Bear Hugs & Piggy Kisses - Baby's 1st Trip ~ Updated 12/6: Aulani TR Started!!!

[Dugette]

We left Epcot via the International Gateway and made our way over to the Beach Club. Izzy was passed out again , so we decided to go in and check out the holiday display. The chocolate carousel is pretty impressive:











I spotted several of the "hidden Mickeys" as we made our way around. After admiring the display, we made our way through the rest of the Beach Club. Dug liked this display of old-fashioned baby swimwear, over by Cape May Café:



I can't imagine wearing that to go swimming!

I believe we took turns using the nice restrooms past there. While Dug was in there, I walked down and peeked into “Ariel’s”, which is a room that gets rented out for wedding receptions and such, I believe. Dug got some pictures of it when it was his turn to wander:





Looks nice. Neat to see. There’s a banquet area set up in the back, by the way (a bit hard to see from the picture).

We then took a little stroll past StormAlong Bay:



So nice!

Soon, we were headed into the Yacht Club to admire all the intricate detail of their holiday train village:

















If Izzy had been awake, I bet she would’ve gotten a kick out of this stuff. Pretty fun to look at.

After that, we made our way out to the boat dock to catch a boat to Hollywood Studios for the rest of our day:





Soon a boat arrived:



We asked if they were able to let us take the stroller on with her napping. No problem, they had plenty of room. He directed us back to the rear of the boat where they have ECVs/wheelchairs/strollers parked. I took a slot and stood with Izzy:



Dug grabbed a seat nearby.

She slept for the whole boat ride, which was good considering there were two kids in a double stroller next to her that were very not asleep. It was a pleasant little ride across the water and we were soon pulling into the Studios.

Up next: Toy Story Mania – no rope drop rush required!

 

[amazingact21]

Looking around Beach Club is a good way to kill time while Izzy sleeps. And it made the trek over to DHS from Epcot a little more interesting.

Oh, wow, I love the display of Ariel's Castle they had in front of the carousel! All the details are just amazing. I love that almost everywhere you visit in Disney during the holidays there is some kind of unique display up.


Glad Izzy stayed asleep on the boat ride! Sounds like she was getting a good rest in; hopefully, that made for a happy baby later that evening!

 

[lisatav]

I've been a lurker but i thought i'd throw in my two cents about your NYC trip since I live in the area. I saw you ask about theater tickets and buying them on short notice. There is a large booth in Time Square called TKTS which sells Broadway and off Broadway show tickets for the day of with prices up to 50% off. For an evening show you can get on the line as early as 3pm to buy tickets for that night. They have boards that show what shows they are offering and what the discount % is. I've done this a lot and its a great way to see a show if you aren't picky. The booth is actually under the big red stairs, you can't miss it!

Also, I think that the empire state building is nice but I actually like The Top of the Rock better since you can see the empire state building from it.

Lastly, although it is free to visit the 9/11 memorial you need a visitors pass/ticket. You can reserve a pass/time slot online for a small fee of $2. It's possible that they will be out of tickets on the day of.

Hope this helps!

 

[AprilRenee]

And you definitely should go to the 9-11 memorial!! I haven't been since it was built (I went while it was still ground zero) but my mom and brothers went and sent me pics and it was BEAUTIFUL! I so want to visit it myself!

Could you PM me your email? I will send you the touring plan I made my mom and brothers. It has a lot of the places you want to hit along with important info, hours, websites, etc and directions on how to get from 1 place to another. It won't be in the order you are doing it but it would at least be a start. It was my brothers first trip so they did a lot of the "must-do" stuff. And I love coming up with trip plans so it was a very detailed list cause usually I do all the planning and I was nervous sending my mom off with my 3 brothers without me there to do all the navigating. Lol

Honestly, I'm on spring break this week and would be happy to help you come up with a basic plan if you would want to tell me what you want to do what day and I could at least tell you what order makes sense with transportation and areas of town.

 

[AprilRenee]

Awesome, would you like to plan my trip for me?

lol umm kinda...hahaha
But really, I'd love to help.

