Lyons Family Trip Report

June 16, 20177 - Crazy rain, a delayed flight, and Disney Springs

We’ve been back from WDW about a week, and I’ve been dithering about writing a trip report. I’ve so enjoyed reading others’ trip reports, so I figured I would give it a go. :slight_smile:

June 2016 my cousin got engaged. We always had tentative plans to go to Florida in the summer of 2017 to visit family in Ft. Lauderdale, so when they announce that they were getting married June of 2017, we were sold. The wedding was in Ft. Meyers, and since it’s only about three hours from Disney World, it got me thinking. I had been pricing out Disney vacations for years, and since DD was going to be almost four by then and with her insane love of princesses, it seemed like a good time to go.

The day after the wedding, we drove to Orlando from Ft. Meyers. We drove through torrential downspours for almost three hours straight and while I am used to driving in snow, this was another beast entirely. When we finally made it to POR, I was ready to kiss the ground.

DH was coming into MCO, but earlier in the day, his flight had been delayed due to a cracked windshield. We knew there was no way he was going to make our ADR for T-Rex, so me, DM, DD3, and DD1 took to Disney Springs afte checking in. While we didn’t get the exact room we requested through the room request fax, we did get Alligator Bayou. DD3 was excited to have her own bed too.

The boat to Disney Springs was fun and relaxing after such a horrid drive up. If you are at POR, I would recommend it. DD3 thought it was awesome. Little did she know what was coming the next day when we hit up MK.

When we got to Disney Springs, we found Guest Services, activated our Military Salute tickets, and bought Memory Maker. Disney really does offer some fantastic deals to military families. It allowed us to do so much more on our trip!

Dinner at T-Rex was fun, but we were missing DH. The dinosaurs were cool and so was the meteor shower, but I was struck by how loud the restaurant was! DD1 was fine with the noise and animatronics, so I was hopeful that she would do well with rides the next day.

By the time we were done, DH had finally made it to POR on the Magic Express. He took the boat and met us at Disney Springs to walk around and take in the sights.

We took the boat back and didn’t get everyone in bed until later than I wanted, but even with a few bumps, it wasn’t a terrible start to our trip. I had been planning this trip for a year, so it was so exciting to finally be there!

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I’m glad you decided to write a report, I know I really appreciate it, and they are great to read!
Your drive sounds like it was pretty scary :confused:
I love the fact Disney is so good to military families, it’s not something you see over here in the U.K.
Looking forward to see how your little ones enjoy MK!

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Thank you for sharing your trip report!

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Thanks for taking the time to write. I love Port Orleans Riverside!

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Thanks for sharing your trip with us! Looking forward to reading more! :smile:

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June 17, 2017 - Magic Kingdom: Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, Be Our Guest, Cinderella’s Royal Table, and so many Fast Passes :slight_smile:

We were up early for an 8:05 reservation for DD3 at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. When I had asked the front desk about the bus schedule, the CM immediately stated that buses started running one hour before park opening. I knew that wasn’t right. When I asked on chat, Liners suggest being at the bus stop by 6:45. I really think DH thought that I was off of my rocker. He had watched me obsessively plan this trip for months, and I don’t think that at that point he was completely sold on the idea of a touring plan, rope drop etc. I had made DD’s appointment so early because I wanted to be ahead of the RD crowds and because I had heard that BBB tends to run behind. The last thing I wanted to do was to spend valuable park touring time waiting on her appointment! Thankfully, we were at the bus stop (West Depot) by 6:40 and three minutes later an MK bus pulled up. Although he didn’t say it, I could tell DH was impressed. We were the only ones on the bus and arrived at MK with plenty of tie to spare.

MK was incredibly foggy that morning. We tried to take a few pictures outside of the park, but the lens kept fogging. The bag check line was deserted, and we had no problem getting through. We were loaded down with bags and a stroller. Traveling with littles requires so much stuff! I’m kind of looking forward to the days when everyone can carry their own things. Before we knew it, we were through the ADR line, tapped in, and waiting for the park to open. Although we hadn’t even entered the park yet, DM and I were sold on everything pre-park opening. The last tine I had been to Disney was as a teen, and all I remembered was hoards of people. This was so different. It was quiet and almost serene.

