GDF and Z Ditch Daddy and Dash to Disney

[dvccamper 32]

I have to say this is one time I'm happy my girls are all teenagers. Frozen mania would have swept through our house and cost me a small fortune.

Enjoying all the details, keep it coming!

[momof3kids-Yvonne 596]

I should have timed my reading right and looked at your Frozen fireworks photos while we were listening to the Frozen CD in the car yesterday.

[lklasing 16]

I agree with Nacole - lots of sugar and booze - must have been a big fun time!

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Glad you enjoyed your package!

[jjbescher 17]

I should have timed my reading right and looked at your Frozen fireworks photos while we were listening to the Frozen CD in the car yesterday.

 

Car, House, Bedtime, Morning.  It does not matter in my house.  Worse was when we were camping and I brought my DD to the playground.  Random group of girls started singing "Let it Go!" and before you know it there were at least 5 girls, all singing off key.  I wish I carried ear plugs with me.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Car, House, Bedtime, Morning.  It does not matter in my house.  Worse was when we were camping and I brought my DD to the playground.  Random group of girls started singing "Let it Go!" and before you know it there were at least 5 girls, all singing off key.  I wish I carried ear plugs with me.

 

If you go to the sing-a-long at DHS, do not forget those earplugs.  There will be a lot more than 5 girls singing off key.  But, the girls aren't the worst of it.  It's the dads.  You really need to go.

 

TCD

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Sugar, booze, fireworks, and Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bars?  

 

Totally worth it.  

 

Amen

 

:rofl3:

 

 

Haha... I had to laugh when I read your last update Kelly.  I was thinking, the kids were sugared up and the mommies were liquored up... I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall at the end of that night :)   Looks like a lot of fun!  Very "sweet"   :)

 

It was a great night! The mommies and kids really enjoyed it. 

 

I'm back in full force!  Just two comments from your latest updates:

 

1.  It's good to see a post from Troll!

 

2.  Yes, that band is Mulch, Sweat and Shears in all of their loud, obnoxious glory.  They play too long, and too loud.  Elsa needs to freeze their vocal cords.

 

TCD

 

I know, the Troll came back! 

 

I didn't think the band was that bad. Maybe it was because I had already had a cocktail by then? 

 

Your parade post had me guessing what you were getting with the premium package.  Seemed like a total waste of money.

 

After your posts of the dessert party and what you get, it looks so totally worth it.

 

The package got better and better as the day went on. The dessert party is really what makes it worth it. 

 

The Frozen stuff looks awesome, my DD will Love it.

 

It was all a lot of fun, and the kids were over the moon about it. 

 

I have to say this is one time I'm happy my girls are all teenagers. Frozen mania would have swept through our house and cost me a small fortune.

Enjoying all the details, keep it coming!

 

No doubt about it; Frozen is a Disney gold mine right now. 

 

I should have timed my reading right and looked at your Frozen fireworks photos while we were listening to the Frozen CD in the car yesterday.

 

Ha ha! 

 

I agree with Nacole - lots of sugar and booze - must have been a big fun time!

 

Oh yes! 

 

Glad you enjoyed your package!

 

We really did. I'm glad I let go of my super planning, and we went to DHS. 

 

Car, House, Bedtime, Morning.  It does not matter in my house.  Worse was when we were camping and I brought my DD to the playground.  Random group of girls started singing "Let it Go!" and before you know it there were at least 5 girls, all singing off key.  I wish I carried ear plugs with me.

 

Ha ha ha! So true. Z's whole pre-K class sang it at their "graduation."

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

There are days left in this report, and we’re going to visit the MK on both days. Since this trip was last minute and getting FP+ for Anna and Elsa and the Mine Train was difficult, we had to do things differently than I usually do. Generally, we go to the parks in the morning, leave in the afternoon, and return in the evening. But we had 2 problems with this plan. I was able to get Anna and Elsa at 9:20 PM on July 7^th and the Mine Train at 5:15 on July 8^th. These times meant no early mornings, so we decided just to hit the parks in the evenings.

