Way Out Here, Eh? - A June 2019 TR *PTR Link Posted

I love long Disney trips but those last days - especially in the August heat and rain - can certainly be rough. But humungous Mickey shaped cookies generally help with that :earboy2:

I hate those Wishable things too. Casey is usually happy with whatever she gets, unless its a duplicate of something, which happens way more than it should. But we just call them twins.

I agree, going for a long time in the summer is difficult. I think the next time we take a trip that's more than a week, it's going to be over the holidays when at least the heat index doesn't cross triple digits.



To mention polite pig is amazing! I don’t eat much meat. (Picky eater due to an accident in 2017.) The Brussels sprouts are amazing at polite pig!

Thanks for sharing this tidbit! I enjoy brussels sprouts, and it's always great to know where the best veggies are on property.
 
June 15th 2019 Part 1:

Well here it was. After nine nights, our time at Shades of Green had come to an end. This was, by far, the longest we had ever stayed at Disney and it felt like it was time to go. Alex, myself, and the kids were headed to my MIL’s house about an hour away and fortunately for us, she’s not an early riser. We were able to take our time and soak up the last few magical hours on property.



My friends back home had visited WDW for the Star Wars Half a few months earlier, and all they could talk about was how amazing their breakfast at Trattoria al Forno had been. The guilt over not trying anything new was plaguing me the entirety of the previous evening, so on a whim I went on the MDE app and booked us a 7:30 breakfast reservation.

Hope my family was ready for some prince and princesses!


Alex drove us over to the Boardwalk Resort (where the restaurant is located) and the two of us realized something…

This was the first time we had been to the Boardwalk!

Nine years of visiting the parks and believe it or not, this resort area was completely new to us.


And boy, did it get itself dolled up and wore its best wear for us. The empty walkways, calm waters, and bright sunlight reflecting off all the quiet building was out to impress.


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Even the kids thought the place looked pretty neat.


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Maybe that had been my problem all week. Shades of Green, while close to the Magic Kingdom, technically isn’t a Disney resort, and perhaps I wasn’t immersed in the Disney atmosphere like I wanted to be. I remember telling Alex at the time that if we wanted to stay this long again, I think I would insist on a split stay somewhere. Mix up the scenery a bit.



The restaurant was easy to find and since we had a reservation first thing in the morning, it didn’t take us long to be seated.

I loved the specific sticker the…kids….received:


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Our server was probably the least favorite of the trip; he dropped the ball on several occasions and made a command decision to substitute what the kids ordered (they both ordered flapjacks but the server brought them both one flapjack and one waffle. On the pretense that he wanted them to see both dish designs. They were not amused by this) but at least he brought our pastries out quick.

However, no explanation or description was given so we just sort of dug in and waited to be surprised.

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Is this cookie cutter available in masse? If so, I’ll take three please:


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Being no fool, I had brought along a bag for leftovers and they made a great snack later on in the day. I was becoming a pro at mooching table scraps.

In case you weren’t aware, Trattoria al Forno is a character breakfast where you have the chance to meet Rapunzel, Flynn, Ariel, and Eric. And can I just ask, where was this when I was a kid?!?! The chance to dine with Prince Eric…I would have begged my mother for this opportunity. So make no mistake, I was loving this meal as much as my kids.

Definitely more than Evie….

She informed us earlier that morning that she would NOT be talking to the boys.

“I don’t want to meet them.”

“Okay, but what about the princesses?”

“Oh sure, I love them.”


Got it. No boys for Evie.
Can I get that oath in writing until she’s about, oh, eighteen???


The first character to hit up our table was one of the intimidating guys and, as promised, Evie refused to talk to him. Fortunately, Landon thinks Flynn is ridiculously cool and had no issue keeping up a conversation.


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Had to practice the smolder:


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Rapunzel popped up shortly afterwards and had a quick meet with us.


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Our food then arrived and we dug in. Alex and I both ordered the King Triton’s Shipwreck which was a breakfast calzone with red sauce. And man oh man, it was delicious! I loved every bite, and my only regret was getting two orders. The dish was so large I could have easily split it with Alex. Something to keep in mind if you go here and aren’t super hungry.


Next on the character list was Prince Eric. He was an ace. It was pretty obvious Evie was being super shy with him, but the guy tried his hardest to win her over. He almost had her when he started talking about his dog, Max.

You bring an animal into the conversation and Evie’s sure to listen.

Of course, Eric did this by asking the kids if they’d seen him and told them to watch out, he was trying to dig holes in the grass.

