STOP THE CURTAIN!!  The show isn’t over yet.  When I said “That’s a wrap” last time, I was just kidding.  

You know how often times when you leave a vacation, you get the blues once it sinks in that reality awaits?  Here is how our travel day went…(if you don’t like hearing about travel horror stories, stop reading now).

We woke up, Jay took the kids for a swim, I packed.  It was a leisurely checkout morning because we didn’t have to be out of the room until 11:00 and our Magical Express bus back to the airport was at 12:20.  Flight on Frontier Airlines from Orlando direct to Omaha was scheduled for 3:40.  All sounds great.

And it started out great when we were still within Tinkerbell’s pixie dust reach.  The kids had a great time swimming.  I miraculously got all of the kids new souvenirs packed into the suitcase.  Swimsuits even had time to dry before they got packed in the suitcase.  Bell hop came to pick up Sherry and I and the bags, and he gave us some great tips and advice – super helpful.  The sun was shining so Sherry sat with the bags while the kids watched more Mickey Mouse cartoons in the hotel lobby and nibbled on some snacks.  Bus arrived promptly at 12:20.  No additional stops, so smooth sailing to the airport.  Arrived at Orlando International Airport Terminal B at 1:00.  And that is where the Magic got lost.

Up the escalator (I had a not so graceful entrance into it when Lily decided she didn’t actually want to do it all by herself and I and my suitcase almost fell on top of her).  Where is the Frontier check-in counter?  Terminal A.  Ok, how do we get there?  You have to go all the way over there.  Turn left.  And then go all the way.  Then turn left.  And then all the way to the end.  Frontier is the airline that has a scary looking bear on the wing. Why a bear? Bears don’t fly…

So we followed the instructions, and saw a massive line, longer than the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train line.  Sure enough, it was for Frontier.  Well, not much we can do but join it.  After about 40 minutes Jay took our IDs to the self service terminal (full service check in cost extra) so we could continue to wait and then drop our checked bags.  Got through the line in about an hour or more, but discovered that our flight was now not leaving until 6:28 PM.  The winter storm up north was causing  some delays.  Ok, I guess we have some time to sit down and eat before going through Security.  And we decided to book a hotel room in Omaha so we weren’t driving on potentially bad roads in the middle of the night with -10 degree windchill.  Kenneth at the Holiday Inn downtown hooked us up with 2 rooms and gave us until 6:00 PM CST to cancel if we got stuck in Orlando.

Bellies were full so we headed in.  The security line was really short.  But we had a mild panic moment when the screen still showed a 3:40 departure time, and it was 3:25.  When we got to the gate, it said it was for a Cleveland flight, so that answered the question about whether or not we were leaving at 3:40.  We were not.  Next challenge, find a place to sit.  The Frontier terminal was a disaster.  Tired, crabby people were everywhere.  I was determined not to be one of them.  Especially like poor little adorable Xavier’s parents, who if I ever run into again in a lower stress situation, I will have some words with about the damage they are causing their 3 year old son and the embarrassment they were causing themselves by constantly screaming at him for “not listening”.  Maybe if they tried a volume and tone other than Angry Monster he might actually do what they asked.  I digress, but seriously, it was awful to witness.

We somehow found a place to sit with 3 chairs (to all of you scrooges who thought that your bags needed a chair to sit in while elderly and people with children stood or sat on the floor, may you be on the other side of that someday…).  At about 5:30 they announced a gate change (the Cleveland plane was still at our gate).  We left our seats only to find that the seating in the new gate area was even worse than where we were at, so we went back and somehow found seats.  Jay and Kirk stayed at the new gate to keep an eye on the progress.  After proclaiming that she was “soaking tired”, Lily fell asleep, and Ty was content on his IPad.  The kids were still being so good and patient.  

Meanwhile, flights to Milwaukee and Denver were being cancelled.  Cleveland still hadn’t departed.

Our plane arrived and emptied.  And WOOHOO we boarded.  I was getting my phone out to call Kenneth at the Holiday Inn to make sure he keeps the rooms for us, when the pilot made an announcement.  Been a  long day…sorry for the delays…oxygen system issue…not sure how long to fix it…might be 20 minutes might be 8 hours…going to deboard the plane….  we could sure use some pixie dust right about now.

OK, so I called Kenneth to cancel because chances were better that we weren’t going to Omaha and if we did make it, we could always (hopefully) find another hotel.  He said there were still several rooms so we should be ok if we need one.

We found a good spot to set up camp that had a view of the plane and a ledge for the kids to sit, eat, and sleep.  We could see the maintenance guys working on the plane.  

