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

First up on the meet and greet list was Hollywood Minnie Mouse. We hadn’t told Evie she would be dressed in a glamorous pink gown, so when she rounded the corner and saw the ensemble she let out a gasp and dropped her jaw. I am pretty sure this was one of Evie’s favorite parts of our Disney trip. She LOVED Minnie’s dress and couldn’t stop staring at it the whole time she was talking to her.

LOVE her! That is absoluly adorable!

The two (and one bonus) meets took a lot less time than expected. My family was back outside in less than fifteen minutes, and we had to figure out what to do with our extra time. Our checklist for Disney’s Hollywood Studios was getting ticked off faster than I thought it would, and I needed to find some new activities to do.

Well when does this happen? I mean this is amazing, and kinda crazy at the same time!

Poor Olaf was just hanging out in his room alone, waiting for some guests to come up and say hello. It was kind of strange, having the entire character area to ourselves, but it made for some great interaction between him and the kids. They had plenty of time to share warm hugs and compliment his carrot nose. They heartily giggled when Olaf noticed my mom’s blue shirt and “said” it reminded him of his friend, Els

HAHAH he is a good meet, but thats a bit annoying that it was almost awkwardly long

Oh, the teenage fangirl in me did a little swoon. Memories of Speed on VHS and A Walk in the Clouds flooded my mind, and I got pretty excited. It’s not everyday you catch a glimpse of an actor’s hair and connect the dots…:laughing:

Haha! Love love love

Not going to lie, seeing Tim Allen, Keanu Reeves, Tom Hanks, and Tony Hale sitting in Hollywood Studios was pretty cool. I don’t know why, but Alex and I have weird luck when it comes to Disney and celebrity sightings. In 2010, I walked into (and yes, I mean into) Trace Atkins, the country singer at the RNRC dump shop. In 2013, we ate lunch next to Neil Patrick Harris at 50’s Prime Time Café. And now, we’d seen the actor who played our pet’s namesake character. (Our dog is Buster after Buster Bluth from Arrested Development.)

OMG this is some pretty cool celeb sightings!

Evie, in her painfully slow way, took ages to finish her food and people were looking over at our table seeing the adults with empty trays and started to encroach on our space. One woman even went so far as to put her bag at our feet.

I tried to get Evie to eat faster, but I also didn’t think it was fair to her to make her bring her food with her while we walked. Some of the guests were really pushy and rude, making colorful comments about the people sitting at the tables. Alex had to turn around to one person standing close behind him and ask her to not use certain words around innocent ears.

I could tell my mom was getting super uncomfortable with the situation, so I got up to throw our trash away and spotted a family of five standing nears the bins, using it as a table ala Wine and Dine style. I told them to follow me and offered them our table, asking if Evie could sit with them as she finished her orange.

UGH honestly what is wrong with people. I agree that it is way annoying when people sit with no food and just hang, but if your child is eating you have 100% right to stay in that seat as long as you need!
 
What a ride your HS day has been so far. From being rammed with a stroller, almost losing a kid, to seeing TOM HANKS, and then harassed for daring to sit at a table while your daughter eats. Can't wait to hear what happens next :)
 
I can only imagine how much Evie likes Hollywood Minnie! Lol so glamorous!

Evie was starstruck!
Since our trip, she has begun insisting she wants to start her own Minnie ear collection and keeps asking when she will be old enough to wear spirit jerseys. :rolleyes: :rotfl2: I'm in big trouble once she hits the teenage years!



Although I do admit to being pretty oblivious to most things going on around me so I probably have and just didn’t notice!

I'll admit, most of my celebrity sightings were brought to my attention. :rotfl: I'm usually pretty oblivious, too. Which makes it even more funny that we managed to run into each other at VAH. :laughing:



How awesome that you got to see the Toy Story actors!!!
Bummer about lunch being crowded. Poor Evite!

It was pretty cool to see the buzz at Hollywood. We definitely didn't plan it that way.



Evie and Landon's wee expressions are just gorgeous when they are with Sorcerer Mickey and Evie looks beside herself at the glory of Minnie's glamorous gown :love: Brilliant meeting so many characters in such a short time.

I was never a character person before kids, but seeing them so happy with Mickey and Minnie makes me happy I've adapted over the years.

Hopefully your youngest will finally get you that classic Mickey meet and greet picture when he's with his nephew! :rotfl:



Woody's lunchbox food looks much better than I expected

I was happy to have sandwiches over the traditional burgers or nuggets combo that's served at a lot of the QS places.



