This Bridge is Old, Like You! - A July 2017 and April 2018 TR *Completed + New TR Link Posted

Sounds like a fun time in Pandora! Major self control not walking away with banshees or dolls! I also found the concept of the Avatar dolls really cool!!

I'm sure it was tough leaving and not feeling like it was a "real trip". But it sounds like you had a lot of fun with the little time you had. And it's great that you've made a pact to go back when you figure out where you are heading next.

Love that last pic!!
 
I wouldn’t say he liked the actual toy so much as he was fascinated by its working parts. This is the same kid who has tried to dissemble a remote control car and a television remote and who also ran off with an instruction manual while Alex was building the furniture piece.:rotfl:
I love Landon! Those are all things that my girls would NEVER do.

Just what every parent wants, for their kid to notice the expensive and slightly ridiculous toy. I would have intercepted the well meaning CM, but I had been too busy examining the avatar dolls. Forget banshees! Those dolls looked awesome!
I pre-emtively told Morgan and Gwen under no circumstances were they allowed to get a banshee before we even got to Disney.

Lunch for today was at Satu’li Canteen. Alex and I utilized the mobile ordering again but weren’t aware that nobody could sit down until they had food in hand. So in reality, we ended up waiting as long as the people in the regular line for our food and for a seat. Poor planning on our part, but now we know for the future. I’ve heard Woody’s Lunchbox is the same way, and I’m sure it has to do with the fact that people would go into the sitting areas and take up table real estate if it wasn’t monitored.
Good to know! I def want to try mobile ordering on our next trip.

It was tangy with a hint of sweetness and very light for a mousse cake. Normally, I have to share my Disney desserts with someone, but this time I regretted not having one for myself! I kept encouraging the kids to take bites out of dad’s chocolate concoction. Landon was on board with that idea, but Evie was like me and loved the blueberry!

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Might have to try it! If Evie approves...

I told the kids they could pick one of the figurines if they wanted and Landon picked the Hulk while Evie went with Groot. At the time I thought they were unique and exclusive toys, but the next day when I went to Kohl’s with my mom and I got Alex the Iron Man one for 7 bucks…when they were 20 at the parks.

Oops. Mistake on my part but being overseas we’re out of the loop on what’s popular in department stores. And besides, the kids played with them the whole way home and Landon took the Hulk in for show and tell during the school year. So it was worth it.
That is the worst. I do try to get the girls to get things they can't buy at the Disney Store. But at least they like them!


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The kids completely missed her. She was nailing the camouflage that day.
I am pretty sure we have walked by her and never realized it! I need to remember to look harder in the future.

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I love this picture. It perfectly captures my family. Landon playing whatever the situation is to the extreme while Evie goes in a completely unexpected direction.
I love it! She is going to be fun as a teenager.

So as we settled ourselves into car seats and prepared for the six hour car ride, I focused on everything we had gotten out of this Disney trip and not what we wished we’d had. And since leaving Alex and I have made a firm promise to return to Disney and go on a legitimate trip with the kids.
YEAH!!!! Just the prospect of a trip, sometimes is enough for me...

Thank you, everyone, for reading and following along. It’s been awhile since I’ve had this much fun writing a trip report and that’s all because of you guys. It was a pleasure to share my kids’ crazy antics, my husband’s shopping passion, and my enthusiasm with you all. For a few hours every week I got to step back into Disney World and remember the magic that makes the parks what they are, for that I can’t thank you all enough.
Thanks for sharing your family with us!
 


I always enjoy reading your trip reports and look forward to hearing all about Disneyland Paris.

Don't you just love the cute merchandise in Animal Kingdom? I think maybe because I like animal print so much but I always tend to buy too much there.
 
This has been an absolutely delightful TR, Alicia! Thank you for sharing all your sweet family's adventures and stories with us. From Evie's moods, to Landon's one-liners. Loved it all!!

