Proving the Critics Wrong: WDW is for Toddlers! [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

dizziedupbaby0127

10-06-2011, 02:38 PM

Welcome to my September Report all about taking a toddler to WDW for 10 days! Please check out my Pre-trip report for background information.

Proving the Critics Wrong: Taking our 18 Month old to WDW for 10 Days! (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2717303)

A real quick review:
Me (25)- 4th Disney trip, 3rd onsite
DH (24)- 5th Disney Trip, 3rd onsite
DD (18 months)- 1st Disney Trip, 1st onsite

We went for a total of 10 days and 9 nights. We booked a room-only at Pop Century for Friday Sept 9th (after booking our package we added on a nite) and a package including Free Dining, upgraded to the Regular Dining Plan, and 8 Day Park Hopper Tix, also at Pop Century.

We planned a total of 9 TS meals, including 3 character meals. We also purchased OOP 2 resort refillable mugs. We purchased tickets to MNSSHP on Tuesday the 13th and added the Wishes Dessert Party on the 12th.

I want to start by doing a basic review and notes on the specific issues reguarding taking a toddler to WDW.

dizziedupbaby0127

10-06-2011, 02:50 PM

Check-in: Our flight was delayed in the air due to a storm, so we landed around 7 rather than 6pm. We made our way to magical express and with no line, were boarded to a bus that they grouped together with CB, Pop and AKL. We sat on ME for about 25 minutes before we left MCO. Our driver was great though, he gave us some Disney trivia to pass the time.

When we finally arrived at Pop there was only one person ahead of us in the check-in area. When it was our turn we proceeded to the desk and check-ed in. The CM checking us in, told us we had a king room in building 5, 2nd floor. I asked her if it had a tub or an accessible shower. She didn’t quite seem to understand. I tried for 2 more minutes to explain what I ment and finally she went and got the room assigner (who was standing right behind her) however the CM was nice during all this, just didn’t understand. The room assigner immediately got what I was asking, let us know it was a shower not a tub, and I explained the need for a tub and asked if we could be moved in the morning. She looked for a few minutes and told us she could move us in the AM and we would receive a text when our room was ready. She said we were moving up to the top floor, same building.

So we headed to the food court, ate dinner, and took dessert to our room.

By this time I believe it was around 9:30pm. I had asked the room assigner about having Bell services hold our luggage till the AM, when we switched rooms. She advised me not to do so, as it would be easier to have it all in one place for them to transfer to the new room. I was really concerned about what time the luggage would arrive, as I did not want them to wake DD. This however did not turn out to be a problem, as DD was still awake at about 10pm when they dropped off our luggage.:worship: (I am going to blame her being awake on that darn Tye-Dye Cheesecake! (I will review food later!)

justakrazymom

10-06-2011, 02:54 PM

I'm in!!!

dizziedupbaby0127

10-07-2011, 08:43 AM

I'm in!!!

Jambo! Thanks for joining!

dizziedupbaby0127

10-10-2011, 12:38 PM

Our first room was 5203, building 5 (60’s) second floor, with an accessible shower. Typical “value” accommodations (which we are more than happy with), I loved the area, just outside the kiddie pool, not a far walk from buses or food. The room had an updated hair dryer, however I forgot to take a picture of it. The room did have a fridge in it, according to the Pop FAQ thread this is because it was an accessible room. We had requested a pack n Play for DD and that was not in the room when we arrived. Since it was so late, we decided to just sleep with DD in bed with us and make sure we got one in the room the following day.

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/IMG_2771.jpg Our traditional first picture!

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/IMG_2772.jpg

dizziedupbaby0127

10-10-2011, 12:46 PM

We got to the front desk around 7am the following morning; there was no one else in line. We explained that we were checking out of our room only in for our package. They noted the change in rooms, asked how many bags we needed transferred to the new room, added a credit card onto our account for charging and they gave us our room keys/tickets and we were on our way. They explained we would receive a text message when our room was ready and the message would include our room number.

dizziedupbaby0127

10-10-2011, 06:14 PM

It was after 1pm when we finally got our text that our room was ready. Our second room was literally 2 floors up, 5403. The pack n play was in our room when we arrived, along with our luggage. This room was a partially accessible room. It did NOT come with a fridge. It had a tub with handrails and handrails near the toilet. Our view was great, again of the kiddie pool, and some of the lake. We did hear noise from the afternoon pool activities but not loud enough to bother us. Two nights we had some noisy neighbors on the other side of the connecting door but they quieted down as we were going to sleep. Our mousekeeper was Blanca, she was WONDERFUL! She left us some towel dogs, a towel swan, mickey head and arranged DD’s animals and toys in adorable poses throughout the week. DD was thrilled! Needless to say we did tip Blanca and gave her an extra tip on our last day for being so wonderful. Everytime she saw us, she would run to DD and call her “Mi Amour” or “My love”. We could not have picked a better room! All of my requests were met. The entire staff at Pop was wonderful.

