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

[khertz]

I'm not one for the savory items at Food & Wine or Flower & Garden, but I'm all about trying some desserts! The maple cake with gelato and the macaron on a stick look like something I would definitely enjoy!

I'm hoping/thinking by the time we get back to WDW again it may line up with F&G and I really hope so, because I have never seen Epcot more beautiful than during that festival.

Very cool that you'll have a place to pick up and (very expensive) German treat you love!

 

[amazingact21]

I'm not one for the savory items at Food & Wine or Flower & Garden, but I'm all about trying some desserts! The maple cake with gelato and the macaron on a stick look like something I would definitely enjoy!

I'm hoping/thinking by the time we get back to WDW again it may line up with F&G and I really hope so, because I have never seen Epcot more beautiful than during that festival.

Very cool that you'll have a place to pick up and (very expensive) German treat you love!

I hope you guys are able to get back to Disney during the Flower and Garden Festival. I know the fall is when you tend to go, but WDW in spring is so beautiful. Of course, now that Landon's officially in school this fall, I'm realizing that trips all depend on when school has their breaks! Makes me miss the days when we could whenever we wanted.

 

[amazingact21]

Thursday, April 26th Part 4:

Continuing around the World Showcase, Alex and I stopped briefly at the African Outpost to let the kids bang on the drums.





Yes, they were the reason you cover your ears and cringe as you pass that area. No music was resonating from their little hands, but they were having a blast and we needed that at the moment.



The kids’ FUN METER was running on empty by that point in the day. While food sampling and pretty flowers can keep me entertained for hours on end, it was boring my youngin’s to death. Their complaints and whining were getting louder and louder, so I had to give in and let them make some noise for a minute or two.

Sorry fellow Epcot guests. Desperate parents have to do what they have to do…


My family made almost a complete circuit of the World Showcase by 1:30pm. We had Fastpasses for Frozen Ever After at 3 (it was the best I could get) but that was still a long way off and the kids needed something to do. The Anna and Elsa meet and greet was only a 25 minute wait, and because Landon enjoyed it last summer I thought it’d be the perfect time killer.

Unfortunately, Landon was hot and grumpy and fought us on the decision the entire wait. We finally had to promise him a pretzel to get him to work with us.


Anna was up first:
f2 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

Her and Landon talked about training with Kristoff up on the North Mountain. She was a little rushed with us and sort of ushered Landon away after a minute or two. That panicked Landon, though, and he walked away shouting at her, “Tell Kristoff I’m in Germany! If he looks for me in Florida I won’t be here much longer!!!”

Little man was worried about being found for this unknown training camp he was going to attend….


Elsa was next:
f3 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

It was a nice meet but not very memorable. I’m sure Landon talked with her about something, but I was busy dealing with Evie and couldn’t listen.

f4 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

Evie had told me she wanted to meet Elsa, so I carried her over to say hello. It wasn’t until we were exiting that Evie melted down and said she didn’t get to properly “meet her.” Being held did not count.

Whoa boy.

Alex and I were dealing with Evie in hysterics over her missed encounter and Landon on a tirade about how hot and tired he was. We had reached the point in a full Disney day where the kids had hit a wall and were over everything. The fun was over, the novelty of being in Disney was gone, my kiddos' patience was at a big fat zero.

Alex and I headed towards the Kringla Bakeri to get Landon his pretzel and discovered that it was closed for renovations!


Oops.

Teach me to do my research.

By some stroke of luck, Disney was looking out for me and there was a stand set up in place of the shop that sold some of the most popular items, one of them being the chocolate almond pretzel.

Hooray!

And because we had two cranky kids under the age of five and we were hot and it was vacation, Alex and I ordered a beer to split.


The internet has failed me this morning and I can’t find the name of the beer we got, but I thought it was pretty good. Extremely refreshing during the heat of the day and something I’d definitely get again if I were walking around in the warmest part of an afternoon.

Lucky for us, finding a shady spot near the water and putting some warm bread in their bellies helped the kids’ moods temporarily. They drank a lot of water and watched birds come to scavenge near our stroller; they were also willing to take some selfies with Alex.






Once all the food and booze was gone, Alex and I had to decide what to do. The wedding party was in the American Pavilion, our Fastpasses were still an hour away from being active, and we had exhausted our To Do’s in the Showcase. I looked at the kids and could tell they weren’t going to go along with another sixty minutes of hanging in Norway or Mexico, so I made the tough call to abandon our Frozen passes and go somewhere else.

