We all had our "run in's"

Back to Paris for a day with the entire Disney Crew.....not the characters (I wish!), but our families.

We all had our "run in's" with the French, but still managed to have a nice time in Paris! When I say "run in's" I am referring to dealings with the "overly friendly" locals (insert sarcasm). Andreas and I had "run in's" with personnel at an Air France counter....Klaus and family had "run in's" with a pharmacist at a drug store...and well, poor Mike Radermacher deals with "run in's" from the time he steps off the airplane in Paris, to the moment the wheels touch-down in the USofA. ;-) I think the words "I'm never coming back here EVER again" came out of everyone's mouths at least once on this portion of the trip, including mine! (However, I must disclose that I'm returning in October...against my will....but, I am still returning!) Still, even with all of the "run in's" we had an amazing time!

 My Dad wanted his own special portrait taken in front of the Eiffel Tower (maybe to commemorate his LAST trip to Paris...EVER) ;-)

To The Top! 
We managed to get everyone to wait in line to take the elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower

Of course, these are part of the collection titled "Masterpieces by Andreas"

I went up to the top of the tower when I came to Paris on a weekend trip from London, during my Study Abroad semester. I have to say, it was just as incredible...and having our families there made it really special.

Long way up!

Klaus, Colleen, Me and Mike all at the top of the Eiffel Tower

What's a day in Paris without at little fun! :-)

Just so you know...we were ALL supposed to jump! Mom, you did a horrible job faking a jump...Dad, next time I would appreciate at least a "horrible fake"!

Best picture of the ENTIRE trip!

This picture is my absolute favorite photo from our trip. It not only has all of our loved ones present, (minus those who were unable to come to Paris) but Lisann's face is priceless!

That's a wrap for Paris! 
I know it was a short post, but we had such a wonderful day with family, and I was really excited to share these memories with all of you. 


We are now off to Lisbon, Portugal for the final leg of our trip. (sad face)
However, before posting anything on Portugal, we will post photos and stories from Cambodia. We were there during our Southeast Asia leg of the trip, but due to poor internet connections at some of our hotels, we got a little behind on our posts. In an effort to catch up, we skipped Cambodia...and have decided to insert it now. With that said...it was one of the more interesting as well as hilarious legs of our trip...so stay tuned!


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She fought with another parent while waiting to ride Dumbo!

The Family Day at Disney

Andreas, Collen and I all stayed at a Disney Park Hotel. So, we were allowed to enter into the park at 8am on the morning of our "Family Day" at the park. Andreas' family was not able to enter the park grounds until 10am, which meant we would meet up with them a few hours after we arrived at the park.

The three of us grabbed a bite to eat, just behind Cinderella's Castle, before heading out to ride some "neck breaking, don't ride if you have high blood pressure" rides....However, it's not always the best idea to do the "eat and ride"....on a few of those rides, we felt a little like characters from The Sandlot...but luckily, we were all able to cope and continue having fun. By the way, there was NO ONE at the park that morning. Lines were nonexistent, and for 2 hours, we were able to ride whatever we wanted, as many times as we wanted. Well, that's not entirely true...only 2 of the 4 themed areas inside the park opened early for Disney hotel customers. The area that housed the roller-coaster "Big Thunder Mountain Railroad" was closed off until 10am, which is why we had to film the "big race" to the front of the line that morning. (check it out below)

(p.s. for any of you who don't know what happened to the kids in The Sandlot, feel free to Google it....but don't say I didn't warn you) 

VIDEO:
Trying to get to the front of the line.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-vq4c-LCBE
(Andreas, Colleen and I wanted to get on Thunder Mountain before everyone else...so we waited outside the ropes and then ran for our lives to the front of the line. Andreas is yelling "High-Heel-A-Thon" to me, because there were swarms of people pushing their way into the park that morning...and I was not going to lose the race to the front of the line.)

I didn't win the race...but I did manage to squeeze myself to the front of the line....which allowed me to save space for mom and Andreas. This is mom and I on the FIRST Thunder Mountain ride of the day! WINNING!!!!! ;-)

After Thunder Mountain! (btw, at this point in the day, we were the ONLY adults with no children!) Some might call us pathetic, sad...maybe even strange....we called ourselves "FREE - to ride the rides that make you wanna vomit as many times as you want"

  
It's the kids (the little kids) turn at Disney

Mickey Mouse making his first appearance of the day outside the castle!

The Disney Carousel....First Ride of the Day!

Sometimes I thought the bigger kids were having more fun than the little ones....mom, did you really need to jump on a horse....and wear the seat-belt?

Jens refused to ride, but the Carousel was a hit with Lisann!

Another hit of the day was Colleen....these two were best buddies all day! (as you can imagine, my mother loved it)

VIDEO:
Waiting to ride the Carousel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo-pM_dtkqw

VIDEO:
Carousel Ride
http://youtu.be/IFWSQajTjQo

Jens was nervous and a little scared of the characters and rides. Unfortunately, the Mickey on this sweater was the closest he got to that famous mouse all day.

