Magic Bands are Flushable and Other Lessons Learned. A winter 2014 Trip Report

[middlesista]

OOPS (Jan 27)​

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We left off returning from the MK and hoping to be surprised by a towel animal. Nope, didn’t happen. The vacation was young so I still was optimistic.

Although we thought the girls would fall quickly asleep it seemed to me that they got a second wind. The quick nap they had on the bus must have energized them. They were enjoying the big sleepover party that was connecting rooms and decided to sleep with me, or at least start out sleeping with me. After the running around was completed for the night, DGD5 settled right in along with her Minnie Mouse brought from home. DGD1.9, who had napped longer during the day, was in and out of bed, in and out the connecting rooms, chattering happily away. However, after a short interaction with her parents in the next room she scurried back to me and climbed into bed along with her Minnie from home. I was holding on to each of the girls tightly since it is a long drop to the floor. When the little one is ready to fall asleep she puts her arms behind her head and gazes skyward. I am not sure what she is looking for but it works for her and that’s all that counts. I was watching for that clue since the plan was for their dad to retrieve them from my bed and return them to their rightful place, with their parents for the night. Before too long they were both asleep and for this I was grateful.

Let me explain that my DD had requested a pack and play for the room since a crib was still used at home for DGD1.9 This was a dismal failure since she was not use to a pack and play. At home she had nowhere to really be packed up to and she for sure never had to play in a small enclosed pen. Her older sister was use to a pack and play when she was younger but not DGD1.9.
The actual pack and play that they delivered was clean and in good working order. She just wanted no part of it and if the bed was good enough for her sister, it was good enough for her. We banished the pack and play to wherever they reside when not serving as a child holder - the folks at POFQ were great about taking it away.

Just a quick aside, we had asked for side rails for the bed but they were not available. I suggest if you are going to have a younger child along, you may want to make sure they are ok with a pack and play or ask for extra pillows to place around the base of the bed just in case they take a dive.

The next morning I was the first one up. DH is use to this and can usually sleep through my early morning activities. The good thing is that he also tends to wake up early, so not a real problem. DD and her husband, on the other hand, do like to try to sleep in although for the trip DD had planned to be up early. Since I am up at around 5AM I thought it best not to wake them. I took a shower, got dressed, added a few more decorations to the window, went to the food court to fill my mug, reorganized/cleaned our room all the while listening to hear any sign of wakefulness in the next room. A little after 6AM DD opened the door and let me know she would be taking a shower but the girls and her husband were still asleep. This meant it was now my job to make sure the girls did not fall out of bed which thankfully they had not and did not.

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After everyone was dressed and ready to go we headed to the bus. I don’t recall the bus being crowded. We were heading to Animal Kingdom with a lunch planned at Tusker House. I did note that the double seater stroller my DSIL was tending was not the easiest to open and close. It was, as my DD would explain, a “sit and stand,” so the back seat occupant could either sit or stand whereas the front side rider had no choice but to sit. No matter I guess, but the thing was a pain to fold. They had purchased this stroller for the trip but had not used it much and their inexperience with the intricacies of the folding and unfolding mechanism was apparent.

Here is a photo taken at the airport a few days prior. As you can see one child knows where you are going and the other child can see where you have been. Wonderful invention.​

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We arrived at Animal Kingdom and headed for Expedition Everest! DD had been hankering to go on this ride since 2012. During that vacation she was five month “along” and exempt from a lot of thrill rides and nothing was going to keep her from experiencing Expedition Everest this trip. Her dad and I, on the other hand, had experienced the Legend of the Forbidden Mountain during our 2012 vacation and there was no way we would be returning for another exciting adventure. Seriously, thank goodness I am a health care professional since I truly thought my DH was going to hit the pavement once we left the ride. I had him sit down before he fell down and came to the conclusion that he would live but should probably never ride this attraction again.

It was decided that we would watch the girls while DD and DSIL (who did not look too thrilled to go on this ride once he heard his father-in-law go into great detail explaining why HE would never set foot on the ride again) soldiered on. They did not use a fast pass since the wait was less than 10 minutes and we had made the decision to try and reschedule our fast passes for Hollywood Studios for later in the day. We waited close to the exit since I didn’t know if my medical training would be required. Thankfully, there was no need for any medical attention, but both my DD and DSIL made it very clear that they were “all set” with this attraction and was it really necessary to go backwards at break neck speeds?