CMs let us in around 7:45 and we casually made our way down Main Street. We stopped several times to take photos since we had purchased MM. The pictures of DD3 are priceless, and they almost made me cry!

Before we knew it, we were at BBB and a CM escorted DD3 and me and back to change her dress. DD3 reveled in the experience. Everyone called her princess and she even got to wear make up. I had previously thought the $60 was expensive for her to have her hair done, but I would pay this over and over again. DD3 radiated pure joy and the pictures are some of my favorite from our trip. When we were done she received a BBB bag with her makeup pallet, nail polish, a comb, and face gems. Since it was only 8:30, we decided to head over to Castle Couture and do the photo shoot. It was another win. DD3 hammed it up for the photographer, and we once again ended up with beautiful pictures. At this point in the trip, we had only paid for two “upcharge” experiences (Memory Maker and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique), and I hadn’t regretted either. Disney really does give you what you pay for.

The plan was always to RD Peter Pan after BBB, so we headed over that way. We could’ve ridden the carousel then (DD1 was reaching and reaching for it), but I knew, thanks to TP, the importance of RDing PP. CMs held us just before the ride until the fireworks went off at the opening show. I must I admit that I felt some frustration at having to park the stroller quite a ways down before we were able to enter the queue for PP, but it all worked out. We walked through the queue, which was as interesting as everyone had said it was, played with our shadows, and were on the ride. I had DD1 in my Tula Coast carrier, which was absolute life saver, and she did just fine, even though the ride was dark and a new experience. DD3 thought it was “cool,” her word for almost every ride, and off we went to Small World. DH was once again impressed. As we exited PP, the wait time was already 40 minutes. We all agreed that while it’s a fun ride, it is not worth that kind of wait.

My TP worked like a charm that morning. After Small World, we met Ariel and rode Under the Sea. I know the “right” age to take a child to Disney can be a hot topic, but I have no regrets taking DD3 at such a young age. She’s at a place where everything is real. Ariel wasn’t a woman in a costume, she was Ariel! She was absolutely precious showing Ariel her new purse. I really don’t mind if she doesn’t remember the trip, I always will.

We were way ahead of schedule already. It was only a few minutes before 10:00, and we had already accomplished so much. I knew from Kenny the Pirate that Gaston would start meeting near his tavern around 10:00. I also knew that his line would fill and get cut off quickly, so we headed over there. We got in line right before it got long. Even though I knew this was how it would work, I was still kind of in awe of how well a TP, etc worked. We pretty much spent the entire day walking on to rides and walking up to characters. DD3 was still a little shy with characters at this point. She was dressed as Belle and even though Gaston tried to draw her out, she wasn’t buying it. Had we met Gaston, one day two or three, she would’ve hammed it up.

After we met Gaston, we headed over to Gaston’s Tavern and got cinnamon rolls and Lefou’s Brew. I had learned at this point, that my crew needed a real breakfast and that granola bars and mini muffins in the morning at the bus stop wasn’t going to cut it. We devoured those cinnamon rolls. They were delicious and lived up to all of the hype. Lefou’s Brew, however, I could pass on. It was too sweet. Even DD3, who loves sweets, wasn’t too impressed.

At 10:45 we headed over to Princess Fairytale Hall and used FPP to meet Cinderella/Elena and Rapunzel/Tiana. DD3 was in heaven. After that, we hopped on the carousel. DD1 actually enjoyed it, which is odd because she hates the carousel at our local zoo. Disney magic, I guess. Then it was time for lunch at Be Our Guest.

We had pre-ordered our food on the bus that morning, and when I saw the total, I was so glad that we had chosen to use the Dining Plan. I had run the math on it multiple times, and with all of the character meals we were planning, we actually would end up ahead. Be Our Guest didn’t disappoint, and I was so glad that we had pre-ordered. DH was once again impressed as walked past the mass of people queued to order food, and he causally commented why everyone didn’t pre-order. My guess would be that most people don’t know that they can? I probably would have missed it myself if it hadn’t been for other Liners. All of the tips I learned on the forum and chat were invaluable!