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/IMG_20110910_183429.jpg Already in room when we arrived. (The pack n play was clean, a bit worn, but I used clorox wipes and wiped the entire thing down then we used our own pack n play sheet we brought from home in it)

Our Special Treats!
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/IMG_3085.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/IMG_3186.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/IMG_3188.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/IMG_3082.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/IMG_3355.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/IMG_3357.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/IMG_3404.jpg

Our View: (sorry I forgot to take day time pictures)
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/IMG_3035.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/IMG_3034.jpg

*I found it interesting and did not know until this trip, a staff member with towels came around the room and left towels and linens for the mousekeeper. We had entered our room in-between the two, after the man had left the linens and before Blanca had done her magic. I did not know this and for the record we did leave our cameras out and such in the room along with the mousekeeping enevelopes and nothing was touched by either CM.

The first night we had left a note for Blanca asking for extra towels and an extra large blanket, as DH kept throwing off the comforter and leaving just the blankets on the bed. She not only left a TON of towels but 2 extra blankets also. We continued to leave Blanca notes intermittently throughout the week saying “thank you” and letting her know how much DD enjoy her surprises.

dizziedupbaby0127

10-14-2011, 09:50 AM

We only swam in the Hippy Pool near our room, but the water was perfect temp. Never too crowded and what you would expect from a hotel pool. We tried morning swims, afternoon swims and late night swims. The sign on the life guard station said the pool hours were “24 hours”. DD was not thrilled with the spraying flowers, but loved walking around the ledge they have in the water. It was just deep enough that the water went up to her belly, so she could stand or sit and walk around with some freedom. One afternoon I did walk over and get a lava lamp from the pool bar. It was “OK” but for close to $10 I will pass next time. Sorry no picture, we didn’t bring our cameras to the pool and when I got back with my drink DD wanted me to come back into the pool, so I poured my drink into my refillable mug to keep it cold. They did remove the flower petals from the sprayers while we were there, but they were doing a lot of cleaning. They had closed the kiddie pool one morning for cleaning, but it opened later that afternoon. DD did try the kiddie pool but wasn’t thrilled. She was really too little to stand over the geysers and seemed to enjoy the regular pool, standing on the ledge more.

Overall I give the pool 2 :thumbsup2. It wasn't cold, we had 4 pool options, clean, easy access, plenty of chairs nearby and never too crowded!

mickeyplanner

10-14-2011, 10:00 AM

RooRach0906

10-14-2011, 10:47 AM

I'm in we just went 9/14-9/19 with our 16 month old DD. :goodvibes

AWilliams

10-14-2011, 10:54 AM

Both our girls first trips were before they were 2. I think 2-3 was actually the most magical year for our girls, but now that DD is 6 it's so different!

Can't wait to read more.

dizziedupbaby0127

10-15-2011, 10:36 AM

We took our DD for her first trip at 20 months, and we became hooked. Just seeing her little eyes light up over Mickey and Buzz had us sold. We headed back for her 5th trip next month and it will our DS first visit at 14 months old. You are never too young or old for Disney!!! I am subscribing to learn any pointers from your experience. Especially the Halloween Party because we are doing the Christmas party.

Welcome! Oh yes I have plenty of tips for the party!

I'm in we just went 9/14-9/19 with our 16 month old DD. :goodvibes

Welcome! Maybe we crossed paths :cool1:

Both our girls first trips were before they were 2. I think 2-3 was actually the most magical year for our girls, but now that DD is 6 it's so different!

Can't wait to read more.

Welcome! I can't wait to take DD back, I think 5/6 would be a great age, I think they would really have a good concept of things going on, but I bet they ask a lot of questions so being prepared for the "why doesn't mickey talk?" is a must!

dizziedupbaby0127

10-15-2011, 10:51 AM

Buses from Pop seemed to be right in the 20 minutes or less group. The only time we had a long wait was on our way back to Pop from MK one night. They had closed the monorail (not sure why, we were in the regular operating hours for MK) and were sending the parking lot people to buses. We waited for about 1.5 hours and then our bus driver decides to stop at the ttc to make sure no one got on the wrong bus. Nobody on that bus was very happy. Other than that, we didn’t have any transportation issues. The majority of the time people gave up their seats for mom’s carrying children. Most people were very polite; there were a few not so much… And I’ll be honest I really dislike those guys who sit there and make a mom carrying a child at 10pm on the way back to the resort stand. I would never let my older son or husband sit verses a mom with a child (just my personal opinion). However at night when we boarded a busy bus, we decided between 2 options, either DH took DD and I carried the stroller (ours stands on its own so I didn’t need to hold on to it very much and could hold on for myself) or we waited for the next bus to guarantee we got a seat. I don’t think many people realize that waiting is an option and rarely did we wait longer than 10 minutes for the second bus.

