Our last trip to Disney (as a family of 3)! *new 2/3/16 link to new TR*

That park area by Monsters was so cute...we saw lots of kids playing there.

Too bad Mickey was't by the Visa meet and greet, but you got the next best two -- Minnie and Pluto. How sweet that Rory was looking for Mickey Mouse.

It looks like a fun time in the pool (well, except for that clown spitting out your husband and son ;) ).
 
That park area by Monsters was so cute...we saw lots of kids playing there.

Rory really had a blast there!

Too bad Mickey was't by the Visa meet and greet, but you got the next best two -- Minnie and Pluto. How sweet that Rory was looking for Mickey Mouse.

Yes, he was happy with Minnie and Pluto, but really was hoping for Mickey I guess!

It looks like a fun time in the pool (well, except for that clown spitting out your husband and son ;) ).

Haha, I know, that creepy clown slide. At least Rory is too little at this point to know HOW creepy it really is.

Is everything okay with you? I can't find your TR anymore?!
 
Day 2 - part 3 - Dinner at Epcot

We walked back to the park, and Rory fell asleep again in the stroller. We walked through World Showcase and Michael got a beer in Germany. We walked all the way around the WS on our way to the Land for our reservation at Garden Grill. I made a quick stop at Starbucks to pick up the Epcot Starbucks mug, and was very happy with my purchase.


We realized we were going to have to wake Rory up for dinner, but fortunately he does really well being woken up. Once he was awake, we headed inside and checked in for our reservation. We ended up waiting about 10 minutes, and got a really great table. We were in one of the outside booths, and the restaurant was rotating that evening. The funny thing is, we never actually saw any of the rest of the restaurant other than our booth and the rotating scenery. I have no idea what the rest of the place looks like!


Once again the chef came out to meet with us, and took care of Rory’s order. As soon as the chef left our table, Mickey came by. Rory was so happy that Mickey was hanging out with him at his dinner table!

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We ended up seeing all of the characters twice during our meal. Our food was really good, although I wished it was hotter. Rory’s was very hot, on the other hand, so I think maybe ours sat while his special meal was being prepared. Rory was ecstatic with his dessert, which was dairy-free and nut-free chocolate and chocolate chip cookies.

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It is rare that he gets to eat cookies, so he was very happy. Our waiter even sent some with us to go! I loved our dessert, which was a berry cobbler – so good! I was a little shocked when I got the bill – it was $140 for the 3 of us. I don’t think I was expecting it to be quite that high. The food was good, the rotating restaurant was cool, but I guess it was the character interaction that made the price palatable.


We left the restaurant and headed down for Living with the Land, but it had just closed. Michael mentioned Nemo, and Rory heard that and wanted to go ride Nemo again.

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Afterwards, we explored the tanks upstairs for a while and then decided it was time to go get a spot for Illuminations.


We walked over to the bridge by England and at 8:30 got a good spot on railing. Rory was reclined in the stroller and we thought he was asleep, but as soon as we stopped, he started squeaking. Michael walked around with him and would keep checking back in with me. At this point, my back was killing. If it wasn't my favorite show, we would have left. I knew that I would really regret giving up a good viewing spot and missing Illuminations, though, so we stayed put. Michael came back just as the show was starting and Rory was still awake, so I said that’s fine, he can watch the show. However, right then, when it gets really, really, loud, he fell asleep! At the end, he woke up, clapped, and went right back to sleep. It was hilarious.

We walked back to our room (best part of staying at BWV is being able to walk back after Illuminations!), and we were all asleep by 10.

Up Next: Animal Kingdom!
 
The funny thing is, we never actually saw any of the rest of the restaurant other than our booth and the rotating scenery. I have no idea what the rest of the place looks like!
You're not missing much - you definitely had the best view. In three meals there, I've only ever sat in the booths like that, but I did get to walk through the restaurant several times this last trip to bring Izzy to and from the restroom.

That is precious! :lovestruc As are the other photos. Looks like he had a great time!

Rory was ecstatic with his dessert, which was dairy-free and nut-free chocolate and chocolate chip cookies.
Wow, that's awesome that they were able to provide such a rare treat for Rory!