I will try to catch the link when you post it. Otherwise feel free to PM me when you start your new thread! :)
 


Aw Alicia thank you for having us along on your adventures. What a fab last day and your summing up of all that the trip brought you brought a lump to my throat! Sometimes we all need to slow down and just appreciate the here and now and you guys certainly did just that. I will definitely be following you on all your future adventures. Good luck with the race :)

Thank you for following along through these long reports! I've enjoyed our conversations about Disney and family (and Happy Hippos:rotfl:).




That is really too bad that he missed it! But you are right that you made somebody else very happy!


I love your sad face selfie, :laughing:


Looking forward to your DLP report!


I wondered if anybody would think we were nuts for passing up a FOP Fastpass. Hopefully next trip we will try the ride out, it just wasn't possible that afternoon.



Thank YOU for taking the time to share your experience with us! Some of us (me) are too lazy to take the time. I like that you chose to focus on what you were able to do vs what you missed out on. I'll be looking for your link!

:goodvibes Aw, thanks for always reading my reports. I know I can get long winded. :rotfl2: I have discovered that if I have any hope of remembering my trips, I gotta write them down.
 
Sounds like a fun time in Pandora! Major self control not walking away with banshees or dolls! I also found the concept of the Avatar dolls really cool!!

I'm sure it was tough leaving and not feeling like it was a "real trip". But it sounds like you had a lot of fun with the little time you had. And it's great that you've made a pact to go back when you figure out where you are heading next.

Love that last pic!!

Alex and I want a "real" Disney trip now more than ever. We're thinking of every possible way we can make it happen! And the kids know about Toy Story Land and keep bugging us about when they can ride the "new Slinky Dog" and the "Alien Spin" as they call them. So for their sake, we gotta go back....

That picture cracks me up. I actually have it hanging in our upstairs hallway now.


Oooh, I just noticed your ticker! You've got another Disney trip in 5 months, that's so exciting!!



I love your reports! I think I have read every one of them!

Oh wow, thank you so much! I really appreciate that; it's been fun to retell all the antics my family gets into at Disney World.


I love Landon! Those are all things that my girls would NEVER do.

Landon keeps me on my toes....When people ask Alex and I why we don't have more kids, I tell them I couldn't handle another Landon in my life!:rotfl2:


I pre-emtively told Morgan and Gwen under no circumstances were they allowed to get a banshee before we even got to Disney.


Good to know! I def want to try mobile ordering on our next trip.

That was the smart way to go, prevent that banshee debate before it even had a chance to happen.
Mobile ordering makes dining with kids a million times easier. Even when my kids hit Morgan and Gwen's ages I still think it'll be great. There's not a kid around that's willing to stand in line patiently and wait to order.


I love it! She is going to be fun as a teenager.

:sad2: Don't remind me that I have those adventures in my future. I'm barely handling these preschool years!:laughing:
 
I always enjoy reading your trip reports and look forward to hearing all about Disneyland Paris.

Don't you just love the cute merchandise in Animal Kingdom? I think maybe because I like animal print so much but I always tend to buy too much there.

I think you hit the nail on the head with Animal Kingdom's merchandise. Who can resist animal print?! (Says the woman with the animal print Mickey head purse...)

Thank you so much for reading and following along. I can't wait to shift gears and talk about Disneyland Paris now.



Loved reading along! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for reading!! I appreciate it since I know I can ramble.:rotfl:



This has been an absolutely delightful TR, Alicia! Thank you for sharing all your sweet family's adventures and stories with us. From Evie's moods, to Landon's one-liners. Loved it all!!

I will try to catch the link when you post it. Otherwise feel free to PM me when you start your new thread! :)

Thanks so much for following along, Liesa. From work to personal life to flying lessons, I know you've been incredible busy so I appreciate it. :goodvibes
 
I wouldn’t say he liked the actual toy so much as he was fascinated by its working parts. This is the same kid who has tried to dissemble a remote control car and a television remote and who also ran off with an instruction manual while Alex was building the furniture piece.:rotfl:
Every time I think I couldn't love that kid even more!

