9/12 great article ! Who am I to say no to going to WDW?

[Charleston Princess]

What a tiring journey home! I don't blame you for not getting the camera out!

You are going to be busy, busy, busy the next couple of weeks! I am worn out just looking at your schedule! I hope you plan on sharing birthday pics with us, though.

 

[wigdoutdismom]

Isn't it always a bit "unmagical" heading home? I'm sorry your trip back was a bit more trouble than usual. Poor Luke (and you) it's tough with a baby on a plane if they aren't in the mood for it. All you can do is the best you can do!

I think it was pure genius to have your parents along, they seemed to be so much help. Managing a young crew like you have does take some extra hands. You guys really did have a great trip!

Congrats again on the DVC purchase, I was glad to be of help!

 

[cjackearl]

Wow, that does sound like an exhausting trip home. I'm glad the kids got one final swim before *sniff, sniff* leaving. Yea for the DVC decision and getting a little more time to think it through.

Good luck with your next couple of weeks. Birthdays are fun but tiring for the birthday planners!

 

[micandminforever]

I really enjoyed your report, and look forward to the next report. You have a wonderful family and it has been a joy to follow them and watch Luke, Hannah, and Emily grow up before our eyes.

Best wishes for the coming school year and birthday parties.

 

[BigEeyore]

Thanks for a great TR! The trip home is never ever as good as the trip there.
You are going to love DVC! You will be able to take a more relaxed vacation pace, not needing to hit the parks every day because there are so many wonderful things to do at your resort. And you will love having a separate bedroom, full kitchen, and washer/dryer for sure!
Happy birthday to Hannah and Luke!

 

[DreaGirl]

Laura this was an awesome TR! I enjoyed it so much. Thanks for taking the time to share your trip.

 

[jenjolt]

What a great trip report!!! As you said it wasn't always easy with 3 under 6 but it was a trip filled with wonderful memories and I'm so glad you choose to share them with us!!

Hope you have a fun filled weekend, especially as you head towards the birthdays!!!

 

[IluvXU]

Congrats on your awesome Mickey mail!!! So fun!

It was fun... but now we have dues to pay... but it will be worth it!

i love having the hours so far out too. my complaint is, for example, i have a client who is going this year from 11/29 to 12/5. her day to make ADRs is 8/31. the hours for december probably won't be out by then, so we sort of have to guess about the park hours for the last 5 days of their vacation. i just wish they'd release the park hours and then maybe let you make ADRs a little later. maybe release park hours at 180 days and make ADRs at 150 days. but i know that'll probably never happen!

There is certainly a disadvantage to traveling the beginnings of any month in terms of ADR planning. Your idea would fix that for sure!

What a tiring journey home! I don't blame you for not getting the camera out!

You are going to be busy, busy, busy the next couple of weeks! I am worn out just looking at your schedule! I hope you plan on sharing birthday pics with us, though.

Busy but fun. Honestly I have been consumed with birthday and getting Hannah ready I have put my start of school stuff on the backburner! Then Emily starts the week after Labor Day...

Isn't it always a bit "unmagical" heading home? I'm sorry your trip back was a bit more trouble than usual. Poor Luke (and you) it's tough with a baby on a plane if they aren't in the mood for it. All you can do is the best you can do!

I think it was pure genius to have your parents along, they seemed to be so much help. Managing a young crew like you have does take some extra hands. You guys really did have a great trip!

Congrats again on the DVC purchase, I was glad to be of help!

We had a great trip. It went too fast, I took far less pics than I had hoped, but we had so much fun.

Wow, that does sound like an exhausting trip home. I'm glad the kids got one final swim before *sniff, sniff* leaving. Yea for the DVC decision and getting a little more time to think it through.

Good luck with your next couple of weeks. Birthdays are fun but tiring for the birthday planners!

My kids really could be happy poolside, forever, so an extra swim time is much loved.

I really enjoyed your report, and look forward to the next report. You have a wonderful family and it has been a joy to follow them and watch Luke, Hannah, and Emily grow up before our eyes.

Best wishes for the coming school year and birthday parties.

Thanks for you kind words. I felt like the days ran together and things were foggy at times, I should have taken better notes, but barely had time.

