by about 9:30. We rode Spaceship Earth together, then I shopped in Mouse Gear with a discount while the girls and Zach played in Innoventions. The Imagination Pavilion (including Journey... w/Figment), more tickley pop, and some time soaking in the atmosphere filled out our morning - and somehow it was already time for lunch.

We grabbed a bite at Yorkshire County Fish Shop to start, before visiting with Marie and Aurora. The latter was our priority for the morning, and was she worth the effort! The girls got to interact with her for nearly 10 minutes, discussing their princes (Philip and Zach, of course), practicing twirling, and doing other princess-appropriate things. How cute are they?!

On our way to get Emmersyn some food (The kid wouldn't touch the fish? Weird.) we spotted a lonesome Belle, and the girls went running!

When the rain and wind started again (boo), we decided to head back to the hotel to pack and hang out some more. We finally got to see more animals (kind of a disappointing showing this trip, compared to last time!), and each girl got a decent little rest - even if Hartley's did have to happen in the car. Again.

Back at Epcot, we spent some more time in Innoventions and Club Cool while waiting for our reservation at Garden Grill. We have really come to love this one, and the night was no exception.

With exhausted girls, Downtown Disney wasn't what it usually is for us. We literally went in two "necessary" stores in just about an hour, and it was time to call it a night. Emmersyn had picked out her souvenir (a princess minnie plush), and Hartlru had changed her mind to a princess Minnie ear hat, but we had no luck in finding it at DTD.

It was late, the next morning was going to be early, and the day long with travel... so we went to bed a little anxious, but keeping our fingers crossed that we'd get through - and end our trip on as high a note as the majority had been thus far!

WDW: December 13, 2011

WDW December 11, 2011

We were missing church on Sunday morning (and my long-awaited iband request!) but happy to be together in our happy place a few more days. We took it slow in the morning, getting to Animal Kingdom a few minutes after 9. The girls are apparently not interested in Animal Kingdom this trip (though completely subconsciously), because despite great sleep, they both had meltdowns again on our way in. What in the world?

Eventually, they calmed down.  Zach walked right on to ride Expedition Everest while the girls and I got fast passes for Kilimanjaro Safaris. We said hello to Baloo, met back up with Zach, and headed to wait for Thumper and Miss Bunny. We also caught Meeko and Pochanotas, and the girls were thrilled to get four new autographs that morning after we had warned them the increasing crowds might mean the opposite.

Since little brother is "too little until he is born", I had to skip the Safari.  Zach and the girls enjoyed it, while I relaxed in the Flights of Wonder show. I always like the show, but Guano Joe was absolutely incredible. I was literally laughing out loud multiple times, especially as he improvised and added jokes about Angry Birds and Chick-Fil-A. :)

Lunch was at Flame Tree BBQ before we headed to the Studios. Once there, the girls were asleep almost immediately. I only got to do the Animation Academy once, thanks to people (like some I know ;)) that can't make their kids wait for anything throwing off the count. I'll stop there, since the same tangent would be redundant. It was fun though, as always, and Zach enjoyed more "not suitable for pregnant women" rides, including Star Tours 2.0. Twice. So jealous!

The girls and I watched Jedi Training Academy while waiting for Zach to finish, then we all headed over to Muppetvision.  Hartley and Emmersyn hadn't seen it since they were quite small, and really loved it. It was so crowded at this point that we weren't going to get a good parade spot, so we made the somewhat difficult decision to skip it this trip. Instead, we opted to hang out by the Buzz & Woody meet and greet location and grab snack #3904823. Because of the parade timing, we were first in line - but didn't think that would mean much since it wasn't the start of the day. We were wrong!

A green army man came to get "the recruits", and led the girls through all of the fun photo ops before posing with his friends for a picture. Emmersyn and Hartley were very cute, if a bit overwhelmed. :)

We were then first in line to say hi to the Incredibles, though that wasn't nearly so exciting. Still, it meant more autographs we hadn't had previously! We spent a little time playing games in the Magic of Disney Animation, before going to eat at Hollywood and Vine. Dinner was pretty bad this time, and was made worse by the pouring rain threatening to cancel Fantasmic. You might recall, F! was our priority this trip. With their relatively new-found coping skills (read: "skipping" things) and the glorious noise-cancelling headphones, we figured they'd finally be ready for it again. This was our only chance to see it this trip, and was the sole reason we had put up with the crowds at the Studios all afternoon

After hiding out in the stores down Sunset Boulevard for much of the evening, we decided to go for it since they hadn't officially canceled. We were soaked, and at one point the skies opened up again during the show so we were "forced" to huddle together under a sopping wet blanket for some semblance of protection... but the girls did so well - and I couldn't have imagined anywhere I would have rather been with my favorite 3.5 people in the world!

