I Like Warm Hugs! - Mommy/Toddler Trip ~ Updated 6/20: New Trip Report Link!

[RGirl]

That whole Frozen Premium Package was so worth it for us! I mean, only I needed a ticket, but it got both of us a special parade viewing area, free snacks and drinks, a reserved time for the sing-along, a special fireworks viewing area, and that whole spread of desserts and drinks. For like $50. Not bad! It really was a ton of fun and much better than I'd anticipated!

I saw the not-unexpected announcement that they will be bringing back all the Frozen stuff this summer. I’m hoping this is brought back as well, although I’m guessing they will hike the price considerably. If it stays at $50 per person, we will definitely be doing it!

Good call on the bus situation! Sounds like it worked out really well, plus you got a peek at AoA!

Awww - I bet Izzy loved the card from Mickey. So cute!

Oh, DME. It seems so awesome at the start of the trip. And then is tear-producing at the end. *sigh*

Ugh - I can’t believe how late Izzy stayed awake. That is SO HARD in a hotel room.

 

[Dugette]

Hahhaha Izzy is a late nighter huh!!

Not usually, but she was sure wound up that night! Just too much fun, I guess. I'm sure it didn't help that I had the lights on, but it usually doesn't bother her and I wanted to be able to see when I packed without turning lights back on and waking her up then. Hard to share a room sometimes.

Nice walk through AoA. Of the values, I have actually been watching prices to stay there but haven't seen any great deals yet. That splash area does look like fun.

Yeah, it's such a cool resort with such fun theming. But they don't do much for price-breaks, since it is so popular. Makes it harder to justify, for sure.

Love the card from mickey, that was super nice!

It really was nice! And unexpected! I mean, the only time her birthday even came up is when I had called WDW in advance about something or other (I think buying the package ticket) and the CM was prodding me for something we're celebrating. I kept saying there wasn't anything until they asked if anyone was having a birthday anytime soon, so I mentioned the closest was Izzy's 3 weeks after. And that was IT. But that little comment turned into a surprise birthday call and card, both of which she was delighted by.

Your Dessert Party looked really fun! I'm glad that Izzy and Aria had such a good time together.

It was super fun! And so cute to see the girls having a good time together. Great way to "play" and burn off some energy for them.

I can't wait to see AoA - it looks like such a cool resort! We're staying at Pop Century on the first night of our vacation - first, because I wanted to take advantage of Magical Express and their luggage delivery before we move to Universal, and second because I want to see all the decorations at both Pop and AoA! I must try to sneak over there at night as well, as I'm sure it's a different sort of fun all lit up.

Great plan! For sure check it out. It's a fairly quick and easy walk over. I could have spent a lot longer there wandering around (I do go back this next day, but still very briefly).

Oh, Izzy and being too excited to sleep! I'm glad she finally conked out for you!

Too excited to sleep, that's probably it. I was so glad when she finally fell asleep.

Izzy was not interested in sleep that night! You have to wonder where they get the energy from. With all the stimulation Disney brings, you'd think kids would more exhausted than usual.

I know! It seems like the stimulation and newness of travel messes with her sleep schedule. She did really well the next day, considering how little sleep she got, though.

I don't think a lot of people think about taking an AoA bus back to Pop. But late at night that bridge and pathway is pretty peaceful.

I'm glad they don't think of it - quicker for me that way! It was a really nice walk and not much farther than getting off at Pop, really.

That splash area is every toddler's dream! I'm seriously considering a stay at Art in May 2016 just for the pools.

Yes, Landon would love it! Those pools look and sound really fun!

That is one of the (many) things I love about POP. You kind of have access to two buses really and can just chose the one with the shortest line. I guess the same would apply to AoA as well, lol.

I love having those options! Back when we stayed at POR we found that POFQ had that feature too - it was a quick walk back from there to our POR room and the line for the bus happened to be much shorter.

I haven't made it over to AoA since my first POP visit, but I was so very impressed with it. It still has the standard Value theming and layout, but each section I think is more unique than at the other values.

I totally agree. Something about the theming is just so immersive. I think Pop feels a bit more random vs. the AoA sections are very clearly and strongly themed. And the buildings themselves are too - like the entrances to the hotel in the Cars area look like places from the movies. Love it!

Awww, Mickey birthday card. Precious.

