1st Trip as Mommy & Daddy Nov 2011 TR- Complete!

[khertz]

aww last day. How sad! Now that we're back and we've experienced our trip I'm totally jealous over what a wonderful trip y'all had! But I'm glad that you guys didn't experience the issues we did. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Can't wait for the next PTR!

I'm so sorry your trip wasn't all you had hoped for it to be. All the more reason for you to give it another try later on!! (As long as you are not too traumatized from this experience!) I already started working on my PTR in a Word document so that I can have it ready to post the link when I make my last post on here.

 

[Leger13]

I'm so sorry your trip wasn't all you had hoped for it to be. All the more reason for you to give it another try later on!! (As long as you are not too traumatized from this experience!) I already started working on my PTR in a Word document so that I can have it ready to post the link when I make my last post on here.

yeah it will definitely be a few years before we try to brave a trip to WDW again. And it all depends on when another baby comes along too. I refuse to take a child until he/she is walking and talking ever again. Looking fwd to the new PTR

 

[afwdwfan]

It looks like a fun last day... despite the fact that it meant you were leaving Disney World.

I'm glad you were able to get everything packed away and meet the weight limits. That's always one of the toughest tasks when it comes to flying home.

I really enjoyed your TR, and I look forward to reading about your future trips and seeing how Paxton reacts to things in the future!

 

[Imagineer5]

Thanks for the tips on keeping bedtime! I guess we'll really have to see if we can get her to sleep comfortably in the stroller. That should make all the difference!

Nice last morning at mk. We always like to end there too, except last trip we had the best last day ever and we went to epcot. Finally saw turtle talk and it made our morning. Sorry off topic there. Back to mk, we went during yoamd and on our last day we won dream fast passes...twice! I still regret not giving one away. Not sure why I was being so selfish but I wanted to keep one intact to bring home and dh wanted to give them away. Oh well, I've made up for it by the amount of fast passes I've given away (or so I tell myself!).

Anywayyyy I wanted to give you my own gear tip...luggage scale! We bought this one: http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-8120-D...XFP4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1329141013&sr=8-2

And w e don't leave home without it now! Bought it for a trip to Italy and also brought it to Disney and have never had to worry about the 50lb limit at the airport since granted you guys were ok, but it's nice not to have to worry.

 

[khertz]

It looks like a fun last day... despite the fact that it meant you were leaving Disney World.

I'm glad you were able to get everything packed away and meet the weight limits. That's always one of the toughest tasks when it comes to flying home.

I really enjoyed your TR, and I look forward to reading about your future trips and seeing how Paxton reacts to things in the future!

We couldn't have had a better departure day, except to have more time! The weather was beautiful and the crowds weren't too bad, which was a nice change from the days before that.

We always try to leave room for souvenirs when we pack, but sometimes you just end up buying SO much stuff!! We also bought so many bigger items like the Santa milk & cookies set that I was just sure we'd be over the limit. Luckily DH is the master packer!!

Thanks for the tips on keeping bedtime! I guess we'll really have to see if we can get her to sleep comfortably in the stroller. That should make all the difference!

Nice last morning at mk. We always like to end there too, except last trip we had the best last day ever and we went to epcot. Finally saw turtle talk and it made our morning. Sorry off topic there. Back to mk, we went during yoamd and on our last day we won dream fast passes...twice! I still regret not giving one away. Not sure why I was being so selfish but I wanted to keep one intact to bring home and dh wanted to give them away. Oh well, I've made up for it by the amount of fast passes I've given away (or so I tell myself!).

Anywayyyy I wanted to give you my own gear tip...luggage scale! We bought this one: http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-8120-D...XFP4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1329141013&sr=8-2

And w e don't leave home without it now! Bought it for a trip to Italy and also brought it to Disney and have never had to worry about the 50lb limit at the airport since granted you guys were ok, but it's nice not to have to worry.

Naps in the stroller are always a GREAT thing!! I think there were only 2 days we actually went back to the room for our break and he napped. He was content to snooze in the stroller when he got tired, and the little break from the parks when he could run around and play was enough to re energize him.

That's awesome winning the YOAMD FPs twice!! We probably would have kept a set too just to remember that special moment. I love ending our trip in MK, especially the last couple trips where we have flown. On our December trip we literally had like an hour and a half before we had to be back for our shuttle to the airport, and we left DHS to go over to MK for just a few minutes...long enough to have an ice cream cookie sandwich from the Bakery and take the Castle in one more time. It was great!!