I got in line to find out what our options are if this flight ends up having to cancel and found out that the next flight to Omaha wasn’t until Monday.  Not ideal.  United had flights leaving the next morning for $230 each, so worst case we could fork over $1200 and get on a different airline.  Airport hotel was full though, so we would be looking at either a cab ride for a few hours of sleep with no luggage or sleeping in the airport, none of which looked like good options.  We could see that our bags were still being loaded, which was a good sign.  Gate information eventually changed to 8:30.  Still not confident based on conversations with some Milwaukee and Cleveland travelers about the honesty and transparency of Frontier’s communication style.

The kids were still awesome.  Ty fell asleep and Lily played on her iPad.  And then the pilot came out to say the problem was fixed and once the remaining checks were completed we could re-board.  We got back on, I called Kenneth back to see if there were still rooms – there were!!  The poor flight crew looked exhausted – they had put in a super long day.  We got buckled in, and then I smelled something.  Something like burning.  Oh God.  That is not something you want to smell when you are on a plane that has had known mechanical issues and you know you are heading towards a massive storm system.   Jay told me not to panic.  Ok, deep breath.  I’m sure it will be fine.  Say a prayer.  

And we were off.  Ty immediately fell asleep, which was perfect.  Lily watched movies on the iPad.  Smooth for the first hour, and then the seatbelt sign came on which is a sign I really dislike because it means there is some rough air ahead.  And there was.  A lot of it.  So I’m sitting right over the wing, it is dark, but the flashing red light of the plane illuminates the flying angry bear every other second.  

We’re going on a bear hunt.  Oh no!  There’s a storm up ahead!  We can’t go under it.  We can’t go over it.  We have to go through it…

My body was in full on tense and shaking mode.  Exhaustion had set in.  I tried to breathe and pray through it, but ugh.  I hate turbulence!!!  Lily was watching Aladdin and I tried to focus on that to take my mind off of what was sure to be a death drop from 37,000 feet.  We are just going on a magic carpet ride.  Say another prayer.  Meanwhile Lily is still super chill laying on my lap, nearly asleep.  The rough air lasted for about 15 minutes.  It took me about that long after to get myself to stop shaking.  

And then we started the descent and landed.  Half the airplane clapped and cheered.  I breathed a huge sigh of relief.  I might not ever fly again.  At least in the winter.

Next step was for Jay to get the truck while we got the bags.  We were all a little nervous that the truck wouldn’t start, but our luck was turning and it did!  We got our bags, listened to Xavier’s parents a little more, explained to the security guard who quickly zoned in on them that yes, they have been acting like that all day long, and then got in the freezing cold truck and went to the hotel at 11:30 PM.  Restaurants closed at 11:00, so we popped some popcorn, watched a bit of Star Wars while they ate, and fell asleep.  

Hey, it could have been worse…and you know what?  All cast members somehow managed to stay Happy.  Even while Sleepy.  For that, I am thankful.

It is now 7:00 AM on Sunday.  Jay and the kids are still asleep.  I’m going to get ready to go.  We have Brianna’s 14th birthday party at noon so we have to get on the road soon.  Hoping for clear roads to get home.

Huge thank you to Miranda and the Meggison’s for taking care of Bandit for the extra day!  

And NOW we can close the curtain on the Shearer Family 2016 Disney vacation!  That’s a wrap folks!

Our final day at the parks was a second round of Magic Kingdom.  While walking down Main Street I spotted Mary Poppins so we ran over to her, only to be told that she was not taking any more photos.  Well that interfered with Aunt Jekka’s one request to get a selfie with Mary Poppins, so we took matters into our own hands and did just that.  Kind of.  See her running off in the top corner…we will have to keep trying to track her down.

Our first ride was the Jungle (I mean Jingle) Cruise.  The classic favorite with a holiday twist.  There was no wait so we returned our Fast Pass in hopes of trading for another later in the day.

Next we explored the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse.  Love that movie, love that treehouse.  I think Jay should build us one just like it…

Judging by the look on Memaw’s face, I think she enjoyed Aladdin’s Magic Carpet Ride more than anyone else.

The line for Pirates of the Caribbean was only 20 minutes, so we again gave up our Fast Passes and went through the Standby line.  Lily was a bit tired so Jay hauled her around the lines on his leg.

Jack Sparrow stole our Fast Pass.  Really.  We had one set up for the afternoon to get onto the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ride, which typically has over an hour wait, but somehow while trying to reserve a new Fast Pass in exchange for the ones we gave up earlier, Jay accidentally deleted the 7 Dwarfs pass.  Oh gosh.  Panic set in.  WE LOST A FAST PASS!!!!  This is like losing a $100 bill.  Or maybe a $1000 bill, because Fast Passes are the gold coins of Disney World.  Once you lose them, you can’t get them back.  Ok, so I admit I got a little crabby.  I probably wouldn’t have even liked the ride.  BUT WE LOST THE FAST PASS!!!!  I blame it on the Day 5 exhaustion.