So sweet! I love the little surprises they had in store for us on this trip! Disney Magic at its finest!

As a first time DME traveller, I am NOT a fan of the transportation notice.

I know! That's the worst part! Nothing like a reminder that your timer is counting down...and not in a good way.

Hehe, I may have a few of those shampoos.

Nice! I couldn't resist - it was so cute!

I'm so glad I found your trip report! We are traveling with our 2 year old old next month and it's great to see what you were able to accomplish with Izzy. I'm trying to not go in with unrealistic expectations since we were are only taking a 4 day trip. I can't wait to read more!

Glad you joined in! I hope your trip goes great! Yes, we accomplished a ton in a very short time on this trip! Like you said, go in with low/realistic expectations and plan to not be able to do everything according to your plan. And just enjoy what comes your way. I really, really loved the age that Izzy was on this trip! All the magic is so real to them and it's such a joy to see it in their eyes.

That was a good idea to take the bus to AoA since it had the shorter lines and you wanted to check it out. It is a really neat resort - definitely wouldn't mind staying there one day!

Same here! I'd love to stay there. But walking through from Pop had to suffice for now. I'm really impressed by the place, though.

"Yay for the B-Agile making me look like a cooler mom! " - sometimes it is the little things in life

It was amusing to me to hear them talking to each other about how impressed they were with my stroller-folding prowess.

That is funny Izzy declaring your birthdays "DONE!"

She still tells us this regularly. She's gonna be so confused when she has another birthday. I mean, we already did that!

Bummer about her being up so late - sometimes I think they get over-tired and just can't get to sleep. Hopefully once asleep you both slept soundly though

I definitely think she was over-tired. She had been really sleepy, then all of a sudden got a burst of crazy. But when she was out, she was out.

I am very far behind but I did read your last two updates. What a fun evening at the dessert party. Sounds like Izzy had a blast. No wonder she didn't go to sleep until midnight. The dessert offerings sound yummy.

Haha, she probably was all jazzed up on sugar! We all had a great time and really liked the party. Very worth the cost of a ticket for me!

I can't believe its your last day already. I still have some serious catching up to do. Hopefully that will happen!

Fun updates!

Well, you're probably not as far behind as you think. I mean, this trip was really, REALLY short. We arrived Saturday, spent the day Sunday, and left on Monday - the last day comes fast when you do that. I mean, the ME notice arriving on your first morning is pretty darn depressing.

 

[Dugette]

If you mean the carrot cupcake, then yes, it is one of the most delicious desserts on the entire planet!!

Yes, that's the one! So yummy!

Packing till 1 am is not fun Last days are so sad. I hope you are able to get a lot done before your Tragical Express pickup.

Yeah, I wasn't loving the late-night packing. And I could have been done sooner, but didn't want to distract Izzy from falling asleep, so I was trying to wait that out. Until I gave up. And toddlers come with so much stuff - packing is a lot harder than when it was just me I had to worry about. But, yeah, we get a ton more done. Lots of good memories made. And some not-so-fun ones that make for good TR stories.

Aww, I always think it's so adorable when kids pass out on the bus ride home. So cute.

I always thought that was cute too! And even cuter when it's your own kid and you can have a few moments of peace.

Art of Animation! I love that resort, you're making me all nostalgic here!

Such a cool resort! I really want to at least go back and explore it some more, if not stay there. Not sure when we'll be going back to WDW after our May trip, but it may well be a bargain trip (too much other travel and Izzy will be 3 and need a ticket), so AoA is a good option vs. the mods or deluxes.

Oh dear. No sleep till midnight! And packing up for your last day, not even a fun way to spend it. Boo!

Agreed! I can't believe how long she stayed awake! Also no fun to pack so quickly after arriving. The trip was still worth doing, though!

That's a good one!

Glad you enjoyed it!

Ooh that sounds good! But how do they keep from little kids going up and serving themselves this drink? Or is there a 'bartender' that watches over the alcoholic beverages?

There were bartenders there for the drinks. But once they were on a table, they were a lot more vulnerable to curious kiddos.

Well, at least they were making sure to keep the uncool people out

Indeed! No common rabble at our soiree! It was pretty fancy looking - they did a nice job on the setup of the whole area.

Glad that this package worked out great for you and the desserts and drinks sound really good!

