A Sept 2018 TR...or that trip where nothing went as planned Completed 11/9

[kclark9830]

Birthday vacation day!!! cake for breakfast?



Aw, bummer! When you don't have a good skipper the ride isn't nearly as fun. We got really lucky in that after a string of disappointing skippers on the last few trips, we got amazing skippers this time. it's always a toss up.

The first time we ever rode it we had a great skipper, and we loved it. This time it really was a let down, but that's ok. The rest of the day was awesome!

Your birthday MK day is fantastic! Can't wait to hear about the rest of the day.

It really was a great birthday. The best day of the entire trip!

 

[ariane37]

(cake for breakfast is acceptable on your birthday, as well as on vacation)

Why yes, yes it is!

This was a party day, and I'll go ahead and tell you, the crowds were nonexistent. It was fabulous. (And honestly, I bet the EMH was amazing.)

We did a party day in MK last month and crowds were fantastically low. That's what they always say, and it's certainly worth it going to MK on a party day.

Our skipper was unenthusiastic, and the humor fell completely flat.

Ugh, I hate when this happens. I don't LOVE the ride, but it can really be enjoyable with the right skipper. It's worse when the skipper is "eh" and the other guests in the boat have no idea what they're saying or why they're saying it

e had a good laugh, then decided to get a group picture in front of the castle.

Love this picture!

I also love having a Pandora charm for each of the kids I have a Pandora bracelet but got it before Disney had their own charms, so I do have quite a few Alex & Ani bracelets. I've thought about getting one with each of the boys' birth stones on it, and then I don't.......I should.

 

[kclark9830]

Why yes, yes it is!


We did a party day in MK last month and crowds were fantastically low. That's what they always say, and it's certainly worth it going to MK on a party day.


Ugh, I hate when this happens. I don't LOVE the ride, but it can really be enjoyable with the right skipper. It's worse when the skipper is "eh" and the other guests in the boat have no idea what they're saying or why they're saying it


Love this picture!

I also love having a Pandora charm for each of the kids I have a Pandora bracelet but got it before Disney had their own charms, so I do have quite a few Alex & Ani bracelets. I've thought about getting one with each of the boys' birth stones on it, and then I don't.......I should.

I love the Alex and Ani bracelets, and now that my Pandora bracelet is complete I'm looking forward to getting some .

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

How amazing to be in Disney ON your birthday!

It was really super hot, so we decided to mark something off Ashlyn's bucket list by visitnig the Enchanted Tiki Room. It was air conditioned, and honestly, we really liked it, and were able to appreciate it for what it was.

We love the Enchanted Room too. It isn't our absolute favorite but it is always a must do.

My sister wanted Starbucks, so we headed inside. This was the only place that DID have a long line.

I always say that they need Starbucks fast passes. Of course that would probably be mobile ordering I guess.

Time for Splash Mountain! Ashlyn was really nervous, having never ridden it. But, we talked her into it. My sister and her family kept Miles so me, Ashlyn, and Micheal could ride together. This was very special to me because Splash was Emma's favorite ride. (throwback picture to Emma in line before riding back in 2014, a picture she took on the ride, then our ride this trip)

So, special! Glad she liked it, that big drop can be decieving.

Great family pic!

 

[kclark9830]

How amazing to be in Disney ON your birthday!


We love the Enchanted Room too. It isn't our absolute favorite but it is always a must do.


I always say that they need Starbucks fast passes. Of course that would probably be mobile ordering I guess.


So, special! Glad she liked it, that big drop can be decieving.



Great family pic!

That drop definitely can trick you! I'm not going to lie, it sorta freaks me out!

 

[kclark9830]

So, this happened this week. Ashlyn was on the monkey bars and didn't make the swing. She broke her right arm in 3 places, but she never cried a single tear. Her arm was seriously bent in unnatural directions. *shudders* She is on the mend now, bless her. Out of all our medical problems, we've never had a broken bone until now!