When the rain finally stopped (for the night?) we were not terribly cold, so we walked quickly through the Osborne Lights. It was still breathtakingly beautiful, as was Zach talking to the girls about the nativity and the Christmas story in the midst of the spectacle.

By the end of the night we were sleepy and soaked, but so happy. Would we have preferred to be dry? Of course - but the night was still pretty special.

WDW:December 12, 2011

WDW: December 10, 2011

By now, you know nothing ever stops us from being up and at it bright and early. We were at the Studios by 7:45 for morning extra magic hours. As has been our "usual" plan lately, Zach grabbed Toy Story Mania fast passes while the girls and I tracked down and visited with some characters decked out in their Hollywood best.

Next was our favorite "breakfast" at Starring Rolls, and the girls' favorite Studios shows (Voyage of the Little Mermaid and Disney Jr Live). Before the second show, we had seen Jake heading backstage, and the girls shouted, "We'll really, really try to see you after the show!" Thankfully, it worked out just like that. :)

After visiting with Jake and Manny, we rode Toy Story Mania - the girls actually playing this time, and thoroughly enjoying it.

We took our chances and returned to the hotel for some downtime/rest in the afternoon, hoping it went better than the first day we had attempted such a thing. Lunch at the Mara was delicious, but that's where the pleasantries ended. The girls had the most epic meltdown, lots of fighting ensued, and we realized we were idiots for ever trying to change what has worked for half a dozen trips now. Lesson learned.

Eventually we gave up completely on rest, finished our meltdowns, and headed to the Animal Kingdom. The girls were so very tired, but we were tired of wasting an afternoon with no relief in sight. A change of scenery helped some, though Emmersyn and Hartley definitely had fewer privileges that afternoon than they would have otherwise. Ultimately, we all very much enjoyed the Festival of the Lion King, Mickey's Jingle Jungle Parade, and Finding Nemo: The Musical and the afternoon was moderately redeemed.

Dinner was at the Rainforest Cafe, after almost eating there on several trips prior. It wasn't as great as we had remembered from our honeymoon (haven't been since), but the girls enjoyed it. We were seated by the elephants and a fish tank, and Hartley had a great view of the "rain" and some butterflies she loved.

Bedtime went well enough... but came early. We were all flippin' exhausted.

WDW: December 11, 2011

WDW: December 9, 2011

Despite not making a peep as they quickly fell asleep (or throughout the remainder of the night), the girls still slept until 645! We did our usual morning "routine" and headed to the Magic Kingdom.

First stop was Dumbo, followed by the Tomorrowland Speedway before either line got too long. The Speedway is one I was technically not supposed to ride, but we took all the necessary precautions (i.e. Kyle following so a random kid didn't rear end my car) and had a "great" time. If by "great" I mean a time that our kids liked, and so we tolerated because we love them. ;)

Onto visit the princesses, we were excited to find Jasmine there this time!  Hartley and Emmersyn were super chatty with all three (though a little overwhelmed by Jasmine), which is always fun.

On our way to Adventureland we grabbed the first Dole Whip of the trip, and waited for the new (old) Tiki Room! It was definitely an improvement, but other than the nostalgia factor (which might be enough, I'll admit) I'm not sure we'd be disappointed if we missed it on a trip now and then. We hit the Jungle Cruise next, before lunch at Tortuga Tavern.

Zach took the girls on Pirates of the Caribbean after lunch, while I did a little window shopping - and waited to hear how badly they freaked out on the ride. To our surprise, they really loved it still!

Over in Tomorrowland we watched the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, where the girls were delighted to have "their" joke read again. We then grabbed a Sweet Cream pretzel (yes, pretty much all we did was eat, if you're wondering), the girls laid down to rest, Zach  headed to the Mountains (Splash and Big Thunder) while I headed to my favorite rocking chair.

