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[ilovedisney0_0]

Originally Posted by DrDolphin

DH has decided you go to WDW too much. Of course he didn't know me when I was on my every 6 weeks kick.... now did he??

Really, Terri, IS there such a thing as going to WDW too much??

[jennie622]

Can't believe we missed each other by days. Phooey!

WDW was super crowded that week and I can't figure out why.

I'll chime in too, the ears are adorable. Too bad I can't handle ToT, scares the wits out of me.

[RodandMel]

Please hurry back with more Princess Sharon! We just made our readies at BW for the F&W Festival next year We've been to DW at all different times of year but never the fall. I'm so excited - DH and I (along with my BFF and her DH) are looking forward to F&W while DD (will be 10) is looking forward to MNSSHP along with her BFF's (10 and 8). It's going to be a great trip and I'm looking forward to some tips for the festival.

[WeRDisneyFanatics]

Fun morning at DHS and a yummy start to the F&WF! I really enjoyed the Swedish meatballs too. The cranberry bog was cool - seems like Craisins are taking over "the World" a bit. I noticed LTT is now hosted by Craisins and I saw their branding signs a few other places when we were out and about.

[PrincessSharon]

Thanks for the comments!

Originally Posted by Eeyoresmom

I can't believe that I 'almost' got to meet your mom! I'm glad to hear that your dad is recovering so well.

You almost met her once before - when I ran into you in front of Saratoga Springs that time. I was waiting for her to get there on DME!

Originally Posted by lauriep

Those TOT ears are FANtastic! I can't believe it was so hot here just a few weeks ago. It's quite chilly today-- long sleeves and a hoodie!

It's chilly here too, but you totally win!

Originally Posted by tootogether

Just thought i'd attach a couple of my pics from the Craisins exhibit. It was quite interesting.

Attachment 50046

Attachment 50047

Great pics! Thanks!

Originally Posted by cubfancolleen

Love your ToT ears!! Your food choices all look yummy. Do you have Ikea by you? They sell bags of frozen Swedish meatballs, with jars of lingonberries too. Plus get a packet of the gravy mix. Yummy!

Yes, Ikea does have good Swedish meatballs. I've only ever eaten them in-store, though.

Originally Posted by mpwife153

Where to start?! I won't get behind you in a turnsile, as long as you don't get behind me at the grocery store! Either the person in front of me has a bunch of things go wrong or I do!

I use the same game plan w/Insania & have always walked on & gotten a FP for no later than noon.

I yourToT ears ~ I must get them . It's funny you mention that key, I got the ToT keychain when I went last year w/Ginger. Everytime I ask Brianna to grab my keys for me she says "Mommy, I love your Disney World key. What does it open again?" MY favorite hotel my dear

I'm glad a had as nack before I started reading b/c your F&WF photos have my tummy rumbling! I haven't had sewdish meatballs in years & those look delish!

More please (& Izzy & Duffy's photo )

I'd love to have a permanent key to my favorite hotel! And I took a picture of Isaiah and Duffy, but I forgot to upload it. I'll have to remember to post it later.

Originally Posted by Cam22

Your ToT ears are so cute! You were booking it this morning, having been in 2 park way before noon! I'm going to remember your method for TSMM next summer; that is if I can get my two buddies moving a bit earlier. Or since we'll be at BWV, maybe I should walk over early get the tickets and then go back to wake them up. I still love that you see ToT from your room!

You'll have to get them up, though. You can only use their tickets to get FPs if the tickets have been used to enter the park that day. Maybe the promise of two rides will get them moving earlier?

Originally Posted by m.mouse

OMG, so I wish you'd said hello! I love meeting PassPorters! And you certainly don't look like a weirdo, so it would've been nice to meet you! Maybe we'll get another chance some day!

I will most definitely stop you if I ever get the chance again! I am LOVING those TOT ears. How perfect for you?! I love when I find Disney merchandise that they designed specifically for me! ( Well, that's what I like to tell myself anyways. )

Disney puts out a bunch of stuff just for me. Their way of separating me from my money!

Originally Posted by mom2twingirlies

goodness me - I just found this TR and it was already 5 pages in!