We next headed over to Kilimanjaro Safaris and again the lines were minimal and shorter than posted. I had read a lot of info r/t the best time to go on the safari when the animals would be the most active but took none of this information into account since it was now all about not having to wait in line or use up a fast pass. We did see a lot of animals, almost more than we had seen in the past. My DD will tell you that our “open air vehicle” got stuck in the mud for 15 minutes but I don’t agree with this. My take was that the driver had to stop and wait for something or another that was happening in front of us and we just had to wait it out. I explained to DD that the evidence was that the vehicle required no help or push out of the mud from any person, machine or animal to start up our safari again. To this day she does not believe me and that is just the way we will have to leave it.

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Of course we stopped to visit a few Disney celebrities and obtain their autographs while at AK.

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We had never seen the Finding Nemo Musical and decided to head that way. It was not very crowded and the girls seemed to enjoy the show. I was enjoying myself until DD leaned over to ask me what time our Tusker Lunch Reservations were. When it was clear that we might not make our ADR, I had an internal fret session. After all, it WAS my idea to see the Nemo show and now we would be late. I suggested that we just sorta stroll out of the theater. DD looked at me in absolute horror, how un-Disney like could I be!

So, I sat and stared ahead not really seeing or hearing the show with frequent glances at my phone to look for the fastest path from here to there..

The show was finally over and we hightailed out and all was well until DGD5 informed us she had to “go.” I volunteered to accompany her and told everyone to go on without us and we would catch up. I will share that DGD5 is not fond of automatic flushers, it startles her and she does not like not being in control of when the flush happens. Whoever had the good fortune of bringing her to the restroom had to position a paper or a hand or something over the sensor until she far away from the "seat" and mentally prepared for the flush. We tended to take turns bringing her to the restroom since this had become a bit of a procedure. Her dislike of the automatic flushers would become a prophesy of future events.

We arrived at Tucker House just a few minutes past our ADR. DD had run across the park pushing the stroller, darting through the crowds and she was hot and I did not feel the love when we caught up to them at the entrance to Tusker House. I did feel bad for causing us to be late but payback was heading my way. Anyway, while they were waiting for me my DSIL, who is a very amicable guy, was taking photos for folks which slowed us down a trifle more, I don’t think he was feeling much love at this point either.

We had eaten breakfast here in the past and really enjoyed it but I found that I was not as taken with lunch. It was ok but would not return. As I was getting up at one point, I did not notice Safari Mickey standing behind me and I tripped over his feet and down I went, non-too gracefully I might add. I got up quickly all red and blushy - too embarrassed for words. I ended up with a minor injury but no other lasting physical injuries. Mickey felt bad and all that and they brought me band aides and ice which did help; the sympathetic glances from those around were not so helpful. I was in a hurry to leave after that spectacle and only have one photo.

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We decided to leave Animal Kingdom with plans to return for a meal at Flame Tree Barbecue sometime during this vacation, after all, we had plenty of time. I had read so much about that spot that I really, really wanted to make sure that we had a meal there.

We park hopped to Hollywood Studios. While at AK some of the folks at the Fast Past kiosk had helped us change our FP’s to HS. We could not figure out how to do this, as helpful as the “My Experience” software is there is still some room for improvement which the folks at the kiosk assured us they were working on. Very nice and helpful folks.

I cannot believe how much we were able to see and do at HS. DGD5 was excited for Top Story Mania. She recalled this ride from our previous vacation and could not understand why they did not have a TSM in each and every Disney Park!

Minnie Checking Out DGD1.9’s Shoes


Boo and Sully who would be soon joining Minnie and Minnie at bedtime

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Now You See Her

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And Now You Don’t​

We had a late dinner at the ABC Commissary. The food was fine although DGD1.9 was sleeping before we got to the restaurant and stayed sleeping until we boarded the bus.

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Once again on the return to the rooms, the girls were both wide awake and ready for action. After what seemed like forever they both climbed into bed with me along with the two Minnie’s and now Baby Boo and Baby Sully joined us. Sleep came quickly for the girls and my DSIL came and returned them to their rightful place.

Oh, still no towel animals, in either room. Nothing…


CONTINUED IN NEXT POST

 

[middlesista]

Those are a lot of towel animals! How many nights did you stay to get those many?

Hi Disneygal thanks for checking out my trip report!

We stayed for 8 days for that trip and truly had a new towel animal almost every day. Here are photos of the last towel animal that our Mousekeeper made for us and, as I mentioned, I still have it!

