We Have to Tame That Baby! An October 2015 TR UPDATE 12/23 Downtown Disney and the Packers!

[Marnm02]

Welcome! Hold on to your hats and glasses, folks, 'cause this here is the wildest ride in the wilderness!

We spent 8 nights at Port Orleans French Quarter with a group of 14, ranging in ages from 5 Months to senior.

For a complete rundown of our planning process, please see my Pre-Trip Report: http://www.disboards.com/threads/a-...-2015-update-9-22-single-digit-dance.3408572/

Here are most of the cast of characters:

From left to right you'll see: My DH Ryan, my mom Jenny, my friend Rachelle holding her baby daughter Amelia, my mother-in-law Lisa, my father-in-law Bill, my 6-year-old daughter Madeleine, me (Marissa), my stepdad Alvin, my sister Ellie, my aunt Lisa, and my uncle Don.

Not pictured are my uncle Kerry and aunt Caryanne. Here they are having dinner with Aunt Lisa and Uncle Don:

All of us were divided into 4 rooms: Me, Ryan, Rachelle, Maddie and baby Amelia in one room, connected to Mom, Alvin, Bill, and MIL Lisa in another, Aunt Lisa, Uncle Don, and Ellie in another, and Uncle Kerry and Aunt Caryanne in another.

I hope you'll join along on our adventure!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Pre-Arrival: Drive to Milwaukee, dinner at Cheesecake Factory,
• Day 1: Arrival, room assignment drama, and dinner at Raglan Road
• Day 2: Magic Kingdom: Main Street U.S.A. and Fantasyland
• Day 2: Magic Kingdom: Frontierland, Adventureland, and Monorail Resorts
• Day 3: Hollywood Studios Morning
• Day 3: Animal Kingdom Evening
  
• Day 4: My Disney Girl's Perfectly Princess Tea Party
• Day 4: Downtown Disney and Football
  
  

 

[jandlinz]

Joining in! Room assignment drama looks scary! Hope it works out ok!

 

[Vernie822]

What a crew! I can't wait to read about your trip. Sounds like a lot of fun. I'm sure the room assignment drama was a real breeze! Lol

 

[Marnm02]

PRE-ARRIVAL

It sounded like a great idea to work a full day the day before leaving. We did need to fly out of Milwaukee, which is a two hour drive for us (we live in Green Bay), and we had an early morning flight, but I thought why not drive down after work, check in to a park and fly hotel in the evening, and take one less vacation day. A great plan in theory, not so much in practice.

I had spent the previous weekend getting all packed and prepared, but by the time Wednesday rolled around I still had a pretty long list of last-minute things to do. I also had planned on meeting family for dinner in Milwaukee at 7:15, so when I wrapped up work at 4:30 I was pretty much freaking out. I hurried home and did the last minute stuff for the pet sitter, picked up everything that had been left out in the morning and did the last load of laundry. DH packed all the bags into the car, and then started with the, "hurry up...we're going to be late" commentary. I knew I was forgetting something, but zipped out of the house anyway.

We had to pick up DD from daycare and drop DH's work van at the mechanic. Then we were off! Here is our excited little Maddie in the loaded down family truckster...

We were about 15 minutes outside of Milwaukee when I remembered what I forgot -- my undies! I had packed about half of what I'd need for the trip over the weekend, and the rest were in the laundry. I had moved them into the dryer prior to leaving, but had forgotten to take them out and pack them! We spent the rest of the drive looking for a Target or Walmart or something on the way, but we couldn't find anything. No worries though, because our dinner spot was at a big mall, so I figured I'd just pop in to Victoria's Secret or The Gap after eating, since we were running late and I didn't want to hold up everyone's dinner while shopping for skivvies.

We arrived at the Cheesecake Factory only about 10 minutes late. We met Rachelle and Amelia there, and her DH Keith joined us as well. My in-laws also joined us, as did my dad and stepmom, who live in Milwaukee and are always up for dinner out. Ryan started to really enjoy himself...

and soon we were all having a great time. By the time we had dinner wrapped up, all the stores in the mall were closed. So, I kept my eye out for a Target or Walmart all the way to our hotel, but couldn't find anything near our path.

We stayed at the Clarion Milwaukee Airport

It was nice, but our non-smoking room had a strong smell of stale cigarette smoke, which was kind of gross. Bearable for one night though. As soon as we had our luggage unloaded, car parked in the park and fly lot, and were all settled in, I started researching where to find undies on Disney property, since it was starting to look like we'd be SOL in Milwaukee. I found that there were some available right in the POFQ gift shop. That was a big relief, but they were pretty pricey. It was looking like my souvenir for the trip was going to be Mickey undies. That's what I get for not being prepared

We fell asleep quickly, all pumped up for the excitement to come the next day!

 

[Narnia_girl]

Oh my goodness, that sound exactly like something I would do. Hope you got found some bargain undies.
Looking forward to reading more!

 

[Marnm02]

DAY 1: OCTOBER 1

Our alarm was set bright and early for 5 AM. I took a quick shower, and then woke up Ryan and Maddie who were hitting the snooze button. Here's how excited Maddie was...