It was hard to say we should skip it. Alex has never ridden the attraction before, and I knew it was something all four of us could enjoy together. But I knew the short enjoyment of the ride wouldn’t be worth the sixty minutes of fussing we’d get if we stayed put.

Sadly, we loaded Landon and Evie in the stroller and made our way back to Future World.




Back at my mom’s house, Landon has asked if we could go see dolphins at her local aquarium. We were going to be short on time once we made it back to her house, so Alex and I thought a good compromise would be going to the fish inside the Seas.

f5 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

Naturally, the best way to get to the tanks is through the Under the Sea attraction. Unfortunately for us, that wall Landon had hit earlier had come back in full force. I really think the late night and early morning had caught up to him as well as the disappointment at not being in the same park as Small World (he had asked several times to ride it earlier that morning) and he was done.

Nothing sounded appealing to him, and his emotions were all over the place. I told Alex to take Evie and go in a clamshell while I handled Landon. He cried and threw a fit, so it wasn’t the most enjoyable experience for us, but once we were off the ride and viewing the tanks in the dark rooms things got better. Staring at fish can be very calming, and it wasn’t really crowded in the area so he had room to breathe and relax.

While I was sitting with Landon, Alex had taken Evie over to the dolphin tank and got to see them practicing their tricks.


(Landon saw them briefly but wanted to see the fish more.)


All in all, Alex and I kept the kids in the aquarium for half an hour, letting them cool down and decompress. During that time, I got an email saying that Frozen Ever After was temporarily down. Skipping it turned out to be a great decision! Especially since it never got up and running the rest of the afternoon.


When we were all ready to leave, I told Alex we needed to call it a day and head to our rental house. Anything we did would be met with whines and tears, so Alex texted his sister and told him we were leaving. That caused some contention since we’d barely seen them; I think the bride was hoping to go on some rides with the kids. However, it just wasn’t going to happen. What a throng of twenty/thirty year old adults wanted to do with their time was not the same as what two kids wanted and therefore our plans didn’t align.

A little drama in addition to the grumpy kids was stressful, but ultimately we made the call as to what was best for our kids.

Or so I thought…

Then, as we were nearing the exit of the park, Alex sprung on me that we needed to make a quick detour.

Huh?

“We should go buy the purse you want. Now. Before they sell out.”

Oh gosh.

Four days prior, on Animal Kingdom’s anniversary, Disney had released a new Dooney and Bourke purse that I absolutely loved. I had actually seen a preview for it on facebook a month before its release and wouldn’t stop talking about the accessory. I had sent the photo to my friend, saved it on my phone, and declared to everyone that if I were to get one more purse, it HAD to be that one.

I was pretty passionate about it…

Look, I’m not a jewelry gal, not a shoe fanatic, not even a makeup person. But bags…oh they are my weakness. Give me a satchel or letter carrier and I’m a happy camper. And Alex is a smart man, he knows this about me, and he knew how devastated I would be if I went to Animal Kingdom on Monday and the bag was sold out.

So he was adamant about going now, while the shopping app still showed availability, and picking one up before we left.

I was at war with myself.

The kids were miserable. I knew there was a pool and television waiting for them at the house and they would revolt when they heard about this plan.

But man, I really wanted that purse.


When Alex wants something, he can be quite determined and he wore me down.

Before I could say park hopper, the four of us were sitting at the bus stop, waiting for an AK bus to appear.


And once on board, I made a bargain with Landon. For his cooperation with my shopping, I would get him some pizza.

Bingo.

No hesitation on his part. We had a deal.

So it was on the ride over that Alex and I tried mobile ordering for the first time and instantly fell in love with the system. We paid for two pizzas, a dessert, and drinks to split and had it ready for us to pick up as soon as we clicked a button.

It was brilliant!

And just like that, it was time to enter our second park of the day:




Up Next…Why Isn’t this Everyone’s Favorite Park?

 

[missangelalexis]

I'm sorry the interaction with Anna & Elsa was kinda meh. Landon shouting after Anna is too cute though!

Sounds like a tough afternoon with the kiddos I'm glad you made the right call skipping FEA since it ended up going down! And the kids selfies with Alex came out pretty cute

Quite persistent your husband is! Impromptu trip to AK!

 

[mommaof3boys]

I'm glad Landon is easily bribed with pizza and pretzels. Too bad you didn't get to ride FEA, but waiting in the area for an hour and then it being broken would have really been bad. Sometimes those without kids don't really understand. Hopefully the bride wasn't too upset. I can't wait to see the purse!

