~ A 21 month old, a celebrity sighting, & a whole lotta food~2 week trip~ 2/28 update

[SleepingBeautyOH]

Been on vacation, finally caught up. I hope all ends up with your family situation. It sounds like everyone is entering this transition with an open mind, which is a good thing.
Great update! I'm glad Dylan had such a good time (you never know how kids are going to react to the attractions). I love all the pictures, and I'm happy that you are getting some family pictures too! The Country Bears are adorable, and so was Dylan's reaction to them. Can't wait for the next update to see what Dylan thinks of the rest of the park!

 

[sharonW]

Dylan seems to be doing so well on the trip for his age! You never know how it may go when they are little! The falling asleep in route will usually mess up the "real" nap and at that you will have a cranky kiddo esp when you have nightime plans.
So, overall which do you like better, Disneyland or WDW???

 

[cjackearl]

Your family situation sounds like an episode of Brothers and Sisters! I'm glad everyone is adjusting. It does seem like it could be exciting, if everyone is open.

I love the picture of you and Dylan in the ferry, and the "reprimand" pictures. So cute!!

We've not ever ridden on the carpets. Not sure why not. Maybe lines? Anyway, its great you can all ride together.

Aw, how fun that Dylan loved the Country Bears and you got to experience his joy.

 

[wdwgirl03]

Another great update! It looks like you were having so much fun with Dylan.

I definitely agree about the Disneyland version of Pirates being better for those same reasons.

 

[aaaateamsgrandma]

What a fun update. It appears Dylan had a wonderful day. Sorry you missed your nap. Those can be so important for Moms.

On your "new" family note. I so hope that works for your mother and the rest of your family. I always feel one can never have enough. The best of the best to you all.

Ginny

 

[LilAnn]

What a great update! I've never done the bear Jamboree, but might have to try that this time around with DH since Dylan loved it so much! You have gotten some great pictures over your vacation!

 

[eecteacher82]

I just found your TR last night and I read some last night and the rest today, and I love it!!! We took our DD to WDW last Feb when she was 15 months, and our big trip is next month, so we are excited to see the difference between 15mo and 22mo! Keep up the awesome job, and I cannot wait to read more!

 

[happymommy]

I totally understand about packing your bag for a day at the parks! When my kids were little, we had a backpack with all the stuff you mentioned, plus a gallon ziploc bag with a change of shorts/tee shirt/socks/underwear. Funny, we never needed the clean outfit, but you bet we would have if we hadn't brought it!

I found at Disney my kids napped well in the stroller some days, and we'd find a shady spot and cool off with a coke (or beer) while they napped. The fresh air wears them out. My son would have done what Dylan did - woke up right when you put him down sleeping. Ugh, that is frustrating when you need a little rest! Hope you at least got some rest in the a/c.

I really think your condo looks very nice, don't know if I mentioned that before. Was it a timeshare trade? I thought you said it was.

 

[LOVEMY3KIDDOS]

The Jungle Cruise!! We have not gone on that in our past few trips!! I am going to make it a point when we go in December!! Don't you just love it when they fall asleep in the car and are recharged in that short amount of time!!??

 

[mickeystoontown]

Whew! I've been gone to Disney and missed several updates. I was way back on page 15. All caught up again though and looking forward to reading more.

 

[Sunset Cliffs]

Ohhh the Jungle Cruise captains! One time I had one who just stood there and mumbled the jokes right after one another and didn't even stop before saying the punchline. It was HILARIOUS because he just seemed bored and knew everyone had probably heard the jokes before. I don't know if he was doing it on purpose or if he hated his job, but it was funny!

Looks like Dylan had a great morning in MK!

That IS funny. I wonder if that was his "thing", you know. Be the boring guy. I would have been cracking up too.

Been on vacation, finally caught up. I hope all ends up with your family situation. It sounds like everyone is entering this transition with an open mind, which is a good thing.
Great update! I'm glad Dylan had such a good time (you never know how kids are going to react to the attractions). I love all the pictures, and I'm happy that you are getting some family pictures too! The Country Bears are adorable, and so was Dylan's reaction to them. Can't wait for the next update to see what Dylan thinks of the rest of the park!