 

[Imagineer5]

Hi! I read through your NYC post and a couple responses, so it looks like you plan to get a car seat bag so that is good. We have one with wheels that works great.

I don't have much help for NYC stuff, when we visit it'll be mainly to go to the huge disney store & american girl store! haha

As for the peapod, I bought ours from I believe ebay before the recall - and the company wouldn't do anything to help since it wasn't bought from a certified reseller or something, so we still have it laying around and I don't want to use it. I haven't looked into the redesign, but I wasn't too thrilled with the original design as it is. It's crazy they don't offer a pnp, but yes I would start with asking family to bring one.

Love the Beach Club and Yacht Club pics! Glad that Izzy went back to sleep and slept through the boat ride to DHS.

 

[Dugette]

Looking around Beach Club is a good way to kill time while Izzy sleeps. And it made the trek over to DHS from Epcot a little more interesting.

Yeah, I like popping in to see their decorations. So impressive.

Oh, wow, I love the display of Ariel's Castle they had in front of the carousel! All the details are just amazing. I love that almost everywhere you visit in Disney during the holidays there is some kind of unique display up.

I can't imagine the effort that goes into making all these things each year. Pretty amazing. Probably would be a pretty fun job, though.

Glad Izzy stayed asleep on the boat ride! Sounds like she was getting a good rest in; hopefully, that made for a happy baby later that evening!

Yeah, it worked out pretty well. Thankfully, she went back to sleep and had a pretty decent length nap.

I've been a lurker but i thought i'd throw in my two cents about your NYC trip since I live in the area.

Thank you for popping in!

I saw you ask about theater tickets and buying them on short notice. There is a large booth in Time Square called TKTS which sells Broadway and off Broadway show tickets for the day of with prices up to 50% off. For an evening show you can get on the line as early as 3pm to buy tickets for that night. They have boards that show what shows they are offering and what the discount % is. I've done this a lot and its a great way to see a show if you aren't picky. The booth is actually under the big red stairs, you can't miss it!

Great, thank you for that info! I was actually glancing at prices for various Broadway tickets the other day and That sounds like a good option because of the discounts and because we can decide that day, since we probably wouldn't know if we have babysitting until then. I will keep this in mind for sure!

Also, I think that the empire state building is nice but I actually like The Top of the Rock better since you can see the empire state building from it.

That's a good point. I've seen some online reviews that sway me towards Top of the Rock if we only do one, but Dug is pretty set on doing the Empire State, since it's a classic and in the movies, etc.

Lastly, although it is free to visit the 9/11 memorial you need a visitors pass/ticket. You can reserve a pass/time slot online for a small fee of $2. It's possible that they will be out of tickets on the day of.

Hope this helps!

I got our tickets reserved today, thanks! And, in case anyone out there is wondering, babies also need tickets. I had to call and ask, since I couldn't find any age guidelines on their website. So, even Izzy has a ticket now.

Thanks for your help! I appreciate it! Feel free to chime in on anything else.

And you definitely should go to the 9-11 memorial!! I haven't been since it was built (I went while it was still ground zero) but my mom and brothers went and sent me pics and it was BEAUTIFUL! I so want to visit it myself!

We got our reservations made today, so we will be going. I'm hoping Izzy will do okay. In our original plan, I wanted to get there while she was napping in the stroller, so that we wouldn't have to worry about her acting up there. However, due to times available for this and the Statue of Liberty, it will likely be after she's up from her nap. However, I'm hoping she'll be well-rested and do well.

As a side note, since you mentioned going when it was Ground Zero, I'm still a bit freaked out that, in my 2001 planner, it says that I'll be in New York City that whole week of 9/11. That was my "reward" I'd set for hitting some business goals I had at the time, since I'd never been and wanted to go to NYC. Thankfully, my team did not hit our goals (or really even come close), so that trip did NOT happen. So strange to think about and I still feel a bit weird about going there now.