Stroller on buses: We didn’t have any problems with the stroller on the bus. We folded it up when we saw a bus coming, hopped on, if it wasn’t busy we just sat with the stroller in front of us, or along side of us, if it was busy, DH would hold the stroller in the back door area. We did see a few other parents (mostly with double strollers) having a hard time. We purchased one of those mesh stroller bags that hung on the back over the handles. It was great for carrying extra items (water, diapers, wipes and disposable bibs and changing pads) made it so much easier getting through security at the parks since they could see everything clearly and we didn’t have to take it off when we folded the stroller to get on the bus. The other stroller savior we used was an attachable cup/snack tray (there’s a picture in my pre-trip) we bought at ToysrUs for $10 twisted on and DD could access her drinks/snacks whenever she wanted!

*Note since the closure of the Monorail after parks hours, we found the bus lines to be MUCH worse. But I heard recently that they extended the Monorail hours back till close after hard ticket events, so evening EMH would be the only issue.

dizziedupbaby0127

10-16-2011, 12:30 PM

DD really went with the flow. If she was super tired she would fall asleep in the stroller. Most days we tried to head back for a nap and swim. That seemed to work well. But she also did fine with the stroller nap, typically followed by an early night. We did relax and enjoyed a slower pace than normal. She was always tired out by bed time, so no problems getting her to sleep, even in the pack n play.Most nights she was asleep on the bus on the way back and we carried her to the room and put her in bed.

While DD napped in the stroller, we would hit a shop and look around or do a few adult rides. We did Space Mt and Test Track this way. When DD woke up while one of us was on Space Mt. we let her play a few arcade games to keep her busy! Worked Great! It also provided air conditioner. At Test Track we browsed the cars while taking turns on the ride. The after ride stores are also great during rider-swap.

dizziedupbaby0127

10-16-2011, 12:31 PM

HUMID, HUMID, HUMID, We were prepared for the heat but the humidity was awful. We swam everyday but one. It tired us out more than normal. I can honestly say we will not be visiting in Sept or the hotter months again for many years, especially with a toddler. We tried to hit an A/C location every now and then, especially when DD was sleeping. We did bring 2 mini dollar store hand fans with us, one of which was on a long string (like for around your neck) so I rigged that to hang on the stroller pointed at DD. They did have neat clip-on mickey mouse stroller fans or about $15. Other than that, it only rained our last day at Epcot, we got drenched trying to get back to the bus to get to Pop for our ME time.

mickeyplanner

10-17-2011, 09:04 AM

I can't wait to hear all about the Party and any tips you can pass along.

Raspberry Bubbles

10-17-2011, 09:24 AM

I can't wait to hear all about it! I'll have two toddlers with me when I go, I cannot wait to collect tips from you!

dizziedupbaby0127

10-23-2011, 08:54 PM

I can't wait to hear all about the Party and any tips you can pass along.
Oh the party was a blast, lots of tips to come!:thumbsup2

I can't wait to hear all about it! I'll have two toddlers with me when I go, I cannot wait to collect tips from you!

Ohh double trouble! I think the toddler age is great because DD was still very content to spend a good amount of time in her stroller. She did walk a lot but was fine with riding when we needed her to!:goodvibes

dizziedupbaby0127

10-23-2011, 08:55 PM

Our flight from ALB to MCO took off at 3:15pm on Friday. We had only let DD nap for about 30-40 minutes that day in the car on the way to the airport. Our flight was delayed about 10 minutes and while we waited for the flight DD ran around the waiting area with DH, getting all that energy out. We boarded with the Family boarding, the gate agent told us we could take an extra seat for DD, since the plane was about half full, and about 30 minutes into the flight DD was asleep in her seat. DH held her during takeoff and landing and she laid between us in the seats while we flew, with the seat belt around her. She woke up just before landing and we had many compliments on how well behaved DD was and that you couldn’t even tell there was a baby on board!

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/IMG_20110909_160926.jpg
The flight home was scheduled for 7:25pm and we expected DD to sleep most of the way, as her usual bedtime is 8pm. This flight was a repeat of the first and went well also.

dizziedupbaby0127

10-23-2011, 09:01 PM

Toddler wait times: The only ride we waited for longer than 10 minutes was TSM. We couldn’t manage to get FPs for it and the wait time was 60 minutes. It took about 60 minutes on the dot, but DD did really good with the queue. I had a feeling that wasn’t going to be too bad because of all the themeing it kept her eyes busy.