 

As a result, Monday began with a trip to the pool!

 

 

When we walked in, a CM was doing a craft with kids where they colored rubber duckies. Both boys wanted to do it.

 

The excitement of permanent markers!

 

 

I couldn’t believe how empty the pool was! It was cloudy, but I’ve still never seen it like this.

 

 

 

 

The pee puddle

 

 

D enjoyed the slide. Z still won’t ride after the April 2013 incident. He did go all the way up and think about it though. Maybe next April, he’ll go for it.

 

 

We headed over to the kids’ area.

 

 

 

 

We had a picnic at the pool. It was nice to enjoy the pool when it wasn’t very crowded.

 

We headed back to the site and more lizard hunting ensued.

 

 

Z got pretty good at catching them. Don’t call PETA; we always let them go.

 

 

This was the FP+ for the day. I figured we could hit some anytime attractions and eat dinner to fill in the gaps.

 

 

 

You’ll notice that we have 4 people and 3 different times for Anna and Elsa. They overlap at 9:20 PM. That’s a way you can get more last minute FP+ for the big attractions. In order to do this, I had to make Z and D 8 years old in MDE. Otherwise, I couldn’t manipulate them separately. That reminds me that I should probably make Z his true age of 5 again.

 

So we got on the cart and headed to the dock.

 

 

Once we arrived at the MK, something crazy happened. Elena got some rope out of her bag, tied me up, and dragged me over to the little kiosk in front of the gate. She grabbed our Magic Bands and my purse and forced me to upgrade our 5 day tickets to an AP. I kept waiting for a CM to stop her, to save me, but no one came to my rescue! After the transaction, I kept begging for her to let me go and promised not to run, so she finally did.

 

At that point, we entered the MK.

 

It was pretty crowded.

 

 

Mandatory castle picture… I know I look happy here, but I was still a little scared of Elena.

 

 

We headed over to the Monster’s Laugh Floor because there wasn’t a wait, and Elena and D had never done it.

 

 

Cool theming

 

 

This was one of the funnier shows I’ve seen. One of the people they picked only spoke Spanish, and the monster switched into a combination of English and Spanish. It was funny and impressive!

 

At this point I was starving, so we headed out to get some dinner.

 

On the way, we caught part of the castle show.

 

 

Next up, we head to Columbia Harbor House where I try a new dish….

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Once we arrived at the MK, something crazy happened. Elena got some rope out of her bag, tied me up, and dragged me over to the little kiosk in front of the gate. She grabbed our Magic Bands and my purse and forced me to upgrade our 5 day tickets to an AP. I kept waiting for a CM to stop her, to save me, but no one came to my rescue! After the transaction, I kept begging for her to let me go and promised not to run, so she finally did.

 

 

Uh huh.  

 

:rofl3:

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

All caught up.....still out of town with DW but had a few minutes to catch up.

Great updates Kelly!

[twiceblessed....nacole 433]

The pool was empty?!  Man... that's because all the crazies filled it up when we were there the week before.   Bailey would have LOVED that craft!  Too bad we missed that one; she always wants to do the pool party, so she can get another silly toy.  I think we have 2 or 3 of those little ducks :)

 

Yep...I'm sure you were kicking and screaming all the way through the AP line :)  Real question is... did Jason know that you were doing this??

[jmaul 65]

un-crowded pools and APs....nice.

[Helmsey......Todd 134]

Have you recovered from the trauma of being forced into getting AP's? :)

 

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Wow, the Fort really clears out after a big holiday weekend!

 

How did Elena like camping?

 

I've been meaning to ask-how was the AC in the 1500/1600 comfort station?  The air must have been broken in the 100/200 comfort station, as it was awful in there- even first thing in the morning.  I hope it was broken, and not that they are being cheap and setting the thermostat higher.  That's why I ask.

 

I am looking forward to hearing about your stop at Columbia Harbor House. There's something new there that I want to try.

 

TCD

[Katman1356...Jason 1,140]

Wow, the Fort really clears out after a big holiday weekend!

