Winging it with No Dinning Plan! A Feb. Trip Report

[disneyAndi14]

I loved those buffalo chicken tots too so delicious.

The girls looks so pretty with the makeovers, I love the Rapunzel style hair do very nice!

Good choice on the black sequin dresses.

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

These parenting moments are the BEST. Congrats to the girls!

Thanks! It was a super proud moment for sure.

Too funny as we are the exact opposite and almost always go to Adventureland first.

I would probably go that way first if it was up to me... and only me...

Now contemplating if I let my little Gwen do it agin

Ha your little Gwen... I wish I had taken a picture of the hair styles they could choose from.. There was the bun that ALL the girls pick, some pop-star looking one with a crazy hair extension, and one other one. I do think they picked the best one. The girls have used the hair extensions at home as well since then.

They look perfect!!!!!!!!!!! Great idea on the dresses

Thanks! The dresses were a good call, I just couldn't see either of them in princess dresses at this point. And the jewelry really added to the whole event. I highly recommend if you do let your Gwen do it again. I am sure she would love it!

I love the Rapunzel style hair do

It is kind of Rapunzel like... I don't under stand why they don't do more direct princess related styles... Do any of the princesses even have a bun?

 

[SweetSerenity]

Aww! I just love the pictures of the girls at BBB!!! Gwen is just eating it all up!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Day Three: Bibbity Boppity Boutique last part... promise...

So, after we finished inside, we headed out. We headed around 6:45. At one point I was considering doing the dessert party after this. I was thinking it could be a nice way to celebrate all dressed up. But I didn't want to feel rushed and I wasn't sure how long it would take. So, I decided against it. Which I am glad about, because we ended up having a great evening!

When we got out into the hallway area there, they had it all roped up. We went over to the CM and we couldn't exactly hear what he was saying other than to wait for a bit.

Dancing After BBB
So, I tried to get a photo or two in front of the mosaic. But it was pretty dark by now, so a lot of them came out blurry. But they were dancing around enjoying there new dos.

Gwen Posing
Gwen posed for me.

Turns out they had roped the area off for the fireworks already. And then they had to escort you across the blocked off section.
Empty Blocked Off Area
Gwen said she felt like a movie star being walked across. And to add to it, one of the ladies standing by the rope. Commented on how beautiful the girls looked.

We went into castle courture for the girls.

BBB_Gwen_Curtsy_03
They did a bunch of shots with the girls, most of them just came out awkward looking. But we did get a couple cute ones...

BBB_Gwen_Curtsy_03

BBB_Gwen_Curtsy_03

Princess Gwen

Once that was done, we were officially done with BBB! It was time to do some more stuff! And it was a great night! But I am going to leave it here for now!

 

[MissMaryQC]

I loved this update! I’m so glad both girls had such a great time , and their fancy dresses are perfect!

 

[amazingact21]

I know I mentioned it earlier, but I still love the dresses you picked out for the girls. Such a great idea and more practical/unique than a princess costume. When the day comes (and I know it's coming) that Evie wants to do BBB I am definitely going the cocktail dress route!

I loved the hair choice the girls picked. It looks very involved and not as painful as those tight buns seem to be!
It does make me laugh how different the two girls are. Morgan slightly uncomfortable with being announced while Gwen soaked it up. It's amazing how different siblings' personalities can be.

 

[ariane37]

Love the BBB pictures! Those dresses really are perfect and you can tell how much they both enjoyed the experience - especially Gwen lol! I've never truly looked at the prices and I know it's more than Pirate's League, but when we did PL I felt the prices were reasonable considering what the boys got to take home.

 

[missjackiemcg]

We have done BBB twice with Jimmy, too, which I know sounds ridiculous, but they really do an incredible job there, don't they!? The "Knight Package" was only $15 and he got combed, pixie dusted and got a shield and sword to take with him. Perfection.

I think you did it the right way by bringing your own dresses and accessories. Definitely a way to let them experience it without breaking the whole bank!

 

[missangelalexis]

I'm glad the girls enjoyed their time at BBB! They both look so adorable! I love the expressions on Gwen's face, you can tell she was loving every second of it!

 

[DVC StephanieH]

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique did a great job. Girls look so happy!!

~Stephanie H

#dvcrentals

 

[Tammy O.]

I have been following and love your report so far. BBB is so much fun and the girls look like they had an amazing time.