I hope you had a wonderful holiday. Yes, I think the family situation is going to end up very positive. What has been nice too is that our family has been doing a lot more emailing & calling one another lately, so this will probably bring all of us closer together too.

Dylan did great on this day. Considering the heat and that we were outside quite a bit, he was a trooper and really seemed to be enjoying himself.

Dylan seems to be doing so well on the trip for his age! You never know how it may go when they are little! The falling asleep in route will usually mess up the "real" nap and at that you will have a cranky kiddo esp when you have nightime plans.
So, overall which do you like better, Disneyland or WDW???

We know that we are blessed w/ a very good little boy. My mom always wants to point out to me that we have no idea how lucky we are. Well, we DO realize it and this trip was more proof of it. You are right about the naps in the car. We do everything we can to keep him awake when he is nodding off in the car because we know it will ruin his nap.

Ooooh, I don't know about DL vs WDW. DL is where I "grew up" loving Disney, but WDW is such a bigger version of it. I would say that we would probably go to WDW more often if we lived closer, but since we have family in Southern Cal (and so we go to DL more frequently) we still get excited when we know there is an upcoming DL trip. I think WDW always sounds better because there is still so much we haven't done it.

Your family situation sounds like an episode of Brothers and Sisters! I'm glad everyone is adjusting. It does seem like it could be exciting, if everyone is open.

I love the picture of you and Dylan in the ferry, and the "reprimand" pictures. So cute!!

We've not ever ridden on the carpets. Not sure why not. Maybe lines? Anyway, its great you can all ride together.

Aw, how fun that Dylan loved the Country Bears and you got to experience his joy.

I don't know what Brothers & Sisters is. Is it a TV show? I got really excited about it a couple of days ago, and I know my sister is more excited than I am. I'm glad that it is being embraced, rather than rejected, you know?

The thing I like about the reprimand pics is that if my mom hadn't snapped them, I would have totally forgotten about the incident. When I saw them it all came back to me and I LOVE his expression in the first one.

There are usually lines for the carpet ride. That's why we have never ridden them before now.

 

[Sunset Cliffs]

Another great update! It looks like you were having so much fun with Dylan.

I definitely agree about the Disneyland version of Pirates being better for those same reasons.

Pirates just has a more special feeling at DL to me, even though the exterior of the building and the line to walk through is better at WDW.

What a fun update. It appears Dylan had a wonderful day. Sorry you missed your nap. Those can be so important for Moms.

On your "new" family note. I so hope that works for your mother and the rest of your family. I always feel one can never have enough. The best of the best to you all.

Ginny

I have realized not to count on taking naps anymore. That way if I ever get one, it is a pleasant surprise.

I think my mom is adjusting to the news really well. I just can't imagine finding out that I had a sibling that I never knew about...it just blows my mind. I agree that you can never have enough family.

What a great update! I've never done the bear Jamboree, but might have to try that this time around with DH since Dylan loved it so much! You have gotten some great pictures over your vacation!

The bears are quite entertaining but they are a bit hokey (just to warn you). I always liked them because I remember watching them all the time when I was a kid, and it was so fun to watch my own son enjoying it.

I just found your TR last night and I read some last night and the rest today, and I love it!!! We took our DD to WDW last Feb when she was 15 months, and our big trip is next month, so we are excited to see the difference between 15mo and 22mo! Keep up the awesome job, and I cannot wait to read more!

Welcome! Thanks for power reading all the way through. How fun that you have already taken your DD once when she was so young. I bet it will be a world of difference for her. It seems like Dylan grows so much each month in some way. Are you going to do a TR?

I totally understand about packing your bag for a day at the parks! When my kids were little, we had a backpack with all the stuff you mentioned, plus a gallon ziploc bag with a change of shorts/tee shirt/socks/underwear. Funny, we never needed the clean outfit, but you bet we would have if we hadn't brought it!