That luggage scale is AWESOME!!! May have to pick one of those up for all of our upcoming trips. What a relief it will be to head to the airport knowing you are under the weight limit!

 

[exwdwcm]

I am so sad it is over! How were the crowds that Saturday morning?

Poor guy passing out- too cute! LOL at the puffs spilling. So glad the lady was nice about it. I've had a few looks from folks on a flight when DS was having a fit. We even got up and took him to the bathroom at one point and nothing was consoling him. Glad you had a good flight home!

Excited to hear about the upcoming DL trip. How many nights is it and where are you guys staying? Be prepared for the construction at DCA. hopefully it is better by then. When i was there in November, it was insane. Literally the entire front of the park was blocked off. I have never seen so many construction walls in my life. They rerouted us to come in down by Soarin. Then the whole walk across the park to ToT was pure walls. Maybe more has been done by now. DL was fabulous though!!!!

 

[khertz]

I am so sad it is over! How were the crowds that Saturday morning?

Poor guy passing out- too cute! LOL at the puffs spilling. So glad the lady was nice about it. I've had a few looks from folks on a flight when DS was having a fit. We even got up and took him to the bathroom at one point and nothing was consoling him. Glad you had a good flight home!

Excited to hear about the upcoming DL trip. How many nights is it and where are you guys staying? Be prepared for the construction at DCA. hopefully it is better by then. When i was there in November, it was insane. Literally the entire front of the park was blocked off. I have never seen so many construction walls in my life. They rerouted us to come in down by Soarin. Then the whole walk across the park to ToT was pure walls. Maybe more has been done by now. DL was fabulous though!!!!

The crowds were not too bad early in the morning, but it got a little more crowded as the morning wore on. It wasn't as bad as I had expected for getting there at 9 am on a morning EMH day.

Everyone on our 2 flights was REALLY nice! Of course, other passengers laughed when DH threw the puffs, and I apologized to the 2 women in front of us for DS's screaming, but it seemed like everyone around us was very understanding.

We are going to be there for 4 nights, 5 days and staying at the Wyndham timeshare property Dolphin's Cove. We are very excited!! DH didn't get to visit DCA at all when he was in California and spent a day in DL, so we are excited to check out both parks together despite the construction. I think I'm more interested in the attractions at DL anyway, but we are definitely going to spend some time at DCA and see World of Color.

 

[khertz]

Well, it has been fun recounting my trip with y'all, but it's time to wrap this thing up once and for all and move on to the next adventure! These are my impressions on our very first, and likely last, November trip to WDW.

1. CROWDS
It wasn't Spring Break or Christmas week crowded, but this week in November was MUCH busier than we had anticipated! It made park hopping in the afternoons such a hassle, because by the time we got into the parks, the wait times were outrageous. We even followed a touring plan, and still ran into 30+ minute waits for things like Small World and other attractions that they recommend in the afternoon/evening. I think part of it was that we were there for a "perfect storm" of crowd boosters - Jersey Week, Veteran's Day weekend, last weekend for F&W, and Festival of the Masters weekend. Another part of is was that we had DS with us and those wait times seemed impossible to tackle with a boisterous 1 year old along for the ride. If we ever did go back in November for a trip (since we both LOVED Festival of the Masters and wouldn't mind visiting for that event again), we would likely do so the next week of November and avoid Jersey week and F&W altogether!

2. WEATHER
Not my favorite. Even though we went from extreme cold to extreme warmth on our December trip, it was at least somewhat consistent for a couple days at a time. November was ridiculous! Cold enough for a jacket in the shade and almost unbearably hot in the sun. It was a pain dressing DS for the day each morning, because he'd need pants for rope drop, but it would quickly warm up to the point that jeans were uncomfortable. I know that is just Florida weather, but it just seemed to bother me more on this trip for some reason. I do have to give credit where credit is due, and Florida rain, thank you for staying away the entire week!! That was a nice change from our last few trips that were full of rain!

3. WYNDHAM BONNET CREEK
We again just LOVED our visit here! The only thing we will probably not do again for a long time is book a Presidential unit. Not having a normal bathtub to bathe DS in was a gigantic pain. And because all the Presidential units are in one building, it didn't seem like it would be possible to have a theme park or fireworks view room. Other than the disastrous owner's update, our stay here was fantastic yet again! Our unit was more than enough space for the three of us, and beautifully furnished. They were great with getting us our requested baby items in a timely manner. The staff at check-in and check-out were friendly and efficient, and the other workers we encountered always had a smile.