Wow....love Trace Atkins. His song "You're going to miss this" makes me sob like a baby.

Such a good song! I feel like I'm always looking at Alex saying, "How are our kids this old already?!"
 


I can't believe Olaf was all alone! I still have never met him. it kind of weirds me out that he's so big.

Did you see that social media post going around during the holidays that said in Olaf's Frozen Adventure, Olaf held a measuring tape and measured himself at, like, five foot or something? Basically implying Anna and Elsa were giants. :rotfl: Your comment just reminded me of that.



I have yet to see anyone famous. We spent an entire week in LA on the lookout and NO ONE.

Really?! I would have thought for sure someone noteworthy would've popped up in the course of a week.
Clearly, everyone spends their free time at Disney. :laughing:



Okay please tell me the family who put their bag down at your feet watched you invite a different family to take your place. That would fill me with so much joy.

She had packed up her bag and moved on to greener pastures by the time I got up. :confused3



So many fun character meets! And SO cool to be there to see the cast of TS4!!

The table situation at Woody's really stinks, and it stinks that you felt so rushed!

Seeing the cast was a fun surprise, and it was kind of a great first way to see TSL! I mean, not only were we seeing Slinky Dog Dash for the very first time, we were doing it next to the voices of the characters! :laughing:
 
I love it! Her Disney love will just come from different places than Landon's.

True. The rides and shows don't appeal to her, but show her a gift shop full of Minnie ears and she's entertained. :rolleyes:


Now NPH would be SUPER exciting!

Still my favorite one!


I saw a poor mom trying to push a stroller and balance food. And I waved her over and let her know we were leaving in like 5 minutes and sit her food down. She was very grateful.

It's nice to help another guest out like that, but I just wish it didn't come on the heels of other people rushing and hovering your space. Sometimes, it's nice to eat at Table Service places because you don't have to fight with the masses for room!
 
Did you see that social media post going around during the holidays that said in Olaf's Frozen Adventure, Olaf held a measuring tape and measured himself at, like, five foot or something? Basically implying Anna and Elsa were giants.
No but I'm going to go find it now!

Really?! I would have thought for sure someone noteworthy would've popped up in the course of a week.
Clearly, everyone spends their free time at Disney. :laughing:
We were even at Disney! And they were like, hey it's Disneyland's birthday and I know for a fact that there are a ton of VIP tours so be on the lookout for plaids and see who's with them. We saw lots of plaids but no one (recognizably) famous. Boo.
 


I'd sure like to try the food there. Been on my list since they opened, but I'll be careful to think twice about doing it during peak hours.

The food was pretty good, but I also try to eat at places that don't serve the usual burgers/nuggets fare.
I'm not sure how one of the sandwiches compares to the Ronto Roaster or which is worth the visit when at the back of DHS.



Oh boy! Hopefully he'll like Harmonius too!

I'm sure he would. He was really upset when Wishes ended (he loved the soundtrack) but after getting to see Happily Ever After from the dessert party, he's firmly in the HEA camp.



That's awesome! Remember, we have a Cars version in DCA!

Yes! After watching the Imagineering Story, Alex and I can't wait to get over there. I'm really pushing for a West Coast assignment after England. (While Alex is "joking" about Japan... :rolleyes: )



I'm picturing Olaf doing the charades like in Frozen 2!

Hahaha! That is pretty close to what this poor friend of Olaf was trying to do!
 
Well when does this happen? I mean this is amazing, and kinda crazy at the same time!

I felt like the parks were way less crowded than I expected, and the rain helped keep a lot of people away, I think. I'm sure a lot of families were holding off going in June in favor of going when Galaxy's Edge opened. :confused3



OMG this is some pretty cool celeb sightings!

I don't know how I keep lucking out on the celeb sighting front!



What a ride your HS day has been so far. From being rammed with a stroller, almost losing a kid, to seeing TOM HANKS, and then harassed for daring to sit at a table while your daughter eats. Can't wait to hear what happens next :)

The stroller ramming was definitely the low of the day. It reminded me to put my phone away and pay attention to what was going on around me!
Evie eats sooooo slow that I did feel bad taking up a table for so long, but the guests needed to simmer down! I don't know what has happened to people's patience in Disney nowadays...




This is sooooo freaking cool!!!!!!! I would have done a little swoon too. LOL!

I couldn't believe our luck! What are the odds we would be in the same park, in the same area, as the TS4 cast?! Definitely made our first trip to TSL memorable!
 
Hiya friends!

