We're Doing Disney Again Someday...Plus One! ~ Come Read my Trip Report!!!

[Dugette]

Since I didn't have the energy to do this the other night, just wanted to add a few pictures from our fun day on Friday.

First, the 20 week belly shot:

First time in taking all these pictures each week that we knew there was a little girl in there!

The ultrasound tech was nice enough to get us quite a few pictures, so here are some cute ones of her:

Our little princess was moving around almost the entire time, so I'm glad we got a decent look at everything. She finally got tired towards the end. She kept her hands in fists up by her face most of the time. So fun to watch her.

We shared the news with our immediate families by giving them some pink macaroons (with chocolate announcement) from a local French bakery:

That went over pretty well. Cute and tasty!

Today, we were out and stopped by Home Depot to pick up some Disney paint samples for the nursery. Well, turns out that Home Depot stopped carrying them recently, so there were no Mickey head paint chips to be found! I had looked on the website and liked "Heffalump Purple", so we tried to find things that were similar to that. We used their little computer to try out some of the colors. We liked this color scheme of a lighter purple with a darker accent wall:

I like the idea of going with a light purple, since I'm not real into pink and this seems girly without going pink. Plus, it should go well with both pink and blue (my favorite color). And it will match our beautiful holiday light castle blanket, which will end up in there. So exciting to be getting going on this. (Of course, the room is still a guest room, so we have a long ways to go, but it's fun to dream.) We also started picking out some of our Disney lithographs that will go well in the nursery. We have a couple from Lady and the Tramp, a couple from Cars, and a couple from The Lion King that we think will work. We have a print we bought at the Poly that shows Mickey and Minnie on the Poly beach, so we want to use that. Also, we discovered some great prints online that combine Winnie the Pooh and Star Wars, so we'll probably order some of those too. Plus a lot of wall decals with other Disney characters. This should be fun!

 

[reelmom]

I love the color for the walls and all the Disney touches around the room. I can't wait to see the finished room. Great 20 weeks picture.

 

[Disneymoon09]

Thanks so much! I'm sure that both of our little ones will be big Disney fans! It will be so magical to watch them experience everything for the first time! We do have a name picked out. Our princess will be Isabella Madison (besides liking the names, the significance is: family name on Dug's side and my birthplace). Have you picked out a name for your pirate?

Very pretty name! I think we going with Beckett Tommy. My husband is still wavering on the middle name (her prefers Thomas, but Tommy is my dads legal name, and I like it haha!). (ignore the fact that I am terrible with quotes)

 

[Mom&RN]

Your twenty week baby bump is sooo cute! Love the ultrasound pictures, I'm always amazed at how perfectly formed babies are when they are still so tiny! I think purple is a great choice - I'm not a huge fan of pink either.

 

[jc040404]

Still lovin the bump pics! The ultrasound pictures are just amazing. Her little arms and feet look so perfect. I'm so excited for the both of you.

The room is gorgeous, too. I have to agree on the pink stuff, but I never had to worry much about that. Her room is going to be adorable, I'm sure. And..Winnie the Pooh & Star Wars? That just sounds awesome. Can't wait to see it when you're finished!

 

[gellybean]

Congratulations on a girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


yay!!!

And I am so out of the DIS loop now.... you must fill me in on these 20% off Disney gift cards from Target!!

So excited for y'all!!

 

[AprilRenee]

A Princess!!! How exciting!! Congrats!!

Isn't it so much fun to plan their room? I just had a blast doing it!! Sounds like yours is going to be super cute! And I love that you're gonna put Star Wars in it!!

Don't you love the little footprint ultrasound pic? I loved the one we got! So cute!

 

[Dugette]

I love the color for the walls and all the Disney touches around the room. I can't wait to see the finished room. Great 20 weeks picture.

Thank you! I can't wait to see the finished room either! In fact, I can't wait to see the started room! It's such a mess right now...I wish we could set up baby stuff, but there's a whole lot of junk to be moved out first. Thanks on the picture!