I was a little shocked when I got the bill – it was $140 for the 3 of us. I don’t think I was expecting it to be quite that high.
That does seem really high. On our last trip, we had several meals where we got charged for Izzy, who should have been free (and thankfully caught it and got it corrected each time). Did you check for that? Or maybe they charge extra for his special meal? :confused3

However, right then, when it gets really, really, loud, he fell asleep! At the end, he woke up, clapped, and went right back to sleep. It was hilarious.
:lmao: That's awesome!
 


What a fun dinner! I am debating where to eat dinner at Epcot in March, but since the kids are only little once, we may have to try it- especially at that price (since we are on the dining plan).
 
You're not missing much - you definitely had the best view. In three meals there, I've only ever sat in the booths like that, but I did get to walk through the restaurant several times this last trip to bring Izzy to and from the restroom.

That's what I figured, and I was very happy to have a booth!

That is precious! :lovestruc As are the other photos. Looks like he had a great time!

He thought it was so great that the characters were coming to him during dinner, and the fact that he got to see them all twice was awesome.

Wow, that's awesome that they were able to provide such a rare treat for Rory!

I know, I was shocked and so happy for him.

That does seem really high. On our last trip, we had several meals where we got charged for Izzy, who should have been free (and thankfully caught it and got it corrected each time). Did you check for that? Or maybe they charge extra for his special meal? :confused3

I'm thinking that since he needed modifications that is why they charged for Rory. I should have asked - he wasn't even 2 at that point!
:lmao: That's awesome!

It was very funny. Kind of like the other night when Rory fell asleep in the car, so instead of eating dinner out like we had planned, we got take-out. As soon as Michael got in the car with the food, Rory woke up from a dead sleep and said "Dinner?" We couldn't stop laughing.

What a fun dinner! I am debating where to eat dinner at Epcot in March, but since the kids are only little once, we may have to try it- especially at that price (since we are on the dining plan).

It was very fun. There are so many good choices in Epcot it's so hard to decide! If it's part of the dining plan I'd go for it - you would definitely be maximizing the value of the plan in that case!
 
So cute - what a fun dinner and so nice they were able to make Rory so happy. The food there (and Ohana) is not my cup of tea, but their mashed potatoes were really good on our May visit. We are planning to return in Feb, mainly because of the fun character interaction. There isn't much to see restaurant wise - it is basically a circle of booths and then a circle of tables, and the staff come out of the center of the circle. As long as you don't need a high chair then a booth is wonderful.

That end of night indecision between wanting to stay and wanting to sleep - I know that oh so well! Glad you stayed to see the show though. too funny about Rory falling asleep then clapping while awake for a second.
 


I'm glad I was only one update behind.

Those pictures of Rory with Mickey Mouse are absolutely priceless. You can just see his love for Mickey and what a great time he is having.

I thought the food was "okay"; Mark actually got sick after that meal (but we then realized it was part of his gallbladder issue). But the character interaction there is top-notch in my book...probably the best of all the restaurants we've eaten at (although I still prefer the food at others).

Too funny that he fell asleep and then woke up and clapped and then fell asleep again for Illuminations. I'm sorry your back was bothering you, but glad you were able to stay and watch.
 
So cute - what a fun dinner and so nice they were able to make Rory so happy. The food there (and Ohana) is not my cup of tea, but their mashed potatoes were really good on our May visit. We are planning to return in Feb, mainly because of the fun character interaction. There isn't much to see restaurant wise - it is basically a circle of booths and then a circle of tables, and the staff come out of the center of the circle. As long as you don't need a high chair then a booth is wonderful.

He was definitely a happy boy all during that dinner. It made the high cost worth it! I liked the food, I just wish it was hotter.

That end of night indecision between wanting to stay and wanting to sleep - I know that oh so well! Glad you stayed to see the show though. too funny about Rory falling asleep then clapping while awake for a second.

If it had been any other show or I hadn't had a good viewing spot, we probably would have left. I'm glad that we stayed, though. It was really funny when he woke up and clapped!

I'm glad I was only one update behind.