I posted an update during the holiday Monday, but it’s been awhile since I’ve really gotten on and checked in with everyone. How has everyone’s winter been going? I know a lot of you stole away to Disney this month, and I hope it was sunny and warm for you guys. I also know a lot of been sick and/or overcoming injuries. Landon was in that same camp with his eye surgery, and I can only hope you all bounce back to your full selves. We’re still waiting on Landon’s post op appointment for his eyes (gotta love handling insurance claims at an overseas location) but Alex and I are confident the procedure helped at least a little bit. There’s a 30% chance he’ll need the surgery again in his life, and all I’ll say about that is…it better hold off until he’s old enough to administer his own eyedrops. I looked like I was wrestling a greased bear!


Anywho, now that it’s officially 2020 I have started to finalize our vacation plans for the year. Next month, we have our first visitors to England! Alex’s sister and husband and baby daughter (the ones we visited in Minnesota) are coming to see us for a week. His sister and I are thinking about going south for a few days and exploring Stonehenge and Bath, so we are looking forward to that mini-vacation.


Then, over Landon’s Spring Break, my parents are coming for two weeks. I am still shocked I got my dad to come to Europe, and this is the trip I’m most looking forward to this year. I’ll take them into London and Cambridge, and then we are all going up to Scotland for a few days. I actually found a lodge attached to a castle that we are going to stay. How exciting is that?! It’s within the castle grounds and we have free reign to take our dog on walks around the property while we’re there.

It’s going to be a pretty special trip. :goodvibes



This fall, Alex and I are returning to Disneyland Paris for another race weekend. I will do the Half again, Alex is doing the 5K and 10K, and the kids are doing the kid races. I have been itching to do another runDisney race, and I am impatient for this trip to get here. Seeing all the marathon weekend buzz has gotten me excited! (I’ve already gotten some ambitious running goals for 2022.)



The last and most up in the air trip was finally finalized over the weekend. My brother and his family used to live an hour away from us in Germany, and last fall they moved back to the states. Shortly after they got settled in their new home, they decided they wanted to take their kids to Disney over summer break.

You see where I’m going with this, right? :rotfl:


They saw how much fun my mom had in the parks on her birthday, so they looked at leave time and decided they wanted to take her back there for her special day again. They are picking my mom up on the way, staying five nights at Shades, and then taking my mom back to her house.

I heard all about this when my parents went to their house for Thanksgiving and immediately the wheels started turning.

What do I have to do to make a trip for us happen?!


Whose college fund do I have to give away?

How many side jobs do I have to work to get this crazy concept off the ground?!?


Unfortunately, the biggest road block (aside from being across the ocean) is that their trip coincides with the end of Landon’s school year. We had to pull him out early last year because of the move, and he missed the last week before winter break this year because of his surgery (meaning all the parties and Polar Express movie days) so I took a firm stand and said he wasn’t going to miss another last day if I could help it. The poor kid was devastated to miss the end of kindergarten; he’s staying to the end this year.

Which left me with the tough struggle of….do I pay a lot of money to travel back to the states and have one full day in the parks with family, or do I pass on the trip and save a significant amount of funds.

Was one day where the five cousins could hang out worth the very large price tag?


For two months I convinced myself it was not.

Then Alex’s mom moved into a new house forty five minutes away from Orlando and the urge to see it for myself started permeating my thoughts.
(For those who don’t know, Alex’s father passed away in a car accident a year and a half ago, and his mom building and moving into a new house was a big step in her grieving process.)

What are the odds that two golden opportunities would be laid at our feet?

But there was still that pesky detail of money. A lot of it.

My mom, listening to my internal debate over being a responsible adult versus “YOLO!” offered to let us bunk in her room at Shades if that would help offset the costs. Hmmm….

After getting off the phone with her I looked up FL resident deals for the summer and saw Disney was offering 3 day base tickets for 175 dollars. Hmmmm….

I checked all my airline sights and what do you know, the dates I had in mind had dropped in price.

Drastically.

:cool1:

The opportunity to go to Disney with my family was too great. I booked us the flights and have been walking on clouds since. This is going to be a drastically different kind of Disney trip than we have ever taken before.

There will be 5 kids under the age of 8. We will only have base tickets as opposed to every other time where we have had park hoppers. And for the park day with family, I am not planning any of it. I’m letting my sister in-law pick the park we go to, the rides we go on, and where we eat. It’s going to be hard, giving up the reins, but this will be their first time in the parks and don’t want to commandeer one of their four days at Disney.