I love that you include your food costs compared to dining plan. I can't wait to see how that turns out. We are going on an adults only trip 11/22-12/2/18 and we won't be using DP. We just don't want a desert with every meal and a lot of times we want to split things. We ended up with 12 snack credits last year that we had to spend at Goofy's candy shop, which was nice to bring home but we wouldn't have spent that money. Plus we won't be doing any character dining so I don't think we will end up with any savings with DP vs cash. I am buying GCs here and there at Target for a 5% savings. I will have to total it as well to see how we come out. Can't wait for the rest of your report!

 

[MeghanEmily]

Look at Gwen's face in the side of this picture! She is TOTALLY NOT buying this talking mickey business.

I can kind of see why they got rid of it. It is a little awkward waiting for him to talk.

I agree! That was the weirdest part for me. It was like talking on the phone to someone on another continent and having to wait for the delay. Weird for kids, I'm sure.

Soon, our milkshakes arrived. This is Morgan's Milkshake. It was REALLY good! It had real strawberry sauce in the bottom.

YUM! That looks great.

Morgan asked for Tomato Soup with her Grilled Cheese. She really liked the Tomato Soup. She likes her tomato soup more creamy than tomato-y and with the chill outside, was perfect for her.

I was exactly like that at her age. Sounds good!

I was sooooo looking forward to this! And it did not disappoint! Granted I AM NOT an expert on Fried Green Tomato. I DO NOT know what the standard is for them, so don't hold me to it. But I liked it! The tomato wasn't over breaded and the White BBQ Sauce was really good. I think I told them to hold the bacon and I don't think you need it on there.

Yummy! I've heard so much good stuff about this sandwich! Glad you enjoyed it.

And in related news, our pool club has all of the kids take a swim test in order to swim int the entire pool by themselves. Morgan tried out for her high band on Friday and passed! This was big because for her to get her high band, she had to jump off the diving board that she said that she would NEVER jump off it. And SURPRISE, she loves jumping off the diving board now! And Gwen tried for her low band on Friday and passed as well! So, now they can go jump in the pool with out us! So, maybe I can actually read a book this summer.

That's awesome for both your girls! Especially for Morgan, being willing to try again and holding her own. I hope they both have fun with it this summer.

When they came out of the dressing room, all of the Fairy Godmothers commented on there outfits. I don't think they see many sequin party girls.

I bet they don't! That's awesome. They looked perfect.

Gwen did mention later that her Fairy Godmother said that you can make a wish with this nail polish because it was from Tinker Bell. Maybe she wasn't buying it.

haha Gwen, always the skeptic!

BBB Morgan_03
Morgan getting her first look at her new look.

Their hair looks so neat! I like this a lot better than the slicked back buns or the big updo colored hair thing they put on top of their heads.

A handful of the Fairy Godmother's came over and they do a whole Now Presenting Princess Morgan. This was embarrassing for Morgan and made her feel super special all at the same time!

And then when they announced Gwen, THIS was the part she really loved.

I bet! I can just see the pride in her face! What a little performer you have there.

They look sweet! Sounds like a nice night.

 

[mommaof3boys]

I just found your report. Off to binge read! Your girls are adorable. Poor Morgan starting off sick.

 

[kastoney]

Great photoshoot of the girls. Do they include those pictures with the package???

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Happy Saturday Everyone!

Aww! I just love the pictures of the girls at BBB!!! Gwen is just eating it all up!

Gwen really did love it.

I loved this update! I’m so glad both girls had such a great time , and their fancy dresses are perfect!

Thanks! They really enjoyed the whole expierence.

I loved the hair choice the girls picked. It looks very involved and not as painful as those tight buns seem to be!

So, I was very happy with what they picked but it didn't last over night very well. This eight buns seem to last days... Gwen was a little upset that her hair wasn't intact the next morning.

It does make me laugh how different the two girls are. Morgan slightly uncomfortable with being announced while Gwen soaked it up. It's amazing how different siblings' personalities can be.

They really are so different, it is crazy sometimes! I am constantly amazed by this in how they approach life.

The "Knight Package" was only $15 and he got combed, pixie dusted and got a shield and sword to take with him. Perfection.

So cute! I wish there was a little boy in there when we were... And $15 you can't beat that!

I love the expressions on Gwen's face, you can tell she was loving every second of it!