Oh boy. My son, Mr. Literal, took this to heart. After we left the restaurant, he insisted we walk around for a few minutes…looking for holes.
Thanks, Prince Eric.

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Eric’s words were sweet but not enough to convince Evie to take a picture with him:


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CONTINUED IN NEXT POST:
 
Continued From Previous Post:



Halfway through our meal, the characters put on a parade for the kids where Ariel and Eric led the kids through underwater dance motions. It involved going under a bridge made by Rapunzel and Flynn. It was cute and something extra to add value to the experience, but my kids didn’t do it. We were too busy diving into our amazing food.

Don’t interrupt us when food is on the line. Eating is serious business.



As the meal wrapped up, Ariel arrived to meet and talk with the kids. It was immediately obvious this was the gal Evie had been waiting for, because she got out of her chair to give her a big hug and hang onto Ariel’s every word.


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I have to appreciate these moments while I can, because I’m afraid they are quickly slipping into my rearview mirror. Landon will probably be eight by the time we return to Disney. Is he going to be willing to put up with these meets? Or will he understand the mechanics behind the magic and push back? I cannot begin to guess, and therefore I embrace the opportunities we’ve had and keep them filed away in my dear Disney memories.


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After the meal, I convinced Alex to lollygag a few moments longer by taking a photo of the restaurant sign:


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And walking around the grounds a bit more.


Now that it was actually time to leave, I was hesitant to go. Unlike most trips, we had no idea when we would be back, and that always makes leaving harder. And in hindsight I can completely relate to the desire to stay. It was a year ago that we were last there! This is now the longest I’ve gone between trips, and there’s really no trip in sight. Realistically, it’ll probably be summer or winter of 2022. That’s the only chunk of time the kids have off school long enough to make an international trip worth the cost. Boo.

Eventually, though, it was time to head out.


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What Alex and I didn’t realize at the time, though, was that this was not the last time we’d be on property. We ended up having one last quick hurrah a few days later, of which I’ll talk about in the following update.




Up Next…You Can Always Count on Her to be Upset at Disney
 
And boy, did it get itself dolled up and wore its best wear for us. The empty walkways, calm waters, and bright sunlight reflecting off all the quiet building was out to impress.
Wow this picture is THE embodiment of serenity.

made a command decision to substitute what the kids ordered (they both ordered flapjacks but the server brought them both one flapjack and one waffle. On the pretense that he wanted them to see both dish designs. They were not amused by this)
Ummmm... What? Is that even allowed??

Got it. No boys for Evie.
Can I get that oath in writing until she’s about, oh, eighteen???
:rotfl:

Oh boy. My son, Mr. Literal, took this to heart. After we left the restaurant, he insisted we walk around for a few minutes…looking for holes.
Thanks, Prince Eric.
Your children are so precious, was he satisfied when he did not find any holes?

Eric’s words were sweet but not enough to convince Evie to take a picture with him:
Good to know she can't be swindled from her values by sweet talk 😂

Looks like a really lovely end to that trip, and I totally get how weird it was not realized exactly how long it would wind up being until you're all back. But I'm excited to read about this quick hurrah!
 


What a perfect ending to your trip! I adore the Boardwalk area especially early in the morning as the suns coming up. We love trattoria for dinner though your breakfast looks good. I would not be happy about the server substituting my kids food and would probably have asked for the extra flapjacks. The kids are absolute gems. Love that Evie won’t be talking to any boys. Thankfully Landon seems happy to chat to all :rotfl:
 
I had the calzone as well and loved it. This was a favorite breakfast for us. I’m glad you got a reservation and checked out the Boardwalk. We love this area.
What a nice last morning!
It won’t be long and Evie will love to talk to the boys, lol 😂
 
Loved that breakfast when I went a few years ago! I'm sorry that your server wasn't the best, though. LOVE that Evie said no to the boys- and held to it. LOL- I love that girl! Hope you're having a great weekend!
 


What a fun decision to add this on! I'm glad everyone enjoyed themselves and that Evie tolerated those stinky princes!!
 
The party night wiped all four of us out. The kids didn’t wake up until after 9 a.m.; probably the latest they’ve ever slept in their lives! Because of that, we took our sweet time getting ready. This was our last full day at Disney, so it was time to gather all the supplies and shove them back in the suitcases. That kept me occupied for the remainder of the morning.

Around lunchtime, Alex made a push to visit the Magic Kingdom. Personally, I was pretty “parked out” but I knew Alex wanted to catch the Festival of Fantasy parade and would be disappointed if we missed it.

WOW I don't think my kids ever sleep that ate either!

Plus, we had Peter Pan Fastpasses booked.

