3 Years in the Making: Our return to WDW...with diapers! SAD NEWS 7/1 page 41

[jwwi]

Hi Dawn,
I'm the lady who you met at Goofy's. I thought I recognized you, but wasn't sure. I also thought my family would think I am nuts, so maybe I was weighing that in my mind. They know I read a lot about Disney, but I know they don't get the DISboards. Sorry to stare, that was rude. It was nice to meet you and Ray. Seth is so cute. It looks like he is enjoying his first Disney trip.
It has been fun reading your trip report. I am surprised I didn't see you earlier in the day. We had breakfast at Kona, yum Tonga Toast! Then went over to WL so that I could show my niece the resort, her husband loves hunting and anything outdoors like, so I think if they ever go to WDW they should stay at WL or WLV. Our last stop prior to going to the airport was DTD, Earl of Sandwich and Goofy's.
Merry Christmas

 

[VandyFan10]

Hi!

I'm here! Better late than never I guess.

When I got there to check in Erica was sitting in the lobby. Yay...so happy to see her!

I'm SO glad that we got to meet up on this trip and am excited to see you guys in a few days

Here's Will (who is 5 months older than Seth and is also a WL wishing fountain baby) and Seth at dinner....

Sweet boys!

Somebody woke up!

Will's face is hilarious!

Seth, me, Will and Erica...

And notice my child.....he doesn't want to take a picture, he just wants to EAT! But only his cheerios.....he wasn't to hip on the food that night. My child had just become a picky eater that week

 

[VandyFan10]

I got a shot of where the baby center is in case anyone is wondering....

LOVE me some baby centers!! They are SO awesome! I especially loved AK and DHS's private rooms for nursing mama's. SO nice

Seth loved looking at the fishies....

We completely skipped this in Oct. And now that I think about it I'm kind of mad....oh well gotta go back! Will LOVED the fishies too!! He really took a liking to the seahorses the very first time he went

Seth play with the markers he wasn't using with the lids on!)

So funny you said 'lids on' b/c Will just found a box of markers I had upstairs....he played with them forever, but I didn't dare take the lid off. That would open a whole 'nother can of worms!!

They took our tickets with them to get us FPs to TSM, but I forgot you can't get a FP from a ticket that hasn't entered the park yet. So not FPs for us.

We found this out too. Definitely understand.....we thought we were being slick!

Hi, Minnie!

SO cute! Seth better watch out though....I think Will would fight him for Minnie

I absolutely LOVED this breakfast! And it will be a must do next time!

I was soooooooo glad he didn't cry. I told Ray if he had cried with the characters, I probably would have cried too! But he didn't....he thought they were so cool! (Or at least I think he did.)

Trust me.....he did think they were cool!!

What an AWESOME family pic! LOVE IT!!

Not caught up yet....but I will be back! It's WAY past my bedtime

 

[happenin2you]

I'm glad that parent acknowledged his child's behavior. All too often they aren't even paying attention to what their kids are doing. I hope when the time comes I'm not one of those slacker parents... Glad Seth didn't have any pebbles in places they shouldn't be.

 

[VandyFan10]

Watch Anastasia in this one....she cracks me up!

I heard you talking about me!

Next up: Our plans for the night go out the window.....again.

Yep! You can prob see now why my last 'family' trip made me a little more nervous than the first 3....!

I wasn't very excited about following a schedule, although this last trip was prob the best Will did with it. But the trips before we had mostly breakfast, which worked well for him and then just picked a park and were winging it!

All caught up now! Looking forward to more

 

[punkin413]

So funny that you ran into another Disser ! Although there are enough of us.

Great update !

Thanks! It was nice of her to say hi.

Yummmmmm!

Glad you got to cross paths with a DIS pal. Maybe she will step up and say and refresh your memory. We all know people don't think straight when in Disney World. I have forgotten names, too.

She just did....it was jwwi! So glad she isn't mad at me for not remembering her name!

I absolutely LOVE Anna's expressions on Splash. The jumping one in front of the castle too.

Looks like Anna and Luke had a blast at MK and good advice on watching the fireworks from the Poly.

Great breakfast at Kona. I have done dinner but not breakfast- it is still on my list.