Yep, I've been slow with the updates. I need to hurry up and finish, as my time will be taken over by a newborn very soon!

Those pictures of Rory with Mickey Mouse are absolutely priceless. You can just see his love for Mickey and what a great time he is having.

I know, I loved seeing how excited and happy he would get around the characters, especially Mickey.

I thought the food was "okay"; Mark actually got sick after that meal (but we then realized it was part of his gallbladder issue). But the character interaction there is top-notch in my book...probably the best of all the restaurants we've eaten at (although I still prefer the food at others).

We'll probably go back at some point because of the characters, but we'll definitely check out other character options, as well. I like the food at Tusker House best, as far as character meals.

Too funny that he fell asleep and then woke up and clapped and then fell asleep again for Illuminations. I'm sorry your back was bothering you, but glad you were able to stay and watch.

It was so cute. I was glad that we stayed, too. I knew I would have been really upset to give up that great spot!
 
I realized that I'm 37 weeks pregnant and better get this TR moving a little quicker before I'm too busy to get on the Disboards! Hopefully I can finish this up before baby girl makes her arrival...

Day 3 - Part 1 - Animal Kingdom


The next morning, Rory and I were up at 6:30. Rory was being goofy and put his shoes on over his pjs (on the wrong feet) and was walking around the room.

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It was raining and looked like it might continue to do so for quite a while. We left our room at 8:20 but waited until almost 9 for the bus to Animal Kingdom to arrive, so we got there a bit later than we intended. It was okay though, because Rory fell asleep on my lap on the way over. We managed to transfer him to his stroller while keeping him asleep, put on his stroller rain cover, and headed over to Expedition Everest so Michael could ride.

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Because of the rain, there were no lines! He went on a few times in a row, while I waited in the gift shop. I have always thought the little Yeti stuffed animals were cute, so when Rory woke up and wanted one, I was more than willing to buy it for him. He thinks it is Marshmallow from Frozen and this is one of his favorite stuffed animals now.

With Rory awake and Michael having gotten several EE rides, we headed over to meet Mickey and Minnie. We had a FP+, but were a few minutes early, so the cast member told us to get in the standby line as it was really short. We only waited a few minutes, and once again Rory had a great meet with his pals.

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I then changed our 12pm FP for the Lion King to the 11am show and we headed over there. It worked out well because we were out of the rain again. Rory loved the show, but got a little upset at the end when they have some kids walk around the theater and he didn’t get to be one of those kids!

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We left the theater and it was raining far less. We had a FP+ for the Safari, so we headed over there. I had been debating whether or not I was going to ride this, due to the expectant mother warning, but ultimately decided to ride it. I don’t regret my decision, and everything is fine. We had a great safari and Rory enjoyed seeing the animals.

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By this point it was time for lunch. I wanted to try the Yak & Yeti quick service, but wasn’t sure if Rory would be able to eat anything on the menu. I was very impressed when we went up to order and the cashier called the chef out to come speak with us. I had no idea that they would do this at the counter service restaurants, as well. He told us that there was basically nothing on the menu that he could eat since it all has whey protein, but that he could make him a sweet and sour chicken with grilled chicken if that sounded like something Rory would eat. He eats anything, so we said that sounded great! I had the honey chicken, and Michael had the Korean Stir-fry Barbecue Chicken. He also order a side of egg rolls. We ended up with way too much food, but it was all very good.

Up next: Rafiki's Planet watch and Pool Time!
 
I love the pic of Rory with his pj's and shoes on. :) What a great rainy day at AK! I love that a little rain keeps the crowds away.

I can't believe you are 37 weeks! Baby girl will be here soon!

Jill in CO
 
Glad things worked at Garden Grill and that's great that Rory wakes up well! I was pleasantly surprised by how much we liked the food at Garden Grill. So that, plus the characters and how much the kids enjoyed the restaurant rotated over Living with the Land made it worth it to me - but it is definitely not a cheap place to eat! That is great that they gave you extra cookies for Rory though!

