Is Mickey a Captain or a Jedi? Both! - May '15 Land & Sea ~ Updated 6/14: Trip Report Started!

[Dugette]

It is so, so difficult to get back into the swing of things in life, but the DIS sometimes seems harder if that's possible!

Yep, I agree. It can be very overwhelming when you're following a lot of reports and get so far behind. I'm nearly up to speed now, though!

So many 'ands' but yep, sounds like you just returned from a big trip.

Indeed.

If you get tired of writing, use your voice memo on your iPhone! Especially if you get moments randomly throughout the day and you don't have your notepad handy

I actually didn't hand write anything. The few notes I made during the trip were typed on Dug's laptop. I did remember to tell a story into my phone's video camera on the first day, but then totally forgot about doing that after. I think Dug made some notes on various stories, though, so I need him to get that to me. Not sure what he has, but more than me.

Aw man that's kind of a bummer. Do you think it was from all of the SW events?

Trying to get in all the SWW stuff was definitely part of it. There was a mixture of stuff going on - worries about the work thing that happened, struggles with an overtired toddler, etc. And you know that it's not nearly as pleasant in the HOT vs. the cool months.

Ugh, don't scare me.

Haha, sorry!

I'll be anxiously awaiting your stories with the potties, since we'll be starting our road trip in three weeks

The short version is that she wanted to be taken to the potty constantly, but then would get in there and declare, "I don't have pee or poopies!" or "I changed my mind!" I mean, I guess that's better than having accidents (which she had a couple of too), but it got pretty tiring and frustrating. If you're on a road trip, I think it will be harder for Calvin to pull something like that, though.

Holy moly!!! That will be fun to watch though! And oh my goodness, tons of options for your TR title. I want to hear the story behind "I'm not a princess!"

I cannot believe I took that many videos! I had no clue!

Welcome back. I often say one needs a vacation after a trip to Disney - but seems like you could really use some extra hours in your days now. Best of luck with everything.

Thanks! I would love a post-vacation vacation! I tried to do that this past weekend - just really kept things simple and had some time to catch up on things and relax a bit. Much needed. Oh, and last night where I went to bed at 9pm (early for me!) and got over 8 hours of sleep. That was nice too!

Sorry there were more less magical moments this trip - definitely hard to prepare for how toddlers will be at any given time. Definitely teaches you about being flexible and adapting (at least our most recent trips did for us)

Absolutely! Unpredictability at it's best with a 2-year-old in tow!

Your plans for the next cruise sound great! I like the idea of getting in some Disney and doing a party, etc. without having to go to regular park days.

I really, really like the idea of that trip. Of course, by that time, there will probably be exciting new things to do and new things Izzy's tall enough for and it will be hard to resist park tickets. We'll see.

That is great you got all those videos! Will be fun to look back on over time.

For sure! A lot of them are character meets and I really like having the video of those interactions.

Also just really glad that despite everything you still feel it was a good trip. Oh, hope everything worked out with the fish extender!

Yes, it was a good trip and the fish extender worked out great! Glad we participated!

Welcome Back.

Thank you!

You too?

Thankfully, we've got food and clean clothes now!

Looking forward to it!

Me too!

 

[Dugette]

Welcome back! Loving those TR title ideas!

Thanks!

So happy I got to meet you all, including Birdie!

It was so great to meet you! So funny, she would barely put Birdie down on the trip and now he's just laying in her crib, getting ignored while she snuggles with "Silly Bunny" every night.

I had such a great time and Izzy - though this age might have been a bit of a challenge to park tour - is absolutely adorable, so sweet, and such a smartie! I LOVED meeting her!!! Cannot wait to read your TR!

Aw, thanks! I'm glad you got a chance to meet everyone, but it was super fun the night with just us too!

Welcome back. I'm looking forward to reading your TR.

Thank you! Hoping to get it started fairly soon!

I totally understand where you are coming from with your trip. I'm sorry it was difficult but it sounds like the cruise was good. I can't wait to hear all about it.

I think you definitely understand, based on what I know about your trip! The cruise was great!

We did go to the Como Zoo today. I would highly recommend it. It was the perfect size for his age. Took us about 2 1/2 hours to see everything. Not a ton of animals but we got to see them all really close & not a lot of walking, which was nice. They've got some construction going on that looks like some really nice improvements. And the old carousel was really fun too.

