DramaMama .......... Janet

Close to us.... My family would love to cruise. I don't drink or gamble and get seasick VERY easily. Doesn't matter how good the food is if.... you know. The Disney part is all that would sell it for me. Soooooo, this is your chance - convince me!

YUMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!

Hmmm.... Sounds like something Thrill Shakespeare would do....

Say it isn't so! I was bummed when we last went to Trails End and found out they had taken the fried chicken and waffles with rosemary infused syrup off the menu. It was soooooooo good!!!!!!

We have started looking online at pop ups because we know that is the route we will go maybe next year. I think I want a new one that hasn't been abused or weathered, but worry about more recent workmanship being not as good (as an earlier poster said plastic instead of metal). My in-laws had one for 40 years that we would still be using had rodents not gotten into and destroyed. BUT I see so many pop ups in RV lots all open all the time. Does any dealer actually leave some closed? Isn't it getting sun weathered before it ever gets bought??? Anyone have thoughts on this?

It has been a while since I have seen SpectroMagic. My foggy recall is one of the parade being mostly about people wearing lights. Hmmm... Oh yes. It would make perfect sense to put live actors wearing lights out on the lake every night. Very cost effective to do away with a mostly mechanical parade. They could, instead, cheaply make several barges full of animatronics. Sounds very legit to me! :rotfl6:

Ask the server if/when the horse race will begin. (They let the kids use stick horses and run a few circles around the dining room every now and then.)

I remember it being OK but not as good as hyped. I don't mind occasionally paying the big prices for amazing food or memorable character experiences for my kids. This was neither. We like that we can check Brown Derby off the Disney restaurant to-do list but feel no need to go back. I have heard some people say they like the atmosphere in there because it is like they aren't even in a theme park. Hmmm.... personally I relish every moment in Disney theme parks!

We have been once and DH and I both had the cobb salad and grapefruit cake because of all the reviews we had read. When the salad was served, the waiter asked if we wanted it mixed. We said "sure" thinking, why not? The salad was really tasty - for the first 20 bites. The problem with getting it mixed is that every single bite tastes all the same. Though good, we tired of it quickly. It would have been much better not mixed.

Thanks for posting the link!

Oh man, we lived in Wyandotte, MI for a couple of years (10 years ago) and ate loads of grinders from Mancino's. I seriously miss them! I have not had anything like those grinders since we moved back south. I have threatened to contact them and have them dry ice mail me a few!

Welcome!!!

You can find lots of info about Whispering Canyon's atmosphere. Like Jason said, it is more fun when you play along. We have been as a couple, with our kids, and in a bigger group, too. All of our servers have been great. If you are willing to join in on the act they actually go a little easier on you. We never eat ketchup so we haven't gotten that attention. My DH did get the huge mason jar one morning for breakfast because he slurped down his diet soda so quickly. (Of course we both got chided for having soda for breakfast). When my youngest son turned 3 they brought him a big cupca

Love Sci Fi, haven't taken my kids yet because the younger one scares easily - especially in the dark. I agree that the adults wouldn't get to converse much. I would vote for Whispering Canyon. My kids love it as much as we do. Another option IF you like German food and plan to be in Epcot would be Biergarten. They do have "regular" foods as well. The music could be entertaining and kids are often allowed to come up and dance. It is a buffet so little ones don't have to wait for food, but is calmer than some others. I would recommend going at lunch - cheaper and more time to walk off

I like the silly thing for much the same reason I love Country Bear and CoP. It is a reminder of the simpler things in life. Don't throw everything away just 'cause it's old. I didn't get to see those things as a kid like my DH did, but I have caught his nostalgia for them.

Should I go ahead and assume that the covers will cost as much as a new hat would?

But of course!!! Still, I am glad to see they are providing the service.

Here are a few from campsite and cabin stays...

It is a bit hard to compare our experiences with Chef Mickey's and Crystal Palace since we had breakfast for one and lunch at the other. Also, DH and I ate lunch w/out the kids during an off season anniversary trip in 2011 at Crystal Palace. We loved the mediterranean food (many people don't) and felt the meal was rather relaxing even with the characters. Like I said, it was off season. Our Chef Mickey's experience was Monday of Thanksgiving week in 2011. The place was super crowded, loud, and felt frantic. The food was good, but not any better than we could have had at our resort. Char

I am glad to hear this. It should help a lot of families that unfortuanately have to ask while in long lines at the restaurant. We'll see how many allergies are addressed at the kiosk. I am sure there is a limit as to what they can look up, but the basic nut, dairy, gluten, etc. should be covered - but probably not my issue - red dye #40. I have been impressed with CMs who have happily talked to chefs for me. I know to skip red colored stuff, but you would be amazed how many other things have it! Bless one CM's heart - at Kona he went to ask the chef but was "sure" that the compote serve

Good point. Devine is pretty cool in the daytime. But something that slinks around that quietly and camos that well.... nope, don't want to be standing by any tree in AK in the dark. :eek:

Thanks for the info. I will pass it along to my MIL. Maybe we will have better luck with Photo Pass on our next trip. The last big trip we paid for the CD in advance. Wouldn't you know we only got 2 decent pics??? We do better with our own cameras or happy accidents with photo pass. The portrait sessions they advertise now look pretty, but not what she is looking for. Oh well, no one can get both of our boys to look at the camera at the same time anyway! (Is there an emoticon for herding cats???)

Sometime around the early 1980's my inlaws had a family portrait made in WDW where their family was dressed in Victorian costumes standing on a set made to look like the rear of a Disney caboose. My MIL would love for us to do something like that again. We have done the Instant Ancestors at Old Town in Kissimmee, but would like to do it through Disney. Is there anything like that available now? I don't remember seeing anything. I doubt she wants one of the official sessions - I think those are probably quite pricey. Anyone have any ideas?

Any of the larger shops on property should have them - definitely at the Emporium or Mouse Gear. Look near the check-outs and toy sections.

My hubby prefers using pre-1994 pennies in the machines. The newer machines do make clearer Disney images with newer pennies, but using the older ones gives you a shadow of the original penny image - which we think is cool. It really is up to you. Thanks for posting the maps! These are so much better than the typed lists we used to get. We enjoy the scavenger hunt part of penny pressing, but it really doesn't make for "cheap" momentos when you are on a mission to do every one like my DH gets sometimes!