I found at Disney my kids napped well in the stroller some days, and we'd find a shady spot and cool off with a coke (or beer) while they napped. The fresh air wears them out. My son would have done what Dylan did - woke up right when you put him down sleeping. Ugh, that is frustrating when you need a little rest! Hope you at least got some rest in the a/c.

I really think your condo looks very nice, don't know if I mentioned that before. Was it a timeshare trade? I thought you said it was.

We always brought the extra outfit and barely ever used it too. But you are right....you can't go without it. Dylan will nap in his stroller sometimes, but it will never be as long as if we put him down in a bed. We thought it would be good for all of us to take a mid-day break so that we would have more energy to go back out at night. We realized how much time it took for driving back & forth though... more than we thought.

Yes, it was a timeshare trade through Interval International, but I think you can get it through other programs too.

The Jungle Cruise!! We have not gone on that in our past few trips!! I am going to make it a point when we go in December!! Don't you just love it when they fall asleep in the car and are recharged in that short amount of time!!??

The Jungle Cruise is fun, and it is made better by a good skipper. When Dylan falls asleep in the car for longer than 15 minutes, we know we are in trouble. How can 15 minutes be enough for him when his naps are usually 2 1/2 hours long? It makes no sense!

Whew! I've been gone to Disney and missed several updates. I was way back on page 15. All caught up again though and looking forward to reading more.

Did you go to WDW? I hope you had a wonderful trip!

 

[SunnieRN]

Ouch to the burn!!! Burns always look worse when they actually start healing!

How very cool that your Mom and her brother will be able to try and forge a relationship with their new found brother. I bet it will be an exciting time for your family,

Oh my goodness, that "I;m not listening face was SO cute!!

One time at DL, when it was truly not crowded in off-season, my brother and I were there and our grandparents met us for the day. They had never been to DL and we were having a blast bringing them on everything. On the JC there was the same sort of boring, monotone skipper. We were the only 4 on the boat, so when he started a monotone line, we would yell out the punchlines. At the end of the ride, our grandparents turned to us and my grandpa asked me "What happens if the people on the boat don't know the jokes?"

We also pulled the joke on my grandparents about Space Mountain, "No, it's not scary at all, it's just a slow ride past the planets. It's great!!" This was grandpa and this was grandma . Such great memories!!

 

[ladyv]

Fabulous. I'm really enjoying reading your report - especially because our DS will be turning 21 months during our upcoming trip in Sept. It's nice to get a glimpse of how he might possibly react to things.

I'm wondering though - what's his normal bedtime / wake time when he's at home? One of the things that I'm most worried about is how DS will react to going to bed later than normal. We are building nap time each afternoon into our schedule, but alas, I cannot help to pre-trip worry!

And you're giving me motivation to make my own trip report! I so wanted to write one the last time we went, but I just never did.

 

[DreaGirl]

Great morning! We do the Adventureland route on our second day at MK. We rarely encounter lines, I think because everyone is in Fantasyland.

Sorry about the no nap! That stinks.

Can't wait to hear about your night.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Did you go to WDW? I hope you had a wonderful trip!

Sure did! Spent 10 glorious days at the CBR. We hated to leave. I'll be starting a trip report soon, just gotta get all my pictures uploaded to photobucket.

 

[jordanyosh]

I'm back. I was at Church Camp up in Santa Cruz and then sick with the Swine Flu......so I have lots of catching up to do.

First, finding out about new family seems like it can very stressful, but it seems like your family handled it with grace and love and it seems it's having a happy ending or happy beginning!

MK sure looked a bit crowded! Don't you think it seems less crowded than DL though? It has so much more space to walk around...but I think because of that extra space, you lose out on some of the ambience and detailing....

I miss the Country Bear Jamboree.... It's kinda hokey, but nostalgic for sure.

 

[Sunset Cliffs]

Ouch to the burn!!! Burns always look worse when they actually start healing!

