From Moscow to Mickey – My Little Girl’s Journey to the Fort (DaveInTN and Family Spend Thanksgiving With The Fiends!)

[stacktester 78]

Dave, first of all a great update and as always a great TR. I envy the fun ya'll had at MK. Annie and I used to seem to have more fun than we do now. Maybe it's her age. You're kids are all so polite. For the life of me and I've read along here I can't remember the child's name that's got blonde hair that has curls and she is not the one who drove in sharp circles on my golf cart. Anyway, you've made us cry, smile and laugh and feel a part of the family. I can only imagine how special it has been to have Anna and give her the life that you and INC have. God has a special place reserved for you guys. That's all I'm gonna say about that.

[Lou... 3,118]

Ok, who ever kidnapped the real Donnie, I'll pay to get him back. Not a lot, but I'll pay.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

How many times can you use the word beautiful in a TR, without it being redundant?

Ahh, who cares! You have a beautiful family Dave. The girls look like they had a blast at MK. Your "relative" should be proud that he was able to do that for you guys. He must be one heck of a good guy. :heart:

You should really be thanking Anna, your face looks great, and real plastic surgery is very expensive!

Thanks Stef! And maybe I could sell facelifts at the Fort, Anna style. I could advertise "Russian Facelifts". Any takers?

Ditto! I love Isabel's faces!

I likely have a couple more somewhere in the pictures. I'll try to post more. Maybe I'm on to something here, like Leslie's girls' faces in her trip reports. Only creepier. :rofl2:

Great update, Dave. Yay, for Stella and her first ride on Space Mountain!

Yay for Stella! First SM ride is a right of passage for young Fiends the world over.

Anna certainly does steal the show....

However all 6 of the Statz gals are showstoppers in their own right. What a BEAUTIFUL family.

Thanks KFK! That means a lot coming from someone with a beautiful family of her own.

Ok, since both of you asked nicely, I'll look for the recipe asap. You're right.. they are great on Christmas morning. We do that IF there are any left over from grandma's Christmas Eve gathering of KFR (relatives).

I will owe you BIG TIME!

Dave,

Looks like a great Magic Kingdom day!! We have also been to the MK on the Friday before Thanksgiving and the place was dead the whole day. Actually we have had great luck in all the parks the week before Thanksgiving......very, very quiet. Glad you got to go on such a great day.

Also have to mention that we always do rope drop and Space Mountain is always our first destination. More often than not, it is closed............whats up with that? However, the FP machine have always been open and we can at least grab FP's.

Looks like Anna, was enjoying her very first Disney park. I also thought she was quite brave to go on Haunted Mansion and not be scared. When my boys were that age, they were scared of the haunted mansion.

Cant wait to read more!!!!!

Heidi

I wasn't sure what to expect taking Anna on HM, but she liked it. The only ride she had any problem with was Pirates. And that was only because of the drop in the dark. And I don't think she was scared from the drop, so much as she was scared cause I was screaming like a schoolgirl in her ear.

Dave-

Great job on your update. Of course I have comments:

1. I did not know there were steak fries in the Plaza Restaurant. Honestly, I don't think we have ever eaten there. Just based on your photos alone, that oversight will soon be remedied!

2. I LOL'd at the commentary on the "Ho." Dude, you can sure hold a grudge. Remind me not to get on your bad side.

3. Congratulations to Stella on her first SM ride. And, great jobs on the photos. If I didn't know any better, I would think you were posing for those photos, but I am sure that they are just candid shots.

4. I have no idea who your relative is that is a castmember, but I'm really glad that he/she was willing to take the time to get your family in to the MK- like Lou said, I'm sure that CM is smiling, but you have also made all the folks who have viewed your photos smile too!

Keep up the good work on your report.

As predicted, this one is already epic, and is climbing quite high in the viewership ranks.

TCD

First, you must go to the Plaza for the fries before they disappear. I wouldn't at all be surprised to see them go the way of Aunt Polly's and the Mike Fink Keelboats.

Second, yes, I do hold a grudge. Be careful.

Third, the SM photos were completely candid. I had no idea there was a camera on that ride. Really.

And finally, I am indebted to my cousin, and will pay the kindness forward when I can.

