I will never go to WDW pushing a stroller! - Nov/Dec 2011 PTR, Final? Itinerary 11/18

[afwdwfan]

Great KI information....I have NEVER ridden Flight of Fear. I have no idea what it is. The line is always too long for it and neither of hte kids are tall enough for it so I just have not bothered but want to!!

Flight of Fear is great! Very similar to Rock n Rollercoaster, but without the great soundtrack and a bit more intense. It launches out of the station and you ride in the dark. The line isn't all that bad because the theming is great and most of the queue is indoors. We just didn't have time to do everything else if we waited.

It sounds to me like DS did a good job with you guys at KI and really reacted well to things, thats awesome

Yes, we were very happy. I don't think we could have asked for anything more.

I would have knocked the persons cell phone out of his hand, no question

Thanks, that makes me feel a lot better about having those thoughts.

 

[PirateKate]

I cannot imagine talking on a cell phone while on a roller coaster. I think I'd be afraid of dropping the phone myself.

Is Diamondback new? For some reason, I can't seem to remember ever going on it.

Sounds like Landon did great on his trial run. I've always thought that taking little guys to Disney World isn't as hard as people think. He looks like he's having a great time driving the car. Is he tall enough to ride the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway?

 

[lilpixiebabe101]

Jumping onto your report. Finally got somewhat caught up. Your son seemed like he was having a blast driving that car!

 

[afwdwfan]

I cannot imagine talking on a cell phone while on a roller coaster. I think I'd be afraid of dropping the phone myself.

I know... that and I kind of want to just enjoy the ride.

Is Diamondback new? For some reason, I can't seem to remember ever going on it.

I think it has been there for about 2 years now.

Sounds like Landon did great on his trial run. I've always thought that taking little guys to Disney World isn't as hard as people think. He looks like he's having a great time driving the car. Is he tall enough to ride the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway?

He did really well. I thought he would, but it seems like there are a lot of people out there who want to warn us that we should wait a couple of years before we try Disney with him. It really has been great being on the DISboards and seeing TR's like yours and others that really show some real life experiences of a trip with toddlers.

Landon is about 31" or 32" right now, and I believe 32 is the requirement to ride the speedway, so we should be fine by the time we get there.

Jumping onto your report. Finally got somewhat caught up. Your son seemed like he was having a blast driving that car!

Yes, that was by far his favorite ride. I think he test drove every car they had.

 

[afwdwfan]

Lessons Learned

1. This may or may not apply to our trip to Disney, but it may help someone else, so I'll write about it. I've never really gotten into the craze of the new lightweight shirts on the market (Under Armour heat gear, Nike Dri-fit, etc). I've always thought they were too expensive to make it worthwhile. Well, due to the fact that we were going to KI on a hot Saturday I wanted to wear cool clothes that would dry fast since we'd be hitting water rides and I hate walking around in wet clothes all day. I purchased an Under Armour sleeveless heat gear shirt and wore it with board shorts to the park. I was actually very comfortable all day long and I wasn't walking around in dripping wet, heavy clothes after riding the water rides. I have since gone to the Nike and UA stores at the outlet mall near where I work and purchased a few more of these shirts. I've been wearing them working outside in the heat and even wore one to the Brickyard 400 this weekend. They are very comfortable and actually are cooler than a regular t shirt. Well worth the money (especially if I can find them on sale at the outlet mall).

2. Going to the parks with a stroller really isn't all that bad. I'm a commando style park goer that likes to hit the rides. DW and I have never carried a bag or anything into the parks. If it didn't fit in a pocket, we didn't need it. We were careful not to leave anything of value in the stroller, but it was great to have a place to stash drinks, sunscreen, diaper bag, etc. It really didn't slow us down moving through the crowds either (and I didn't run anybody over, although I might have been tempted)

3. This absolutely doesn't apply to Disney, but Kings Island offers a souvenir cup for 9.99, refills for 1.99. Their regular drink price is 3.99 so basically after 4 you break even. We bought a souvenir cup to share and easily got our money's worth out of it. On top of that, we could take it to any refill location and get it filled with ice water for free. They would give you ice water if you didn't have one of their souvenir cups too, but it was only in a very small cup. It was worth the 9.99 just to have this large, portable cup just for the ice water in that heat. This is the first time I've ever invested in something like that, and the stroller made it very convenient.