We grabbed an early lunch (again got right in) at Belle’s castle.  Beautiful dining rooms, French food.  Ok, Jay, it is hard to be mad at you after eating lunch in a royal ballroom.  You are forgiven.

We went on a new ride that was a clamshell tour of the Little Mermaid.  It was a cute one.  The sun was bright when we came out so the kids didn’t want to smile for the camera.

Next we took a train ride around the park and hopped off to take a boat over to Tom Sawyer’s island.  The kids had fun exploring – and I ordered the books on Amazon from the island.  🙂  modern technology…

On our way out of the park, one of the Disney photographers told Ty and Papa to do some modeling.

Our last adventure was to take the Monorail to the Grand Floridian hotel to see the Christmas decorations.  They had a giant gingerbread house, and the kids each got a Mickey gingerbread cookie.  

The Grand Floridian was our last hope at a Mary Poppins sighting, but it turns out she is only there in the mornings.  Shucks!  I guess the topiary will have to do…

Five days of parks was about all this mama could take, so we dropped Memaw and Papa off at the Magic Kingdom so they could relax and enjoy one last lighting of the castle alone.

We got back at the hotel by 4:00.  Lily was exhausted – “I only want to sleep for 2 hours and then swim.”  I relaxed with her in the peace and quiet while Jay and Ty went for a swim.  I got a text to bring Jay’s money clip to the pool when Lily wakes up.  Um…you can pay for everything with your Magic Band.  So I texted back and asked why they needed it.  Ty’s response was “I knew you would ask that – just bring the cash yo!”

And then the next text was this…  apparently you can’t use the Magic Band here…

And now… (drum roll) roll the credits for The Seven Dwarfs Disney Adventure!

Oh wait, there were only 6 of us, but I can assure you that throughout our week of vacation we all were all seven of the dwarfs.  

Once upon a time, in a warm land far far away from the blustery cold of Iowa, six members of the Shearer family went on an adventure to the World of Disney.

The lead actor was played by Kirk.  He was always Happy.  And only Happy.  Sometimes he was a little Goofy, but that isn’t a dwarf, so we will stick with Happy.

The lead actress role was played by Sherry.  She was mostly Happy, sometimes Sleepy, but a little dash of Pixie Dust brought her right back to Happy.  She also played the part of Doc, always ready with a Mickey Mouse bandaid when a child actor or actress skinned a knee, or a Tylenol when a supporting actress got a headache.

The supporting male role was played by Jay.  He was also mostly Happy, and he was only a little Grumpy when the child actors weren’t sticking to the script (which was very rare).  He did have one scene where he was Dopey and accidentally deleted the Fast Pass for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ride, which typically had a 60-90 minute wait, but thankfully his wife Grumpy didn’t go too crazy on him so we didn’t have to call in Doc.

The supporting female role was played by Nicole.  She was mostly Happy as well, except for the scene described above when she was Grumpy for 15 minutes at Dopey.  She also had some trouble with the air at Animal Kingdom and was Sneezy.  She had a small role as Sleepy from time to time.  But Happy was definitely her best part.

The show had 2 amazing child actors, who really were the stars of the show.  Let’s start with Ty.  He was a Bashful little fella, always twirling his hair anxiously as he waited for the next ride or show to begin, but once inside, he was swept away by the magic and quickly changed to Happy.  There were little glimpses of Grumpy, but they usually only lasted a minute or two after Sleepy demanded a costume change.  

And then there was Lily.  Happy was her favorite, and Happy fought really hard against Sleepy.  She usually gave in to Sleepy for a couple hours each day, but only when it looked as though the next few minutes were going to be boring.  She needed Doc a couple times, but even then, she didn’t allow herself to be Grumpy.  

Costume credit goes to cousin Jen for the awesome award-winning t-shirt designs.  She made sure to incorporate the 6 other roles the cast members played into the shirts – look closely!  Goofy (Kirk), Tinkerbell (Sherry), Storm Trooper (Jay), Mrs. Incredible (Nicole), Yoda (Ty), and last but not least, Pluto (Lily).

Fitness credit goes to Walt Disney for forcing us to walk 97,000 steps (about 50 miles) over the past week.  Yet somehow I am certain I actually gained weight.  Bummer.

So there you have it.  The 2016 Shearer Family vacation is coming to an end.  We are hoping for smooth travels tomorrow (a sequel will be published if anything exciting happens), so until next time…

THAT’S A WRAP, FOLKS!!!

It means no worries for the rest of your days.  It’s a problem free philosophy.  Hakuna Matata.  We went to Animal Kingdom on Thursday.  On our way to the Safari ride, we stopped to let the kids get their faces painted.  Let’s play a little game – try to guess what the kids chose to have painted on their faces.

Here’s a little more.

Any guesses?