Fastpass/Baby Swap: We didn’t end up using baby swap, we only used Fastpasses for Test Track. :confused3

Stroller Parking Areas: Most of the stroller parking was right near the rides, so I could relatively see the stroller. I think after the 2nd time leaving the stroller, I felt fine about it. I did see a few strollers like ours but not the same one. We did however have the stroller bag and cup holder attached, which made it easy to spot ours. We only left diapers, wipes and snacks in the stroller and took the cameras with us. But I wouldn’t worry about the stroller getting stolen.

Toddler rides like/dislike: The only rides DD wasn’t thrilled with were Pirates and Haunted mansion. We did not try the 3D shows, but DD loved the fantasyland rides and nemo and turtle talk.

dizziedupbaby0127

10-23-2011, 09:06 PM

I have to admit DH and I were very excited for DD’s first hair cut at the Harmony Barber Shop. Our ressie was for our first morning, Saturday at 11:00AM. The barber shop was packed when we checked in about 15 mins before our ressie the lady was polite but not very friendly. When dd was called the lady put the booster in the seat and went to put the cape on dd and dd freaked out. The lady tried to distract dd with a spinning lightup minnie mouse but it was too late, after about 2 minutes of dd fighting off the lady screaming amd crying the lady finally gives her mickey stickers... dd was so excited! why the heck she wouldn't give them to her first is beyond me. She finished the.cut, saved dds hair in a tissue for me (I brought my own sandwich biggie from home) gave dd her mickey ears and a certificate.

I don't think she did good job, maybe because dd was fighting her but she didn't seem to have a lot of experience with toddlers :-( At one point she almost got DD’s fingers with the scissors. I really hope that this was an “OFF” day for them at the shop. But I don’t see us returning. Over all it cost us $22.

NOTE: Make sure u ask for stickers from the start!

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/IMG_2976.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/IMG_2987.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/IMG_2993.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/IMG_2994.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/IMG_2999.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/IMG_3000.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/IMG_3005.jpg

mickeyplanner

10-24-2011, 10:20 AM

dizziedupbaby0127

10-24-2011, 12:28 PM

Thank you for posting about the Harmony Barber Shop with pictures. We are doing that for the first time with both of our kids. Would the let a child sit on a parent's lap for their first haircut? DS is only 13 months and I don't think he will sit on his own. Did they actually cover your DD face with the cape or did she do that herself? Do the mouse ears say anything special on them about being a first haircut? Can you take them to get their names put on them afterwards?

I am glad to see that you can do hair gel and glitter, our DD is really looking forward to that. We thought that would be a cheapier version of BBB. I am hoping to buy her a small tiara to have them add to her hair. Does anyone have any pointers how on to make the Barber Shop into a smaller BBB experience?

I don't know if they would let a child sit on a parents lap, I would be concerned that they would have a hard time cutting the back of the childs hair. But it doesn't hurt to ask.

DD pulled the cape up trying to cover her face!:rotfl: Not the lady cutting her hair!

The ears say "First Haircut"
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/IMAG0485.jpg

I have read on other threads you can have them add the name later, but we did not.

I think the glitter and gel is a cute idea! Hopefully you will have better luck than us. Remember to ask for stickers right away!

mickeyplanner

10-24-2011, 12:43 PM

dizziedupbaby0127

10-28-2011, 03:18 PM

That is too cute, that it reads "First Haircut" on the back of the ears. Thank you so much for posting.

I can't wait to hear about the Halloween Party. I hope you post some tips before we leave in 16 days!!!:santa:

I'm trying to get the MNSSHP done for you! Almost there, hopefully it will be posted this weekend!

How exciting yout that close! I am totally having withdrawal! I know it will be some time before we get to go back!

heatherkali

10-28-2011, 03:46 PM

mickeyplanner

10-28-2011, 08:43 PM

yes they do let your child sit on your lap and my DS 18months got a GREAT first haircut this way!! Both my sons got their hair cut last week and it was wonderful!!

You were at wdw last week? Have any pics of their haircuts?

mickeyplanner

10-28-2011, 08:44 PM

I'm trying to get the MNSSHP done for you! Almost there, hopefully it will be posted this weekend!

How exciting yout that close! I am totally having withdrawal! I know it will be some time before we get to go back!

Yes we are excited for our grand gathering to celebrate DD birthday. I am looking forward to reading your tips

merbobear

10-28-2011, 09:53 PM

I am following along!

I live in Albany also...small world!