Thanks for a great TR! The trip home is never ever as good as the trip there.
You are going to love DVC! You will be able to take a more relaxed vacation pace, not needing to hit the parks every day because there are so many wonderful things to do at your resort. And you will love having a separate bedroom, full kitchen, and washer/dryer for sure!
Happy birthday to Hannah and Luke!

I want a washer and dryer so I can lug much less. Plus a kitchen would be great for breakfast and snacks. We, especially traveling with my parents, fill a hotel room to the brim. I am dreaming of the two bedroom with my parents!

Laura this was an awesome TR! I enjoyed it so much. Thanks for taking the time to share your trip.

Yours will be here so soon, can't wait!

What a great trip report!!! As you said it wasn't always easy with 3 under 6 but it was a trip filled with wonderful memories and I'm so glad you choose to share them with us!!

Hope you have a fun filled weekend, especially as you head towards the birthdays!!!

We had an awesome time. My cousin has a pool so literally we got there, ate and my kids swam until they went to bed. Then they woke up and swam before breakfast (except Em who was exhausted, she woke for breakfast, missing swim 1). Next time I am only packing jams for them!

 

[brookelizabeth]

Whew! What a ride home, it really does sound exhausting. I proabably wouldn't have bothered with the camera either!

And you have a very busy few weeks in front of you...and your little girl is starting school! Wow!

I look forward to your final thoughts - thank you for such a great TR!

 

[mylag1rl]

Great trip report Laura ... I really enjoyed it. The pic of Luke with Snow White kissing him is just priceless. The girls are so pretty in their princess dresses and you could really tell in the pics how attentive the princesses seemed.

Thanks for sharing

 

[Lady Lallie]

What a wonderful Trip Report! I've really enjoyed reading along.

 

[IluvXU]

Whew! What a ride home, it really does sound exhausting. I proabably wouldn't have bothered with the camera either!

And you have a very busy few weeks in front of you...and your little girl is starting school! Wow!

I look forward to your final thoughts - thank you for such a great TR!

I am looking forward to your report in a few weeks... thanks for the kind words. The trip home was exhausting, it just did not go smooth. I think I would rent a car/towncar to return to the airport next trip.

Great trip report Laura ... I really enjoyed it. The pic of Luke with Snow White kissing him is just priceless. The girls are so pretty in their princess dresses and you could really tell in the pics how attentive the princesses seemed.

Thanks for sharing

Thanks for reading along. I thought the characters at the castle were top notch. We had a great meal!

What a wonderful Trip Report! I've really enjoyed reading along.

Thanks LL! I wish I had another trip soon to plan and dream about.

 

[FairyGodmotherJen]

Thanks for a GREAT TR! I just got caught up - our work days started on the 10th, and the kids came the 12th scared1, so I'm not quite DIS-ing like I was. But I really did enjoy your report. Hope the beginning of the school year is good to you, and that we get to hear about another trip soon!

 

[Happydog]

OH NO!!! Say it isn't so??!! The TR is over?!! After being away the past two weeks I have finally caught up on several TRs and I must say the past pages I have read over on yours have been so much fun to read!!!! I especially enjoyed hearing that your final MK day experiences were great!!! Isn't is fun when the park is really slow??!! looks like you had luck at MK too! The photo of you on the Astro Orbiter was just adorable! CP pics were too cute too! And of course Le Cellier -- how can you go wrong there??!! -- and lets see, what else, Oh! The gotta ride Dumbo for the just under 40 request, OH that was funny, and also the DVC play-by-play, very nice! So glad you got to explore the AKL area on your own! AND of course that you ate at the Castle!!! Your girls were toooo cute but if photos could talk, that one of Luke and the kiss mark, OMGoodness TOOOO precious!! Save that one for his HS yearbook baby photo!!!!

Hope all the birthdays go well, the invites were very cute, and that school gets off okay for you. Looking forward to your final reflections on your trip and the big reveal for your next one!!!! Yay for DVC!!!

Thanks again for such a fun PTR and TR!!!!

 

[MegansMom]

Such a great trip.....I can't wait to hear when you are heading down next!

 

[IluvXU]

Some after trip thoughts...

What a wonderful trip we had! Over the past three years we have done three very different trips- The WL trip where it was a "first trip" for the girls (Hannah had been before but no memories), our surprise trip at POFQ at over 30 weeks pregnant, and this trip, with three kids, including the infant after saying I would never take a baby! I feel beyond blessed that we have visited our favorite place this many times, and look forward to enjoying our DVC membership to continue to go back and create new memories.

