They shut down public schools in NY this week also. I hope the girls adjust easily to their new schedule.

Sounds like a good start to the morning in Magic Kingdom! Love the shirts.
 
I am way less stressed about the holiday! And Morgan is just happy about getting to stay in PJs all day...
I'm with Morgan!! I work at a Hallmark store, and this upcoming week is what I call HELL week! We work overnight to flip the store from Thanksgiving to winter wonderland, followed by Black Friday and Small Business Saturday! I am really looking forward to not going anywhere for Thanksgiving day this year!

I think he enjoyed his time checking it out. And seriously it was perfect, the girls would have complained the whole time. And it think the 45 minutes was all he really needed. The colleges were both Florida teams, so he wasn't THAT invested in it.
My husband would have been really excited to check this out, too. Of course, his favorite team is the Florida Gators, so he would have been WAY MORE into it and really hard to tear away from that area LOL
 
Happy Black Friday Everyone!!!!

I hope everyone had a goo Thanksgiving. We had a quiet one with just us. And it was nice. Gwen helped me with almost all of the cooking which was nice. Of course all she ate was bread and butter... But for one day, she can eat whatever...

Today we decorated our tree, which I think I love more than Thanksgiving. We make some appatizers and decorate. And the girls only argued a little bit. We found our Jingle Bell Jingle Bam Ornaments and made me miss our trip last year... And I want to get to that trip report, so let's finish up this last day!


Day Eight: Lunch (sorry, I have lost all good titles at this point)

I left off meeting up with Andy after riding Space Mountain. We headed to our first fast pass of the day, which was Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

We were riding 7DMT around 11:15 -11:20
Mine Train Selfie

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We clearly hated the ride...

After, we were going to go ride Littler Mermaid but the wait was too long and we had a lunch reservation to get to. So, we decided to just head over towards our lunch destination.

We ended up stopping in the Christmas Store. This might have been the first time in this shop... some how...

I wanted to get a christmas ornament, so we just wandered around. While we were looking around Andy's sister text him to say that they were running late. At this point, I was REALLY glad we didn' thave more plans with them. They were just not touring the parks the same as us.

I bought these tiny rose Gold Mickey Ears and a It's a small world ears ornament. And I love them! We just hung them up and they are so cute! Morgan also wanted BB8 Halloween Pins. So, we picked those up as well.

We decided to head over to Skipper Canteen and let them know that half of our party was running late. Thankfully the CM had no problem. They just said to come check in once they arrived.

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We were fairly hungry tired and hungry at this point, so we decided to just sit and wait at the restaurant. Look at these pre-teens!

Our reservatton was 11:40 and we were able to get sat at 12:10.

Last summer is when they were still actually giving the secret menu.
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Which I don't understand why they don't hand them out. You can still get all of the items on it.

We asked the Waitress to take a picture of the table. And she took a literal picture of the table…. it was pretty funny. And than she took one of all of us as well.
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I ordered the Pineapple Passion Fruit Sangria and it was soooooo good.
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Andy went with the Shandy which is also pretty refreshing.

We ordered the Pao De Quelijo....
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If they have this.... Order it.... It's basically the cheesy bread from Food & Wine but with this cream cheese chimirruri stuff on the side. And it takes the cheese to a whole new level. I dream about it... I believe we shared these with everyone, so we each got one. :(

I went with the double apps this time.
Pork Cachapas
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These have changed each time I have gotten them. And they seem to be a little less good each time... The pork is ALWAYS amazing but the amount of it seems to be getting smaller and smaller. I wish they would just make it into an entree side portion.

And I ordered the Shu Mai Dumplings
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These are good but nothing special. I can buy frozen ones of these and make at home. But still good.

Andy went with the Grilled Lamb Chops
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Kind of hard to see in the picture. I was trying to take pictures without really anyone noticing. Andy said these were really good.

I ordered a second Sangria, pinaeapple one but the waitress brought me a Traditional Red Sangria. It was good, just not as good as the pineapple one.
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Morgan & Gwen both ordered the Schweitzer Slush,
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Good as always.