Could you PM me your email? I will send you the touring plan I made my mom and brothers. It has a lot of the places you want to hit along with important info, hours, websites, etc and directions on how to get from 1 place to another. It won't be in the order you are doing it but it would at least be a start. It was my brothers first trip so they did a lot of the "must-do" stuff. And I love coming up with trip plans so it was a very detailed list cause usually I do all the planning and I was nervous sending my mom off with my 3 brothers without me there to do all the navigating. Lol

That sounds great and very helpful! I will PM you after I finish these replies.

Honestly, I'm on spring break this week and would be happy to help you come up with a basic plan if you would want to tell me what you want to do what day and I could at least tell you what order makes sense with transportation and areas of town.

That would be awesome!

Here's where we're at so far:

Arrive on Weds. 4/9 afternoon. Town car to hotel in Seaport/Financial District area. Unpack and walk through Chinatown and Little Italy. Based on reviews I'm seeing, I think I want to reserve Rubirosa for dinner. Sounds like it's supposed to be great food and also good for families. Possible walking around Seaport area, depending on time and energy.

Thurs. 4/10. Thanks to us not being on top of this, we had to compromise a bit on times. We wanted to do the Statue of Liberty (with Pedestal access...we're way too late for Crown to be available) at 9am - first boat over for the day. Went to reserve it and there was only ONE ticket. So, we tried 10am - same thing - only ONE ticket! Later than that was really going to mess up our day. So, after some thought, we got one 9am and one 10am ticket, thinking Dug can go over first and have some time to go up to the Pedestal and look around (while Izzy and I roam Battery Park), then I can come over and he can take Izzy around the grounds while I go up (we heard you cannot bring strollers up to the Pedestal, so we'd have to split up anyway). After that, we should be able to stay together for Ellis Island and the other boat rides. We'll have to grab lunch somewhere, but no plans there yet. Depending on what time it is when we finish, we'll either go to Wall Street or the 9/11 Memorial (and Izzy will hopefully nap in her stroller at some point - anyone know if you have to fold strollers on the Statue of Liberty cruises?) We were going to reserve 3:30pm for the 9/11 Memorial, but OF COURSE, there was only ONE ticket left. So, we did 4:30pm instead. Gives us plenty of time and we're all together. After visiting the Memorial, we'll either walk back via Wall Street, if we haven't been there yet, or walk directly back to the hotel. Dinner is completely up in the air still. Guess I need recommendations for a couple meals in the seaport area?

Fri. 4/11. Walk the Brooklyn Bridge. Maybe have pizza at Grimaldi's by the bridge? Or have ice cream from the place there? Not sure. At some point, we have to pick up the rental car and head out. As of right now, we have a car reserved through Enterprise's location in the Financial District, just a short walk from our hotel. I'm still a bit up in the air on our whole rental car scenario (mostly for the return), so there's a chance that could change.

So, that's the part of the trip we've planned the most. Do you think it will work okay? Any changes or recommendations?

I don't think we need to plan much for the time we'll be up at the wedding Friday-Sunday. Coming back to NYC has me perplexed, though. As of right now, we're slated to return our rental car a few blocks from our hotel in Midtown (Chelsea location for Enterprise, I believe). I'm really on the fence about driving into town. It'll be a Sunday afternoon, so probably not the worst time (no rush hour, at least). But I don't want it to be a completely harrowing experience. I can drive pretty aggressively if needed, but I'd prefer to be in my own car and not have Izzy along. I was actually watching You Tube videos of driving into Midtown from the Lincoln Tunnel last night. I'm having trouble finding other good options. There appears to be an extra $100 drop charge to bring the car to the airport, then we'd have to pay for another town car. I'm having trouble finding any places we could drop it near a subway. I'm going to keep looking into options, including other companies (I have a substantial discount for Enterprise and National through work - National did not have a location as close to our first hotel, which is why I went with Enterprise, but I'll have to look at them again). Any NYC locals reading - would you drive in through the Lincoln Tunnel and drop your family at the Hyatt Place and return the car a few blocks away and walk back? Or is that crazy talk?

