The Many Adventures of PixieB

[CKCK 45]

I'm in!

 

Ahhhhh.... I don't miss the days of flying with an infant. Z always managed to poop on the plane, so I had to change him on that over the toilet changing table. Good times!

 

You could always stay at the cabins at the Fort!

 

I've always managed to poop on planes too.

 

Weird.

[PixieB 0]

I'm in... and I read and camp !!!  Both at the same time...   Thank God Duffy was on board that flight, as Ms. V  surely needed a snuggle.

 

LOL!  Thank God for Duffy as well!  He might have become my pillow after she fell asleep...

 

Thanks for following!

 

I am so impressed with your mommy skills of flying solo with a little one! I bow to you!

 

Please don't bow, you should see my house right now....  #NotSuperMom  LOL

 

I'm in!

 

Ahhhhh.... I don't miss the days of flying with an infant. Z always managed to poop on the plane, so I had to change him on that over the toilet changing table. Good times!

 

You could always stay at the cabins at the Fort!

 

Yeah, I experienced the over-toilet-changing table on the way back..  Agreed, good times! :)

 

I've always managed to poop on planes too.

 

Weird.

 

That is weird.  At least you're honest.

[CKCK 45]

waiting patiently...

[The Troll 67]

Your book looks well-written, well-researched, and well-organized. Have you considered a print version?

[PixieB 0]

waiting patiently...

 

I've had a lot more going on than expected, but I promise a new post very soon!  

 

Your book looks well-written, well-researched, and well-organized. Have you considered a print version?

 

Thank you for that :)  Yes, the 2014 edition will be in print.  I'm expecting it to be out sometime this fall

[PixieB 0]

Ok, so in an effort to keep to keep this thing moving, I'm skipping over Day 2 entirely.  It mainly consisted of me watching teenage Korean soap operas anyways. (Don't ask questions you don't want answers to..)

 

 

Day 3- The Magic Kingdom!!

 

I wanted to be at Magic Kingdom at rope drop.  Did that happen?  Nope.  It's kinda par for the course I guess.

 

Sister E felt too ill to go to the Magic Kindgom that morning, so it left Dad, Miss V, and Niece A and myself.

 

We were all loaded up at about 8:30 am.

 

 

We made it to the gates about 9:20-

 

 

But for some reason I was feeling directionally challenged because we ended up at Animal Kingdom.  Whoops!

 

 

By the time we made it back to Magic Kingdom, it was packed, as in stuck in traffic packed.

 

We eventually got a parking space, and tried to catch a tram, but apparently I wasn't aggressive enough, because other families elbowed their way in front of us, and by the time I blinked the tram was full.  Second tram was a little better because I was screaming "Out of my way Jose!!"

 

We bought our tickets, and then the choice..  Ferry or Monorail?

 

 

Knowing my Dad has crowd issues and we had two strollers, I thought the Ferry was the better choice.  Maybe not..

 

Have I mentioned yet that it was 92 degrees, with full humidity?  The kind of humidity that hits you like a ton of bricks?  Makes you soaked the second you walk out the door?  Yes, yes, it was that.

 

Anyways, I believe it was close to 45 minutes from the time we took the last picture to the time we made it to the turnstiles.

 

But we made it finally!

 

 

The Move it! Shake it! Celebrate it! Parade was just coming down main street too.

 

Somewhere I have a video..  And will update..

 

After the parade we went straight to New Fantasyland.  We got Fastpasses for Dumbo, and then headed inside to meet Minnie and Daisy.  (I realize probably not the best TouringPlan, but whatevs! )  

 

Minnie and Daisy was a solid 30 minute wait.  Miss V wanted nothing to do with waiting, which made the effort A LOT more challenging.  But it paid off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More in the next update..

 

 

 

 

 

[CKCK 45]

 

The Move it! Shake it! Celebrate it! Parade was just coming down main street too.

 

Somewhere I have a video..  And will update..

 

 

Please don't post it.  I can't stand that thing.

 

Thanks for the update!

[PixieB 0]

After Minnie and Daisy we went off to meet Dumbo

 

Views from the Fastpass lane-

 

 

 

Dad and Niece A in front of us-

 

Wheee!

 

I actually really like the upgrades and details in Dumbo. 

 

 

After Dumbo, Dad and I quickly decided it was time for sustenance!  So Be Our Guest we went.