Once she was finally up and dressed we loaded up our luggage (the stroller makes a great luggage cart!) and met the in-laws down in the lobby. Maddie had a grab-and-go breakfast of yogurt and granola bar while we waited for the shuttle to arrive. Soon we were all on the shuttle and headed for the airport.



We arrived at the airport and were able to check our luggage very quickly. We cruised through security and took our seats by the gate. Soon, Rachelle and baby Amelia arrived:



Me, Ryan, Maddie, Rachelle and Amelia pre-boarded in the "families with small children" group and saved seats for Bill and Lisa.



Maddie and I did some of her math homework while on the plane. It was about 11:10 AM when we came in for a landing.

After a little confusion trying to find the Magical Express (we always want to go to Terminal A for some reason) our Magic Bands were scanned and we were in line. We waited about 10 minutes before hopping aboard our bus.

Look at how excited this kiddos are to be on the Magical Express!



It was right around the time the picture above was taken that Maddie spoke the phrase that was responsible for the title of this trip report. Amelia got a little squirmy in her arms, so she looked at me and Rachelle and said, "you guys, we have to tame this baby!"

As we drove along, I received a text from POFQ saying that our room was ready -- 4141 1st floor Building 4.

I had faxed in some room requests for our group (4 rooms between the 14 of us) prior to our arrival. My 1st priority was ground floor rooms for all, since my aunt uses a wheelchair and wanted to be able to easily access all the rooms. My 2nd priority was to have my room connected to the room my parents and in-laws would share, so they could interact with Maddie, and so we'd be able to give Maddie and Amelia quiet time if they wanted to sleep while the rest of us were awake. My 3rd priority was to have all 4 rooms in close proximity to each other. My 4th priority was to have our rooms in Building 4. I knew we weren't likely to get all these requests, but I was really hoping for at least the first 2 (and noted this on my fax.) Last year, we got every one of these requests. After looking at my text I was very hopeful -- we had Building 4 and 1st floor, so things were looking good so far!

Then I received another text from my aunt saying that they put her in Building 5, 2nd floor. Ugh. This wouldn't work with her wheelchair. She told me she was going to call and see if they could switch her to something on the first floor.

Then I received another text from my mom (who was driving down with my stepdad) saying that their van had broken down about an hour outside of Orlando, and they were in a repair shop. It was looking like it would be at least a few hours before they'd arrive, and they may not make our dinner ADR.

We arrived at POFQ at around 12:30. We were the first of our group to arrive. We went to the front desk to link our credit cards to our Magic Bands and finalize our check in. As I was waiting while DH was working on the Magic Bands, I asked the CM if he happened to know if our room 4141 was a connecting room with my parents and in-laws as we had requested. He looked at his info and said he couldn't tell me for sure, since my parents' and in-laws'room hadn't been officially assigned yet, but that he didn't think we'd be disappointed. Yay!

Finally, the Magic Band linking was done. Another CM handed us a map with room 5202 circled. She told me that our room was in Building 5, 2nd Floor. I tried to tell her that my text said room 4141. She was confused. We started thinking that maybe they switched us at the last minute to ensure a connecting room. We decided to go scope the room out to see if this was the case. When we arrived we were really disappointed to see that it wasn't a connecting room. We had gotten none of our requests. I decided to call the front desk. If room 4141 was actually the room we should have gotten, I wanted to sort it out.

Although the original room in building 4 was no longer available, we thankfully were switched to a connecting room in Building 2 on the first floor, my parents and in-laws had to room it connected to, and my Aunt and Uncle had been put in a first floor room in Building 1. Although there was definitely some confusion with the room assignment process, the CMs were very helpful and tried very hard to make us happy.

DD, Rachelle, Amelia and I strolled in to Sassagoula Floatworks for a snack. I didn't want to overeat so close to our ADR time, so Maddie and I shared a cupcake. Rachelle had an ice cream sandwich, and Amelia had a bottle. Then we headed over to the gift shop to browse a bit, and I dropped $40 on my undies

By this time, my Aunt Lisa and Uncle Don had arrived. They were happy to have a 1st floor room.

At this point we were only waiting on my parents, who were still at the auto shop but hoping to leave soon, and my Uncle Kerry and Aunt Caryanne who would not be arriving until the evening. My sister Ellie would not be arriving until the next day. Those of us who were at the resort decided to catch the boat over to Disney Springs. We were on our way to Disney Springs after about 25 minutes. After arriving, we found out that my parents were en route to Disney Springs, and would meet us at the restaurant. We walked over to Raglan Road, but we were a bit early, so we decided to dip in to Jock Lindsay's Hangar Bar for a drink (read review on my dining report http://www.disboards.com/threads/table-for-14-an-october-2015-dining-report.3454577/)

After enjoying our (very strong!) drinks, it was time to check in for dinner! I had to wait a bit for my parents to arrive, but they were there within a couple minutes after us, and soon we were at our table. I was starving after only eating half a cupcake all day! Check out my dining report for full details on our Raglan Road experience: http://www.disboards.com/threads/table-for-14-an-october-2015-dining-report.3454577/

After dinner we did a little World of Disney browsing, but it had been a long day for Maddie and she was starting to whine and get cranky, so I decided to head back to the resort with her and everyone else followed. We finished our unpacking and settled in. Mom had found some time to stop at Costco and stock up alcoholic beverages in their room (henceforth known as "the party room") so we visited for a bit while the little ones slept in our room. Uncle Kerry and Aunt Caryanne arrived and visited for a bit (they were on West Coast time, and ready to be up late!) Then it was bed time in preparation for early morning Be Our Guest breakfast the next day!