Miles's First Haircut At The
Harmony Barber Shop!
​

For a little background, our girls never really needed any type of haircut until they were like 3 years old. So, I was really happy that Miles needed an official "1st Haircut," not to mention that it would fall perfectly during our Disney trip!

Here is his hair one week before we left for WDW.



So, he definitely needed this cut!

Harmony Barber Shop is located to the left when you first come inside Magic Kingdom. It's a tiny space, with only enough room for 3 salon chairs. When we arrived, all 3 chairs were filled and people were waiting in the "window seat" seating area. There's a register as soon as you walk in. This is where you check in and pay, and I learned you can't add a tip to your payment--tips are cash only. I really hated that, because I carry very little cash. Luckily, I had a few dollars but that was it. Our stylist would have gotten more if I could have added it to our payment.

Anyway, we arrived to the Harmony Barber Shop at 2:50 for a 3PM appointment. We checked in and took a seat. Though the chairs were filled and others were also waiting, things moved quickly. Miles was called up for his appointment by around 3:05, I'd say.

While we were waiting, a family came in with several rowdy boys, a mom, and what I assume was a grandpa. The mom was trying to check in (and the boys were really causing a scene, touching all the stylists' hair instruments, and the mom wasn't stopping them--the boys were all too old to be exhibiting this behavior, they weren't little). Anyway, the CM at the check in desk was kindly explaining that they didn't have an appointment, and the mom was saying yes they did. Finally, they figured out the mom was a day early for their appointment. She storms out, followed shortly by the grandpa and the boys.

It felt like a tornado had left the very small space. I think everyone breathed a sigh of relief!

Back to us! Haha! Miles was called up to the middle chair, and they gave him a spinning toy to occupy him. He sat very still, and the stylist made quick work of the cut.



When he was done, we took a couple of poses for the camera as you can see.



And then we were done. Overall, we waited longer than the time it took for the actual cut. There was no hoopla. We were ushered out so the next people could be called. It was a little...disappointing. Maybe because there was no magic to it. Nothing particularly "Disney" about it.

And truthfully, our stylist was barely above hostile, let alone friendly.

Am I still glad we had Miles's first haircut at Magic Kingdom? Yes! It's a great tale to tell. But, it definitely could have been better. When the girls did BBB a few years ago, the fairy godmothers in training made it feel special and exciting. This place was like a walk in, discount hair salon that just wanted to move customers in and out.

I hate saying that, as if it put a damper on anything. It definitely did NOT put a damper on anything. We smiled the whole time, and when we left we kept petting his head and saying how he looked like a "big boy."



I'm just saying, for anyone who plans to ever do Harmony Barber Shop in the future, maybe don't expect anything terribly special about it. It'll be nice, but when push comes to shove it's just that.

Funny thing is, Miles's hair is getting shaggy again. This week I said, "Looks like we need to make another trip down to Harmony Barber Shop!"

 

[Araminta18]

She broke her right arm in 3 places, but she never cried a single tear. Her arm was seriously bent in unnatural directions. *shudders* She is on the mend now, bless her.

oosh, no fun! Hope she heals quickly!

It felt like a tornado had left the very small space. I think everyone breathed a sigh of relief!

Even just your description has me on edge. I hate it when people don't check their kids when they're doing stuff they shouldn't. And it could be dangerous to touch all the scissors and stuff, not to mention just the chaos in a small space. Glad they weren't there with you!

And then we were done. Overall, we waited longer than the time it took for the actual cut. There was no hoopla. We were ushered out so the next people could be called. It was a little...disappointing. Maybe because there was no magic to it. Nothing particularly "Disney" about it.

And truthfully, our stylist was barely above hostile, let alone friendly.

Aw, bummer! Miles looks so cute with his hair all neat and trimmed. Too bad it wasn't a more "disney" experience. Glad you still enjoyed it anyways.

 

[ariane37]

Oh no, poor Ashlyn! I am glad it wasn't worse, and may she heal quickly!
Miles looked adorable with his haircut That stinks it wasn't such a memorable experience, I've never read any other reviews of people who have done it but I'd guess it does depend quite a bit in your stylist. At least he didn't seem to mind it!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

She broke her right arm in 3 places, but she never cried a single tear.

