444 Days w/o my Magical Place ... but we are finally headed back *LIVE* Trip Report

[Carterfam]

Well we don't officially leave for another 3 days, but I could not contain my excitement any longer.

IT'S TIME TO GET THIS PARTY STARTED​

To start, I should say this is my first live report. I have been to WDW many times. Too many times to count, lets just say in 2008 we went 4 times and did 1 Disney Cruise. It was also the same year, that we found out that we were going to be blessed with two bundles of joys, hence no trip in 2009, but 444 days later we are returning. It will be the first for the boys, who have had the privledge of two disney cruises already (highly recommended for family with infants).

I thought since the boys go to sleep every night at 8:30 PM. It would give me the opportunity to journal, and give you a report of our day.

So without further a do, let me introduce your tour guides:

DH(25)Aaron: My best friend since I could crawl. We have spent many summers when we were young at WDW. He asked me out on our 1st date on the 50ft. drop of Splash Mountain. How could I say no? He is one of the hardest working men I know and I am glad we can finally take another family trip together to our magical place.

DS(9mths) Ryder: The eldest by 3 minutes. He is my non-fearful child, crawling into and around everything (yesterday he got stuck under the coffee table). He has more energy then a leopard running somedays. He keeps this mommy on her toes.

DS (9mths) Kyran: The youngest by 3-minutes. He definately takes the lead from his older brother. Does not like to be the first to try things. He is our lay-back child, not to say he does have as much energy as his brother.

Me(25)Ayden: Your journalist / writer of this wonderful trip. I fell in love with Disney on our first trip 20 yrs. ago. and yearn to go every year. I love being a SAHM, but it has come with a lot of sacrifices, living so far away from our families, DH working long hours. I am excited and nervous about this first trip with the boys (even if they don't remember it), I am glad we are going back.

So sit back, relax and enjoy.

Table of Contents:
Hotel / Shopping
Intinerary
Hoping for a Better Tomorrow (Day 1)
0.5 Attractions (Day 2)
Off to the Races (Day 3)
What the Future Might Hold (Day 4)
Fabulous Content Kind of Day (Day 5)
Wishing for more time... (Day 6)
Take Me Out to the Ball Park! (Day 7)
Always the Hardest Day (Day 8)

 

[reyasmommy]

Woo-Hoo!! Another live trip report!

I'm also doing a LIVE report and we'll be there at the same time. It'll be fun to write mine and read yours eveyday! FUN!

Have a great time with your adorable little boys!

 

[tinkgirl26]

Look forward to hearing about your trip...your kids are adorable!!

 

[lynn71092]

Subbing!!

 

[minnieandfamily]

Looking forward to reading your live report! We are gearing up for our own Disney trip too!
By the way, your family is beautiful! We also have twin baby boys - they are almost 14 months old. So, I'll be very interested to hear about your adventures .... and any tips you can share along the way!
Have a great time!

 

[Carterfam]

Woo-Hoo!! Another live trip report!

I'm also doing a LIVE report and we'll be there at the same time. It'll be fun to write mine and read yours eveyday! FUN!

Have a great time with your adorable little boys!

That is so cool! I've never done one before, but I thought it would be a cool way to journal our events each day, instead of doing it all when we get home. I will probably add the pictures those when I get home, don't want to spend every moment on the computer.

Have an awesome trip also, can't wait to hear about your adventures also

Look forward to hearing about your trip...your kids are adorable!!

Thank you !! I hope you enjoy

Subbing!!

Enjoy!

Looking forward to reading your live report! We are gearing up for our own Disney trip too!
By the way, your family is beautiful! We also have twin baby boys - they are almost 14 months old. So, I'll be very interested to hear about your adventures .... and any tips you can share along the way!
Have a great time!

Thank you! I am nervous and excited to be taking the boys. We have done two disney cruises with them already, but I know this is going to be a totally new experience. I would love to share any tips I have with you, or if you have any questions I would be happy to answer them.