Where to start.... random weird dude - I think there are just lots of them in the airports, because I always have one find me too.

The view from your room is beautiful, especially for someone who loves TOT so much.

Those meatballs look just like the ones from IKEA. MMMM, might have to plan a trip there for dinner soon.

Those Cars topiaries are so cool!

Can't wait to here more!

I always thought it was because I'm usually traveling alone, but I guess it's more of a case of a lot of strange people out there!

Originally Posted by Principessa_di_Fata

AWESOME you posted a pic of the ears! That just makes my day! I really loved those darn ears, and you rocked them!

I forgot that Meri was a little sick when you met her. Recovering from an ear infection, I believe, or just starting one (I can't remember which).

Now I'm mad I didn't get the Swedish meatballs. *sigh*

I can't believe I didn't tell you to try them! Hopefully they'll be available next year!

Originally Posted by Caldercup

The other three members of the CLQ know how to take advantage of it...

We send you into one line while the rest of us head into a line aaaaaaaall the way on the other side.

Works like a dream.

Well, you and Jill would probably still be sitting in the lounge drinking coffee, so, no need to worry.

Originally Posted by njlaura

Delurking to say I really enjoy your reports. The only thing better would be the return of the CLQ and all the bantering you do about your trip together.

Don't encourage Eileen! Just kidding! That's one of the best parts of our friendship!

Originally Posted by Eeyoresmom

Miss V loved those meatballs, too! And those ears were perfect for you!!! I'm suprised we didn't see you before we did - maybe because those food booths were so crowded. Looking forward to hearing more about your day!

The crowds were crazy, right? And I still can't believe Miss V is 4 already! Where does the time go?

Originally Posted by HollyH

Love the ears! I hope you wore them all day. What would be great is a ride photo of you on ToT wearing your ToT ears!

Your F&W choices look yummy. And while I don't love Swedish meatballs, that picture does make me want to take a trip to Ikea (fyi, there's one in New Haven right off 95...not sure how far that is for you...suppose it depends on how much you really like Swedish meatballs )

I was going to get a photo with them on, but then I'd have to wear the chin strap, and I think I look way too dorky with it on for anyone to immortalize in a photo, so I took them off when I rode!

Originally Posted by Coop

Subscribing. I am in the bubble as we speak! Just found this and am subscribing so I can catch up later.

Go ride TOT for me!

Originally Posted by MosyBliss

Oh I've never been to the Food and Wine fest but it is on the list. All the food looks so yummy! SO have the Swan and Dolphin always been painted those crazy colors? I swear I have passed them a million times and I always thought they were blue and silverish...maybe the colors were so shocking I just changed them to what I wanted the to be...

I'm telling you - tacky!

Originally Posted by ilovedisney0_0

Noted...do NOT stand in line behind Princess Sharon when hoping to get into the parks quickly! I lllooooovvvvvveeee those TOT ears! They were the first thing I noticed in your new update. You are adorable!

Thanks!

Originally Posted by ilovedisney247

Oh I love the new ears! I tried them on the the ToT store--which might be my favorite gift shoppe and then decided against actually buying them. I didn't buy any ears this trip. I still get so many comments on my Capt Jack ears--every one wants to know where to get them--and they've been discontinued.

You got quite a bit accomplished in a short amount of time! I bet that room location was awful at first--right up until you realized that it cut the walk to DHS in half!

I'm disappointed you didn't get ears this trip. They always look so cute on you!

Originally Posted by goofyboysmama

Yay! All caught up now - fun and deliciousness already. I love the ears... BTW, looks like I have some practicing to do on TSMM. I thought I was all superbad with my 142K score, lol!

I was so proud of my high score! Of course it's the one time I ride when there's nobody to brag to!

Originally Posted by DrDolphin

Great TR Sharon...just got all caught up... too bad you can't sneak down for a turkey day trip. Chris and I are sneaking down. DH has decided you go to WDW too much. Of course he didn't know me when I was on my every 6 weeks kick.... now did he??

Terri, you definitely need to take more trips. It's been way too long since I've seen you! Get back on that every 6 weeks kick, will ya?