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[jlynnbnet]

Loving this so far! Keep it coming

 

[disneygal12]

Wow! You're mouse keeper must love you guys! I believe you are allowed to keep towel animals though

 

[middlesista]

Loving this so far! Keep it coming

Glad you are enjoying reading about our trip - so much fun! Thanks for reading along and will hopefully be updating again tomorrow - having to work really puts a damper on DIS time

Wow! You're mouse keeper must love you guys! I believe you are allowed to keep towel animals though

We actually never, met her! We would leave the room early and by the time we returned usually there would be no sign of Mousekeeping. Since we got more towels animals then DD who was again in connecting rooms during that 2012 trip, I thought we were "favored" since I kept our room in tip top shape - I mean there was literally nothing much to clean whereas DD was a bit more hard pressed to keep things ship-shape since she had a 3 year old that would trail cheerios behind her.

Oh, thanks for the info about being able to keep the towel animals. We only brought home that one puppy and I have been feeling a trifle guilty about it.

 

[DVCJones]

Hi!!! Joining in. I love your TR so far and look forward to reading more. I had a good laugh reading about your DGD and the auto-flush toilets. It brought back memories of when my DDs were younger. They were not big fans either. They are 9 and 11 now and STILL don't like them.

We are heading down in 46 days (but who's counting) and I enjoyed reading how you navigated your AK day. I have a similar plan for our trip. Complete with lunch at TH and park hoping in the afternoon. I'm glad that plan worked out for you.

I'm looking forward to learning more.

Thank you!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

that's great that you had minimal lines at AK and were able to move you FP+ to DHS for the day - definitely makes for a productive day

It's less great that there was the tress about geting to the ADR on time and even more less great that you tripped over Mickey's foot. Glad that you didn't get seriously injured though

My DD is the same way about the automatic flushers - we started to carry a pack of post-it notes with us and we stick one over the sensor when she is going on an auto-potty and that seems to do the trick.

Looking forward to the next update!

 

[shesCamii]

You guys stayed at French Quarter!

Although we only stayed at Riverside, I feel like French Quarter is our second home . The bus always stopped by there first so I got accustomed to seeing it. Thats also where we spent our last day. Just chilling at the food court lol!

 

[CollenGetty]

Really enjoying yout report so far. Can't wait to read more!

 

[momabaarjo]

Loving the slumber party in your bed! So sweet! Wonder what is up with the towel animals. So sorry about the Mickey fall...

 

[middlesista]

HOW TO CLEAR A POOL (Jan 28)​

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Today we would be having Breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table. DD, who is well versed in appropriate princess attire, had spent a considerable amount of time deciding exactly which princesses her daughters should become mini versions of. Cinderella was a no brainer since, after all, it was her castle and her castle is the focal point of all Disney World, plus we were going to be having a royal meal in said castle.

Just a word about the princess dresses. DD had purchased these dresses/gowns over the course of a few months. Little did she know that DGD5 was going to take a vertical growth spurt which left many of her “gowns” at pedal pusher length (aka Capri length for those who are not of the age to recall what pedal pushers actually were) rather than the elegant “cleaning the street” length. After deciding to make do with the dresses as is, DD carefully packed them up in state of the art vacuum bags which were supposed to minimize wrinkles. Actually, they worked pretty well but we also brought along a nifty little portable steamer which came in handy to assure our princesses were wrinkle free, well, at least at the start of the day.

This photo depicts the contrasting gown lengths in case anyone was craving a visual.​

I do have to give my daughter credit for making our ADR’s and although we were not able to get all the dining times we had hoped for, we did have all the restaurants we wanted. The only real problem was that eating late (late for us is around 6:00pm) is tough for children if they do not nap as you will see later in the trip.

We stopped to rent a double stroller before entering the park. DH and I would be watching the girls later that night while DD and DSIL spent some “alone” time at Epcot. We were planning on returning to the MK and there was no way we were going to deal with that fool sit and stand stroller.

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It was great getting into MK early and we were able to have a few photos taken in front of the castle without the usual random folks in the background (yes, I understand that we are all random folks to someone).

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The girls had their photo op with Cinderella and we headed up the stairs for breakfast. DH had the steak and eggs, DD and DSIL had the traditional breakfast and I had the lobster and crab crepes. The girls were given a traditional breakfast and what I found interesting was that at some TS meals (other than buffets) DGD1.9, was provided with her own meal at no extra cost and at other places there was a charge. Dear Cinderella did not charge the young one. The traditional breakfast turned out to be the winner here. DH had expected a slab of steak with his eggs and that did not happen. The crepes, well, I can attest that they used real crab since they included a bit of the shell to prove it.

Another side note, we had read on some Disney resources that you could ask for seconds while other resources said that you could not. I figured it never hurts to ask and since my DSIL and DH were still hungry I thought I would ask. Our CM looked a bit surprised by my request but in no time the “seconds” arrived.