Thanks so much for the recommendation! I think we will try to get out there sometime this summer! It's been a long time since either Dug or I have gone and Izzy never has. I'm sure she'll love it!

Welcome back!

Thank you!

I'm sorry that some of the parts of this trip were less than magical. The combination of the age (I've heard of "three-nagers" instead of teenagers, same attitude ) and potty training makes enjoying the parks harder. Colin was newly potty trained during our trip and that made it hard when we had to stop every 1-1.5 hours.

Yes, that combo was rough. And I wouldn't have minded stopping for the potty so often if she actually went, but it was like maybe 20% of the time that she was actually interested in using the facilities.

Excited to read about all of your SWW, cruise, and character meet fun! I like "I'm not a Princess, I'm Izzy!" for the record!

Thanks, that's my favorite and I'm leaving heavily towards it!

Welcome back! Sounds like you had quite the eventful trip.

Thanks, we sure did!

I'm glad that you enjoyed the cruise and booked another one. They are quite addicting in my opinion!

They sure are. Wish I could go on another RIGHT NOW.

23 months has been my favorite vacation age so far, as well.

Glad it worked out so well for you too! I just felt like Izzy was really easy at that age. She mostly just had fun and wasn't into her freak-out-about-everything phase yet.

I can't wait to hear all about the trip!

Can't wait to share once I finish making my notes!

Uh oh... dealing with work on vacation? Always something to look forward to.

Yeah, this was not a good way to start off our trip.

Good is always good. And I'm sure as time passes, you'll remember it even more fondly than you do today.

You know, I'm finding that to be the case. As we've been back and the work thing is getting a bit more settled, I'm able to reflect back more fondly on everything. At the time, the combination of stressors was tough, though.

Totally understand. Especially with everything you had planned for the parks!

The WDW part was definitely not a relaxing vacation. Not even the parts that I'd planned to be relaxing. The best was probably our arrival day, as far as taking it easy and soaking it in. Then it got crazy.

After our past few trips, I'm not looking forward to getting back to the summer trips.

It's brutal. We're very fond of early December and other times near that with pleasant weather.

So... you just basically outlined an entire PTR for a cruise you may or may not go on in about a year and a half. Maybe off track but you just proved what kind of an OCD Disney planner you are. Don't worry, we won't judge. We've all been there.

Gotta dream about something, right?

Totally understand this one... DD was actually great, being that age when we were at WDW. Meals were really the biggest challenge. And she was (and still is) in diapers, which helped. She just does not like the potty. Seriously. Every time we try potty training it is something else. Our last effort was over the extended Memorial Day weekend and she refused to even go. She walked around with her legs crossed and refused to go until she finally couldn't hold it and peed herself... at 5PM! She'd held it all day long! No matter how many times we sat her on the potty she refused to go!!!! We tried it for a few days with the same results. We were afraid of it causing health issues and put her back in diapers. Anyway, look who's off track now.

Izzy can get pretty stubborn and hold it for a long time too. In the interest of TMI, she has decided that she only does poopies in diapers and has managed to only go at night or naps to make that happen. Eventually, she's going to have to get over that (or wear diapers to bed forever!) If you haven't tried it yet, Izzy responded VERY well to the promise of candy if she peed on the potty.

I like it!

That one's my favorite!

I like this one too.

And that one's Dug's favorite!

And I also like this one.

I kept saying this on the trip - first, it was a joke title, but then...well, it became a contender.

Welcome back to the real world. Sounds like you've had quite the return to reality. Take your time, we'll be here!

Thanks! I'm getting there!

 

[MEK]

Welcome Back! I am really looking forward to reading about your trips and congrats on booking another cruise. We rebooked on our cruise, too! It's so hard not to, isn't it?

 

[Dugette]

Welcome back! Glad you had a nice time and really enjoyed the cruise. We rebooked on our cruise as well We are actually doing a 4 nighter on the Magic on December 9th. I'm really looking forward to that

Oh, fun! Is that this December (2015)? I hope you have a great time!

I like your favorite TR title the best - I'm not a Princes, I'm Izzy. That's perfect.

I am VERY strongly leaning toward that one right now!

Can't wait to read your trip report. It makes me nervous about how Izzy was, I really want to take my granddaughter back before she is three at the end of Sept. I may have to re think that plan. I figure if we have a 4-1 ratio, adult to child, we may be ok.