A nice no park relaxing day. I think I remember your DIS meet being mentioned way back. I hope she comes back to remind us.

Yes, Anna knows how to take a laughable picture. One of the reasons I love her is b/c she can be so goofy. I love Kona for both breakfast and dinner. I've never done lunch...maybe one day.

I had to laugh about Seth napping in the stroller! We have the same problem! I have NEVER gotten Everett to nap in a hotel room, but for some reason he'll go right to sleep in his stroller in the middle of the park, with all the noise and people and everything, and be out for 2+ hours. Sometimes you just have to shake you head at the crazy things they do!

It looks like you guys had a great day at DTD! I have never actually been inside Goofy's candy company, but your rice krispy treat looks yummy!

I'm also really sorry to hear about your experience in front of T-Rex! I hate when big kids ruin the fun of the little ones. I'm always watching Everett like a hawk to make sure he is playing nice with other kids, I hate it when parents just space out.

I know....very strange! I guess in the room there's too much of a temptation to play around in the floor or whatever. But in the stroller you're just sitting/laying there and being pushed around. Plus I'm sure sensory overload in the parks has a lot to do with it, as well. Goofy's is a favorite of ours...we always stop in there, usually more than once! Yeah, the incident at T-Rex was no fun. I think it just scared Seth more than anything. But it could have been way worse with those little pebbles flying around everywhere. And I'm glad the dad at least made the little boy apologize. If he hadn't have done something I probably would have ended up going over to his parents to make them aware of his behavior....not to tattle on him b/c I know he didn't mean it but just so they'd be aware that they need to pay closer attention to him.

I'm glad Seth enjoyed It's a Small World and hiding in the curtains. I love it when they stroller nap at Disney.

I love the Make Your Own Treats at Goofy's!

I hate it when older kids are thoughtless of little ones. At least the dad made the kid apologize, not that it really helps any at that point. So often though, parents of kids like that sit back and do nothing.

I was glad the dad said something, otherwise I might have had to say something to him! I know the little boy didn't mean to do it but it was still scary for Seth.

 

[punkin413]

Love Anna and Luke's "jumping for joy" photo in front of the castle...how appropriate and fun! And their Splash photos really capture how much fun that ride is! But my favorite is Luke's making his wish...he's concentrating so hard...just adorable.

Ah, Kona, how I love you! I only wish it had stayed a well-kept secret. It's always packed at breakfast, and the wait times just seem to get longer and longer. Not that the Tonga Toast isn't worth it, of course!

Seth is so cute in the Mickey hat with his big grin, and the boneyard photos are really good, too. I'm glad he survived the other little boy's enthusiasm for finding bones!

Luke is a very serious wisher! We eat at Kona at least once per trip. We love it. This trip we managed two trips there.

The bottom floor between pillars 4 and 5 were our rooms summer 2009.

I still haven't tried EOS.
Glad to see the parent made the boy apologize-some parents will just look at you like you did something wrong.

It's really good! That and WPE are my two favorite counter services at DTD.

Love this update since VWL is our favorite resort! Ty calls it the "train hotel" b/c of that train area

Glad you enjoyed! We couldn't have stayed there without you.

Been gone for a couple of days and finally all caught up You make me so hungry with your EOS pics and that darn Mickey Krispy treat thingy. Yum! The Hawaiian Sandwich looks good, but messy. Was it hard to eat? We have EOS planned for our DTD day. Trying to decide what to order at each place so we can have the $$. Not on the dining plan. And I had thought I had all my Kona choices picked out, then I saw your friend's Somoan. Yummmm!

Nope, no harder to eat than a burger or sandwich that has some sort of sauce on it. I had opened it up so you could see the toppings, so that probably made it more messy-looking. I always try to plan what I will order, too, but sometimes I change my mind....it's allowed!

Your pictures are just fantastic! I love Wilderness Lodge! I've never walked over to the Villas, is it hard to get reservations there when you're renting points past the 7 month mark? I like to wait until the last minute because the place I've been renting them from puts them on sale when they get close to expiring. Awesome deals, but the selection is definately limited!