Dave, first of all a great update and as always a great TR. I envy the fun ya'll had at MK. Annie and I used to seem to have more fun than we do now. Maybe it's her age. You're kids are all so polite. For the life of me and I've read along here I can't remember the child's name that's got blonde hair that has curls and she is not the one who drove in sharp circles on my golf cart. Anyway, you've made us cry, smile and laugh and feel a part of the family. I can only imagine how special it has been to have Anna and give her the life that you and INC have. God has a special place reserved for you guys. That's all I'm gonna say about that.

Hey Donnie, thanks for the comments. I am cherishing these times with my girls before they grow up and move on with their lives, leaving memories behind. You know as well as I do how the teenage years can be. Ya gotta take the good with the bad and just roll with it sometimes.

The blond curly one is Gwen. And it was Isabel that was forced to drive your cart in circles after your lugnuts loosened and the wheels came flying off. :rofl3:

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Ok, who ever kidnapped the real Donnie, I'll pay to get him back. Not a lot, but I'll pay.

:rofl2:

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Now I Have TWO Princesses To Mock

After riding SM, we headed back toward Fantasyland. We wanted to ride Pooh. I don't have any pics of Pooh, but it was boring as always.

Sorry, guess I'm not a Pooh fan. I don't think they ever should have killed poor Mr. Toad. Not that I have any clue who Mr. Toad was, but he was original. And Pooh is boring even for the young ones, IMO. When it was Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, the herky jerky motion of the cars made sense. But traveling through a Pooh book on a herky jerky honey pot makes no sense to me.

Anyways, we rode Pooh, and since we were right there we rode the carousel again. And for the record, I am very pro-carousel. Although the MK carousel takes longer to load than the actual ride. I swear we only made two revolutions and we stopped. And there was no line! I could see having short rides if there is a long line of people, but on a day with no line, I say let 'em ride!

If you thought Anna looked tired before....

Not to worry, she was having a good time. She just didn't know it. :rofl2:

See, she looks happier here. But I don't. :rofl3:

This is a bit better.

I've seen lots of deer at the Fort, and along the path to the WL....but I've NEVER seen deer at the MK before.

We walked through the Bibbidy Bobbity Boutique. This is probably the closest my girls will ever get to getting the Disney "treatment". But Stella enjoyed looking at her favorite Princess' dress.

At this point, we walked through the castle, and the parade happened to be coming up the street. We found a great spot to watch it.

Ok, is it just me, or is that Beast really odd looking?

His outfit is fine. And the fur is very Beast-like. But what's with the eyes?? They look kinda buggy to me.

Here is a closer look.

See what I mean? My first thought when I looked at the pictures was that he didn't really look like the Beast. He looks more to me like Sweetums, from the Muppet Show.

What do you think? Maybe it's just me.

Anyways, believe it or not, that wasn't the strangest thing we saw at the parade that day. Not by a mile.

You know I have an issue with Ms. White. That has been well chronicled over the years, going back to my November 2009 trip report at a place that won't be mentioned. But otherwise, I've typically had no issues with the Disney princesses. Heck, I've spent a decent amount of money supporting them via my daughters. Dolls, dresses, movies, yada yada yada.

But on this day, it was another princess that gave me reason to step back and question just what is going on in the world of Disney gals.

On this day, in the afternoon parade, a certain little aquatic bimbo showed a side of herself that I'm not completely comfortable with. To put it bluntly, she showed me that she's a lunatic.

Yes, fellow Fiends. Be afraid of Ariel. She's NUTS.

Just in case you are viewing this on your phone like I sometimes do...let me zoom in a bit on the insanity.

Frightening, eh?

I swear she looks like she wants to eat some poor child.

Now apparently, Ariel has a thing for leaving her mouth wide open. A quick search of the internet turned up several more shots of her with her big mouth.

Ok...I think I've proved my point. The poor gal can't keep her mouth shut.

But, even in all those pictures of her with her mouth wide open, she didn't look nearly as frightening as when we saw her.

I was a bit fearful, to be honest with you. But I didn't let it ruin my day. No way. DaveInTN can overcome adversity, that's for sure. I may shed a few tears now and then, but I wipe my face and get on with my day.

And that's just what we did. We hightailed it out of the MK and ran back to the safely of the Fort! :rofl3:

But not for long. We got Anna rested up...and then we headed for EMH at Epcot!!!! Coming up.....