 

[amazingact21]

I'm sorry the interaction with Anna & Elsa was kinda meh. Landon shouting after Anna is too cute though!

Sounds like a tough afternoon with the kiddos I'm glad you made the right call skipping FEA since it ended up going down! And the kids selfies with Alex came out pretty cute

Quite persistent your husband is! Impromptu trip to AK!

I think Landon was a little surprised that a character was moving him along. He wasn't used to not getting his two cents in!

I knew it was due to the circumstances, but I really hate when I can''t take afternoon breaks while at the parks. Me and the kids have gotten used to that time to relax that not having it on this day really messed with our moods.

One of the things I love about my husband is that he will always try his hardest to get me something I want. I don't buy stuff for myself...I still have gift money from Christmas 2017(!!!) so whenever there's something that piques my interest, he jumps on it. If Alex weren't around I'd probably still be carrying the same purse I bought in 2012 and definitely wouldn't have anything as nice as the Disney Pandora charms.

I'm glad Landon is easily bribed with pizza and pretzels. Too bad you didn't get to ride FEA, but waiting in the area for an hour and then it being broken would have really been bad. Sometimes those without kids don't really understand. Hopefully the bride wasn't too upset. I can't wait to see the purse!

Landon's like his mom and has a serious weakness for carbs. And he knows when we're on vacation I let a lot more slide than if we were at home.

After learning that FEA was down, we were so thankful we hadn't decided to stick around for our Fastpasses!!

The sisters were disappointed but in the end it wasn't a huge deal. I think they knew this wouldn't be the last time we'd be in Disney together.

 

[Lesley Wake]

The kids’ FUN METER was running on empty by that point in the day. While food sampling and pretty flowers can keep me entertained for hours on end, it was boring my youngin’s to death. Their complaints and whining were getting louder and louder, so I had to give in and let them make some noise for a minute or two.

Sorry fellow Epcot guests. Desperate parents have to do what they have to do…

I never have any problem with kids making lots of noise in that area! It's so much better than screaming in a show or racing around a restaurant! And at least the outpost isn't near anything that requires waiting around (ride queue, food place)! So I say, go for it!

That panicked Landon, though, and he walked away shouting at her, “Tell Kristoff I’m in Germany! If he looks for me in Florida I won’t be here much longer!!!”

Haha, so cute!

Nothing sounded appealing to him, and his emotions were all over the place. I told Alex to take Evie and go in a clamshell while I handled Landon. He cried and threw a fit, so it wasn’t the most enjoyable experience for us, but once we were off the ride and viewing the tanks in the dark rooms things got better. Staring at fish can be very calming, and it wasn’t really crowded in the area so he had room to breathe and relax.

Poor Landon! But yeah, I agree, the dark and watching fish float along can be very calming!

All in all, Alex and I kept the kids in the aquarium for half an hour, letting them cool down and decompress. During that time, I got an email saying that Frozen Ever After was temporarily down. Skipping it turned out to be a great decision! Especially since it never got up and running the rest of the afternoon.

That would have been horrible if you had waited around specifically for FEA only to have it go down!

That caused some contention since we’d barely seen them; I think the bride was hoping to go on some rides with the kids. However, it just wasn’t going to happen. What a throng of twenty/thirty year old adults wanted to do with their time was not the same as what two kids wanted and therefore our plans didn’t align.

When you are dealing with kids that young, you really need to go off their schedule! It's too bad they couldn't go on any rides together, but Epcot really isn't the best place to try and do that, with most of the rides concentrated on one side of the park and the alcohol carts on the other side!

Then, as we were nearing the exit of the park, Alex sprung on me that we needed to make a quick detour.

Huh?

“We should go buy the purse you want. Now. Before they sell out.”

Oh gosh.

Four days prior, on Animal Kingdom’s anniversary, Disney had released a new Dooney and Bourke purse that I absolutely loved. I had actually seen a preview for it on facebook a month before its release and wouldn’t stop talking about the accessory. I had sent the photo to my friend, saved it on my phone, and declared to everyone that if I were to get one more purse, it HAD to be that one.

I was pretty passionate about it…

Look, I’m not a jewelry gal, not a shoe fanatic, not even a makeup person. But bags…oh they are my weakness. Give me a satchel or letter carrier and I’m a happy camper. And Alex is a smart man, he knows this about me, and he knew how devastated I would be if I went to Animal Kingdom on Monday and the bag was sold out.