Thanks, everything was very enjoyable!

Hmmm...how small exactly?? Totally kidding!

Pretty darn small. Yield-worthy.

Don't you love the one handed strollers?! Our city mini does that as well and it's makes life so much easier!

Yes, ours is very much like a City Mini, so I think it works about the same. Super handy, especially because a mom's other hand is almost always full of something or someone. I just wish I could unfold it one-handed too. That's trickier.

So much hate! Ugh. Super depressing.

Nothing like reminders that you have to leave a wonderful place soon.

I'm all too familiar with that

I don't know what gets into these kids sometimes.

I love how Disney does nice things like birthday cards, it's those special little touches that make it such a great place!

Totally agree! And it was all so unexpected. I mean, if I'd put her birthday on reservations and gotten her a birthday button, that's one thing. But this was just a half-hearted comment to a phone CM and they really went nuts!

AoA looks so neat, I keep thinking we must stay there!

For sure! I'm really impressed with that resort! I wish they had more non-suites, though.

Charlotte has always had such a hard time falling asleep in hotel rooms, it drives me crazy, so much so we have put her pack and play in closets and in bathrooms! Whatever works right?

Absolutely, whatever works! I'd thought about putting her in the open closet area by the sink, then pulling the curtain between the bedroom and sink. But I was worried that me showering and getting ready for bed would wake her up. The first night in a hotel is always the roughest for us and this trip was only two nights, so it didn't really have time to improve.

I saw the not-unexpected announcement that they will be bringing back all the Frozen stuff this summer. I’m hoping this is brought back as well, although I’m guessing they will hike the price considerably. If it stays at $50 per person, we will definitely be doing it!

I am not certain, but I do think that they are hiking the price. Not sure how much or anything, though.

Good call on the bus situation! Sounds like it worked out really well, plus you got a peek at AoA!

Yeah, I'm really glad I made that spontaneous decision!

Awww - I bet Izzy loved the card from Mickey. So cute!

She loved it! Nothing like a special card from Mickey to cap off a wonderful day at Disney.

Oh, DME. It seems so awesome at the start of the trip. And then is tear-producing at the end. *sigh*

Agreed. Even more so when those two ends are like 48 hours apart! (Can you believe I've written this much and for this long about such a short trip?! )

Ugh - I can’t believe how late Izzy stayed awake. That is SO HARD in a hotel room.

It's so hard. We had the same deal at Aulani too. Luckily, I found that sitting across the room at the table sipping a drink and typing up my notes worked pretty well there.

 

[Dugette]

The Sky’s Awake, So I’m Awake

We started our last day by pulling out the Cronuts that I’d procured the day before:



You can see the couple bites I took out of one when we were still in Epcot. Here’s the whole one, day old:



I thought Izzy would love these. We’d gone to a Twins game on July 4th with my dad and step-mom, during which my dad fed Izzy mini donuts for the first time. And boy oh boy did she LOVE them. So, these should have been right up her alley. But she refused to try them. Like not even one bite would be allowed to pass her lips. Toddlers! I mean, she was the whole reason I got a second one, after having her commandeer my blueberry muffin back at the airport.

So, you might be saying, “What’s the problem with this, Dugette? More for you, right?” Well, they are kind-of difficult to wolf down in a hurry, not to mention very messy. And we were in a hurry, as we had a schedule to keep. So, I finished the one I’d started and then did the unthinkable: I threw away the second Cronut! I know, I know, you are all very disappointed in me and may no longer allow me to visit the DIS. I have to say that it probably would have been tastier and easier to eat if it had been warmed up. If I’d had time, maybe I could have brought it to Everything Pop and microwaved it? (I think you can do that?) Don’t worry – a hot, fresh Cronut is on the “to eat” list for our next trip.

I had packed most of our stuff the night before and just had to gather up the things that had still been in use. I also had saved two bottles of water and one of Diet Coke in our fridge, from the package freebies the day before. I poured one of the bottles of water into an insulated sippy cup for Izzy. It was really nice to have cold beverages with us in Animal Kingdom, our destination for the day.