After BOG, it was time to use our FP for 7DMT, but it was down and we were given an anytime FP. It was the first bump in my TP all day. Everything had been working like clockwork. I didn’t want to use our anytime FP on any ride but 7DMT, so we walked over to the Teacups. A lady in line at the Teacups was just learning about FP, and I so badly wanted to word vomit everything I had learned from Liners, but I was afraid that my eagerness would scare her off. When we were done with the Teacups, 7DMT was still down, so we headed over to Dumbo. DD3 loved it and the playground waiting area. She wanted to go again, but at that point 7DMT was back online.

We used riderswap on 7DMT, so DD and DH were able to ride twice. The CM did not ask DM to tap in when we requested rider swap (She was waiting with DD1), but I had booked her one just in case because I had read conflicting reports on this. We had her tap in anyway, because I wanted to be able to grab our 4th FP.

As soon as we had tapped in, I grabbed a FP for Winnie the Pooh after the FOP Parade. We staked out a spot near the Christmas Shop in Liberty Square and watched the FOF parade. It was abominably hot, and DD1 was asleep in the baby carrier. We were all glad for a little shade, but we had to move close to the rope so that others didn’t block our view. It shouldn’t, but this kind of stuff annoys me. I don’t know why other people think they can push their kids in front of yours when you have clearly been longer to save your spot. We pushed the strolled right up to the rope and DD3 had a good view. I think that we will budget to have lunch at Tony’s next time so that we can do the parade package. Belle blew DD3 a kiss, and she loved the entire thing. The FOF Parade will be on our list of must do’s for quite some time.

After the parade we used our FP for Pooh. I had another moment of awe at how well my planning/obsessive time spent in Lines chat paid off. Why were all of these people in the standby line when there were FP available? I kept having these conflicting feelings of smugness and guilt. In line I picked up a FP for Enchanted Tales with Belle. Using the modify trick, I was able to get the time I wanted, and we headed there next. After we tapped in, and I grabbed a FP for Mickey’s Philharmagic. We were all starting to fade and could use a break in the AC. In ETwB, DD3 was chosen to be Mrs. Potts. She was beside herself, and the adults in our party couldn’t stop grinning.

After Philharmagic, we went back to the BBB. DD3 had lost her flower face gem at some point between BOG and 7DMT. We had had a big meltdown in the queue when she realized it was gone. We promised her that we would somehow get a new one. I was prepared to pay, but I had a sneaking suspicion that they would just give us one if we asked. Sure enough, the girl at the front very kindly went to get not just one face gem but an entire new pack. Disney magic!

Dinner at CRT is a one and done for us. I had booked it only for the princesses, and I was disappointed,especially after we had dinner at Akershus the next day. More on that later. :slight_smile: Aurora, Jasmine, Snow White, and Ariel all dropped by to take a picture and sign our Character Encyclopedia, but that was about it. Considering the price and that it cost us two table service credits, I was hoping for more, even though I had read otherwise. The food is good (My picky DH turned up his nose at most of it), but the whole experience is rushed.

At some point I had grabbed a FP for Tinkerbelle, so we headed there afterwards. It was raining and we hastily threw on our ponchos and covered the stroller. We were rather wet, even with the ponchos, but Tinkerbelle was lovely and DD3 was once again in awe. On the way out, we let DD3 pick a pair of Mickey ears for the next day, and then we set up a game of Sorcerer’s of the Magic Kingdom at the fire station. I knew we probably wouldn’t play, but I thought DD3 would enjoy the cards.

Once again, we had stayed our later than I wanted, but it was so hard to resist doing just one more thing on our way out of the park, especially when FPs are so abundant. We caught the bus back to POR, were once again thankful for being near the West Depot since it is the first stop, DH went to fill up everyone’s mug at the food court, and then we called it a night. The next day was another early morning since we had an 8:05 reservation for Garden Grill.

All of the research and Liner tips had paid off. We had done everything on my TP and more. It was such a great start to our time in the World. :slight_smile:

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Sounds like a magical trip so far, I’m looking forward to reading more!

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Wow! What a wonderfully full day!

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What a great day and lovely pictures!
It’s not being smug…it being prepared. You put in the hard work before your visit and reaped the benifits :wink:
Looking forward to the rest!