4. FIRST TIME WITH DS
Totally perfect!! Although he had his moments where he was his usual stubborn self, we had a perfect vacation. DS loving the characters made for some of the most special memories that I will always take with me from this trip. Even if he hates them from now on, at least we had one trip where he ran up to them and hugged them with excitement! He adapted so well for having his schedule somewhat disrupted at times. The baby care centers (aside from DHS) were excellent and helped make the trip SO much easier! Having a place for DS to unwind and eat without distractions was great. Getting his first haircut on Main Street was such a great and special moment that I will never forget, and I look forward to continuing that tradition and having his hair cut there on many trips to come. After one trip, I can without hesitation say I would absolutely take a toddler to WDW! I think he was at the PERFECT age to be excited by things but still be too young to be scared by other things. I guess we'll see how our next 2 trips go and see if my tune changes at all on that!

Overall, it was one of the most magical and amazing trips I have ever taken to WDW, right up there with our honeymoon trip! It was such a great feeling to share our love of this place with DS for the first of many times and to see him love it as much as we do! I am so happy that DH and I made the decision to take this trip when we did instead of going with our original plan to wait until DS was big enough and old enough to ride everything. We don't feel like we missed out at all not being able to ride the big rides over and over like we used to.

Our upcoming adventures include a 5 day trip to Disneyland in May, and a 7 day trip back to WDW in October for a Halloween trip to celebrate DS turning 2 years old. I have already started the PTR, and I hope y'all will follow along on our next adventures!

Boo to You & Turning 2! Oct 2012 PTR​

 

[jc040404]

What a great trip! I loved following along. (even if I stink at commenting on most I read!) Paxton is adorable and his character meets were some of the best I've seen on here. What a sweet smile! Glad you all had a great, and can't wait to lurk along when you get back from the next!

 

[khertz]

What a great trip! I loved following along. (even if I stink at commenting on most I read!) Paxton is adorable and his character meets were some of the best I've seen on here. What a sweet smile! Glad you all had a great, and can't wait to lurk along when you get back from the next!

Thanks so much! I had fun sharing it with everyone who read along. We were so lucky to have such a great experience with DS and the characters & I couldn't be more thankful for a cooperative child!

 

[skier_pete]

If we ever did go back in November for a trip (since we both LOVED Festival of the Masters and wouldn't mind visiting for that event again), we would likely do so the next week of November and avoid Jersey week and F&W altogether!

Yes, the week after was fantastic. Even Veteran's weekend wasn't too bad except for the whole food and wine thing, but the week (Mon-Fri) was very low crowds. Come Thanksgiving it got pretty nuts. I am totally hoping we can go that week in 2013, but will probably be relying on Free Dining - especially since DD will be 10 and will be a Dining-Adult, even though she will still be eating like a child.

I've already subbed on your PTR - but still hope to see something from your DL trip! Find me some great food, will ya!

 

[afwdwfan]

Great job on the TR. It looks like you had a great trip and I hope that your next is just as good. I'll have to head over to the PTR!

 

[khertz]

Yes, the week after was fantastic. Even Veteran's weekend wasn't too bad except for the whole food and wine thing, but the week (Mon-Fri) was very low crowds. Come Thanksgiving it got pretty nuts. I am totally hoping we can go that week in 2013, but will probably be relying on Free Dining - especially since DD will be 10 and will be a Dining-Adult, even though she will still be eating like a child.

I've already subbed on your PTR - but still hope to see something from your DL trip! Find me some great food, will ya!

That is very good to hear, since I think DH and I would both like to visit for Masters weekend again in the future. I guess it's just a matter of finding that "sweet spot" between Jersey Week/Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving.

That is kind of crazy that a Disney "adult" is only 10 years old! But I guess they will never win because I have read of so many instances of people bumping their 9 year old's age to 10 in the system to get them on the adult dining plan because they are more adventurous eaters. That is a big chunk of change to change from child to adult, so I do understand that!

I will be posting some of our plans for DL as that trip gets closer, and I'll be doing a separate TR for it. Just didn't think I had enough info or planning to warrant its own PTR. At this point, we still don't even have park hours!!

Great job on the TR. It looks like you had a great trip and I hope that your next is just as good. I'll have to head over to the PTR!

