Can We Do Magic Now? A 2016 TR Adventure. *Complete and DL Paris TR Link Added

[amazingact21]

Just read through the rest of the TR, loved the time you spent at Universal and how much you loved the harry potter stuff! How nice to have some toddler free time too! Your final 2 nights at Disney cancelled?! LOL how crazy! But i understand that since you were leaving the country and all. Such cute character interaction at DHS <3

I think if I ever went back to Universal, I would want to do it without kids. The parks just aren't great for little kids, and it's quite nice to have some time away from them.

Yikes... makes me glad we chose to leave Universal out of our plans this summer... especially with an 11 month old who currently still nurses, because he will only drink 1 - 3 ounces of fluid at most per day from a cup.



That's awesome!

I just had my phone in my hand and was chastised by a TM that pictures aren't allowed. I'm surprised you weren't harassed for just carrying a camera.

As a non-Potter fan, I appreciate it.

I can relate to how you felt. Because I've got to admit. When I got to the part of the TR when you said you were going to defer to their experience with Universal and let them be the guides... then you said they like to get a later start, it made me cringe and got my blood pressure up a little bit and I wasn't even there... I was just reading about it! I'm glad it all worked out to be such an enjoyable day though.

Real family pictures are the best kind.

That's great! I'm glad you had that quality time with them and they seem to have really made a solid effort to show you all a good time and make sure you enjoyed everything.

Okay, first up, kudos to you for reading through all those updates! That's patience!
I was really worried our Universal trip would be one big cluster, but fortunately we all had a nice time. I think it helped that we were doing something besides Disney, which my inlaws get sick of, and that we were listening to someone else for a change.

Totally understandable... poor guy.

And this ride is a prime example of why Universal isn't family friendly at all. Let's be honest, the only reason there's a height restriction on that ride is because of the ride design... the way the cars and seats are set up. They could change those cars into something that is more fully enclosed that you could sit a child in next to an adult safely and it wouldn't take a thing away from the ride at all. Yet they don't because Universal doesn't care.

I think if Universal added a few more kid-friendly rides and included little things like lids for cups, they'd get even more people into their parks. As it is, I'd never take a baby back, because it wouldn't be worth our money.

Yeah... I should probably follow that because I do a crappy job following the DIS. I haven't seen much of Alex on the Disdads Facebook lately... either that or it gets buried and I miss his posts.

Alex is pretty terrible with anything social media or online forums this past year. If there's a photo I want him to see or something, I have to text him and tell him to go on facebook and look. In his defense, though, his job has him working a lot and he's taking two college classes every 8 weeks, so he doesn't have a lot of free time. And now when he does, he's usually FaceTiming us to say hello and catch up.

Well, you did just say in a previous update about how great it is to fly with Landon...

I can't argue with that logic!

This should be incredible! Here's hoping he gets that half inch! Maybe you'll get that awesome CM that told us DD was tall enough for BTMRR when she was measuring about 39.5 at home.

You're going to miss Pandora by a day, right? Oh well, it's still going to be an awesome trip and I know you'll enjoy it.

That's always a great thing!

Perfect!

Because you don't look like you'd burn at all...

Ok, maybe don't take toddlers to Universal, but if you can strap a baby onto your chest, you get the gold pass.

The Mummy's a great ride. I'm glad you had a chance to ride it!

It's that baby gold pass working for you.

So tell me again... did you like the butterbeer?

Oh yeah... and I recall the free dining last year being extra crazy.

I'm a Star Wars fan and I think Launch Bay is overrated.

Well worth it, especially after making him endure Universal.

Well... how about that. Did the fandom and obsession start that day?

I'm glad it was such a big hit and gained you such a prestigious reputation. So have you been asked to help others plan Disneyland Paris trips?

I hope your trip "home" is a good one! Enjoy your time with the Mouse and with family!

It was only fair we let Landon get the character meet he most wanted after forcing him to spend all day at Universal. Plus, apparently we fostered a Doc obsession. Who would've thought?

UGH on Alex feeling lousy on your last Orlando morning! I guess it is better it was a migraine that improved with some food and medicine than a stomach bug that would not have been fun. That is fantastic that you were able to grab a quick meal at HS and that Landon had two memorable and meaningful meets.

Admittedly, I am not a purse person, but your Mother's Day purchase (Happy Mother's Day, BTW) is so practical and absolutely adorable. I love that it has been an ice breaker and conversation starter for you in Germany.

Wishing you all the best for your upcoming trip "home"

Happy VERY belated Mother's Day to you, as well!
I am all for practicality, and that purse is the epitome of that. I shove my phone, wallet, and hand sanitizer (a lot of good that's done for us, lately) in it and I'm good to chase after the kiddos.

I have been embarrassingly behind on everyone's TRs, but I finally got all caught up on yours!