I got Izzy ready to roll. You can see the scrape on her knee from the wild dance party the previous night:



We headed out of the room at 7:35am, so not too bad. Before boarding the bus to Animal Kingdom, we had some errands to run. Last day and all. First stop was the concierge desk to pay off our room charges with Disney Gift Cards I’d brought. Unfortunately, they’d already charged my credit card on file. They are always happy to reverse that, in my experience, but it takes extra time. I had hoped this wouldn’t take long, as I just had a few gift cards to run (didn’t spend much!), but their computers seemed to be running in slow motion that morning. But the job did get done, eventually.

Next stop was the resort airline check-in desk. Thankfully, there was nobody in line, so we were able to get boarding passes printed and check our one big bag very quickly.

Last stop was the luggage storage for the day, where we dropped off Izzy’s carseat, her Minnie backpack full of stuff for the plane, and the remainder of our milk so that I’d be able to refill her thermoses before the flight (they have cold storage for food).

Even with all that, we were headed out to the bus stop at 8am:



Granted, 8am was the start of AK’s Extra Magic Hours that day, but there wasn’t that much we could do at that time anyway. We’d still be getting there early and have a bit more time in the park than a 9am opening.

As you can see, there were some people in line ahead of us:



This meant that our favorite seats were already in use. As were many of the seats. In fact, the whole lower tier of the bus was full. But there was this step in back and some seats open behind it:



I told Izzy to go up there and I was going to have to lug the stroller up and find a place for it. But just before we got there, the lady in the last seat before that (across from the back bus door) put her toddler son on her lap to free up a seat for us. That was very nice of her and we took the seat. But Izzy was SO MAD . She really wanted to go up the stairs and her dreams were dashed. Poor kid.

There was just enough room next to the seat to stash enough of the stroller that it stayed propped up:



And we were off:



Izzy had gotten over her ordeal pretty quickly and enjoyed showing off her Magic Band to the little boy next to us. Her enthusiasm convinced him to actually put his on too.

We soon arrived and were making this walk at about 8:20am:



Our bag check security guard was super nice and seemed to genuinely love young kids. He gave Izzy a Junior Security sticker with Mickey on it:



Yay, a coveted Disney Sticker!

That was a nice way to start the day, plus we were through the gates by 8:25am. Not bad for a busy morning to leave the room, do a bunch of things, and make it into the park 50 minutes later. I was pretty happy with that.

As we made our way through the park, there was clearly construction in progress:



We were heading straight to the safari to try to get in a walk-on, even though we also had a FP+ for a bit later. Always nice to ride this one twice. And, luckily, the safari is apparently the one thing I can easily find my way to in AK (seriously, I was so lost so often…), so we made it there quickly and it was only a 10 minute posted wait:



We headed in and were quickly entering our vehicle. We ended up in the front row, right behind the driver. A dad and his toddler girl were seated next to us. Ready to see some animals:



Well, not animals exactly, but we saw these people (and also check out the Wilderness Explorer sash of the kid on safari!):



The Wild Africa Trek group. My notes say we saw them feeding the crocs, but I think I meant hippos, based on my pictures and info I can find online about the trek. So, this is probably what they were seeing (pic borrowed from the internet - Trip Advisor - and, yes, I did just take a picture of my computer screen with my phone and post it ):



Pretty cool! Crossing this is another thing those trekkers got to do:



We had a fun time on the safari, as usual, but I was really glad that we had a FP+ to go again later. It was very quiet on the savannah and we didn’t see a lot of animals out and about. There was no sign whatsoever of the lions and other animals were scarce. Izzy still had a good time, though:





Hey, dad and kid, look up and to your right, there’s actually an elephant to see:



This was probably the best view we had of any animal:



I think he’s pointing to a zebra way back there:



As we were leaving the safari area, headed for Triceratop Spin, I spotted a Fast Pass+ Kiosk sign. I didn’t see a kiosk, only CMs with iPads, but I thought I’d give Izzy’s extra Magic Band a try. I thought it might be nice to grab yet another safari FP+ and also a later meet time for Mickey and Minnie, as I was worried we wouldn’t make it back from Rafiki’s Planet Watch in time for our FP+ window. However, things didn’t work out so well, as I noticed that even though the CM selected just Izzy on the iPad, as I had asked, it was also messing with my existing FP+ reservations. I don’t know why or how, but this was more like being in MDE than at a kiosk that operates independently of MDE. Kind-of a hybrid, as I wouldn’t have been able to select Izzy at all in MDE. I panicked and wasn’t getting what I wanted anyway, so asked the CM to cancel out. He seemed baffled by this and asked, “You mean, you don’t want ANY Fast Passes?” and I was like, “You know, I’m rethinking how I want to do things, thanks.” And then I hightailed it out of there , whipping out my phone to see what damage had been done to my existing FP+.