Have fun on your Disney trip, and would love to hear about it. If this one goes well we are hoping to do another in the fall, so my boys would be about the same age.

 

[Carterfam]

HOTEL: Boardwalk Villa​

As DVC members, we decided to use our points toward s Boardwalk Villa Studio. At first we were a little concerned about the size, especially having two babies in toy, meaning that we would need room to have two pack n' plays for sleeping, plus to have room to move around. Well with lots of himming and hawwing this is how I think we are going to make it work.

Right by the balcony doors, there is a table. It will be removed from the room, and we will put one pack n' play against the balcony door wall, and turn the other one so it is against the TV wall. We are bringing two extra sheets, to place over the cribs to let the boys fall asleep, because they are not use to being in such close proximity, we will take them off when they fall asleep.

There were many reasons why I wanted to stay in this hotel:

We are renting a car, due to having young ones in tow, but we are in walking distance from Epcot and Hollywood Studios. It also has many food options and entertainment withing walking distance, just in case are plans go haywire.

We also have a room overlooking the boardwalk, which is great for watching Illuminations fireworks, since we will miss many of the evening shows, unless the boys are in a very good mood.

I've only heard good reviews.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, today I went and did some of our last minute shopping for all the stuff I forgot to put on the 1st list. Well I found some very cute converse for the boys, to cruise around WDW in. I thought I would share :

Aren't they adorable???

 

[Carterfam]

"

"Okay Mom, We are Ready To Go"​

In little more then 12 hours... we will be in the most magical place of all.

I thought I would give you a little run-down of all our events for the next 8-days:

March 4th: Arrival Day
Depart plane: 10:00 AM
Wal-mart
Arrival at WDW around 12:00 PM
Lunch Boardwalk
Dinner: Chef Mickey
Magic Kingdom

March 5th: Animal Kingdom
Expedition Everest
Festival of the Lion King
Lunch: Flame Tree Barbeque
Affection Station
Dinner: Tusker House

March 6th: Magic Kingdom
7 AM: Princess Royal Family 5K (Stroller Division)
Meet & Greet Breakfast
Afternoon Parade / Fantasyland
Dinner: The Wave

March 7th: Epcot
Lunch: Sunshine Seasons
Soarin’ / Land Pavilion
Dinner: Crystal Palace
Spectromagic

March 8th: Magic Kingdom
Toontown
Lunch: Peco Bill’s
Fantasyland
Dinner: San Angel Inn
Mexican Pavilion

March 9th: MGM-Studios
Toy Story Mania
Lunch: Backlot Express
Rockin ‘n’ Roller Coaster
Dinner: Big River Grille & Brewing Works
Morrocco & Japan Pavilion
Meeting Sister-in-law at the France Pavilion

March 10th: Magic Kingdom / Baseball Game
Fantasyland
Lunch: Pinocchio’s Village Haus
Adventureland
Baseball Game
Dinner: Mama Melrose’s (Fantasmic Package)

March 11th: Epcot / Departure Day
Spaceship Earth
Lunch: Sunshine Seasons​

Day 1 of our Trip Starts Tomorrow

 

[cmp1111]

Aw, they're adorable. My twin boys are almost 8 now... Can't wait for the live report!

 

[happybratpack]

Your kiddos are dolls, can't wait to follow along!

 

[Carterfam]

Aw, they're adorable. My twin boys are almost 8 now... Can't wait for the live report!

Thank you, Thank you!

Your kiddos are dolls, can't wait to follow along!

Thank you!

 

[Carterfam]

December 2008, would have been the last time DH and I step foot into the fabulous Walt Disney World Resort, celebrating our pregnancy, who be known at the time it would be twins, and we would miss a whole entire of this magical place, but we were finally headed back. We had come close twice before heading on a Disney Cruise with the boys, but DH convincing me the boys were too young we quickly returned home shortly after the trip.