Oh, she is such a ham. I don't know what I am going to do with her!

I have been following and love your report so far. BBB is so much fun and the girls look like they had an amazing time.

Thanks for following along!

I love that you include your food costs compared to dining plan. I can't wait to see how that turns out. We are going on an adults only trip 11/22-12/2/18 and we won't be using DP. We just don't want a desert with every meal and a lot of times we want to split things.

I am constantly in a battle with which is better for us! So, this is always a good way to kind of "figure" it out.

We ended up with 12 snack credits last year that we had to spend at Goofy's candy shop, which was nice to bring home but we wouldn't have spent that money.

I secretly love when this happens... Like you said, we would bring that many back with us. But I love having the treats when we get back.

Plus we won't be doing any character dining so I don't think we will end up with any savings with DP vs cash.

Character Dining really adds up but so do the buffets if you do them.

I bet! I can just see the pride in her face! What a little performer you have there.

Oddly, she totally has Stage Fright! She was just saying the other day that she didn't want to do the class play next year because she doesn't want everyone staring at her.

Their hair looks so neat! I like this a lot better than the slicked back buns or the big updo colored hair thing they put on top of their heads.

Def better than the bun. Although because it was so loose, it didn't last over night, which Gwen wasn't happy with.

I agree! That was the weirdest part for me. It was like talking on the phone to someone on another continent and having to wait for the delay. Weird for kids, I'm sure.

Ha or a bad connection on a conference call!

I just found your report. Off to binge read! Your girls are adorable. Poor Morgan starting off sick

Thanks for reading! I know it takes awhile to catch up! Enjoy!

Great photoshoot of the girls. Do they include those pictures with the package???

So, the photo shoot was part of the standard package we did. And If you had Memory Maker they would just show up there. And there was a person in the castle taking pictures the whole time as well, that were put on our Memory Maker Account as well. So, if you are annual pass holder, it's a really nice bonus!

they did take some really awkward shots as well, with hand posing that the girls just looked ridiculous doing. But the idea of the photo shoot really adds to the being a true princess more that the end result photos.

I think the higher packages, they give a hard print or something, maybe...

 

[MeghanEmily]

Oddly, she totally has Stage Fright! She was just saying the other day that she didn't want to do the class play next year because she doesn't want everyone staring at her.

Interesting!! I guess only certain types of attention are good. What a cutie!

Def better than the bun. Although because it was so loose, it didn't last over night, which Gwen wasn't happy with.

Oh, I hadn't even thought of that. Yeah, that's too bad.

 

[amalone1013]

Oh my gosh, I had started reading your report and didn't even make it to POFQ foodcourt dinner I am ashamed!

And it was special for Morgan to be the one to tell her. Andy thought it was hilarious that Morgan made clues. (As we have done this twice for the girls on previous trips)

That's so adorable though!

We packed up the girls backpacks with what they needed for the trip and we headed out in a rush. We got 10 minutes away and I realized I forgot my sneakers! I still had on my winter boots! That was not going to work in Disney! So we turned around and went back to grab the sneakers. And FINALLY on take two, we were off to the airport!

This reminded me of when I was moving... the house was a mess because it was our family home and we were going to rent it, my dad had already moved states, I was moving states (I was the only one in the house for the last 8 months), and my sister had been in the dorms and was moving to an apartment. So most things had been left as is, but now needed to go or go to storage. It was my last day at work at a vet clinic, and I could not find my shoes anywhere!! I looked for a good hour (becuase I was going to run an errand before work) and ended up stopping at Walmart for a $10 pair of shoes for my last day... get home that night and there are my shoes by the front door I never left them there ever, I don't know why I did that day!

I love this with the light rays! She is too cute.

I also completely forgot to look for @amalone1013 who was in the airport leaving from there trip. It was a LONG short to run into them but I had thought it would be fun to meeting them even if it was in the airport. Maybe one day!

A long shot indeed! I can't believe I even caught a glimpse of you guys heading out of security while we were putting our shoes back on!

And then this is the Fried Shrimp Po'Boy with Cajun Fries.
Both were good. They fried the fish & shrimp to order, so that was nice.

These look good! I love fried shrimp.