So, this second part of the trip is really up in the air still. And just keeps getting more confusing. On top of our list from before, Dug's dad apparently really wants to see Yankee Stadium, maybe do a tour, maybe see a game. I don't know that any of those things are realistic. Dug's sister really wants to do a carriage ride in Central Park. It's hard to balance family time with our own priorities (and we have a pretty limited budget). We've also talked about doing a Hop On, Hop Off bus pass with his family. His dad isn't going to be up for a lot of walking (heart issues), so it might be a good option. Anyone have opinions/advice on the bus tours?

I don't really have any sense of what day is what at this point. We all fly out on Weds. 4/16 evening. Dug's family is doing the Statue of Liberty that morning, so we'll have that time open, as we'll have done it already. So, I guess fill in the blanks however they make sense? Sorry for the vagueness.

lol umm kinda...hahaha
But really, I'd love to help.

Hi! I read through your NYC post and a couple responses, so it looks like you plan to get a car seat bag so that is good. We have one with wheels that works great.

Yes, I think we're just going to get the cheap Babies 'R Us one, as we don't intend to use it a lot. I'd like the wheels, but I can't stomach spending more on the bag than the car seat. If it were for our primary car seat, I might do it. I'm thinking, to get it through the airport, we can have Izzy in the Ergo and put it in the stroller, if we need to.

I don't have much help for NYC stuff, when we visit it'll be mainly to go to the huge disney store & american girl store! haha

I'm sure we'll do the Disney Store. Is it really awesome?

As for the peapod, I bought ours from I believe ebay before the recall - and the company wouldn't do anything to help since it wasn't bought from a certified reseller or something, so we still have it laying around and I don't want to use it. I haven't looked into the redesign, but I wasn't too thrilled with the original design as it is. It's crazy they don't offer a pnp, but yes I would start with asking family to bring one.

Oh, okay. That's too bad that you're stuck with a pre-recall one. The reviews of the new version all seem very positive, so I'm hoping for the best. I think I'm going to pick one up this week and let Izzy try it out. I think we'll still have Dug's brother pursue having his friends bring their PnP, but I don't entirely trust that it will happen and I'd hate to be stuck without at the last minute, so I think I'd like to bring the Peapod as a back-up and we can use it, if needed. Or even if one of the other hotels doesn't have a PnP available for some reason, who knows. If we don't like it/use it, I should be able to return it, I think.

Love the Beach Club and Yacht Club pics! Glad that Izzy went back to sleep and slept through the boat ride to DHS.

Yay for good stroller naps! It worked out really well, minus the little blip in France.

 

[olafgypsy]

Hi! New reader here, finally caught up and loving your trip report. I'm trying to read all the reports with little ones so I'll be prepared for whatever mayhem may ensue when I try to take my will-be-22-month-old to Disney World in December. Thank you so much for including lots of little details about what it's like to visit with a little one! Your Izzy is so adorable and it looks like she totally enjoyed herself. Can't wait to see what other adventures are in store for you. Cheers!

 

[Dugette]

Hi! New reader here, finally caught up and loving your trip report. I'm trying to read all the reports with little ones so I'll be prepared for whatever mayhem may ensue when I try to take my will-be-22-month-old to Disney World in December. Thank you so much for including lots of little details about what it's like to visit with a little one! Your Izzy is so adorable and it looks like she totally enjoyed herself. Can't wait to see what other adventures are in store for you. Cheers!

Looks like you're going very close to the same time of year that we did. I think you'll love it! It's a really magical time and, with any luck, fairly comfortable weather, which is nice when you've got a little one to keep comfortable. I'm glad the details are helpful. I feel like, for some people, I'm probably going way too far, but I'm like you and found that reading others' accounts (especially the detailed ones) really helped me to prepare.

As far as reports with little ones, you can find a bunch of them in the signatures of other people following me (if you haven't already). Plus, an older report that I found really helpful featured a 21-month-old, so I'll find you that link. Okay, here you go: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2221796

Oh, and thank you! Izzy really did have a great time! So many fun memories from the trip (for us!) So glad we took her at a young age.