Before I even begin, I should note that I like to write, so I will probably give you more detail then you care to know, so I apologize now. You should also note that I am a Type A planner, and our babies have been on a "schedule" since the day they were born, especially with our chaoric life style. The boys have travelled a lot, already in their short lives, without a lot of castrophies, so I think we are ready to take on WDW.

On this trip, I have "planned" to come back to the room for one chunck of time each day. It is completely unrealistic to plan to come back for all of our scheduled "nap times", but I also refuse to be that family in the park that has pushed their boundaries day after day. It just won't work like that for us, and I know it!

Still, planning our first trip that includes children proved to be a bit hard, and it didn't really get much easier until a few weeks before we left. They grow and change so much in a short amount of time, their schedule has changed so much since are last trip, it is amazing when I look back on it.

Well.... Here it goes.....

This morning I set our alarm to go off at 4 AM, if this was any other given day I would probably hit the snooze button 3 or 4 times, but this was our departure day, and I obviously was not going back to sleep. I woke up DH and we started getting ready to head out. We were finally getting back to WDW!

Around 4:30 AM, we got the boys up. We changed diapers and got them loaded in the car, hoping they would go back to sleep, but they were wide awake. Was it possible they knew where we were headed and too excited to sleep at 9 months old?!

I'm not sure, but the fact remains that they babbled, laughed and played the entire way to LAX. This would become an issue later...

Arrival at LAX: Ryder

Arrival at LAX: Kyran​

When we got to LAX, DH dropped me, the boys and all our stuff off while he parked the car.

At about 5:45 am, the boys continued to be wide awake and flirting with everyone passed by while waiting at the airport. (A skill they learned from their extrovert father).

It was not until this point, I realized how much luggage we had (4 suitcases, plus the car seats), trying to lug all of it from point A to B to C and all the other places they make you take it. I felt like I needed another 1000 arms! The car seat bags were a lifesaver for checking in the boys car seats, even those they were awkward to carry. I should say, we used to be very efficient travelers until we had kids.

We had no issues going through security, we were actually treated very well, and put through very efficiently (just a quick "pat down") everyone was so friendly, loved the boys to bit (probably helped) and we were through in no additional time at all.

The boys ate breakfast while waiting for the plane and sat and played for a while. The would be due for a nap soon, while we are on the plane, which should have been perfect!

Should have, is the key there, except they didn't nap, why would they? They were fine on the plane in that being on the plane did not bother them, but the lack of sleep was certainly evident as they tried to squirm out of our arms repeatedly, laughed and squealed deliriously, and fussed just a little. It could have been worse. They didn't scream or really cry... they just didn't sleep (there goes mommy's plan). Kyran slept about 20 minutes and Ryder about an hour (in chunks), bear this in mind as you keep a running total of sleep since 4:30am...

We got to MCO about 25 minutes ahead of schedule (love company plane rides). We had to wait about 10 minutes for another plane to leave, but we had arrived.

Still we were at MCO, ready to run a few errands and then FINALLY be Home!

I waited for the luggage and fed the boys while DH went to get the car. I stuffed them silly so that they'd be ready for a good, long nap. It was just their mama that was starving now!

DH returned with the smallest "mid-size" car we have rented. We almost did not fit our luggage and the car seats in... not cool at all! The boys couldn't see a thing except seat backs and door, but it got us to our destination, so I really should not complain.

Smallest Car Ever!​

We sat for ages at a toll booth that had only 1 lane open, ran into the most crazy, crowded Wal-Mart I have ever seen. I was finally REALLY excited. Ryder and Kyran were both asleep, that I had not been that excited at all on the plane, because I have been consumed with trying to get them to sleep.

Finally, FINALLY, at about noon, as the boys were fast asleep, we made our first trip through the gate of Walt Disney resort as a family.