So he was adamant about going now, while the shopping app still showed availability, and picking one up before we left.

I was at war with myself.

The kids were miserable. I knew there was a pool and television waiting for them at the house and they would revolt when they heard about this plan.

But man, I really wanted that purse.


When Alex wants something, he can be quite determined and he wore me down.

That is a pretty awesome husband!

 

[cindianne320]

Ah, Children. Ruining all our plans at Disney, but giving us the most wonderful memories at the same time. LOL.

Can't wait to see your Purse- they are also my weakness!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

I love how honest you are when it comes to your trip reporting. We’ve all ( well those of us with kids at least) had those days when even though you really, really wish it weren’t so, you have to call it a day and miss out on something you’d planned in the interest of everyone’s sanity! Thankfully you had decided to give up on FEA before they announced it was down. Landon is a boy after my own heart- there’s nothing that carbs can’t make better lol
Shame the meet and greet with Anna and Elsa didn’t quite go smoothly but I’m glad the aquarium did a perfect job of soothing frayed nerves and hey my kids never, ever pass those drums without giving them a bit of a thump ( even my adult kids lol). Somehow we seem to end up sheltering from the rain in that very spot on many an occasion. Always fun to beat a drum and sure no one really minds do they
Can’t wait to see your bag (Alex is clearly the perfect man for you and it’s just lovely that he wanted you to have your treat).
Sounds like ordering your food on the app was a winner

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Is Happy Hippo a candy or cake? I've never heard of it.

It says on the box that happy hippos have “a crispy shell filled with hazelnut cream”. I agree with Alex- they remind me of ferroro rocha too

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

I can't wait to see what purse you got. Coming from another purse lover I so would have been on that bus so fast not thinking twice about it. I hope you love it.

 

[amazingact21]

I never have any problem with kids making lots of noise in that area! It's so much better than screaming in a show or racing around a restaurant! And at least the outpost isn't near anything that requires waiting around (ride queue, food place)! So I say, go for it!

When you are dealing with kids that young, you really need to go off their schedule! It's too bad they couldn't go on any rides together, but Epcot really isn't the best place to try and do that, with most of the rides concentrated on one side of the park and the alcohol carts on the other side!

That is a pretty awesome husband!

I was kind of thinking the same thing when the kids ran for the drums. Better they get out their energy there than in a restaurant or ride!

I appreciate you understanding that kids' schedules are important. It really helped us out that evening in DLP!

Ah, Children. Ruining all our plans at Disney, but giving us the most wonderful memories at the same time. LOL.

Can't wait to see your Purse- they are also my weakness!

It's kind of funny, now that the kids are older and have gone to Disney a bunch of times, I dream of the day I can go back to the parks with just Alex! We'd like nothing more than to get a few days to enjoy the food, the rides, and the shows without keeping up with the kids!

I love how honest you are when it comes to your trip reporting. We’ve all ( well those of us with kids at least) had those days when even though you really, really wish it weren’t so, you have to call it a day and miss out on something you’d planned in the interest of everyone’s sanity! Thankfully you had decided to give up on FEA before they announced it was down. Landon is a boy after my own heart- there’s nothing that carbs can’t make better lol
Shame the meet and greet with Anna and Elsa didn’t quite go smoothly but I’m glad the aquarium did a perfect job of soothing frayed nerves and hey my kids never, ever pass those drums without giving them a bit of a thump ( even my adult kids lol). Somehow we seem to end up sheltering from the rain in that very spot on many an occasion. Always fun to beat a drum and sure no one really minds do they
Can’t wait to see your bag (Alex is clearly the perfect man for you and it’s just lovely that he wanted you to have your treat).
Sounds like ordering your food on the app was a winner

I like people to see that traveling with kids is not the easiest thing in the world to do. As great as world travelers as my kiddos are, they still have their days where they fight me and Alex for all their worth. Our day trip to Paris two weeks ago was a struggle because the kids were testing our patience to the extreme. It happens, and at least I've come to expect it...it also allows me to send a sympathetic smile to other parents when their kids are bawling their eyes out in front of a ride or restaurant.

I bet the African Outpost is a great spot to get out of the rain. Especially because there's not much else nearby!

I can't wait to see what purse you got. Coming from another purse lover I so would have been on that bus so fast not thinking twice about it. I hope you love it.

Haha, if I didn't have the crabby kids with me I would have been on a bus to AK much earlier in the day. But I had to really think about whether getting the bag would be worth all the whining I'd have to listen to.
However, I can say now that it totally would have been! I still love and use the purse every day.