Also, your "cheers" makes me want to tell an Izzy story: a few weeks ago, we had dinner with my dad and stepmom. We had a toast and clinked our glasses saying "cheers". Izzy held her sippy cup up and wanted in on the action. We all "cheers"ed with her and she LOVED it and couldn't stop giggling. Well, she's continued to want to "cheers" at many meals since and she actually SAYS "Cheers!" now. It's too cute!

 

[khertz]

I am so bummed we never made it to BC/YC on our Christmas trip. All of the decorations look amazing there!

That's great that they let you bring the stroller on without folding it for the boat. Nice little extended naptime! Isn't it weird how kids can sleep through such loud noises when they are out and about, but wake to the slightest noise at home? We took Paxton to his first Mardi Gras parade at 4 months old, and the kid slept through all of the parade noise, including a freaking MARCHING BAND that was stopped in front of us for awhile playing!! I'm glad Izzy slept through the noise of the excited kids next to her.

 

[Leshaface]

The Beach and Yacht Club are so gorgeous during Christmas time! The displays are amazing. Especially the village. I'm slowly but surely each year adding to my Christmas display. I'm going to say, 20 years from now, my table display will look like the Yacht Club display!

 

[olafgypsy]

Looks like you're going very close to the same time of year that we did. I think you'll love it! It's a really magical time and, with any luck, fairly comfortable weather, which is nice when you've got a little one to keep comfortable. I'm glad the details are helpful. I feel like, for some people, I'm probably going way too far, but I'm like you and found that reading others' accounts (especially the detailed ones) really helped me to prepare.

As far as reports with little ones, you can find a bunch of them in the signatures of other people following me (if you haven't already). Plus, an older report that I found really helpful featured a 21-month-old, so I'll find you that link. Okay, here you go: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2221796

Oh, and thank you! Izzy really did have a great time! So many fun memories from the trip (for us!) So glad we took her at a young age.

Also, your "cheers" makes me want to tell an Izzy story: a few weeks ago, we had dinner with my dad and stepmom. We had a toast and clinked our glasses saying "cheers". Izzy held her sippy cup up and wanted in on the action. We all "cheers"ed with her and she LOVED it and couldn't stop giggling. Well, she's continued to want to "cheers" at many meals since and she actually SAYS "Cheers!" now. It's too cute!

OMG That is SO cute! I always get such a kick out of the things babies find funny. Who knows what goes on in those little heads?

BTW, I read your NYC planning post. I lived there for eight years so I can definitely weigh in on some things.

The pizza place under the Brooklyn Bridge is called Grimaldi's and it is SO GOOD, but be prepared for a Disney-level line out the door to get in and surly service that is "all part of the fun." If you don't want to wait an hour to get in, a less crowded and equally wonderful traditional brick oven pizza option is Lombardi's near Little Italy (I actually prefer it to Grimaldi's, but both are awesome). Still a wait, but less so.

The Central Park Zoo would be great with a toddler. Central Park in general has beautiful gardens- the Shakespeare Garden is awesome. A carriage ride is pricy and touristy but a good way to see a lot of the park if you're short on time.

You asked if your second hotel would have a drive-up area for guests. I would call and ask, because some hotels just have curbside parking you have to fight with everyone else for...

There are way too many great restaurants in NY. What are your tastes? Are you adventurous eaters? I'm pretty adventurous so I'm hesitant to recommend my faves without knowing more about your taste, but... Everybody loves The burger joint Shake Shack, and it is right near the Museum of Natural History, another great option for kids (and right on the west side of Central Park).

Happy to weigh in with more recommendations, although it sounds like you have a pretty full schedule already.

Oh, one thing about the UN: it is really far from pretty much all the other touristy stuff. Definitely worth doing, but maybe not on a first, short trip. If you do go, make sure it's not in session, because if it is you won't be able to see the best parts anyway. Also, you are not allowed to bring ANY food in. They will make you throw everything away. Just something to keep in mind if you are traveling with snacks for Izzy.