Here was my original schedule I’d posted in my PTR and you can see FP+ times noted for the safari and Mickey/Minnie meet:



My third FP+ was a throwaway that I didn’t plan to use since I needed to get three. It was a Nemo show sometime that afternoon.

Here’s how things looked after the “kiosk”:



So, my safari was fine, but Mickey and Minnie shifted 20 minutes later and my Nemo turned into Lion King. Luckily, I didn’t plan to use that one anyway. So, moral of the story, if you're up to no good with your under-3-kid's Magic Band, stick to the actual kiosks only! It was 9:15am at that point and we had made it to Dinoland, where Izzy spotted Triceratop Spin and was happy that we were going to ride it:



Up next: After spinning around on AK Dumbo, we stumble into something unplanned.

 

[DisneyParkLover]

Just wanted to stop in and say I'm following along! I love reading your trip reports and seeing Izzy grow and change. Plus, since she is a little older than Luke, it is good preparation for what to expect with him at different ages. (Although Izzy seems to be a little better behaved than Luke. He is a super sweet boy, but he is very rambunctious!)

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

HAHAHA, I always feel like I'm reading Izzy's mind. "Seriously mom... Another Picture????"

Resort airline check-in has to be one of the coolest features staying on property. Not that I'm happy to be leaving of course, but still a wonderful convenience.

Ha, sometimes guests being nice and doing the right thing like opening up a seat doesn't pay off. Just ask Izzy.

Disney Sticker!!!! WOOT!

Wow, I hadn't seen your PTR. You do schedule very specifically, lol.

Phew, looks like your still safe for your planned Mickey/Minnie meet.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

You did a great job getting up the next morning after your late night! I'm so impressed that you made it to AK during EMH!

I love going on the safari early the morning! I think the animals tend to be more active in the morning. It's too bad the lions weren't out and about.

I'm glad your FP+ more or less survived!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

You did great that morning getting stuff done and out to AK. I didn't realize they had cold storage at the luggage check area. Good to know.

Man, lot's of tid bits for when you are, um , bending the rules with the under 3 mb. Glad it didn't really mess you up too bad though

Nice tease at the end

 

[Jackiemarie21]

I am impressed with how much you got done on the way to AK that morning! It would have taken hours for us to complete all that, but alas we are a SLOW moving group of people ( some of us slower than others, not mentioning any names, DH and Dd!)

So many tricks and tid-bits for those under three magic bands. Keeping all this in the back of my mind , as we will have one under three with us!

 

[hokieinpa]

I'm glad you got to walk through AOA on your last night! I think Izzy would love it if you ever get to stay there!

Even if Izzy was a night owl, at least she seemed cooperative and not too grumpy!

I can imagine how difficult and messy the Cronut might be but I would have a hard time throwing that away. I probably would have wrapped that second and had a snack later.

You guys moved pretty quick in the morning! I loved resort airline check in - so easy and hassle free!

Sorry the first safari didn't turn out well animal wise! Izzy seems excited to explore DinoLand!

 

[schmass]

All caught up!

That was a great idea to take the bus to AoA and check it out that evening! Love your comment about the easy-fold on the stroller. People at work always think it's amazing how many I things I can carry/balance/juggle - but it's just from doing it with Rory all the time.

You and Izzy sure got a lot accomplished in a short amount of time that morning!

 

[Imagineer5]

What a productive morning!! Glad you were able to do all that (good idea to check the milk to refill her cup before the flight!!). We have had a few safaris like that, pretty low on the animal encounters. I think sometimes the EMH does that - where they don't let them out until a little after 9. Really weird about the FP mishaps!! That is crazy! Though maybe the extra 20 minutes helped your plans for meeting Mickey & Minnie? LOL I've never seen that happen before.

 

[Leshaface]

I threw away the second Cronut!

Poor cronut!

Don’t worry – a hot, fresh Cronut is on the “to eat” list for our next trip.

You better do it. I"ll be bugging you on FB your whole trip otherwise!