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Tell Kristoff I’m in Germany! If he looks for me in Florida I won’t be here much longer!!!”

This is too cute! Landon is the cutest!

Your tired kids happens to all of us. It is all about how you handle the moment and recharge those kiddos. I hope you had some fun in AK!

 

[khertz]

That panicked Landon, though, and he walked away shouting at her, “Tell Kristoff I’m in Germany! If he looks for me in Florida I won’t be here much longer!!!”

Oh my gosh, the things kids come up with!!!

I think all of us parents know exactly what was going on when the kids are hot, tired, and OVER IT. We've all been there!! Sorry you had such a frustrating afternoon. I hope the detour for the purse turned out to be a good decision!

Somehow we totally forgot about mobile ordering when we were at MK for the Halloween party last year, so I'm excited to try it out next time we go!

 

[MeghanEmily]

Too bad that your afternoon with the kids was so touch-and-go for a while there. I can't imagine, as a grown adult, getting upset with parents for not being able to keep their tired kids in a park so they could spend more time with me...but weddings bring out the unrealistic in us all!! We're currently having the same issue with Nathan's sister, who's planning her own wedding for this winter. Being a bride makes people quite particular and drama can definitely ensue.

Seems like skipping FEA was definitely the right call! Especially after it went down anyway!

I'm excited about your AK detour for your Dooney though! (I hope it was in stock for you there!!) I also have a Dooney problem. I just can't quit! Especially when I find a new style that I really love.

 

[amazingact21]

This is too cute! Landon is the cutest!

Your tired kids happens to all of us. It is all about how you handle the moment and recharge those kiddos. I hope you had some fun in AK!

Sometimes I'm scared to see what comes out of Landon's mouth! He keeps us one our toes.

Oh my gosh, the things kids come up with!!!

I think all of us parents know exactly what was going on when the kids are hot, tired, and OVER IT. We've all been there!! Sorry you had such a frustrating afternoon. I hope the detour for the purse turned out to be a good decision!

Somehow we totally forgot about mobile ordering when we were at MK for the Halloween party last year, so I'm excited to try it out next time we go!

I would definitely recommend the mobile ordering, especially with kids. It's so nice having your order ready to go as soon as you step into the restaurant. Even if you wait and decide what you want right beforehand, it still beats standing in the line.

Too bad that your afternoon with the kids was so touch-and-go for a while there. I can't imagine, as a grown adult, getting upset with parents for not being able to keep their tired kids in a park so they could spend more time with me...but weddings bring out the unrealistic in us all!! We're currently having the same issue with Nathan's sister, who's planning her own wedding for this winter. Being a bride makes people quite particular and drama can definitely ensue.

Seems like skipping FEA was definitely the right call! Especially after it went down anyway!

I'm excited about your AK detour for your Dooney though! (I hope it was in stock for you there!!) I also have a Dooney problem. I just can't quit! Especially when I find a new style that I really love.

I have come to realize that the more people in a party, the greater the likelihood some kind of drama is going to occur. It's inevitable, especially with so many different personalities and goals. I was just grateful that on the actual wedding day the bride was very calm and chill. No bridezilla moments from her!

Those Dooneys can be too hard to resist! I think I like them so much because it's a stylish way to show off my love of Disney in my everyday life. And over here it's such a small community that a lot of people know me as the "Disney purse girl." Not to mention, I met one of my best friends here because she saw my purse and commented on it because she's a big Disney fan, too.

 

[amazingact21]

Hi everyone! Hope you guys have been enjoying your summer so far. It’s finally warmed up here in Germany so we’ve broken out the shorts and indulged in some spaghetti eis.

I forgot to mention that my family went to Disneyland Paris a few weeks ago. I’m still trying to go through the pictures and organize everything. It got tricky trying to keep up with a good camera and two cell phones! Lots of random shots to put in the correct order. Once I finish with this report I’ll head over to the DLP thread and start a report for that trip. I will say now, though, if anyone ever decides to splurge and go to the Paris parks then it’s worth the extra money to stay at the Disneyland Hotel. There is nothing like sleeping steps away from Main Street!

And in other news, I officially start my half marathon training this week! EEK!
Starting the 12 week program off right with a 5K race on Independence Day and 4 miles the morning before I head off on a Switzerland train trip with a friend. It should be a fun and exhausting upcoming week.