The girls loved seeing all the princesses, in fact at the airport prior to boarding the plane earlier in the week, they had practiced how to curtsey. DGD5 had it down pat, DGD1.9 needed a bit more practice.

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The girls met Ariel, Jasmine, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. Ariel and Jasmine really made the girls feel special.

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After our breakfast and the required wand waving and what not, we headed into the park and were able to accomplish a lot. Minimal waits and great weather. Highlights were meeting Peter Pan, Wendy, and Alice in Wonderland

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Lunch was at Be Our Guest. Luckily we had fast passes so we did not have to stand in line but it was crowded inside and finding a table did take some time. We finally found a table in the Library that had just been vacated and was in the process of being cleared and cleaned. Looking around, we noted other folks “hovering” over recently vacated tables so did not feel too terribly awkward.

DD and I started with French Onion Soup - would order that again. DSIL and I had the Braised Pork - fall off the fork tender - so good; DD had the Croque Monsieur which was excellent and DH had the Carved Prime Chuck Roast Beef Sandwich which comes with horseradish sour cream. He was a bit worried about the horseradish but he was more than happy with his meal. The girls had grilled cheese, I think and cupcakes for sure. DSD5 got yet another birthday cupcake which her sister graciously helped her eat. Personally, I was not overly impressed with the desserts but I seemed to be in the minority. BOG was clearly the winner thus far when it came to our meals.

As you can see, DGD1.9 really enjoyed that cupcake​

It was getting hot and we had never been to the Riverside Pool (POFQ pool was closed) so we decided to head back to the resort but not before a selfie by DGD1.9

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There was a few different ways to get from POFQ to the Riverside pool. We could walk, we could take the boat or we could take one of the pargo vehicles. We opted for the pargo and headed to the pick-up spot. The girls were thrilled to be going to the pool but did take a few moments to pose in their beachwear.

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A few moments was stretching into many moments as we watched multiple pargo like vehicles pass by, but not one stopped. A woman who was also waiting had enough, and was loudly venting her displeasure and furiously stomped off into the resort. The rest of us were patiently waiting although a few opted to take the boat launch. We decided to wait it out since DGD5 was excited to ride in a Disney “golf cart.” The irate women returned a short time later followed by a CM who informed us that two pargos and a van would be pulling up in the front to transport us to the Riverside Pool. By this time there was over a dozen people waiting. We all headed to the front and I instinctively went to the left since I recall reading many a guide book that would extol the virtues of heading to the left whenever there was a queue forming. In a few minutes the two pargo’s were heading in our direction. One pargo stopped in front of us and the other went to the group on the right. We boarded and were soon on our way. It was clear that not many of the other folks had read the same guide books that I had since all of them had gone to the right and there was only room for about 5 or 6 people in each pargo so some folks were going to have to wait a bit longer, including the women who had made the initial fuss.

The Riverside Pool was busy and we had to hunt for a place to sit. Although we had eaten lunch hours prior, no one wanted to eat yet since the girls were anxious to get in the water. DD, DSIL and both DGD’s were in the pool as soon as we had found a place to put our belongings. I decided to find a lounge chair in the sun and watch the girls enjoy the pool with their parents. They were having a blast although DSIL was making me a bit nervous since he was not keeping DGD1.9’s head above water and she seemed to be under water more than above. DGD5, who has been taking swimming lessons, was showing off her swimming prowess (aided by a life jacket) in the pool.

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I briefly closed my eyes and was startled by the lifeguard frantically shouting for everyone to get out of the pool IMMEDIATELY. DD and DSIL along with the girls were nowhere to be seen amidst the folks quickly leaving the pool. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit nervous since I felt DSIL was a bit cavalier with his water safety skills. I finally saw DD and DGD5 standing under a barrel that is used to rinse off, DSIL and DGD1.9 were heading towards our seats. It seems that DGD5 had swallowed a bit too much of the pool water and subsequently returned said water to the pool along with a portion of her lunch. DSIL had seen this happening and quickly grabbed his daughter from DD and tried to hand her off to a lifeguard to get her out of the pool to minimize the damage done. The lifeguard was having no part of the upchucking child and backed away, not willing to be a team player in DSIL’s valiant attempt to prevent, what would be treated as a toxic spill, from happening. The pool was cleared of all swimmers in no time.

Pool shortly after “the event”​

Soon, lots of official looking people showed up. They were walking the perimeter of the pool and had blue plastic gloves on, some were carrying bags, some were carrying bottles of clear liquid and they were testing and treating the water. All very impressive and it is clear that Disney is comitted to assuring a safe environment for its guests which is a good thing.