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What a fantastic trip so far! I totally understand about taking DD when they’re little- I took DD when she was 3 and I remember how much she absolutely LOVED meeting princesses and Chip & Dale- OMG Chip and Dale. Can’t wait to read more!

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Wonderfully written and enjoyable to read! Thanks!

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Great report! Totally agree with the smug/guilt feeling… part of me wanted to be like “you know there are fastpasses for this right?”, but the other part didn’t want to blow my cover!

I’m usually an advocate for waiting until they are a bit older because I myself went at the age of 7 and barely remember anything, but I really like your perspective on taking your daughter at such a young age. I will have to share that with my sister. Her daughter is 1 year old and we’ve been talking about how long to wait before we take her on her first trip. Hadn’t thought about the magic of everything being “real” at that younger age of 3 and 4. Can see how that would be extra magical :slight_smile:

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What a beautiful family! DD is wearing opera gloves!! I love it.
Ariel is always superb. I don’t know where these girls come from or how they prepare for the roles, but I am always blown away at the heartfelt interaction.
We first took our now 11 year old to Disney when she was 3. We treasure those pictures and memories.
Can’t wait to read more!

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I’m loving your report so far! Can’t wait to hear about the rest of your trip :slight_smile:

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More! More! Please write more!!

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June 18, 2017: Epcot - Garden Grill, a meltdown around the world, Frozen, more Frozen, Akershus, and Test Track

By our second park day, DM and I easily fell into a rhythm getting everyone ready to go. DH was still struggling with the time change since he hadn’t come with us to the wedding (The rest of us had adjusted by then), and he was pretty useless in the mornings. I think we were all a little surprised when we were at the West Depot by 6:30. Unfortunately, an Epcot bus wasn’t even showing up on the monitor. It made me antsy, but we had so much time before our 8:05 Garden Grill reservation that I tried to not fret. We used the time to apply sunscreen and break down the stroller. When an Epcot bus still wasn’t showing on the screen by 6:45, I decided to ask the next bus driver that came through. He assured me one was coming.

I think DH was mildly amused by my frustration. Another ten minutes or so passed, still no arrival time on the monitor for a bus for Epcot, so I decided to ask another bus driver what was going on. The next driver I asked called and assured me one was coming just after 7:00. DH joked that if I bothered a third bus driver that they would sent a bus just to appease me. Finally, an arrival time appeared on the screen. I watched the arrival estimate bop up and down with mounting frustration, and a bus finally showed up around 7:18. It was full of CMs who were doing some kind of training with running the bus depots. DM, bless her, made small talk with of the CMs. I just wanted to get to Epcot already.

The one thing DD3 had asked for was to eat with Chip and Dale. She and I had fallen into the habit of watching ride videos, etc on Youtube, and one time we came across a video of a family at Garden Grill. Chip had smashed food in the Dad’s face, and DD thought it was hilarious. Since this was a few months after I had made our ADRs, I didn’t think that I would be able to snag the reservation. I put a request in the reservation finder, and by the end of that day, I had an 8:05 for Garden Grill. This trip was all about doing things we thought DD would enjoy, so I was thrilled that we could make her wish a reality.

If, you are ever at POR and your Epcot bus doesn’t show up until almost 7:20, know that you can in fact get to the park, go through bag check, get through the ADR line, tap in, and make it Garden Grill by 8:00.
Once we made it, I finally felt like I could relax.

Ellyn, our waitress, brought us back to our table, and I wished that I remembered to ask for a table on the outer ring of the restaurant. DD3 spied the chickens in the farm scene from Living with the Land on the way to our table and thought it was the coolest thing. She declared, “Mommy, I want to go on that.” Oh, baby girl, that was just the beginning of your obsession with Living with the Land. :wink: Ellyn was lovely, and we quickly had a table full of food and drinks. We had our first Mickey waffles of the trip, and they were delicious. I slipped DD3 DH’s Father’s Day card, and she proudly gave it to him. DD3 has a hard time keeping secrets, so I was amazed that she had kept our gift hush hush so long. Breakfast was off to a good start.