Can you tell what they are?  Ty’s is pretty easy and not too terribly surprising.  He made the intelligent choice based on prior face painting experience and selected a dragon mainly because it did  it have any paint around his eyes.  Lily, on the other hand, went right up to the board and pointed to the picture that has the entire face covered with mostly black paint.  She wanted to be a bear.  When I asked her later why she chose the panda, she said that she likes bears, like the Bear Necesseties.  I am pretty sure there isn’t a panda in that (could be wrong), but OK Lil.  Most little girls choose princesses and fairies – not my Lily.  So silly.

First fast pass of the day was for an African safari.  We saw rhinos, crocs, antelope, a young elephant, cows, lions, wild dogs, monkeys, gorillas…we didn’t see any giraffes because they are about to have babies, shucks.  Maybe someday we will take the kids on a real African safari.

I spy a lion…

Next up was the show It’s Tough to be a Bug inside the tree of life.  I laughed pretty much the entire time.  They hit up all of your senses – 3D glasses, venom (water) squirts, stink bug spray, stings in the back, and bugs crawling under your seat.  Love it.

We then got in line to see the Lion King – one of my favorite shows.  It is a round theater with no stage, just 4 sets of bleachers around the center.  Once the show begins, they pull out a stage and giant floats with a warthog, giraffe, elephant, and lion on them.  Lily got super excited when the monkeys started doing gymnastics.  Jay had to hold on tight so that she wouldn’t run on stage and show them all her cool tricks.  🙂  Such an awesome show.

We grabbed a quick bite to eat.  Hint – eating an early lunch (around 11:00) saved us time waiting in line or for a table.

We made our way to Dinoland where Memaw took Lily on the flying dinosaur ride before we headed to the Nemo show. 

At this point Jay was about “showed out” so he went to catch a ride on the Everest roller coaster.  

Lily was on the edge of her seat for the entire Nemo show.  At one point she asked if we were under the sea.  It is incredible how the performers make you forget that there is a person holding a puppet and your eyes stay focused on the puppets.  So many awesome effects!

Back to Dinoland where the kids played in the playground (where do they find all of that energy) and had lots of fun at the dig site.  Such a cool playground.  When the boys and I went off to use our fast pass for the Dinsoaur ride, Memaw and Lily went back on the flying dinos 3 times.  I was a little worried that Ty might not like the Dinosaur ride because it is a little intense – lots of shaking, darkness, quick turns, and scary dinosaurs, but he LOVED it!

And we walked some more…

Ty and Jay wanted to do the Crazy Dinosaur ride (like the Crazy Mouse ride at the State Fair), so Memaw and Papa ran back over to the Dinosaur ride.  Lily and I tried to catch a photo of Ty and Jay but they snuck back into the ride on the other side.  Once they were finished we made our way to the entrance for dinner reservations at the Rainforest Cafe.  The kids were pretty squirrely at this point – Lily hadn’t slept yet, but they ate a good meal.  Ty fell asleep on my lap while we waited for the bill, which ended up being just enough for him to recharge his batteries.  We went back into the park To watch the Tree of Life light show (short but cool), and got our family photo before heading home.  

As you can imagine, we were all pretty exhausted, and Lily’s face paint was a hot mess.  At dinner she was being extra silly and making funny faces.  We told her she looked like a zombie panda.  This is what she did…

She inspired us to take one more family photo to end the day.  Pretty much sums up how we all felt at that point…

We had figured that after staying up so late at Magic Kingdom, we might want to plan on Wednesday being our day to rest and recover.  It was a good plan.  We took the ferry over to Disney Springs where the kids didn’t make it much farther than the ginormous Lego store (basically Ty’s definition of paradise) and the most massive Disney store on the planet (I only made it through a quarter with Lily).  

We had a nice lunch outside on a dock and watched the amphicars on the water.  Sherry and I brought Lily back to the room for a nap (we all crashed) while the boys went back to the Lego store again (it is an addiction).  

When the boys got home we were all still sleeping so they quietly put on their swim trunks and snuck out to the pool.  When we woke up, it was time to get ready for the evening entertainment.  

We took a cab (first one this vacation) to the Fort Wilderness to see the Hoop-De-Doo Review.  It was fun to drive through the campgrounds and see the barns where they keep the horses.  The kids were excited to see a playground which kept them good and entertained while we waited for our dinner showtime.  

Once inside, the kids got wrapped up in the goofiness on stage.  We ate a delicious meal of fried chicken, pork ribs, corn, mashed taters, cornbread, baked beans, wine in jelly jars, and the yummiest strawberry shortcake ever.  Good family fun!  