Originally Posted by ilovedisney0_0

Really, Terri, IS there such a thing as going to WDW too much??

Impossible!

Originally Posted by jennie622

Can't believe we missed each other by days. Phooey!

WDW was super crowded that week and I can't figure out why.

I'll chime in too, the ears are adorable. Too bad I can't handle ToT, scares the wits out of me.

Yeah, that stinks we missed each other by practically hours.

Originally Posted by RodandMel

Please hurry back with more Princess Sharon! We just made our readies at BW for the F&W Festival next year We've been to DW at all different times of year but never the fall. I'm so excited - DH and I (along with my BFF and her DH) are looking forward to F&W while DD (will be 10) is looking forward to MNSSHP along with her BFF's (10 and 8). It's going to be a great trip and I'm looking forward to some tips for the festival.

You'll have the best time! It's my favorite time of the year to visit! And I'll try to be thorough!

Originally Posted by WeRDisneyFanatics

Fun morning at DHS and a yummy start to the F&WF! I really enjoyed the Swedish meatballs too. The cranberry bog was cool - seems like Craisins are taking over "the World" a bit. I noticed LTT is now hosted by Craisins and I saw their branding signs a few other places when we were out and about.

I love Craisins, so this doesn't bother me much. In fact, yesterday I baked oatmeal cookies and decided the next time I make oatmeal cookies, I'm adding Craisins (I already put them in my oatmeal).

[PrincessSharon]

Day Two, Part Two
Eating an entire country

I realize that I didn’t take many photos at all during the time I was with Jill, so you’ll have to wait for her to get to it in her TR to see pics. She took plenty (and Thom had me doing some wacky things in photos, but I don’t think she’s going to post those, because you’d have to be Thom to understand them! ) Anyway, see Jill’s eventual TR for the pics!

We were ready to move on and trying to decide what to do next. Maddie made it plain that she wanted to ride Nemo. Because I was a “guest,” it was up to me to decide what to do next. So I chose Test Track. Just kidding! After some serious pondering, I decided I really felt like riding… Nemo! I’m no dummy!

We crossed the park and went through the long queue at Nemo. There were actually other people in the queue, so I’d say the park was moderately busy. I had fun telling the girls about something I know that Eileen doesn’t and how much I enjoy teasing her about it. They loved it! And Eileen, you can try to work on them to see if they’ll spill, because now they know the secret, too.

When we exited our clammobiles, Thom decided to make up a new thing – steal a scooter. So he had Jill send a photo of him smiling like a goofball sitting on some person’s scooter. Then he sent it to Eileen. Eileen was totally confused about it, which cracked me up! Eileen, I’d explain it to you, honey, but I don’t know myself!

I had an incident with my notes (I decided to use an app for notes, which was great, until I decided to upgrade my iTouch and lost some of my notes ) so I am not really sure about the order we did stuff, so I’m doing my best. Luckily, Jill can tell her side and between the two of us, you can figure out what happened.

We went to the Land to see about Soarin’ FPs. The return time was too late for all of us, so we didn’t get FPs. The standby must’ve been pretty long, but I don’t remember what it was. Instead we did the LWTL boat ride.

We did Spaceship Earth next. I think this is when Thom made me play the “steal a scooter” game, pretending I had one that was broken down. It makes no sense, and that’s what makes me laugh!

I always have huge chunks missing out of my head when I do SE. Someone there doesn’t like me very much. Jill and I tried in vain to get the scene with the conga line, but no joy. Jill ended up breaking her arm skiing. Klutz!

After SE, the girls played some racing video game (that ended up being a 2-person job). You had to steer your car, shift (which Thom took care of usually) and then when some event came, hit a button. It was oddly complicated for a racing game if you ask me, and I know you were going to.

I think we did Captain EO next. This always takes me back to when it was in its original run and I loved it so much. I had a stuffed Fuzzball that’s probably in my parents’ garage right now. I should dig it out! And sell it on Craigslist

I think the Test Track FPs were ripe at this point. I did not have a FP, but Thom kindly offered to sit it out while I rode with the girls. I tried to convince him to use the SRL to see if he could time it to end up with us, but he decided to have a break instead.