Not everyone seemed to know what had happened and some people where overheard postulating what they thought had happened. I heard one women confiding to another that she “felt” something brush against her leg – I mean really? DD felt so bad and apologized to the pool folks, DGD5 was all teary and DGD1.9 just wanted to get back in the pool. The pool was closed for about 45 minutes or so before it was re-opened. Lesson to be learned - remember to swim with your mouth closed.

Waiting for the pool to re-open​

After swimming for about an hour more we decided to return to POFQ. As I mentioned, DD and DSIL were going to head to EPCOT and DH and I were planning on bringing the girls to see Wishes. A pargo was waiting so our return trip to POFQ was drama free.

We arrived back at the MK and went about looking for a spot to watch Wishes. Main Street and the Castle area were packed. We finally found a spot against the rail on the walkway headed to Adventureland. There was one women sitting on the bench next to us, she was very protective of this bench and had an assortment of item spread across the bench. The message was clear that she was staking claim and the bench was HERS! Honestly, that does not bother me at all. If someone wants to spend hours perched on a bench or sidewalk to assure they have a good seat, more power to them. What bugs me is those folks that meander over last minute and block the view of folks that have been sitting or standing watching a show, fireworks or parade without even an “Am I ok here?” or “Am I blocking you.” You know, a little consideration for the children or short people would be the nice thing to do.

I bet folks could make a little extra money by working as seat savers. Fees could be based on the location of the desired spot and the season, yes, we have to take into consideration the time of year. I mean, Disney adjusts rates by the season, I think it is only fitting that the seat savers follow suit. This might be a nice little part time job for a retiree. Oh well.

DH and DGD5 went off to grab a snack while DGD1.9 and I absorbed a bit of the Disney atmosphere. They were gone a long time and of course, I began worrying. I imagined that DH had let go of DGD5’s hand and she gotten whisked away and was now lost amongst the Disney masses, frightened and alone, while DH was frantically searching for her. I truly had a sick feeling in the pit of stomach thinking about this. I scolded myself for not reviewing the “if you get lost at Disney” spiel with her and fumed at DH since he had refused to bring his cell phone and I had no way to get a hold of him. After what seemed like forever, they returned. My pulse and BP returned to normal and of course, I never let on that I was in the least bit worried.

DGG1.9 fell asleep and DGD5 could not see – tall people had decided to stop in front of us. DH and I took turns holding her so she could stand on the rail. There was no one behind us, so this was OK, since we were not blocking anyone, I do try and follow proper Disney etiquette and strive to not block any person or child shorter than me. Since I knew we would be attending the Tomorrow Land Terrace Fireworks Dessert Party, I wasn’t overly concerned about my view at this point and just really wanted DGD5 to enjoy herself.

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When the fireworks were over DH and I decided that we would take a walk until the crowds thinned a bit so we headed over into Adventureland. We were just walking past the Jungle Cruise when a CM approached us and asked us were we thought we were going. This particular CM seemed less than thrilled to see us and was not the least bit warm and welcoming. I started to explain that we were just going for a stroll around the grounds until the crowds thinned out. He was not impressed, did not care and told us to turn around and stroll elsewhere. We did as he asked but we did take our time. We had never really been in the park when it was this empty and it was truly enjoyable.

We had to turn in the double stroller which meant we had to take turns carrying DGD1.9 to the buses. DGD5 was awake, barely, but at least she was mobile and moving forward. As we feared, the bus line was crowded. Rather than being herded in and having to stand with a sleeping child and an exhausted child we decided to wait for the next bus. Finally we were on our way back to the POFQ.

It had been on long day and DH and I were ready for sleep. Per expectations both girls were energized by the bus trip back to the resort and were raring to go. So we decided to head to the food court for a snack and were hoping that their parents would return by the time we were done. The girls were again exhibiting signs of being tired and DGD5 could hardly keep her eyes open although she was trying to enjoy a dish of ice cream that she really, REALLY wanted. I know – ice cream before bedtime does not make a lot of sense but I guess I am one of those indulgent grandparents.

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We returned to our room and checked out our windows all lit up. Then DGD5, DGD1.9, Minnie #1, Minnie #2, Baby Sully and Baby Boo and I all settled in for the night. As usual, I was clinging to the girls so they would not roll out of the bed until their parents came and carried them off to their room for the night.

