Trip Report There's Something About Mary...and it's called DRAMA!

I think it's time to get this thing started...hoping it will help my mood and sanity levels. For those that missed the PTR (http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/lawdy-lawdy-look-whos-turning-40-ptr.867181/) - the early pages should help you catch up on the bulk of the big details, and for those that missed our problems from day 1 of our trip (http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/how-not-to-start-your-wdw-vacay.873853/ )...well, it kind of speaks for itself. I am going to try and keep this as upbeat as possible, but we have a very long road ahead to fix things...so, please bear with me as I vent in between some of the magic.

September 18th

I left work early on the 18th so I could pick up the girls at school and have them with us when we took our dog to get boarded. This is our Daisy Doggy...

What's really funny, the pic above was taken with Sammie's Fisher Price plastic kiddie camera!

After getting the dog situated at boarding, we went home, had some dinner, and the heavy duty packing started. I'd actually started packing my things on the 17th, but now it was time to really focus on the girls. I let them sleep in the guest bedroom that night so I could pack all of their stuff without keeping them up...i.e. so I could pack all of the surprise outfits without spoiling anything. It was A TON of packing, but I finished up around 1am. I had thought about setting up the outfits and bags in the guest room for the reveal, but Sammie got up to use the bathroom right around that time- soooooo, I decided to wait until just before the big reveal.

September 19

I guess I got close to 4.5 hours of sleep (good for the night before a travel day)...and at 6am, it was finally time to set up and reveal the big secret. I got everything set up and then DH came in to help me. The video I took is pretty awful and sleepy girls don't make for really good surprises, but this is the vid I took and I swear...they were REALLY happy.



You can all now probably appreciate what it's like getting these two up for school each morning.

Actually, the girls were super quick to get dressed once it really sunk in what was going on. They were even good with posing for pictures before hitting the road...

We loaded up my SUV and hit the road...sadly, we wouldn't get far. The accident took place about 2.5 miles from our house. I really don't want to rehash all of the scary details, but when we realized we'd all be able to walk away from this horror - we had to decide if we'd continue with this WDW trip. While the girls' initial screams and cries were from the accident itself, they morphed into cries that they wouldn't get to see their grandma and grandpa. We usually try and visit every 3 months, but we pushed it a bit longer b/c of this trip. It was for this reason DH and I decided to push forward with the trip even if the odds weren't in our favor. I guess I just figured getting everyone to "the most magical place on earth" could be therapeutic. Don't get me wrong...I love that the EMTs and lead sheriff on the scene were super lovey with the girls - they really needed something super positive...so, Disney it was!

So, after I took care of the most important initial phone calls, I got Southwest on the line (at the scene of the wreck) and started working with them to rebook the outbound flight. We were yelling over ambulance sirens and traffic, but after about 20 min, we were rebooked from our 9:15am departure to a 3:55pm departure. They also said DH could ask for a blue card for pre-board (we were now in group C after paying to be in group A on the original flight)...while it's gotten better, he had some leg pain that day and was limping from the aches. The timing also worked well since it gave me time to go to the collision center, talk to the various insurance companies, etc. My wonderful MIL was also kind enough to pick up DH and the girls from the scene. This enabled him to get his car and she was able to love on the girls for a while until we were ready to regroup and get travel plans rolling again.

While our flight out of Houston was delayed close to 3 hours due to weather and mechanical issues (not helping Kendall, who was now terrified that the plane would crash), but we got off the ground a little after 6pm and we were on our way...

Sammie sat with DH on the way to FL-- with Pooh, of course...

I had Kendall...

...and we spent the entire flight doing this big word search on her tablet.

We flew into terminal A and DME is in terminal B. It was after the girls' bed time, so we opted to just get our baggage. Soooooo, we went down to terminal A baggage and then lugged it over to DME in terminal B. Thankfully, Kendall has overcome her fear of escalators, so minus losing her shoe for a while on one of them we were in good shape.

I think the CMs manning the DME entrance could read all of the stress and worry on my face, because they promised me pixie dust and magic from that point on. We had our Magic Bands on at this point, but I had my vouchers out so in the interest of time and sanity, they just used those. They directed us to the line for AKL and while we were let on the bus right away...we were so late that the bus was accommodating a number of resorts from various lines. Still...Kendall and I wound up with this prime spot!

I swear, I got choked up when I looked up and saw the screen...like that "we're really on our way" moment.

It took a while for them to load up the bus since they were waiting on people to come in from all of these late or delayed flights, but it wasn't long before we were off.

 

[Alison1975]

Sept 21st continued…
Ever since I was a kid, I LOVED going inside the Mexico pavilion. The initial entry area has sort of a museum like feel to me, but the marketplace with the dimly lit pyramid and volcano has always seemed so inviting. That being said, we were wooed by all of this way back when and decided to eat dinner here. Like everything, we all have our own opinions…ours was not very favorable. Still, a very pretty place.

And it just wouldn’t be a trip to a WS pavilion without trying on a hat.