We headed out of the room at 7:35am, so not too bad.

Not bad, that's great timing!

Last stop was the luggage storage for the day, where we dropped off Izzy’s carseat, her Minnie backpack full of stuff for the plane, and the remainder of our milk so that I’d be able to refill her thermoses before the flight (they have cold storage for food).

Even with all that, we were headed out to the bus stop at 8am:

Wow you're good.

Her enthusiasm convinced him to actually put his on too.

Aw so cute!

Glad that Izzy enjoyed KS! Such the perfect ride for kids this age I think. It kept DS's attention the whole time and he loved the movement of the vehicle.

Yikes, glad nothing disastrous happened with your existing FP's with the iPads. Bet that CM was confused as heck to why you wouldn't want any FP's at all

 

[LuvEeyore]

I am so sorry I am so far behind!! It looks like Izzy's favorite ride is the bus!! She is so happy looking. Love the AoA pictures you took. Can't wait to hear what else you do at AK.

 

[MEK]

I guess I wasn't that far behind being that your trip was so short. Yup - no fun to get your ME tag on your first full day. That's kind of a mood killer.

Yes - it is wrong to throw away a coveted cronut, but how were you to know that Izzy wasn't going to be a fan.

Yay for an early AK start, especially one that involves the Safari!

 

[amazingact21]

This is completely random, but I feel like I should share with you.

So, when we were in Disney a month ago, I wanted to try out that little trick you wrote about in your TR. About taking the baby's MagicBand and getting 3 FPs with it. But every time I went to a kiosk center there were CMs manning every computer!
One time, I thought one was empty, so I walked up to it, but alas, a CM came up to us. I had to pretend I didn't know what I was doing. "I wanted to link our FPs to my son's band because he doesn't have them. Oh, it doesn't matter? Even though he doesn't have them on his? Oh, okay then, thanks for clearing that up!"

So just as a heads up for your May trip, doing that might prove difficult. Apparently they have gotten more Cast Members to work the kiosks.

 

[Dugette]

Just wanted to stop in and say I'm following along! I love reading your trip reports and seeing Izzy grow and change. Plus, since she is a little older than Luke, it is good preparation for what to expect with him at different ages. (Although Izzy seems to be a little better behaved than Luke. He is a super sweet boy, but he is very rambunctious!)

Glad you're here! I'm like you - I've always enjoyed reading the TRs about slightly older kids to get a peek at what's to come. Yeah, I think we got lucky with Izzy's temperament. She's a really good kid. I mean, she still has her moments, but she's generally pretty calm and reasonable.

HAHAHA, I always feel like I'm reading Izzy's mind. "Seriously mom... Another Picture????"

Isn't it fun to figure out what they're thinking? I did that all the time when she was too young to talk. And I used to interpret for our dog before Izzy came along.

Resort airline check-in has to be one of the coolest features staying on property. Not that I'm happy to be leaving of course, but still a wonderful convenience.

I agree. And I'm kind-of bummed because I don't think we'll be able to use it on our next trip. We usually fly Delta, but we got free tickets on Sun Country this time (big carrier out of MN) and it doesn't look like they participate in the resort airline check-in.

Ha, sometimes guests being nice and doing the right thing like opening up a seat doesn't pay off. Just ask Izzy.

If only they had been nice just a bit sooner - like before I told Izzy to go up the stairs. Poor girl was so devastated - she loves stairs and was so looking forward to going up there. Thankfully, she got over it quickly with her short toddler attention span.

Disney Sticker!!!! WOOT!

I knew you would appreciate that.

Wow, I hadn't seen your PTR. You do schedule very specifically, lol.

Haha, I like my details. Mostly so I know what I'm doing. I'm too forgetful otherwise. I had that screenshot of the PTR schedule because I was actually referencing it throughout the day so I knew what I was doing.

Phew, looks like your still safe for your planned Mickey/Minnie meet.

Yes, I was worried it was going to be at a time we couldn't do it or gone altogether. So strange.

You did a great job getting up the next morning after your late night! I'm so impressed that you made it to AK during EMH!

Thanks. We were a bit behind schedule, but not too bad, all things considered. And it was still EMH, and we didn't have much to do during that time, so it all worked out.

I love going on the safari early the morning! I think the animals tend to be more active in the morning. It's too bad the lions weren't out and about.