 

[Dugette]

I am so bummed we never made it to BC/YC on our Christmas trip. All of the decorations look amazing there!

Next to the gingerbread house in the Grand Floridian, I think these are my favorites to admire. So much detail, you can just stare at them forever.

That's great that they let you bring the stroller on without folding it for the boat. Nice little extended naptime! Isn't it weird how kids can sleep through such loud noises when they are out and about, but wake to the slightest noise at home? We took Paxton to his first Mardi Gras parade at 4 months old, and the kid slept through all of the parade noise, including a freaking MARCHING BAND that was stopped in front of us for awhile playing!! I'm glad Izzy slept through the noise of the excited kids next to her.

Yes, we were glad the stroller could come on - I guess they allow it as long as there's space (and there is quite a bit of room at the back of the boat, but ECVs and wheelchairs also use that space, so it can fill up). It's amazing to me how, when they are really asleep, all kinds of crazy things don't wake them up!

The Beach and Yacht Club are so gorgeous during Christmas time! The displays are amazing. Especially the village. I'm slowly but surely each year adding to my Christmas display. I'm going to say, 20 years from now, my table display will look like the Yacht Club display!

Nice, we'll have to come admire your display if/when we ever get to Disneyland! We have no train and one little village building we got as a gift.

OMG That is SO cute! I always get such a kick out of the things babies find funny. Who knows what goes on in those little heads?

So fun to see what they come up with every day!

BTW, I read your NYC planning post. I lived there for eight years so I can definitely weigh in on some things.

Yay, thank you!

The pizza place under the Brooklyn Bridge is called Grimaldi's and it is SO GOOD, but be prepared for a Disney-level line out the door to get in and surly service that is "all part of the fun." If you don't want to wait an hour to get in, a less crowded and equally wonderful traditional brick oven pizza option is Lombardi's near Little Italy (I actually prefer it to Grimaldi's, but both are awesome). Still a wait, but less so.

Okay, good to know. I think maybe Grimaldi's will depend on what kind of moods we are all in (including Izzy) at that time.

The Central Park Zoo would be great with a toddler. Central Park in general has beautiful gardens- the Shakespeare Garden is awesome. A carriage ride is pricy and touristy but a good way to see a lot of the park if you're short on time.

I can't wait to see some of these things in Central Park! The carriage ride is a possibility, especially with Dug's family. His sister wants to do it and it would allow his dad to see a lot without walking more than he's comfortable doing.

You asked if your second hotel would have a drive-up area for guests. I would call and ask, because some hotels just have curbside parking you have to fight with everyone else for...

I think I will do that. I actually looked it up on Google street view and it must have been from when they were building it (fairly new hotel), because it only showed me construction.

There are way too many great restaurants in NY. What are your tastes? Are you adventurous eaters? I'm pretty adventurous so I'm hesitant to recommend my faves without knowing more about your taste, but... Everybody loves The burger joint Shake Shack, and it is right near the Museum of Natural History, another great option for kids (and right on the west side of Central Park).

Thanks for the recommendation! Our tastes are pretty varied. I won't eat any seafood (Dug does), but we're not too picky otherwise. If you have some favorites near where we'll be that are also good for toddlers/families, feel free to let me know.

Happy to weigh in with more recommendations, although it sounds like you have a pretty full schedule already.

Thanks. Yeah, I feel a bit overwhelmed by all the things to do in a short time.

Oh, one thing about the UN: it is really far from pretty much all the other touristy stuff. Definitely worth doing, but maybe not on a first, short trip. If you do go, make sure it's not in session, because if it is you won't be able to see the best parts anyway. Also, you are not allowed to bring ANY food in. They will make you throw everything away. Just something to keep in mind if you are traveling with snacks for Izzy.

I think we're probably going to skip the UN now. Dug was just talking to a friend yesterday that basically said to not spend our time on it. This helps to confirm that. Thanks!