 

[luckylady]

I love too eat at RR. The bread pudding is too die for. Sorry too year you had issues with the rooms. Last time we had building one and I thought it was far,but it wasn't that bad. Can't wait too hear more.

 

[Marnm02]

DAY 2: Magic Kingdom: Main Street, U.S.A. & Fantasyland
It was a bright and early wake up call to get us ready for our 8:25 Be Our Guest ADR. A little birdie had told me they aren't too picky with specific times of prepark BOG. So my goal was to have everyone at the bus stop by 6:30 (not counting Kerry and Caryanne -- West Coast time and prepark ADRs don't mix, so they said they'd meet up with us later)! If we could be on the first bus, we could beat the crowd to the front of the breakfast reservation line, see the empty park, get prime West Wing seating, and hopefully be done with breakfast in time for a queue-free Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ride.
Waking up three sleepyheads and a baby in one room isn't easy. I started by showering and getting dressed, but my noise and bathroom light weren't enough. I had to start talking and nudging. I reminded Maddie that we were going to the Magic Kingdom in just a few short moments. That succeeded in waking her, and as she put on her Belle dress she was chatting and making enough noise to get the rest of the room up. Here's Maddie getting Amelia all pumped up for her first Disney day:

Once Ryan, Maddie, Rachelle, Amelia and I were all up and ready, I knocked on the connecting door to check on the grandparents. They were almost ready. We told them we were going to fill our mugs, and that we'd meet them as the bus stop.
Mugs got filled, and it was 6:30 on the dot as we approached the bus stop. There was not a person in sight so early in the morning, but there was...a bus! Right at the Magic Kingdom stop, with a Magic Kingdom sign. As we hurried toward it, I sent out texts to the rest of the group..."The bus is here! Come to the bus stop now!" Ryan, Maddie, Rachelle, Amelia and I made it onto the bus. We were the only ones on, so I asked the driver if she could wait a bit for our group. She obliged for a few minutes, and during that time Aunt Lisa and Uncle Don made it onboard. Eventually, she said she had to leave to keep on her schedule. We were on our way through Port Orleans Riverside and onward to the Magic Kingdom, but the grandparents were all left behind. I sent mom a text explaining what happened and urging her to get over to the bus stop to get on the next bus. They were able to catch up as we waited to be let in the park.

We arrived to a very empty Magic Kingdom.

Here are some pictures:









Some of us stopped for a photo op:



We made it to Be Our Guest at 8 AM, and they didn't care that our ADR was for 8:25 -- they let us right in.

For full details on BOG breakfast, check out my dining report: http://www.disboards.com/threads/ta...5-dining-report-update-bog-breakfast.3454577/

Ryan, Maddie, Rachelle, Amelia and I all finished breakfast quicker than the adults-without-children crew. We decided to go see if we could get an early Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ride, since we still had about 20 minutes to park opening. We headed over to the attraction, only to be told that it was DOWN, and no one knew when it would be back up. By then, the rest of our group (Mom, Alvin, Bill, Lisa, Uncle Don, and Aunt Lisa) had caught up with us. We filled them in on the Mine Train situation, and decided to jump in line for Peter Pan's Flight. Even right at park opening we had a 20 minute wait, but it was well worth it to see the amazing new interactive queue.

Afterwards, we checked on the Mine Train. Still no action! So, we headed to Voyage of the Little Mermaid, and walked right on.

Once we finished our Under the Sea adventure, I realized we were about 25 minutes away from meeting Gaston. We missed this last year, and I really wanted to get some cute pictures of Maddie with Gaston in her Belle dress. So, the adults-without-children took a little rest at a shady table near Gaston's Tavern, and I had Ryan run in and get me a Lefou's Brew while I took my spot in line (there were already about 10 people waiting). Maddie and I shared the drink (I loved it, but wasn't a fan of the texture of the topping. Maddie ate that part!)

Pretty soon, it was time for Maddie and Amelia to meet this guy:





He told Amelia that he felt bad she'd already met the most handsome man she'd ever meet, and he told Maddie not to read anymore

He signed Maddie's Junior Encyclopedia of Disney characters, and we all had a good laugh when we opened it up back at the table:

Notice what he crossed out??

After Gaston made our morning, we had one more look at the Mine Train. It was still down and the frustrated crowds were starting to descend on Fantasyland, so we made our way over to Liberty Square. More on our adventures there soon!