Morgan ordered the Tastes like Chicken with the sauce on the side
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And Gwen had mac n cheese.

Both girls ordered the mini volcanos which they always love. Even if they seem to be shrinking... (really it's the fact that the girls are just getting bigger.)

Andy’s Sister, and both boys all ordered the tastes like Chicken & Schweitzer Slush. They were not very adventurous. And Andy's sister's husband did branch out and got the fish... and... a Scheitzer Slush...

Lunch was good, but it felt rushed. Andy's sister's family was leaving that day and I think they had 2 rides they wanted to get on and then needed to head out. We were able to use Table in Wonderland on whole order. They had used all of there table services, so they were paying out of pocket and the waitress was nice enough to split the bill and still use tables in Wonerland on both bills. Which was really nice, as I don't think that is normal.

After lunch, we split up from Andy's sister. Said goodbye, wished them good luck getting home. And we went our seperate ways.

Up next some last rides in Magic Kingdom
 


Day Eight: Finishing off our time in Magic Kingdom

We parted ways with Andy's family and we headed to our next fastpass, Big Thunder Mountain. Our time slot was 12:55 - 1:55 and we were on the ride @1:38. Safely in the window of ttime. Although, I do remember feeling rushed to get there... not sure why.

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We of course had to get a good picture of Morgan with her shirt on.

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Big Thunder was fun as always!

After Morgan wanted to get Dole Whips, but we wanted to wait since we were still full from lunch. Which Morgan wasn't completely happy about.

We walked over to take Andy’s picture in front of Haunted Mansion.
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I assume we decided not to ride because the wait had of been long. I feel like otherwise we would have got in line.

We were going to head over to Splash next but on our way over there were lots of open spots for the parade, so decided to grab a spot as it was 1:55.

We were right next to the Churro Cart, so I grabbed some bottled water which we guzzled that down fast!
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Parade started shortly. We hadn't watched the parade in a VERY long time. And I do think the girls really enjoyed watching it. Even if we were dieing from heat!

Skull Island

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I mean look at Gwen's face! She is super RED!

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Where we were sitting, we were VERY close to the floats. Which was good for the characters under the floats but not so good for the characters on the tops.

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Raps & Flynn
Rapunzel's float might be my favorite!

Maleficent Bird
Our spot also seemed to be a good spot for the walking characters to walk up VERY close to us!

Maleficent stilts
These guys scared the daylights out of Morgan the first time we saw this parade.

Dragon Fire
I was super happy that the dragon was breathing fire again! I forget when the dragon caught on fire. Actually maybe it was after this? Ugh I don't remember. Anyhow, the dragon is amazing!

CHip
We really had a very hot spot. So, once the parade was over, we knew we were heading directly to our last fast pass, Splash Mountain. But Chip had one last parade suprise for us.

Gwen's Chip Photo
Chip came so close to Gwen, she got his as a photo. Poor girl was so sad after, she said she wished she wasn't so busy taking pictures to enjoy her meet with Chip!

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Gwen really liked these girls ourfits. And made me take like 6 pictures of them! With the parade over, we headed up stream to Splash Mountain.

Splash Mountian
We were on by 2:25. So, no time at all.

Splash Mountian

Splash Mountain
I think this might have been the one time I was actually hoping to get wet at this point on the ride!

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Gwen got mad because Morgan didn’t dab with her in the ride photo.

And then Morgan got mad because the waterfall wasn’t on. You know the one that you get all backed up at and never want to get wet. It is seriously Morgan's favorite part... (basically it was getting time for us to head out of the park)

Zip a Dee Lady

We got stuck in front of the Brier Rabit Door at the end. They had the lights on, CM walked by and then back evenutaully.
Splash Mountain w CM
No idea what the problem was as after the CM walked back past us they turned lights off and then we move again.

Either way, that was our last ride on Splash Mountain. I don't think we rode it in December and it was down for refurb in Feb! Which now makes me sad!!! Our last time and both girls were arguing!!! Thankfully I don't think they remember it that way.