Sleeping as we entered through the gate of Walt Disney World: Ryder

Sleeping as we entered through the gate of Walt Disney World: Kyran​

We got to the Boardwalk Inn/Villas just after noon and attempted to check in. Our room wasn't ready. I know that with every hotel it is never a guarantee to check in early, but NEVER in my life have I really had to wait for a room. Sometimes a room with a particular request isn't ready when we arrive early, but we usually just forgo the request in favor of a place we can actually set foot into. Well, the Boardwalk was completely full, and they could not get us into a room. In my planning process, I never even thought of the possibility that we could not get into a room. Our stroller rental was not there yet, I had given our entire luggage to the bell staff when our car was parked. I seriously had NOTHING on me! I stopped at the Bell Staff counter to ask if there was any way to bother them for our luggage so that I could at least have the baby carriers, credit card, etc. Well they wonderfully understood and let me go back to their storage room to "our" self and get whatever we needed. They also found us two strollers, the ones they sell not rent at the parks, and entertained the boys as we tried to reevaluate our plans. The strollers did not recline (there goes nap-time), but they were better than nothing, and an extraordinary gesture that you wouldn't find at any downtown hotel on another vacation!

We headed for the boardwalk to find some lunch. We were all very tired and hot, and getting harassed by dozen of seagulls because a family near us was feeding them. Every person that walked by on the Boardwalk had to duck and dodge and fasp as a gull swooped past them. Not a good lunch, since I am terrified by birds.

Beach Club​

Boardwalk​

Boardwalk with a funky sky​

Yacht Club and Friendship Boat​

Yacht Club and Friendship Again!​

If you are keeping track, the boys have had between 50 and 70 minutes of sleep since 4:30 AM, not well for 9 month olds. They were CRABBY. We called at about 2 (already killing an hour and half) and the room was still not ready. Unsure of what else to do, we headed to Epcot (in our travel clothes) to get our annual passes (Epcot is just a short walk from the Boardwalk!)

Since the room was STILL not ready, we headed into the World Showcase. We strolled through the garden in the UK, sat there for a little while. The crowds were totally unexpected!

Epcot Crowds​

Seagulls - Wonderful memories​

Seagull - look at that evil eye!

Italy Pavilion

Japan Pavilion​

Mexico Pavilion​

Epcot Flowers​

A Closer look at the Epcot Flowers​

By this point, I was fastly approaching a breaking point. I was doing pretty considered the total mess in which our plans had been thrown into, but I was not doing so well with the boys. I know they were tired, hot, a combination of both, but they were acting like MONSTERS. They screamed bloody murder whenever we stopped. When we laid them down to change diapers or put them back into their strollers they screamed louder. They were both being rotten, if they were not getting their way. I can understand and handle that it has been a long day, but everything we tried, it just kept getting worse.

We finally headed to the baby care center. It was air-conditioned, quieter, and in hopes that it would calm the boys down. If nothing else, we could cool off and PUT them down, just for a while. This was the key, and we were thrilled to learn this fairly quickly.

It was then that I realized that this might be the worst age to take the boys to WDW. At home, they have this new sense of freedowm, there crawling, working on standing, while we just took them to a place they could not exercise that. Our short time at the baby care center quickly demonstrated that - even when they were BEYOND tired and the quickest fix would have been some sleep, we could buy some time just simply letting time get down and explore. Poor Kyran was hit (fairly hard) in the head with a dump truck, but he was still the happiest he had been the entire day.

Finally at 3:30 our room was ready, and we headed back to gather our luggage, very quickly before dinner.

The View from our Room!​

Panorama View​

If you are anything like me, you might be thinking I'm a terrible parent for even considering keeping our Chef Mickey's reservation after the boys had such little sleep. Trust me; I went through all of that. I actually had to convince myself to keep it, but I'm glad I did. Reasoning, the timing was just all wrong, by the time we got back to the room, it was too late for a "real" nap if we wanted to get the boys back to "normal" schedule. We left as quickly as we could (no unpacking or showers), so the boys could catch a catnap in their car seats by driving arounf in circles throughout the World. I dobted myself every step of the way, but it turned out to be the right move. The boys were still crabby, but we were refreshed after hanging out in the room for a few minutes. we were optimistic that things would settle down a bit.