Oh no! knockonwood, we haven't broken anything yet.

I really hated that, because I carry very little cash. Luckily, I had a few dollars but that was it. Our stylist would have gotten more if I could have added it to our payment.

Is there even arm's in disney world?

Very cute.

This place was like a walk in, discount hair salon that just wanted to move customers in and out.

Bummer. Sounds like you just got a CM mailing it in.

This week I said, "Looks like we need to make another trip down to Harmony Barber Shop!"

Ha! If only it worked that way, right?

 

[petals]

Poor Ashlyn hope her arm heals fast!

 

[kclark9830]

oosh, no fun! Hope she heals quickly!


Even just your description has me on edge. I hate it when people don't check their kids when they're doing stuff they shouldn't. And it could be dangerous to touch all the scissors and stuff, not to mention just the chaos in a small space. Glad they weren't there with you!


Aw, bummer! Miles looks so cute with his hair all neat and trimmed. Too bad it wasn't a more "disney" experience. Glad you still enjoyed it anyways.

I was worried while they were in there! Definitely glad they left (even though I kind of feel bad for saying so ).

Oh no, poor Ashlyn! I am glad it wasn't worse, and may she heal quickly!
Miles looked adorable with his haircut That stinks it wasn't such a memorable experience, I've never read any other reviews of people who have done it but I'd guess it does depend quite a bit in your stylist. At least he didn't seem to mind it!

Yeah, he did great! And overall, I'm still glad we did it!

Oh no! knockonwood, we haven't broken anything yet.


Is there even arm's in disney world?


Very cute.


Bummer. Sounds like you just got a CM mailing it in.


Ha! If only it worked that way, right?

Mailing it in is the perfect way to describe it!

Poor Ashlyn hope her arm heals fast!

Thank you! She gets her cast on Wednesday.

 

[mrsswat]

Hmmm I always thought they made a big deal with EVERY haircut there. How disappointing!

 

[Terra Nova guy]

Sorry to hear about Ashlyn's arm. Sounds like she handled it well though.

I've always thought about going to the barbershop myself, but never did, I haven't even stepped inside, and I think your's are the first pictures I've seen of it. It looks like a nice place. I suppose a lot would depend on the CM you get. But it does sound a bit disappointing, especially if you've done the Boutique with girls before. I've done that with both my girls and it's such a big show. I'm surprised the barbershop isn't somewhat close to that.

 

[kclark9830]

Hmmm I always thought they made a big deal with EVERY haircut there. How disappointing!

It is a bit disappointing, which is a bummer. But still cute memories, .

Sorry to hear about Ashlyn's arm. Sounds like she handled it well though.

I've always thought about going to the barbershop myself, but never did, I haven't even stepped inside, and I think your's are the first pictures I've seen of it. It looks like a nice place. I suppose a lot would depend on the CM you get. But it does sound a bit disappointing, especially if you've done the Boutique with girls before. I've done that with both my girls and it's such a big show. I'm surprised the barbershop isn't somewhat close to that.

Thanks for your words about Ashlyn! She was supposed to get a cast this week, but they weren't able to put it on yet because it's still pretty swollen. They keep telling me to make sure she's keeping it elevated, and I'm like, well, she's 8. She never sits still.

 

[kclark9830]

Mickey's Backyard BBQ
(or, that thing they've now cancelled)
​

In case you haven't heard, they announced 2 or 3 weeks ago that Mickey's Backyard BBQ would be no more after 2018. This is a spoiler alert, but we were SO DISAPPOINTED to hear this! We actually loved it so much we had decided we would end all future trips with this meal. Guess that won't be happening .

We do have great memories of our meal here. I'm so glad we did it!

So, when we last left off it was time to exit Magic Kingdom and head to the ferry for Ft. Wilderness. The members of our party met up at the exit, and together we made our way toward the ferry docks. It was 4PM, and people were lining up to enter for the MNSSHP that night. The costumes were AMAZING! Seriously, some people are so clever (and I am not).