We were FINALLY off to get Dole Whips! Finally. We headed over there and decided to take our treats into the Tiki Room.
Raspberry Whip
Morgan went with the Raspberry Whip in a souvenir cup.

Gwen went with Dole Whip Float.
Dole Whip
And of course we had to get her picture in front of the Tiki Room!

Andy and I went with the Citrus Swirl. Andy went over and got that while the girls and I waited for there treats. Mobile Order did not work well for me this trip. It always seemed to have a glitch in it. But the wait wasn't too bad, thankfully.

We got in line for the show. And ate our snacks in the shade. While in line you could see folks in line all side commenting about how they should have some dole whip now. I even heard one husband ask if he should go and get some.

Tiki Room

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I will say, eating a frozen treat while watching the Birds all sing makes the whole thing just that much better!!!

It was now 3:30 and we decided it was time to leave. The girls wanted to swim in the pool one last time. So, we hit the bathroom in Adventrueland and shopped on our way out of the park.

Morgan and Gwen each got a plush - Big Foot Nala for Morgan & Big Foot Stich for Gwen. And then we went across the street to the Bakery where I got a bunch of treats to take home, (2) Peanut Butter Chip Rice Krispee Mickeys, (2) Chocolate covered ones, & (2) Halloween ones.

Phineas playing checkers
As we were finally leaving the park we saw Phineas playing checkers with someone!

When we got to the bus stop, there was ALOT of people waiting. We ended up having to wait for a 2nd bus to show up. But we were able to get a seat, which made Morgan happy.

While we waited, Andy and Morgan had some conversation about the order of the star wars movies and shows... And Andy found this for them...
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Riviting for some of you, I know!

Andy also made this photo...
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This has become a tradition on the trips for him. That is a picture of him on the first and last day of this trip... He says he always gains 10 pounds on each trip. Don't worry, we go home and he drops it off super fast! Boys...

We eventually made it back to the hotel. We took one last dip in the pool and relaxed a little.

Up next... a quick stop in EPCOT.
 
Day Eight: EPCOT

After swimming we relaxed in the room and got some snacks from club level. I was able to get some Sangria.

Andy and I had a snack or two but we made the girls eat some mac n cheese and bread and butter before we left. They needed some food and I knew we would end up kind of snacking our way around.

Around 7:15 we were headed in via the International Gateway. Our first stop ended up being France. Where the girls wanted crepes.

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Gwen went with a chocolate one.

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And Morgan got a strawberry one. The girls love these but I always feel compelled to say that these are NOT the best crepes. I am excitied for the crepe restaurant! I have to think they will be better than these.

Since we were sitting at a table while the girls ate, I grabbed a drink!
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So good!

Once the girls were done, we moved on to find something for Andy and I to eat. We decided on Morrocco.
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And and I split the combo Shwarma Platter Lamb & Chicken. Andy also got a Red Wine as well. This was good. Is it the best shwarma ever? no. (I make a better chicken version at home) But it is still good. We love it and it hit the spot this evening.

After we ate, we headed to Japan to do some shopping. I am pretty sure this is the only reason the girls agreed to come with us to EPCOT tonight. They were BEAT.

Gwen had skipped a day somewhere along the way, so she had 2 things to get. She eneded up with a jigglypuff plush & Kitty Plush
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She took what felt like FOREVER to decide. But I think that was just because it was hot in the store. I don't think the air conditioning was working.

Morgan got nanoblocks.
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This was her first set and let me tell you, she loves these things! They are basically teeny tiny legos.

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We ran to Germany to get some snacks. Andy and Morgan got 2 Grapefruit Schoffenhaffers and a pretzel (for Morgan). And Gwen and I went into get treats from the carmel shop.

