A Tale of WDW in the "Terrible 2s" - Days 3 & 4 Completed =)

What a truly magical day you had for your first day! The CBR looks lovely - the Nemo bedspreads were perfect after Gabe seeing the video for the first time. My grandson is turning 2 next month and he has been going through biting and pinching (it started when he was taking his meds for an inner infection and on rare occasions now he does it when he's tired or cranky). I can sympathize with you with Gabe and was worried when you mentioned he was back to his "terrible 2's" behavior right before the trip. But the first day seemed to be great for all of you! He is an absolute doll :love:
 
I am so happy that you enjoyed your first day. Its so awesome when everything goes so right. That stinks you didnt get to see the headless horseman that was my favorite part too. The parade I would agree is worth the money for the tickets. I thought the whole party was just so awesome. Yeah for gabe riding barnstormer and liking it. How exciting. Cant wait to hear more.
 
:cool1: It is so exciting that you get to go back so soon! Love the pics of Gabe with the fireworks....he looks super excited!

I know - I am so excited! Only a little over 2 months and we'll be there. :goodvibes

I'm glad to hear that your first day was so successful! I'm sorry to hear you got a lame waiter at LTT, a good waiter can make Disney dining even more magical. I'm with you too about not going back until the bring back the characters, it just isn't the same :sad2: Its also really great that you were able to ride so many rides in Fantasyland with low wait times. DH and I have found that going to the MK in the late afternoon when there is a hard ticket event is a great time to hit up the rides with little to no waits. We'll park hop over there just for a few hours because you can get so much done in that window between when most of the day guests leave and the party guest haven't arrived yet.

Yay for Gabe being brave in the HM and the Barnstormer! You are definitely raising him right, as a true Disney fan! :) I'm also happy to hear that the rain didn't get too bad, a soggy party is no fun! Its too bad that the Headless Horseman couldn't make it, but it looks like you guys had a great time and that the party wasn't that crowded!

Awesome that Gabe's first fireworks were Hallowishes, the only problem now is that he is going to have a hard time finding a better fireworks show! Fireworks are one of my favorite parts of Disney, and I hope my little pirate enjoys them as much as Gabe did. The pictures were totally priceless, he is such a sweetheart!

Thank you! He really is special even when he's being naughty. :laughing: You are going to love having a little boy!

What a truly magical day you had for your first day! The CBR looks lovely - the Nemo bedspreads were perfect after Gabe seeing the video for the first time. My grandson is turning 2 next month and he has been going through biting and pinching (it started when he was taking his meds for an inner infection and on rare occasions now he does it when he's tired or cranky). I can sympathize with you with Gabe and was worried when you mentioned he was back to his "terrible 2's" behavior right before the trip. But the first day seemed to be great for all of you! He is an absolute doll :love:

Thank you! Yeah having Gabe watch Nemo right before the hotel was perfect and the funny part is I totally forgot about the Nemo rooms so it was a nice surprise. :laughing: I'm sorry your DGS is struggling with biting and pinching. :hug: Gabe's thing is throwing stuff when he's mad - it is definitely not good. At that age it's just hard for them to express their emotions. I understand it but it doesn't make it any easier to deal with. :rolleyes1

I am so happy that you enjoyed your first day. Its so awesome when everything goes so right. That stinks you didnt get to see the headless horseman that was my favorite part too. The parade I would agree is worth the money for the tickets. I thought the whole party was just so awesome. Yeah for gabe riding barnstormer and liking it. How exciting. Cant wait to hear more.

Hey!! Have you started your TR yet? I am so behind in my Dis'ing. I can't wait to hear all about your trip too. :goodvibes

Sorry for no updates the last few days - it has been crazy busy here. I am really hoping to get another update up by tonight. Here's a little preview though - Day 2 was our really rough day - lots of tantrums and tears...and the tears were from me....:rolleyes1
 
I know - I am so excited! Only a little over 2 months and we'll be there. :goodvibes



Thank you! He really is special even when he's being naughty. :laughing: You are going to love having a little boy!