Maddie was hungry now (actually, she’d been informing us of that for a while now), so we decided to head to WS so they could find something to eat. I have to mention it was Saturday afternoon. During the F&WF. World Showcase was absolutely mobbed! Almost all of the food booths had about 30 people in line. Insanity! I was glad I’d gotten to sample a bunch of things before the crowds rolled in!

The girls decided that they wanted pretzels, so we headed to Germany. As we passed the Germany kiosk, I saw Tanya! Or rather, she saw me. And of course, DH Scott and DD Vanessa were with her. I was happy to get to see them, because I didn’t think I would, even though I knew our trips overlapped. Jill had told me earlier that she’d run into them the day before. I have to say I can’t believe Vanessa is 4 already! Where does the time go?

I didn’t want to keep Maddie from eating any longer, so we cut our little meeting short and headed to Germany. The line for pretzels was just as crazy as all the other lines, so Thom went into Sommerfest to get them there. The line was almost as bad – he probably waited about 20 minutes.

While he got the pretzels, the rest of us went into the caramel shop for some treats. I got a peanut butter cookie with caramel on it (and it was as yummy as it sounds). Maddie got an apple with chocolate and caramel on it and I’m sure Jill will post the hilarious photos of her eating it – covered in chocolaty, caramely goo. They neatly slice the apple into four pieces when you buy it, and Maddie ate the first slice, but the second slice, she ceremoniously ate the chocolate and caramel, leaving the apple perfectly intact. That girl’s got talent!

When Mary Devall had grown good and tired of watching the little Kim Possible thing that happened just above where we were sitting, we figured it was time to move on. After Maddie got cleaned up, we continued on, strolling our way to the Japan pavilion.

There was a specific purchase that Mary Devall needed to make, and her excitement about it totally got me excited! She was going to get a kimono! We went over and a CM assisted Mary Devall with finding the proper size and putting it on correctly.



I was completely amazed, when after getting the OK to do Mary Devall’s hair the CM did Mary Devall’s hair up in a kind of French twist using just one little clip. I mean, I was mildly fascinated by it. I stared at Mary Devall’s head for a while, trying to work it out!

Once we had everything Mary Devall needed (and the kimono was also going to serve as her Halloween costume), we headed for the register to pay. I noticed I’d missed a call from my DM, so I stepped outside where I could talk to her.

When they were done, we stopped in the Kidcot station and the girls each got a Duffy and started coloring. The CM there made an adorable little origami frog that you could press on its little butt and it would bounce around. I kind of wanted one, but I was too embarrassed to ask for it.

Next we continued to the U.K. The girls sat and worked on their Duffies while Jill and I chatted. By pure coincidence Thom just happened to text Eileen a photo of Jill and me in what looked to be a pretty serious conversation, which prompted her to text me about what, specifically we were discussing, so I teased Eileen a little more. Thom’s iPhone was dying, so he found some outlets next to the chairs and let it charge a little.

Winnie the Pooh was in the shop with practically no line, so Thom asked the girls if they wanted to meet him. Maddie was too into her coloring, so she declined. Mary Devall got up and then almost changed her mind when she noticed there was one family ahead of her. Thom made her wait the whole 45 seconds until they were done and he got her photo.

Continued…

[PrincessSharon]

When the girls had colored enough, we moved on. As we passed the Ireland booth, I noticed that the line was fairly short, so I told the group to continue (they were headed to the Canada Kidcot) and I’d catch up. Jill decided to stay with me. I got one of each food item on the menu, and Jill got the wine (which I couldn’t taste, because it had honey in it). The line quickly got long again after we'd joined it, so we hit it at the perfect time.


Ireland – Warm Chocolate Lava Cake with Baileys Ganache

The cake was good, and I was glad it was small (I think smaller portions work better because it allows you to sample more). Somehow I think I liked it better last year, but I can’t really say why.


Ireland – Lobster & Scallop Fisheman’s Pie

It had lovely chunks of lobster and plenty of scallops, but this is another one where I seemed to like it better last year. It used to be my favorite, but not this year. I don’t know if it’s because it’s not as good or if the other things were truly better.