By this point, probably due to lack of sleep and lack of good food, I felt no magic. We saw the Castle on our way in, and I still felt nothing. I was so sad that my boys had been having the most miserable day of their young lives in what was supposed to be our Happy Place. I started to question this trip, we in the past have had excellent trips, no major issues, especially our 4 day car trip to Nashville, I started questioning everything, which is so unlike me. I have been a pretty confident mom since the time the boys have been born, I’m pretty level-headed, go with the flow kind of girl, but this evening I was questioning everything, how the boys would handle the characters, would they scare them, I made up for first-time mom jitters in one night, I assure you.

But it was time to perk up and introduce the boys to my friend Mickey and his pals!

We got our picture taken as is customary before a meal at Chef Mickey’s, and it was hilarious. The boys were fascinated by the monorail whizzing by (through the lobby of the hotel!) and the commotion otherwise occurring around us, so I don’t have to tell you we didn’t buy any of the (mostly over-priced) pictures!

After all the anticipation, all the questions of whether the boys (Kyran especially) would be able to “handle” the characters…. They honestly couldn’t have even cared less that they existed! They were so excited by the plethora of finger foods in front of them, something they have been working on at home, that the characters would literally jump up and down and tap on the boys’ heads and shoulders to get their attention, and they barely got any interaction out of them. The corn, macaroni and cheese, noodles, muffins, chicken, etc. was just INFINITELY more exciting!

Eventually they paid a bit of attention, but it was incredibly anti-climatic! Kyran was a bit hesitant at times, but did much better than we thought considering my one crazy-flirtatious social butterfly has developed a pretty significant bout of stranger anxiety. Perhaps the next time they meet Mickey & friends will be a bit more entertaining….

After dinner, since the boys were doing well and we wanted to try to keep them up until bedtime (you know, if it wasn’t going to be too traumatic), we took the monorail over to the Magic Kingdom. BIG mistake. The crowds were, again, unbelievable. This should have been a slow time! W could hardly get through anywhere, a fact which was made infinitely worse by the spectacle that twins always are (seriously, you’d think they were uncommon) and then compounded by the side-by-side stroller and matching outfits. Don’t get me wrong, I think my boys are the cutest on the planet (as any mama should!)… But I’d still like to go about my merry way and don’t appreciate you stopping to stare while I’m trying to get to my castle and my first Dole Whip Pineapple Float in entirely too many months!

The Dole Whip was outstanding of course, but otherwise the night was a total disaster. We headed back to the room as quickly as we could, let the boys play for a while, then put them to bed. The meltdowns began at about 8:15pm and lasted several hours. The boys were honestly freaking out to the point that Ryder almost required breathing treatment. You can’t have an anxiety attack at 9 months old. The sleep totals for the day (from 4:30am – 10:30pm) totaled right around 2 hours each, so I’m sure that was a major factor plus the fact that they were in completely unfamiliar surroundings (I think they are more aware of it now, then before). We consoled them the best we could until they were just completely wiped out.

We obviously did not watch Illuminations (the Epcot fireworks) from our balcony. We didn’t unpack. We didn’t hang out, we didn’t talk, we didn’t figure out our plans for the next day. Aaron is sleeping, and I bawl my eyes out as I write this and try to figure out a plan just in case we do have to cut our trip short, as in 7 day short. Aaron, who is the most even-keeled person I know, was just about to freak out. If I could have videotaped the chaos that was in our room tonight, you could use it as a torture device somewhere. We are all so tired, that I am going absolutely bonkers. In the midst of it, I pray to God that it isn’t a late night and we do not have too many complaints from the neighbors. Still my happy place had not made me the least bit happy, and this was even after having VERY low expectation for this trip. (I swear!)