How did Elena like camping?

I've been meaning to ask-how was the AC in the 1500/1600 comfort station? The air must have been broken in the 100/200 comfort station, as it was awful in there- even first thing in the morning. I hope it was broken, and not that they are being cheap and setting the thermostat higher. That's why I ask.

I am looking forward to hearing about your stop at Columbia Harbor House. There's something new there that I want to try.

TCD

The ac was fine in the 800 loop CS

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

The ac was fine in the 800 loop CS

 

I noticed they had some kind of auxiliary system hooked up the 1400 loop CS.

 

I should have mentioned that the 1100 loop CS was fine- I gave up on the 100/200 loop CS and took my cart to the 1100 loop in the morning.  You can park your cart right there, and that one is never crowded.

 

TCD

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Uh huh.  

 

:rofl3:

 

You don't believe me? You're laughing at what was a traumatic event for me? I'm offended. I think. :)

 

All caught up.....still out of town with DW but had a few minutes to catch up.

Great updates Kelly!

 

I hope you're out of town for a fun reason! 

 

The pool was empty?!  Man... that's because all the crazies filled it up when we were there the week before.   Bailey would have LOVED that craft!  Too bad we missed that one; she always wants to do the pool party, so she can get another silly toy.  I think we have 2 or 3 of those little ducks :)

 

Yep...I'm sure you were kicking and screaming all the way through the AP line :)  Real question is... did Jason know that you were doing this??

 

Yes, the pool was empty. Crazy, right? The boys loved the craft. 

 

No, Jason did not know in advance. Are you people paying attention? My friend used physical force to make me do it. She wouldn't have told her plot to Jason in advance. 

 

un-crowded pools and APs....nice.

 

It's good to be GDF. 

 

Have you recovered from the trauma of being forced into getting AP's? :)

 

 

Not fully. I think my trip to Food and Wine will help. 

 

Wow, the Fort really clears out after a big holiday weekend!

 

How did Elena like camping?

 

I've been meaning to ask-how was the AC in the 1500/1600 comfort station?  The air must have been broken in the 100/200 comfort station, as it was awful in there- even first thing in the morning.  I hope it was broken, and not that they are being cheap and setting the thermostat higher.  That's why I ask.

 

I am looking forward to hearing about your stop at Columbia Harbor House. There's something new there that I want to try.

 

TCD

 

Elena and D LOVED camping. They had a great time. D had been to see us there a couple of times, but he thought staying there was great. 

 

The comfort station AC worked fine where we were. Yours must have been broken. Which stinks in July. 

 

I have a feeling I tried what you've been wanting. 

 

The ac was fine in the 800 loop CS

 

Ours too! 

 

I noticed they had some kind of auxiliary system hooked up the 1400 loop CS.

 

I should have mentioned that the 1100 loop CS was fine- I gave up on the 100/200 loop CS and took my cart to the 1100 loop in the morning.  You can park your cart right there, and that one is never crowded.

 

TCD

 

Good tip! 

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

We made it to Columbia Harbor House. The upstairs part of the dining room here is a little oasis away from the crowds. It’s usually nearly empty.

 

 

And it has a pretty cool view.

 

 

We came here for a reason. I wanted to try the seafood macaroni and cheese.

 

Here it is.

 

 

My review? The shrimp looked undercooked and didn’t taste great. I ate one and skipped the rest. The lobster was pretty good, better than I expected, and the macaroni and cheese part was good. You can’t really tell from the picture, but it is A LOT of food. Save for the shrimp, it was pretty tasty but was kind of a letdown.

 

After eating it was time to ride BTMRR. This is one of Z’s favorite rides. He even has a “put your hands up” chant for it. It was D’s first time riding. I love first times at Disney!

 

We got to the ride and saw a long line…

 

 

Yep, the FP+ return line.

 

There’s even a roped area to help manage it.

 

 

Magical.

 

It moved pretty fast though, and here we are! “Put your hands up!”

 

 

 

D loved it!