 

The CM said it was a 30 minute wait, and I can tell you we waited exactly 30 minutes in the line outside.  It was H-O-T and they kept asking people to bunch together and move forward. There was another CM handing out ice water, and if she wasn't there, I'm sure there would have been casualties.  There's been rumors that with MyMagic+ you'll be able to pre-order food with a Fastpass.  In the heat, I would have loved a Fastpass for this line! :)

 

I'm taking pictures to distract myself from the sweat-

 

 

The knights right inside the building-

 

Dad is eating gluten-free (as is most of my fam) and he had a surprising amount of choices.  I believe he went for turkey on millet bread.  I had the regular turkey, and A had Maurice's Macaroni.

 

The girls hamming it up-

 

 

 

More details-

 

 

It was actually "snowing" in the window-

 

 

It was about this time that Miss V had a diaper of epic proportions.  If you were a lady in the restroom at the time, my apologies.

 

Here are a few more pics from the outside of Be Our Guest and Beast Castle-

 

 

 

I actually really liked BOG.  I believe it will become my go-to for dining in The Magic Kingdom.

 

 

It had rained while we were inside BOG, so the strollers and everything attached to them were soaked.  It was ok though, because it was still so darn hot.

 

We went to get Ariel Fastpasses next.

 

You can see the mine coaster construction

 

As a last second thing we decided to go into Mickey's Philarmagic.  Mainly for the purposes of air conditioning.  Niece A absolutely LOVED it.  She giggled and tried to grab the objects through the whole thing.

 

Next up per Niece A was Prince Charming's Carousel.

 

 

 

By this time our Fastpasses for Ariel were up.

 

For some reason I have no pictures of Ariel.  Fail.

 

I will say that it neither SMB nor was mind-blowing. It was good.  And cute.  Niece A thought it was her favorite thing of the day.  She kept calling it "the rollercoaster".

 

It was bathroom break time, and where better to go than Rapunzel's Tower?

 

 

 

 

After this we went in search of a Dole Whip.

 

 

We waited a bit in line at Aloha Isle, and it became clear that the girls had enough.  Both were either nodded off, or fighting against the sleep.  So we packed it in, and headed out.  But not of course before we got our hands on a dole whip!  Photo Fail...  I actually had the little cup pineapple juice for $2.95.  It was delicious.  I might ask for two next time!

 

 

 

 

And with that we are out for the day.   :)

[CKCK 45]

 

 

The CM said it was a 30 minute wait, and I can tell you we waited exactly 30 minutes in the line outside.  It was H-O-T and they kept asking people to bunch together and move forward. There was another CM handing out ice water, and if she wasn't there, I'm sure there would have been casualties.  There's been rumors that with MyMagic+ you'll be able to pre-order food with a Fastpass.  In the heat, I would have loved a Fastpass for this line! :)

 

 

 

Guess they stopped handing out umbrellas by the time you got there.  That's weird.  When we were there they had a CM giving them to every single person in line.  Of course, that was before it opened.  Maybe they stop once they start serving.

[PixieB 0]

Guess they stopped handing out umbrellas by the time you got there.  That's weird.  When we were there they had a CM giving them to every single person in line.  Of course, that was before it opened.  Maybe they stop once they start serving.

 

I think we were there the week before you, and as soon as I came home I read something about them starting to hand out umbrellas.  So we must have just missed it.

[Beckers 1,136]

The pineapple juice is great! I got it last time and my kid sucked it dry before we even crossed over the bridge to leave!

[PixieB 0]

The pineapple juice is great! Ingot it last time and my kid sucked it dry before we even crossed over the bridge to leave!

 

Haha!  It was THAT good!  :)

[CoachClough 12]

It was about this time that Miss V had a diaper of epic proportions.  If you were a lady in the restroom at the time, my apologies.

 

 

 

That's funny.  And something we've all had to deal with.  Either as the changer...or the wearer....

[PixieB 0]

It was about this time that Miss V had a diaper of epic proportions.  If you were a lady in the restroom at the time, my apologies.

 

 

 

That's funny.  And something we've all had to deal with.  Either as the changer...or the wearer....

 

LOL! :)

[PixieB 0]

So a few months ago I decided to get with all the young hipsters and open an Instagram account.  If you're interested here are some of the photos from the day, all Instagram'ed out-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PixieB 0]

Day 4

 

Day 4 was pretty awesome.  But it was not spent at Disney.  A few years ago my Dad bought an RV.  He liked the RV, but he wasn't using it as much as he'd like.  So, he traded it in.  For a plane.  This shouldn't surprise me, he's worked his career in aeronautics.  Anyways, I hadn't seen the plane, so here it is.  It was pretty cool.

 

 

 

(Miss V is devising a new flight plan)

 

I'll be honest Dad asked me if I wanted to go up, and I was having anxiety just thinking about it.  So I declined.  Maybe next time.

 

 

 

After checking on the plane, we went boating.