Thank you for reading; this has made me feel better already writing this out. I will let you know the outcome of our trip tomorrow, one way or the other. Good night everyone

 

[minnieandfamily]

Oh no! This is not the first post of your trip that I was expecting to read! I'm so sorry to hear that your first day was not as you had hoped. I'm sure it will turn around though. A day of traveling plus lack of sleep, not being able to keep to the boys' usual schedule, and a whole new, stimulating environment makes for a tough day. I hope today is so much better and you find the "magic" again! Everyone will hopefully have had a good night's sleep and be more relaxed. You will be able to get settled in and get back to your usual schedule/routine (or as much as you can!).

Also, don't be so hard on yourself! Going ANYwhere with 9 month old twins is a challenge and plus you and your husband are tired and stressed out too!! However, I think you've got the right mindset - go in with a plan but be willing to be flexible and change those plans to keep the boys as happy as can be! Even though your first day was tough, it was a travel day and a day of adjustment to their new surroundings - it WILL get better! Hang in there! Looking forward to reading your next post!!!

 

[happybratpack]

First off, you're soo much braver than I to tackle WDW with two 9 month olds! I'm hoping the trip gets better and things settle down some for you guys.

 

[tink1957]

I'm sorry your first day was such a disappointment. It will get better once your boys(who are adorable, by the way) get adjusted to their new surroundings and you all get some much needed rest. Travel days are always exhausting and with as little sleep as you all got, it's no wonder things got crazy.

Here's some for a wonderful time during the rest of your stay.

 

[cmp1111]

Oh, I'm so sorry. We drove to Illinois a lot when the kids were little, and yeah, you're right. It was actually easier at 6 months than at 14, because at 6 months they were still content to be strapped in one place. By the time they want to move, things get harder.

But, hey, you had a nice character meal and you got some nice bell service magic.

I hope it will look better after some good sleep. You've got some good DIS pixie dust behind you! Good luck!

 

[Disneylvr]

I am keeping my fingers crossed that the boys have settled in and you are now enjoying your trip. We took DD on her first trip to WDW at the age of 14 months and she did pretty well up until the end when she got a stomach virus.

 

[OhioDisneyLover]

I'm so sorry to hear about your first day disappointments. I hope that things get better and am looking forward to hearing about a positive turn around to your trip.

 

[Carterfam]

Oh no! This is not the first post of your trip that I was expecting to read! I'm so sorry to hear that your first day was not as you had hoped. I'm sure it will turn around though. A day of traveling plus lack of sleep, not being able to keep to the boys' usual schedule, and a whole new, stimulating environment makes for a tough day. I hope today is so much better and you find the "magic" again! Everyone will hopefully have had a good night's sleep and be more relaxed. You will be able to get settled in and get back to your usual schedule/routine (or as much as you can!).

Also, don't be so hard on yourself! Going ANYwhere with 9 month old twins is a challenge and plus you and your husband are tired and stressed out too!! However, I think you've got the right mindset - go in with a plan but be willing to be flexible and change those plans to keep the boys as happy as can be! Even though your first day was tough, it was a travel day and a day of adjustment to their new surroundings - it WILL get better! Hang in there! Looking forward to reading your next post!!!

THANK YOU FOR THE WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT! Sometimes I think I am to much of a schedule person, and maybe that is why we have never had an experience like this before. It will definately go down in history, of their first experience at WDW.

First off, you're soo much braver than I to tackle WDW with two 9 month olds! I'm hoping the trip gets better and things settle down some for you guys.

THANK YOU! It has something we have been waiting for since we were married, to take our kids to WDW, I think we just waited too long. They definately have settled down, and we are definately having a vacation now!

I'm sorry your first day was such a disappointment. It will get better once your boys(who are adorable, by the way) get adjusted to their new surroundings and you all get some much needed rest. Travel days are always exhausting and with as little sleep as you all got, it's no wonder things got crazy.

Here's some for a wonderful time during the rest of your stay.

Thank you for the pixiedust, I guess we were just a little under prepared for the day, which is so unlike this mommy. I think our next vacation we will bring our own stroller, even those it is very awkward, it would have helped a little bit. The boys have settled down now, and we are officially enjoying our vacation!

