The Ducks are Back...A Birthday, An Anniversary and a Grand Gathering - FINAL THOUGHTS, Finally **Updated on 6/4** About This Page:

[mcc0313]

What a great day, how much fun the boys must have had being all togther and I am sure the grandparents enjoyed it as well

Love the "kiss" photo from 50's PT, definitely one for a frame it is too cute.

[Kristen C.]

OMG! i luv the "kissing scene" that is too cute. That was so awesome that you got "extra" FP's.

[dsteiny23]

Originally Posted by mcc0313

What a great day, how much fun the boys must have had being all togther and I am sure the grandparents enjoyed it as well

Love the "kiss" photo from 50's PT, definitely one for a frame it is too cute.

The boys...and all of us...had a blast being all together. The only problem is that they are already assuming that the grandparents will be with us on the next trip. And they won't

Originally Posted by Kristen C.

OMG! i luv the "kissing scene" that is too cute. That was so awesome that you got "extra" FP's.

The boy is a kissing fool!! He is constantly kissing and hugging me and must tell me he loves me 50 times a day. I am just drinking it in and dreading the first tween day when he won't kiss me anymore.

[MaryEL8775]

He will still probably kiss you just not in public and not when friends are around. I know I'm already experiencing the same thing with DS (11).

[I live with a 'Stitch'!]

Great updates! Sounds like the fastpasses really got great use that day! You made the most of traveling with a big party (alone time!? what's that! )

[MyRapunzal]

im loving the double and triple updates youve got going on the last few times! sounds like a GREAT day! and more GREAT pics!

[dsteiny23]

Originally Posted by MaryEL8775

He will still probably kiss you just not in public and not when friends are around. I know I'm already experiencing the same thing with DS (11).

11 huh? I was hopin' I'd at least get to 14 or so . Well, I'll take it while I can get it.

Originally Posted by I live with a 'Stitch'!

Great updates! Sounds like the fastpasses really got great use that day! You made the most of traveling with a big party (alone time!? what's that! )

We have a great blended family. And all the "in-laws" get along great. We do all our holidays together and have a "game day" a few times a year also. Yeah..."Alone time"...I didn't even get any of that in the bathroom until my mother got there. (I know...TMI, right )

Originally Posted by MyRapunzal

im loving the double and triple updates youve got going on the last few times! sounds like a GREAT day! and more GREAT pics!

Well, I'm gonna have to break up the next one too maybe into 3. I've got the pics up and I'm workin' on the writing.

[islandgirl]

Just got caught up on your TR! Love all the awesome pictures!!! Your boys are adorable! More please!

[tammyd_rn]

I just finished reading ALL of your Trip Report. What a wonderful trip and I am so glad I came across your trip report. I loved your Halloween costumes. And that little man Jason of yours stoled my heart with that kiss picture. Thank you so much for sharing with us. I look forward to more.

[KMB733]

What a great day at DHS! The buttons are the best, aren't they?!?!? And Jason is such a cutie. Love the picture of him kissing you. So cute!

[dsteiny23]

This morning we had early ressies at Ohana to have breakfast with Lilo & Stitch and the gang. 7:35 am…yikes!! This has become a tradition for us. The boys all love Stitch and I love the Poly and being able to get to the MK or Epcot quickly after breakfast.

We checked in…had our picture taken…and hung around for just a few minutes waiting. Jason sporting the Mickey Sorcerer we got for him while he slept through DTD last night.



We were one of the first few tables this morning so we got to see the characters pretty quickly.







Pluto torturing my Tyler. He’s so ticklish that you don’t even actually have to touch him and he loses it. Of course they had to participate in the parade as well. And as usually, Jason had a blast.



After breakfast we decided to walk to the TTC and on the way we wanted to take a couple of pics at the resort. The day was so beautiful and the Poly grounds are just amazing. And there’s this point that looks out over seven seas lagoon and you can get the castle in the background. Well, we all went out to the point and I decided that I was going to take a picture of all of us. I looked around and found these low path lights where the camera could sit organized the boys and set the timer. Then I ran to get in the picture.