4. DS will dictate the schedule. No secret there, we knew that already. He napped well in the morning in the stroller, but in the afternoon he fought sleep to the point that he became very grumpy. In WDW, we're going to have to recognize this as a sign that it is time to head back to a quiet room for a couple of hours so we can get him to take a nap.

Change in Plans

DW asked if it would be possible to get an extra night in at the beach. I decided to look into adding a night at the start of the trip, because there's no way I wanted to give up a Disney day.

We had booked 2 nights in a beachfront room with a special discount that they had offered back in January. I looked into adding a night to that reservation, but not only would I have to pay full price for the third night, but I'd also lose my discount on the first 2 nights by changing my reservation. This was going to be an expensive night. I started looking and they had partial beachfront view rooms still available for a similar discount. We've stayed in this hotel in a partial beachfront room before, and honestly it isn't bad. You still have a decent view from the balcony. I was able to book 3 nights at a very reasonable price.

What this means is that instead of leaving Friday morning after Thanksgiving, driving part of the way and finishing the drive Saturday at a leisurely pace, we will likely leave sometime around midnight driving straight through to arrive at St. Pete Beach Friday afternoon. It actually works out well, because it will give us 2 full days at the beach, and by canceling our hotel room for the drive down, and changing the view of our beach hotel room it really won't cost us any more.

I'm just not looking forward to making that drive after we run ourselves ragged going 2 different places for Thanksgiving... but at least I'll have 2 days to catch up on sleep while DW gets her beach time.

 

[lilpixiebabe101]

We've always done the resort souvenir mugs. Well worth the investment for a family of 4 even if all we did was use it with breakfast and then at night.


Glad to know he happily napped in the stroller. That's what were hoping for with DD. We'll go back to the room if she won't nap in it, but we're crossing our fingers that she will!

My 18 year old brother LIVES in his under armour clothes. Even if he's wearing a regular or dressy shirt... he'll most likely have an under armour shirt under it!

 

[afwdwfan]

We've always done the resort souvenir mugs. Well worth the investment for a family of 4 even if all we did was use it with breakfast and then at night.

Yeah, I always use them too and I typically make good use of them. I kind of wish Disney would do some kind of similar thing in the parks.

Glad to know he happily napped in the stroller. That's what were hoping for with DD. We'll go back to the room if she won't nap in it, but we're crossing our fingers that she will!

I hope it works for you! I think we'll be hit and miss on the stroller naps. We'll just have to see how it works for us.

My 18 year old brother LIVES in his under armour clothes. Even if he's wearing a regular or dressy shirt... he'll most likely have an under armour shirt under it!

I've always liked wearing the UA Cold Gear under clothes in the winter... I've been hesitant to wear "compression" type shirts when I want to stay cool though. I didn't realize they have different cuts so you can get fitted and loose too. That has been a great discovery for me and I've been practically living in Nike Pro Combat and UA shirts for the past week or so.

 

[lilpixiebabe101]

Yeah, I always use them too and I typically make good use of them. I kind of wish Disney would do some kind of similar thing in the parks.

They would be awesome in the park! Even if all you could use them for is ice water! Even that would be great!

I've always liked wearing the UA Cold Gear under clothes in the winter... I've been hesitant to wear "compression" type shirts when I want to stay cool though. I didn't realize they have different cuts so you can get fitted and loose too. That has been a great discovery for me and I've been practically living in Nike Pro Combat and UA shirts for the past week or so.

Yeah. See he's a 6'2" 285 offensive lineman and they have had him putting on the lbs this summer. So he likes the compression ones cause it makes him look even more bulked up and muscular. Crazy boy.