At about 215 I took the (sleeping) girls over to grab a parade spot.  Zach joined us, and the girls eventually woke up just in time to play a bit before "Celebrate a Dream Come True". Their sweet enjoyment of the parades would be enough to keep us coming back to WDW time and again, if that were the only good thing about it. I might have mentioned something similar, even as recently as yesterday. But it's true.

After the parade was over we changed the girls into their Cinderella dresses and rode a few more rides (Buzz, TTA, Teacups and Snow White). We discovered some fun secrets in the Sir Mickey's and Castle Couture shops, so we played there for a little while, before riding "it's a small world" again... and finally dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table!

The girls were more precious than I could have ever hoped. After getting a picture with Cindy, they ran up the spiral staircase and literally gasped when they got to the top. Dinner was delicious, and they loved their Wishing Stars, Magic Wands, and chocolate milk (it was a "special day", after all, eating in the castle!). The Princess interaction was infinitely better than we had previously had at Akershus, and the night overall was well worth every penny. The evening ended with the girls decorating their own desserts, then strolling out of the Magic Kingdom on a beautiful night.

It was relatively early, so we spent some time saying hi to the zebra outside our room and took our time getting ready for bed. Another magical day in the books!

WDW: December 10, 2011

WDW: December 8, 2011

We got a better night's sleep than I had expected after such a late evening. The girls were up by 6 still, but quiet all night - so we were all relatively refreshed. We got ready for the day and played a while, and when everyone got restless we headed down to explore the lobby and catch a classic Mickey cartoon or two. Eventually, it was time to head to Epcot for rope drop!

After trying several trips before, we were finally the first family at Character Connection! Each time we had gone we were second or third, and were always a bit jealous of the family spending quality time with all the fab 5 characters at once. So imagine my disappointment when the cast member brought us over to say hi to Mickey, and only Mickey. I said aloud, "Oh no! Of course the time we're here first they don't do anything special. I just assumed it was every day!" :( And then I felt like a dork because at the same time, the rest of the characters were peeking out from behind the set to surprise the girls. And me, obviously.

Emmersyn and Hartley enjoyed the attention, and then also got some one-on-one time with each character as usual. They loved showing them their Duffy bears, and couldn't stop bouncing with excitement.

After this fun start to the morning, we headed over to the land to grab Soarin fast passes and ride Living with the Land (aka "Vegetable Boat Ride". Still).  Hartley still absolutely adores this ride, which makes me happy.

Next we rode the Seas with Nemo and Friends, walked right into Turtle Talk with Crush, and spent some time checking out the rest of the fish for a little while. Because we knew we needed to pace ourselves with all the food coming our way this week :) we grabbed an early snack at the Promenade, then the girls and I played in the Mission:Space play area while Zach rode. You know, since he isn't the one pregnant.

Since it was open at this point, we rushed over to Club Cool for some "girl pop". The girls had our beloved Kinley, and also tried the apple one this time (from... China? Mexico? I don't know, I only drink the Kinley. Repeatedly.) They are so cute with pop -- "It's tickley!" they kept saying, through giggles galore. Love them.

After we had our fill (or, rather, cut the girls off), we headed back to the Land to watch the Circle of Life show and eat lunch at Sunshine Seasons.  Zach and the girls then headed over to meet Duffy (and finally show him their Duffy friends, as they had been waiting to do two. whole. days. ;)) while I rode Soarin'. By the time I caught up with them, the previously crabby girls were sound asleep... and stayed that way for nearly two hours!

While Zach rode other things I wasn't allowed, I spent some quality time in the Norway and China pavilions, as well as discovering my new favorite kiosk with the coolest necklaces and bracelets, made from old park maps, etc and raising money for clean-water wells in Africa.

As I was relaxing and people watching in one of my favorite places, I saw Snow White coming to the wishing well. The girls were still sleeping, but I assumed they'd be up soon - so we got in line. By the time it was our turn they were awake, but only barely. And despite wanting desperately to see her since we hadn't yet gotten her autograph, this is the best we could do:

Once Zach caught up to us and the girls fully woke up, we played in Italy, checked out the gingerbread house in the American Adventure pavilion, and watched the Fife and Drums while snacking. Again. :) (This time, a firecracker and pretzel for half of us, fresh, warm caramel corn for me.) We also got to see the Voices of Liberty for the first time in a long time, and still love them. Vocal harmony at its finest. The girls were mesmerized!