Pluto came by our table and had great interactions with DD. I was pleased, especially after our experience with CRT the night before. Next up was Mickey. DD3 saw Mickey in the FOF Parade the day before, but she didn’t get to interact with him. She just hugged Mickey and didn’t stop. It was precious, and it was moments like these that made the trip worth the cost.

After that, I thought that Mickey had moved on to the next group. DD1 was seated next to me and away from the edge of the table because she wasn’t too sure about the characters. All of the sudden, she and turned around and there was Mickey large as life right over her shoulder. I think he may have tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention. She started screaming and sobbing. While Mickey meant well, he terrified her. If she grows up hating Mickey, we’ll all know why! :wink: She looked at furries side eyed the rest of our trip.

Chip and Dale both came by much to DD3’s delight. We were using a menu that Ellyn had so kindly given us to block DD1’s view. She just wasn’t having it and was still pretty terrified. Chip danced with DD3 and she interacted with Dale. DD3 seemed pleased even though no one smashed food in DH’s face. Each of the characters came by at least twice. I still giggle thinking about Mickey trying to sneak by our table. He turned away from us and spread eagle against the wall hoping DD1 wouldn’t notice him. It was hilarious. This was what I expected from character meals, and as other Liners had said, the food was delicious! GG is already on the list of things we must do next time.

I knew that DH and I could hit up Soarin’ if we were done with breakfast quick enough, but I didn’t want to rush our meal. I figured if we were done in enough time, we would do it. If we weren’t, oh, well. Ellyn brought us our check and a little pixie dust. With our check she had included five passes for Turtle Talk with Crush. I already had FPs for Crush already, but she told me to switch them to something else. It was such a nice gesture!

After GG, we split up. The park hadn’t opened yet, so DD and I headed to Soarin’ while DM took DD1 and DD3 to “that chicken ride” aka Living with the Land. DH and I were in the first group to ride Soarin’ for the day. “Wow!” is all I can say about Soarin’. DD3 was tall enough for Soarin’, but I wasn’t sure how it would sit with her. Having experienced it now, I think she would’ve loved it, especially the part where you soar over the pyramids. Egypt and mummies fascinate her. Soarin’ was such a fun experience! I am, however, glad we didn’t take her because she adored Living with the Land. She gardens with DM and I at home. We still aren’t sure why she loves LwtL so much other than that. She was determined to bring Mommy and Daddy back to the “ride in the big ball.” The roof of one of the greenhouses has a pattern similar to Spaceship Earth, so that is where she thought she was. We didn’t have the heart to burst her bubble.

We left the Land and immediately got in line to meet Joy and Sadness. We have watched Inside Out with DD3 a million times, so it was only appropriate. The wait was minimal.

After, we headed over to Figment, which was walk on. I had added it to our TP out of nostalgia, but I’m pretty sure we’ll skip it next time. At the Seas we used our FP for the Seas with Nemo and Friends and Turtle Talk with Crush. I also had a FP for the Character Spot.

While we were in line a the Character Spot, DD3 started gagging. I immediately had fears of Norovirus or something other nasty bug that people pick up at Disney. The CMs at the FP lane assured us that they would let us back in and looked rather relieve that we were leaving. I’m sure they didn’t want to clean up vomit. We found bathroom and quiet spot in the same building… DD gagged a few more times, but thankfully didn’t get sick. Ugh! I didn’t want to be that mom dragging a sick kid through Disney and exposing everyone else, but neither did I want to cut our day short. We waited a while and she seemed fine. We eventually decided that DD3 gagged because of DM’s coffee breath? DM had been blowing on DD to cool her off and DD is extremely sensitive to smells. Crisis averted.

With the gagging behind us, CMs let us back through the FP line. We met Mickey, Goofy, and Minnie. DD3 loves Minnie. It was a win!

We stopped to take some pictures with Spaceship Earth and got some great magic shots of DD3 with Tinkerbelle, and of DH and the girls. CMs were great to acknowledge DH all day for Father’s Day.

I also caved and bought DD3 the light up Ariel bubble wand that she spied on day one at Disney Springs. I was initially trying to hold off on buying it until our second MK day. I wanted her to have it at night for the fireworks, but let’s be honest, I was tired of her asking for it so I bit could he bullet. We bought it only to discover that all she really wanted to do was blow bubbles and not use the automated wand. Oh, my child!