I totally and completely understand your reaction to Hogsmeade. As a Potter fan, it's INCREDIBLE seeing the world you have read about and seen in movies come to life around you. The theming in both WWoHP areas is breathtaking. Reading about all of your Universal time has me even more excited for our upcoming trip! I feel the frustration on having a little one that isn't quite tall enough to do much yet, but who is old enough to realize he is missing out on a lot. That's how our first experience at Universal with DS was as well. Lucky for you, MIL to the rescue for day two!!

I'm not sure about the separate lines at the HP attractions. I don't think we ever did that, but then again, we pretty much exclusively rode during early entry when the lines were super short so we stayed with the standby line and did single rider if we went on later in the day. Who knows?! But people need to chill!!

What a bummer that Alex got sick right at the end of your trip, but I'm glad he was feeling better enough to sneak in a few more hours of Disney. I can think of several times my husband has also talked me into something similar when we had mutually decided we were done. lol

Thanks for sharing your mini re-do trip! So excited for you that you are getting to spend some more time with your family and at Disney coming up soon. I will pray for your sanity on your long flight with the kiddos, and I hope they cooperate for you!!!

Husbands are good at talking us into stuff like that. In the end, though, I guess I can't complain. More Disney time is always a plus.
I'm sure you appreciate that your DS is a bit older and taller now and isn't as restricted as to which rides he can and cannot do. That's sure to make your September trip a little more fun!

 

[amazingact21]

Hi everyone! Long time no see. I'm still here, trying my hardest to keep up with trip reports and hold down the fort here at home. Just wanted to pop in on this thread really quick and post the link to my Disneyland Paris trip report:

We're No Cowboys, but We'll Say Howdy to You - A Sept. 2016 DL Paris TR

I hope to see you guys over there, because I can't wait to revisit my Paris trip!

 

[MyGoofy26]

Hopefully I don't sound like a weird stalker and you appreciate this for the apt context of a "small world" moment in WDW that it is...

I just read through this and remembered I totally saw your family on the Feb/March trip. I'd been gorging myself on TRs leading up to our honeymoon trip and yours was one of the last ones I read before we left. Landon's little blue glasses are so iconic that they caught my attention as my husband and I were sitting at the Poly waiting for our table at Ohana for my birthday. I had a brief war with myself on whether to say something, but I'd lurked on the thread so I'd look like a weirdo stalker (see above), oh wait they look a little tense, oh crap there's a stroller coming for my head!

So the tension allllll makes perfect sense now. It was crowded up there and you guys seemed to be trying to find the quickest way out which was Alex picking up the stroller to slip between me and the planter next to me, haha. I'm sorry your trip was one gut punch after another. Hopefully you get a proper do over relatively soon.

 

[amazingact21]

Hopefully I don't sound like a weird stalker and you appreciate this for the apt context of a "small world" moment in WDW that it is...

I just read through this and remembered I totally saw your family on the Feb/March trip. I'd been gorging myself on TRs leading up to our honeymoon trip and yours was one of the last ones I read before we left. Landon's little blue glasses are so iconic that they caught my attention as my husband and I were sitting at the Poly waiting for our table at Ohana for my birthday. I had a brief war with myself on whether to say something, but I'd lurked on the thread so I'd look like a weirdo stalker (see above), oh wait they look a little tense, oh crap there's a stroller coming for my head!

So the tension allllll makes perfect sense now. It was crowded up there and you guys seemed to be trying to find the quickest way out which was Alex picking up the stroller to slip between me and the planter next to me, haha. I'm sorry your trip was one gut punch after another. Hopefully you get a proper do over relatively soon.

Oh wow! Thanks for letting me know that you spotted me at O'hana's! I love meeting fellow DISers, so I would have been thrilled to say hello. However, that night was a rough one. I hope you didn't have to witness Landon's protein spill in front of the restaurant.
We were on our way to the hospital, so Alex was anxious to leave. Hope he didn't get too close with the stroller
Hopefully our trips will overlap again in the future and maybe my kids won't be sick as dogs. If we are ever in the world again, o,ease don't hesitate to say hi. Getting to meet fellow board members is one of my highlights on vacation.

 

[DLHNYC]

Enjoyed reading your TR! (even without the pics!) Your Paris TR was great too. I did a day at Disneyland Paris during a trip to Paris last year and loved it. Really like your writing style and humor. Looking forward to reading your other TRs too!

 

[amazingact21]

Enjoyed reading your TR! (even without the pics!) Your Paris TR was great too. I did a day at Disneyland Paris during a trip to Paris last year and loved it. Really like your writing style and humor. Looking forward to reading your other TRs too!

Ugh, sorry about the photos not being there. I keep meaning to go back and fix the issue, but that's a daunting task! I think I'll save it for this winter when it's too cold to go outside and I need to find things to keep myself occupied.
Thank you for reading, though! I think we are going to do the reverse of your plans next summer. Book a stay at Disneyland Paris and take a day to go into Paris.