We did the 1st hair cut for my dd in May (she was 3, though). She liked the stickers, but actually she really loved the spinning Minnie a lot more (so much so that I bought her one to bring home as well!). I think it's great that they do what they can to entertain the children getting their hair cut..Personally I wouldn't be disappointed in which toy or distraction they went to first, some kids will gravitate toward the stickers and some will gravitate toward the toy...The stylist can't win 'em all! Overall, I think the 1st hair cut is a fantastic deal. Around $20 for a hair cut, the bravery certificate, pixie dust, and ears!!

dizziedupbaby0127

10-30-2011, 07:59 PM

Here we go the famous Mickey's Not So Scarey Halloween Party review!

During the week we were at WDW there were 2 MNSSHP going on. We decided to attend the first party on Sept 13th. We purchased our tickets with a gift card, which by the way, you need to call to use, they will not allow you to use a gift card online to purchase the tickets.

Tuesday morning we had breakfast at Chef Mickeys then headed back to the hotel for a swim. We headed to the park around 4pm. It was about 5pm when we arrived. We entered in a specific turn style for the party. We immediately saw a photopass girl in front of the “let the memories begin” sign. We made a pit stop on Main Street to get a castle picture and ta-da DD decided she wanted to do the Tinkerbell magic shot! We had been trying for the 3 previous days to get her to put her hands together for the shot and no luck! NOW, finally she did it. We grabbed the Photopass girl and got some amazing magic shots!

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/Photo0317FourBySix.jpg

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/Photo0330FourBySix.jpg

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/Photo0337FiveBySeven.jpg

Then Finally...
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/Photo0341FourBySix.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/Photo0349FourBySix.jpg

Con't

dizziedupbaby0127

10-30-2011, 08:03 PM

We were hungry so we headed back to Colombia Harbour House, much to our dismay it was closed. I think they must close early, 4pm maybe. We always seem to miss this place and we really want to try it. Since we had Pecos the other day, we headed to cosmic rays. It was AWEFUL! This was the second time we tried eating here and NEVER AGAIN. After we ate it was almost 7, so we decided to try and find Pluto in tomorrowland, no luck, I’m not sure he was out this year. We checked for characters in fantasyland and were given “misinformation” we were told there were not going to be ANY characters in Fantasyland and that the map was wrong. Later-on we did find character’s in fantasy land (the mad hatter and tweetle dee and dum and Alice were all near the tea party). We decided to head over to meet Jafar. After Jafar, the villains left to get ready for their show. We headed over to watch and we found a great spot, it was on the partners circle side, across from the bridge to liberty square. We stayed and watched the parade from here. We had the perfect view of the Headless Horseman and the Grave Diggers! (I won’t spoil it for anyone, but when the grave diggers come, keep your eyes on them!) I missed the best part 2x’s!

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/Photo0366FourBySix.jpg

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/Photo0354FourBySix.jpg

After the parade we scooted over to adventureland and spotted Donald and Daisy. So we got pictures with them. It seemed like time was flying by, so we headed back to catch the fireworks. I was determinded to have a Mickey Ghost popcorn bucket, so we headed over to the cart on the Tomorrowland side of the partners circle. The bucket, filled was $12. It is currently on display with my Halloween Decorations! It took us a while in line, getting the bucket and Hallowishes was about to start. So we just watched from in front of the stand. It actually was a great spot. We really enjoyed the fireworks. DD wasn’t fond of the loud noise but she just snuggled up to DH and she was ok with that. DH and I both agree that Hallowishes is our favorite firework show ever!

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/Photo0369FourBySix.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/Photo0372FourBySix.jpg

After the show we headed to get my magic shots. We headed over to liberty square and right next to the liberty boat we found the hitch-hiking ghosts. There were only 2 groups ahead of us. We then headed over to the Haunted Mansion to get the ghost driver magic shot. We waited a bit longer here. Maybe 10 minutes. We then headed back around to fantasyland, where we spotted Cinderella’s Coach. We got our pictures here, I must say the photopass people here were not very attentive. They kept talking amongst themselves and basically ignored us. Almost every shot they did was blurry. I was very displeased with this experience.

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/Photo0382FourBySix.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/Photo0384FourBySix.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/Photo0389FourBySix.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/Photo0393FourBySix.jpg
Each of the above had 2 different poses they had us do.