 

[Marnm02]

More coming soon...

 

[Marnm02]

DAY 2: MAGIC KINGDOM

Liberty Square was much quieter than Fantasyland. We headed straight for The Haunted Mansion and were able to walk right on. Maddie is an old pro at this ride, but after Amelia's apparent fear of The West Wing, I was a little worried about how she'd handle 99 Happy Haunts. She rode in a different Doom Buggy than I did, and I didn't hear a peep out of her. After we exited the attraction Rachelle told me that she fussed a bit during some parts of the ride, but was mostly pleasant.

After the ride we stopped in Momento Mori. This shop is adorable, but pretty small for all of us to fit along with the other Guests, so some of us went elsewhere to use bathrooms, etc. I really had one thing on my mind: I wanted a Spirit Photo of Maddie! I'm so happy we did this, as it's probably the coolest souvenir of the trip. I started by paying my $19.99 at the register. Then they took Maddie into a little curtained off room in the back with a really cool old-fashioned camera. They took her photo, and then we were sent to another part of the store to wait for it to "appear." Once it was done developing, there were some light and sound effects and it came through a little drop box in the wall. It. was. amazing. I think it's her big curly hair, but she just pulls off the ghost look so well! Here it is at a transitional angle...



I had the photo shipped to our resort, and then we were off to our next attraction...The Hall of Presidents!

Maddie and Amelia entertained themselves while waiting for the next show to start...



Baby taming at its finest

Maddie has been learning about presidents in First Grade. She recognized George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Barack Obama, and was quite engaged in the whole show. I was glad she was getting some learning in. Amelia was apparently very frightened of Abraham Lincoln, as she began to wail during his speech and Rachelle had to take her out of the theater.

After The Hall of Presidents we started heading to Frontierland, but on the way we got a text from Uncle Kerry. He and Caryanne were up and en route to the Magic Kingdom, and they didn't want us to see the Country Bear Jamboree without them (this attraction was my late grandfather's favorite, so it has a special place in my family's hearts). We decided to make a detour over to Adventureland to have some Dole Whip treats while we waited for them to catch up.

You can read about our Dole Whip experience on my dining report: http://www.disboards.com/threads/ta...-report-update-dole-whip-trader-sams.3454577/

Uncle Kerry and Aunt Caryanne arrived just as we were finishing our Dole Whips, and we all went to go see some Country Bears!

This was Amelia's favorite attraction of the trip. She was mesmerized! I wasn't sitting close to her, but I could hear her squealing and clapping the whole time. Maddie really enjoyed the show as well, particularly Big Al, who had her in stitches every time she saw him.

After Country Bears, we headed to Splash Mountain just in time to use our FastPass+ reservations. We grabbed Rider Switch passes, and the first group headed to the ride!



While our second group went on Splash Mountain, Rachelle, Amelia, Aunt Lisa, Maddie, and I took a quick detour over to the Magic Carpets of Aladdin. Maddie had been eyeing them up while we were having our Dole Whips, so we thought it was a good time to get the kids on them without making all the adults without children wait in the sun.



We were on and off quickly, then back to Frontierland right in time to meet the rest of our group and take advantage of our second FastPass+ reservations for the day -- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad!

Next we all headed back to Adventureland to cool off and unwind in the Enchanted Tiki Room. This is another one that got Amelia's seal of approval!

After the Tiki Room, it was time to find a spot for the Festival of Fantasy Parade. Maddie, however, was adamant that she didn't want to see the parade. She wanted to go on more rides. This wasn't a big deal to me. I actually spent a semester in college as a Parade Audience Control Cast Member. Although it was the Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade back then, I saw it MANY times, and didn't need to see it again, unless it was important to Maddie, which it wasn't, so while everyone else went to watch it, Mom, Alvin, Maddie and I got in line for the Jungle Cruise!

After our Jungle Tour, we had a quick ride on Pirates. Then after we were done it was time for our Pirates FastPass+ reservation, and the rest of our group was done with the parade and there to meet us! We got right back on. This time, Maddie, Alvin, Ryan and I made the mistake of sitting in the front row. We got SOAKED. The design of the new boats makes this a really wet ride if you're in front. Be warned!!

By this time, all of our FastPass+ reservations were done, and the crowds were starting to come in for MNSSHP. We decided to start making our way to the Grand Floridian for our dinner ADR. But, we had some time to kill, so we planned to make a pit stop at Trader Sams.

We were on the Monorail quickly -- everyone else was arriving at the Magic Kingdom and no one else was leaving! As the monorail made its way around, Maddie started to doze off in her stroller. After we arrived, Ryan made the mistake of pushing her stroller directly off the monorail -- the wheels caught on the uneven part between where the doorway of the monorail hit the ground, and the bump cause Maddie (dressed in her slippery polyester Belle dress) to slip forward straight out of the stroller and hit her cheekbone on the stroller tray. She was awake and NOT happy. Being disturbed from her nap, startled, and having a hurting cheek did not make for a happy camper. She whined all the way to Trader Sam's Grog Grotto despite all of us trying to comfort her. I actually was very close to bringing her back to the resort and calling it a night, but she did start to come around once she had her drink.