Dining Plan- I am more sold on this plan at this point, especially when traveling with my parents. It forced my dad to allow for some sit down meals... and he really enjoyed them. It was great to not have to pay for the food once we were there, and the fact that the Tip was split over both bills worked well. I still cannot figure out how we end up with so many snack credits, I really was not hungry and went without nor did we eat a lot of the food that we brought. I forsee us doing the dining plan and still eating in our room for breakfast.

Toy Story Mania- I am so thrilled we did this ride. The hype does not do it justice, what a fun ride. I wish we could have rode it more than twice, but I don't forsee the lines and demand lessening!


Flying-I am glad we did, but I really think that we spent forever trying to get home... it was exhausting! I am also pretty sure that tickets for five will be costly, and we will probably drive eventually more often.

CSR- I enjoyed the resort. It was calm and peaceful, and we had great food there. Pepper Market is interesting, good food but takes a bit of time. The pool area is fantastic, the new rehabbed rooms were top notch and the buses were overall wonderful. It is not very Disney like theming wise to me, and it was so weird seeing the convention people in the main building. The size could certainly be an issue to people, and no matter what building you are in there is no perfect location. I still admit I much prefer POR/POFQ and would recommend them first.

Emily- This was the trip of Emily moments. She was IMO perfect to experience all the Disney magic. This was the trip I really felt it made lasting memories and impressions to her. My only sad moment was she was not quite 40 inches--- next time.

Luke- his first trip was a success. He was a trooper, and was really good despite the heat and his age. His reaction to It's a Small World and Pirates of the Carribean I will always remember and treasure. I know experiencing it with a boy will be so fun!

Hannah- I treasure that she still loved the princesses, but I see that we are moving towards HSM and other things. Expedition Everest was a treat to ride with her, and I love how she said, it was hot, but I did not care mom, we were at Disney--- gotta love that attitude.

My parents- such fantastic help. My dad got to experience his favorites, and they had such fun watching the girls experiences. I feel so blessed that we had that special trip, you cannot take for granted time with your parents and the memories you make with them and your children.

Things I learned....

Next time we go with my parents I think we need to be clear it is okay for us to go our separate ways. I am a bit sad that I only had one MK night. While the nighttime crowds gave my dad I love that nighttime atmosphere. I think it will be easier to do as the kids grow and have different desires too.

We can't go to parks everyday. Or at least until I have much older kids. While we can stay at the parks longer days, we need a day off after a park day or two. We enjoy the resorts, swimming and DTD too much to go the parks everyday. Our two lazy days at the beginning were super nice, I just would loved to have had them split in the middle of our park touring.

I could be a huge Contemporary fan. I would never have thought this before staying there, but I loved it. The monorail cannot be beat. The CM were top notch, the food options were fantastic too. The room size spoiled us, and probably made us more aware that we won't fit in the moderate rooms-- and now with DVC that worry is lessened!


Favorite Meal-

I really am not sure. Cinderella's Castle was again a huge hit. LeCellier did not disappoint. Our last minute meal at Italy was nice surprise, O'Hana's was great food, great atmosphere and probably our choice over dinner now. Chef Mickey's is always a fun night too, and we do well with Buffet choices for the kids... so I am not sure. Crystal Palace was a great way to start a day, with an empty MK and such wonderful food--- too many choices.
We are lucky that we had no bad dinners!


I had a top ten last year... I will have to ponder a bit and ask everyone....

 

[MeMom]

I'm going to miss seeing your kids every few days!
I don't think I'm liking this end of trip report thing.

Do we get to see start of school pictures of Hannah?

 

[cjackearl]

Great recap, Laura! I absolutely loved your TR and am sad to see it end. I completely agree with you on the Dining Plan and on resort days off between park days. I'm motivated to ask my gang what their top 10 are now!

 

[Lady Lallie]

What a wonderful recap! I've loved reading about your trip. I have a hankering to stay at the Contemporary now. I just can't imagine being able to walk to MK! How fun.

 

[jenjolt]

Great recap!!! I just loved being able to share in this trip with you and your family!! I look forward to many more trip reports with you in the future!!!!