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/Photo0397FourBySix.jpg

Con't

dizziedupbaby0127

10-30-2011, 08:09 PM

We then headed over to the other side of Fantasyland and saw the Mad Hatter. DD did not like him. We made our way to the Tomorrowland Dance party with Chip and Dale and Goofy. I really felt DD was too little for this. The older kids (4 and up) were crowding the place and the characters completely ignored DD. I can’t remember which one, but either Chip or Dale almost stepped on DD, DH had to pull her out of the way. I think this is neat for older children, but I would stay away with toddlers. After leaving the dance party disappointed, we headed up to the Mickey Meet & Greet. We got stuck in the second parade crowd and watched a bit, this is where I missed the grave-diggers for the second time! Shame on me! We were right next to the ice cream place on the corner. When we made our way to the meet & greet, Mickey and Minnie had no line. We were asked to hang on a moment, (the mice were indisposed aka out of costume) and then were led in. DD had a blast, she must have spent a good 15 minutes in there with Mickey and Minnie! ***so here is my VIP note, hit the mickey and Minnie greet during the second parade! I wish we had decided to do the princess meet & greet also, but we skipped it. When we headed out of the M&M greet, we saw the pumpkin photopass on the flag circle, so we headed there. Behind us were Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eyeore, but they were heading inside, so we decide to hit the store and wait for them.

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/Photo0410FourBySix.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/Photo0414FourBySix.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/Photo0419FourBySix.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/Photo0423FourBySix.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/Photo0431FourBySix.jpg

Con't

dizziedupbaby0127

10-30-2011, 08:14 PM

I got very distracted in the store and since the parade had just ended it was getting crowded, I got my MNSSHP pins, checked-out and we headed to see Pooh. As we were getting in the line the CM told us that the line was closed. I was very upset it was 11:30PM on the dot! If the party ran until Midnight, why would they end the characters at 11:30pm? So I went to guest services to let them know how I felt, I’ll be honest here, I was really just looking for them to make an exception and let us in line. The guy working had no clue what was going on! He said they would be coming back out after and I questioned this based on time and he said he wasn’t sure. I then asked to speak to a manager. The manager was back to the left on his cell phone, he looked annoyed when the CM interrupted him. He harshly hung up and huffed over to the counted. I explained why I was upset and how I felt about the time (I was actually very polite) and hoping he would just walk us over and let us in line. Well… he didn’t. He rudely told me they end at 11:30pm it states so on the party guide (map) and that was that. I was a bit floored, he didn’t apologize, he wasn’t empathetic or anything. **now here is where I made my first mistake, we just walked out. I never got his name. I was just so upset, I really wanted to get pictures of Pooh and Tigger in the costumes, it was on our MUST-DO list and we missed it. (Now, I know it was our fault, but the fact that the manager was just so rude about it and didn’t even try to make us feel better, just put me over the edge). After spending over $100 on tickets and $3000 on our vacation, I left the MK that night actually in tears. So if you were there and saw a blubbering fool, on the bench outside the MK on Tues the 13th it was ME! :rolleyes1

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/Photo0446FourBySix.jpg

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j93/dizziedupbaby0127/WDW%202011/Photo0451FourBySix.jpg
You can see DD has her hands in the Tinkerbell pose here!

Next up: MNSSHP quick tips!

dizziedupbaby0127

10-30-2011, 08:21 PM

So that’s our MNSSHP story. Here’s a real quick tips list based on our experience.

1-If you have the choice don’t attend the first party (the cm’s don’t have a clue on how things are going to run)
2-The characters (all characters) end at 11:30PM so get in line early and don’t expect the lines to be open at 11:29:59PM!
3- Arrive early and get dinner out of the way so you can start the party off fresh at 7
4-Hit Mickey and Minnie M&G during second parade!
5-Don’t miss those darn Grave-diggers!
6-Shop for special MNSSHP merchandise AFTER you have done everything! So wait till 11:30 or so!
7-We did hit a few trick or treat line while passing through, we did all get a bag, but we didn’t focus on treats. The treats weren’t great so I really would just hit this while walking through.
8-Don’t waste time at the dance party with toddlers
9-Oh and with toddlers, be prepared for CM’s to not want to give you candy. We ran into a few CM’s (ones during the parade and on our way out of MK) that refused to give us candy for DD. The parade people (3 actually) looked at us, gave the child next to me candy and kept walking, the second I held out my hand and again was ignored. And I have no doubt that they could tell I was with DD, so it wasn’t like they were refusing to give an adult candy.
10-All of the characters we saw had a photopass person with them
11-They will not do the magic shots at night, with the exception of the Ghosts and Haunted Mansion Buggy.

Over all we really did enjoy this event, I only wish we hadn't gone to the very first party so we would have had better guidence from CM's and the DIS on what to do and where to go. I also wish the party was longer! It just wasn't enough time to do everything we wanted to do. But we enjoyed it, would do it again and do recommend! Just include a good touring plan!:thumbsup2

dizziedupbaby0127

10-30-2011, 08:30 PM

yes they do let your child sit on your lap and my DS 18months got a GREAT first haircut this way!! Both my sons got their hair cut last week and it was wonderful!!

