That was fun, let's do it again! - TR Link added - 12/11

[petals]

Aw yay a new Disney Princess. Congrats to you all

 

[NancyLuvsMickey]

Congrats!!!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Congratulations Andy! Hope everyone is still doing well.

 

[shan23877]

Congratulations!

 

[afwdwfan]

Hi! I'm joining in!! Wow! So sorry to hear about that but I'm glad everyone is ok!! I'm excited to hear about your plans for the trip! I read your last TR too but I came in late so I just lurked. your DS is adorable and congrats on the new little one soon!!

Thanks for saying hi. I understand, I've done the same on other TR's that I've joined midway in. Hard to comment on something that was posted 2 months ago.

Joining in Andy. I need to eventually finish reading your TR. RL pulled me away from the dis for a while!

Glad your planning another trip! Sounds like a fun filled one!

Eeek about the truck!!

Sending good thoughts DW's way the next few days! Can't wait to see the little

I can understand about being pulled away from the DIS for a while. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have less time for it for a while now too.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She is beautiful and I'm so glad mom and baby are doing well. How is big brother handling it?

Hope you'll post more pictures.

P.S. Sorry to hear about the truck, but glad you are all okay.

Thanks! Big brother loves her... maybe a little too much. He doesn't realize he can't lean/sit/crawl on her.

I think he's beginning to get a little bit jealous now though. We had some visitors come over yesterday to see her and he was going overboard showing off.

What a sweetheart!

Congrats! Can't wait to see more pictures!

Thanks, we like her...

Except at around 2 am.

Awww, she is adorable!

Glad to hear that her & Mommy are doing well.

Congratulations!

Thanks!

She's so beautiful! Congratulations!

Thanks!

Aw yay a new Disney Princess. Congrats to you all

Thanks!

Congrats!!!

Thanks!

Congratulations Andy! Hope everyone is still doing well.

Thanks! Still doing well, but sleep deprived.

Congratulations!

Thanks!

Here's a picture from the hospital. Coincidentally, this is the only picture taken there that I appear in. We have mom, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, friends and everybody else with her, and this is the only picture of me.

I guess now I know where I stand.

 

[amandaw]

Awww, that's such a cute picture!

 

[Zamsu]

Agreed, very nice!

 

[afwdwfan]

Awww, that's such a cute picture!

Agreed, very nice!

Thanks! I like it too. So far he is all about his little sis. His moments of jealousy do happen, but it really isn't quite as bad as I thouht it would be.

 

[FreezinRafiki]

Here's a picture from the hospital. Coincidentally, this is the only picture taken there that I appear in. We have mom, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, friends and everybody else with her, and this is the only picture of me.

I guess now I know where I stand.

Cute picture, but how do we even know that's you?

 

[afwdwfan]

Mini Update

It has been far too long since I've posted anything about this trip. I've been a little bit preoccupied with other things the past month or so.

Anyway, I have a subscription to Touringplans so we are in the process of trying to finalize a gameplan for which park we want to go to which day so that we can get our ADR's made when our 180 day window opens up at the beginning of June. We are starting to get a good idea of what we will do, but a lot of it is being dictated by the park schedule.

For example, we'll only have a couple of opportunities to catch the "regular" evening festivities at MK due to 4 MVMCP nights while we're there... and it looks like one of these non MVMCP days will likely be the day we take to go to Universal.

Another scheduling issue we're going to have to work around is early closures at DHS. Apparently it is likely to be closing early on Wednesday and Thursday for a Pop Warner private party one night and a CM party the other. We are thinking about possibly going to DHS early on one of those days, hoping for lower crowds, but we still need to fit in the Osborne Lights and maybe Fantasmic! at some point.

What I have very, very tentatively planned at this point is as follows:

Sat 12/1 : Arrive mid-afternoon and check in. Was going to be a free day, but we're considering going to DHS just to see the Osborne Lights.

Sun 12/2: Spend the morning at MK, lunch at Whispering Canyon before taking a break and ending the day at EPCOT to see Illuminations. We're just not sure yet when Sis1 & Bil will fly in, but they should be joining us at some point during the day.

Mon 12/3: We're looking at doing Universal because it is the highest crowd level at DWD for the week, but might possibly do EPCOT instead.

Tue 12/4: This is my parents' anniversary and the plan is to do MK all day (with the exception of break time, of course). We'll probably lock in an ADR for Liberty Tree for an early seating for dinner, but we hope to be able to cancel that one and get an ADR for Be Our Guest if/when they start taking ADR's for that week. We'll also be attending MVMCP.

Wed 12/5: We'll probably start the day at DHS, even though it will potentially close early. We might consider doing a Fantasmic dining package at Mama Melrose, or possibly do a dinner at Ohana.

Thur 12/6: This will probably be an EPCOT morning with a lunch ADR for Via Napoli or Le Cellier. We'll probably plan to head over to MK in the evening to catch MSEP and Wishes.

Fri 12/7: This will be our AK morning and we'll stay flexible for the evening. Possibly EPCOT or DHS depending on whether we got to see Illuminations or Fantasmic earlier in the week.

Sat 12/8: We'll have about a half day to spend in the parks, so we won't get carried away planning this day. We might make an ADR somewhere though. Possibly a breakfast at Chef Mickeys.