Okay…can’t see Craig he’s in the shadow…let’s try again…



Okay…Tyler’s in there in the shadow somewhere…let’s try again…



Okay…no body paying attention and I didn’t even make it in. Clearly didn’t set the timer correctly…let’s try again…



Finally…I am completely out of breath from running back and forth a half dozen times…but one of my favorite pictures from the trip. Mind you, this entire time there was a photopass photographer at the bottom of the path watching me doing my sprints and screwing up shot after shot. You’d think he would help us out a little. Maybe it was just too amusing for him to stop the insanity. We did have fun taking this picture. Well the boys thought mommy running like a loon to get in the picture was hysterical and we had a few laughs about it telling it to the grandparents later.


This picture was a bit easier…



I absolutely LOVE the Poly and all of the tropical feeling it instills in you. One day, we’ll get back there…

Next…meeting up with the fam in Epcot.

[dsteiny23]

When we got to Epcot the grandparents and Dylan were waiting for us in front. That seemed to be a running theme since they got here…waiting for us We grabbed a photopass of the gang in front of SSE.



Then while we were right there, we decided to hop on SSE. Again, Craig and I lost Jason to Nana, but we were able to choose our own futures then.



It would be soooo cool if you could travel like this someday. Then it was off to try some of the interactive stuff. Tyler and I and Grandma and Jason performed some amazing virtual surgery and then Jason tried to “go green” and save an entire town by providing energy.



Tyler thought it would just be cooler to race…



One of the things on Dylan’s short list of must-dos was Universe of Energy. But, of course Jason was havin’ none of that again. So, he hung out with Craig and Papa while the rest of us visited with Ellen and the dinosaurs. Then we hit Electric Umbrella for some lunch. Again, we used the Zach mode of delivering food. And the CM manager there was great again with making Jason’s lunch separately and serving us himself. We got some tables outside in the shade and watched the fountains while we ate.



After lunch we headed over to get some Soarin’ FPs for later on and rode the Land while we were there. I don’t tire of that ride. Love the greenhouses and it’s just soothing. Plus, we were having dinner later on at Garden Grill. A first for all of us.



Then one of the things I wanted to do today was spend more time in the countries. I just didn’t think we had spent enough time, and I wanted to do some more Kidcot stations with the little boys. So, on our way into the countries, picked up FPs for Test Track to use later on. Then we headed in starting on the Mexico side where the boys added to their masks. Norway was up next and while I was inside with the little boys getting more decorations on the masks…the big boys (and yes, that would include Craig and Papa) were finding some fun of their own. They snapped a pic of someone’s stroller and as you can imagine, Zach and Dylan found this to be absolutely hysterical.



Oh yes…the maturity of boys…and I am surrounded by them at all times!!

Then we made our way to China and hung out waiting for Mulan and Mushu.



The savior of China and her sidekick made their way out and we snapped our pics.



On our way to more countries we got stopped at the drawbridge…which I don’t know if I even knew it existed before this. I wasn’t sure why until the Illumiations globe started coming into view from around a bend in the water, and we had front row “seats”.



Sooo cool to see it up close. And, it is much bigger than it looks when it is out in the middle of the water. Then on to the next country. By the time we made it to Germany, the grandparents were getting a little tired and decided to take a launch back to Future World with the 2 big boys to take them shopping. Craig and I continued with Tyler and Jason trying to hit up all of the Kidcot stops before our Soarin’ FPs and dinner time came around. We also met a lovely princess outside of Germany as well.





I do think both of my boys were a bit smitten.

The last country we were able to drag the boys through before heading to the Land was France. We got some cute photopass pics there.

Cute boys…



Silly boys…



And Jason by the fountain.