I agree. I always thought they were more active in the morning. But maybe it was just too early in the morning.

I'm glad your FP+ more or less survived!

Me too!

You did great that morning getting stuff done and out to AK. I didn't realize they had cold storage at the luggage check area. Good to know.

Yeah, if you have any food/drink leftovers, ask them to put them in the fridge for you. Very handy! I didn't want to waste the last little bit of milk.

Man, lot's of tid bits for when you are, um , bending the rules with the under 3 mb. Glad it didn't really mess you up too bad though

Haha, gotta pass along the tips. I probably wouldn't have gone up to the CMs with iPads, but the sign said kiosk and I figured there would be one somewhere.

Nice tease at the end

Thanks!

I am impressed with how much you got done on the way to AK that morning! It would have taken hours for us to complete all that, but alas we are a SLOW moving group of people ( some of us slower than others, not mentioning any names, DH and Dd!)

Haha, well, the slow-moving member of my family was at home this trip. Plus, when you have a trip that is SO short, you really want to make every minute count. There's no chance to catch something later if you miss it.

So many tricks and tid-bits for those under three magic bands. Keeping all this in the back of my mind , as we will have one under three with us!

Yeah, it's really not complicated. I was just running into issues figuring out what I could and count not do. In general, just stick to the kiosks and you'll be good.

I'm glad you got to walk through AOA on your last night! I think Izzy would love it if you ever get to stay there!

I think we would all love it! Maybe next time (after May, whenever that is...)

Even if Izzy was a night owl, at least she seemed cooperative and not too grumpy!

She did really good for how little sleep she had. Thankfully.

I can imagine how difficult and messy the Cronut might be but I would have a hard time throwing that away. I probably would have wrapped that second and had a snack later.

That probably would have been wise. Maybe with the Dole Whip.

You guys moved pretty quick in the morning! I loved resort airline check in - so easy and hassle free!

I really like having that service too. As I said to the comment above, I'm bummed that we won't get to use it in May, as we're on a non-participating airline.

Sorry the first safari didn't turn out well animal wise! Izzy seems excited to explore DinoLand!

I always love the safari no matter what, but it was really short on animals that time. Still fun, though. Yes, Izzy was very excited to see AK Dumbo.

 

[Dugette]

All caught up!

Yay! I wish I could say that. I somehow got behind on all the reports I follow and am still trying to catch up (for those I'm behind on - sorry! i most likely have read your updates on my phone while on the bus, but haven't come back to comment just yet, but I'll get there)

That was a great idea to take the bus to AoA and check it out that evening! Love your comment about the easy-fold on the stroller. People at work always think it's amazing how many I things I can carry/balance/juggle - but it's just from doing it with Rory all the time.

I was happy to have the chance to walk through AoA. I had it in the back of my mind to always check their bus line vs. Pop, just for this type of situation.

Man, we sure develop lots of exciting skills by having toddlers!

You and Izzy sure got a lot accomplished in a short amount of time that morning!

We did. In general, that pretty much describes this whole trip.

What a productive morning!! Glad you were able to do all that (good idea to check the milk to refill her cup before the flight!!).

Thanks! Had to get all those pesky chores out of the way to hit AK! And the milk refill was handy to have later. Glad I did that instead of having to dump it and buy more at the airport.

We have had a few safaris like that, pretty low on the animal encounters. I think sometimes the EMH does that - where they don't let them out until a little after 9.

That must be what was going on. Just too early for some of the animals, I guess. It was definitely the quietest safari I remember.

Really weird about the FP mishaps!! That is crazy! Though maybe the extra 20 minutes helped your plans for meeting Mickey & Minnie? LOL I've never seen that happen before.

At least it moved it back a bit, right? So strange that it did that. I still don't understand what happened, because he definitely just had Izzy selected, but it was adjusting mine as he looked at options for her. Freaked me out!

Poor cronut!

I know.

You better do it. I"ll be bugging you on FB your whole trip otherwise!

Fair enough! Maybe I will have to pull a Rob and post a Cronut shout-out to you.

Not bad, that's great timing!

Wow you're good.

We made pretty decent time this morning. Got a lot done and didn't stray too horribly far off schedule.

Aw so cute!

I love seeing her interact with other toddlers. They both were quite impressed with their Magic Bands.