 

[Dugette]

Our boat docked at Hollywood Studios and we headed into the park. Izzy woke up in Hollywood (after having fallen asleep somewhere between Mexico and Canada and briefly waking in France ):



We took it all in:





We were within our 4-5pm Fast Pass+ window for Toy Story Mania, so we headed that way. I have to say, having Fast Pass+ for TSM was awesome! There is no way we would have been able to ride (without waiting in a crazy long line), having park-hopped to DHS at the time of day we did. Big advantage to FP+ in that situation!

Anyway, we arrived:



Got our stroller parked and headed right in:



There was a little line in the Fast Pass area, but not long at all:





Once we got to our ride vehicle, we put Izzy between the two of us and hoped for the best. And in we went:



Well, it turns out that, despite the lap bars, Izzy was able to stand up in between us. And she was obsessed with standing up at the time of the trip (and still enjoys trying to stand in high chairs, to this day). So, our games suffered, as I was trying to hold onto her and we were trying to get her to sit down and stay seated. It was tough. Not our best scores ever:



Still fun, though. And I think Izzy got a kick out of it. I just made a note for next time to try her on my lap, under the lap bar, instead.

Our next Fast Pass+ was split with me having Star Tours and Dug having Tower of Terror, both from 5:20-6:20pm. The plan was to Rider Swap each of them. After that, we had 6:30-7:30pm with Dug having Star Tours and me having Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, again planning to Rider Swap each (so, yes, we each would get to ride Star Tours twice and maybe get different scenes). However, we were also communicating with friends of ours who were, coincidentally, in WDW the same week. This was the day we had chosen to meet up, as our schedules were so different and this was the only time we were in the same park at the same time. So, we were a bit too ambitious thinking we’d get all these rides in, along with meeting up with our friends, eating dinner, and seeing the Osborne Lights.

As we made our way to Star Tours, we saw the Osborne Lights that were not on yet:





Other scenery:





We got to Star Tours and told the CM at the Fast Pass entrance that we’d like a Rider Swap. He handed one of the passes to us. I went ahead on the ride (since it was my FP+ time) and Dug and Izzy went off to watch the Jedi Training Academy:





Dug’s notes indicate that my sequence was: Hoth, Yoda, Geonosis, Death Star.

Dug had texted me a picture of their location, so I was able to track them down and we switched off.

Well, at that point everyone was nearby and we were able to meet up with our friends. They are a couple with three kids – a daughter, a son, and a baby daughter that was about 11 months old on this trip. They were also with the husband’s mother (his extended family was on the trip, but not all with them at DHS that night). The husband had come over near us and Izzy and I went with him while Dug headed for Star Tours.

Dug took some pictures on his way in:





His notes show that he got: Vader, Kashyyyk, Yoda, Coruscant.

Our friends’ family was all over in the Osborne Lights area, waiting for them to turn on. We were able to get in when they let the CMs doing traffic control know that we were with them. I guess they had wanted them to walk all the way around before when they’d split up, but they were able to show them that the rest of their family was literally right there around the corner. At any rate, we all hung out and chatted and Dug joined us when he got done with his journey on Star Tours.

It was great to see them again and talk about our trips so far. It’s fun to have some real-life friends that are really into Disney and totally in favor of bringing young kids! And it wasn’t too long before the lights came on:



Izzy decided to try out someone else’s arms and got comfortable in the husband’s (you can also see the wife and their baby in the background):



We enjoyed the light show:



Brief video:

(click to watch)

We all enjoyed watching the lights for a bit, but wanted to go eat dinner. Our friends suggested walking-up to Mama Melrose. I was very skeptical of a walk-up getting us in with a group this big, but they said they’d been able to get in on a previous trip. So, we headed that way. We had never been to Mama Melrose before, so I was interested in trying someplace new.

Up next: Will it work out? Where will we eat dinner? And more Osborne Lights!

 

[IheartDDuck]

I completely forgot to stop by Club Cool to check out the new flavors when we were there. I'm glad to hear that the overall flavor selection is better.

Bowls, boats, and trash cans! Isn't that what all children like on their heads?