Really, aside from meeting my parents, I had one goal here…LA CAVA! I had forgotten that it doesn’t open until noon, so we had a few minutes to spare. There was a small line outside the door, but nothing major…so, I hung back with the girls since I just wanted to grab drinks and go. i.e. I figured everyone in line just wanted a table. Well, I was right about that part…what I wasn’t banking on was a group of “kids” lurking nearby to turn this into a major wait. Seriously, DH came back to us just as the doors were opening and about 15 early twenty-somethings sprinted to the door and took over every last bit of space at the bar…2 deep in some areas. Had I been standing there and they actually shoved in front of me- I would have had some grounds to gripe directly at them, but since I was just turning around to head towards the door when they rushed in…well, not much I could do but be annoyed with the wait.
What made the wait a true pain- they all wanted to sample and do shots before ordering drinks. There was one girl who had to have her stuff tested by half the group before she could make up her darn mind. There was another girl who wanted to sample, but then took forever getting out her ID…making sure to point out to the group that she was soooooooo old and ancient…at the wretched old age of 23. I was at least having a nice chat with the 2 guys behind me – who were equally annoyed- but also fun. I did at least try and take some pics during this wait.

At one point, one of the guys in this group of 15 remarked up at the bar that he felt bad for the people behind them. He started going on about how they were all just dominating the bar … and to be totally honest- much of their party had their drinks at this point, but were just standing there taking up space. I forget how long we’d been waiting at this point, but it had been a while. Thankfully, my parents had arrived and were helping entertain the girls, but I just couldn’t bit my tongue any longer…so I responded – fairly loudly- to said guy’s remarks. I don’t remember exactly what I said, but it was something along the lines of, “yeah, some of us have young children and cranky parents waiting on us to get a quick margarita or 2.” I kept the edge out of my voice and said it with a laugh, trying to make it sound like I was the lucky one, but I also wanted them to wake up and realize that their monopolization of the bar had morphed into rudeness. And wouldn’t ya know it, space for at least 3 or 4 of us just MAGICALLY opened up at the bar right after I said this.
Once I did make it up to the bar, the service was great…courteous and quick. Plus the drinks were good…well, at least I thought so. Here they are!!!

One passion fruit and one avocado!!! YUM!!! I let DH and my parents try them, but nobody liked them. Crazy talk! So the only solution for me…DRINK THEM BOTH!!!!! That’s right, I was double fisting it with La Cava margaritas. Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to me! I still can drink like a college girl…Happy Birthday to me!!!
I had promised Kendall a trip to visit Donald since she missed him at breakfast…so, our next stop was Donald. We were warned when entering the line that Donald might need to take a Duck break before it was our turn, but I was fine with waiting. A promise is a promise. DH and my dad took this opportunity to run off to Norway and grab beer. I think the beer in Norway is DH’s fave in the WS, and since my parents spent a bit of time in Norway during their 40th anniversary European cruise last summer, my dad was all over having Norwegian beer.
While we were waiting, another mom sporting a birthday button noticed my drinks. She wished me a happy birthday (I responded in kind) and then she showed me that she also was going for 2 different margaritas at the same time. And even better…they worked us in to see Donald before the break. Unfortunately, I forgot to change the settings on my camera. They were still set for the darkness in the Mexican pavilion…so, this is what we got (after some serious touch ups).

Well, you get the idea. They’re ALL like this. I guess it is kind of artsy looking, but I’ll probably play around with some of them a bit more to see if I can clean them up in better ways.
So, we were on the move again through the WS. The adults were all fine food wise, but the girls were hungry. There was nothing in Mexico that interested them, so we figured we’d just walk until we found something they wanted. At least there’s great scenery…

I think we’re walking too fast for them…

So, we decide it’s time to drum. That way they can rest a bit. In all fairness, my dad was having some pain issues, so the slower pace was understandable.

We actually ran into @Alison1975 and family while we were drumming. I think this is the first time I’ve ever, for certain, seen anyone from on here while at WDW. Actually, there were 2 or 3 other times where I think I may have seen WDW Magic peeps this trip, but I wasn’t 100%, and as crazy as I can be…I didn’t want to be a total crazy lady.

I was just about done with my drinks and the guys were finishing up their beer, so Germany was sounding like a really good stopping point. So, we started walking again. My parents also set plans with my brother & fam to meet up with us in Germany. So....onward to Deutschland!

hee hee I was wonder why I got tagged lol. You are the only board member I for sure saw this trip!
He

 

[HouCuseChickie]

So, I just kept snapping away as we walked … we were even impressed with the vegetation!

And more walking and snapping pics…

Not sure if you can see here (look toward the left), but we spotted the Mary Poppins M&G. The girls were interested in seeing her, but were more interested in getting to DHS. So, no Mary.

We had the girls sit for a minute to rest up a tad – not that the boat was that much farther – but I really wanted to be successful in this no stroller business.

We really didn’t stop for long, but we did part ways with my parents at this point. I think my dad really needed the rest and we were ready to move on to new and fun things for the afternoon. So, we headed out towards the IG.

I know the boat ride from Epcot to DHS can take a while, so I made bathroom time mandatory for both girls before we boarded a boat. On our way out, I had to snap a shot of this girl because she was the first person I’d seen dressed for Dapper Day at DHS.