Those are hot commodities! Couldn’t let Landon miss one last flight over Neverland.

HAHA you know it!

On this final day I realized we did a pitifully poor job trying out the new park snacks. I had a list on my PTR of things I wanted to try, separated by parks and broken down into priorities. And I hadn’t tried any of them!

I really dropped the Disney food ball.

Man. Didn’t buy my daughter a pair of Minnie ears, didn’t eat a lot of new food, not my finest Disney veteran trip! (Can I blame it on the move? Can I blame EVERYTHING on the move??)

I was craving something savory after PPF and figured everybody would agree with the fan-favorite tater tots. Excuse me, potato barrels. Because that’s happening….

THIS IS ME, every single trip i make lists. i plan snacks and i eat the same snacks, oh well at least i like what i do eat!

Sadly, I am the only one in the family who likes spicy food. (Actually, Evie is slowly coming around. She lets me sneak Frank’s onto her burritos.) I would have liked to try the buffalo tots option, but I knew everyone else would rather have Mac and Cheese.
Evie got a Little Mermaid bag and ended with a Scuttle. She was content with it.

Landon got a Toy Story bag and got Zurg.

He was not content.

:rolleyes:


As expected, he didn’t like the toy.

What do you know….mother knew best. Hmmmm.

HAHA kids i feel ya! We got some washables on a recent Disney store visit and same thing happened to Dillon, she kept trying to get Maren to trade with her...

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A Mickey shaped sugar cookie!

HAHA this is funny, i was like oh thats way sweet!

Like seagulls at the sound of a crisp bag at the beach, the kids stopped their game and flocked over to mooch pieces of cookie. Between the four of us, the treat was the perfect amount and was exactly what I wanted. I really liked how there was only a touch of frosting and sprinkles on certain spots. It allowed the sugar cookie to shine through while still giving the occasional touch of sweetness. Without a doubt I’d get this again to share.

Then i read this and i am like, well i guess our definition is sweet is slightly different...

Eventually, the rainstorm passed. We took the kids to the pool for one final afternoon of fun, Alex ran out for dinner and brought it back, and then we put the kids to bed early. After which, Alex snuck down to the ice cream shop in the Shades lobby and bought us two scoop waffle cones.

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Dessert tastes best when sneaked behind the kids’ backs.


My family had one last hurrah on the horizon before we left the following morning, and it was something I was very much looking forward to.

Sorry you missed the parade, but a calm night in the hotel and pool time and adult only ice cream sounds like an ok trade off!

My friends back home had visited WDW for the Star Wars Half a few months earlier, and all they could talk about was how amazing their breakfast at Trattoria al Forno had been. The guilt over not trying anything new was plaguing me the entirety of the previous evening, so on a whim I went on the MDE app and booked us a 7:30 breakfast reservation.

How fun! Love adding a last minute fun meal like this!!

Got it. No boys for Evie.
Can I get that oath in writing until she’s about, oh, eighteen???


The first character to hit up our table was one of the intimidating guys and, as promised, Evie refused to talk to him. Fortunately, Landon thinks Flynn is ridiculously cool and had no issue keeping up a conversation.

HAHA so funny i love this kid, she is a trip! But i LOVE FLYNN i swear i only wanted to do this meal for me for Eric and Flynn, i am with you where was this meal when we were kids?

What Alex and I didn’t realize at the time, though, was that this was not the last time we’d be on property. We ended up having one last quick hurrah a few days later, of which I’ll talk about in the following update.

OH exciting! Cant eait to hear about it!

This trip even if towards the end was a bit much seemed fabulous! I agree the boardwalk is a lovely area and one of my favorites to stay at! Thanks for sharing your trip with us!

I cry when i think about how long it will be between trips sometimes, but we are trying and hoping to squeeze in what will most certainly be a different kind of trip this fall... lets see how that goes
 
And boy, did it get itself dolled up and wore its best wear for us. The empty walkways, calm waters, and bright sunlight reflecting off all the quiet building was out to impress.

The Boadwalk really is a lovely area.

I remember telling Alex at the time that if we wanted to stay this long again, I think I would insist on a split stay somewhere. Mix up the scenery a bit.

Sounds like a good plan.


YUM!

The chance to dine with Prince Eric…I would have begged my mother for this opportunity.

Michelle was always a sucker for Prince Eric too.

Got it. No boys for Evie.
Can I get that oath in writing until she’s about, oh, eighteen???

If only. . . .


Eric did get a sweet smile from Evie.

It was immediately obvious this was the gal Evie had been waiting for, because she got out of her chair to give her a big hug and hang onto Ariel’s every word.