 

Here's Sister E being a teenager:

 

 

 

 

Notice in that last shot I'm holding Miss V's shoe.  There was an attempt to throw it overboard.

 

 

 

You mean I'm not really driving the boat?

 

 

 

 

That last photo means a lot to me.  You see, there's a photo of me sitting on my grandfather's lap "driving" the boat.  It looks identical to the last shot ..only 30-some years earlier.  The photo was hanging in my grandparents' home for the longest time.  Grandpa passed on a few years back, but he had a tremendous impact on my life.

 

Here's one I found that was taken on the same day, back in the ye old 1980's.

 

 

 

 

 

 

To keep things moving here's Day 5-

 

 

 

Day 5 was supposed to be a Disney day, but Tropical Storm Andrea had other ideas.  Poop.

 

 

Up Next: Epcot!

[CKCK 45]

I would so be down with trading in the RV for a plane.

 

But DW would never go for it.  

 

Fail.

[PixieB 0]

I would so be down with trading in the RV for a plane.

 

But DW would never go for it.  

 

Fail.

 

I'm not actually certain Stepmom has been in the plane.  She may be boycotting. :)

[CoachClough 12]

Planes are fun.  I remember picking up a co-workers in another state who had flown over for a meeting instead of driving.  Good times.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Your dad rocks!

 

I love the story about the photo of you and your grandpa.  Some day, your daughter will look at that photo of her and your dad the same way.

 

Sorry about the tropical storm changing your plans, but it sounds like you did make it to Epcot.  Bring it on!

 

TCD

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

I agree about new Dumbo. In fact, I really like that whole circus section.

 

Good to hear about BOG being good for gluten free folks. My friend that is meeting us at Disney next Saturday is allergic.

 

Love the boat pictures!

[Big Kahuna aka John 71]

I like the plane, but would keep my RV...  Made far to many friends and fiends to give them up...     The photos of the grandpas and granddaughters has to continue, and all have to be passed down together...  That's family !!    Sorry about the weather ruining the day, but I'm sure you capitalized on it.

[PixieB 0]

Planes are fun.  I remember picking up a co-workers in another state who had flown over for a meeting instead of driving.  Good times.

 

Yes, that was one of the pros for getting the plane.  Makes meetings a lot easier :)

 

Your dad rocks!

 

I love the story about the photo of you and your grandpa.  Some day, your daughter will look at that photo of her and your dad the same way.

 

Sorry about the tropical storm changing your plans, but it sounds like you did make it to Epcot.  Bring it on!

 

TCD

 

He does indeed rock!  

 

I think so as well.  I'm pretty sure the photo is going to be a Christmas gift for Dad too.

 

We did make it to Epcot, coming your way soon!

 

I agree about new Dumbo. In fact, I really like that whole circus section.

 

Good to hear about BOG being good for gluten free folks. My friend that is meeting us at Disney next Saturday is allergic.

 

Love the boat pictures!

 

Thanks!  Yeah, I like the circus area as well.  I actually brought bathing suits for Miss V and Niece A to play in the Casey's Jr. area, but we ran out of time.

 

Most of the restaurants at Disney are really gluten-free friendly.  One family member calls it "the gold standard for allergies".  However, we did find a restaurant that wasn't able to accommodate gluten-free or vegetarian in the next post.

 

I like the plane, but would keep my RV...  Made far to many friends and fiends to give them up...     The photos of the grandpas and granddaughters has to continue, and all have to be passed down together...  That's family !!    Sorry about the weather ruining the day, but I'm sure you capitalized on it.

 

The photos do have to continue!  The tropical storm actually made things a little bit nicer for us the next day. 

[PixieB 0]

Day 6!

 

We’re headed to Epcot, baby!

 

So, Dad and I discussed arriving in early afternoon and staying through the late evening.  This was to accomplish two things, avoid the morning rush, and take advantage of cooler temperatures after the obligatory rain shower.  I was in all agreement ‘cause I was still on West Coast time!

 

On this day was Dad, Stepmom, Sister E, and Nephew M, and of course myself and Miss V.

 

We arrived at the gates around 1:20.

 

 

Yay! Epcot!

 

 

This time we got a parking spot right away, and frankly it was pretty good, right next to the handicap spaces.  No tram (and taking apart a stroller) needed!

 

 

Security was just standing around.  Ha!

 

This was a complete 180 from the Magic Kingdom.  The temp was in the 80’s, and it wasn’t nearly at the same humidity level as it was a few days ago.  I guess we can thank TS Andrea for that!  In the words of Dad; it was quite delightful!