 

[afwdwfan]

Yeah. See he's a 6'2" 285 offensive lineman and they have had him putting on the lbs this summer. So he likes the compression ones cause it makes him look even more bulked up and muscular. Crazy boy.

As someone who used to be a lineman and is now just a few months away from being 30, let me just say, I don't feel the same way.

 

[CandleontheWater]

I think you guys will enjoy the extra day at the beach, and by accommodating DW before you get to Disney, you earn some good karma (and a more relaxed and laid back wife) for the trip!

I don't know if I'd want to tackle a big drive right after Thanksgiving, because we're usually pretty wiped after all the family "fun" (or otherwise know as our families arguing about who spend more time at who's house!), but I'm sure you'll do just fine. Driving towards Disney is always the easy part!

 

[Shannon84]

I would be exhausted trying to make that drive...but it sounds worth it It is worth the 2 full days at the beach like you said and a little longer on vacation

I used to think those special nike shirts and such were such a scam...until I started working out outside in the summer time, they are a life saver!

 

[afwdwfan]

I think you guys will enjoy the extra day at the beach, and by accommodating DW before you get to Disney, you earn some good karma (and a more relaxed and laid back wife) for the trip!

Yes, because whatever makes her happier, makes my life easier! Landon loves water too, so hopefully we'll have a nice enough day that we can splash around a little bit.

I don't know if I'd want to tackle a big drive right after Thanksgiving, because we're usually pretty wiped after all the family "fun" (or otherwise know as our families arguing about who spend more time at who's house!), but I'm sure you'll do just fine. Driving towards Disney is always the easy part!

This is what makes me nervous. DW might drive some so I can nap... but then again I never can sleep when I'm riding in a car. I only trust my own driving enough to fall asleep.

Disclaimer: I have never actually fallen asleep behind the wheel. I really am a safe driver.

I would be exhausted trying to make that drive...but it sounds worth it It is worth the 2 full days at the beach like you said and a little longer on vacation

I've driven straight through to Orlando before after leaving work at around 7PM on a Friday, so I think I can do it again. I don't normally drink energy drinks, but I might just have to make an exception. The extra full day will be nice and I should be tired enough that having nothing to do but lay around will actually work out well for me.

I used to think those special nike shirts and such were such a scam...until I started working out outside in the summer time, they are a life saver!

I know what you mean. I never thought they were worth that extra premium over a regular shirt, but they really are nice. I'm hooked on them now.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Glad to see your "scouting trip" paid off with DS. Although I'm pretty sure I would have chosen Sally's Seaplane compared to most of the rides you went on.

 

[GoHerd1028]

Andy...one more little tidbit of information on the cup you bought at KI...you can get the 1.99 refill for the life of the cup!!! You dont' have to buy a new one the next time you go!! We used ours from last trip and it came in handy!!

 

[afwdwfan]

Glad to see your "scouting trip" paid off with DS. Although I'm pretty sure I would have chosen Sally's Seaplane compared to most of the rides you went on.

And I didn't even ride the Drop Tower.

Coincidentally, they have a miniature one in Planet Snoopy that is probably about 20 or 25' high. You should have made a detour during your midwest trip to practice on it so you will be ready for ToT when your kids drag you onto it.

Andy...one more little tidbit of information on the cup you bought at KI...you can get the 1.99 refill for the life of the cup!!! You dont' have to buy a new one the next time you go!! We used ours from last trip and it came in handy!!

Thanks, but I'm sure the life of the cup will be rather short. It isn't the highest quality piece of plastic I've ever seen. Right now, we let DS drink water from it. He prefers "grown up" cups to his sippy cups, and we can put a little bit of water in it and turn him loose without having to do major clean up afterwards.

 

[afwdwfan]

Thanks to my pin from earlier, I didn't have to go through the hassle of dealing with the Free Dining that came out yesterday. For those of you who were waiting for it to come out, congratulations... I'm just glad I didn't have to spend my morning being on hold like a lot of other people.