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CONTINUED IN NEXT POST

 

[middlesista]

Hi!!! Joining in. I love your TR so far and look forward to reading more. I had a good laugh reading about your DGD and the auto-flush toilets. It brought back memories of when my DDs were younger. They were not big fans either. They are 9 and 11 now and STILL don't like them.

We are heading down in 46 days (but who's counting) and I enjoyed reading how you navigated your AK day. I have a similar plan for our trip. Complete with lunch at TH and park hoping in the afternoon. I'm glad that plan worked out for you.

I'm looking forward to learning more.

Thank you!

Welcome and thanks so much for reading along! Only 46 more days - that is wonderful. Are you going to check out Flame Tree Barbecue? One thing I wanted to see at AK was DiVine - was never really sure where to find him/her?

I was hoping DGD5 would grow out of her auto flush fears by our next trip but it sounds like a phobia that might just be around for awhile

that's great that you had minimal lines at AK and were able to move you FP+ to DHS for the day - definitely makes for a productive day

It's less great that there was the tress about geting to the ADR on time and even more less great that you tripped over Mickey's foot. Glad that you didn't get seriously injured though

My DD is the same way about the automatic flushers - we started to carry a pack of post-it notes with us and we stick one over the sensor when she is going on an auto-potty and that seems to do the trick.

Looking forward to the next update!

MaxRebo!! I never thought about using post it notes!! What a great tip - thanks so much!! Also thank you for hanging in there and following along with the trip report - know that I do appreciate your feedback and everyone else that sends along a message. Now if I could just have more time to spend here on DIS life would be perfect.

You guys stayed at French Quarter!

Although we only stayed at Riverside, I feel like French Quarter is our second home . The bus always stopped by there first so I got accustomed to seeing it. Thats also where we spent our last day. Just chilling at the food court lol!

Thank you for reading along. Always nice to "talk" to a fellow Port Orleanian . We really loved the Pasta Bar at the Riverside but also feel like POFQ is our "home" at Disney. Granted would love to call the Polynesian home also but the tax rate there can be outrageous...

Thanks again for taking the time to read and say hello!

Really enjoying yout report so far. Can't wait to read more!

Happy to hear that you are enjoying the trip report. As I mentioned, I am pretty new to this but have been reading trip reports and dining reviews for a few years now. They are so helpful and lots of them are so much fun to read. I never realized how much it means to have folks take the time to send a message along to let the person who is writing the report know that they are out there.

Thanks again!!

Loving the slumber party in your bed! So sweet! Wonder what is up with the towel animals. So sorry about the Mickey fall...

Hello and thanks for continuing to follow along. Please feel free to tell me if I get too wordy or boring. I thrive on constructive criticism, really, I do

The towel animals - I wonder where the Mousekeeper we had in 2012 went to. She was so talented when it came to towel animals. Would love to have her on our return trip.

I felt bad about tripping over Mickey and was glad that I didn't take him/her down with me

 

[Angelcatsmom]

Am really enjoying your trip report! Your granddaughters are darling! So much fun to see them interacting with the characters!

 

[middlesista]

Am really enjoying your trip report! Your granddaughters are darling! So much fun to see them interacting with the characters!

They loved, LOVED all the Disney celebrities and there was no fear at all from DGD1.9. She could not wait to rush in to hug them when it was her turn, in fact, sometimes her mom had to hold her from rushing in and photo-bombing the photo ops of others

Thank you reading along!

 

[momabaarjo]

The girls are so precious with all the character interactions and their princesses dresses. Those blue eyes are killers!

I have had my share of moments where the pool has been cleared for the exact same reasons. It never failed with my oldest son...whenever he got in the pool up it came. I really think it had something to do with the temperature adjustment to the water along with too much time under the water.

What a great grandma you are...ice cream before bed. And I love your windows!

 

[middlesista]

WEDNESDAY IS REST DAY (Jan 29)​

We usually try to schedule a “rest day” where we have no park activity scheduled. We had 10 day park tickets and our schedule consisted of two rest days plus we usually do not go to the parks on arrival or departure day.

There had been some discussion before we left for Disney about returning on a “bounce back offer.” We planned on purchasing Annual Passes if we decided to return this year since this would be the most economical strategy. DH and I wanted to bring the girls and DD back in the fall to experience Halloween. DSIL coaches a youth football team and a fall vacation is out of the question for him and he really was in no hurry to return to Disney, I know, go figure. DD and I then got it in our heads to do a “girls only” trip. DH and DS had done a “boys only trip” so it seemed only fair that we have our turn. When I mentioned this to DH he cheerfully assured me he would not mind being the token male, so of course he would love to join us! Actually, from his nightly perusing of Disney Dining sites he knew that the Food and Wine Festival would be in full swing for the dates we were considering and there was no way he was going to miss out on all that Disney food.