Thanks! I think Tara already answered your questions about VWL. I think it's harder to get in December b/c WL is such a popular resort at that time. We didn't have a problem in October.

 

[punkin413]

Joined in your TR and all caught up! We're going to WDW with our DS (will be 14 months old at the time) so I'm enjoying reading your trip. Looking forward to seeing how the rest went!

Thanks for joining in! It's definitely so much different going with a baby/toddler. Just go at their pace and you'll be fine. Two tips: have lots of snacks on hand - it helps occupy their time in lines, etc. And also make yourself diaper kits in gallon ziploc bags. This saves you from having to dig in your diaper bag or taking your entire bag into the bathroom with you. I kept kits with a diaper, wipes (those little travel size packs - I bought like 10 of them and just rotated them every day), poopy diaper sacks and a disposable changing pad cover in the bottom of our stroller, so all I had to do was grab one and go.

Hi! I just found your trip report last night and just finished getting caught up! Seth is such a cutie pie!

Congrats on your first 5k! We are hoping to do it next year!

So sorry Kouzzina didn't work out. A friend of ours was a chef there at the end of 2010 and warned us that the place wasn't doing great so we haven't been.

A few days into your trip ours was ending and I about fell over laughing when you posted the pic of the ipad guy! We saw him in MK one day taking video of the carousel. We thought it was crazy!

Cape May Cafe is one of our favorite places for breakfast and dinner! The food is always good there!

Love the pics of WL I can't wait to stay there one day!

Tonga toast! I have never had it and we are planning on eating there in Sept. Your pic just makes me even more sure we have to get it next time!

Can't wait to read more!

Thanks! I was hoping we were just at Kouzzina on an off night, but maybe not. The iPad guy cracked my husband up! You can't go wrong with Tonga Toast - as long as you like bananas and lots of sugar!

Oops! I missed your first update, so I got to read two!!! Too bad Ray was disappointed with Casey's, but at least he got his Dole Whip. Seth looked so sweet on IASW. I just love to see babies filled with so much awe at times like that! I have to admit - I love it and I love it when we have a small child or a newbie with us so I get the chance to ride - otherwise I skip it because Jim hates it

Anna and Luke packed alot into their last day! Looks like Anna's run was so nice early in the morning - even the horses greeted her! Once again, Luke is a very serious wisher!

How nice you got to meet up with Mary Margaret! Looks like a wonderful breakfast! You got alot of great Lego shots. It's so fun how they change it all the time. Yummo - your sandwiches both look delish! Non-park days are so nice and relaxing. Too bad about the kids at the boneyard. Kids just get so excited sometimes, especially on vacation - they forget to think. Boys are especially energetic and have extreme tunnel vision! It was good of the parents to correct them, and good of you to understand.

I hope your secret DISer comes out to play!

Now THAT is a rice krispie treat!

I loved WATCHING Seth on IaSW. But I still don't like the ride!

Yes, Luke gets very serious about those wishes. I hope they work out for him!

I was glad the dad spoke up, too. Otherwise I probably would have said something to him, not to get the little boy in trouble but just to make sure his dad pays more attention. But luckily that didn't happen.

Hi!!!
How have I never read your trip reports!! Just read them all last night and I'm hooked!!!

Awww...thanks! And thanks so much for coming along!

Hi Dawn,

I know I'm late to this TR, but I've loved catching up so far! Seth is absolutely adorable. And it's fun that Anna and Luke were on this trip with you! We're going next December, and I've kept your Christmas trip bookmarked for future reference. Thanks for writing--I love your TRs!

No problem - better late than never. Feel free to ask any questions about your December trip. I'm happy to help!

Hi dawn!

I just got all caught up on your TR. I have to say that your trip thus far reminds me SO much of the trip I did with Claire when she was 10 months. I think we made it to only one of our ADRs and it was so difficult to get her to nap in the room. And we also had SO MUCH STUFF. Unbelievable when I think about it, really.

Looking at pics of Anna makes me feel like a lazy bum! Must work out more.

I know....SO MUCH STUFF! Those crazy babies just won't nap when we want them to, huh? Oh, and Anna is not human. That's my conclusion. No human is that motivated to exercise.

I'm so glad Anna and Luke had a great trip. They sure ended with a fun day/night!