The ferry to Ft. Wilderness is pretty much a straight shot when you exit MK, and we arrived just a couple minutes before the next ferry, so score! We boarded the boat, and away we went! Miles was restless on the boat ride. He had really reached his limit of sitting still by this point in the trip. He had done a LOT of riding in strollers throughout the week, and he was tired of it. I was extra nervous being on a boat with him, and we did have to get him out of his stroller and fold it up for the boat ride. But we made it! This was our first time to see any part of Wilderness Lodge (as we sailed by it) and then Ft. Wilderness.

So pretty! I definitely want to stay there someday (I want to stay at ALL the resorts, though, so take that how you will).

Ft. Wilderness was so peaceful and lovely. We followed the crowd, because almost everyone on the ferry was going to the BBQ. It was a short walk to where you check in. First, we stopped for a picture.

(I shared this picture because Ashlyn's eyes )

Once we checked in, they directed us back to the pavillion. We were part of the "category 1" seating, so we got to arrive an hour early and meet the characters. All those arriving in "category 2" were kept back at the check in area. They would have to meet characters during the show.

At the pavillion, CM's were preparing the buffet, and we were led to our reserved table front and center. It was a great location! We were encouraged to go get drinks, so we all filled up our cups with soda. There was a guy at the table next to us who drank 12 beers just in the short amount of time while we waited for the characters. We were seriously cracking up. He was laughing, too, making a big deal about it. He said he was getting his money's worth. (For the record, I'm not sure that's the wisest thing to do in public, but whatever! hee hee)

After about 15 minutes, the characters arrived and we jumped in the very short lines to meet them!



Miles was on cloud 9! He loves Mickey. Love, love, love. He was all smiles, and Mickey loved him to!


Micheal tried to skip out on the pictures, but Minnie physically dragged him into the pose, which was funny.




Next, we met Chip and Dale, and Goofy. Dale grabbed Ashlyn's hands and began dancing with her, which absolutely made Ashlyn's night. It was so great!




I will note here that this is an outdoor pavillion, and I was worried about the heat. I am happy to report it wasn't an issue at all. It was very cool inside the pavillion. There were huge ceiling fans high above us, and I'm guessing there was still some cold air piping in somewhere because it wasn't hot at all.

Once we met everyone, we were allowed to go pile our plates with food from the buffet. We had a huge selection of hamburgers, hotdogs, grilled chicken, ribs, and pulled pork. There were all types of salads--greens, potato, macaroni, cucumber. Watermelon, rolls, baked beans, and more, I can't even remember it all and no, of course I don't have pictures.

We filled our plates, then got more drinks. The show started with some singing, which was nice as we ate. Ashlyn LOVED the unlimited Mickey ice cream bars and dreamsicles. She ate several of them.

They time it well, because just as everyone was finishing their food it was time to get up and dance with the characters. I wish I knew how to add videos. Miles was so stinking cute. And the best part? Out of all the kids there, Mickey remembered Miles and wanted to dance with him THE WHOLE SONG!!! Other kids would approach and dance around Mickey, and he would wave, but he always went back to dancing with Miles.

This didn't last the whole night, just for a couple of different songs throughout the night. But it was so sweet, and such a good memory for us. Like I said, I only have video of this. I kept trying to figure out sharing videos, but I'm seriously not good like that.

The show went on for a while, but around 6:45 we were getting a bit tired of it all. I think it was supposed to end around 7 or 7:15, and the category 2 people would be able to stick around until they'd met the characters, but we'd arrived at 4:30, and we were just "done." So, we left a few minutes early. A boat had just pulled up to the docks as we arrived, so we happily boarded and made our way back to Magic Kingdom, then the Boardwalk.

We spent the rest of the night at the pool, and packing up our bags. Our flight the next day wouldn't leave until 6:45PM, so we still had more fun in store for the next day, but I like being prepared. I wanted everything packed and ready to go so we could do resort airline check in first thing, and get on with our day.