However, right then, when it gets really, really, loud, he fell asleep! At the end, he woke up, clapped, and went right back to sleep. It was hilarious.
... that's awesome! ... hey, sometimes a good nap makes me want to clap too! ;)

We left our room at 8:20 but waited until almost 9 for the bus to Animal Kingdom to arrive
- wow, 40 mins? That's kinda nuts, but at least it had a benefit for you in that Rory napped and then you were able to transfer him which is great!

Cute pictures from the Mickey and Minnie meet

Nice how easy you were able to move around your FP+ ... system definitely has pluses when it works right
 
Another fun update.

Love Rory in his pj's and shoes. ;)

Glad that your DH got a couple of rides in on EE.

Oh and the pictures with Mickey and Minnie...you are just melting my heart today.

And glad that you all got to enjoy the Safari ride.

That's great that they could come up with something for Rory at Y&Y; I've never done their counter service but we try to do table service every year.
 
Such a cute morning with Rory in his pj's

I am surprised EE ran with the rain!! That must have been fun. Glad the Mickey & Minnie meet was a lot of fun and you were able to swap that FP for the show to earlier. I also rode the Safari (along with a few other no-no's) and am glad I did! I don't think I've ever done it in the rain though, did you find there were more or fewer animals out?

That was so nice at the Y&Y counter service, glad they could do that for him!!
 
I love the pic of Rory with his pj's and shoes on. :) What a great rainy day at AK! I love that a little rain keeps the crowds away.

I can't believe you are 37 weeks! Baby girl will be here soon!

Jill in CO

Yes, the rain really helped us to get everything we wanted to get done in a short amount of time. I was happy that Michael got a few extra rides on EE, too!

She'll be here very soon, I can't even believe it!

Glad things worked at Garden Grill and that's great that Rory wakes up well! I was pleasantly surprised by how much we liked the food at Garden Grill. So that, plus the characters and how much the kids enjoyed the restaurant rotated over Living with the Land made it worth it to me - but it is definitely not a cheap place to eat! That is great that they gave you extra cookies for Rory though!

I'm sure we'll end up eating there again at some point in the future. There are so many good options at Epcot, though, so it may be a few years before we go back there! Rory loved those cookies! We were impressed that they gave us some to go.

... that's awesome! ... hey, sometimes a good nap makes me want to clap too! ;)

Haha, I know, right?!

- wow, 40 mins? That's kinda nuts, but at least it had a benefit for you in that Rory napped and then you were able to transfer him which is great!

Yes, the cast member working at the bus stop kept apologizing and you could tell he felt kind of awkward about the wait. It did end up working out pretty well for us, though, especially for Michael!

Cute pictures from the Mickey and Minnie meet

Thank you!

Nice how easy you were able to move around your FP+ ... system definitely has pluses when it works right

We had so many choices to move them to, I think because there was no one there. It really worked well that day.

Another fun update.

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Love Rory in his pj's and shoes. ;)

Thank you. He was being really funny that morning.

Glad that your DH got a couple of rides in on EE.

So was he!

Oh and the pictures with Mickey and Minnie...you are just melting my heart today.

It really was adorable watching Rory with them.

And glad that you all got to enjoy the Safari ride.

Me too. I was a little nervous at first, but realized I just needed to relax. It was a great ride that day, too.

That's great that they could come up with something for Rory at Y&Y; I've never done their counter service but we try to do table service every year.

We were really impressed with the food. I wouldn't hesitate to go back there for lunch next time we were there.

Such a cute morning with Rory in his pj's

Thanks!

I am surprised EE ran with the rain!! That must have been fun. Glad the Mickey & Minnie meet was a lot of fun and you were able to swap that FP for the show to earlier. I also rode the Safari (along with a few other no-no's) and am glad I did! I don't think I've ever done it in the rain though, did you find there were more or fewer animals out?

You know, it never even crossed my mind that EE might not run in the rain - now that you mention it, I'm glad it was running! The safari is just one of those rides that I really don't understand the restriction. I guess it could be too bumpy, but I take the T to work and sometimes that is way more bumpy than the safari ride. There were tons of animals out, maybe because the rain also caused the weather to be a bit cooler? It was a great ride.

That was so nice at the Y&Y counter service, glad they could do that for him!!