As you can see if you followed my TR, the prospective ADR list for this trip is almost identical to the ones we had last December. Well, this is partly because we tried some new places that the rest of my family had never tried. We enjoyed them and now everyone else is excited about trying them as well. I can't say that I'm too upset about that. I'd like to try some new places (and Be Our Guest and Ohana could fill that void), but I know I'll enjoy the meal at any of the places we're currently considering.

The only requirement I gave my mom when I gave her the list of places DW and I want to eat was that DW and I WILL be eating a meal at Via Napoli, regardless of whether everyone else does or not.

 

[afwdwfan]

Cute picture, but how do we even know that's you?

I'm not even sure it's me at this point.

 

[KatMark]

Plans are looking good (darn Pop Warner people though ).

The only thing I would reconsider (well, besides WCC which we did not like at all) is your possible Mama Melrose ADR. I've been reading a lot of reviews lately where the ADR's are running anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes past their scheduled time. With two little ones, I'm not sure this is something you want to do.

 

[glennbo123]

First off, sorry I missed the news of your new arrival a while back. Congratulations! You and the missus done good!

Your plans are shaping up nicely. I totally understand being driven by the park schedule.

So you like Via Napoli then?

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Here's a picture from the hospital. Coincidentally, this is the only picture taken there that I appear in. We have mom, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, friends and everybody else with her, and this is the only picture of me.

I guess now I know where I stand.

Dad is always at the bottom of the totem pole. But would you have it any other way?

Mini Update

Looks like a good plan. I do agree with Kathy on Mama Melroses--we ate there once and thought it was "meh". Didn't go back. Sounds like Via Napoli is the place for Italian.

 

[afwdwfan]

Plans are looking good (darn Pop Warner people though ).

They have no business being there during my vacation.

The only thing I would reconsider (well, besides WCC which we did not like at all) is your possible Mama Melrose ADR. I've been reading a lot of reviews lately where the ADR's are running anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes past their scheduled time. With two little ones, I'm not sure this is something you want to do.

We enjoyed WCC. The food was great and the service was the best I've ever had there. It is also a place that I know my family will love.

As for Mama Melrose... that's a bit of a disappointment. We went there a few years ago and enjoyed it. We were considering it to avoid waiting with 2 kids for Fantasmic, since the early show is the only one performing that night. We weren't dead set on it, so that might be something to consider. Thanks!

First off, sorry I missed the news of your new arrival a while back. Congratulations! You and the missus done good!

Thanks! We're pretty happy with her. Unless it is 2 am.

Your plans are shaping up nicely. I totally understand being driven by the park schedule.

So much to see during the holidays, only so many evenings to work everything in.

So you like Via Napoli then?

Dad is always at the bottom of the totem pole. But would you have it any other way?

Does it even matter what I want?

Looks like a good plan. I do agree with Kathy on Mama Melroses--we ate there once and thought it was "meh". Didn't go back. Sounds like Via Napoli is the place for Italian.

Again, we have enjoyed it in the past, but might reconsider. We were just penciling it in for Fantasmic, but might look at doing something else. We want to go to Via Napoli for the pizza, but my family loves Italian food, so we're always willing to work another meal in sometime in the week.

 

[FreezinRafiki]

Does it even matter what I want?

THAT'S a dad response.

Again, we have enjoyed it in the past, but might reconsider. We were just penciling it in for Fantasmic, but might look at doing something else. We want to go to Via Napoli for the pizza, but my family loves Italian food, so we're always willing to work another meal in sometime in the week.

We ate at Momma Melrose in July. The food and service were great and I like the themeing of the place.

 

[khertz]

First off, congrats on your baby girl!! She is beautiful! How is Landon enjoying/adjusting to being a big brother so far?

The only requirement I gave my mom when I gave her the list of places DW and I want to eat was that DW and I WILL be eating a meal at Via Napoli, regardless of whether everyone else does or not.

 

[afwdwfan]

We ate at Momma Melrose in July. The food and service were great and I like the themeing of the place.

That's kind of how I felt when we went in 2008. I don't know... it's really not one of the top of the list places we want to try and it isn't 100% my decision anyway, so we'll see.

First off, congrats on your baby girl!! She is beautiful! How is Landon enjoying/adjusting to being a big brother so far?

Thanks! So far he loves her and does very well with her. He wants to help out, sometimes a little too much, but he really has been doing very well with it.

I figured you'd agree with that statement. Gotta have some Via Napoli!

 

[that's nice]

We have eaten at Mama Melrose a few times and have always had a decent meal. I would just try to get there 10 minutes before your ADR time. If there is a little wait you could always go to the store across from MM. It is filled of Muppet stuff!

Your princess is cute! I can tell it is you in the picture...you are wearing that Purdue shirt.

Our days and ADRs are usually dictated by the park schedule as well. But everything looks pretty good!

 

[afwdwfan]

We have eaten at Mama Melrose a few times and have always had a decent meal. I would just try to get there 10 minutes before your ADR time. If there is a little wait you could always go to the store across from MM. It is filled of Muppet stuff!

I enjoy that store. Unfortunately, DW prefers spending way too much time in all the less interesting ones.

She hated the recent Muppet movie. DS and I enjoyed it though.

Your princess is cute! I can tell it is you in the picture...you are wearing that Purdue shirt.

Thanks... and we all know there's only one of those out there anywhere.

Our days and ADRs are usually dictated by the park schedule as well. But everything looks pretty good!

Well, it's a plan for now... we've still got about 3 weeks before we'll actually make ADR's, so I guess we'll just have to see what we end up doing.