Thanks so much for reading & commenting along!

 

[DSNY4ever]

I just finished your whole trip report and it was wonderful! It got me so excited because I am planning my DS's first trip right now I really was amazed at all the wonderful character interactions you had. If I can get him to smile for even one great picture like that I will be thrilled .

We are taking DS to Disneyland first this year for his first birthday and then to Disneyworld at the end of 2013...so I will have check out your Disneyland trip report to see how Paxton likes that.

Glad you had a wonderful trip!

 

[Imagineer5]

Awesome tr! Can't wait to join you at your ptr. Wish we were going at the same time in October - aria and Paxton could sport their earphones together lol. I really enjoyed reading along and appreciated all the baby insight you included. So glad you had such an amazing trip.

We couldn't have had a better departure day, except to have more time! The weather was beautiful and the crowds weren't too bad, which was a nice change from the days before that.

We always try to leave room for souvenirs when we pack, but sometimes you just end up buying SO much stuff!! We also bought so many bigger items like the Santa milk & cookies set that I was just sure we'd be over the limit. Luckily DH is the master packer!!



Naps in the stroller are always a GREAT thing!! I think there were only 2 days we actually went back to the room for our break and he napped. He was content to snooze in the stroller when he got tired, and the little break from the parks when he could run around and play was enough to re energize him.

That's awesome winning the YOAMD FPs twice!! We probably would have kept a set too just to remember that special moment. I love ending our trip in MK, especially the last couple trips where we have flown. On our December trip we literally had like an hour and a half before we had to be back for our shuttle to the airport, and we left DHS to go over to MK for just a few minutes...long enough to have an ice cream cookie sandwich from the Bakery and take the Castle in one more time. It was great!!

That luggage scale is AWESOME!!! May have to pick one of those up for all of our upcoming trips. What a relief it will be to head to the airport knowing you are under the weight limit!

Sounds like the perfect end to a trip, no matter how short the visit to mk was!

Luggage scale is seriously one of the best things we brought on any trip. Esp Italy and Disney though. We always buy way too much.

 

[khertz]

Awesome tr! Can't wait to join you at your ptr. Wish we were going at the same time in October - aria and Paxton could sport their earphones together lol. I really enjoyed reading along and appreciated all the baby insight you included. So glad you had such an amazing trip.



Sounds like the perfect end to a trip, no matter how short the visit to mk was!

Luggage scale is seriously one of the best things we brought on any trip. Esp Italy and Disney though. We always buy way too much.

How freaking adorable would they look in matching earmuffs?!

We love ending our trips in MK, even if not for very long. I was actually impressed with how much we were able to do that morning given our limited time in the parks!

I think we are seriously considering the luggage scale considering all of the vacations we are planning over the next 3 years. Thanks again for the suggestion!!

 

[RachelNinja]

So sad that you experienced the last few rides of the trip! I absolutely love that pic of Paxton on the teacups, haha. He looks so rough and tough in that picture.

Good thing that lady thought the puff attack was funny! Haha, I would've thought it was funny too!

I really enjoyed your info about the baby care centers. Haha, it's not that I'm about to have a baby anytime soon, but a friend is bringing her 3-year old AND her newborn who will be 7 months by the time they go on their trip. I told her about the baby care centers so that she can take a much needed break during the day!

 

[khertz]

So sad that you experienced the last few rides of the trip! I absolutely love that pic of Paxton on the teacups, haha. He looks so rough and tough in that picture.

Good thing that lady thought the puff attack was funny! Haha, I would've thought it was funny too!

I really enjoyed your info about the baby care centers. Haha, it's not that I'm about to have a baby anytime soon, but a friend is bringing her 3-year old AND her newborn who will be 7 months by the time they go on their trip. I told her about the baby care centers so that she can take a much needed break during the day!

DH was really happy with those pictures of DS on the Teacups because that is one of his favorite rides. He was happy Paxton seemed to enjoy it so much!

We got a few laughs after the puff attack. Personally, I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe. I'm glad the lady took it in stride.

The baby care centers are great, and I have been singing their praises since we returned from our trip. My aunt and uncle are getting ready to take their 3 little ones (7, 3, and 3 months!) to WDW in May and I stressed how wonderful they are! Even just to get out of the sun and the chaos and de-stimulate for a little bit...I'm hoping to have DS out of the habit of needing his milk warm by the time we go in October, but even if we don't need it for the microwave, we will still be taking advantage of them!