For full details on our Trader Sam's Experience, check out my dining report: http://www.disboards.com/threads/ta...-report-update-dole-whip-trader-sams.3454577/

I made a bad decision in polishing off almost all of my (VERY strong!) Hippopoto Mai Tai on an empty stomach, after having just spent a full day in the sun, walking around the Magic Kingdom. After my drink my stomach didn't feel so well, and my brain didn't function too well either. We caught the monorail and headed to the Grand Floridian for our 1900 Park Fare dinner, but I wasn't hungry at all (even though I so wanted to be!). I love 1900 PF though, so I made the most of it and had fun with the characters and the kids. I also attempted to eat a plate of food, but just couldn't get much down.

Here are some pictures of the kids with the characters:

Prince Charming was Maddie's favorite.



Amelia preferred the Fairy Godmother...



And they both loved the Stepsisters!




After dinner we took the monorail back to the Magic Kingdom, fought our way through the MNSSHP crowds trying to get into the park, and made our way to a virtually empty POFQ bus. We arrived back at the resort early enough for Ryan to take Maddie for some pool time while I relaxed and tried to overcome the effects of that Hippopoto Mai Tai!

Then it was early to bed for the kids, some adult time in the grandparents' "party room" and soon we were all passed and and ready for another fun filled day tomorrow.

 

[Marnm02]

A Morning at Disney's Hollywood Studios

I woke up at around 6 the next morning feeling much better! Our plan for the day was to head to Disney's Hollywood Studios for the morning Extra Magic Hour, and try to get as much done as possible before the crowds started coming in.

I made lots of noise as I showered and got myself ready, trying to get all the sleepyheads up. Soon we were all on the move, except Maddie, but when I told her she'd be able to ride the Tower of Terror this morning, she was up and at 'em.

Maddie at half a bagel that her grandma had stashed in the party room. Then, after confirming the whole group was on the move, we met at the bus stop. The Hollywood Studios bus came around shortly, and we were off!

Last year, Miss Maddie's favorite ride of the whole trip was the Tower of Terror. It was all she talked about. So, when we walked through the gates of DHS with the rope drop crowd, I was hearing a lot of questions about when we'd ride TOT. We had FastPasses for 9:05, and the original plan was to do Rockin' Rollercoaster and The Great Movie ride first thing in the morning, before our TOT FastPass. I knew that this wouldn't go over well, since Maddie isn't tall enough for Rockin' Rollercoaster, and she wanted to get on an early morning ride. So, the adults without children in our group (and Ryan) went right on Rockin' Rollercoaster, and we grabbed Rider Switch passes after presenting baby Amelia. Then Maddie and I headed for Tower of Terror. We also got Rider Switch for this. Rachelle changed and fed Amelia while Maddie and I walked right through the queue and into the library. We waited about 5 minutes for an elevator. Soon we were screaming our heads off!

Here are ride pictures of the Rockin' Rollercoaster crew:





And here are Maddie and I on the Tower of Terror (all the way at the left, front row)



Then Rachelle and I had our turn on Rockin' Rollercoaster...



while Mom brought Maddie back on the Tower of Terror (they are second row, all the way to the left, next to the kissing couple)...



Then various groups went back on TOT with our 9:05 AM Fastpasses, while others stayed with the baby.

Here are Alvin, Maddie, Ellie, Ryan, and Rachelle, at the upper right side of the elevator...



In this one our group is the whole left half of the elevator...except the power of the Twilight Zone seems to have made Mom's hands increase in size and cover up Uncle Don and Aunt Lisa's faces!



We had to tear ourselves away from all Tower of Terror fun when we realized that a showing of Voyage of the Little Mermaid was coming up. We made our way over to this beloved attraction and walked right into the theater. I really will be sad to see this one go!

After Maddie scored some cute Ariel-themed Mickey ears from the shop outside Voyage of the Little Mermaid, we headed to Toy Story Midway Mania to use our 10:20 FastPasses. For the first time ever I almost beat Ryan, but he caught up at the end and finished slightly ahead. Some day...

Next up was our 11:40 FastPass for Star Tours.

Here's Maddie showing off her 3D glasses and new ears in line...



and being silly with me and Uncle Kerry while waiting for the ride to start...



By the time we completed our ride on Star Tours it was around noon and starting to heat up and fill in. After some debate, we decided to head back to POFQ for lunch and a break. My aunts and uncles all decided to stay a little longer at DHS and then take the boat over to Epcot for lunch.

It was a quick bus ride back to POFQ, with minimal wait. Soon we were back at the resort and very excited to recharge for our evening adventures to come at Animal Kingdom!

Up next...Down time at POFQ and an Animal Kingdom evening.

 

[Marnm02]

Real Life Update

I interrupt this trip report to flash forward to present day and rave about some top-notch Disney Guest service!

See this bracelet Maddie was wearing at 1900 Park Fare...?