Ireland – Kerrygold Cheese Selection (Aged-Irish Cheddar, Dubliner and Ivernia Cheese with Apple Chutney and Brown Bread)

Now this was every bit as good as I remember. I like cheese, (except for strong blue cheeses), and these were three good selections. After Jill and I ate most of the stuff and Jill drank her wine, we meandered over to find the rest of her family. I shared with them what we had left (Jill had also gotten the Fisherman’s pie, and she’d saved Thom a bite of it).

The girls finished up their masks and then we had a fun conversation about my cottage (all of you claiming it’s yours are just pretenders to the throne! ). Anyway, it led to me telling Mary Devall how I’d sneakily move in – wear green clothes, put flowers in my hair, etc. Mary Devall came up with some good ideas, which leads me to believe I may have to keep my eye on her in the future.

We headed back to FW and stopped in Club Cool. I had a couple of little blond girls going when I pretended Beverly was my favorite soda. I couldn’t say it for long with a straight face, though! My favorite was out of order, but I did sample most of the others (but not Beverly).

Then we went into Innoventions. I think this was probably a good strategy, because the park was crowded so everything else had long lines. But we ended up in Innoventions because Mary Devall decided she wanted to go in there.

I think the first thing we did in there was Where’s the Fire? You play as a team, and you have to shine your flashlights on the fire hazards in the room. It’s a little tricky coordinating them so everyone’s shining their beam on the same thing, but it was a cute little game that we had fun at. And our team won! Yay, us!

The next part was for kids, and they had to learn how to escape a house when it was on fire. The CM was able to turn a light on the floor to simulate the fire and the kids had to stay low and get out, avoiding the fire. Some kids were better at this than others. I’m happy to say, the Koenigs girls were stars!

Next I think was the Piggy Bank Adventure or whatever it’s called. There was a lot more to this game than I realized. It was pretty fun, but I’m not sure kids get the subtlety of it, so I don’t think it’s doing its job. Probably most kids don’t even realize that they’re supposed to be learning about saving, much less absorb anything. But maybe they do and I’m just not as savvy as your average 8 year old.

Then we let the girls play the video games (Mary Devall spent some time playing the same exact Up game that Zack played in June 2010! Methinks they need to update their library ). Thom had gone off to try to charge his iPhone some more, and then to the bathroom. When he rejoined us, we headed out.

I noticed it was getting late, so I had to say goodbye. Mary Devall really, really, really tried to get her family to ditch Thom’s boss’s family and their dinner plans and head with me to DHS! I would’ve kidnapped Mary Devall and taken her with me, but I didn’t have any transportation. Some kidnapper I am! I promised Mary Devall I would pretend she was with me while I rode TOT.

They were heading home early the next morning, so after goodbye hugs (it makes me sad to think I don’t know when I’ll see those adorable little blond girls again ), I walked out of the International Gateway and dropped my stuff off in my room at the Boardwalk. I tried texting Linny again and found out that the person I texted was not Linny, so I didn’t get to meet her and her gorgeous family. Some other time (maybe a meet around NY/NJ?).

After putting my stuff down, I walked to DHS. I didn’t even bother checking the status of anything because I had one thing on my mind, TOT!! The posted wait time was 20 minutes, and I figured it would most likely be even shorter than that, but I decided to use my FP anyway.

I love riding at night – it’s so much fun to see everything in the dark. Unfortunately, when I was done with my first ride, the first showing of Fantasmic! happened to be letting out, and the people were coming from an entrance behind the TOT, so the line got super crazy! I decided not to ride again and just go ahead and get a seat for the next Fantasmic!

After about 20 minutes of sitting on a bench, they opened the seating and I got a spot right down front (but not too close) in the Mickey section. I enjoy F! a lot, and it’s been too long since I’ve seen it, so I made it a priority this trip. With the crazy schedule, who knows when I might see it again? Well, I know I’ll see it next month at Disneyland!

Another benefit of the second show (besides lighter crowds) is you don’t have to sit so long waiting for the show to begin! I was able to get a few good pictures this time.

