Thanks for letting us know your expirence! I would just keep in mind that it might be the discrestion of the barber, whether or not they feel comfortable cutting a childs hair while on an adult lap.

I am following along!

I live in Albany also...small world!

We did the 1st hair cut for my dd in May (she was 3, though). She liked the stickers, but actually she really loved the spinning Minnie a lot more (so much so that I bought her one to bring home as well!). I think it's great that they do what they can to entertain the children getting their hair cut..Personally I wouldn't be disappointed in which toy or distraction they went to first, some kids will gravitate toward the stickers and some will gravitate toward the toy...The stylist can't win 'em all! Overall, I think the 1st hair cut is a fantastic deal. Around $20 for a hair cut, the bravery certificate, pixie dust, and ears!!

Welcome!:goodvibes I'm actually a bit north near Lake George! So neat to meet a local! So glad your DD had a great expirence. I think if DD was a bit older she would have done fine. I really think there were a bunch of different factors on why DD got upset and it wasn't the stylist's fault. I agree with the great deal! It was close to the price as the normal ears and these were more special, even with the tears! :)

jp'smommy

10-31-2011, 11:20 AM

jp'smommy

10-31-2011, 11:28 AM

Our HBS experience was surprisingly great. It was crowded when we got there. Michael was just finished with someone and DH went up to him to tell him we needed to check in and he took us right away! we sat DS up on the chair and he started putting stickers on him and he was good to go. It was like he was in a trance! It took all of 10 minutes and we were done. We were very pleased.
I just love your pics from the MNSSHP! She is just adorable. She looks like she loved the characters as much as my ds!

mickeyplanner

10-31-2011, 01:15 PM

Thank you so much for posting about the party. All of your tips were very informative especially knowing that photopass photographers are out in full swing. I adore the pictures of your family with Tink, especially the one were your DD is pointing and you are looking at Tink. Now I can't wait to see what special things they have for the christmas party like they did with the ghosts/grave diggers.:santa:

lbuzz52

10-31-2011, 02:13 PM

I think that may be the cutest Tink magic shot ever!

I know what you mean about toddlers and candy. when we do trunk or treats here they always look at ds and give him maybe one lollipop. the big kids get handfuls of whatever. It doesn't matter, beceuse we just mix all the candy together, but its interesting

dizziedupbaby0127

11-24-2011, 08:46 AM

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope everyone enjoys their weekend!

I know it's been a while, life has been crazy, getting sick, work and getting ready for the holidays. I promise I will be back with our food reviews and pics! I hope everyones trips have been magical! :goodvibes

mrtoffee

11-24-2011, 10:23 AM

Loving your trip report :cool1:, like you were took our toddlers to Disney back in February and had the best holiday ever. Weve just booked to go back in November next year :) cant wait.

FiveBoys

11-25-2011, 12:38 PM

I'm really enjoying your TR!
I'm a fan of taking little ones to Disney. Our twins were 18 mos on our very first trip to WDW. Our littlest was only a couple days old on his first trip to DL with our annual passes, and since we moved to WI and I can't live without Disney, we're planning a spring trip to WDW when the littlest will be 20 mos!
I'm hoping to do the first haircut at MK, too, I'll be sure and ask about the stickers!

zuzu310

12-30-2011, 12:41 PM

I hope you finish your trip report! It has been so valuable to me as we are taking our son next year when he is 17 months old. Right now he is only 9 months old so I have all of the same questions you did-like what he will eat, will he sleep in a pack n play, etc. It's just so unknown territory to know how he will differ in 8 months. So I am eating up all of your tips. Thanks!

dizziedupbaby0127

01-04-2012, 11:53 AM

Happy new year everyone! My resolution is to finish my trip report! Those darn holidays, but now I'm back at work so I should have some time to work on the report! Thank you all for sticking with me!

dizziedupbaby0127

01-08-2012, 06:43 PM

On the night we had our Fantasmic Dinner Package (Saturday), DD was so tired by the time we left the restaurant, well we were all tired, we decided to skip the show. I had mentioned to DH that I wish we could change our night, because I didn’t think we were going to make it back to see Fantasmic especially with the waiting. He convinced me to at least try stopping into Guest Services in DHS and see if they could do anything. On our way out, we stopped in and waited a few minutes till Chris called us over to him. He was WONDERFUL! He was from Virginia Tech and by far one of the best CM’s we met! We explained we had the package but our little one would simply not make it that night and was wondering if there was any way we could change the date. He replied with “of course, you paid for the package and show, so you should get it.” He took down our information and told us we could stop back in, whichever day we decided and pick up a voucher to get into the show.