Thank you! Yeah having Gabe watch Nemo right before the hotel was perfect and the funny part is I totally forgot about the Nemo rooms so it was a nice surprise. :laughing: I'm sorry your DGS is struggling with biting and pinching. :hug: Gabe's thing is throwing stuff when he's mad - it is definitely not good. At that age it's just hard for them to express their emotions. I understand it but it doesn't make it any easier to deal with. :rolleyes1



Hey!! Have you started your TR yet? I am so behind in my Dis'ing. I can't wait to hear all about your trip too. :goodvibes

Sorry for no updates the last few days - it has been crazy busy here. I am really hoping to get another update up by tonight. Here's a little preview though - Day 2 was our really rough day - lots of tantrums and tears...and the tears were from me....:rolleyes1

I did start my report the link is in my signature. Yes I have been so busy too so I have been slow on doing the report. I have the pre-travel and day one completed. Check it out when you have some down time. Oh yes tantrums with children often lead me to tears too. I am looking forward to reading.
 


Sorry for no updates the last few days - it has been crazy busy here. I am really hoping to get another update up by tonight. Here's a little preview though - Day 2 was our really rough day - lots of tantrums and tears...and the tears were from me....:rolleyes1
Yikes... I hope it wasn't too bad...
 
I did start my report the link is in my signature. Yes I have been so busy too so I have been slow on doing the report. I have the pre-travel and day one completed. Check it out when you have some down time. Oh yes tantrums with children often lead me to tears too. I am looking forward to reading.

I am going to check it out as soon as I am done with my update. :goodvibes

Yikes... I hope it wasn't too bad...

No, not too bad - I think I was just having a drama queen moment. :laughing:

Update coming soon!
 
Day 2
We decided to meet for breakfast at 8:30 so after a relatively good night of sleep we were up at about 7:45 and on the way to the food court at CBR right before 8:30. We found the food court to be pleasant in the morning, except on Friday when it was WAY busier.

The food court:

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My boy at breakfast. He was excited.

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Every morning we had to stop on the bridge at CBR and feed the turtles:

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Here's a picture I took of the Jamaica section where we stayed on our walk back from breakfast:

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Today was our Epcot day. I love Epcot and I still hadn't seen the updated Spaceship Earth so I was very excited for this day.

The first thing we did when got to Epcot was go to Guest Services to upgrade our one day tickets to Annual Passes. :woohoo: The woman who helped us must have been new because it took FOREVER and then when she was all done she told us our meal plan might not work on our KTTW now. Yikes! That made me very nervous obviously.....

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Annual passes in hand we headed to Spaceship Earth which was a walk on. :banana: We all loved the ride - even Gabe. I thought the updates were great. I guess during the end part they showed Gabe riding a bike which he was excited about. I wish my mom had taken a picture - oh well.

After S:E we headed to The Seas:

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This ride was a walk on too and soon we were on the lookout for Nemo.

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After the ride we had about 20 minutes until the next Turtle Talk show so we checked out all the tanks. Gabe really loves seeing all the fish so we had a nice time.

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I love the Bruce photo op - so funny!

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Next up was Turtle Talk:

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Checking out the sting rays:

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My dad and I:

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While we were waiting for the show was when the day started to go all wrong. My mom gave Gabe candy corn. I don't know about other kids, but when Gabe has candy on an empty stomach it hits his system like a sledge hammer and he goes nuts. :sad2:

Soon we were ushered into the theater and got seats in the front row and Gabe right on the floor right in front of us. Not 5 minutes into the show he lost it - total screaming meltdown. It was awful! I immediately got up to get him out of there and I couldn't find my way out - I was wandering around near the back doors and didn't know where to go and NO ONE helped me. There was no CM in sight anywhere. :sad2: Finally another guest showed me where to go and we were out of there, but it literally took at least 5 minutes. I really do not appreciate the fact that a CM didn't come over to help. That still makes me a little angry when I think about it. There I am standing holding a flailing, angry toddler and the CMs just disappear. Sheesh! :guilty:

After we left the theater Gabe calmed down and we looked at the tanks while we waited for the rest of the family to finish with the show.