I hadn’t even heard of Dapper Day until earlier that week, but I guess it happens once in the fall and once in the spring – and people show up at DHS dressed in retro attire.

The whole bathroom break took longer than expected and I was nervous since there was a boat right there, but we made it just in time.

Coming up...the ride to DHS, DHS time, and the ride back for dinner.

 

[DisneyDebNJ]

I promise to post some real TR updates later on tonight. I am all ready to go...I just need a moment to vent...OK... more like cry. I hate being such a broken record of accident mess and negativity, but it's dominating my life right now. Skip down to the cake if you want to skip the mess.

I went by the collision center today to get the last few things out of my vehicle that I wanted before it was taken for salvage. The insurance guy there who is handling the auto portion of my claim had several levels of very bad news for me...news that I was previously unaware of...news that now makes me suspicious of everything this company has done since day 1.

When I called him the other day, he told me he didn't have the authority to finalize the auto portion of my claim due to the dollar amount. I figured it was just general approval because of the higher dollar amount. So, I called the girl - the one who has been IMPOSSIBLE to reach - who is my current adjustor (they reassigned this quite a few times over the course of the first week). She actually got back to me that day- amazing!-and informed me she only handles the medical portion and has no control over any other aspect. Ummmmm- OK. Kind of contradicts things, but I do know the auto payout would be separate from the medical. She in turn transferred me to their total loss dept since they'd cover that portion. The total loss guys, however, couldn't do anything since the local auto adjustor (the one who told me everything goes through that girl) had to update another area in their system to finalize the total loss and approve the offer for settlement. They said they'd get with him so the ball could get rolling on this portion. Well, nothing ever happened...and the reason why it never happened....

...well, I found that out today. Apparently, the hag that hit me has the most basic coverage allowed by law. So her policy doesn't cover even a fraction of the property she destroyed, let alone my rental. There's even the possibility we may have to fight for the health reimbursement beyond the normal fighting - due to her cruddy coverage. The rest was all off the record, but he thinks they're trying to stall me since they likely all know that the policy is not enough to cover what she did. I really wanted to avoid involving an attorney, but it sounds like we're going to have very little choice. Obviously, we will also be contacting our insurer to look into them going after the other company...but at this point, it's been a little over 3 weeks since the accident...we are no closer to getting this fixed that we were 3 weeks ago...and we're looking at a mess of medical issues on top of the vehicle and the rental. And to think I was actually starting to look at vehicles online today and thinking I might have this resolved between Halloween and Veterans' Day. At this rate...we'll be lucky if this is resolved by Christmas!

I guess at least I've narrowed down a few vehicles I'd like to look at.

On a more positive note...we won the cake competition yesterday!!! I had quite the audience since I was the only one who showed up with bags full of supplies and set up a work table in our break room. Imagine that. Hey- the coordinators told me I could! Plus, they told the others they could get outside supplies too. All's fair in CAKE WARS! I had to turn a sheet cake into a round, so that was part of the challenge. The rest was time constraints and training my helpers. I only had 2 hours to do this... I really needed 3hrs to do what I wanted the way I wanted it to look. I also sacrificed 30 min of solid work time to have other members of my team help me. It meant that the bear trap at the bottom would be missing its hinges, bolts, spring mount, and trip wire...but from a corporate brownie point perspective- I think it was better to conceptualize the design to be a "team player." The 3D mountain- our logo- is a rice krispy treat covered in fondant. I actually used the box the cake came in to be our stand (covered in decorator foil) to make it look like a large print ad poster. I'm still very pleased with the mountain. The mountain is an interesting story (read more on it below cake pic)...the company logo is a essentially a 2D graphic conceptualized version of Ama Dablam...so I had to make a 3D mountain based on a 2D concept of a very real 3D mountain.

Ama Dablam is also in the Himalayas in eastern Nepal. While not as tall as Everest, some have referred to it as the Matterhorn of the Himalayas. If you check out the pic below you can see the real Ama Dablam off to the right and Everest in the background.

Oh man Sandy, I am so very sorry you're going through all of this!!!! Sending you mounds of pixie dust! Congrats on your win!!!!!!!!!!! Yayyy!!!!!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Congratulations on winning CAKE WARS with your snazzy cake!

Thanks! Still thinking it's funny that I've always wanted to do a cake based on an ad campaign. I guess the brain is always on cakes

Well, at least you had CAKE WARS to take your mind off of 'things,' even if for a little while! Good gracious, I feel so bad since you're feeling so bad...I have a similar story to share that involves my older sister: she was slammed into on the driver's side of her vehicle by an older woman running a red light...air bags deployed, bumps, bruises, and muscle damage ensued for my sister...kicker, her vehicle was 1 year shy of FINALLY being paid off (money in the pocket)...older woman apparently bought insurance the day of the accident, and the most basic at that...my sister was first told the older woman didn't have insurance, but my sister didn't want to sue because she knows what it's like to live on little income (sister is a self-employed traveling massage therapist)...needless to say, my sister was out of a vehicle, medical bills were piling up, and no income was coming in due to the extent of her injuries...my sister received a certain amount from her insurance to put toward a new vehicle (considering hers was totaled), but is still waiting on $ from the older woman's insurance company...accident occurred in May 2013...she is still in daily pain, but she tolerates it so she can work, and she was able to buy a newer-used car. I pray that your situation will move more swiftly than my sister's, and that your injuries will be healed! How are your girls doing?