Oh, I'm so sorry. We drove to Illinois a lot when the kids were little, and yeah, you're right. It was actually easier at 6 months than at 14, because at 6 months they were still content to be strapped in one place. By the time they want to move, things get harder.

But, hey, you had a nice character meal and you got some nice bell service magic.

I hope it will look better after some good sleep. You've got some good DIS pixie dust behind you! Good luck!

When we were originally planning our first trip we thought this would be the perfect age, they are up for longer periods, they can start eating finger foods, etc. I forgot all about mobility issues, that we might have. 6 months would have been a lot easier, our 2nd cruise was at that time, and we had no real issues, it just that it was right around Christmas, and being their first, we wanted that magic at home.

The bell service was amazing, and I know they were trying their best, and they were awesome with the boys, when they did not really have to be (gotta love disney for that), and reading back on this day this morning, I kind of laugh because Day 2, is the total opposite... coming up soon.

Thank you!

I am keeping my fingers crossed that the boys have settled in and you are now enjoying your trip. We took DD on her first trip to WDW at the age of 14 months and she did pretty well up until the end when she got a stomach virus.

Thank you, for the luck. We are hoping to go at least one more time this year, after their 1st birthday sometime, so maybe that age will be easier. Sorry to hear about your DD, I hope it did not ruin to much of the magic for you.

I'm so sorry to hear about your first day disappointments. I hope that things get better and am looking forward to hearing about a positive turn around to your trip.

Day 2... coming up next. Things are starting to get better, and Thank you for reading!

 

[Carterfam]

The night did not proceed to get any better, there were two more GIANT meltdowns, one from each boy, which left me with very little sleep and very frustrated, and DH not better off.

By 5 AM both boys were up again, but instead of crying and screaming they decided to stand and bounce and reach for one another like wild children. While, by now my nerves and frustration had settled down, but I did not want a repeat of yesterday, so I hopped out of bed, and put the sheets over the pack n plays so they would settled down and go back to sleep. (Of course I did not leave these on while they slept, but it really helped to settle them down).

Example of the Sheets we placed over the crib​

I hopped in the shower, shortly after, and vowed to myself this is a new day, and it is time to move forward with this vacation. The boys woke up again around 6:30 AM, and I told them the same thing, as I gave them each a bottle and we had some play time on the floor. We were all actually smiling, so I knew today was going to be much better.

DH woke up about 7 AM and made the trek to refill our mugs. Just as we were about to leave the boys started getting fussy. We had a park to see but I was not going to argue with two grumpy boys (read Day 1 if you want to know why), so nap time it was. They ended up napping for another whole hour, till about 9:15 AM, so we were already making vast improvements already in the sleep department.

Finally, we were on our way to the Animal Kingdom!


We got there just in time to snag the last AAA Diamond Parking Spot (that we could seen anyway), which was fabulous. We set up the stroller (fighting the boys, of course) and headed in! Our first stop was to get a fastpass for Expedition Everest, because it was the one grown-up thing we wanted to ride here. It was then almost time for the boys lunch, so we headed to the Flame Tree BBQ to order our own and start them with theirs. I know for a fact that most of the counter service restaurants in the parks used to open at 10:30am, because we ALWAYS used to eat then (then being 2008). We usually don't eat breakfast, so waiting to have lunch around this time is not really a stretch for us and then we beat the lunch crowds. Blame it on a recession or whatever you’d like, but none of them do anymore. Flame Tree opened at 11, but several of them didn’t even open until 11:30! It was about 10:40 at that point anyway, so we just headed to the seating area (one of our favorite places to chill in the AK) and fed the Ryder and Kyran first while we waited for the restaurant to open.

Let me correct myself. This USED to be one of our favorite places to chill in the AK. I never minded the birds that would hang out nearby, but there were horrible problems with the, this time. Ducks literally nipped at DH’s feet.

Lunch was delicious as usual. DH surprised me with a Celebration Cake, which made my day.