So sweet that she found her Princess.

Now that it was actually time to leave, I was hesitant to go.

Always. The kids can be driving me crazy and we can all be tired but I'm still reluctant to leave.
 
What a nice morning for the end of your trip. The Boardwalk area is gorgeous and captivating- especially in the calm of the early morning.

That breakfast is one of our favorites. The food is so delicious and the characters are amazing. I agree- this meal would've been perfect when we were kids!
 
Ummmm... What? Is that even allowed??

I've never had a server change a kid's order before, so I'm not sure. But I sincerely hope it doesn't happen ever again. While I'm sure his heart was in the right place, my kids are too particular to be content with someone adapting their order.


Your children are so precious, was he satisfied when he did not find any holes?

I think we convinced Landon that the Cast Members probably filled the holes quickly, lest someone trip in them. And Landon's always a stickler for safety, so he bought it. :rotfl:


I totally get how weird it was not realized exactly how long it would wind up being until you're all back.

It kind of blows my mind that I haven't been back to Disney in 16 months and have no idea when I will get back. Honestly, at this point, I just want my parents to be allowed into the U.K. so I can see them again!




What a perfect ending to your trip! I adore the Boardwalk area especially early in the morning as the suns coming up. We love trattoria for dinner though your breakfast looks good. I would not be happy about the server substituting my kids food and would probably have asked for the extra flapjacks. The kids are absolute gems. Love that Evie won’t be talking to any boys. Thankfully Landon seems happy to chat to all :rotfl:

I'm sure the server thought he was being nice by bringing both types, but my kids are too particular for that spontaneity. I think if they weren't so distracted and excited about the characters, they would have pitched a fit.
Landon will talk anyone and everyone's ear off. We had to take the kids to Clark's the other day, and Landon told the employee, "Oh, I love your nails. They're a good shade of pink. You did a good job picking the color. Do you like my bracelet? One of the girls in my class gave it to me. She older than me, but she still likes to play with me on the playground. Isn't that nice of her? I'm so glad people are nice." :sad2::laughing:
I'm worried I'll have to keep my eye on that one......:rotfl:
 
I had the calzone as well and loved it. This was a favorite breakfast for us. I’m glad you got a reservation and checked out the Boardwalk. We love this area.
What a nice last morning!
It won’t be long and Evie will love to talk to the boys, lol

I'm really glad we finally made it over to the Boardwalk. It's so hard on trips, trying to fit in old favorites while also exploring new features. But now I think another breakfast at Trattoria is a must. It was a great experience.
Fortunately, right now Evie's still pretty shy and reserved. I'm off the hook for a few more years, I hope! :rotfl:



Loved that breakfast when I went a few years ago! I'm sorry that your server wasn't the best, though. LOVE that Evie said no to the boys- and held to it. LOL- I love that girl! Hope you're having a great weekend!

The breakfast was one of my favorite parts of the trip! It was really nice doing something new and spur of the moment. I want to go back the next time I get to Disney.
 
What a fun decision to add this on! I'm glad everyone enjoyed themselves and that Evie tolerated those stinky princes!!

Sometimes those spur of the moment decisions turn into the best parts of a trip! That was certainly the case with us on this vacation. The Villains party, the Trattoria breakfast...



THIS IS ME, every single trip i make lists. i plan snacks and i eat the same snacks, oh well at least i like what i do eat!

Hahaha, that's true. At least we're spending money on food we know we'll enjoy. You never know with a new snack!



This trip even if towards the end was a bit much seemed fabulous! I agree the boardwalk is a lovely area and one of my favorites to stay at! Thanks for sharing your trip with us!

I cry when i think about how long it will be between trips sometimes, but we are trying and hoping to squeeze in what will most certainly be a different kind of trip this fall... lets see how that goes


Have you guys made plans to go back yet? I cannot believe it's been so long since we've gone to the parks, and that we have no trip in sight! I can safely say, when we moved over here to Europe, that I never imagined we wouldn't be able to travel back and forth to the states! Crazy times...
 
The Boadwalk really is a lovely area.

I imagine it's a really calm area to walk around in the morning before a busy park day. I'm glad I finally got over there and saw what all the hype was about!



Always. The kids can be driving me crazy and we can all be tired but I'm still reluctant to leave.

As tired as you are, you know that the magic of being in the Disney bubble is precious. It's hard to say goodbye to that, especially knowing how hard it is to get out of that vacation zone once you're back home.



What a nice morning for the end of your trip. The Boardwalk area is gorgeous and captivating- especially in the calm of the early morning.