At this point we had hit all of our must dos in Future World, so we headed to World Showcase. I thought that since we had eaten a big breakfast, we would be fine waiting until 12:30 or 1:00 to eat again. Boy, was I wrong. DH was getting cranky. He was hot, he was tired, he was hungry, he was irritated that we had just spent $20 on a bubble wand that DD3 didn’t really seem to want. We were breezing past pavilions, and I suddenly realized why people take solo trips to Disney. :sob:

We finally stopped in France. DD3 met Aurora, and we stopped in Le Halles to get a sandwich for DM. The initial plan was for everyone to stop when they found something they wanted and to eat around the world. Everything in Le Halles looked delicious! I momentarily thought about getting something for myself, but I had my sights set in Japan. I wanted to try Katsura Grill.

It became apparent while we were walking that DH and now DD3 were hangry and close to meltdown. We skipped Japan and headed straight to America where I knew there was food they would eat. The Liberty Inn is nothing special, but the food was pretty good, or at least I can attest that the BBQ pork sandwich is good. :wink: DH got a burger, and we ordered an adult chicken nuggets meal for DD1 and DD3 to share. We also ordered Coke and cherry slushies to maximize our dining plan.

After food, AC, and a potty break, DH and DD3 seemed revived. DD1 had slept in the baby carrier through most of World Showcase, so she was pretty perky too. DM rarely flags, and if and when she does, she knows how to hide it really well. When I was growing up DM would plan these amazing trips all over the U.S. She would do loads of research (books mostly since we didn’t really have their internet) and we always did or saw the best of/most important things everywhere we went. When you travel with my mom, you don’t miss anything. I never had a doubt that she could keep up with my TP since we are cut from the same cloth. I keep telling her that she needs to join Lines.

We went back to Japan since I wanted to pick a pearl with DD3. This was such a fun experience. I had read somewhere that a family did this every trip, and when their girls were bigger, they had a piece of jewelry made with the pearls. I thought that was such a neat idea. DD3’s pearl was covered in gunk, so it took the CM a really long time to clean it. While we were waiting, another CM made a drawing for DD3 and wrote her name in Japanese. It was a sweet gesture that went really far with us.

It was getting overcast when we left Japan, so we decided to book it to Norway and find somewhere to ride out the rain. We made a pit stop in Germany to grab a treat from Karamel Kuche. Karamel Kuche lived up the hype. Everything was delicious! It starting to sprinkle by the time we had our treats. We kept moving and ducked under the patio at Kringla in Norway before it really let loose. We were in a walkway and a CM told us we couldn’t stay there with the stroller, but when I showed her that DD3 was asleep she took pity on us. Said we could push the stroller up to a table as long as we weren’t blocking anything. We hung out there eating out treats and people watching until it was time for our FEA FP.

DD3 was out. Hard. We had a difficult time getting her going. By then I knew that we probably needed to take a midday break the next day, and that 7 AM EMH was a bad idea. It was only day two and most of our part were running on fumes.

We all loved FEA. DD3 was just a bit too young for the movie during the height of Frozen fever, but it’s still a favorite in our house. The ride, of course, dumped into the gift shop and DD spent the next few minutes dithering on what she wanted to purchase. DD3 spent so long trying to decide that we were almost late to our reservation at Akershus!

Belle was right inside the door for a meet and greet. She was lovely and told DD3 that she would have to ask her Papa to make her a pair of light up shoes too.

Our waiter gave us the ins and outs of the cold board, our menus, and when the princesses would be coming around. DD3, DM, and DH went to the cold board while I waited with DD1. DM and DD3 seemed happy, but I knew this style of cuisine wasn’t DH’s speed. He’s a chicken nugget and mac n cheese kind of guy, Thankfully, he was willing to suck it up for DD3. DM and I thought that chilled asparagus was delicious!

We had all been to the cold buffet when they announced the Princess Parade. Aurora came and collected the children from our section. DD3 was all smiles as they marched around Akershus. After the parade, princesses kept passing our table, but none had stopped by. DD3 was getting rather sad. It seemed like our table was at the end of the princess route since we were near the back of the restaurant. A few of the princess kept coming and going through a backdoor. DD3 kept saying, “Mommy, why are all of the princesses passing us?”