I love heading into La Hacienda at lunch time. It's a really great location when it's hot out too.

Wow, I'm so glad that the CM had your ID! That's a lifesaver for sure.

We've also been in the camp prior of making fun of Duffy. However, my nephews are OBSESSED with him. So I guess it was a pretty smart move on Disney's part.

Oooohh, that treat you got from France looks lovely!

I have never been to NYC, but I totally get what you mean about planning a trip that's not your normal wheelhouse. I've felt that way when planning trips overseas. It's so overwhelming!

We love the walk between Epcot and DHS! It's one of my favorites. So much better than taking a bus.

 

[LuvEeyore]

All caught up!! Glad you saw Osborne lights. Rumor is 2013 was the last year. Can't wait to hear more and more about your NYC trip.

 

[Denovagirl]

Cant wait to read more!! Lovin' this day!

 

[Imagineer5]

That is one awesome thing about FP+!! Glad you got to ride even if your scores weren't that great (mine are always less than that, so they looked good to me LOL!). Nice to have a meetup!! And ride a bit too! Looking forward to more!

 

[KatGarcia]

I'm here trying to catch up and figure out the app on my tablet

 

[Dugette]

I completely forgot to stop by Club Cool to check out the new flavors when we were there. I'm glad to hear that the overall flavor selection is better.

Well, something to look forward to next time! I liked them, for the most part. But I did miss my Costa Rican Fanta.

Bowls, boats, and trash cans! Isn't that what all children like on their heads?

Naturally. And if the bowl has food remnants in it, even better!

I love heading into La Hacienda at lunch time. It's a really great location when it's hot out too.

We really enjoyed it! It was a nice getaway from the busy-ness outside.

Wow, I'm so glad that the CM had your ID! That's a lifesaver for sure.

Such a relief!!

We've also been in the camp prior of making fun of Duffy. However, my nephews are OBSESSED with him. So I guess it was a pretty smart move on Disney's part.

Darn Disney marketing! Izzy has Duffy and another teddy in her crib (that she got at birth). She was gesturing for a teddy the other day and I gave her the non-Duffy. She shoved it away and demanded Duffy. He got a bear hug. Way to go, Disney.

Oooohh, that treat you got from France looks lovely!

There are so many good options there! I think that is a good one if you just want a light little taste of something (not very big).

I have never been to NYC, but I totally get what you mean about planning a trip that's not your normal wheelhouse. I've felt that way when planning trips overseas. It's so overwhelming!

So overwhelming! I'm definitely feeling better about it than I was a few weeks ago, though. I think we'll have a great time.

We love the walk between Epcot and DHS! It's one of my favorites. So much better than taking a bus.

For sure! The walk is nice and the boat is nice, both better than buses.

All caught up!! Glad you saw Osborne lights. Rumor is 2013 was the last year. Can't wait to hear more and more about your NYC trip.

That's right - it would be sad if that's it for them in that location! I'm really glad we got to see them, though (and we'll get a bit more in later). Thanks!

Cant wait to read more!! Lovin' this day!

Thanks! It was a pretty great day! We were nervous about it beforehand, since there was no resort break, but it worked out quite well!

That is one awesome thing about FP+!! Glad you got to ride even if your scores weren't that great (mine are always less than that, so they looked good to me LOL!). Nice to have a meetup!! And ride a bit too! Looking forward to more!

Yes, I think that's the biggest benefit of FP+ - being able to take your time getting there and still get on the headliner(s) without a wait. Of course, we did ours before the tiering and I know that will change things.

I wasn't even shooting for good chunks of TSM! I tried, but it's not the same one-handed. I'm surprised I did that well, actually.

It was really cool to meet up with our friends. We don't see them often, since they live 4 hours away, so this was really nice!

I'm here trying to catch up and figure out the app on my tablet

Welcome back to the DIS! Glad you're back and hope you figure out the app. I use it sometimes to read, but I seldom post from it, as I hate typing on my phone. Your tablet might be easier, though. Enjoy catching up!