Very pretty name! I think we going with Beckett Tommy. My husband is still wavering on the middle name (her prefers Thomas, but Tommy is my dads legal name, and I like it haha!).

Thanks! Very cute name for your little pirate! Something about Tommy, though different, is super cute for a little guy! And I like the significance that it is your dad's legal name.

Your twenty week baby bump is sooo cute! Love the ultrasound pictures, I'm always amazed at how perfectly formed babies are when they are still so tiny! I think purple is a great choice - I'm not a huge fan of pink either.

Thank you! If only today was a week marker for a picture...I wore a new maternity shirt that was quite fitted...wow, belly! One of my co-workers kinda freaked out today about how cute the baby bump was!

The ultrasounds just astound me. I can't quite believe that the perfect little human I'm seeing is really in there. Especially not feeling her (I think I just started feeling her the day before this ultrasound, but it's not very noticeable yet).

Thanks on the color. We have friends that just had a baby girl and they ended up surprising themselves and going very pink in their nursery--and it is super cute--but I'm liking the purple for our princess. It's girly without being stereotypical.

Still lovin the bump pics! The ultrasound pictures are just amazing. Her little arms and feet look so perfect. I'm so excited for the both of you.

Thanks! It's amazing to see the movement during the ultrasound too. (Unfortunately they do not allow videotaping during it!) The tech was really good at walking us through each measurement she was taking and explaining what we were seeing and that it looked good. There were a couple of potential issues (nothing too serious) that a genetic counselor had identified, based on family history, but both looked perfect in the ultrasound!

The room is gorgeous, too. I have to agree on the pink stuff, but I never had to worry much about that. Her room is going to be adorable, I'm sure. And..Winnie the Pooh & Star Wars? That just sounds awesome. Can't wait to see it when you're finished!

Yeah, if you search for Wookie the Chew, you should be able to find the prints we're looking at. There are so many to choose from, but I think Dug got it narrowed down to a few now. I like that it incorporates Star Wars (since Dug loves it), but it's also adorable and Pooh-like.

Congratulations on a girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


yay!!!

And I am so out of the DIS loop now.... you must fill me in on these 20% off Disney gift cards from Target!!

So excited for y'all!!

Thanks! I guess I talked about the gift cards in my Oct. 2011 PTR, but not since. So, the summary: you can buy Disney Park gift cards at Target. All Target discounts apply. 5% off for paying with a Red Card. 5% off if you use a Pharmacy Rewards certificate. And, because I work for a subsidiary of Target, I get an extra 10% team member discount. We paid for our entire October trip with these gift cards. Takes a little effort, but worth it!

A Princess!!! How exciting!! Congrats!!

Isn't it so much fun to plan their room? I just had a blast doing it!! Sounds like yours is going to be super cute! And I love that you're gonna put Star Wars in it!!

Don't you love the little footprint ultrasound pic? I loved the one we got! So cute!

Thanks! Yes, it is so fun to plan the room. Dug and I had ideas flying around like crazy these last few days, but I'm afraid we're getting out of the we-can-actually-do-this zone. We'll see what we end up with. It's funny, because I used to think we would just add a crib and a changing pad to the guest room and call it good, but because it took so long for this baby, now I want to really do up the nursery!

Those footprints on the ultrasound are awesome...she gave us a bunch of those. It's especially cool, because one of the things I was concerned about was whether the baby would inherit my slightly-twisted toes (nothing major, just a small birth defect I have), but the ultrasound shows that her little toes look perfect! So glad! She can wear open-toed shoes!

 

[Dugette]

So, I've been daydreaming a lot about our dining options in WDW. (This is, of course, assuming we choose to go to WDW). I thought I'd record some of my thoughts and see if anyone has any feedback.

My general thought is that we will depend largely upon counter service options, seeing as a toddler in Signature Restaurants doesn't strike me as the best idea. Especially since we've had a chance to eat at many of the table service restaurants as a couple...we don't need to go back right away.