Once the show was finished it was a teensy bit stressful trying to navigate our way through the bus transfers to get back to the resort.  Kirk and Sherry were going to take the kids back to the room while Jay and I had a little date night.  Jay and I hopped off at Disney Springs at 8:56.  This would normally not be any issue, except that we had tickets to see Cirque De Soleil at 9:00 PM on the other side of the Springs.  So we walked as fast as we could in sandals and flip flops and got to the ticket counter at 9:01.  Grabbed our tickets, ran up stairs, quick potty break, and we were in.  Only missed a couple minutes.  Phew!!  The attendant took us to our seats, which somehow were in the very front row.  I am sure I didn’t pay for that, so I’m chalking it up to us being late and getting swapped out to better seats.  For the next hour and a half, my mind was taking in all of the non-sensical yet totally awesomeness that was happening in front of us, and behind us, and above us.  Jay had the pleasure of joining in some audience participation when a person behind him flew a paper airplane into the back of his head.  He picked it up and with the spotlight on him, flew the plane perfectly into the stage.  He has been practicing his whole life for that role.  

Bike tricks, flying trapeze, trampolines, balancing acts, curtain Superman, dude holding a spinning chick by his teeth while suspended from the ceiling, some young kids showing off incredible talent with these hourglass shaped objects that they tossed around with sticks and a string (doesn’t sound cool by my description but I promise it really was), creepy clowns, a weird sleepwalker, and not a single English word uttered the entire time.  And it didn’t matter, because the actions on stage in front of me shouted at the top of their lungs louder and clearer than any words could.  I was in awe by the uber talented performers.  How the heck did they do that?  As Jay said, “Even their muscles have muscles.”  

When the show was over, Jay and I were both in a bit of a mental fog trying to process what we had just seen.  I am still not sure I know what the point of the show was, and I don’t think I care.  😉  it was a beautiful night and a peaceful walk back to the room.  

We got back to the room around 11:30, completely exhausted.  So much for a day of rest, but who has time to rest when you are at Disney World!!

Tuesday was the day we finally got to go see the castle at the Magic Kingdom. Lily’s reaction to seeing the castle for the first time was about as I had expected – quite loud and so very excited! 

Pixie Dust.

As soon as we entered the park we went to the Barber Shop where Lily was treated with a special dose of pixie dust sprinkled onto her hair by a silly barber.  Let the magic begin!!  

As we made our way on Main Street toward the castle, we stopped briefly to watch a horse drawn carriage, with characters singing and dancing.  

Beautiful Christmas decorations done only like Disney could do them we’re everywhere you looked.  Instant holiday spirit.  Grinch wouldn’t stand a chance at Magic Kingdom during Christmas season.  

We had a little time so Jay took the kids on the Carousel, and both kids attempted to pull the sword from the stone.

Brekky.

We had a 10:00 reservation at the Royal Table to have breakfast inside the castle with several princesses.  We were greeted by Cinderella.  Lily told her that we saw her evil stepsisters outside the castle.  Ty got a little embarrassed and shy so he didn’t want a solo picture with Cinderella, but he reluctantly joined the family photo shoot.  

We climbed the spiral staircase and were seated in a beautiful dining room at the top of the castle.  Breakfast was delicious – but really how could it be anything but amazing when you get to meet Snow White, Ariel, Aurora, and Jasmine.  Even Prince Ty got wrapped up in the magic of it all.

A trip to the Magic Kingdom wouldn’t be complete without a spin through the It’s a Small World ride.  We had fun trying to figure out which countries were represented.  We especially enjoyed the continent of Australia.  🙂  After we travelled the Small World, we were ready to take a trip to Never Land.  The kids LOVED it – they really felt like they were flying in a pirate ship.  So cool.  Memaw and Jay took the kids on the flying Dumbo ride.  Going around in circles isn’t really my thing, and I didn’t want to blog about that one time at Disney World when I puked after a kiddy ride…  So my feet stayed planted firmly, albeit boringly, on the ground.

Ty had made a “good deal” with Memaw and Papa the day before.  He would get a toy yesterday and a hat this morning.  Nice negotiation skills, son.  Once we found the Star Wars shop, the decision was pretty easy.  

With new hat in hand, it was time to go have a few laughs at the Monsters Inc Laugh Factory.  Kirk was sporting his Goofy hat and I thought for sure he would get picked to be on the big screen, but luck wasn’t in our favor for that one.  Despite their poor choice in audience participation, it was a pretty funny little show.

The kids (and adults) were ready for a little down time, so we hopped on the People Mover.  It is a great way to get a taste of some of the rides I would never go on (see puking comment above), like Space Mountain, from the comfort of a slow moving vehicle.  The old school fun continued when we hopped on the Carousel of Progress.  As has been our luck, the ride had a slight glitch and we had to listen to one of the segments twice.  Future Disney-goers take note…if your baby is crying during the Carousel of Progress, sit still and wait it out and whatever you do, do not go out the emergency exit unless it truly is an emergency.  Your fellow Carousel riders will thank you.