It's fun to bum around DTD on a no-park day. So many things to see! Seth sure looks like he loves to dig!

I'm glad too. They needed it! I know....we gotta get Seth a sandbox!

 

[punkin413]

Hi Dawn,
I'm the lady who you met at Goofy's. I thought I recognized you, but wasn't sure. I also thought my family would think I am nuts, so maybe I was weighing that in my mind. They know I read a lot about Disney, but I know they don't get the DISboards. Sorry to stare, that was rude. It was nice to meet you and Ray. Seth is so cute. It looks like he is enjoying his first Disney trip.
It has been fun reading your trip report. I am surprised I didn't see you earlier in the day. We had breakfast at Kona, yum Tonga Toast! Then went over to WL so that I could show my niece the resort, her husband loves hunting and anything outdoors like, so I think if they ever go to WDW they should stay at WL or WLV. Our last stop prior to going to the airport was DTD, Earl of Sandwich and Goofy's.
Merry Christmas

THANK YOU SO MUCH for saying hello! I felt so bad that I forgot your disname. And no, you were absolutely not rude. Now, had you not said anything to me, yes, I would have thought you were staring at me. But once you said something all this-lady-is-rude thoughts went out of my head! And I'm so glad you said something - I love being pleasantly surprised by dismeets!

Hi!

I'm here! Better late than never I guess.

I'm SO glad that we got to meet up on this trip and am excited to see you guys in a few days

Sweet boys!

Will's face is hilarious!

And notice my child.....he doesn't want to take a picture, he just wants to EAT! But only his cheerios.....he wasn't to hip on the food that night. My child had just become a picky eater that week

I know...so glad our trips overlapped! And the best get-together is yet to come....Crystal Palace! Seth wasn't hip on anything that night! He was just spent from his first park day, and so was I!

LOVE me some baby centers!! They are SO awesome! I especially loved AK and DHS's private rooms for nursing mama's. SO nice

We completely skipped this in Oct. And now that I think about it I'm kind of mad....oh well gotta go back! Will LOVED the fishies too!! He really took a liking to the seahorses the very first time he went

So funny you said 'lids on' b/c Will just found a box of markers I had upstairs....he played with them forever, but I didn't dare take the lid off. That would open a whole 'nother can of worms!!

We found this out too. Definitely understand.....we thought we were being slick!

SO cute! Seth better watch out though....I think Will would fight him for Minnie

I absolutely LOVED this breakfast! And it will be a must do next time!

Trust me.....he did think they were cool!!

What an AWESOME family pic! LOVE IT!!

Not caught up yet....but I will be back! It's WAY past my bedtime

You always forget to do something...it's inevitable. Do you know what I am completely ASTOUNDED that we forgot this trip....the train at MK!!!! No, we didn't ride it. Not once. Can you believe that? Seth would have loved it!

I believe Santa is bringing some washable markers to Seth for Christmas. And some washable crayons. Yeah, good luck to me.

I'm glad that parent acknowledged his child's behavior. All too often they aren't even paying attention to what their kids are doing. I hope when the time comes I'm not one of those slacker parents... Glad Seth didn't have any pebbles in places they shouldn't be.

I agree. So glad I didn't have to say anything to the dad b/c I would have if he hadn't stepped up and made the little boy apologize.

I heard you talking about me!

Yep! You can prob see now why my last 'family' trip made me a little more nervous than the first 3....!

I wasn't very excited about following a schedule, although this last trip was prob the best Will did with it. But the trips before we had mostly breakfast, which worked well for him and then just picked a park and were winging it!

All caught up now! Looking forward to more

Yep....was saying that we saw Anastasia at 1900 Park Fare and she was hilarious. I wasn't even with my family (I mean other than Ray and Seth) and it was crazy for us too! Thanks for catching up....you're gonna make another cameo soon!

 

[Leger13]

Thanks for joining in! It's definitely so much different going with a baby/toddler. Just go at their pace and you'll be fine. Two tips: have lots of snacks on hand - it helps occupy their time in lines, etc. And also make yourself diaper kits in gallon ziploc bags. This saves you from having to dig in your diaper bag or taking your entire bag into the bathroom with you. I kept kits with a diaper, wipes (those little travel size packs - I bought like 10 of them and just rotated them every day), poopy diaper sacks and a disposable changing pad cover in the bottom of our stroller, so all I had to do was grab one and go.