 

 

We had some time to kill before our next FP+, so we decided to do something I hadn’t done in a loooooooooooooong time, and Z had never done.

 

We went to Tom Sawyer’s Island.

 

 

Something’s wrong with this kid.

 

 

 

The view from the boat is pretty cool.

 

 

Uh oh, dark caves!

 

 

We went into a mine.

 

 

The boys weren’t so sure about it being so dark, but they were brave.

 

We saw a river boat.

 

 

And explored the island

 

 

 

Hey, look! They have checkers here.

 

 

Cool view of Thunder Mountain

 

 

Overall, I know why I haven’t been there in a long time. It’s pretty boring. I can wait another 15 years to go back, I think. This makes you wonder why it’s still there. Are there Tom Sawyer Island fans out there? Is it because it’s a classic attraction? Is it because they don’t know what else to do with the island? What if they turned it into Neverland and had Peter Pan, Captain Hook, and Jake meet and greets out there? That would be pretty cool! 

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

You are right- I want to try that seafood mac and cheese.  After reading your review, though, I am not in a hurry to do so.  I'll still have to try it for myself some time.

 

That last time I went to Tom Sawyer's Island was during the first 24 hour MK event in 2012.  It probably won't be 15 years before I go back.  But, I agree, the space could be better used.

 

TCD

[dvccamper 32]

Did the boys like it at least? It's been a long time since we went over there but I remember there used to be a relatively quiet spot to have lunch that we liked.

[we3peas 12]

Was the Frozen fireworks at DHS after 9 pm?  I ask because my DH and I were enjoying our 22nd anniversary dinner on July 19th at the California Grill and we expected to see MK and EPCOT fireworks but there was another set in there as well and it looked like it was coming from HS. Couldn't figure it out and we didn't ask anyone.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Tom Sawyer's Island ... haven't been there since the early '80s.  Our kids weren't too thrilled with it.  Has anything changed there?

 

BTW, right now one member (me) and 8 GUESTS are reading this thread!

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

They could turn it into Ariel's Island and move that ride out there.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

You are right- I want to try that seafood mac and cheese.  After reading your review, though, I am not in a hurry to do so.  I'll still have to try it for myself some time.

 

That last time I went to Tom Sawyer's Island was during the first 24 hour MK event in 2012.  It probably won't be 15 years before I go back.  But, I agree, the space could be better used.

 

TCD

 

If I order the seafood mac again, I'd tell them no shrimp. Maybe the shrimp aren't always like that though. 

 

And I agree; it could be better used. 

 

Did the boys like it at least? It's been a long time since we went over there but I remember there used to be a relatively quiet spot to have lunch that we liked.

 

The boys did like it. They felt very adventurous and brave going into the caves. 

 

Was the Frozen fireworks at DHS after 9 pm?  I ask because my DH and I were enjoying our 22nd anniversary dinner on July 19th at the California Grill and we expected to see MK and EPCOT fireworks but there was another set in there as well and it looked like it was coming from HS. Couldn't figure it out and we didn't ask anyone.

 

The Frozen fireworks started at 9:45. 

 

How was your meal? CG is on my short list for an anniversary meal. 

 

Tom Sawyer's Island ... haven't been there since the early '80s.  Our kids weren't too thrilled with it.  Has anything changed there?

 

BTW, right now one member (me) and 8 GUESTS are reading this thread!

 

I'm pretty sure nothing has changed since the 80s. 

 

8 guests? I'm almost famous! 

 

They could turn it into Ariel's Island and move that ride out there.

 

You and Dave would really like that, huh?

[DaveInTN 3,247]

I always used to visit Tom Sawyer's Island when Aunt Polly's was open.  We'd get ice cream in the afternoon and relax a bit.  Once Polly's closed, the place wasn't worth visiting IMO.  I agree it could be much better utilized.  The issue is access.  The river boat is too tall to build a bridge I would think.  So they have to use the rafts to get to the island, which wouldn't be practical if they built something really worthwhile out there.  Come to think of it, Aaron's idea is perfect.