I feel the need for speed.  I thought that speed was going to be from racing around a track at the Speedway.  Unfortunately Lily the Gymnast had other plans.  Lesson of the day – if there is concrete instead of mats underneath it, it is NOT a gymnastics bar.  I felt her head hitting the concrete, and then I felt her instant “goosebump” as she calls it, and rushed to the ride entrance.  As luck would have it, there were not anymore ice packs in their first aid kit (hmmm…guessing this wasn’t the first time this has happened), so I grabbed Memaw and we literally speed walked across the park to the First Aid building.  Not quite the speed I was planning on…  The nurse checked her over and didn’t think she had a concussion.  She gave us an ice pack and a Nurse Minnie sticker, and sent us on our way.  Crisis averted.

If there was ever any place to make you forget about your pounding headache, the parade route at Magic Kingdom just might do the trick.  We lucked out and were able to find a good spot to stand and watch it go by while holding an ice pack on the goosebump.  No more tears (and thankfully no later signs of concussion).

Exhaustion might have had something to do with Lily’s accident, so she finally was able to fall asleep in the stroller.  As we were walking along I looked up and saw a sign that reminded me of Steven.  I wasn’t blessed with the ability to carry a tune, so whenever I sang around Steven, he would say, “Hey Nic, what’d you do with that money?”  

“What money?”  

“The money I gave you for singing lessons.”  Ba-doom-boom-CHING!

Jay stayed with her while Memaw, Papa and I took Ty on the Haunted Mansion ride.  He wasn’t too sure about it at first but ended up really getting a kick out of it.  🙂

A quick run back to use our Buzz Lightyear fast pass, which of course Jay won by a landslide again…maybe next time I should try sticking my tongue out while I shoot the targets like he does.

We had a Tex Mex dinner at Pecos Bill’s before making our way back to the castle. We set up camp in a prime location for Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party, Elsa & Anna’s lighting of the castle, and the parade.  We arrived a little more than an hour before the shows began, and quickly built an alliance with our neighbors to prevent any late arrivers from trying to sneak into our Boardwalk and Park Place properties.  I am constantly in awe of how the folks at Disney can completely transform what you think you know and see into something unexpected and incredibly beautiful.  Music and lights and dancing and characters and costumes and makeup and of course, magic, made for an unforgettable evening.  And snow (a little 77 degree weather won’t stop Disney from celebrating the holidays with  snow).  And Tinkerbell.  And marching Toy Soldiers.  And fireworks.  Ooooooh and ahhhhhhh don’t quite do it justice.  It is more like holy moly what is happening how did they do that where do I look did you see that I LOVE DISNEY WORLD THIS IS THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT EVER!!!!!!  Yeah, that kind of captures the feeling….  the pictures don’t do it justice either, but it’s the best I can do with my iPhone.

This was our longest day by far, and somehow the kids were incredibly well behaved.  Such good little travelers.  So blessed.  Must be the magic of Disney.

I will be the first to admit that I can be a bit dramatic.  When asked the question “if you could be anything in the world, what would you be?” I respond, “Easy.  An actress in Hollywood.”  Some of my favorite memories as a kid were from being in plays and musicals.  And although I was an Accounting major at Drake (boring), I almost always had a “fun class” in the theater building to help keep the stress levels down.  Today, at Hollywood Studios, I got to pretend that my dream came true.  And it would appear as though my son inherited some of my mad acting skills.  Read on, friends.

We got to the park extra early so that we could try to get Ty signed up to train to be a Jedi.  Like for real.  So we ran into the park, dropped off the boys, and the girls went off on our own.  We went on the Great Movie Ride, and our ride luck jinxed us again.  We had a temporary delay when a door didn’t automatically open, but maintenance fixed it right away and we were off.  We had a little time to steal a hug from Pluto!

Meanwhile, the boys were able to get Ty a spot in the 4:40 Jedi Training show, and they went through a Star Wars ride twice. Then they met up with us to watch The Little Mermaid.  We decided to have an early lunch and got right into the Sci-Fi Dine In.  We sat in a table that looked like a car and watched old movies while we ate.  

With full bellies, we headed out and did a Fast Pass to the Toy Story ride.  I thought my 72,000 points was pretty good but of course Jay won with something like 135,000 points.  We made our way over to get a seat at Beauty and the Beast.  It was nice to sit down and relax for a while.  The kids were on the edge of their seats.  Completely wrapped up in the magic on stage in front of them.  Love.

Random Storm Troopers were everywhere.  

Next up, Muppets 3D.  Cool tricks – cooler shades!