However, there are a few table service restaurants that I think may be worthy of consideration:

1.) Kona Cafe - If we stay at the Poly, this would probably be at least a breakfast and a dinner. It's convenient, generally not too crowded (can change ADRs or maybe walk-up), and it's easy to escape if the princess gets fussy. Oh, yeah, and it's ridiculously delicious.

2.) Crystal Palace - We enjoyed our breakfast there and it COULD be a great character meal for the little princess. However, we have no idea if she'll like the characters. So, I heard some good advice to make this ADR later in the trip so that we have a chance to see how she does with characters in meet & greets before deciding if we should do this. Of course, I'm not sure how the credit card guarantee thing works if we cancel...guess I should check on that.

3.) Biergarten - I was trying to think of good Epcot options and this came to mind. We've only been there once, but it was when I was recovering from being ill, so I had trouble enjoying it much. Anyway, it seems like it might be toddler-friendly, as it's noisy and fun. However, would the sharing-a-table thing maybe be a problem if princess is in a less-than-adorable mood??

4.) Via Napoli - I'm not sure on this. Maybe it would be okay for the little one, but it's a little less kid-friendly than the others, I think. But the pizza is SO good....

5.) 'Ohana - If we were staying at the Poly, again, this would be convenient. Dinner there is great, but maybe a breakfast would be good if the princess DOES like characters.

6.) Boma - We had dinner here once and it was WAY back on our 2009 trip. I would love to do it again. And it seems like a reasonable place to bring a toddler, I think. Plus, she could check out the animals before/after dinner!

7.) Beaches 'n' Cream - Dug just told me to add this to the list! Yummy burgers and ice cream!

8.) Be Our Guest - If it's open by the time we go. Have to check out the new stuff!

9.) Kouzzina - Delicious and a nice, quiet place for breakfast.

As far as counter service, I think we're pretty flexible, but some of the better options may be:

1.) Captain Cook's - Again, assuming we are staying at the Poly.

2.) Columbia Harbour House - I really want one of their tuna sandwiches right now!

3.) Pecos Bill - Can't go wrong here.

4.) Sunshine Seasons - Lots of good options for any meal.

5.) Any bakery - Main Street, France, Norway, I'm not picky!

6.) Tangerine Cafe - We haven't grabbed quick service in Morocco for quite awhile, but it's good stuff!

So, anything I'm leaving out that would be great with a little one? Anything you'd advise against? Any input is appreciated!

 

[Mom&RN]

Love your restaurant choices. Boma is a great one for kids and adults, because its a buffet you can get food right away but there are lots of yummy more "adult" choices. The credit card thing - you can cancel and not pay a fee as long as you cancel 24 hours in advance so if you book Crystal Palace for later in the trip you'll give yourself plenty of time to cancel if the characters aren't going to be fun.

 

[Alysa]

Love your report! Your baby will be born a month or so before mine. Congrats, looking forward to reading more!

 

[Dugette]

Love your restaurant choices. Boma is a great one for kids and adults, because its a buffet you can get food right away but there are lots of yummy more "adult" choices. The credit card thing - you can cancel and not pay a fee as long as you cancel 24 hours in advance so if you book Crystal Palace for later in the trip you'll give yourself plenty of time to cancel if the characters aren't going to be fun.

Good point about Boma and being able to get food right away. Hadn't thought about that, but makes sense to have less waiting around! And thank you for the credit card info...that's good to know that it's only 24 hours to cancel. That should work well for us!

Love your report! Your baby will be born a month or so before mine. Congrats, looking forward to reading more!

and congrats to you too! Will you be taking yours to WDW anytime soon?

 

[reelmom]

S

My general thought is that we will depend largely upon counter service options, seeing as a toddler in Signature Restaurants doesn't strike me as the best idea. Especially since we've had a chance to eat at many of the table service restaurants as a couple...we don't need to go back right away.

A bit of advice that you didn't ask for~
From day one, live your life the way you always have. Take her places that you normally go. She will learn early on how to behave in certain situations. That way if you want to eat at a Signature Restaurant, you can. You may have to eat earlier to avoid a cranky toddler, but you should still be able to go. We began taveling with our kids when they were about 4 weeks old. They adjusted well to life on the go.