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

Now I Have TWO Princesses To Mock

After riding SM, we headed back toward Fantasyland. We wanted to ride Pooh. I don't have any pics of Pooh, but it was boring as always.

Sorry, guess I'm not a Pooh fan. I don't think they ever should have killed poor Mr. Toad. Not that I have any clue who Mr. Toad was, but he was original. And Pooh is boring even for the young ones, IMO. When it was Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, the herky jerky motion of the cars made sense. But traveling through a Pooh book on a herky jerky honey pot makes no sense to me.

Anyways, we rode Pooh, and since we were right there we rode the carousel again. And for the record, I am very pro-carousel. Although the MK carousel takes longer to load than the actual ride. I swear we only made two revolutions and we stopped. And there was no line! I could see having short rides if there is a long line of people, but on a day with no line, I say let 'em ride!

If you thought Anna looked tired before....

Not to worry, she was having a good time. She just didn't know it. :rofl2:

See, she looks happier here. But I don't. :rofl3:

This is a bit better.

I've seen lots of deer at the Fort, and along the path to the WL....but I've NEVER seen deer at the MK before.

We walked through the Bibbidy Bobbity Boutique. This is probably the closest my girls will ever get to getting the Disney "treatment". But Stella enjoyed looking at her favorite Princess' dress.

At this point, we walked through the castle, and the parade happened to be coming up the street. We found a great spot to watch it.

Ok, is it just me, or is that Beast really odd looking?

His outfit is fine. And the fur is very Beast-like. But what's with the eyes?? They look kinda buggy to me.

Here is a closer look.

See what I mean? My first thought when I looked at the pictures was that he didn't really look like the Beast. He looks more to me like Sweetums, from the Muppet Show.

What do you think? Maybe it's just me.

Anyways, believe it or not, that wasn't the strangest thing we saw at the parade that day. Not by a mile.

You know I have an issue with Ms. White. That has been well chronicled over the years, going back to my November 2009 trip report at a place that won't be mentioned. But otherwise, I've typically had no issues with the Disney princesses. Heck, I've spent a decent amount of money supporting them via my daughters. Dolls, dresses, movies, yada yada yada.

But on this day, it was another princess that gave me reason to step back and question just what is going on in the world of Disney gals.

On this day, in the afternoon parade, a certain little aquatic bimbo showed a side of herself that I'm not completely comfortable with. To put it bluntly, she showed me that she's a lunatic.

Yes, fellow Fiends. Be afraid of Ariel. She's NUTS.

Just in case you are viewing this on your phone like I sometimes do...let me zoom in a bit on the insanity.

Frightening, eh?

I swear she looks like she wants to eat some poor child.

Now apparently, Ariel has a thing for leaving her mouth wide open. A quick search of the internet turned up several more shots of her with her big mouth.

Yup, that is one scary fish!

Ok...I think I've proved my point. The poor gal can't keep her mouth shut.

But, even in all those pictures of her with her mouth wide open, she didn't look nearly as frightening as when we saw her.

I was a bit fearful, to be honest with you. But I didn't let it ruin my day. No way. DaveInTN can overcome adversity, that's for sure. I may shed a few tears now and then, but I wipe my face and get on with my day.

And that's just what we did. We hightailed it out of the MK and ran back to the safely of the Fort! :rofl3:

But not for long. We got Anna rested up...and then we headed for EMH at Epcot!!!! Coming up.....

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

Yup, that is one scary fish! Were you anywhere near CHH? That could explain things. :rofl2:

[stacktester 78]

I'm thinking you're cousin shoulda sent you to a shrink. I mean really, why is Snow so elusive? Oh I know because you will photoshop her face into ugly. There I said it, Dave has issues. OK, Lou got his wish. I'm back.

[Lou... 3,118]

I couldn't see her lower jaw and said WTF. This is a little, not much, less scary.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

I'm thinking you're cousin shoulda sent you to a shrink. I mean really, why is Snow so elusive? Oh I know because you will photoshop her face into ugly. There I said it, Dave has issues. OK, Lou got his wish. I'm back.

Why so defensive? Got a thing for the fish, Donnie?? :rofl2:

[Lou... 3,118]

I'm thinking you're cousin shoulda sent you to a shrink. I mean really, why is Snow so elusive? Oh I know because you will photoshop her face into ugly. There I said it, Dave has issues. OK, Lou got his wish. I'm back.