We ended up with a Carmel Marshmellow Swirl for Morgan, a Carmel Rice Krispee Treat for Gwen, and Fresh Carmel Corn for everyone to share. I had been texting with Su-Lynn about meeting up for the fireworks. And she asked me to get her a chocolate covered pineapple. Which peaked Gwen's interst. But sadly they didn't have any more. So, I grabbed a marshmellow pop of her instead. Oh and an extra bag of the pre-package carmel corn to take home with us!

With the pounds and pounds of goodies in hand, we started to look for a place to watch Illuminations. Andy and I had only seen it once and the girls had never seen it. I was texting with Su-Lynn on a place to meet. And she made the very bad decision of letting us pick a spot...

We did not choose wisely and stopped in a place with a tree above us. But by the time I realized it, it was kind of too late to move.

Su-Lynn and Steve came right before the show started. They brought Slush for me! And we watched the show.

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It wasn't the greatest spot but we got to see the show. I think the girls liked it enough. Def none of our favorites... But I am glad we all saw it at least once.

We all walked back to Yacht Club together. We said goodbye to Sy-Lynn in the lobby.
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It was great to see them, we had missed them the begining of the trip, and this was kind of a last minute meet up! So, it worked out great!

We grabbed a few desserts from CL and took one last Night Swim. I packed up the rest of our things and went to bed at 12:30 - 1:00! And that ended our trip!!! We had a flight home the next morning. It was up and out of the room on Sunday. When we planned the trip, we didn't know if the girls would have to go to camp on Monday, so we wanted to make sure they had at least SOME rest time before doing so.

It was a great trip! We got to spend time with family and a bunch of dis friends! But I don't think August is our favorite time of year to visit Florida. Def too hot for us! Thanks for following along and making it to the end. I know it took my way too long to finish this up. But hey, it's 2020!

I am hoping to start our December trip this weekend! I will come back and add a link here if you want to see Disney at Christmas!
 
I loved reading your trip but I agree I don’t know if I could handle a August trip! Can not wait to read about your December trip!
 


I loved reading your trip but I agree I don’t know if I could handle a August trip! Can not wait to read about your December trip!
Thanks so much!!! I wasn't sure if anyone was still reading, really. I hope to get that started tomorrow!

Enjoyed your report! Im glad you all had a happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks for reading. I hope you had a good holiday as well!
 
We clearly hated the ride...
Yep, you all look utterly miserable! :)

I found out at 10:30 today that I have to continue with remote learning all the way until January (UGH!!) and do live sessions all day with Kindergartners. To say I am stressed is an understatement!!! I'm so glad you had so many updates for me to read to take my mind off that!!! Looking forward to reading your December trip :) ....and maybe finishing mine someday!!!!
 
I found out at 10:30 today that I have to continue with remote learning all the way until January (UGH!!) and do live sessions all day with Kindergartners. To say I am stressed is an understatement!!! I'm so glad you had so many updates for me to read to take my mind off that!!!
Ugh! Remote learning is NOT the greatest. And I can't even imagine what the kindergarten classes are like! Hang in there!!! December always goes by fast. Hopefully it will for you. How is Jimmy doing with remote learning?
 
Ugh! Remote learning is NOT the greatest. And I can't even imagine what the kindergarten classes are like! Hang in there!!! December always goes by fast. Hopefully it will for you. How is Jimmy doing with remote learning?
I'll have to change up what we've been doing (recorded videos, posted work and one daily zoom) to four live sessions every day, too, so I'm hoping our transition goes smoothly!!

He hates it, but he's gotten into a routine, which has helped tremendously. His grades are very good after a shaky beginning, so hopefully that's a good sign, too!
 
@missjackiemcg - Our school is doing full live session days. And I think it helps alot! It is up to the teachers to give some non-screen time working sessions. But they are basically in the classroom all day. If that makes sense. Granted, I have NO idea how the kindergarden teachers are doing it. 5th & 7th grade is probably a lot different!

Well, fingers crossed for a quick month of December!!!!
 