I was glad too. The food was excellent!
 
Two updates in one week! Can you tell I'm feeling the pressure of the baby's arrival?!

Day 3 - Part 2


It was no longer raining, so after lunch we took the train to Rafiki’s Planet Watch.

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It was our first time doing this. Our first stop was to meet Chip and Dale, and Rory once again had a great interaction with the characters!

We just had to wait a few minutes, but Rory was entertained by Michael in line.

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After that, we headed to the petting zoo. Most of the animals were “on break” but there were a few that seemed up for some human interaction.

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We then went inside to meet Rafiki and Tarzan. Rory did very well with Rafiki, but wasn’t so sure of Tarzan.

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We took the train back, and decided to go back to the Boardwalk for nap/pooltime. Rory fell asleep in the stroller on our way out of the park, and we were able to get him back on the bus still asleep.

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When we got back to BWV and tried another transfer back to the stroller, he ended up waking up. It was 3pm, the skies were sunny again, and Rory wanted to swim. I, on the other hand, wanted to take a nap. Michael took Rory to the pool while I slept for 45 minutes. When I woke, I went out to meet them at the pool, and Rory had made a friend. An 8 year old girl was playing with him, and it was very cute.

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We had 6pm dinner reservations at Flying Fish, and wanted to get some laundry done, so we headed back to the room. We stopped so Michael could get a beer, and Rory thought he was cool chewing on his sunglasses.

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Rory watched Nemo with his “bunno” and “marshmallow” while we did laundry and got ready for dinner.

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I had been a little nervous making this reservation since it was a signature restaurant and I wasn’t sure how Rory would do, but decided to go for it. I’m so glad I did. Rory was very well-behaved, and our meals were all excellent.

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At one point I left to go to the restroom, and as I was leaving, I heard our server tell the couple that was just seated next to us that they could move to a table across the room if they would like. I was thinking that they would definitely be gone by the time I came back, and was surprised to see them still sitting there, and talking to Rory and Michael when I returned. It turns out their grandchildren are older and they really love babies/little kids and were pretty taken with Rory. We had a nice time talking with them throughout our meal. Michael and I both order the signature dish, the potato-wrapped snapper – highly recommended!


After dinner, we headed back to the room and were in bed around 9pm. We had a big day the next day – Magic Kingdom!
 
Love your trip report thus far. Congrats on your little girl who will be joining your family soon. We are headed to WDW for our first trip this November! Too bad about the almond milk. My sister's husband has Crohn's and finds milk a trigger. He uses the shelf stable almond milk when he travels for work. https://silk.com/products/original-almondmilk-shelf-stable
It doesn't need to be in the fridge until it's been opened.
 
It was raining and looked like it might continue to do so for quite a while. We left our room at 8:20 but waited until almost 9 for the bus to Animal Kingdom to arrive, so we got there a bit later than we intended.
Wow, that is quite the wait! :faint: Glad it worked out okay, though.

We managed to transfer him to his stroller while keeping him asleep, put on his stroller rain cover, and headed over to Expedition Everest so Michael could ride.
Impressive on the transfers! I remember doing EE in the rain on our first trip and it wasn't too enjoyable. I mean, a short line is nice, but it's so hard to look around when the rain is pelting your face. Glad Michael enjoyed it, though.

He thinks it is Marshmallow from Frozen and this is one of his favorite stuffed animals now.
That's so cute! :lovestruc

I guess it could be too bumpy, but I take the T to work and sometimes that is way more bumpy than the safari ride.
I have said the same thing many times. I commute by bus (that's in rush hour stop-and-go interstate traffic) and it's often "wilder" than the safari and no doctor has ever expressed a concern about that. :confused3

Cute pictures! Love Rory's character meets, both with Chip & Dale and Mickey & Minnie! AK has really great character meets, it seems.

We then went inside to meet Rafiki and Tarzan. Rory did very well with Rafiki, but wasn’t so sure of Tarzan.
I had no idea Tarzan was there. Huh, learned something new.

Also, I cannot believe you're getting so close to meeting your little girl! :hyper:
 
Great report! Looks like Rory was a very happy meeting all of the characters !
 

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