 

[Alysa]

and congrats to you too! Will you be taking yours to WDW anytime soon?

We are planning a trip for August 2013, so not soon enough, but something to look forward to!

I love the Wookie the Chew artist. Our son has a "Most Likely Lose It Again, Anyway" t-shirt by the same author which he wore to Star Wars weekend last year and people stopped us about every half hour to ask us where we got it. (Red Bubble).

PS. I agree with reelmom - If you want to eat at a signature restaurant, go ahead! As long as your child is well behaved, I see no problem with taking them anywhere you wish. The only places our kids have not eaten are Bistro du Paris and Victoria and Alberts and they've been going since they were babies. We took them outside if they were fussy but I don't actually remember that ever happening at Disney. A fancy french restaurant here in Oakville, yes, but Disney restaurants are designed for kids. Go where you want. Have a great trip!

 

[Mom&RN]

One more voice of unsolicited advice My son is my one and only miracle baby that my hubby and I had later in life, at the time we lived near no family and were so happy to have him we never wanted to leave him, much less with a sitter so since he's been a baby he has gone pretty much every where we have. I think the more you take kids places the better they do because he's always been great in more "adult" situations. I'm not saying he sat through an opera ate age 2, this is the real world after all, but he's eaten at "sit down" restaurants his entire life. Thankfully he has always loved to eat and has always happily sat at a dinner table, even during the "terrible twos". That doesn't mean your dug-baby will like to sit at a dinner table as much as mine did but I would have happily taken my son to any sit down restaurant at Disney when he was a toddler so you never know!

 

[Sunset Cliffs]

I'm subbing in! I would agree with the last few posters about living your life as you normally would. The earlier you expose kids to those situations, the sooner they learn how to behave in them. Someone told me that when I was pregnant and it was one of the best pieces of advice that I followed. Once you know their schedule, you will know what time of day they are cranky, tired, happy, etc. and you can sort of plan your nicer meals with that in mind.

As for restaurants, I like all of the places that you listed. Especially Boma, O'hana and Kona Cafe. I also really loved Crystal Palace for Dylan's first character meal.

We took Dylan on his first trip to Disney when he was 4 months old. I was getting ready to go back to work and I wanted to take advantage of being off on maternity leave. We went to Disneyland for 3 days and it was much easier than I thought it would be. It was also during December and all of the holiday decorations were up. Dylan really liked looking at all the lights and bright colors. His favorite thing to do was ride Small World. We stayed at a hotel that was close by and took a break during the day. People thought I was crazy to take him so young, but when you already know Disney as well as a lot of us do, you can plan a lot in advance and enjoy the experience rather than it being super stressful. He has now been on multiple Disney trips at all ages (his 1st trip to WDW was 21 months), so let me know if you have any questions about things that worked for us.

 

[Dugette]

A bit of advice that you didn't ask for~
From day one, live your life the way you always have. Take her places that you normally go. She will learn early on how to behave in certain situations. That way if you want to eat at a Signature Restaurant, you can. You may have to eat earlier to avoid a cranky toddler, but you should still be able to go. We began taveling with our kids when they were about 4 weeks old. They adjusted well to life on the go.

Thanks for your feedback! Since there seems to be a consensus, I'm going to post my thoughts on it separately in the next post.

We are planning a trip for August 2013, so not soon enough, but something to look forward to!

Not too bad! Definitely something to look forward to!

I love the Wookie the Chew artist. Our son has a "Most Likely Lose It Again, Anyway" t-shirt by the same author which he wore to Star Wars weekend last year and people stopped us about every half hour to ask us where we got it. (Red Bubble).

That Wookie the Chew stuff is so cute! It's a good way to incorporate Star Wars, but still be Disney-themed!

PS. I agree with reelmom - If you want to eat at a signature restaurant, go ahead! As long as your child is well behaved, I see no problem with taking them anywhere you wish. The only places our kids have not eaten are Bistro du Paris and Victoria and Alberts and they've been going since they were babies. We took them outside if they were fussy but I don't actually remember that ever happening at Disney. A fancy french restaurant here in Oakville, yes, but Disney restaurants are designed for kids. Go where you want. Have a great trip!