BTW, I am thoroughly enjoying the read of your TR!

I'm sorry your sister is in a similar mess. The vehicle loss and monetary matters are bad enough, but to be hurt just takes it to a whole new level. It's sickening how many people drive around uninsured or underinsured... and the insurance companies make it all that much harder. I don't know how open your sister is to talking about this, but she may still want to consider legal action. I think the statute of limitations in most states is around 2 yrs... and if she sues, she's suing the insurance co. - not directly suing the woman that hit her. If she's living by "tolerating the pain" and hit with med bills b/c of the other person's subpar insurance- it just sounds like a good course of action. Most PI attorneys at least work on a contingency basis, so they don't get paid until there is an acceptable settlement. The owner of Sammie's preschool is in a similar mess...she's still fighting with the insurance co of the person who hit her for an accident that took place on Good Friday. My vehicle still had a number of years of financing to go on it since it was only a year old, so it's pretty crucial we get them to cover everything. I know I can't really get anything started until Monday with this next huge hurdle, but I put in calls to both insurance companies this morning and will tackle these new challenges in the coming week+. The girls are doing better than us. Sammie has little fear and no pain. Kendall complains of back pain from time to time...but considering she's fine at gymnastics and only gripes about gym class, I think she may just not like gym class. She's also improved psychologically...so I think her mind is definitely healing from all of this.

Thanks so much for reading and for everything with the vehicle fiasco.

The girls look adorable in their outfits.

Silly birdie, you aren't people!

Thanks! They were definitely a big hit...still are! The bird was awesome...although, I didn't really want to use it as a water fountain after that.

Oh man Sandy, I am so very sorry you're going through all of this!!!! Sending you mounds of pixie dust! Congrats on your win!!!!!!!!!!! Yayyy!!!!!

Thanks Deb I'm just not the best person for dealing with these things. Not that anyone really is...but I'm soooo one of those people that is prone to excess stress and anxiety. I scripted my msg for the one girl at the other driver's insurance co around 2am b/c I just couldn't sleep and I needed to make sure I had a good message waiting for her 1st thing Monday morning. At least the cake was a bright spot.

 

[jw24]

Great pics as always. Love all the photographs of all the details at each WS pavilion. I often forget to photograph them because I'm so immersed in each environment of every WS pavilion. I'm with everyone else and feel sorry for everything that has transpired from the aftermath of the trip so far. It's just one unrelenting moment after another. All I can really say is: Stay strong.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Great pics as always. Love all the photographs of all the details at each WS pavilion. I often forget to photograph them because I'm so immersed in each environment of every WS pavilion. I'm with everyone else and feel sorry for everything that has transpired from the aftermath of the trip so far. It's just one unrelenting moment after another. All I can really say is: Stay strong.

Thanks! Honestly, I wish we had longer trips so we could do at least 2 Epcot days and devote more time to exploring each country in the WS. If DH and I go back next fall, we may finally get that opportunity. I appreciate it and we're definitely trying our best to stay strong and focused.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Sept 21 continued...

And now all we had to do was sit back and relax on our way to DHS.

I was also kind of excited as this was our first time hopping with the girls. Mind you, I’ve never been big on hopping as a whole, but I was curious to see how it would all go with the kiddos. At the very least- the boat time would give them opportunity to recharge their batteries and rest their legs/feet for a bit.

And it wasn’t long until DHS came into view!

I guess they still had some stuff in place from Monsters U. It wasn’t until this point that I realized that we’d seen a lot of people with Monsters U fraternity/sorority costumes the night before.

We had more issues getting into DHS. We were informed that the readers are great with regular tickets, but the more uncommon the ticket type- the more issues you may have. So, let’s just say the readers aren’t too used to complimentary tickets.

Oh well...we're in!!!

It definitely felt a bit more crowded in DHS vs. what we’d seen at Epcot, but it also may have been the time of day. I pretty much snapped pics as we made our way farther in and tried to decide what to do...

I had initially planned on TOT- that is, if the kids didn’t chicken out. I hate free fall rides…even a wonderfully themed one like TOT, but they had previously seemed interested- so I was going to offer. Sadly, after the accident- I just didn’t feel comfortable doing it. I’m also currently the only one in our family who can or would ride RNR, so that was out too. So, we went to the girls’ current fave in the park.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

The crowds felt pretty intense over here…still, I think Jedi training was part of the issue.

I’m sure Sammie would love doing this, but it just never seems to work out for us time-wise. So, we start making our way through the line. I forget what the wait was, but I don’t think it was more than 15 min.

So, in usual fashion- I snapped pics all along the way…

Say Cheese!!!