And that was a wrap on my birthday at Disney for this year. It was such a FANTASTIC day! We all agreed that, hands down, it was the best day of the trip. And again, I'm super sad we won't be able to do the BBQ again. But, there are so many other cool things we have yet to try, I'm sure we'll find a substitute!

 

[Stasieki]

Man, I have been wanting to do the Backyard Bar B Que. Looked so fun!!!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

The costumes were AMAZING! Seriously, some people are so clever (and I am not).

I am not either. I always see awsome ideas and jsut htink, why didn't I think of that.

The ferry to Ft. Wilderness is pretty much a straight shot when you exit MK, and we arrived just a couple minutes before the next ferry, so score!

It's the best! It's right there. It is fantastic!

There was a guy at the table next to us who drank 12 beers just in the short amount of time while we waited for the characters. We were seriously cracking up. He was laughing, too, making a big deal about it. He said he was getting his money's worth. (For the record, I'm not sure that's the wisest thing to do in public, but whatever! hee hee)

I mean I get getting your money's worth but that is a lot of beer! I am surprised they served him that many.

 

[Araminta18]

In case you haven't heard, they announced 2 or 3 weeks ago that Mickey's Backyard BBQ would be no more after 2018. This is a spoiler alert, but we were SO DISAPPOINTED to hear this! We actually loved it so much we had decided we would end all future trips with this meal. Guess that won't be happening .

Oh no! That's the worst, when you find something you love and then it goes away.

It was 4PM, and people were lining up to enter for the MNSSHP that night. The costumes were AMAZING! Seriously, some people are so clever (and I am not).

I *loved* seeing all the costumes--you're so right about some people being so clever. Way more clever than me. But I loved watching them

At the pavillion, CM's were preparing the buffet, and we were led to our reserved table front and center. It was a great location! We were encouraged to go get drinks, so we all filled up our cups with soda. There was a guy at the table next to us who drank 12 beers just in the short amount of time while we waited for the characters. We were seriously cracking up. He was laughing, too, making a big deal about it. He said he was getting his money's worth. (For the record, I'm not sure that's the wisest thing to do in public, but whatever! hee hee)

LOL hopefully he was good for the rest of the time!

Miles was on cloud 9! He loves Mickey. Love, love, love. He was all smiles, and Mickey loved him to!

aw! Cute!

Next, we met Chip and Dale, and Goofy. Dale grabbed Ashlyn's hands and began dancing with her, which absolutely made Ashlyn's night. It was so great!

What a great interaction! That's awesome

We filled our plates, then got more drinks. The show started with some singing, which was nice as we ate. Ashlyn LOVED the unlimited Mickey ice cream bars and dreamsicles. She ate several of them.

a girl after my own heart!!

They time it well, because just as everyone was finishing their food it was time to get up and dance with the characters. I wish I knew how to add videos. Miles was so stinking cute. And the best part? Out of all the kids there, Mickey remembered Miles and wanted to dance with him THE WHOLE SONG!!! Other kids would approach and dance around Mickey, and he would wave, but he always went back to dancing with Miles.

Oh my gosh that's adorable! How sweet! even if you can't upload the videos, but that's so great that you got them on video. All your pictures--even without video--are so cute! You guys look like you're just having the time of your lives. Love it.

And that was a wrap on my birthday at Disney for this year. It was such a FANTASTIC day! We all agreed that, hands down, it was the best day of the trip. And again, I'm super sad we won't be able to do the BBQ again. But, there are so many other cool things we have yet to try, I'm sure we'll find a substitute!

YAY! What a fantastic day--especially the BBQ with all those cute interactions. I'm so glad it was amazing!

 

[Bama Mom]

We are staying at The Wilderness Lodge next September for our anniversary trip. It's one of my dream resorts.

I was sad to hear they are cancelling this show. We never did it but was considering it for this time.

 

[Terra Nova guy]

And again, I'm super sad we won't be able to do the BBQ again.

I read they are possibly going to bring the backyard BBQ back at another location after the new River Country resort is built, but that could be years of course.