Day One: Travel Day Food Total: $37.56
Remaining Balance: $1,754.30

I am such a nerd but I love seeing other people's numbers. I do all the budgeting at home - Zack is aware and we make all decisions together, but I keep up on the daily stuff, make sure things get categorized right in our budget program, and I do all the deal hunting for trips and day to day stuff. I love getting a deal!

Tinkerbell left her first official gift! I grabbed the jackets off of the Disney Store when they were having a sale, I think I got them for $9 a piece or something. I grabbed new water bottles at Target. See the blue one on the far left? That one I picked out for me. But Morgan decided she liked that one better than the purple one... So, she "stole" it from me. And then I got cheap bubble solution for Gwen to refill her bubble wand.

Isn't that how it always goes? When my sister got her first cell phone, it was time for my mom to upgrade hers too. This was before smart phones really became a thing, and you still got the completely free flip phone with a two year contract... They came in a couple colors, and at the time my sister had been going for more blue and purple stuff, and my mom wanted to get the pink one... and then my sister wanted the pink one! So my mom ended up with blue so she could tell it apart

Those sweatshirts are super cute!

Apparently Gwen has decided she doesn't like stickers?!?

What?? I still love when they give me stickers!

Gwen said she felt like a movie star riding on the bus. This was her Movie star pose....

Ah, she looks like a movie star with her sun glasses and pose! #famous

We got the left side, orange side. Which I personally like better. We discussed which side we liked better while we were waiting. I assume the sides are slightly different, but I don't really know. Anyone know for sure?

Zack always asks to go to the left side. I think the turns and track are different, and the left feels like it gets going faster, and maybe more drops? That's what it feels like to me. Zack is the coaster junkie between the two of us though, and the one over-analyzing the differences

I ordered a Nutella and Fruit Waffle

I love these! But I pick out the strawberries and blueberries

 

[amalone1013]

I think the "real" food helped her mood. (Does a soft pretzel count as real food?)

Always. Especially at Disney :thumpsup2

The girls stopped to read the sign and asked why everything was spelled wrong.

So, while on the ride, I do try and take in the views here and there, and I happened to notice a Photo Pass Photographer over by the geyser taking photos. Well, when we got off, he gave us a card and said he got our pictures...


Yup! yes he did! He captured me starring him down! Or least it looks that way!

How funny, I've never seen them there!

I suggested giving it a try. And explained what it was. Morgan was up for it but Gwen was starting to lose steam and didn't want to. But we went in anyway, she was out voted.

This is cool! I've never seen it mentioned before.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train was fun as always! We always love it. But rarely wait in the line, always fastpess only.

We waited an hour once, on our first trip... Zack was really determined to rope drop it even though it was a morning with the Early Morning Magic thing, and I told him I'd read here and on websites that it probably wouldn't work... After he was like, I should have listened to you. I know better...

And Andy decided on the Hippoopomai-tai for basically the same reason.

We haven't made it to Trader Sam's at WDW, but we did at DLR in 2016. I ordered this drink for the same reason, but ended up going without a glass because it's different than the WDW one and I don't like it as much. I also discovered that Mai Tais are maybe not my drink... but you can bet I will end up getting one for the glass when we make it to TS's at WDW someday!

We also ordered the Pan Fried Dumplings with Soy Sauce and the Corn-Battered Portuguese Sausages with Curry Ketchup.

Those remind me of the sausages in AK at the marketplace food court!

We let them swim till about 7:30. We wanted them to get to bed on time to make sure Morgan didn't get sick any more than she already was. So, Andy headed back to the room with the girls, and I went over to the quick service and ordered Beignets!

Is it bad this is a big reason I'd like to stay at POFQ? I love the themeing of the resort too - at least from pictures!

It was all fine. We finished up what we were snacking on before heading into the first real area. The first building we came to had the Naked Mole Rats. My girls love them, some strange reason.
Gwen says "They are soooooooo cute!!!!" I don't get it, but ok.

I think they're kind of cute too, and interesting to watch... maybe because I used to watch Kim Possible

Of course, I had to snap a photo of the tree of life on the way... it's required, right?

There was a woman from Disneyland in line in front of us. And we chatted with her. She had said that it was her first time on the ride. Morgan assured her it would be fun. She told us that the Matterhorn was NOTHING like this. (Little did I know we would actually be going there!)

They are definitely nothing alike!