Well, this was the last time I saw it. She bought it earlier that day at the Pirates of the Caribbean gift shop. She definitely had it at 1900 PF, but it was not seen again the rest of the trip. I had completely forgotten about it, until we got home and unpacked, and she proceeded to cry and cry when she realized it didn't come back with us.

My first thought was to to check Google and Disneystore.com to order a new one (it was only about $5 in the park). No luck finding it for sale anywhere, except personal Disney shopping sites that jacked the price up more than double, plus shipping. On a whim, I decided to call Disney and ask for the Lost and Found. The Cast Member I was transferred to was SO efficient and helpful. She took down the dates we were staying, the description of the item, and didn't get annoyed when I told her I had absolutely no idea when or where we lost it. After a brief hold, she came back and said they had collected a bracelet that matched the description, and would be mailing it to us free of charge! They made one little girl very happy, and she's checking the mailbox every day, so excited to be reunited with her bracelet!

 

[KathyM2]

I remembered what I forgot -- my undies!

OMG this made me laugh because on our trip I did the exact same thing but with socks ....except I only had the pair I was wearing. I came home with 4 pairs of expensive Mickey socks lol

Afterwards, we checked on the Mine Train. Still no action

This is annoying. Also similar to what happened to us at HS with TSMM.

But I love all the things you did with the big group and it all looks like so much fun and great family time. Sorry the drink didn't sit well but you got some great pics at 1900 Park Fare!

 

[Marnm02]

OMG this made me laugh because on our trip I did the exact same thing but with socks ....except I only had the pair I was wearing. I came home with 4 pairs of expensive Mickey socks lol



This is annoying. Also similar to what happened to us at HS with TSMM.

But I love all the things you did with the big group and it all looks like so much fun and great family time. Sorry the drink didn't sit well but you got some great pics at 1900 Park Fare!

I think Disney must plan on people forgetting important articles of clothing, and then they charge a premium. I have to say, though, that my Disney undies are really comfy, and I'm glad I bought them!

That is a bummer about TSMM. I'm going to head over to your TR and check out the details!

 

[Marnm02]

Animal Kingdom Evening

After we arrived back to POFQ from Disney'd Hollywood Studios, we were in desperate need of some lunch! We decided to try out some counter service at Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory. Full review here: http://www.disboards.com/threads/ta...ng-report-update-tusker-house-dinner.3454577/

After lunch, most of our group decided they wanted to rest, but Maddie wanted to swim, so she and I got our suits on and hit the pool.

This was actually my first time at the POFQ pool. We really enjoyed it! Nice water temperature, not too crowded, and the slide looked fun even though Maddie was not interested in going on it.

Here she is taking off her life jacket to dip her head underwater. She calls it "doing bobs"



After we got dried off and dressed, it was time to catch the bus to our next park destination...Disney's Animal Kingdom!

The bus arrived after a short wait, and after a long ride (about 20 minutes, plus a stop at Typhoon Lagoon) we had arrived. It was about 3 PM on a night the park closed at 6, and crowds were already flooding out. We passed through the gates and into a very moderately crowded park, that was getting emptier by the minute.

Our original plan was to head straight for the Flights of Wonder show at 3:30, but we decided to check out Expedition Everest first. Unfortunately there was too long of a wait to get on the ride, but we did have the CMs measure Maddie to make sure she was tall enough to get on it later...and she was!

We arrived at Flights of Wonder with a few minutes to spare, so we watched the pre-show outside. When they started letting people in, we snagged prime front and center seats. This show is one of my favorites. Even though it's a little hokey, the birds are so amazing to watch. Maddie really seemed to enjoy it this year, and she had a few big belly laughs at the jokes.

After Flights of Wonder we had some time to spare before our 6 PM ADR at Tusker House, so we made a beeline for Expedition Everest. Only a 10 minute wait! Despite being nervous, Maddie went into the queue with me, Ryan, Rachelle, Mom, Alvin, and Ellie.

Here are Bill and Lisa in the last row. Lisa is scared of heights, and going on this was a big achievement, but she was determined to give it a try!



Here are Alvin and Ellie, also in the last row:



And here's Rachelle having a good time all by her lonesome!



Here are me, Ryan, Mom, and Maddie. She was so brave on her first "big" roller coaster!



When we were done Maddie wanted to go on again, but we had to head over to our Tusker house ADR.

For more detail on Tusker House, check out my Dining Report: http://www.disboards.com/threads/ta...ng-report-update-tusker-house-dinner.3454577/

We ended up at Tusker House for quite a long time, and by the time we left the park was long closed and pretty much empty. Here's a shot my mom got of some of us on the way out:



I was nervous about how we'd get back to POFQ, but sure enough, there were buses waiting for us when we made it out of the park. They pretty much loaded us on to the next available bus, asked us where we were going, and then sent us there.

Here are Maddie and Alvin, tired out after a long day!