After we were reunited I said it was time for lunch. I knew Gabe needed solid food in his stomach to help him feel better. My mom felt bad about the candy incident and promised not to do it again.

We headed over the Sunshine Seasons for lunch and I got my food and drink and dessert and headed to the registers.....at this point I was very nervous. Remember the CM said our meal plans might not work on KTTW anymore.....so I handed my card to the cashier and Viola - it was fine. Thank goodness!!! I don't think I could have handled any more drama at that point. :laughing:

Lunch was tasty and we all enjoyed it. I had the turkey sandwich:

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Everyone else had asian noodle dishes:

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My boy eating a noodle:

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Sunshine seasons is a great deal for CS. We all really enjoyed it and the desserts were fantastic. :lovestruc
 




Annual passes in hand we headed to Spaceship Earth which was a walk on. :banana: We all loved the ride - even Gabe. I thought the updates were great. I guess during the end part they showed Gabe riding a bike which he was excited about. I wish my mom had taken a picture - oh well.


Awww, our Gabriel love SE too!

We had never been inside the "Big Ball" as Gabriel calls it. He loved it and we had to ride three times:sad2: I spent the next two times looking for hidden mickeys WHICH I FOUND TWO!

Every year we get to add something new. It's a good place to cool down that's for sure!

Gabriel now thinks SPACE is inside the "Big Ball":goodvibes

Sorry about the meltdown incident.....that is how I felt when Gabriel was getting ready to chum at the top of Astro Orbiter! The CM wouldn't help me at all. Thank goodness he didn't spew!:mad:
 
Awww, our Gabriel love SE too!

We had never been inside the "Big Ball" as Gabriel calls it. He loved it and we had to ride three times:sad2: I spent the next two times looking for hidden mickeys WHICH I FOUND TWO!

Every year we get to add something new. It's a good place to cool down that's for sure!

Gabriel now thinks SPACE is inside the "Big Ball":goodvibes

Sorry about the meltdown incident.....that is how I felt when Gabriel was getting ready to chum at the top of Astro Orbiter! The CM wouldn't help me at all. Thank goodness he didn't spew!:mad:

We call it the Big Ball too. :laughing:

Little update coming soon! :goodvibes
 
After our lunch at Sunshine Seasons we decided to head back to CBR to swim again. Luckily I remembered my camera this time and got lots of pictures. :cutie:

Gabe absolutely LOVED the kiddy pool area at CBR. That alone would have made this resort a huge hit for us. He was so happy there:

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On the big slide with PopPop:

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On the big slide with daddy:

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Hanging with daddy in the pool:

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Riding the big slide by himself:

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In the kiddy play area:

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He played with a little girl who looked about 5 for a long time. She was so sweet to him:

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He rode all the slides in the kiddy area over and over:

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We stayed at the pool for probably an hour and a half or so and had a really nice time. After our pool time we put Gabe down for a nap and relaxed before returning to Epcot that night.
 
Joining in! My DD2 will be just 3 when we go, but I know that terrible 3's can be worse! :scared1: I love the photos of your son with his grandparents. Mine were Mimi and Poppop too, and I have great memories of going to Disney with them as a kid.:) Thanks for helping me remember!
 
Sounds like he's gonna be a WATERPARK fan!!:goodvibes

Definitely! I need to get in shape ASAP. :laughing:

Joining in! My DD2 will be just 3 when we go, but I know that terrible 3's can be worse! :scared1: I love the photos of your son with his grandparents. Mine were Mimi and Poppop too, and I have great memories of going to Disney with them as a kid.:) Thanks for helping me remember!