Well, now that Free Dining is out, it looks like my chances of scoring a Garden Grill ADR for our last evening are slim to ain't gonna happen. I still haven't canceled that Chef Mickey ADR for our last dinner, so we still have that to fall back on, but I'm trying to think of some place else to try instead since we'll be doing Chef Mickey breakfast earlier in the week. We will likely spend our last day in the parks catching anything we missed or want to do again at EPCOT and DHS so I'm kind of thinking instead of sticking with a character meal for our last meal of the trip, it may be that opportunity that I've been waiting for to go to Beaches & Cream...

I've never been there though, I've seen the menu and heard great things about it, but I'm not quite sure "what" it is. Is it basically a TS style restaurant that doesn't do ADRs?

 

[lilpixiebabe101]

Thanks to my pin from earlier, I didn't have to go through the hassle of dealing with the Free Dining that came out yesterday. For those of you who were waiting for it to come out, congratulations... I'm just glad I didn't have to spend my morning being on hold like a lot of other people.

Well, now that Free Dining is out, it looks like my chances of scoring a Garden Grill ADR for our last evening are slim to ain't gonna happen. I still haven't canceled that Chef Mickey ADR for our last dinner, so we still have that to fall back on, but I'm trying to think of some place else to try instead since we'll be doing Chef Mickey breakfast earlier in the week. We will likely spend our last day in the parks catching anything we missed or want to do again at EPCOT and DHS so I'm kind of thinking instead of sticking with a character meal for our last meal of the trip, it may be that opportunity that I've been waiting for to go to Beaches & Cream...

I've never been there though, I've seen the menu and heard great things about it, but I'm not quite sure "what" it is. Is it basically a TS style restaurant that doesn't do ADRs?

It's a place that apparently has AMAZING ice cream. Never been though so I'm not really much help. I'm going to try to talk my crew into going after we do our 9 Dragons (I know, kinda wimpy but it's what my brother wanted) ADR before Illuminations.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

...it may be that opportunity that I've been waiting for to go to Beaches & Cream...

I've never been there though, I've seen the menu and heard great things about it, but I'm not quite sure "what" it is. Is it basically a TS style restaurant that doesn't do ADRs?

It’s primarily an ice cream parlor. They do have a grill and they do serve sandwiches, but it’s not their stock in trade. I suspect that the sandwiches are as good as anything else on property, but when I’ve gone, it was to have a sundae or something similar (and those are very good). I also suspect that if you go, you’ll have a great time. On a side note… the same property is also home to the Yachtsman Steakhouse if your looking for something more substantial.

 

[afwdwfan]

It's a place that apparently has AMAZING ice cream. Never been though so I'm not really much help. I'm going to try to talk my crew into going after we do our 9 Dragons (I know, kinda wimpy but it's what my brother wanted) ADR before Illuminations.

Nothing wrong with any ADR if that is where you want to eat! Personally, I don't care much for Asian food, so you won't find me there. I really want to go to Beaches & Cream sometime when we have more people with us so we can get the kitchen sink.

It’s primarily an ice cream parlor. They do have a grill and they do serve sandwiches, but it’s not their stock in trade. I suspect that the sandwiches are as good as anything else on property, but when I’ve gone, it was to have a sundae or something similar (and those are very good). I also suspect that if you go, you’ll have a great time. On a side note… the same property is also home to the Yachtsman Steakhouse if your looking for something more substantial.

I've heard that some people think Beaches & Cream has some of the best burgers on property. I'm always in the mood for a good burger and ice cream, so that's why I'd like to give it a try. Prices look pretty reasonable too. If we go there, it would be for dinner after we have lunch at Le Cellier so The Yachtsman may be a bit too substantial.

 

[lilpixiebabe101]

Nothing wrong with any ADR if that is where you want to eat! Personally, I don't care much for Asian food, so you won't find me there. I really want to go to Beaches & Cream sometime when we have more people with us so we can get the kitchen sink.

That's exactly why I want to go to!!! But my brother isn't a big sweet eater... so it would be my mom, Alexa, and I eating the whole thing. Talk about sick to our stomachs