I think that ratio will help. My best advice is to make sure she gets enough sleep and to not disrupt her routine too much. We didn't think we were going to be so bad, but she ended up refusing stroller naps and that really messed us up. So, I guess just have her sleep as a priority if she gets, um, a bit more emotional when tired. When's her birthday, by the way? She must be really close to Izzy's birthdate!

Your photo shoot sounds interesting too, do you get all of your ideas from the DIS?

Yeah, all the good ones.

Did you go to the lego display at the Arboretum? I'd like to go, if we have time, when we are in Minneapolis this weekend.

I had no idea this even existed, but I looked it up and it sounds like fun! We are clear on the other side of the cities, so it's a little haul over there, but I hope we can work it in sometime this summer!

Welcome back!

Thank you!

I was so happy to find this PTR because I followed your previous ones and loved reading them all. I have to chuckle as I just finished reading this PTR after your trip ended. Can't wait to read all about it!

Perfect timing! And thank you! I'll be starting as soon as I can get my notes together. I'm hoping for this weekend, maybe.

I love the title "I'm not a princess, I'm Izzy.

Thanks, I think I will probably end up going with that one!

Welcome home!

Thanks, you too!

I will expand on this when I get to it in my TR, but it was AWESOME to meet you and your family! I've read your trip reports for so long that it was almost surreal to meet you in person. Izzy was completely adorable - one of Anika's first comments as we walked away from you was, "She's a beautiful little girl." I was pretty pleased to get the wave goodbye!

Oh, my! You are too sweet! I mean, it's not like I'm a Rob, Danielle, or Mary Ellen. I mean, I'm pretty sure I was a sweaty, frazzled, exhausted mess by the time we met up. It was great to meet you two, though. I'm so sorry you got sick on your trip, but I'm glad most of it was good. And thanks for the compliments on Izzy - we are rather fond of her and feel like we won the kid lottery (most of the time).

I'm right there with you on all the laundry/food shortages/work craziness. As of last night I finally have milk and bread in the house!

Yay for bread and milk! I think we are fully stocked here now!

"I'm not a princess, I'm Izzy!" wins my vote! I love it!

Thanks, it seems like this is the clear winner!

 

[Dugette]

Welcome Back! I am really looking forward to reading about your trips and congrats on booking another cruise. We rebooked on our cruise, too! It's so hard not to, isn't it?

You are catching up so thoroughly that you've welcomed me back twice! (Of course, I only know because I was responding to your other comment at the same time!) But thank you! And why not rebook for the deal - nothing to lose!

 

[amazingact21]

I must have messed up along the way and not subscribed to this TR. I kept waiting and waiting for an update on May and just figured you'd let this PTR slide. Yeesh. I'm sorry. I am here after the fact, though! Glad to hear the cruise portion of your trip was fun. It's hard to find time to write notes on a cruise when there's so much else going on. It's amazing how busy you keep on one of those trips.

I have to laugh at your toddler stages. I think a lot depends on the child. Because 14 months was one of my least favorite stages. I really enjoyed 20 months and 25 months.
I am fearful of the. Newly out of diapers stage, too, though. Seems like I'll constantly be on edge for the potential need for potty breaks.

 

[Dugette]

I must have messed up along the way and not subscribed to this TR. I kept waiting and waiting for an update on May and just figured you'd let this PTR slide. Yeesh. I'm sorry. I am here after the fact, though! Glad to hear the cruise portion of your trip was fun. It's hard to find time to write notes on a cruise when there's so much else going on. It's amazing how busy you keep on one of those trips.

No worries! I'm glad you're here now, just in time for the start of the TR!

I have to laugh at your toddler stages. I think a lot depends on the child. Because 14 months was one of my least favorite stages. I really enjoyed 20 months and 25 months.
I am fearful of the. Newly out of diapers stage, too, though. Seems like I'll constantly be on edge for the potential need for potty breaks.

I remember you saying you wouldn't do 14 months again, so it really goes to show that each kid is different. For us, at that time, Izzy was pretty easy. She didn't have the emotional intensity she does these days. The potty thing just got to be ridiculous. It is nice not having to worry about diapers, though.

 

[Dugette]

Hey, all! I finally managed to get the Trip Report started! You can find it here:

"I'm NOT a Princess, I'm Izzy!" - May '15 Land/Sea ~ Updated 6/14: Intros!

Please come join in and see how all this planning turned out!