I can’t remember where we went or what we saw, but the girls had a blast. Sammie adores this ride, so she asked to ride a 2nd time. We said yes, but she didn’t realize that you just couldn’t sit there and go for another round. She only made us ride it 3x last trip, but somehow she forgot that you have to go all the way around. She accused us of being mean, but all we could do was laugh at this point. We eventually got her out of there and made our way through the shop.

Can I just say how much I like the R2D2 light up spinny things??? OMG- they make the PERFECT noises! I sooooo want one, but what really am I going to do with it? Well, aside from annoying my coworkers or bugging the dog.

When we made our way to the entrance for round 2, we saw a boy being turned away due to the height requirement. Sammie looked at him sympathetically – possibly reminded of Mission Space, but I think she also wanted them to measure her so she could show them she’s tall enough for this. Oh well, we’re back in line to get on.

I don’t know why, but I always admire these boots when we go on this.

We told the girls that we were done riding this one and were wanting to move on to other things. So, we headed over the Pixar Place (because nobody wanted to go see Muppet Vision with me! – BOOOOOOO).

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Looks like I'll get to post more today. Kendall was supposed to attend a bday party this afternoon, but it was postponed due to weather. I thought DH was going to take us along while he went clothes shopping (our 'what to do during the party' plan), but I think he's just going to bring us in for the shoe shopping portion... only THE BEST part! As much as I love bags, shoes are my all time fave!

In other news, I sometimes gripe about the long drive to gymnastics. I met a mom today who drives 125 miles each day her daughter needs to be there (and since she's competition level, that's several days a week). I knew the place was good and had a lot of elite backers, but that's serious. My children...total beginners who are just having fun, but ya never know!

Ok...so, back to DHS...

The girls were really frustrated at this point, but I couldn’t pinpoint it.

The good news about this picture...it helped me find the missing yellow hair bow (see the pocket in the backpack).

We wanted to see what the TSMM wait was like, but as I suspected…it was ugly. Actually- it said 60 – changed to 70 while we stood there…and on a good day, that may equate to 30-40. The real problem…we watched the line for a couple of minutes and it wasn’t moving. We wasted so much time last trip on TSMM waiting for it during a ride breakdown. We were not repeating that this trip, so we decided to go meet a green Army man.

We thought about more M&Gs, but after getting in the line across the way- we all just looked at each other and said- let’s not.

So, we moved on. This thing terrifies the girls!

This - no fear.

So we moved on...

I had wanted to do One Man’s Dream, but there was just no way to enjoy it when the kids were in “I want to go on a ride” mode. That’s just one of the problems we have with DHS and DAK. There are things to do and see, but it’s tough when the kids are in the mood for rides.
DH decided to stop to get a drink, even though the line was insane…partly by some people who didn’t understand that whatever they wanted wasn’t offered there. They kept asking for it no matter how many times they were told no. I waited with the girls and watch the Dapper Day folks start to assemble.

We also saw Donald before he was finishing up his M&G session. I don’t recall the exact circumstances, but a dad who seemed a bit desperate for his daughter to meet Donald called to him just as they were walking away. I’ve seen this before and it doesn’t always have a pretty ending, but Donald stopped and was super interactive with them. He even tried to steal their frozen fruit pops and ice cream. Maybe it was a sign that he was hot and needed to get out of the heat…either way, it was still fun.

So, we just waited around a bit longer for DH and I kept taking pics…

The Dapper Day folks eventually got together for a big group pic- very cute!

Looking back at the fam…I think they think I’m nuts taking pics of these random dressed up strangers.

Maybe I can recover this by taking a pic of something totally unrelated?

Yeah- probably not. Well, the kids wanted a ride and The Great Movie Ride was right there…so it was the only thing I could do to appease them.

 

[ratherbeinwdw]

Thanks! Still thinking it's funny that I've always wanted to do a cake based on an ad campaign. I guess the brain is always on cakes



I'm sorry your sister is in a similar mess. The vehicle loss and monetary matters are bad enough, but to be hurt just takes it to a whole new level. It's sickening how many people drive around uninsured or underinsured... and the insurance companies make it all that much harder. I don't know how open your sister is to talking about this, but she may still want to consider legal action. I think the statute of limitations in most states is around 2 yrs... and if she sues, she's suing the insurance co. - not directly suing the woman that hit her. If she's living by "tolerating the pain" and hit with med bills b/c of the other person's subpar insurance- it just sounds like a good course of action. Most PI attorneys at least work on a contingency basis, so they don't get paid until there is an acceptable settlement. The owner of Sammie's preschool is in a similar mess...she's still fighting with the insurance co of the person who hit her for an accident that took place on Good Friday. My vehicle still had a number of years of financing to go on it since it was only a year old, so it's pretty crucial we get them to cover everything. I know I can't really get anything started until Monday with this next huge hurdle, but I put in calls to both insurance companies this morning and will tackle these new challenges in the coming week+. The girls are doing better than us. Sammie has little fear and no pain. Kendall complains of back pain from time to time...but considering she's fine at gymnastics and only gripes about gym class, I think she may just not like gym class. She's also improved psychologically...so I think her mind is definitely healing from all of this.