Glad that Izzy enjoyed KS! Such the perfect ride for kids this age I think. It kept DS's attention the whole time and he loved the movement of the vehicle.

I think that ride is one of the biggest crowd-pleasers for all age groups. And I love that it's always a bit different - keeps it exciting.

Yikes, glad nothing disastrous happened with your existing FP's with the iPads. Bet that CM was confused as heck to why you wouldn't want any FP's at all

He was SO confused. I think he was just stumped why I'd suddenly change my mind.

I am so sorry I am so far behind!! It looks like Izzy's favorite ride is the bus!! She is so happy looking. Love the AoA pictures you took. Can't wait to hear what else you do at AK.

She really did enjoy her bus rides. I mean, it is a ride after all. Lots more AK fun to come...

I guess I wasn't that far behind being that your trip was so short. Yup - no fun to get your ME tag on your first full day. That's kind of a mood killer.

Even though I knew I was taking a short trip, that really stung to get the ME notice right away. It's like, "Yay, you're here - now get out!"

Yes - it is wrong to throw away a coveted cronut, but how were you to know that Izzy wasn't going to be a fan.

That is true - it was Izzy's. And if I'd forced it on her, she probably would have just dropped it on the floor or something anyway, right? Cronut trashing justified!

Yay for an early AK start, especially one that involves the Safari!

With such a short trip, it was nice just to have that little extra bit of EMH time.

This is completely random, but I feel like I should share with you.

So, when we were in Disney a month ago, I wanted to try out that little trick you wrote about in your TR. About taking the baby's MagicBand and getting 3 FPs with it. But every time I went to a kiosk center there were CMs manning every computer!
One time, I thought one was empty, so I walked up to it, but alas, a CM came up to us. I had to pretend I didn't know what I was doing. "I wanted to link our FPs to my son's band because he doesn't have them. Oh, it doesn't matter? Even though he doesn't have them on his? Oh, okay then, thanks for clearing that up!"

So just as a heads up for your May trip, doing that might prove difficult. Apparently they have gotten more Cast Members to work the kiosks.

Thanks for sharing. Good save, by the way! I'm sorry it didn't work out for you. I feel bad, because maybe I could have explained better: There were always CMs there for me too. Only exception was the two kiosks inside of MK city hall are unmanned - I like them! But I used the Philharmagic kiosks a lot on this trip and there was a CM helping each time. I just went in with a band and said I needed to pick FP+ and went to town. They don't know who the band belongs to (or their age or ticket status), so it might as well be mine (they might see the name, so having a girl maybe helps me, but I don't think they'd question you using Landon's - or else they'd assume it was for another member of your party). Some of the CMs are more overzealous than others and wanted to do everything, but most step back if you know what you're doing. The only issue we ever had with the CMs was back in June on the very first time Lauren and I tried this out. We were actually using our DH's bands that time. And the CM was inserting herself into everything, even though we assured her we knew how to work the kiosk. She let us get the FP+, but she seemed a bit suspicious of us. No one else since has blinked an eye, though. I just walk up as if it were my own, get the FP+ I want, and head off.

 

[RGirl]

Hey there!

Izzy! Cronuts! How could you not try???? Children and food - always a challenge. *sigh*

Even with all that, we were headed out to the bus stop at 8am

That is impressive!!!!

Too bad about the lack of animals on the safari, but Izzy really looks like she enjoyed herself.

BIZARRE FP+ ipad effects there. I’m glad you still had what you needed though!

 

[Dugette]

Hey there!

Hi, Friday night DIS-friend!

Izzy! Cronuts! How could you not try???? Children and food - always a challenge. *sigh*

You just never know from one day to the next what they'll eat. Like sometimes Izzy will eat almost nothing at dinner. And then tonight she had FIVE slices of ham (Dug and I each had 3 and were fine, so she ate a ton!) Crazy, unpredictable kids!

That is impressive!!!!

I was pretty happy with our timing, all things considered.

Too bad about the lack of animals on the safari, but Izzy really looks like she enjoyed herself.

Yeah, what's not to love about riding across the savanna on a big vehicle? Always fun, no matter what.

BIZARRE FP+ ipad effects there. I’m glad you still had what you needed though!

It was really strange. I'm glad I backed out before it changed something important, though.