When the show ended, I stayed in my seat to let the theater clear out a little. When I did leave, I had the park almost to myself!


I was tempted to sneak in and spend the night

By the time I got to the boat, the line was short enough that I was confident I’d get on the first boat to arrive, and when it pulled in a few minutes later, I learned I was right. On the way, I considered whether I should get off at the Swolphin and walk to the BWI or get off at the BW and walk all the way to my room. I decided that the walk would be just about the same either way, and if I got off at the Swolphin, I’d have to climb 3 flights of stairs, so I stayed on the boat until the BW stop.

I took the long walk back to my room and set a wakeup call before turning in for the night.

Up Next: Don’t leave me!

[shnewell]

What a fun time with Jill and her family! The cake and the cheese both look super yummy.

You got some great photos of Fantasmic!

Oh, and I'm glad that Mary Devall got her kimono! She looked so pretty in the one she tried on during her 10th birthday trip!

[lexiemom]

One word for this TR - YUM! Everything from the F&WF looks so good.

This update made me sad I missed F! in September. Oh well, there is always next time, right?!

[mcneal]

Sharon, craisins are the best in oatmeal cookies. Loving the TR as usual.

[goofyboysmama]

Fun update! The food looks great. Maybe the second time around, your tastebuds know what to expect, so it isn't as super yummy as the first time??

[Caldercup]

Originally Posted by PrincessSharon

I had fun telling the girls about something I know that Eileen doesn’t and how much I enjoy teasing her about it. They loved it! And Eileen, you can try to work on them to see if they’ll spill, because now they know the secret, too.

The only reason I'm gonna forgive you for this foul treament is because you mentioned my name like a dozen times in this update -- and I know that'll make steam come out of Karen's ears!!

(Plus, I have a big tub of Beanie Babies to mail to them, so they'll spill. Oh, yes... THEY'LL SPILL!!)

Originally Posted by PrincessSharon

When we exited our clammobiles, Thom decided to make up a new thing – steal a scooter. So he had Jill send a photo of him smiling like a goofball sitting on some person’s scooter. Then he sent it to Eileen. Eileen was totally confused about it, which cracked me up! Eileen, I’d explain it to you, honey, but I don’t know myself!

That was quite a bit of WTF-ery! I sat there wondering what in heck you guys were doing and finally decided that one of you had knocked Thom so hard, he fell down and hurt himself.

Thus the scooter!

Originally Posted by PrincessSharon

Maddie was hungry now (actually, she’d been informing us of that for a while now...

Wow! You guys really took a chance letting Maddie Moo go hungry. That girl can pitch quite the fit.

Originally Posted by PrincessSharon

I saw Tanya! Or rather, she saw me. And of course, DH Scott and DD Vanessa were with her.

Gawrsh - the last time I saw Miss V, she was still a little tiny baby!!

Originally Posted by PrincessSharon

Maddie got an apple with chocolate and caramel on it and I’m sure Jill will post the hilarious photos of her eating it – covered in chocolaty, caramely goo. They neatly slice the apple into four pieces when you buy it, and Maddie ate the first slice, but the second slice, she ceremoniously ate the chocolate and caramel, leaving the apple perfectly intact. That girl’s got talent!

I think the resulting pic might have been my fav text I received the WHOLE day!!


And your pics of Fantasmic have me thinking it's been a looooooong time since I saw that show...

[PrincessSharon]

So here are the pics of Isaiah with Duffy wearing his Halloween pirate costume.





He also insisted on putting on his own costume for another pic!



And I have to say, Isaiah's wolfboy howl is the cutest thing I've heard in a while. I made him do it a few dozen times!

[HollyH]

I love craisins! I have them in my salad for lunch every day.

I am so glad to see that Mary Devall got a kimono -I too thought she looked adorable in the pink one from her bday trip. I do think I like this blue one better.

That lava cake looks so !! Now I want some! I may have to go to the kitchen and see if I can find some Bailey's (which is the closest I'll find in my house tonight).

[HollyH]

OMG....I was posting as you were posting the pics of Isaiah. I can't decide which is cuter.....the pic of him kissing Duffy or the pic of him in that scary Wolfboy mask! Love it!