Another 5 minutes go by and my app alerts me that my food is ready! Mind you... NO NEW food has come out!!! I already know what is going to happen and I am thinking in my head, do I make a big deal out of this? Is it worth it? I go up, show the CM my number, they look in the system, yes your food is ready, they turn around and grab the tray that I had been staring at for at least 15 minutes at!!!!! I tell the CM that my tray has been sitting there for awhile. The CM very nicely offers to remake the food without hesitation. I say no but thank you for offering and just take the tray. It wasn't worth waiting. There was a handful of other people waiting and a LONG line of people in the regular lines. I just didn't have it in me.

Oh this kind of stuff makes me grumpy. Especially if I'm waiting for my order and I can see it, but they're not putting it together because the employee is focused on the one thing remaining for the previous order. Guess it comes from working food service. If you know you're waiting for one thing, move on to the next! How was stuff not getting checked off as ready for mobile orders here???

 

[amalone1013]

Awww

We skipped the petting area.

But they have goats there! I love goats, I definitely went in the petting area to pet the goats. The other parents probably thought I was crazy.

That looks great!

I ended up separating the two as best I could. And basically told them to suck it up. (as any good mom does)

We got to the bus stop and there was a LONG line of people. Andy and I thought for sure we would need to wait for at least the 2nd if not 3rd bus to get on. But we just told the girls to be prepared to wait. And then... the bus gods happened... One bus showed up just as we were getting in line. And I thought ok, at least one bus will fill up and leave. But THEN ANTOHER bus came and pulled up right in front of the other bus! They loaded the 1st bus with the folks in the front and then directed everyone to the second bus that pulled in 2nd. AND we managed to get on that bus. We had to stand but I didn't care! We waited only as long as it took for everyone to walk onto the buses. It was a Disney Bus Miracle!

Baked Honey-Barbecued Brisket Mac & Cheese
Baked Pasta in Cheddar Cheese Sauce sprinkled with Crispy-fried Onions and Scallions topped with a Savory Barbecued Beef Brisket
He also really enjoyed this! The mac & cheese did seem a little dry but the brisket and BBQ sauce on it helped with that. He ate every last bite of it!

Oh man, they must not have had this when we to the Plaza because I got a cheesesteak. This looks delicious! And I love mac and cheese because I am 5 at heart.

After hair, was Gwen's nails. Not sure why she has that look on her face, but I think it is hilarious. Gwen did mention later that her Fairy Godmother said that you can make a wish with this nail polish because it was from Tinker Bell. Maybe she wasn't buying it.

BBB Gwen_15
I mean this girl... I am in so much trouble!!!!

She's such a ham, I love it! This is how my sister and I were... I was the oldest and quiet, shy, a worrier... and my younger sister just ate up attention all the time

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

) and ended up stopping at Walmart for a $10 pair of shoes for my last day... get home that night and there are my shoes by the front door I never left them there ever, I don't know why I did that day!

This kind of stuff happens to me all the time! Usually not shoes... I hate when that happens. And it is usually when I think. I am going to put this HERE so I don't forget. And... I forget.

A long shot indeed! I can't believe I even caught a glimpse of you guys heading out of security while we were putting our shoes back on!

Did you!?!? Did I know that! Too Funny! Hopeully one day our trips will overlap!

What?? I still love when they give me stickers!

I know, the CM are always so surprised when they say no.

We waited an hour once, on our first trip... Zack was really determined to rope drop it even though it was a morning with the Early Morning Magic thing, and I told him I'd read here and on websites that it probably wouldn't work... After he was like, I should have listened to you. I know better...

Why to the boys always do this! They just need to trust there crazy disney planning wives!

Oh this kind of stuff makes me grumpy. Especially if I'm waiting for my order and I can see it, but they're not putting it together because the employee is focused on the one thing remaining for the previous order. Guess it comes from working food service. If you know you're waiting for one thing, move on to the next! How was stuff not getting checked off as ready for mobile orders here???

What annoyed me the most was one CM actually checked my number. But only in the computer not the actual food behind them. ... oh well. there are many other places I want to try next time anyway.

k. This looks delicious! And I love mac and cheese because I am 5 at heart.

Mac and Cheese is good at any age.

She's such a ham, I love it! This is how my sister and I were... I was the oldest and quiet, shy, a worrier... and my younger sister just ate up attention all the time

Sometimes I feel bad for Morgan, Gwen is such a little show stopper. But they are who they are.