Welcome!!! I'm so glad you've joined! The terrible 2's and 3's are rough aren't they? What a battle of wills. :rotfl: That is so neat that your grandparents were Mimi and Poppop too. :goodvibes
 
the swimming pool looks like so much fun. I would stay there just for that. How horrible that no one helped you during turtle talk. Cant wait to hear how your night at epcot went.
 
Subbing! I love TRs with 2 year olds! I have 2 year old twins and I really wanted to take them this year...but alas...the Army will be calling in May, so I was asked to wait until he returnes from deployment. (Apparently...like...seeing his family in N.Y. before he's defloyed for the first time is more important than Disney...OOOOOKAY...:lmao: Totally joking)

Your son is too cute. You 2 favorite pics of him are mine as well. Sometimes it can be very hard to capture a child's true, pure, emotion in a picture. But all you see in those is 100% joy.:lovestruc
 
the swimming pool looks like so much fun. I would stay there just for that. How horrible that no one helped you during turtle talk. Cant wait to hear how your night at epcot went.

The pool at CBR is amazing - we loved it. :goodvibes The incident at Turtle Talk probably wasn't as bad as it seemed to me, but you know how it is at that moment when your child is melting down - so stressful!

Subbing! I love TRs with 2 year olds! I have 2 year old twins and I really wanted to take them this year...but alas...the Army will be calling in May, so I was asked to wait until he returnes from deployment. (Apparently...like...seeing his family in N.Y. before he's defloyed for the first time is more important than Disney...OOOOOKAY...:lmao: Totally joking)

Your son is too cute. You 2 favorite pics of him are mine as well. Sometimes it can be very hard to capture a child's true, pure, emotion in a picture. But all you see in those is 100% joy.:lovestruc

:welcome: I'm so glad you are joining in! I'm so sorry your DH is getting deployed. :hug: I hope you get to have the trip of your dreams when he comes home. :goodvibes


I have had a very stressful week at work and I am exhausted but I am hoping to post the next installment tomorrow. :goodvibes
 
Congrats on the annual passes and welcome to the dark side! :goodvibes

What is that old saying? Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, give a Florida resident an annual pass... and they will find any and every excuse to go to Disney World! ;)

Yeah, I remember when I convinced DH to go for the AP, I cleverly sold him on "how much money we would save"- I'm sure all those extra trips I was able to rationalize saved us "so much money"! :rolleyes1 I went so many times one year that when I broke it down (full AP, not FL Res seasonal) that it worked out to less than $10 a day! I wish you many, many happy trips!

I'm sorry to hear that the CM weren't helpful at Turtle talk! I hope it was just an isolated incident! I also agree that Sunshine Seasons is a great place for lunch! I'm also partial to their croissant sandwiches for breakfast! :goodvibes

It looks like you guys had a great time at the pool! I love the CBR pool, its my second favorite next to SAB. I think the themeing is great, and the kiddie area looks like so much fun! I agree that Gabe looks like a water park fan in the making!
 
Joining your TR - your little boy is adorable! :goodvibes

My DS will be 3 in February and I definitely know how you feel with the terrible twos - they can be so trying, but they are so cute at the same time! :upsidedow
 
Congrats on the annual passes and welcome to the dark side! :goodvibes

What is that old saying? Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, give a Florida resident an annual pass... and they will find any and every excuse to go to Disney World! ;)

Yeah, I remember when I convinced DH to go for the AP, I cleverly sold him on "how much money we would save"- I'm sure all those extra trips I was able to rationalize saved us "so much money"! :rolleyes1 I went so many times one year that when I broke it down (full AP, not FL Res seasonal) that it worked out to less than $10 a day! I wish you many, many happy trips!