After we arrived back at our resort, we had quite a bit of Party Room time, since we had a sleep-in morning the next day. When we finally got to bed, Maddie and I were pretty excited for the next day, because we had a reservation for My Disney Girl's Perfectly Princess Tea Party! More on that next time!

 

[Stasieki]

Great report. Looking forward to the rest.

 

[NJlauren]

Joining in! Really enjoy your report so far! One of my biggest fears is leaving a park and there being no bus to get me back to my hotel!!!!

 

[KathyM2]

Wow, I can't believe how empty EE looked!!!

 

[Marnm02]

Great report. Looking forward to the rest.

Welcome!

Joining in! Really enjoy your report so far! One of my biggest fears is leaving a park and there being no bus to get me back to my hotel!!!!

Glad to have you onboard!

That was a huge fear of mine too! I read that they keep buses running until all guests have left the park, but I was still really nervous. They did have buses waiting for us though!

Wow, I can't believe how empty EE looked!!!

Yes, the end of the day at AK on a 6 PM closing night with no EMH is a great time to be there!

 

[Marnm02]

DAY 4: PERFECTLY PRINCESS TEA PARTY

We slept in a bit this morning. And, by "slept in" I mean we woke up at 7:30

I showered first, let Rachelle in to get ready, and got Maddie all dressed up in her Aurora dress. Then Maddie, Rachelle, Amelia, and I all headed out while the rest of our group had a leisurely morning.

We headed to the bus stop and quickly hopped aboard a bus to the Magic Kingdom.

On the bus, we hold hands...



Once we arrived at the Magic Kingdom we went right up to the monorail, which was virtually empty. We were on the move right away. Maddie and I were bound for the Grand Floridian, where we had 10:30 reservations for My Disney Girl's Perfectly Princess Tea Party. Rachelle was headed to the Polynesian, where she had breakfast ADRs at Kona Cafe with some family members who also happen to be Florida locals.

While on the monorail I got a call from Ryan. The plan to have a relax/pool day was out the window, and the rest of our group had bought park tickets and were on their way to Epcot for some adult Food and Wine time. Lucky Ducks!

We arrived at the Grand Floridian and parted ways with Rachelle.


Maddie and I were so excited to be able to experience this. Yes, it was expensive, but Maddie opted to do it instead of a birthday party at home with her school friends. She had very high expectations, and I was nervous, wondering if it would live up to what she thought it would be.

We walked into the Grand Floridian at 9:20, about an hour early.
I took the opportunity to snap some pictures of Maddie...





We found some seats at the far end of the lobby near the Garden View Tea Room, and soon started to notice some other little princesses and their moms gathering around. An attendant arrived at the podium outside the tea room at about 10:25. We walked up to her, and she checked us in and gave Maddie a name card:



It said, "Princess Madeline of the Sunflowers". They spelled Maddie's full name incorrectly, but she didn't mind.

We were ushered right in front of the tea room entrance, and other princesses and parents began to fill in.

We snuck a peek inside the Garden View Tea Room...



The hostess was very friendly with the children, and she engaged them in little games and conversation while we waited for everyone to arrive:



There ended up being about 10 girls in attendance -- a very intimate group!

The hostess explained how all of this would go down. Rose Petal would be coming out, and she'd announce each child one at a time, crown her, and then child and parent would be shown to their seats in the Tea Room.

Here's the first look at Rose Petal as she greeted the girls...



Maddie was called first!



She was crowned and sprinkled with Rose Petals...



Then Rose Petal had some words with her...



and they posed...



I really wish they would have had PhotoPass Photographers around for this part, as you can see that the lighting was not great, and my pictures didn't turn out too well.

After meeting Rose Petal, we were shown to our assigned seats, which were at the end of the Tea Room closest to the lobby, facing the outer window. We had a great view, but all the backlighting made the other pictures I would take throughout the event look discolored. In the future, I'd ask for a seat by the window so I'd be looking away from the light while taking pictures!

When we got to our seats, we were told not to touch our napkins yet. Maddie could care less, because she only had eyes for this...



The Aurora doll was waiting for her at the table, along with a magic wand. The doll is very similar to the "Disney Princess and Me" dolls you can get at Toys R Us. Maddie actually has a Rapunzel doll from this line, and commented right away that the Aurora doll was just like her Rapunzel. Here's a picture of some of the Disney Princess and Me line...



I think it's worth noting that the Aurora in this line wears a different dress, has a different hairstyle, and does not have identical facial features. So, although the size, body, and style of the My Disney Girl doll is similar to that of the Disney Princess and Me doll, the My Disney Girl doll is still unique and exclusive to the Tea Party. I personally would have preferred the old style doll that was more like an American Girl doll, but Maddie seemed delighted with the doll they gave her.

The magic wand wasn't anything too fancy, just a basic pink wand, wrapped in ribbon with a wire and bead top.

Once everyone was seated, Rose Petal instructed us to open our napkins and put them on our laps.

Maddie discovered a charm bracelet inside her napkin...



It was imitation silver with little gems in various colors to represent all the princesses. She was quite pleased with it!

While we were in the midst of the napkin excitement, our tea had been served.