Thanks so much for reading and for everything with the vehicle fiasco.
I'm really sorry about your family getting hurt, but you can only sue the insurance company for the amount of the other person's insurance. After that, you have to sue the other person.



Thanks! They were definitely a big hit...still are! The bird was awesome...although, I didn't really want to use it as a water fountain after that.



Thanks Deb I'm just not the best person for dealing with these things. Not that anyone really is...but I'm soooo one of those people that is prone to excess stress and anxiety. I scripted my msg for the one girl at the other driver's insurance co around 2am b/c I just couldn't sleep and I needed to make sure I had a good message waiting for her 1st thing Monday morning. At least the cake was a bright spot.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

So, we made our way into the queue area, which now snakes around in areas I don't think I've seen since my first trip to the park in the late 80s in its MGM days. We had a little bit, so we watched the movie screen...

One of them asked at this point why I was taking pics of the words…and I reminded them of the part in Fantasia that always makes me cry. Now, I’ve sung the Shubert Ave Maria, but the standard arrangement is a bit low in my voice…better for a mezzo vs. a coloratura. Still, it’s a fave of mine when done well and the recording used in Fantasia at the end just gives me chills and makes tears stream down my face. So yea- I was taking pics of the words ‘advertising’ that quietly powerful moment.

More movie stuff...

We didn’t wait long to board and get ready to ride…

I’m always so mixed about this ride…I love the idea, I just wish there was more…and more variety. Still, I continue taking pics. I also usually have trouble taking pics in here, but that still doesn't stop me - LOL.

The Munchkins always kind of creep me out...

On the other hand...I love the witch...even when she's just a big pouf of smoke!

Sadly, the kids aren't a huge fan of this movie, so even though Kendall has dressed as Dorothy for Halloween a few yrs ago- she still refers to the Tin Man as the "Robot Guy."

And we're finally at the end...

 

[RandomPrincess]

Pick a pearl - My DD didn't want to do it on our last trip either. My FIL was trying to do it with her (family tradition) but she had no interest even after seeing the jewelry.

 

[ThatBrunette]

Sadly, the kids aren't a huge fan of this movie, so even though Kendall has dressed as Dorothy for Halloween a few yrs ago- she still refers to the Tin Man as the "Robot Guy."

She's not wrong. Can you explain the difference?

 

[ginadee]

There was a bit of a delay opening the restaurant, so we hung out in line (really more of an organized mass) outside the doors. The CMs were just fawning all over the girls. Some loved Sammie’s LED mask while others couldn’t help but gush over how much Kendall looked like a real life Snow White. Even the tour group seated near us had the same reaction to her. I think they may have been from Japan…a bit of a language barrier for us, but they were so sweet- even offering to take pics for us and making sure the girls has plenty of space to meet characters.
We were seated in a decent area this time…in between the carousel pieces and right below Big Bertha.

My only real complaint about this restaurant is that I have a really tough time taking pics that don’t have a pinkish hue in here. Oh well.
They started out by announcing Cinderella and Prince Charming. I got some lovely blurry pics of them promenading around the place...

First character up was Prince Charming. Sammie wanted nothing to do with him, but Kendall was super excited. She had been talking about him all the way there…like what would she say to him? Would they dance? Would Cinderella get jealous that he was with a different princess?

After that was Cinderella. Sammie was excited to meet her, but was kind of disinterested once she came by the table. I guess at least she was on board with photos this time...

Cindy was pretty rushed too, so that didn't really help.

The chef came by around this time for Kendall’s allergies, so I walked the buffet with the chef while DH took a pic of Lady Tremaine and the girls. I passed her on the way out and she was very in character. DH said it was more of the same at the table.

Next, my first plate of food…tomato and squash salad, Caesar salad, couscous, sushi rolls, and pork pot stickers- which tasted a lot like the ones at ‘Ohana. All in all, it was decent.

I also got a fruity drink…some sort of passion fruit concoction…although, funny how it looks like it could be different things as my cube changes colors.

DH got a couple of drinks too...can't remember what, but I remember at least two cocktails for him.

Silly Kendall…

Next up was Anastasia. I can’t believe I didn’t get many pics of her…but it probably was because she was so in character. Still sad that they didn't do any posing at the end, but it's the price you pay for a more interactive meet and greet. Either way, I believe she accused us of witchcraft over the girls glowing mask and bow. She had some choice comments about Cinderella and made sure to tell Drizella that K’s bow was better than hers because it lights up. Nothing like stepsister jealousy.

Drizella came by next, she posed for pics, but wasn’t there for very long. So, more posed pics with her, but very little time or interaction with her...I guess she was just jealous of K's bow? Maybe?

And soon both stepsisters were off with more antics and mayhem for those ahead of us.

It was time for a 2nd plate of food. DH got a bowl of seafood with some disappointing pieces of crab (no meat in there) and I got some strawberry soup, bread, and a couple of other things. If you haven’t had the strawberry soup, it’s surprisingly good- not overly sweet. Too bad I forgot to wipe the rim of the bowl before taking the pic.

The soup was going to be my dessert this meal (I took Sammie up for dessert previously and just wasn’t interested), but I was brought one of these and the laminated bday placemats they often give out.