Also, has anyone seen the Castle to Chateua medal you get for completing a half marathon in Orlando and the DLP half? It’s gorgeous! I’m very jealous of people that are getting one.


I’ve decided to write and post two updates today. The first is to finish up our Thursday’s adventures and the second is to quickly recap our weekend happenings. They don’t necessarily concentrate on Disney, but for the sake of continuity I wanted to include them in the report. I thought it would be slightly weird to jump from Thursday evening to Monday morning with no explanation. That being said, if you have zero desire to read about Celebration FL or see us gussied up in our finest then you’re free to skip the second update and wait for my next post. No hard feelings, I understand.

Now, without further ado…


Thursday, April 26th, 2018 Part 5:

Walking into Animal Kingdom, Alex went to the stroller rental center to get a new stroller (so long as you keep your receipt you can get as many strollers as you need during the day) while I took some photos of the park’s 20th Anniversary celebratory banners:

f1 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


f2 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


And of course we couldn’t stop and glance at the beautiful Tree of Life:



Then the four of us popped into Island Mercentile to seek out my new bag. Before we made it to that corner of the shop, though, Alex spotted some additional 20th Anniversary merchandise and had to take a peek. I figured Alex was going to pass on any special pins or shirts, because Animal Kingdom isn’t his favorite park. It isn’t even his second favorite.

Nor his third.

The crazy man likes Animal Kingdom least of all the WDW parks!!!

What’s wrong with him? My favorite is his least…I guess everybody has their flaws.


Anyways, I was right in assuming he didn’t have any interest in the normal specialty souvenirs. He passed on them all. But then he stumbled upon a coin for sell and I knew that was it for us. The military is big on coins and Alex loves collecting them. He has two beautiful coin racks that he’s filled up through his years in the service with no sign of slowing. So this was the perfect thing for him to buy:



He asked a Cast Member behind a register if he could take a closer look at it, and when she got it out she mentioned that it was the last one available. Alex asked if she could hold it for him while I picked a purse and the Cast Member kindly agreed.

With that, we found the Dooneys and waited while a different Cast Member came over and opened a locked cabinet so she could get them out and show them to me. Originally, I was going to get the tote version but that one had sold out the day of. It was the most popular style.

I knew the foldover version was going to be too small for me. My rule of thumb is, a bag has to be big enough for me throw a diaper and a protein bar inside.

Priorities, right?

So I had no choice but to take a look at the third and last style available…the crossbody satchel. This was a completely new one for me, so I wasn’t sure if I’d like it or not. But it was really my only option.

I ended up liking the print placement on the first bag the Cast Member showed me and bought it.

It was love at first sight:



Now that I’ve used it for 2 months, I can say that the crossbody satchel is wonderful. It’s got buttons that keep everything inside, the ability to carry it with straps or over the shoulder, and it can hold diapers, wipes, snacks, a kid’s water bottle, and passports in its main compartment. It’s the perfect size, and I haven’t wanted to swap it out for one of my older bags yet. The giraffe print Mickey heads are just about my favorite look ever.

Alex earned major brownie points for convincing me to hop over to AK and buy it.


Bag and coin purchased, Alex and I informed Pizzafari that we were in the area and ready for our mobile order to be made. I know I mentioned it in the last update but I feel it needs to be said again…mobile ordering is great.

Alex went to the counter and waited for our food while I went and found an empty table with the kids. It was an odd time to be eating, four in the evening, so I didn’t have any issues finding a quiet corner to plant my kids.

Landon wanted to take silly photos while we waited:



Alex found us with food in hand, and we set about cutting pieces for the kids.


We struggled to get Evie to eat any of the pizza but she did pretty well with the salad. Landon demolished his pieces in no time. Alex and I ate our servings, but it was more to fill our bellies than for enjoyment. We had gotten so used to European style pizza, which is thin crusted and less messy, that we had a hard time getting past all the tomato sauce on the pizzas. The food wasn’t awful, but it’s probably the last quick service location we’d choose in AK on future trips.


Alex had splurged and got us the canoli cake to split:


Because the chocolate macaroon and maple pound cake and chocolate pretzel weren’t enough sweets for one day.

When on vacation, right?


While we were eating, Alex was in contact with his older brother. I think I’ve mentioned it in the past, but his job gives him one park ticket to each park every year. Unfortunately, he had used his Epcot ticket last fall for the Food and Wine Festival, but his aunt expressed interest in seeing Animal Kingdom so he used his free ticket for that park and took her there for the day. He was getting some Disney time in, just not at the same park as the rest of the wedding group.