Finding ways to have fun....while waiting in line!

Susanne and Lisann were a big hit singing songs while in line for the Disney Park train.

Character Sightings

That's not Johnny Depp....You are NOT Johnny Depp! Ok, fine....u kinda look like Jack Sparrow!

Minnie....Hello Minnie....she smiled at me! Then again, she never stopped smiling the entire time she was out there. I guess this is a true account of the saying, "If you keep smiling, your face will freeze like that."

Snow White Spotting(s)! Come on people, who makes a better Snow White.....Andreas' vote is for Klaus!

Thinking of you Hunter Buddy!

The Best Rides at Disney!!!!

VIDEO:
Jens & Andreas Dancing to the Tea Cups
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw-OP4q09zc

Klaus looks a little worried....

VIDEO:
Lisann & Susanne riding Dumbo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pcj-Ie7o-LU

Few people can say, "My mom got in a fight with another parent while waiting in line to ride Dumbo," but I can! It had been a long day, everyone was tired, but Colleen was on her toes. Let's just say, the fight involved a hot conversation about politics with a German-speaking brit...inappropriate given the location...and we did have to separate Colleen from her sparring partner...kinda funny. I was a little embarrassed, but on the inside, I was proud of my mom.

Lisann was nervous for about 10 seconds....then she loved the ride! Who doesn't love Dumbo?

Little Man, Jens was the official team cheerleader for the day! He would have played in the game....but someone had to cheer for the rest of the team! So, he gladly sat out and observed.

VIDEO:
Dancing at Disney (Jens showing off his mad dancing skills)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYVvsDenn2o

VIDEO:

It's a Small World (my mother insisted that everyone take a ride on It's a Small World - Lisann Loved it, Jens hated it!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8CNr_KSpBI

Her Royal Highness - Princess Lisann 

VIDEO:

Lunch Time, but Lisann in a different world....a Princess World!

http://youtu.be/b6oyNKzoz80

When she put that dress on she became a totally different person! Her shoulders were back, and instead of walking, she glided!

VIDEO:

How The Princess Glides Around Disney

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hd1OA9OqD2U

She really was a princess that day...it was so fun to watch her!

VIDEO:

The Princess Exits the Castle (the music playing in the background could not have been more perfect)

http://youtu.be/kG7ihLs0DL4

VIDEO:

Bye Bye Disney 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg_gIy90zbA

Breakfast with the Characters - 

A must-do in "Radermacher-Land" I mean Disneyland!

Lisann and her buddy waiting to meet some characters.

Goofy was a total hit at our table!

Lisann loved the characters, but she continued to remind us that they were just people dressed in costumes...I, for one, was comforted by this reminder.

Chip or Dale...which one are you?

Meg, we tried to get Lisann to punch Chip in the nose, but she kissed him instead!

The Main Event

M-I-C-K-E-Y   M-O-U-S-E

One of the BEST photos from our entire vacation! Disney really can be the happiest place on earth!

We had such an amazing time at Disney. If anything, the time was far too short. We will have to return one day when Jens is a little older, and more excited about the rides and characters. As always, it was great to see family, and it's always a treat when both of our families can see each other.

Now we will all head back into Paris for a day to see my father, and take a trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower (something only 1 of us have ever experienced before)!

We Have Gas

You are never too old for Disney...no matter how many Disney-parents look at you like you are! 

My mother, Andreas and I decided to forgo another day in Paris, and head to EuroDisney for a fun-filled afternoon at the park!  We decided to take the train (bc it was cheaper than a cab), which would have been easy....if we all understood the concept of traveling light! Just to give you an idea of what we were dealing with...here is our luggage count: 2 large travel backpacks, 1 medium camera bag, 2 small "carry-on" backpacks, 1 gigantic purse and 1 luggage bag, with wheels, that I'm sure members of the mob have used for transporting more than 1 dead body at a time.....All of this weighing in at close to 200lbs. We nearly died of heat exhaustion just getting to the train station.....We ate up six seats on the train....and even more dirty looks, as we sweated over our hoards of luggage during the 1-hour ride to Disney. The good news was that we all eventually made it to the hotel....bad news was we all wanted to take a nap instead of heading to the park...but the three of us rallied together, resisted the need for a siesta and headed in to Disney to ride some rides!!!
Regardless of the obstacles we encountered that day, and there were several....it was a fun and memorable experience. Even thinking about it now, as I write, makes me laugh.

The "Unofficial" Big Kid Holiday at Disney! 
After wringing out our sweaty clothes from the train ride, we all headed into the park for some junk food and fast rides! 

Mom and I in front of the Disney Hotel

VIDEO:
At Cinderella's Castle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElkSyy5GBcQ

Main Street was filled with people....Mom and I were on the hunt for a funnel cake!