I haven’t started planning anything official aside from the flights, but I think our tentative plan is to arrive in Orlando late the first night, spend the following day in the park, wake up and spend a second day in the park just us four, then head to my MIL’s house for another six nights. I am hoping at some point in the week, Alex and I can leave the kids with their grandmother and go back to Orlando to spend an evening in the parks just the two of us. Another date night at Disney! That’s the dream.


I’m sure we will have little side trips and weekend getaways throughout the rest of the year, but those are our big vacations for 2020. Disney was not on our radar this year at all, but this was too good to pass up. Just when I thought we were going to take a year off they pull us back in!
 
I actually found a lodge attached to a castle that we are going to stay. How exciting is that?! It’s within the castle grounds and we have free reign to take our dog on walks around the property while we’re there.
Okay that sounds like the coolest thing ever.

Whose college fund do I have to give away?
:rotfl:

The opportunity to go to Disney with my family was too great. I booked us the flights and have been walking on clouds since. This is going to be a drastically different kind of Disney trip than we have ever taken before.
That's so amazing! It will be such a great family trip. A kudos to you on backing away from planning- I don't know if I would have the strength.
 
I am so glad things are going good for Landon. I was thinking about him our the past few weeks and wondering how everything went. I understand the eye drop issues. Elizabeth used to get pink eye all the time because she sleeps with her eyes open. OMG trying to give her the drops was horrible. Thankfully she has not getting it a long time. Just dry eyes and for that I don't force the drops. I leave it up to her. Thankfully at almost 13 she is able to make that decision.

Your trips all sound wonderful. You are going to have so much fun this year.
 
OH Alicia your trips sound so good. Family time is always precious as is disney time and doing both together just makes it all even more special! I'm sure you, Alex and the kids visiting Alex's mum in her new home will be just the tonic she needs :goodvibes
 
So nice that you will have family coming to visit! Especially your parents, that really will be extra special!

Glad you will definitely be going back to Paris!

Omgosh and SO exciting about getting back to Orlando! I'm glad it could all work out for you!
 
So exciting!

You have done amazing trips planned!

I hear you years off rarely happen, things just pull ya in!

how exciting you’ve also got DLP and some really cool Europe trips!

this castle sounds amazing make sure to save that info! We are hoping to get back to Europe with the kids in 2021
 
There will be 5 kids under the age of 8. We will only have base tickets as opposed to every other time where we have had park hoppers. And for the park day with family, I am not planning any of it. I’m letting my sister in-law pick the park we go to, the rides we go on, and where we eat. It’s going to be hard, giving up the reins, but this will be their first time in the parks and don’t want to commandeer one of their four days at Disney.
I think that is a good call! Could be stressful for a moment, but I think once you are there and don't need to think about anything, it will be freeing!
 
The food was pretty good, but I also try to eat at places that don't serve the usual burgers/nuggets fare.
I'm not sure how one of the sandwiches compares to the Ronto Roaster or which is worth the visit when at the back of DHS.

I'm in that group too. Not a big fan of burgers or dogs in general unless they are REALLY good ones. Having said that, I super enjoyed the Ronto Roaster (the one I wrote about from DLR) last Fall.

How has everyone’s winter been going?

Mostly recovering.

I also know a lot of been sick and/or overcoming injuries.

:wave2:

Which left me with the tough struggle of….do I pay a lot of money to travel back to the states and have one full day in the parks with family, or do I pass on the trip and save a significant amount of funds.

I'd normally say no.

Then Alex’s mom moved into a new house forty five minutes away from Orlando and the urge to see it for myself started permeating my thoughts. (For those who don’t know, Alex’s father passed away in a car accident a year and a half ago, and his mom building and moving into a new house was a big step in her grieving process.)

I didn't know that! :hug: But I see that urge got you somewhere.

But there was still that pesky detail of money. A lot of it.

Sigh... always money, isn't it?


My mom, listening to my internal debate over being a responsible adult versus “YOLO!” offered to let us bunk in her room at Shades if that would help offset the costs. Hmmm….

NOW we're getting somewhere!

We will only have base tickets as opposed to every other time where we have had park hoppers.

Not necessary for a great time.
 
Omg how exciting! All of your plans sound great! So much family time and two Disney trips! I feel like when flight prices go down its some sort of sign from the universe that you should do it! When we added my mom and sister to our September trip the day after we booked their flights they sky rocketed up and would have been out of their price range. Everything definitely happens for a reason!

Good call on letting your sister in law lead the first day. Disney is like the most obvious case of too many cooks in the kitchen 😂 although if your sister in law was smart she would look to you for advise!!

So glad you are getting to take this trip among all the others!!
 

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