Thanks, more comments coming up!

One more voice of unsolicited advice My son is my one and only miracle baby that my hubby and I had later in life, at the time we lived near no family and were so happy to have him we never wanted to leave him, much less with a sitter so since he's been a baby he has gone pretty much every where we have. I think the more you take kids places the better they do because he's always been great in more "adult" situations. I'm not saying he sat through an opera ate age 2, this is the real world after all, but he's eaten at "sit down" restaurants his entire life. Thankfully he has always loved to eat and has always happily sat at a dinner table, even during the "terrible twos". That doesn't mean your dug-baby will like to sit at a dinner table as much as mine did but I would have happily taken my son to any sit down restaurant at Disney when he was a toddler so you never know!

Thank you! More to come...

I'm subbing in! I would agree with the last few posters about living your life as you normally would. The earlier you expose kids to those situations, the sooner they learn how to behave in them. Someone told me that when I was pregnant and it was one of the best pieces of advice that I followed. Once you know their schedule, you will know what time of day they are cranky, tired, happy, etc. and you can sort of plan your nicer meals with that in mind.

Thanks for coming over! It's so hard to imagine "knowing her schedule" right now, since I just have no idea what she'll be like. But I do know what you mean and that makes sense to me.

As for restaurants, I like all of the places that you listed. Especially Boma, O'hana and Kona Cafe. I also really loved Crystal Palace for Dylan's first character meal.

Thanks for the feedback on the restaurant choices! We really loved our breakfast at Crystal Palace and it seems like it would be a great intro character meal for Dug Baby.

We took Dylan on his first trip to Disney when he was 4 months old. I was getting ready to go back to work and I wanted to take advantage of being off on maternity leave. We went to Disneyland for 3 days and it was much easier than I thought it would be. It was also during December and all of the holiday decorations were up. Dylan really liked looking at all the lights and bright colors. His favorite thing to do was ride Small World. We stayed at a hotel that was close by and took a break during the day. People thought I was crazy to take him so young, but when you already know Disney as well as a lot of us do, you can plan a lot in advance and enjoy the experience rather than it being super stressful. He has now been on multiple Disney trips at all ages (his 1st trip to WDW was 21 months), so let me know if you have any questions about things that worked for us.

I didn't realize that you took Dylan to DL at 4 months. Very cool! I've seen others comment about that age being great because they are so portable and easy to wear in a carrier. I can see that, but I also have a strong urge to wait until she's a bit older (1+)...we'll see how long I can hold out on WDW, I guess!

Your 21-month-old TR was one of the (or the?) first ones I read on the DIS. I loved it and it really made me want to take our future kid at a young age (I was like you initially, thinking I'd wait until they were older). I actually just re-read a bunch of it the other day, since Dug Baby might be getting close to that age by the time we travel. I really think you guys did the perfect type of trip for a child that age. Relaxing pace, spending time hanging out at resorts, riding the monorail, not going too commando, etc. I hope Dug Baby is as a good a baby as Dylan!

 

[Dugette]

This is probably going to be a pretty random update, but I guess I just have random stuff on my mind tonight.

We've always been so grateful that our little princess has checked out perfectly healthy at every appointment. We feel very, very lucky. I mention this because Dug has a co-worker who is (coincidentally) due the very same day as us, also with a girl. He just heard today that she had a scan that turned up some potentially scary health issues, involving heart problems and more. We don't know specific details, but it really gives you perspective on things. I am even more grateful for all the good news that we've had. Obviously, there are no guarantees, but I feel so lucky to be able to be thinking about our baby's first WDW trip and not worrying about her health. I can't imagine dealing with what my "due date buddy" is dealing with.

On a happier work note, I got in today and found that word of Dug Baby had spread around further than my department now. Someone in another area emailed me to congratulate us and also to offer me her maternity body pillow (she had a baby not too long ago). Super nice and unexpected!