We paid our check as quickly as possible and made our way up to the monorail so we could head to MK. I think we were actually the first table to leave in that first seating, but we had things to do. We had to make our Big Thunder FP+ by 6:20pm, but we also had to meet up with my parents. It was around 5:45pm (maybe a little before), so we seemed to be in good shape!

Coming up...we head into MK

Nice to see these pics. I'll be eating here for the first time in dec.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

That's what I had been thinking, but a couple of people had noted loopholes in all of it depending on circumstances. We shall see.

Pick a pearl - My DD didn't want to do it on our last trip either. My FIL was trying to do it with her (family tradition) but she had no interest even after seeing the jewelry.

Wow! That would have been my way to lure in Kendall...i.e. see all the pretty settings!

She's not wrong. Can you explain the difference?

True. I approached it more from..."he's called the Tin Man." He's still robot guy to her...she's also deeply offended that I claimed she's not a big fan of the movie. I'm going to remind her of this the next time it comes on and she says she doesn't want to watch.

Nice to see these pics. I'll be eating here for the first time in dec.

It's fun for both breakfast and dinner.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Time to write a bit before grocery shopping and football...

Sept 21 cont. ...

After we were done riding through the movies, the girls decided it was time to take full advantage of wearing pettiskirts. Yes, it’s time to spin and twist!

I was trying to burn some time as I was hoping to catch Characterpolooza, so we took the kids to see something they’ve never seen before….INDY! Of course, the show was already in progress…so they missed some it, but they kind of enjoyed it. DH is not big on shows, but it was something to do. We also introduced the girls to the movies this year, so it was at least familiar…

After the show…we went to see if we could track down all of the characters. The only problem, I couldn’t remember which of the 2 potential areas it was taking place at that day and I couldn’t get any of the websites to launch on my phone. So, I took a whole lot of pics of randomness…

Somebody stole my glasses...

We decided to give up and start walking ... and after a while and I got a treat…

Yes, the Osborne Lights were starting to go up. So, I wouldn’t see Osborne Lights or the Dreamlights 'LIT UP' this year, but I’d at least get to see them in some capacity. And let’s be honest, see lights going up brings me much more excitement than lights being taken down. I love lights!!!!!!!!!

The girls also hit a point where they wanted out of their pettiskirts. I’d packed full changes of clothes for each one…but they refused to take off their respective mouse ear shirts. So, this was the end result.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

We were kind of done with DHS by this point, so we started heading out…

And we’re back on the boat.

We have loads of time until our dinner ADR, but we figured we’d just head to Boardwalk and relax until our 6:30 dinner time. The girls were also very silly on the boat- well, at least before we were on our way.

And we’re approaching the Swalphin.

I see Yacht and Beach…

And we finally get to Boardwalk…and it’s odd that I didn’t take any pics of our arrival. Oh yeah, that’s why… I was EAVESDROPPING!
There were these younger girls behind us who were chattering about if one of them should go talk to some guy. It was mindless chit chat at first, until I realized they were talking about DH! OK, why would they want to talk to my husband? Then I hear them talking about Montana and how it’s such a sparsely populated state that maybe they know each other or might be related. DH was wearing his Moose Drool hat…and the back of the hat says Missoula, MT. Now, I don’t know how well known Moose Drool beer is, but the only time I remember seeing it was when we were touring Yellowstone. DH and I loved the logo so much (and liked the beer) that I bought him a hat with their drooling moose logo. So, because of some hat I bought him while on vacay back in 2005, these girls thought the one girl might know him. In the end, they didn’t say a word.

Coming up…killing time at Boardwalk, dinner at Kouzzina, and the rest of our night.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

We got off at Boardwalk and headed in just to relax. Last year, when we popped in, we went up the big stairs to the front to go inside. This time, we followed some men into a side door which took us to a smaller set of interior stairs to the main level. I know I said it last trip and I’ll say it again…Boardwalk reminds me of childhood at some of the more vintage shore points in NJ. I even remember going to some places with my grandfather that had things like these…

Ultimately, I just took lots of pics of details…and yes, quite a few lights.

… a rather unfortunate angle of the Lucy replica …

And again, Kendall has no fear for the creepy chairs.

Sammie on the other hand prefers more standard seating.

And DH, well…I think he’s going to sleep here.

So back to pics of details…

And a semi-in-depth “study” on this light…

DH and I were content to sit a bit, but the kids were full of energy, so they went out on to the porch area to take a look around. I think the other couple relaxing in the lobby was very thankful at this point as they also looked like they wanted to take a nap. Of course, the girls kept going in and out- to the point that we were getting annoyed – so, we all just decided to go out on the porch with them. We at least had some “entertainment” – there were a bunch of people playing football on the grass below.

It wasn’t much of a game, so we really just rested and took pics. The wicker furniture reminded me a lot of the summer house we had when we were growing up. We had all of this wicker furniture that my mom had inherited from my great grandmother. It was originally in our regular house’s sun room, but it became the main furniture at the shore house. So, wicker always makes me think of summers down the shore…so, yet another element at Boardwalk that reminds me of childhood.
The girls got into a fight over something…so this became time out for Kendall.