Maddie had a pink pot and cup, with warmed up apple juice inside, and here's what I had:



I don't particularly like tea (or any hot beverages for that matter) but this tea was enjoyable to drink. It wasn't something I'd sit at home and guzzle down, but there was nothing bad about it either.

Soon, our food was served.

Maddie had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, ham and cheese sandwiches, and fruit, all topped with Mickey sprinkles:



She inhaled the ham and cheese, but didn't want much to do with the PB&J. She also picked at the fruit, but didn't eat all of it. Overall, she seemed happy with her meal and full.

My meal consisted of egg salad sandwiches, chicken salad sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches, a couple cheeses, crackers, and grapes. The sandwiches were made with nice, fresh bread (hooray!!) and tasted amazing. I ate mine right up, and then noticed that all the moms around me had left some of theirs. Woops. Dainty eater, I am not. Seriously though, the sandwiches were way too good to be picked at or left behind. The cheeses were also very good -- tasted like they were definitely high quality. The crackers were thin and crispy, but maybe could have been salted more. The grapes were cold, juicy and fresh, as they should be.



I've read in other reviews that you shouldn't skip breakfast or lunch on the day you do this Tea Party, because the portions are small. I have to say, I wholeheartedly disagree. We are from Wisconsin, and we like to eat. But, we also skipped breakfast, ate the food at the tea party, and were not hungry for lunch. If you actually eat all you have (and don't leave food on your plate trying to fit in with the other moms who clearly didn't skip breakfast!) you'll be full, and the meal could easily pass for brunch!

Around the time food was being served, the pianist who was playing for us throughout the event came around to each table to do a meet and greet and sign autographs:



While we were eating, Rose Petal told her story. Her story telling methods included narration, song, dance, and sign language. She really was amazing! I was skeptical at first, as she looked like just a 30-40ish-year-old woman wearing a pink dress, and I didn't know what all the fuss was about. Then, when she started to perform, I got it! She has a beautiful singing voice, and is an excellent dancer. The kids were all captivated by her, and so was I. It was like having our very own performer there to entertain our little group.

After she was done telling her story, Rose Petal helped get the girls prepared to meet Aurora by calling them up to join her on the floor. There, she taught them how to sing "Hail to the King" in sign language, and she taught them how to properly curtsy. Soon, Aurora came out and joined them, and they all had a little parade around the room, followed by dancing. The whole time the pianist played in the background, and the girls could request their favorite Disney songs.

Then the girls sat back down, cake was served, and Aurora and Rose Petal started making their rounds for meet and greets with each girl at her table.

During this time, the hostesses also passed around blue cinch bags with the Perfectly Princess Tea Party logo for the girls to stash their gifts.

We had our cake before either of our meet and greets:



Ooh, this was good! Fresh layers of cake, light whipped frosting, topped with buttery cream topping and a ripe strawberry, with strawberry sauce on the side. Perfection! And the pieces were more filling than they look. If you ate all your sandwiches, fruit and cake you definitely would not go hungry at this Tea Party!

Rose Petal came by to meet Maddie first...



She chatted with her for quite a while, and gave her the necklace in the picture.

Here's a closer look at the necklace...



It was basically just a ribbon with a fake plastic jewel on it, but Maddie loved it, and it seemed very special being put on her neck by Rose Petal, who had just been wowing her for the past hour.

Aurora came to our table next, and she brought Maddie a fresh pink long stem rose.





She was very sweet. Gushed over Maddie's dress and made her feel special.

Once the meet and greets were done, all the girls were led in a big princess parade throughout the Grand Floridian, carrying their loot in their cinch sacks (the dolls didn't fit too well, so I carried Maddie's for her)..





The parade ended on the second floor, where there was an area set up for PhotoPass photographers to take pictures of each girl with one of the Aurora dolls. Here's Maddie's picture...



After the photo shoot, they were invited into the gift shop where each girl got to select a name for her doll and have it printed on an adoption certificate. My ever-so-original child chose "Aurora". They also got a sheet of stickers along with their certificates, and then it was done! The whole thing took about 2 hours.

So, was it worth it?

If you're in it only for the things, then no. The crown was dollar store quality and cracked into pieces after one day in the parks, the necklace and bracelet were no different than all the countless play jewelry little girls accumulate, and the doll was from the exact same mold as something you can get from Toys R Us for $30. There is something to be said for all of these being unique to the event. So many Disney souvenirs are repeated and scattered all over the resort, so any time you can find something unique to one place it's always a good thing, but the items themselves were not worth the $300 paid for the event.

I do, however, think the experience as a whole was worth Maddie skipping a birthday party and participating. The live performance from Rose Petal, the pianist playing the songs you request, being able to drink tea from a real tea pot, the character interaction, and the yummy food were all factors. It was a morning Maddie will always remember, and it has been the thing she's talked about the most since we've been back. There is a lot of value in parents giving some one-on-one attention to their little girls, making them feel special, and boosting their self confidence, and this experience succeeded in doing that.

Up Next...Downtown Disney and Packers Football!