Ok now that's just shy of brilliant! Thank you so much for the tips!

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Hi Dawn! Just dropping by to wish you and your boys a Merry Christmas!

 

[punkin413]

Ok now that's just shy of brilliant! Thank you so much for the tips!

I actually got that tip here on the disboards! So you can thank the people here.

Hi Dawn! Just dropping by to wish you and your boys a Merry Christmas!

You too, Tammie!

 

[punkin413]

I forgot to share this picture in the update before. It was one of Anna and Luke’s photopass pictures and I thought it was cute.

Continuing on with Day 4…..

After Downtown Disney we came back WL for some downtime. I can’t remember if Seth napped before or after we went swimming, but we took him down to the quiet pool for some fun in the pool.

Ready to get wet!

Daddy showing him the trains in the lobby on the way down….

I don’t think Ray even got in, just relaxed nearby while Seth and I played. It was nice. Very few people out there and they had these cool bubbling mini-geyser things in the pool, maybe 2 or 3 of them. Ray took some pictures but watch the video….it’s really cute.

Seth loves the water so he really enjoyed that.

After we got cleaned up (and maybe Seth took a nap here – can’t remember) we were pondering the rest of our evening. We had an ADR at Cape May, but we were itching for some more park time. It was about 5:15 by that point and we decided to head to Hollywood Studios just to see what the crowds were like, maybe ride a couple of things. So our plans, again, went out the window! I called and cancelled our Cape May ADR (next time!) and to the bus stop we went.

On the bus…..

While on the bus Seth decided he wanted to scratch the HECK outta his eye….it was so bad, on the inside corner…he somehow took a big chunk out of it and he was bleeding pretty bad. It looked awful! He wasn’t crying – didn’t even notice. But as soon as we got off the bus I had to dig out some wipes and clean him up. Poor guy!

We entered the park and I looked down to see this….

Again!

One of my favorite parks b/c it’s home to my favorite ride! It was about 6:15 when we got there and you can’t really tell but the crowds were non-existent.

Time for some Photopass pictures!

Poor Seth!

Continued in next post: http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=43509867&postcount=314

 

[punkin413]

Sweet boy…..

I love this one…..

We decided to take advantage of Seth sleeping and take turns on my favorite ride of all time, Tower of Terror.

Oh, how I’ve missed you!

Passing one of my favorite shows that we didn’t make it to this trip….

Best ride ever…

I told Ray to go ahead while I sat near the exit/gift shop area with Seth. Snapped this while I was waiting….

Seth didn’t make a peep and Ray was out in about 15 minutes….no wait! I think the standby line said 10 minutes but there was no wait at all.

My turn!!!!

My dream hotel…

And of course I took video with my phone. SO MUCH FUN!!! And yes, that's me screaming.



After that we decided to head towards Toy Story Mania to see what the wait was. It was about 7:00 by this point so we were hoping it would be shorter than normal. I think Fantasmic! was playing at 6:30 that night and again at 8:00.

Walt looks down on all he’s created….

A movie I didn’t expect much from but loved…

Almost there!

The standby line was 40 minutes, so we decided to find something to eat first, then head back after that to see if it was shorter. First we came across Studio Catering Company, and it was closed. I’d seen this place closed a lot, so no big surprise. So onward we went.

Hi, Streets of America! Wish I was there right now seeing the Osborne Lights!

We saw these guys while we were in search for food. The line for them was pretty long so we didn’t wait, especially since Seth has no idea who they are. But pretty cool that they’re there now!

Oh, Pizza Planet….yeah, we’ll go there. But as we came up to the doors, they were locked. I think they closed at either 6:30 or 7:00. So no pizza for us. Okay, where to next? Um….how about Backlot Express?

So we headed that way…passed by the Muppets on the way….

As we walked up to Backlot Express I saw no lights, no people. Yep, they were closed too. WHAT THE HECK??? Don’t people at Hollywood Studios eat after 7:00??? That was really annoying.