Day Eight: Lunch (sorry, I have lost all good titles at this point)
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Parade started shortly. We hadn't watched the parade in a VERY long time. And I do think the girls really enjoyed watching it. Even if we were dieing from heat!
OMG I know it! The August heat is brutal. I remember waiting for the bus one morning and thinking "My face my actually melt off" :laughing:

What a great TR! Thank you so much for sharing it with all of us, and for letting me be a part of your trip :goodvibes You have such a beautiful and lovely family and I hope it's not the last time I can meet up with you at Disney! Excited to hear about your Christmas trip next :thumbsup2
 
Enjoyed reading about the end of your trip! Seeing pictures from the parade and walking around the World Showcase definitely reminded me how hot Disney is in August. It's a feat to go during then, that's for sure!
Those nanoblocks look really cool. I wrote them down on my Disney list. Right now, my kids are all about LEGO (made for easy Christmas shopping) and I'm sure they'd love those too.
 
I really enjoyed catching up on your report. Love your shirts for you last MK day. I'm a Game Day fan so I would have enjoyed seeing them in the MK. We had backstage passes on year when they were here and really enjoyed it. I got a selfie with Dave Pollack. We had Skipper Canteen for the first time in December last year and really enjoyed it. I did not know about the bread on the secret menu and now really want it. Nice ending to your trip in Epcot. I'm going to head over the the new report.
 
I really enjoyed catching up on your report. Love your shirts for you last MK day. I'm a Game Day fan so I would have enjoyed seeing them in the MK. We had backstage passes on year when they were here and really enjoyed it. I got a selfie with Dave Pollack. We had Skipper Canteen for the first time in December last year and really enjoyed it. I did not know about the bread on the secret menu and now really want it. Nice ending to your trip in Epcot. I'm going to head over the the new report.
Thanks for finishing with me! I had forgotten about Game Day, we had so many great moments with our annual passes, that it got lost in the shuffle.

Def ask for the bread when you do get back. Hopefully they will still have it!
 
Since I got to be in this one thought it only fitting that I finally finish it out!

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. We had a quiet one with just us. And it was nice. Gwen helped me with almost all of the cooking which was nice. Of course all she ate was bread and butter... But for one day, she can eat whatever...
Happy Belated Thanksgiving to you all. Casey helped with all the cooking too which makes it so much more enjoyable. Of course she also eats it all too :P

Today we decorated our tree, which I think I love more than Thanksgiving. We make some appatizers and decorate
We did the exact same thing on the exact same day. My favorite part of Thanksgiving is that Christmas starts the next day. Growing up we always had apps while we decorated the tree so we always do it too. This year we had an appetizer throw down. Casey made Ahi Sushi cups and for the win!
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If they have this.... Order it.... It's basically the cheesy bread from Food & Wine but with this cream cheese chimirruri stuff on the side. And it takes the cheese to a whole new level. I dream about it... I believe we shared these with everyone, so we each got one. :(
Oh these are so good!!! We never got the secret menu but someone (I think Jenny) had told us to order these. They did not disappoint.

Andy’s Sister, and both boys all ordered the tastes like Chicken & Schweitzer Slush. They were not very adventurous. And Andy's sister's husband did branch out and got the fish... and... a Scheitzer Slush...
Are you sure Andy is related to them :confused3

Raspberry Whip
Morgan went with the Raspberry Whip in a souvenir cup.
Oh what would I give for a dole whip right about now. And great idea to eat it in the tiki room. For some reason in my head I thought they wouldn't allow food in there so we'd never done it. Will add this to the Saucier spots we steal :earsboy:

am excitied for the crepe restaurant! I have to think they will be better than these.
Oh me too! I love a crepe but those ones in france just aren't great. When we go to Key West their is a crepery that we love, love, love. Their savory ones are so much better than the sweet so really hoping Disney does this right

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It was great to see them, we had missed them the begining of the trip, and this was kind of a last minute meet up! So, it worked out great!
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We got to spend time with family and a bunch of dis friends!
It was so wonderful to spend time with you all again. We of course love you and Andy but especially love the girls being able to spend time together. Hopefully 2021 will bring us some more. Happy New Year!
 

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