DD later decided she would not be able to take the fall trip since she was also going to be coaching a young cheerleading squad and was not sure if she could find someone to cover for her for the vacation. DH wanted to forge ahead anyway.

I knew that there was construction going on at the Polynesian and checking the DIS I read something about pool closure. Not having a pool at the POFQ during this stay made us not relish having another vacation with a less than optimal pool experience. I know, it should not matter but if we were going to stay at the Polynesian we really wanted to experience the POLYNESIAN with all the bells and whistles. We had the bounce back offer in hand and decided to make our fall reservations.

I quickly posted a SOS to the DIS and as usual, folks came through with some great advice. End result was that for that vacation we decided to stay at the Beach Club. It was close to EPCOT and since DD and the girls (much to my dismay) would not be coming along, we would probably spend more time at EPCOT for the F&W than at the MK. We figured as the fall vacation drew closer and if the Polynesian was not overly hampered by the construction we could perhaps try and change our reservations to the Polynesian.

Folks on the DIS pointed out it might be more difficult to change to the Beach Club at a later time because it tended to be more crowded during the F&W. Although DH was disappointed he made the final decision and actually, I was a little excited about Stormalong Bay. After checking with DD again to make sure that she was certain she did not want to return in the fall, I made our “bounce back” trip, for the fall!

Getting back to our “rest day” plans. Along with getting some laundry done, we had hoped to spend some time at the pool, do a bit of resort hopping and maybe try our hand at one of the Disney Miniature Golf courses. Just in case you might think that you will read/learn a bit about said activities, I have to be up front and state we did just about none of the above. We did have dinner ADR’s at ‘Ohana’s for later that evening and were looking forward to this.

I did keep my plans for laundry. As I mentioned earlier, I have no problem waking up early and 5AM is about norm. I had forgotten to grab the laundry detergent from DD’s room and did not wake them since I knew that I could purchase laundry supplies plus I had a hunch that if I woke them I would have two little girls “helping” me in the laundry room. Laundry cost $2:00 for machines and $1:00 for detergent.; 1/2 hour for wash and 60 min for dry for those who may be hankering for a few laundry room stats.

Using a debit card for the laundry is actually very convenient - easier than feeding quarters. I was there so early, I had my pick of machines. I did initially become a bit confused with the automatic system they had but soon had it all figured out after first transferring my laundry from one machine to another after I accidently picked the wrong number machine on the number pad. I hung around the laundry room, had my IPAD for company, to make sure that I did not become the victim of any laundry thieves. I know ridiculous, especially at such an ungodly hour, but I have heard stories…

Once the laundry situation was sorted out I met up with DD who was headed down to do her laundry. I tagged along just in case she encountered any problems setting the machines up since I was now a pro. DD did not believe in guarding her laundry so we were able to grab something to eat from the food court and sit and enjoy some uninterrupted conversation.

We decided to head to DD once the laundry was done. DH had been talking about the Earl of Sandwich for months. DH and I ended up leaving before DD and made plans to meet up later back at POFQ. Rain and cold and Florida just don’t seem right but we took the launch anyway, after all, we are stoic New Englanders use to snow and ice so what’s a little rain.

Earl of Sandwich was packed so we decided to head to Wolfgang Puck’s Express for pizza. The best part of this was how nice and toasty warm it was being inside, the pizza was ok.

While we were at DD we decided to purchase our Annual Passes. The CM was very helpful and was looking to try and find us some sort of discount but came up blank. We had figured Annual Passes into our budget so we were prepared and it would be worth it in the long run. DH and I walked out of there with our heads held up just a bit higher – we were now part of the “Disney Passholder Family” and we knew this since the little book they gave us said so.

DH could not wait to take advantage of the Annual Passholder discounts and proceeded to buy a few shirts and souvenirs and we also took another trip to Goofy’s Candy Company. You would have thought that we learned our lesson the first time what with that $20.00 for six pieces of fudge. I thought about purchasing my candy apple but decided that I would pick one up at a later time.

We met up with DD and family back at POFQ and everyone got dressed for our dinner at ‘Ohana. Our travel route was the bus to MK and then the bus to the Polynesian since the monorail was not operating. We were wet and cold but we were going to ‘Ohana and it was all good!

We had not been to the Polynesian in a few decades and change happens. We recalled the waterfall had been on the side wall, not in the center and they use to have parrots. Plus there was a distinct smell (in a good way) at this resort and we did notice this seemed to be gone also.