Andreas was so excited, he was jumping up and down. I think he developed a small crush on Cinderella (I hear he has a thing for blondes)

VIDEO:
The Mine Mine Birds From 'Finding Nemo'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfwWsJS9b1I

First ride of the day....Pirates of the Caribbean. We all approached the line, and saw a sign stating that it was a 45 min wait. My mom and I felt lucky....ONLY 45min, we thought! However, Andreas, who has little Disney experience, was ready to throw in the towel in search for a shorter line....it took him a few hours, but he eventually learned that a 45 min wait was a "quick line."

Buzz....Love Buzz!

My nerdy, I mean wonderful Andreas was so excited to ride the Star Wars ride.

However, after we ate funnel cakes and rode the "vomit" rides....we stumbled upon the "art imitating life" sign. (For the record...it was my mom's sign...I just stood with her to make her feel better)

Heid-site
We had such a great day at the park! I have to say, some of the rides at Euro-Disneyland are way better than rides at Orlando's Disney Park. My only recommendation is to save the hot dog and funnel cake for after your "adult day" at the park.  ;-(
Now we look forward to getting over to the "Heid-site" (short for The Heid Family Camper Van Park) to see the family, and get in some much needed play time with Lisann and Jens!

VIDEO:
My Mother and her Kite!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GGvbbl_KAA

Andreas and I bought this kite inside a hutong in Beijing, China....My mother was determined to make it fly.....and fly it did....right into a tree! Fun OVER!

Andreas, Colleen and I were lucky enough to book a decent rate at one of the Disney Park Hotels. So, tomorrow morning, we self proclaimed "big kids" are heading into the park before it opens to the public (how cool is that....I'm so excited)....you know, to ride all of those amazing rides AGAIN.....and to take a few spins on the Tea Cups before the line is 6 hrs long. ;-)

We head in at 8am, and Andreas' family plans to meet us around 10am at the park entrance...ready for a fun filled day of Princesses, Dumbo, train rides, It's A Small World and last but not least...Tea Cups! Stay tuned for Princess Lisann...she will be making an appearance in my next post!

A ridiculous fit in Paris!

Bonjour

Let me see, how did this trip start out.....Oh yes, I remember. One morning, Andreas, my mother and I all boarded a very early flight from Zurich to Paris. Andreas thought it would be nice to trade seats with my mom so that her and I could sit together for the short flight to Paris. So, Andreas boarded the flight, and proceeded to my mother's seat....which was a few rows behind ours. My mother, of course, instead of saying thank you and sitting in his assigned seat, threw what one might call "a ridiculous fit," and insisted in sitting in her own seat. She was muttering something about how this was our vacation, and that she couldn't split us up. At this point we had been together for 2 1/2/ months....I don't think either one of us was going to cry over not sitting together for a 2 hour flight to Paris. So, my mom made her way back to her assigned seat, which forced Andreas to do the awkward walk "up stream" to his seat. Needless to say, I didn't get a 2 hr flight with "Happy Andi" next to me.
We only had a day in the city before heading out to EuroDisney....so we wanted to make the most of it! (Little did Andreas know that this meant shopping and eating ourselves to death!) ;-) My mom has been to Paris several times, but there are a few things she has never seen.... 1.) The Louvre, 2.) She has never been to the top of the Eiffel Tower & 3.) She has never had an amazing pastry. So, we set out to accomplish those tasks....with a few distractions along the way....

As you can see from this photo...we hadn't even made it to the Eiffel Tower yet....but had already stopped to buy something.....so many distractions!

The only thing we knew about the Arc de Triomphe was that the Champs-Elysees began there..SHOPPING TIME!!!

On the Way to the Louvre....there were a few distractions.

Mom - The only thing I can say about this photo is that you are the meanest person alive! ;-) (A hint: Her eagerness to take this photo had something to do with the socks-sandals wearing gentleman to her left.)

Sir, I'm pretty sure the Victoria Secret Catalog was invented so that you could steal it from your wife, and check out all the hot ladies inside....you took it too far when you ordered this sweatshirt!

Find my Andreas!

The Very Bad Trip 2 - Are you trying to tell me that the French don't have a word for Hangover???

After shopping, pastries and picture-taking....we had not yet made it to the Eiffel Tower......but we had finally made it all the way to the Louvre...

I made her take a photo inside the museum...because we got there too late, and did not have time to actually go inside. Sorry Mona Lisa, Colleen did not make you a priority today!

However, in my defense...this is the closest she has ever been to the Louvre....so I feel that this goal was accomplished!

A few Masterpieces from Andreas, the Great:

Yes, I too am one of his masterpieces..perhaps even in the running for the title of Prized Masterpiece

Delicious dinner at Antoine
We were able to reserve a table at this recommended restaurant for dinner one evening. It was nothing short of extraordinary. The food was amazing, the service was very hospitable (maybe one could say very UN-French) and the dessert was something I will remember forever! http://www.antoine-paris.fr/
I should also mention that we had a beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower from our table....just incredible, and worth every penny!

This was the last dessert item off of a tasting platter that was to die for....we loved everything we tried!

Now that we have successfully eaten ourselves to death, it's time to rest up for our train ride to EuroDisney in the morning! Cinderella, here we come!!!!!
 

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