We were really just killing time, so everyone kind of was a little bored and tired all at once. I tried to busy myself with more pics (Imagine that!).

…and then got up and started moving around. I saw this little area which felt a bit awkward in my opinion. It actually kind of reminded me of something from this resort we used to frequent in the Catskills, before the Borscht Belt really declined.

We were finally back down on the actual boardwalk and heading over towards dinner…but first, another scenic shot.

All in all, while we really didn't do much here...it did reconfirm that I REALLY REALLY REALLY like Boardwalk. It's currently my #1 choice for next fall if we manage a F&W trip, but I may not allow myself to book it. I looked at the WDW hotel pricing for 2014 got kind of sick to my stomach. I know you pay for the convenience, but the value season pricing in 2014 is on par with the Thanksgiving prices we paid at YC in 2012. So, as nice as it is to stay onsite, logic may steer us towards the Swan or Dolphin...even if BW is in the budget.

 

[coachwnh]

We were kind of done with DHS by this point, so we started heading out…

And we’re back on the boat.

We have loads of time until our dinner ADR, but we figured we’d just head to Boardwalk and relax until our 6:30 dinner time. The girls were also very silly on the boat- well, at least before we were on our way.

And we’re approaching the Swalphin.

I see Yacht and Beach…

And we finally get to Boardwalk…and it’s odd that I didn’t take any pics of our arrival. Oh yeah, that’s why… I was EAVESDROPPING!
There were these younger girls behind us who were chattering about if one of them should go talk to some guy. It was mindless chit chat at first, until I realized they were talking about DH! OK, why would they want to talk to my husband? Then I hear them talking about Montana and how it’s such a sparsely populated state that maybe they know each other or might be related. DH was wearing his Moose Drool hat…and the back of the hat says Missoula, MT. Now, I don’t know how well known Moose Drool beer is, but the only time I remember seeing it was when we were touring Yellowstone. DH and I loved the logo so much (and liked the beer) that I bought him a hat with their drooling moose logo. So, because of some hat I bought him while on vacay back in 2005, these girls thought the one girl might know him. In the end, they didn’t say a word.

Coming up…killing time at Boardwalk, dinner at Kouzzina, and the rest of our night.

Cant wait to hear about Kouzzina. One of our best dinners this summer!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

We were a bit early for our 6:30 Kouzzina ADR, but I figured I’d check in. Our table wasn’t ready, but I was informed that they’d be willing to seat us prior to the rest of our party arriving if our table opened up. In the meantime, I took pics. The lights above actually kind of remind me of Christmas ornaments…at least the shapes…i.e. all the finial styles.

More décor…

Everyone finally arrived and it wasn’t long before we were seated. This was my main view during the meal.

Bread came out pretty quickly with a nice assortment of oils and olives.

I was hoping to try the saganaki or spanakopita, but DH wanted to share the spreads. I think we had the tzatziki, the feta with peppers, and the olive tapenade. It wasn’t bad…it wasn’t great. We also ended up trying it with the bread as well as the provided pitas.

It wasn’t long before entrees came out. Kendall has been on a grilled chicken kick, so she got that with whole wheat pasta and green beans. She loved the chicken and the beans, but neither of the kids are fans of the whole wheat pastas they’ve had at WDW.

Sammie had the kiddie pastitsio and I had the adult portion. DH wasn’t impressed- called it glorified meaty mac & cheese, but Sammie and I really enjoyed it. It was also A LOT Of food. I think my SIL also got this…and none of us came close to finishing it. I believe they even boxed hers up and my brother snacked on it back at the room.

My mom got the trio, which she loved.

DH got the cinnamon stewed chicken, but he was not happy. I had to try steering him towards the lamb shank, and I think he wished he listened. My mom had the chicken dish in her trio- and she liked it a lot, but I know DH’s preferences well enough to know in advance that this would not be his thing.

Looks like the girls borrowed…I mean stole…grandma and grandpa’s sunglasses during the meal.

We were all painfully full…which is probably good since the one dessert I really wanted is just way too dangerous to eat around Kendall. Yes, I’m a bit of a baklava addict and I’ve had to be very careful of when and where I eat it considering her allergies. Still, my mom and I got birthday cuppy-cakes, so we had a little sweet treat.

I can at least tell from this pic that stolen glasses had been returned.

DH – not looking happy…

Grandma also got a turn to take the kids to the bathroom towards the end of this meal. I swear…we must have gone to the bathroom 4 or 5 times.

I was waiting for them to notice the big Goofy’s Candy Co. displays in the shop to the right of the bathroom. Thankfully, there were no candy requests.

All in all, I enjoyed Kouzzina. It wasn’t quite as amazing as I hoped it would be, but I think our overall feelings would have been more positive had we made a different appetizer selection and had DH trusted me with his entrée pick. The service was excellent and I actually came out of the meal feeling very rested and relaxed…i.e. not the chaos you feel in some places. Still, DH is in no hurry to go back although I may twist his arm…at least to try breakfast…if we go for F&W next year. There are just so many great looking things on both menus!