Finally, Cinderella dropped by our table. DD3 told her why she was sad, and Cinderella immediately sat down on the floor with DD3 and scooped her into her lap. It was perfect. She hugged on my baby girl and made it all better. She even gave DD3 a kiss on the cheek! DD3 was beside herself. I don’t know if Cinderella tipped off the rest of the princesses about DD3’s sadness, if we just lucked out in being at the end of the route so the princesses had more time, or if the interaction at Akershus is always top notch, but it was the best character interaction of our trip.

Snow White came by and DD3 showed her all of her good manners. I may have (totally did) told her before our trip that princesses only let you eat with them if you have good manners. They also talked about sharing and how DD3 had met Snow White’s dwarves the day before on the mine train.

Ariel was up next, she was spunky and spot on. DD3 spent most of the time telling her everything she knew about mummies and Egypt. Egypt is DD3’s pet subject, and she loves getting books on it at the library. Ariel was still at our table when Aurora showed up. Ariel told DD3 that she would be ruling kingdoms when she was older since she already knew so much about the world. DD3 ate it up.

Aurora was my personal favorite. She rolled with whatever DD3 threw at her, and she laughed when DD3 told her that her parents didn’t get married like she did, but “the normal way.”

Looking back at the time stamps on my photos, some of the princesses almost spent five minutes with us. It was such a phenomenal experience for my princesses loving DD.

In the end, here is what we decided about Akershus: weird food but amazing character interaction. I don’t think any of us loved our food, except DD3 who got a kid’s steak. DM and I had the braised beef, and while it was pretty good, the pink pickled mushrooms were a little off putting. DH ordered the meatballs, took two bites, and that was pretty much it. I’m sure they were probably delicious though. He’s just such a picky eater.

Akershus was also one of the few meals that didn’t feel rushed. It will definitely be on our list of must dos as long as our girls are into princesses. We may do breakfast next time since that food will be more appealing to my family.

The line for meeting Anna and Elsa was showing a fifteen minute wait. I don’t think we even waited ten. With more fantastic character interaction, Epcot was a slam dunk for us. I have friends who haven’t taken their children to Epcot because they think their little ones will be bored, but my DD3 loved it. She’ll tell you that’s it’s her favorite park after MK. It’s at the top of my list too!

After Anna and Elsa, we decided to start heading out. After our FEA FP earlier, I had snagged a FP for Spaceship Earth, but while we were at dinner, I had modified it and found a FP for two to Test Track. I was pretty sure DH would love the ride and that DD3 would too. DM and I waited for them on some benches outside of MouseGear while DD1 slept in the carrier. We decided then that EMH at AK the next day was probably a no go, and that we would definitely plan resort days on our next trip. Everyone was tired.

DH and DD3 loved Test Track. If it hadn’t been so late, I think we would’ve tried to snag another FP. We stopped to take some more pictures with Spaceship Earth since it was starting to get dark, and DD3 asked for a drink. That’s when we realized that we didn’t have our cooler. As soon as that happened, I remembered taking it out of the stroller and putting it somewhere thinking that I would forget to pick it back up, but I couldn’t remember where. DH told us to start heading towards the bus, and that he would either retrace our steps or go to Guest Services. After a few minutes at Guest Services, DH called to let us know that he had it. I was pretty shocked and had written it off as gone for good.

With all of our stuff now in tow, we all headed to the bus stop. Once again, we were out later than I had planned. It seems to become the theme of our trip. :slight_smile: When we got back to POR, DH took DD3 with him to fill up everyone’s mugs, and then it was baths, showers, and bed for everyone. DM and I decided to get everyone up at around 6:00 like we had been doing and that we would get to AK in the morning when we got there. We figured that would probably put us in the park around 7:30, and we would still have some time to take advantage of EMH.

It was another successful day in the parks, minus a few meltdowns. :slight_smile:

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Another great instalment! Thanks so much for sharing.

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Enjoying your report. Glad you had such great character interactions. The tinkerbell pic of your DD is too cute.

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Your pictures are beautiful! Thank you for sharing!

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Great job! What an awesome day you had! Can’t wait to read more!

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