Let me tell you from our own personal experience. All those Mickey stickers they hand out like candy DO NOT put them on skin. Notice the sticker on Jason’s leg…all cute now…but not when you are peeling the glue off and rubbing the poor little fellow’s leg raw to get it all off in the bath. These stickers REALLY stick. Be warned!

And even a moment…brief as it was…to ourselves in France. (Craig and I travelled to Paris because he had business there while I was 4 months pregnant with Tyler. No wine, no champagne, no soft cheeses and at the time nothing with a hoof or mouth…not the way to see Paris, but hey…do you say no to Paris?? No)



Then it was Back to the Future…

[dsteiny23]

We headed over to Soarin’ to meet the rest of the group and use our FPs before dinner. The way it worked out, we got the 9 tickets, Jason wasn’t going on so Craig sat out with him first, leaving 7 of us to ride. Then we had 2 tickets left from the 9 and the child swap which is 1 plus 3 so we had 6 total for the second ride. I sat out with Jason and my mother offered to be the 3rd one out. The first time when the 7 of us went on we were told to go and wait at the very end of the hall near the 3 stations that they load. Then a CM came out and saw our group…saw my buttons (Love the buttons) and said “Come with me, I’ll give you the best seat in the house” So he put us on the front row in the center section. It was the most awesome seat in the theater …I did feel a little badly that Craig missed it , but it was another little bit of magic. When we got off, Craig and the rest of the gang went right back on as we still had time before dinner. Meanwhile, Nana and Jason and I were sitting on a bench off to the side just hanging and playing when Nana told me that Dylan had a project he needed to get completed before they left. He needed to get some signatures on a poll they were taking in school about whether or not the voting age should be lowered to 16. He was just going to get the family’s signatures when I said, “I bet the CMs would help us out” I went to about 4 CMs, explained what we were doing, and asked them to sign. And of course they were all happy to help. One of the CMs, who looked to be a manager of some sort, came over to us by the benches a few minutes after he had signed. He asked me how old my nephew was, and then seeing Jason how old he was and if we were travelling with any other kids and how old they were. We told him and he said, “Wait here, I’ll be right back”. And he went into some backstage area. He came back out with 2 little plastic Mickey’ golfers for Jason and Tyler. And for Dylan he said, “You can’t do a survey without an official Disney pen” and gave us a Cross style Disney pen in a case. Then for Zach, he figured at 13 he was into technology and gave us a silver Mickey flash drive in a case!!! I was floored!! How amazing to go and do that for no reason. More Magic!! I was LOVIN’ this trip. Everyone was so amazed when they got off and we showed them everything and the boys went to thank the CM. After that we headed up for our dinner at GG.

We were all seated together on the outside facing the glass. GREAT seats. Now, we were all enjoying our meals and visiting with the characters…







…until we got to the back of the restaurant and the prairie thunder scene. Jason didn’t want to sit there anymore. Nana and then Grandma took turns with taking him to the bathroom to get away from the thunder. He would be fine once it passed and then start freaking when he thought it was getting close. Good thing we started about as far from that scene as you can get and he was able to eat.



Notice Jason is missing from this picture.

The food was good and dessert was great…as you can see, Pluto thought so too.



After dinner the big boys headed to Test Track and where did Jason want to go…Nemo of course.



Except this time, I had a run-in with a shark…



Once the big boys were done and we all met up…it was time to head back. The next day was our last day in the parks When we got back to the Poly, we got our first and only towel animal…well towel Mickey anyway.



Then Craig and the boys wanted to take another night swim. It was a bit cold out of the water, but they had fun in the water.



Then it was off to bed, off to bed...

Next up…our Magic Kingdom day with the Family and a Magical Gathering boat ride.

[Colexis Mom]

Antoher fantastic day! Love all the pictures!! Congrats on all the good eats, and all the magic you got at Epcot!! More please!!

[Kristen C.]

I luv the update and can't wait to hear more.