Here's the kind of silly things I am lucky enough to have floating through my mind: What shows does Dug Baby need to watch to be properly "trained" for Disney?! I know that there are popular Disney shows for little ones (and that DHS has a show/meal involving some), but I have no clue what we need to show her. Can anyone tell me what should be on our list (and maybe when your kids started watching them...I'm so clueless!)

We do have a small collection of Disney movies on Blu-Ray now, thanks to the Disney Movie Club. We are thinking we should try those themed "Disney Nights" with them, after Dug Baby is here. I know there's a thread somewhere on here with ideas and details. Sounds fun--lots of work for lazy people like us--but fun! And hopefully cute with a baby!

Some Disney trip things to look forward to:

Dug came up with this one: imagine the joy in our little girl's eyes when she sees the characters from her bedroom walls come to life at WDW!

I told Dug that someday he could take our little girl to tea at the Grand Floridian...how cool would that be?

Someday, we will "have" to take our little princess to eat in the castle! We've never done so, but what better excuse...it's for the

I've been lurking some baby TR/PTR and got a great idea from one. Disney offers photo shoots at the Polynesian. How wonderful would it be to have professional family pictures taken in one of our favorite places in the World on baby's first trip? Need to save extra money for this...

If we go when our princess is 15 months or so, do you think she would have sufficient hair to get her first haircut at the Main Street Barber Shop? With a boy, I figured that it would be okay, since his hair would be short anyway. With a girl, I'd like to grow it out, but would it be due for a trim or anything by that age? Again, I have no clue.

As far as the advice everyone has given:

Thank you, I appreciate feedback! And I absolutely agree, in general. I've heard from others that if you can keep living your life and let baby fit into it, rather than planning your life completely around baby, it's better for everyone. I also really admire the people who have kids they can take anywhere. On the DIS, I think of Happydog's family. I've read several of her reports and always think, "I want to be like the Happydogs when we grow up!" They've brought their two boys on European vacations, cruises, frequent fancy meals, etc. and they seem to do so well. Great lifestyle!

As far as the specific situation for us, I feel like there are a couple factors playing into it. Yes, bringing a toddler to signature restaurants didn't strike me as something I wanted to do, but a big part of that is because I'm not dying to go to any Disney Signatures right now. If I was (or if, by the time we're travelling I want to), I'd definitely take all that advice and book something. However, we've done so many WDW trips as a couple in the last few years that I don't have any fancy meals that I'm still waiting for. We hit our favorites more than once (Jiko, CA Grill, Le Cellier) and have hit the others we were interested in once (Artist Point, Brown Derby). The ones we haven't been to don't particularly appeal to me/us for various reasons (menu, etc.)

That's really why I'm thinking more of sit-downs that aren't "signature". Via Napoli is probably the "fanciest", but I think it would be just fine (especially after the advice!) And we love it (been there twice, but would happily go again). And I feel like we haven't been to Boma in forever and would love to go back. And I never really got to try Biergarten (hardly could eat that day). We love Kona and, if staying at the Poly, meals there are a no-brainer. And I don't care what kind of restaurant Be Our Guest is--if it's open, we're going!

Speaking of new things opening, I saw a post on the disneyfoodblog about the new wine bar, Tutto Gusto, in Italy. Looks awesome! And yummy. I know it is Disney, but do you think toddlers are welcome in there? And in La Cava in Mexico?

Sorry for such a random update and so many questions! Hope some of you can help me out with all this good stuff.

Oh, and 22 weeks tomorrow! Can't believe we're this far along! We have a midwife appointment in the afternoon, so I'll try to update and get another baby bump picture up soon!

 

[reelmom]

Here is the link to the Disney theme nights thread. We do countdown dinners and it is so much fun.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=44792993#post44792993

 

[Dugette]

Here is the link to the Disney theme nights thread. We do countdown dinners and it is so much fun.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=44792993#post44792993

Thanks, I knew this was around here somewhere!

It always looks like so much fun when I see people doing those as part of their PTRs. We'll have to get more motivated to pull some of these off after Dug Baby is here (okay, not RIGHT after, but sometime...)