We meandered through more of World Showcase, coloring, dancing to Mariachi Cobre, listening to a few holiday story tellers, and - of course - riding "The Donald Boat Ride" and putting on a show in the Mexico pavilion. Everyone around was cracking up. My kids are seriously the coolest.

We stopped by to say hi to Donald on our way to dinner, and were seated at Nine Dragons immediately upon our arrival. The food was good, but I think our memories of it being excellent were more about what we had expected the first time. Still, no complaints. Everyone left satisfied, and ready to head back "home" for the night.

Back at the hotel, the girls got a quick bath and got ready for bed. Despite their great nap earlier, they were so tired - but of course, not too tired to talk about our day while waiting for their now-favorite Duffy bedtime story!

December 9, 2011

WDW: December 7, 2011

It was a long night, but I guess not historically so for a night at Walt Disney World. We left at about 7:30 for the Magic Kingdom, and ended up third in line for the Rapunzel meet and greet! *sigh* And then some ridiculous snafu happened, and she showed up over an hour late anyway. Seriously, I HATE this meet and greet. You know that. Disney execs know that. Apparently nobody cares (despite the fact that I'm one of dozens of people - that I know - who have offered (constructive!) criticism on the attraction, and despite the fact that every other character experience is getting better with time).

The girls were angels in line despite the absurdity, and I might have ticked a few parents off... but that's a story for another time. :) Eventually we made it in to say hello, and somehow it was almost worth it. They told her about their dresses and shoes, about their coloring pages, and talked about how long Rapunzel's hair was when she was three.

Next we conquered Fantasyland, smoothie in hand.  Hartley adored the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, the carousel was a hit still, and - both girls decided that "it's a small world" is still their very favorite ride. We also saw Mickey's Philharmagic (the girls are getting much better at "skipping" parts of attractions they don't love) and rode Peter Pan's Flight, all before lunch at Columbia Harbour House.

Here it was, the first example of the ridiculous amounts of food we have now that our children (who mostly eat like birds) are on the dining plan. Yes, of course I ran the numbers and it was still a phenomenal deal. And actually, it turned out great. We were able to pack away some from each lunch for breakfast the next day, the girls got to choose whatever they wanted instead of always having to agree... it was quite fun! And filling. For eight days straight.

We headed back to the hotel for a break, which was (still) a terrible idea.  Hartley had a hellacious meltdown which resulted in Zach giving up his break to drive her around town like a colicky newborn, while Emmersyn and I caught about an 8-minute nap - and we left later for our evening than we had intended.

Back at the Magic Kingdom for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, we rode the Carousel of Progress and checked into The Plaza, catching "Dream Along with Mickey" while waiting

Dinner was fine, but I didn't regret that it had taken so long to eat there. The kids appetizers were a source of amusement (the only two offered being a salad and tomato soup, so perfect for my two!), and the Mickeylodeon desserts were cute. The rest was fine.

We got a parade spot ridiculously early, but it was no problem. We took turns sitting bundled under a blanket waiting and checking out some nearby parts of the party. The girls and I watched Country Bear Jamboree and then they were so excited to say hello to Prince Ali and Abu - who were quick to see us, as the Princesses and Queen of Ohio :). We tried to go dance with Woody and Jessie, but the girls were overwhelmed (it was late)... so instead we headed back to our spot with hot chocolate and cookies. {Love this party!} After a little snack, Zach and Hartley went to ride the Magic Carpets - but Emmersyn wanted to stay and play with her light toy.

The parade at this party makes our entire trip worthwhile each time, and I can think of no other place I'd rather be than watching their little faces light up. We love WDW - did you know that?

On our way to our firework spot we caught Tinker Bell and Rosetta with a really short wait. I grabbed more hot chocolate - and apple slices, which we'd been looking for all night! - and we all really enjoyed Holiday Wishes.

It was a fantastic night, and the girls were sleepy but awake and well-behaved on the monorail - even at 10pm. I was praying for a better night's sleep, but couldn't complain about the evening we'd just had! :)

WDW: December 8, 2011