I knew the banshee would keep him interested and there was a tiny voice in the back of my head saying, “Oh just get it for him.” But there was also a louder voice going, “It’ll sit on his bookshelf after a week.”

Finally, Alex was the one who told me we should wait until he was a few years older and then see if he still liked it, and if he was then we could buy both kids a banshee.

“And the dolls. We need those Avatar dolls in our lives.”

“Whatever you want, Alicia.”:rotfl2:
Haha, oh yes! I considered the Avatar doll, but ended up with the banshee!

I kept encouraging the kids to take bites out of dad’s chocolate concoction.
:rotfl:

Evie’s my Animal Kingdom buddy through and through. We’ll go visit the animals, take cute photos, and eat blueberry cake while the boys hop from coaster to coaster.
I love AK too! But I also love the coasters!

This is what I got:

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I love this picture. It perfectly captures my family. Landon playing whatever the situation is to the extreme while Evie goes in a completely unexpected direction.
That is hilarious and awesome!

And if you do follow my family’s adventures over there, you’ll also get to hear about my crazy mission to run the Disneyland Paris Half Marathon in September! It’ll be filled with lots of DLP pictures, DISers, and Landon’s one liners.
Can't wait!
 
I love that "sad" selfie!

Thank you for sharing your vacation with us! Travelling on adults-only trips, you sometimes miss the magic of seeing Disney through a child's eye, so I've really loved reading all about Landon's Disney excitement (and Evie's occasional Disney moments).

I'm looking forward to reading all about your trip to DLP and seeing how this whole DPH Half thing came to be.
 
Hearing how many people had a different take on the show, I knew my experience had to be a fluke and wanted another chance to see it and judge the Wishes’s replacement.
.

Oh can't wait to hear your redo opinion!


So so beautiful!

Landon saw the watermelon and was instantly excited.

Any time watermelon is involved, it’s a party.:laughing:

Kid, there's cookies and cakes! :rotfl:

The coffee macaron was decent, but the lemon was a hard pass.

Coffee sounds incredible! Haven't had much luck with their lemon, but I did have the best lemon macaron ever at Disneyland's Food & Wine!

“I can’t make any promises, but I’ll log into the system and see if I can refund you the difference of the two parties. No sense in paying for seats you aren’t going to use.”

That's so nice of them!

I loved Happily Ever After!!!

Yayyyy! I am so happy to hear that!

The part of me that loves fireworks cries out at that new necessity

I've never done the dessert party and had really good experiences! The other garden is up for grabs to any guest, and I've tried a few other locations with really good results - for example, I went close to the castle and it was a cool experience too! Couldn't see a lot of the bigger shells, but the projections were super neat up close!


What a view! :lovestruc


The cutest little booty!


Loooooove this path, it's always so beautiful.


:lovestruc:lovestruc:lovestruc:lovestruc:lovestruc:lovestruc

I had only seen Pandora at night before this, and I much preferred how it looked in the daytime.

I really agree! It's also great at dusk when there's still some light, but things are starting to glow!

The cheeseburger pods did indeed taste like the McDonald’s hamburger

For real! What a fun little meal

We’ll go visit the animals, take cute photos,

Don't forget the moss wall ladies!

And then when we were at the exit, boarding a tram to take us back to our car and away from property.

Nooo, the saddest moment


Oh, Evie! She is truly her own person - brightens my day!
 
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I love this picture. It perfectly captures my family.
::yes::

It was two days where our full attention was on each other, and as much as we would have loved more time at Disney what we lost in entertainment was gained in valuable family time.
Love your thinking here.