Celebration Cake​

After lunch, we headed back to EE. The ride is always a decent one, and you can’t argue with using a fastpass. While each of us rode, the boys napped in the stroller in the shade, right outside the exit. When he finished, we thought it was probably time to head to the Expo (for the Princess ½ and Family 5K) and back to the hotel room for a bit. Since the boys were still sleeping, we walked the Discovery Island trails a bit so as not to wake them when transferring them to the car. We were learning!

Everest and Shrine

Pretty Everest

Everest

Everest

Birds Sunning Wings​

After just a quick little nap (15 minutes or so), we were on our way to the Wide World of Sports to pick up our race packet.

I must say, they did the Expo right with the Princess Event. I’m not sure if it’s just the face that the theme lent itself to better merchandising or if it was the fact that it was a much smaller enrollment, but the packet pick-up was much more enjoyable, even with two tired boys in tow. It was much more organized, much easier to get through (as in physically getting around), and the stuff was SO cute! Had we been running in a timed race that we had trained for, I would have been all over so much of it!

After the incredibly long walk back to our car (what with Braves spring training and the same time that afternoon), we headed back to the room to let the boys play and nap. Kyran only slept about 30 minutes and was rarin’ to go again, but Ryder slept over an hour. These days, that’s a decent nap at home!

As Ryder and Kyran were taking their afternoon bottles and I was enjoying a soda with the balcony doors open, I couldn’t help but notice the day had already been so much nicer! The babies were still a little confused, every time we disappeared around a corner or put them on the floor ( bed, couches and cribs were fine), but overall it at least felt like everything was moving in the right direction!

We headed back to the Animal Kingdom at about 4 for our dinner reservation. Odd how nobody at all is entering then! We missed Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade by a few minutes, but we knew the naps were infinitely more important, however short! We were a bit early for our Tusker House reservation so we kept walking to see what the line for Kilimanjaro Safaris looked like. The stand-by sign said 20 minutes, but I ventured a guess that it was incorrect. The park was totally clearing out, and I assumed they might have just not updated it toward the end of the day. I was right! We literally walked on to what was almost our own vehicle at about 4:30pm. The animal viewing was decent, and the boys seemed to enjoy actually being able to ride something!

Safari

Safari

Safari

Safari

Safari​

While we were averaging o.5 attraction per day, but who cares we thought, we were enjoying ourselves and actually calling it a vacation!

We signed in for our ADR at Tusker House a few minutes early, while Kyran hung out with his new buddy, a cast member. I was shocked at how quickly he reached out for him, given his usual stranger anxiety!

The staff outside was remarkable, and our server was even better! The food was excellent and the boys enjoyed a lot of new things as well. I hadn’t intentionally booked multiple buffets in a row, but it ended up being perfect for babies of this particular age!

It was an absolutely gorgeous evening with a slight breeze, the boys were very playful, and I was the happiest walking through there that I had been the whole trip.

Empty Animal Kingdom Bridge

Tree of Life in Shadows

Everest at SunSet

Tree of Life and Everest​

We decided to make a quick trip to Downtown Disney that evening. I love spending time (and money!) there anyway. I got a new classic Mickey pendent for myself, 2010 DVC pin, and a couple of toy sets and stuff animals for the boys. DTD was hopping tonight, all the parking lots were full, not a surprised that since it was a gorgeous night. We watched a CM teach the Hoedown Throwdown to a bunch of kids, while we fed the boys. We did not stay long, we were back in our room by 7:45 PM.

The boys played for a little while and went down to sleep like saints. You can bet we were knocking on wood until our hands were sore, but they did!

While they were sleeping, DH and I settled into the room but more or less and got things ready for the early race morning to follow.

At 9 PM, we heard the fireworks for Illuminations go off, we thought about enjoying them on the balcony, we were tired those, and had an early morning tomorrow, so we hoped we could enjoy it another day. This trip was shaping up to be a different kind of trip we had ever taken, but not really a different one than I was expecting…. 0.5 attraction per day average and all!