Cousin, Dave has cousin? Is he like TCD's cousin Yuri?

Donnie, they let you go. I was ready to drop of the $10 ransom for your release?

[stacktester 78]

Cousin, Dave has cousin? Is he like TCD's cousin Yuri?

Donnie, they let you go. I was ready to drop of the $10 ransom for your release?

Steph said she'd have given $10 and a nickel to get me back. Actually she likes it better when I'm nice so she mighta left me in and let that other character take my place for a while.

[stefa70 205]

Steph said she'd have given $10 and a nickel to get me back. Actually she likes it better when I'm nice so she mighta left me in and let that other character take my place for a while.

Actually I think my highest bid was $9.95. I don't necessarily like it when you're nice, it makes me think your up to something.

Dave, let me get this straight before I head out.

1. No Snow White pics

2. No Devine pics

3. No Ariel pics

4. Lots of pood forn pics

Do I have it covered?

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Yup, that is one scary fish! Were you anywhere near CHH? That could explain things. :rofl2:

You would think. :rofl3: But I'm not thinking she was afraid of getting eaten....she was definitely looking to attack someone.

I'm thinking you're cousin shoulda sent you to a shrink. I mean really, why is Snow so elusive? Oh I know because you will photoshop her face into ugly. There I said it, Dave has issues. OK, Lou got his wish. I'm back.

Yay, Donnie is back. I'm calling Jen to complain.

I couldn't see her lower jaw and said WTF. This is a little, not much, less scary.

That is SO much better. :rofl2:

Actually I think my highest bid was $9.95. I don't necessarily like it when you're nice, it makes me think your up to something.

Dave, let me get this straight before I head out.

1. No Snow White pics

2. No Devine pics

3. No Ariel pics

4. Lots of pood forn pics

Do I have it covered?

Ok, for the rest of this report, I think I can promise to meet all of your points.

I think.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Wow, we're 15 pages into this report and I'm only on Day 3 of an 11 day day trip. I better get this thing moving!

So after the MK, we rested up a bit back at the Fort. Anna took a nap, and then we spent a little time sitting outside playing her favorite game, Let's Cover Mama With Pine Needles.

Look Ma, these are cool ones!

After our brief rest, we headed out to Epcot. They had EMH that night until midnight, and the MK was closing at 7 for a Mickey's Not So Stupid Christmas Party, or whatever they are calling them these days. So off to Epcot we went!

I planned on sampling some beer around the world, so we bussed it to Epcot. The buses were timely, efficient, clean and staffed with uber friendly folks.

You're welcome, Lou.

Once at Epcot, we rented a stroller for the evening for Stella, because as experienced parents we know that her legs would be getting tired somewhere around Morocco. And it's a heck of a long walk from Morocco to the bus stops.

Emma and Gwen rode the golf ball. I boycot the golf ball so I don't have to listen to Damn Judy Dench walk me through history in her pretentious voice. While they were riding, we took the others into the Electric Umbrella to feed them some dinner. We planned on sampling foods in the WS, but it's a lot easier to just cram chicken nuggets down the little ones throats before you try to get them to make a dinner of orange chicken, udon noodles and fish and chips.

At some point, we tried on stupid silly hats. This is a cute one.

We went to China to get Isabel her fave...orange chicken from the take out counter. INC and I had some egg rolls. Gwen has the pics on her computer and I'm too lazy to get them off.

Some of the girls then went to ride the Maelstrom while we waited. What would any sane person do if they had time to kill in Norway??

Right, School Bread!!!

We then made our way toward Germany. Got a couple of pretzels to share. Here's a half eaten one.

Here's my girls holding me up. The odd thing is, I hadn't even had any beer yet. Well, not since leaving the trailer anyways.

Now I've heard about how the camera can put 10 pounds on a person....but they aren't suppose to put 20 years on you! What the heck happened here???

Must be the freaky lighting. Yeah, that's it.

Now I don't know if you've noticed anything about the above pictures, besides how old I look, but look behind us.

There are hardly any people!

Remember I mentioned earlier how quiet the MK was all day? Well Epcot, despite having EMH that night, was FREAKY quiet. And I'll give you a good example of that.