Alex had texted him to let him know we were there but would be leaving soon. As luck would have it, him and Great Aunt C. (we’ll call her GAC) were also headed out, so we agreed to meet up by the Tree of Life to say hello.


The four of us got there first and had some time to look at the carvings in the tree.


f3 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


It’s mindblowing how detailed the tree is. I could spend hours examining the trunk, trying to find as many animals as possible. It just goes to show the attention every square inch of the park was given.



Had to grab a quick selfie in front of the tree…


My brother in law and GAC found us and we said our hellos. They walked with us towards the entrance so we could return the stroller and watched the kids as they ran around.



The sign in the picture of above was to inform guests that the Navi River Journey attraction was currently closed. We were there during the 2-3 days something happened and Disney had to shut the ride down. Could you imagine how frustrated those guests had to be?

You know there were dozens of park goers that couldn’t ride FOP or grab a FP for the ride and were banking on experiencing Navi River Journey. They had to be so frustrated to learn that their plans were suddenly messed up. You know people take their Disney itineraries seriously so to have a new experience suddenly off the table probably sent them into a tailspin.

Thank goodness we didn’t go anywhere near Pandora or the mayhem that was probably ensuing in the area.


Alex and I only visited with Eddie and GAC briefly before we waved goodbye and walked to the bus stops to catch a ride back to Epcot. I wasn’t paying attention when Alex walked us up to a stop but happened to look up at the signs after five minutes in line. It was then I noticed he’d accidentally gone into the All Star Movies bus line. Epcot was one more down.

I was embarrassed to have to move and let everyone see our mistake, but when I mentioned the mix up to Alex not one but two families behind us had made the same mistake!!

What’re the odds that three families simultaneously went to the wrong stop??

Glad I caught it and was able to shuffle us all to the correct line before we hopped aboard a Movies bus…Oops.


My family made it on the right bus and back to our car without incident, then we drove the 25 minutes to our rental house. At the house, my day only picked up as I had to unpack all the suitcases, set up shop in the rooms, put groceries in the pantry, and visit with my MIL, two aunts, and uncle that were also staying at the house. I was so busy that I forgot to take any pictures of the house!

Shameful…

But I did snap this photo, because I wanted to showcase the ridiculous amount of shoes we had to bring on this trip:


I could have filled a carry on with just shoes! It was nuts! But thanks to the wedding we all needed dress shoes, and then Alex and I needed running shoes, everybody had to have some kind of sandal for the beach, and Evie would have gone into hysterics if she didn’t have a good selection of shoes.

At two years old she already has an unhealthy shoe obsession. I dread her teenage years…


Continued in Next Post…

 

[amazingact21]

Continued from Previous Post:


Friday, April 27th, 2018:

This day started out with a bridal brunch at a place called Holler and Dash. It was in Celebration, which is the Disney designed city about twenty minutes from the parks. The weather was still gorgeous, and we were able to sit our party of twenty outside on the patio.

f2 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

The breakfast offerings at Holler and Dash were really good. They had unique offerings with fresh ingredients and the prices were decent. I would highly recommend this breakfast spot for anyone who’s taking a day off from the theme parks and wanting to visit the local area.

I got the Hey Eddy Omelette with goat cheese, tomatoes, and basil:
f1 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

The portion was on the smaller side, especially at 7.50, but I’m also used to eating large breakfasts. I tend to have scrambled eggs and a bowl of oatmeal so I probably would have been okay had I gotten a side dish with my meal.

One other note about this restaurant…the coffee was delicious! I went back for a second cup during my meal and actually got a third to-go cup later. I’m picky about my coffee and this brew was one that had a fantastic flavor without needing any additional sugars or creams. I had actually told Alex that I wanted to go back Monday morning to get another cup, but unfortunately it never happened.

Okay, I lied. There was another positive note about the restaurant I wanted to include. All the staff here were amazing. Super friendly, patient, and willing to answer any questions someone might have. Near the end of our meal, one of the guys came out and said the manager had heard my SIL was getting married and gave the table two orders of beignets for free. While they weren’t anything to write home about, the gesture was unbelievably kind and appreciated.


When brunch was finished, we all walked next door for manicures and pedicures. And just like Holler and Dash, I have nothing but positive things to say about the nail salon we used. They knew we had a large party and were prepared with lots of employees on hand and they actually sent anybody that showed up away or booked them for a later time. The salon was filled with the girls in our party, and the workers took their time making sure everyone’s nails looked perfect.