We had a little afternoon tea – Olaf cupcakes, Chewbacca steins, chocolate mousse.  No calories in Disney World desserts!  Then we went to get a seat in the giant Indiana Jones amphitheater, which holds 2,150 people.  At the start of the show, they asked for volunteers to participate in the show.  I raised my hand, but the lady went to the other side of the audience.  Nuts.  And then she started walking toward our side, asking for more volunteers.  I put my hand up, and sure enough, she looked right at me in my bright orange Shearer Vacation 2016 shirt and SHE PICKED ME! SHE PICKED ME! SHE PICKED ME!!!!!!  I ran down to the stage and had to “audition”.  Ok Nicole, channel your inner Aunt Eller and knock this out of the theater.  I had to giggle like a princess.  No problem.  I was in!  Back up the steps to costumes, waivers, and a brief overview of what we had to do.  Then it was show time.  Nailed it.  I am actually surprised that they didn’t have me sign a contract for their next huge blockbuster right on the spot.  The best part of the whole deal was when I got back to my seat, Lily gave me the biggest high five, best hug, and told me I did awesome.  Love.  

That’s me in the red costume.  Oscar-worthy performance…

Once my 15 minutes of fame were up, it was Ty’s turn.  He went to check in at Jedi training, get his costume, and learn the rules.  There were about 20 kids in his Jedi class, and even though they didn’t give out awards, my completely unbiased opinion is that he was the best Jedi.  He had some pretty spectacular light saber moves.  As soon as the kids learned how to use the light saber, Darth Vader showed up for a fight.  Ty got to fight Darth Vader.  On stage.  For real.  In Disney World.  Doesn’t get much cooler than that (for him anyway – I don’t get Star Wars).  

Once he finished his training, the boys wanted to walk through the Star Wars museum and meet some characters.  I sat on a comfy bench and started writing my blog while the boys nerded out.  Jay might have hinted that he would like a $3,000 Darth Vader costume for Christmas.  Sorry mate, that dream isn’t coming true this year.

The kids were exhausted, and tomorrow is going to be a long day at Magic Kingdom, so we skipped the evening show and came home a bit early.  Lily went straight to bed. Memaw and Papa had a quiet dinner in the hotel restaurant, and we ordered pizza delivery.  The boys went out for a night swim.  Off to bed we go, with thoughts of castles and princesses and pixie dust filling our dreams.

More Epic-ot photos from yesterday.

When Disney decided to build Epcot, they should have listened to Lily and added the letter I.  Our day at the park was truly epic-ot.

As luck would have it, the bus arrived at our stop at the same time we did, so we hopped right on and went straight to the park.  After being reminded that there are nasty people in this world during the security checkpoint stop, we speed walked back to Norway to meet Anna and Elsa.  We had to wait about 35 minutes, so the kids got their first taste of waiting patiently.  The wait was worth it.  Anna and Elsa were great – totally in character. Anna told Lily that Olaf would love her because he loves flowers, especially lilies.   And Elsa wants Ty and Lily to be on her snowball fight team.  Epic.

From there we went to The Seas with Nemo and Friends and walked around the aquarium for a bit.  Lily found the sea turtle and sat down next to it.  Weird.  

We used a Fast Pass to go to the Character Spot and meet Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy.  You can’t help but smile – especially when Mickey gives you a kiss on the cheek.  Epic.

Then I was in the mood for a Mickey ice cream bar.

We had some time between Fast Passes so we decided to do the Journey into Imagination with Figment ride.  We got right in and went to the first segment of the ride, when it decided that it had had enough fun for one day and shut down.  It took around 10-15 minutes for the staff to empty all of the cars and exit the ride.  On our way out they gave us 6 fast pass tickets.  Sweet!  

Jay stayed with the kids in the play area at the end of that ride while Kirk, Sherry and I went over to Soarin’.  It was a 60-90 minute wait all day, but with the bonus fast pass, we got right in.  And it. Was. Incredible.  Every once in a while you have a moment.  A moment where everything that didn’t seem to make sense and seemed to be against you turns out to be pretty great.  Soarin’ was my moment.  Yes, I have had a pretty crappy few weeks.  Yes, I have felt like life isn’t fair.  Yes, I have had to make extremely difficult decisions.  But I was reminded that life has taken me on some pretty awesome adventures.  And in the whole story of my life, the present is just a short chapter.  And the rest of the book will be awesome no matter which path we decide (or are forced) to take.  Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.  Epic.

We tried to catch up with Jay and the kids, but they had already gone into Ellen’s Energy Adventure.  We caught the next show and found them after it finished.

Jay, Ty and Kirk used the bonus Fast Passed to have a go at the Test Track.  I was a little (ok a lot) worried about how Ty would do once I saw how fast the cars were going around the track.  Lily used the time wisely to take a much needed nap.  I thought for sure that Ty would come out of that ride crying or puking or both.  But he came running out, with the BIGGEST smile on his face.  “Mom!  It was awesome!! I want to do it again!”  Oh thank goodness.  In the photo below he is the one in the middle of the back seat with his head down.  Despite being terrified, he loved the adrenaline rush.  Epic.

