I somehow got way, way behind over here but just caught up and am enjoying reading about the cruise portion of the trip!
No worries, I got a few updates done in a row to get the cruise portion going. Clearly, I've slowed down again, though.
Your solo night at MK looks like so much fun!
It was a great time! Just what I needed.
I remember that long line for the tickets on the cruise. My in-laws boarded the ship way before us and were supposed to get the character breakfast tickets for us, but failed to do so. So by the time I waited in line, the only breakfast tickets were for our Palo brunch day/time
I did end up getting Anna & Elsa tickets though.
Aw, that's a bummer! Glad you also got A&E tickets, though.
Yay for another Disney trip and so cool that you are meeting up with Lauren and the girls again. What a great time to go, too! I hope to make it there in December at some point in the next couple of years. I can't believe that Izzy will be 4!
Well, you should try this December.
I realized we now have a pattern of going every 3 years in December (2010, 2013, 2016). It is one of our favorite times to go, but probably won't be happening once Izzy is in school. And, yes, I also cannot believe she will be 4 so soon!
So excited for the December trip!! <3 And I also can't believe Izzy will be FOUR! THey'll both be 4 at that time
it'll be so much fun, and can't wait for them to be little ride buddies.
Haha, that's cool that they'll be in that window where they are the same age! Yay for ride buddies!
I also think it should be fun for them to have a friend their age to hang out with - Izzy was trying to play with some older kids in our neighborhood tonight and they were completely ignoring her and she couldn't understand why (they were like 8-9, I'd say, and probably didn't want to be slowed down by a 3-year-old). Poor thing was so heartbroken
- wish there were more kids her age that lived near us. At least she has her daycare buddies M-F. And her Disney buddy!
That sounds like a great trip! It's such a fun time of year to visit and going with friends is even more fun!!
Totally agree - I think we'll have a great time!
Such fun plans! I'd love to go to WDW in December!
And wow how big Izzy has grown! Love the most recent pictures of her! So cute!
December (well, early December) is probably our favorite time to go. Mild weather, holiday magic, low crowds, etc. You should try it!
And thanks on the pics. I cannot believe how much of a "kid" she is now versus a toddler or baby. Goes so fast.
So.... wow, did I ever get far behind!
I kept seeing your TR in my unread watched list, but knew I just didn't have the time.
Finally got some.
I didn't take detailed quotes, since it would run way too long, so I'll just make a few comments.
No problem, it's so easy to get way behind when you get busy with real life.
Too bad about Izzy having the melt down before going to MK. These things happen and it sounds like you handled it well.
Thanks, it was definitely a rough time. Worked out okay, but not much fun in the moment.
Fun solo night! I still can't believe that BTMRR was almost a walk on! It's on my Disney bucket list to ride it at night... and you did it with almost no wait!
It worked out really well! I lucked out with the short waits that night.
You met Tracy!! I miss her. I checked and the last time she posted on the DIS was back in November.
I miss her too! Wow, she's been away from here for far too long.
Totally sucks about the long delay between dropping off the car and boarding. I would've been so stressed!
I was really stressed, especially waiting at that drawbridge. Just not moving at all while I could SEE the ship was making me crazy.
I like your cabin too. I know it's called a "family" cabin, but I can't imagine four people when two are adults or almost adults in there. But for your family, it looks just about perfect.
It was perfect. And there was a top bunk over the couch that came down from the ceiling for a 4th bed (that we didn't use). Some of the family cabins also have a 5th murphy bed, but our didn't.
And...
omg! Look at the hair! What a cutie!
Aw, thanks!
Hey there! I have actually been reading along for some time now, but more of a lurker than a poster so haven't said anything These pictures have lured me out of lurkdom! She is so darn cute! It almost makes me wish my own littles were little again (they are 16 and 14 now)...almost. LOL
Yay for coming out of lurkdom!
Thanks for saying hi! So, sounds like teenagers might be preferable to toddlers?
That's actually pretty re-assuring, since I've heard some co-workers and friends talking about how challenging those years are.
I have to say, the once in a great while break down that she has...It seems not so bad because all the rest of the time she just seems to be so mild tempered and sweet. She goes along with almost everything with out a peep. The pictures of her standing there quietly in her crib just made me laugh. Your reactions to her melt down were perfect and I think that your parenting skills are very apparent in how she rarely gets upset. I see so many people at the parks and just on vacation in general that get mad because of the way their littles are acting... and truth be told, it is more than likely the fault of the parent for not recognizing that their child is tired and exhausted and they just keep trying to push them further.
Thanks for your kinds words.
We try our best - I think it's a combination of her naturally being a pretty good kid and us trying to parent effectively for the person she is. We do feel like we lucked out that she is a sweet, smart, fun, agreeable person most of the time. The older she gets, the more opinionated and bossy she is, so we are working on that these days, but she is generally a good kid. I agree that you see all sorts of meltdowns in Disney and some are probably preventable. Hard to know what's going on with anyone else, though. I might just be catching a bad moment, who knows. I do always try to recognize that she is young and doesn't know how to act/react until we teach her, though - I make an effort to understand where she's at and help her to learn the whats and whys of the world, rather than just getting upset with her. We're all learning how to do our parent/kid roles better all the time, though.
They only had Anna & Elsa ones left, but I was able to get them! 
I think Dug was sleeping on the couch, though. Lauren texted to wish us a good cruise and I remember sending her that picture of how things were starting off. (Don’t worry, we DID have a good cruise). It was 2:55pm now, so not looking great for a solid nap before the 4pm muster drill.
:
We couldn’t believe it
:
And it was so brief. Then I remembered that Dug had just told me about something he’d learned on a podcast: there are sprinklers on the roofs of Fantasyland to make sure any fireworks debris doesn’t cause a fire. The “rain” must have actually been the fireworks sprinklers! How funny!
I can barely see you!
That sounds like something i'd say.
She was borderline delirious, I'd say.
)