 

 

 

The fam:

 

 

 

 

We immediately headed back to see if we could get Fastpasses for Soarin.  No dice.  Sold out.  So we went over to Test Track.  No dice there either.  I guess there is a drawback to arriving at 1:30.  So, the plan was to return right before closing to see if we could get on either.

 

Nemo had a 10 minute wait, so we boarded up for that.  I like Nemo, I think it’s cute.  After Nemo we went to Turtle Talk with Crush.  I had never sat through Turtle Talk, and for little ones it’s great.  Nephew M thought it was cool, and kept using “dude” for the rest of the day.

 

From here we went to Figment.  I know I’m going to catch a lot of heat for this, but I like Figment.  It’s catchy.  Anyways, Figment wasn’t in full working order.  The skunk scene wasn’t skunky.  But I still liked it, and so did V and M.

 

Miss V LOVED the musical squares in the exit area.

 

 

 

 

 

After this, we headed to Club Cool for the free soda.  Heck, who doesn’t like free?

 

In the PixieB world rankings of soda tasting, China is first, Italy is the worst, and Japan is just plain weird.  Seriously, I’d like a giant slushy mug of the China watermelon stuff.  Disney marketing fail.

 

Moving on, we headed to meet Duffy.  Duffy happens to be Miss V’s favorite stuffed animal.  However, it took some coaxing to get the picture.  At first she ran right by Duffy, and out on to the World Showcase. 

 

 

 

 

I’m still not sure she was thrilled with the whole teddy bear/come to life thing.

 

From here we went to Mexico and Nephew M got into the Kidcot crafts.  He also started Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure.

 

The adventures were nifty, but took a whole lot longer than I imagined.

 

We made a pit stop in Norway.

 

 

 

On to China!

 

Nephew M did the Agent P adventure here, and apparently freaked the hell out of some unsuspecting tourists when one of the statues moved.  Ha!

 

 

 

I decided to try a Lychee drink.

 

 

It wasn’t terrible.

 

Sister E was saying all day how much she wanted to eat in China.  So the plan was to check out the Lotus Blossom Café.

 

 

There were two problems; Sister E is a vegetarian and apparently the vegetarian meal here isn’t really vegetarian.  Secondly, there are no gluten-free options.  Sister E eats both.

 

I knew that the best chance of getting a gluten-free and vegetarian meal was probably going to be at a table service restaurant.  The only problem, there were no reservations to be had.  Anywhere.

 

Sooo…  we decide to take our chances in Japan.  Everyone was starved at this point, so we booked it over there.   I immediately went over to the Tokyo Dining/Teppen Edo stand.  After a little back and forth we got a table at Tokyo Dining right away!  How fantastic was that?

 

Sister E got some vegetarian sushi that also happened to be gluten-free.  Dad and stepmom got panko breaded gluten-free chicken, and I got the sushi sampler.  Nephew M had some other chicken, but came out on what looked like a space shuttle!  Anyways, I must have been too famished to take pictures, because I forgot entirely.

 

The sushi sampler was terrific.  A couple of years ago I had a California roll at Katsura Grill across the way.  It was good, don’t get me wrong, but it was more of the grocery-store variety.  For exactly $4 more, the sushi sampler at Tokyo Dining blew its socks off. 

 

By the time we finished it was approaching 8 pm.  Nephew M kept telling us he wanted to go in the “golf ball” like really bad.  Sister E wanted to shop in Mitsukoshi.  So we split up.  I went with Nephew M and Dad.  We rode Spaceship Earth, and M thought it was the greatest thing ever to be inside the giant ball. 

 

We met up with the group in front of Test Track at about 8:50.  There was an 80 minute wait posted.  Dad, M and  E decided to take their chances.  Stepmom, Miss V and myself headed over to the gateway to catch Illuminations.  I have seen Illuminations a million times before (really when are they going make updates to the show?) and Stepmom was exhausted, so we found a bench outside one of the shops.

 

Here’s the view:

 

 

 

After Illuminations we did some retail therapy.

 

It was about 9:40 when Dad texted us to let us know they were done with Test Track.  They were literally the last ones off.  Security escorted them through a closed portion of Future World to the Mouse Gears area.

 

We made our way to the front of the park.

 

 

 

And that is all she wrote.

 

Up Next: The Affordable Spa near Port Canaveral.

 

 

 

[CKCK 45]

 

 

From here we went to Figment.  I know I’m going to catch a lot of heat for this, but I like Figment.  It’s catchy.  Anyways, Figment wasn’t in full working order.  The skunk scene wasn’t skunky.  But I still liked it, and so did V and M.

 

 

 

You shut your mouth, PIxie. 

 

I had such high hopes for you...