The only other place on this end of the park was ABC Commissary, but I had read bad things about it. But what choice did we have? Seth woke up shortly before we got there so I got his dinner ready while Ray ordered. We split the “Surf and Turf”, a hamburger with fried shrimp and fries.

I actually was pleasantly surprised! This was a decent burger and the shrimp was really good! Just goes to show you…don’t believe everything you read.

Continued in next post: http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=43509871&postcount=315

 

[punkin413]

After dinner we headed back to TSM. Snapped this on the way. I don’t like this ride but I love the outside of it!

It was now 7:45, 15 minutes before park closing, and the standby queue was still 40 minutes. But we decided we’d chance it and see what happened.

Hi, Mr. Potato Head!

My two boys…

Love this ride!

15 minutes later we were sporting our super cool 3-D glasses and on our way to do some shootin’!

I was blue and Ray and Seth were red. I won. And yes, I’m gloating that I won against my husband who was playing and controlling a 13-month-old at the same time. So????

You should have seen Seth’s face during the ride. He was completely confused and baffled but he loved it.

As we left the Pixar area we saw a talented CM “mopping” Disney style….

Another of her creations….

I love DHS at night! It’s almost as pretty as MK a night. Almost.

He was awake for this one!

Continued in next post: http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=43509880&postcount=316

 

[punkin413]

Go to page 21 for the beginning of this update....

One of my favorite movies as a kid….

It was about 8:20ish when we were heading towards the buses and we could see the end of Fantasmic!, the fireworks from the mountain. We adore this show and knew we wouldn’t get to see it this trip – there’s no way Seth would sit still long enough to get a seat. So that’s another thing for next time. But that’s okay – we have seen it many times and it will just make the next trip more special.

We went towards the stop where the bus had dropped us off but we couldn’t find the WL stop anywhere. I asked a CM nearby and she told us the stop was on the other end of the bus stops. I told her I was sure we were dropped off at this end and she said our bus driver should have told us that he was dropping us off at a stop that wasn’t ours, and given us the number of our stop. But I’m 99% sure he didn’t. Anyway, I asked her if the only way to get over to that stop was to walk all the way around – there was some fenced area and roped off area and I couldn’t really tell. She said, and I quote, “Well, I’m supposed to tell you that you have to walk all the way around for your safety. But I will also tell you that if you go around the end of that fence over there, you can cut across the parking lot where the buses pull up.” So we opted for the second option! Although pushing Seth across the road with 2 buses coming at us from opposite directions was a little scary. A little excitement to end our night!

Ray took some night pictures of WL when we got back.

The walkway from the bus stop….

The huge lobby…..

Outside….so pretty.

More of the train décor….

The lobby of the villas…

Up to the third floor, down our long hallway and to our room and to bed we went. We had a BIG day tomorrow!

By the way, I leave tomorrow for Nashville for Christmas. I want to wish you all a wonderful holiday! Hope you get to spend it with those you love and have a fun, relaxing weekend. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

[IluvXU]

Great update. It has been a long time since I have been at HS at night, so I loved seeing those pics. I am really also wanting another stay at the WL, we sure had a magical trip there! Have a wonderful Christmas and safe travels!

 

[MAGICFOR2]

What a wonderful night you had! Looks relaxing too. We always eat at ABC. I guess it was a convenient choice on our first trip, and it is easy to find. I love the cuban sandwich. I know it gets poor reviews, but it is different than just the usual burger and fries. It has some good breakfast choices, too!

 

[MeMom]

So many fun pictures! Love the videos, too. You had some fun on Tower of Terror, didn't you?

Hollywood Studios has a special 'vibe' at night with all its lights. It's been a few trips since we've watched Beauty and the Beast, so Jill and I were talking the other day about how we need to be sure to do it. Bella is at a good age now to really enjoy it. She says she wants a Belle birthday party, so she will probably love it.

 

[CandleontheWater]

I agree that there is something special about DHS at night. I'll admit, it is my least favorite park (although ToT is one of my favorite rides too!), but at night it just seems transformed! There is something special about those neon lights and uplight palm trees. Too bad it can't always be night time there!