I'm sorry to hear that the CM weren't helpful at Turtle talk! I hope it was just an isolated incident! I also agree that Sunshine Seasons is a great place for lunch! I'm also partial to their croissant sandwiches for breakfast! :goodvibes

It looks like you guys had a great time at the pool! I love the CBR pool, its my second favorite next to SAB. I think the themeing is great, and the kiddie area looks like so much fun! I agree that Gabe looks like a water park fan in the making!

I sold my DH on the "it will save us money" line for APs too. :laughing: We already decided to do a spring break trip in March too so we will definitely get our use out of them. The kiddie pool area at CBR is amazing! I'm sure your baby pirate will love it too in a few years. :goodvibes

Joining your TR - your little boy is adorable! :goodvibes

My DS will be 3 in February and I definitely know how you feel with the terrible twos - they can be so trying, but they are so cute at the same time! :upsidedow

:welcome: Thank you for joining! Oh yes, the terrible twos.....what a delightful age. :rotfl: Actually it seems like at this age they are either great or terrible. The sweet moments are so sweet but the terrible moments....eek! :scared1: :rotfl: I wouldn't trade it for anything though. :goodvibes

My next update will be a big one and I haven't had the time to do the story justice but I am hoping to get it up soon. Darn work, getting in the way of my Dis'ing. :rotfl:
 
After a nice break back at the hotel we headed back to Epcot that night for our ADR at Biergarten. Another goal for the evening was to see Illuminations, which we had never seen before.

We got to Epcot around 4:30 and the skies looked a little foreboding. I was just hoping it wasn't going to rain again.

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On our way back to the World Showcase we rode the Imagination ride. According to my father this ride showed a "shocking lack of imagination for a ride about imagination". :laughing: Gabe did have fun running around in the lab part though.

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On our way off the ride we saw hundreds of little finches on the hedge - they were so cute.

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After Imagination we headed over the bridge to Canada. Gabe was having fun in his stroller:

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We quickly stopped for a photo op:

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At this point Gabe said he was thirsty and I realized I forgot to bring his juice so I stopped at a stand to buy him a juice. At the stand they had these huge, yummy looking cookies. While I was paying Gabe told me, "I want a cookie too." This is notable because Gabe was a very late talker and just recently started talking a lot. I am pretty sure, "I want a cookie too" was his longest sentence to date at that point so we all got a good laugh about that. As a side note, he did not get the cookie. :rotfl:

We then headed straight to Germany for our ADR. At this point Gabe started getting very grouchy. He was crying and kicking and would not listen at all. It was also seriously hot outside and we were pouring in sweat as we waited for our buzzer to go off.

I think one of the major problems we had today was that Gabe refused to eat anything other than sweets. Remember my mom had given him candy which led to a meltdown? Well after that he barely ate at lunch (maybe 3 bites). He also refused to eat anything that afternoon.

Finally we got seated at Biergarten and I was really hoping he would eat something.....

Well he didn't eat anything! Not one bite. :sad2: At this point I was so worried about him and hot and tired. The lines for the buffet were so long too and it took forever to get our food and even when we finally did get our food I couldn't really eat because I was trying to control Gabe. He wasn't terrible at this meal, but he refused to sit still and kept crawling under the table. :sad2:

Towards the end of our meal DH and my parents were commenting that they did not enjoy Biergarten and I felt so bad. Finally it was time to get our check and our server had charged us for Gabe. Since he is only 2 Gabe was not on the meal plan so I had to get that fixed which took forever. It all just got to me and I started to cry. It was terrible. Thankfully my dad had taken Gabe outside so it was just DH, my mom and I. I was so embarrassed because here we were sitting at a table with strangers (who were very unfriendly) and there I am crying. I think I was crying because of exhaustion and disappointment. I had worked so hard planning and I thought everyone would like Biergarten and we didn't like it at all. :guilty:

Thankfully I pulled myself together and dried my tears and paid the bill and we were on our way.

Next update up soon (hopefully)...and a sneak peek - it gets much better. Dinner was the hardest part of the day. :goodvibes
 

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