We were not planning on watching Illuminations. We have found that you have to plan ahead to get a spot if you want to have a place to sit or have a view. And we didn't feel like dealing with the crowds tonight jockeying for position along the rail. So we figured that when Illuminations was going on, we'd just get some fish and chips in England and go back into the garden area where we usually like to eat. It is so quiet and peaceful back there. But when I ordered the fish and chips, INC and the girls got me and said we could go watch Illuminations behind the pub. There was hardly anyone back there! I'm not talking in the outdoor dining area, I mean around the right side of the building along the water. So right as Illuminations was starting, we walked right up to the water to watch. The older girls took in the show, while INC and I and Anna sat back a bit to enjoy our fish.

Sorry, half eaten again.

Oh, and this.

Oops, half drank.

After Illuminations, the girls wanted to ride the golf ball again with INC. Emma wanted ice cream, so I hung back with her and Anna and we got Emma her ice cream while the rest of the gang went to ride with Damn Judy Dench again. And around 10:30 or so we called it a night. We slowly made our way to the buses, and had a dark, quiet ride back to the Fort.

We hoped that, since we had her up until 11, Anna would sleep in in the morning. But any parent of a little one knows that that didn't happen. She was up at her usual 6am. But that's ok, because Anna and I began what I hope becomes a Fort tradition for us. Coming up....

[SCTigerCock 171]

Love the TR!!!!

Is that a Bass? Or have they gone to Smithwicks (BOO) like most Irish places?

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Way to go on the daytime update, Dave.

I am glad that y'all got to go to MK and Epcot, and that it wasn't crowded for you.

You sure have strong feelings about things.

Like the Ho.

And the fish girl.

And now, we learn, the golf ball.

You need to let some of this stuff go, man.

TCD

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Love the TR!!!!

Is that a Bass? Or have they gone to Smithwicks (BOO) like most Irish places?

That is indeed a Bass.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Way to go on the daytime update, Dave.

I am glad that y'all got to go to MK and Epcot, and that it wasn't crowded for you.

You sure have strong feelings about things.

Like the Ho.

And the fish girl.

And now, we learn, the golf ball.

You need to let some of this stuff go, man.

TCD

Well the fish incident is new to this trip, and my Snow Ho aversion is well documented. But believe it or not, this isn't the first time I have stated my dislike of Damn Judy Dench. That too is a long running issue of mine.

Let these things go? I think not!

[Duane 152]

Hey Dave, since you guys are over at Epcot, did you happen to venture into Innoventions East (the one on the side of Mission Space and Test Track)? They had this cool new ride in there that I haven't seen before. I think it is called the Sum of All Thrills. Its basically a BIG robot that you can design your own thrill ride and then ride it out on the robot. Ashleigh and I rode it, and its pretty cool ride. Did you guys get to see it or try it?

This may would have come in handy after consuming all of those pretzels, fish, beer, school bread, and beer.

[Hotmamac aka Misty 11]

I'm not caught up yet, but had to comment before I forget what I want to say lol.

Those pictures of Anna up on your shoulders are so sweet they should come with a warning! Makes me want to pinch her little cheeks!!!

All your girls are beautiful!!! Hopefully you have a nice big stick ready to beat the boys back.

Thanks for sharing this great trip!!

[Hotmamac aka Misty 11]

Ok, one more comment.

I stared at this picture for 5 minutes trying to find the "deer". Kept thinking maybe it was way up high on a hill and I just couldn't see it.

Thanks Dave...now I feel like dolt. :rofl3:

I've seen lots of deer at the Fort, and along the path to the WL....but I've NEVER seen deer at the MK before.

.

[SCTigerCock 171]

That is indeed a Bass.

:jumpforjoy :jumpforjoy :jumpforjoy

[kampfirekim 260]

Uh oh... I am pro-judy dench. I am shrinking away in shame.....

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Wow!! I'm caught up already!!! I had been purposely avoiding trip reports on my phone while at WDW, so I could see all the pics full size!!! Great trip so far!!! Your entire family looks like they are having a blast!!!

Late night at an empty Epcot!! Cool!!!!

I ordered the fish and chips and tried to watch Illuminations by the water once. All we got was divebombed by the Seagulls. We had to leave to protect our fish and chips!!!!