Until that fictional vacation evolves into a reality, though, I will have to get my Disney fix in via writing about our Disneyland Paris experience over the summer. Now that this report is officially wrapped up, I’ll soon make a new thread covering that trip and will post the link on here. I hope you all will join me over there as I talk about a really awesome trip and talk about my growing appreciation for the Paris parks.
popcorn::

Hope you'll be able to make it in May for the Big Girls only trip.
 
Every time I think I couldn't love that kid even more!

Haha, oh yes! I considered the Avatar doll, but ended up with the banshee!

I love AK too! But I also love the coasters!


That is hilarious and awesome!


Can't wait!


Landon's a character, that's for sure.

I can't wait to make one of those Avatar dolls!

I think it works out well for me that my favorite coaster (EE) is in AK. I get to knock out all my favorites in one place.



I love that "sad" selfie!

Thank you for sharing your vacation with us! Travelling on adults-only trips, you sometimes miss the magic of seeing Disney through a child's eye, so I've really loved reading all about Landon's Disney excitement (and Evie's occasional Disney moments).

I'm looking forward to reading all about your trip to DLP and seeing how this whole DPH Half thing came to be.

Thank you for reading!
Disney with kids can be its own unique experience, although Alex and I both cannot wait to get back to the parks on a trip without them. Like any travel guests, there can positives and negatives.

I still haven't fully processed that I'm running the DLP Half next month. I just did my 9 mile run this morning and kept thinking, "I'm never signing up for another race again!"




.Kid, there's cookies and cakes! :rotfl:

Yayyyy! I am so happy to hear that!

I've never done the dessert party and had really good experiences! The other garden is up for grabs to any guest, and I've tried a few other locations with really good results - for example, I went close to the castle and it was a cool experience too! Couldn't see a lot of the bigger shells, but the projections were super neat up close!

This is really good info to know. How early did you show up for the spot near the castle?



I really agree! It's also great at dusk when there's still some light, but things are starting to glow!

This is next time period I want to be in Pandora!


Don't forget the moss wall ladies!

:rotfl2: This made me laugh out loud. I'm going to have to have everyone remind me of all the "walls" before my next trip so I can let Evie have at them. :rotfl:


Oh, Evie! She is truly her own person - brightens my day!

Some days, I'm scared to see what her teenage years are going to be like but other times I look forward to watching her personality grow and shine.



::yes::

Love your thinking here.


popcorn::

Hope you'll be able to make it in May for the Big Girls only trip.


I'm going to try. I would love to get back to the world for a girl's trip, just impatiently waiting to see where our next home is going to be. :rolleyes1
 
I still haven't fully processed that I'm running the DLP Half next month. I just did my 9 mile run this morning and kept thinking, "I'm never signing up for another race again!"

That's normal. That feeling may be there until you cross the starting line. Then it's "wow, this is so cool!" After you finish the race, the only thing you can do is curse the existence of stairs. And then a few days later you're ready to sign up for your next race :)
 
That's normal. That feeling may be there until you cross the starting line. Then it's "wow, this is so cool!" After you finish the race, the only thing you can do is curse the existence of stairs. And then a few days later you're ready to sign up for your next race :)

I feel like this description is going to be spot on for me. On some of my long runs, I keep telling myself it MUST be easier on race day, when I'll be running around the Disney parks and have the race day energy around me.
And oh gosh, stairs! I might or might not have crawled up the stairs at my house the first time I ran 6 miles. The kids thought it was hilarious to see Mom struggling. What baffles me is how people can go back into the parks after races. How do you guys do it?! Aren't you in pain all over?
 
I feel like this description is going to be spot on for me. On some of my long runs, I keep telling myself it MUST be easier on race day, when I'll be running around the Disney parks and have the race day energy around me.

I ran my first half in March and I'm scheduled for another one in October. It is DEFINITELY better on race day. There's the adrenaline, the energy from the other runners, the crowd, and the well placed fuel stations. There's never a point where you're looking at a giant hill all by yourself thinking, "Seriously, why am I out here doing this??"

You still question why you're doing it, but you're not alone! :-)
 

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