Since Lily was still asleep and we had some time to kill, we decided to take a walk around the world.  Morocco, Japan, China, England, France, Germany, Mexico, Norway – and a few others that I can’t remember.  I love how you can really feel like you are transported to another country – the sights, the sounds, the smells, the food, the drink.  So I know this sounds really silly, but my German roots are quite strong.  Frau Geisler, as some say (OK, really only Andreas calls me that, but it is fun to say with a German accent).  I saved up my appetite for dinner in Germany.  Sauerkraut and potato salad please.  Danka!!  Mouth watering delicious.  Epic.

We went to Mexico for the nice and relaxing boat ride and a photo with Donald Duck, and then headed back to Mexico to wait for our final Fast Pass to the Frozen ride.  This ride hadn’t had less than an hour wait time all day.  And we soon found out why.  Wow.  For whatever reason, Ty had it in his mind that it was scary, and despite every attempt to convince him that if he could do Test Track he could certainly do Frozen, he was still a nervous wreck.  We get on the boat and were instantly swept away to another world.  The oohs and ahhhs and giggles and pointing and laughing and shouting didn’t stop.  He did get a bit worried when the boat went backwards for a bit, and then of course when we went over the waterfall (not much of a drop), but when the ride finished, it was like I was literally watching his brain thinking “I did it!  I was afraid but I did it and you know what?  It was awesome!!”  One of my favorite minutes of the vacation.  Epic.

We were all pretty exhausted so we decided to not wait another 2 hours for the fireworks show, and we caught the bus home.  Two tired kids.  Four tired adults.  Six happy people.  Epic.

Truck.

The kids woke up dark and early at 5:00 AM and were SO EXCITED to go to Disney World!!!!  Or as Lily calls it, Disney Wor-r-rld.  Is it time to go yet?  How about now?  Maybe now?  In order to try to get a few more minutes of shut eye, I sent them downstairs.  And then I heard them shout “Mom! Dad!  You have GOT to come see what Iceman is doing!!”  Iceman is our family Elf on the Shelf.  He has been coming to visit around the holidays since 2012.  He’s a silly little fella.  He pays very close attention to what is happening in our lives.  This morning he set up a fantastic Disney castle scene – perfect start to the day.  

Lily ripped the last paper chain ring off the wall.  We tried to sit down and have a good brekky of bacon and eggs, but it was pretty much a lost cause.  Who can eat when all you can think about is going to Disney World!!!  Just as we were about to pack up the truck, the kids noticed that it had started to snow.  It was a pretty snow, but it wasn’t what I wanted to see when we had a 2 hour drive to Omaha ahead of us.  So we quickly finished our last minute packing and hit the road by 9:20 AM.  

It was a bit slick, had to use 4WD, and an accident on I80 forced us to take a southern detour, but we made it to the Omaha airport despite Mother Natures attempts to slow us down.  

Plane.

We met up with Mema and Papa (and Aunt Staci who chauffeured Mema and Papa to the airport), got checked in, ate lunch, breezed through security, and after just a short wait, got on the plane at 2:00.  We had row 26, boys on one side, girls on the other.  Mema came with the best travel goody bag ever for each kiddo, and they loved everything!  Books, small toys, Legos, games, markers.  Both bags were jammed full of awesomeness.  The flight was relatively smooth, a little bumpy going through the clouds, and a little bit of ear pain, but they were both great on the flight. 

Train.

We landed in Orlando at 4:30 PM and took a short train ride through the terminal to the ground transportation area.

Bus.

From there, we hopped on Disneys Magical Express and got to use our Magic Bands for the first time.  Super slick.  

After about a 30 minute bus ride, we arrived at Saratoga Springs.  I had received a text message earlier saying our room was ready, so when we arrived we just picked up our rental stroller and went straight to the room.  Magic Bands let us inside to a perfect and adorable 2 bedroom suite.  Huge thank you to Gary and Judy for helping us with the resort!  We dropped off our carry on bags and headed out to find some dinner. Everyone was hungry at this point.  We ate a good dinner (paid with our Magic Bands), picked up a few groceries – the essentials of breakfast, milk, bread, wine and beer – and Jay took the kids for a quick night swim.  Way too chilly for me, but apparently the pool was heated.  By the time we got back to the room it was 9:30 PM. Our luggage still hadn’t Magically appeared yet, so we tucked the kids into bed in their travel clothes and let their happy dreams prepare them for the next day’s adventures.  It has been a long day of traveling on a lot of different things that go, but it was a fairly easy day.  The kids are in good spirits, the adults are happy, and I have smiled more in the past 12 hours than I have in the past 12 days.  Tomorrow’s adventure is Epcot – or as Lily calls it Epic-ot.  Should be pretty epic.