I hadn’t had my nails done since Landon was an infant. We’re talking 4 years here, so I was enjoying every single second. I didn’t have the husband or kids to worry about, didn’t have anywhere I needed to be, and was surrounded by a gaggle of wonderful girls. It was lovely.

f3 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


And while I was pampering myself, Alex was back at the house letting the kids go swimming:
f4 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


That evening comprised of the rehearsal at the venue and then the rehearsal dinner at a nearby Bahama Breeze. We had a pre set menu to choose from, and I won’t lie, the food was not good. The steak we got had zero flavor and the broccoli was under cooked. However, the pineapple coconut martini I ordered from the bar was delicious. Sweet and refreshing and a great vacation treat.

We had brought the kids’ pajamas with us to dinner that night so that we could change them and let them fall asleep in the car. We told everyone that we were going to drive them around for a little while to make sure they were good and asleep, but we left out the fact that Alex wanted to drive to Downtown Disney and buy the shirts he’d seen at UNICLO the other day.


By the time he made it to the shopping district and found an empty spot in the garage, the kids were fast asleep. So I stayed in the car with them while Alex ran to the shop and decided on what he wanted.

f5 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

He wore the two shirts he chose on our Disney days, so you’ll see them in pictures later.


Saturday, April 28th, 2018:

This was the wedding day! I was over at the bride’s house by ten a.m. working on hair and makeup with the rest of the bridal party. (I was one of the bridesmaids.) Then we were at the venue by one for lots of pictures, getting dressed, and last minute prepping.

We were running behind schedule, so we only had one shot to get family photos and naturally the kids were having meltdowns:


It was like dominos. First Landon started crying, then Evie, then one of the groom’s nephews picked up on the tension and began the waterworks. The chaos of a big event…


The ceremony was at 4:30, and Landon and Evie pulled off their roles as ring bearer and flower girl perfectly:






The cocktail hour was from 5 to 5:30, then the reception and dinner began. There was lots of music, lots of food, and there was a photo booth set up. We got a couple fun family shots from there:








And any pose we might have missed in the booth was caught at some point on a phone camera. The time flew by as we danced and socialized and maybe had one too many cocktails from the open bar.





People joked that Landon was the first person on the dance floor and the last to leave:



He was partied it up with all the adults while Evie crashed and burned on her uncle by 9 p.m.



Our time at the venue ended at 10 p.m., the wedding party spent half an hour cleaning up, and my family was back at the rental house by 11 p.m., completely exhausted! It was a fun wedding and I loved being a part of it, but we were beat!

Even the kids were burned out as they let us sleep in until 8:30 the next morning!



Sunday, April 29th, 2018:

There are no pictures from this day as it was pretty low key. The groom’s mother hosted a brunch at her house, then Alex took me to Target so I could replace the Disney phone case I bought and hated. We passed the afternoon and evening visiting with people that came over to the rental house. Our place was the gathering point for the day in order to use up all the food we’d bought for the weekend. There were a few moments where people got short with one another (See: Alex and his siblings) but I think that was to be expected when you put a lot of people in constant contact for days on end.

It made me really grateful to be going to a new hotel by ourselves the next day. I think Alex and the kids were ready for the break.

We told most of our goodbyes to family that evening as the majority of folks were flying/leaving early the next day, then Alex put the kids to sleep as I packed up all our belongings. As excited as we were to being going to a Disney resort, I was getting kind of tired of the packing up and moving life we’d been living. This was going to be our 4th room in a week! No rest for the weary… (At least this time around I was smart and designated one bag for what we'd need during our 1 night at Disney.)


Up Next…A Girl’s Got to Accessorize

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

I ended up liking the print placement on the first bag the Cast Member showed me and bought it.

It was love at first sight:

Awsome bag! I am in love with the Orange Bird bag. If DH doesn't get it for me for my Birthday, I am determined to get it when we go in February again.

I was embarrassed to have to move and let everyone see our mistake, but when I mentioned the mix up to Alex not one but two families behind us had made the same mistake!!

What’re the odds that three families simultaneously went to the wrong stop??

Sounds like it probably happens alot.

They are so cute!!!!

 

[Steppesister]

Finally got a chance to read your last few updates and get caught back up. Glad the wedding was nice in the end despite a few meltdowns. And it sounded like a nice stroll around WS despite the heat and grumpies. I think you ended up with some nice food booth choices! I've not tried any of the ones you've chosen, but hope to make another dent this October.