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DGD1.9 decided she did not want her picture taken, thus the hand in front of the face. “No pictures pul-ease” she told me. As you can see, I don't always listen well

We headed upstairs and waited about 15 minutes before our beeper went off. I had read both good and not so good reviews of ‘Ohana and we were looking forward to experiencing it for ourselves.

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DGD1.9 had become quite enamored with her raincoat and decided it was fitting attire for a meal at ‘Ohana and would not remove the jacket.

The food – it seemed they kept bringing it and quickly too! The salad was one of the best salads that I had during our entire stay – so good!! The pork fried dumplings were excellent as were the egg noodles. Marinated steak was a huge hit – between DH and DSIL I think they finished off a skewer or two. Unfortunately, we all agreed that the chicken and pork were dry. DSIL enjoyed the shrimp, a bit too spicy for me. The ‘Ohana bread pudding was not a big hit but I think it was because everyone was full. I did try some and thought it was good. DGD5 enjoyed yet another birthday cupcake, the folks at Disney really made her birthday(s) special since once you wear a birthday button, everyday is your birthday!!

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There was live entertainment with a ukulele player/singer who encouraged folks to join him. DGD5 had the best time dancing along.

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DGD1.9 decided to watch from afar and that put a smile on her face.

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All in all, we would return to 'Ohana – I HAVE to have that salad again.

The monorail was operating when we were finished and we decided to use this to head back to the MK to pick up the bus for POFQ. We met a family from Cape Cod, also known as “the other Cape” to folks from our part of the country. They were a traveling group that included parents and grandparents and they had a DGD who was 7. She was dressed as one of the Frozen sisters (I should be ashamed since I don’t know one from the other) and had gone to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique earlier in the day she proudly told us. Her hair was in a perfect little bun – not one hair out of place. This was in in stark contrast to just about everyone else’s hair which seemed to be suffering from the ravages of frizz weather. I don’t know what type of shellac they use on these children but it surely does the job.

In case you were wondering, still no towel animals….

CONTINUED IN NEXT POST

 

[TeamSy]

The outfits you dress your girls in are adorable!

 

[LuvEeyore]

Great update!! I like O'Hanna's when we went but like other places better. Did love the Bread pudding and the potstickers but since have found out I am allergic to pork so OHanna's is probably out because of the grills of the meat.

 

[middlesista]

The girls are so precious with all the character interactions and their princesses dresses. Those blue eyes are killers!

I have had my share of moments where the pool has been cleared for the exact same reasons. It never failed with my oldest son...whenever he got in the pool up it came. I really think it had something to do with the temperature adjustment to the water along with too much time under the water.

What a great grandma you are...ice cream before bed. And I love your windows!

Folks sometimes do not believe that DGD5 and DGD1.9 are truly sisters since they do not look at all alike, the older with her dark hair and brown eyes and the little one with her blonde hair and blue, blue eyes. DGD5 is happy with this since she looks like "Belle" who is her all time favorite and her sister looks more like "Tinkerbelle."

I am sorry to hear about your eldest son's experience's in the pool but it is reassuring to know that DGD5 is not the only child to have ever
"lost it" in a Disney Pool.

The outfits you dress your girls in are adorable!

Thank you for reading along TeamSy

My daughter takes her princess dresses very seriously and spent a good deal of time deciding which dresses to purchase. Most from the Disney Store but one of my favorites actually came from Baby's R Us! The Cinderella dress that DGD1.9 wore was on a Halloween Costume rack and we liked it even more than the Cinderella dress she had gotten for DGD5 at the Disney Store!

Great update!! I like O'Hanna's when we went but like other places better. Did love the Bread pudding and the potstickers but since have found out I am allergic to pork so OHanna's is probably out because of the grills of the meat.

The potstickers were excellent but I wish I had more room for the bread pudding - have to learn to pace myself.

You are right about the pork allergy, it is important to learn how your meals are prepared and what ingredients are in packaged items.

Our DDIL is allergic to peanuts and checks everything, to the point of calling manufacturers to learn what ingredients are in medication she has been prescribed.

 

[LegoMom3]

One post read and I am SO in!! Loving this so far. I will have to catch up later today (have to go to this little thing called work..... ). ::sigh:: Alas, TRs and the DIS boards must wait.

Anyway, I don't know if you get into it later (only read the first chapter so far!) but you are clearly from my neck of the woods, which is WICKED COOL!! I was born in Boston, raised just north of there, and defected to NH as an adult (I am now trying to defect to somewhere warm, but that's another story....).

Can't wait for more.....I'll be back!

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