We ended up making it back to DHS on Thursday Night, on our way in, we stopped into Guest Services and explained the situation to a girl (I don’t remember her name) she took my id, went out back and came back with our voucher. It was a different color than the original one. We made our way back to the dinner package entrance. It was up the walk way to the Tower of Terror and around the corner to the right. They had a small snack cart there, that I walked by thinking I wanted to grab something from, but didn’t. We got to the ticket taker CM, two jolly older gentlemen. When we handed them the voucher, they yelled into the crowd “Ladies and Gentlemen we have our first (I can’t remember if it was green or yellow) ticket of the night! They then proceeded to hand us 3 fastpasses to TOT. We said “thank you” but explained we wouldn’t be able to use them and continued on.
We were taken down some back paths and came out on the far right of the theater (facing the stage) but we were allowed into about 2/3 different sections. We found a good seat (we stayed towards the back in case we needed a quick exit). DD entertained the crowd around us, while DH went for snacks. He returned after 30 minutes, he said it was PACKED and they only had a frozen strawberry Lemonade and Popcorn! Now this is where I was extremely disappointed I passed on that snack cart as we entered! So here’s a note **Get snacks before you enter Fantasmic!

I think we had gotten in line about 45 minutes before the show, because DH had just gotten back and they started diming the lights. DD was tired but she snuggled with DH and watched, she seemed rather indifferent about the show, but I think she liked seeing the characters. She did not fall asleep though! After the show we waited out the crowd on Hollywood BLV. About 30 minutes and headed out, the line for Pop was SO LONG! I think it took 3 buses to get to where we were and they were slow coming. We had an early morning at AK and we were super tired.

dizziedupbaby0127

01-08-2012, 07:06 PM

Friday the 16th was an early morning. We had an 8:00AM breakfast at Tusker House. We rolled out of bed, got our coffee, hit the bus and were at the AK gate around 7:40 AM. The security guard said someone would be down shorts to check us in and open the gates. We ended up being the first to enter and proceeded to Tusker House. We were first in line again and Donald was just arriving. DD got an extra few moments with Donald before they got our picture (we asked them to take one with our camera also and they did). We were seated and told how everything worked and that it would be a little while before the characters came around. DD loved the characters. A few of them seemed to stop and really take time with DD, while a few others just kind of flew by. Goofy in particular seemed to really enjoy DD and spent a while with her. I can’t say this would be a breakfast we did again. We didn’t seem to have any problems meeting the same characters, in the same clothing in Camp Mickey and Minnie. And while the food was good, DH and I didn’t think it was anything special.

After breakfast we shot out to the safari, we were the second family to enter the queue. We saw a ton of animals! I really recommend getting on the safari first thing in the AM. We rode the train over to Rafiki’s Planet Watch and spent a while in there looking around, but not much for toddlers. So we left and headed to Find Nemo! About 5 minutes in DD fell asleep, DH and I finished the show and we headed back to Pop for a nap.

When we woke up I was not feeling good at all. I think the heat and lack of sleep really caught up to me. I don’t really remember what we did, I assume we hit the pool for a bit. We had dinner ADR’s at Whispering Canyon at 6:30PM. Around 5 we took a bus to the MK and rode the boat over to WL. We made our way to WCC, we were a bit early and stopped to talk to a DVC CM. I have been working on DH for a few years, that someday we will be DVC. Well, after talking to the CM, DH is sold! The ability to spend the points on other locations besides WDW is the seller! The cruise and DL and such. So someday we will be DVC!
I still wasn’t feeling well, but we checked-in and waited only a few minutes. We were seated and both ordered the skillets and chocolate milkshakes. Thank goodness for the Milkshake, it was DELICIOUS! I barely ate anything, but I did manage to drink 2 shakes and get harassed by our waiter. After dinner, we went into the gift shop and grabbed some medicine for me to take. DH really wanted to run back to DTD to grab something (I forgot what) that he had passed up the other night, so I sucked it up and we hit DTD for a few. We weren’t there long and headed back to Pop and bed.

I can still taste those milkshakes! YUMMY! I'll take one right now please! :thumbsup2

francis6306

01-08-2012, 08:07 PM

How fun! We took our 2.5 year old last year and everyone said that it was a mistake, that she wouldn't remember. Well, I'm 30 and I can barely remember the trip I took with the band when I was 17- so who cares? But they were wrong! It's been a year and my DD can STILL tell you about WDW! I can't wait to take her back and have her get to introduce her little sister to the "World!"

We did the Harmony Barber shop and we got the guy that has been there forever. He was amazing!! I'm sorry you got a dud!:sad1: I hope to get him the next time- in fact, I'll probably request him if he is there!

And I think Tusker House was amazing- BUT the best part is that you are RIGHT THERE for the safari!!! :goodvibes