That breakfast is one of our favorites. The food is so delicious and the characters are amazing. I agree- this meal would've been perfect when we were kids!


I'm glad I finally saw the Boardwalk area. I guess I thought it wouldn't be my cup of tea, but I was proven wrong. I definitely wouldn't be opposed to staying at the resort one day.

I loved the food at Trattoria, and I loved snacking on the pastries later. They held up well!
 
Landon will talk anyone and everyone's ear off.
My youngest was exactly the same until he turned into a teenager. I miss those talkative days (though not always the cringe worthy moments like when he told the barber his mummy liked wine :scared1: :rotfl:).
I imagine it's a really calm area to walk around in the morning before a busy park day.
This is my favourite thing to do when we stay in that area
:love:
 
A Check-in:


Hello everybody! I keep trying and failing to hop on the boards and catch up, but maybe this time it will stick. I figured I would come here and let everyone know what my family has been up to in the last few months.


Both kids are back in brick and mortar school. Landon is in a blended 2nd and 3rd grade class, where he has different teachers for different subjects. I was not sure how this unique class structure was going to work, but it seems to be going really well. Landon only has 11 kids in his class, and he has grown used to wearing masks throughout the day.


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Evie goes to full day preschool and has three other kids in her class. She actually has three teachers: the regular teacher, a teacher’s assistant, and a speech therapy teacher that works with her. So, she basically has an adult’s attention at all time. It’s been wonderful for her, both socially and educationally, and with four kids in a massive classroom/private playground there’s amply room for social distancing.

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With both kids in school and no trips to plan, I’ve had the opportunity to work on some creative pursuits. It’s been hard work, but deeply rewarding and the main reason I haven’t been on the DIS. Some times there are not enough hours in the day to get everything accomplished, as I’m sure you all know all too well!

To keep ourselves entertained during this wild year, Alex and I have been exploring as many outdoor locations in England as possible. Lots of castles, ruins, and historical sites.


It’s been refreshing to still get some form of travel in, and it helps ease the blow of our limited time to explore dwindling away. While we can’t go to Norway or Spain like we imagined, at least we are traversing as much of England as humanly possible. Hopefully, before next summer Wales and Scotland will open up more, and we can safely road trip to those locations.


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As for Disney and any potential future trips, Alex and I, unfortunately, have no idea when we will get back to the parks. My younger brother is getting married next June, and that’s our number one hope and goal. Alex is a groomsman, Evie one of the flower girls, and Landon a ring bearer. But more than that, I just really want to be there for the occasion. We haven’t bought plane tickets, yet, and have no idea when we will. While technically, me and the kids can leave and return to the U.K., Alex cannot as of yet. And if we come back we have to quarantine for 14 days, which means there’s no way Alex could get the trip approved.


So Disney has kind of gone on the back burner while we wait and hope that the wedding trip happens. That’s our single focus for the moment.
The wedding will be in Florida, but I am not sure if by next June I will be ready to hit up the parks.


Hopefully, in a best case scenario, we will return to Disney during the 2021 holiday season. Gathering both sides of the family together, celebrating Christmas in a sunny location sounds like a dream. The kids would be 8 and 6 by then and old enough to ride all the attractions and handle long days in the parks. Even if we have to wear masks, I think I’d be better able to handle that if the temps aren’t as high as in the summertime.


I am also hoping runDisney returns in 2022. I was planning on completing the Castle to Chateau Challenge in 2021, which is run a half in Orlando and in Disneyland Paris. But obviously that is scrapped. So now I am crossing my fingers it can happen in 2022, because that will be my last chance to do it, as we leave in 2023.



Everything is speculation now, though. For the present, the kids are concentrating on their school work, Alex and I are working hard, and together we are navigating the close of 2020 as best we can.
 
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I really hope you get to go to your brother's wedding. Crossing my fingers for you for good luck :shamrock:
We were meant to go to WDW this summer past but obviously that didn't happen and so now it's looking like summer or Christmas 2022 at the earliest which means it will be 4+ years between visits:sad::sad::sad:
Still at least I have my family all here-it must be so much harder for you guys. Thank goodness for technology so that at least skype and facetime are possible. Really hoping things work out for you. Evie will make a beautiful flower girl and Landon will be a very handsome ring bearer:love:
 
Good to see your check-in. First, what a great way to end your long Disney stay. Those pastries looked really good! My DH and I will finally (hopefully) get to Disney in March. It's been postponed twice. The character meals will wait until we can get our grandkids there. It's great you've been able to explore England during this strange time. I hope things open up in 2021 and you're able to make the wedding. December is my favorite month to visit WDW - hope you can make it happen next year!
 

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