How very cool that your Mom and her brother will be able to try and forge a relationship with their new found brother. I bet it will be an exciting time for your family,

Oh my goodness, that "I;m not listening face was SO cute!!

One time at DL, when it was truly not crowded in off-season, my brother and I were there and our grandparents met us for the day. They had never been to DL and we were having a blast bringing them on everything. On the JC there was the same sort of boring, monotone skipper. We were the only 4 on the boat, so when he started a monotone line, we would yell out the punchlines. At the end of the ride, our grandparents turned to us and my grandpa asked me "What happens if the people on the boat don't know the jokes?"

We also pulled the joke on my grandparents about Space Mountain, "No, it's not scary at all, it's just a slow ride past the planets. It's great!!" This was grandpa and this was grandma . Such great memories!!

Great JC story! That's what I love about that ride...everyone has a memorable story from it. Your poor grandparents! By the end of the day they were probably wondering why they had agreed to go with you to the park.

Fabulous. I'm really enjoying reading your report - especially because our DS will be turning 21 months during our upcoming trip in Sept. It's nice to get a glimpse of how he might possibly react to things.

I'm wondering though - what's his normal bedtime / wake time when he's at home? One of the things that I'm most worried about is how DS will react to going to bed later than normal. We are building nap time each afternoon into our schedule, but alas, I cannot help to pre-trip worry!

And you're giving me motivation to make my own trip report! I so wanted to write one the last time we went, but I just never did.

Welcome! Thanks for joining in. I think you are going to have such a great time on your trip because it is such a fun age. Everything is new and COOL to them. You should totally do a TR! There were definitely days on the trip where I was feeling like it was too much work, but now as I look back through my journal I realize there are a lot of things I would have already forgotten about. It's going to be such a keepsake of his first trip when I am done writing up the TR.

You know, we are really flexible with Dylan's schedule. His bedtime is anytime between 9:00 - 10:30 pm, and his naps can start anywhere from 11:30 am - 1:00 pm. Since Todd coaches volleyball and we will be at games late into the evening, we decided early on in his life that we weren't going to have a strict bedtime (or an early one). So he did pretty well on the trip because he is used to staying up late. Plus, we had a 3 hour time difference, so some nights he would be going to bed at 12:30 (which is normally WAY too late) but to him it would feel like 9:30-ish. My advice to you is to definitely build in that nap time every day because then he will still have a little of his normal "routine" and hopefully he will be refreshed to be busy in the evenings. Plus, I realized that we needed the mid-day break too, because it's a lot harder to be at the parks with a small child than when we were by ourselves.

Great morning! We do the Adventureland route on our second day at MK. We rarely encounter lines, I think because everyone is in Fantasyland.

Sorry about the no nap! That stinks.

Can't wait to hear about your night.

You are probably right about Fantasyland. We never did that first thing in the morning....that's probably a good thing!

Sure did! Spent 10 glorious days at the CBR. We hated to leave. I'll be starting a trip report soon, just gotta get all my pictures uploaded to photobucket.

Uploading pictures is the worst! I decided to do it as I go in my TR and that is a good and a bad thing. So glad that you had a great trip!

I'm back. I was at Church Camp up in Santa Cruz and then sick with the Swine Flu......so I have lots of catching up to do.

First, finding out about new family seems like it can very stressful, but it seems like your family handled it with grace and love and it seems it's having a happy ending or happy beginning!

MK sure looked a bit crowded! Don't you think it seems less crowded than DL though? It has so much more space to walk around...but I think because of that extra space, you lose out on some of the ambience and detailing....

I miss the Country Bear Jamboree.... It's kinda hokey, but nostalgic for sure.

I read a lot of your current PTR a couple of weeks ago and I remember that you mentioned summer camp. It sounded like you had quite the busy summer planned w/ church activities! SO sorry that you were sick!!! Are you feeling better now?

On the family thing...I am amazed at how quickly everyone emotionally moved from shock to acceptance. It was truly a blessing and I think we are going to enjoy the process of getting to know our new family.

MK was really crowded that day, especially in that area over by Splash Mountain and BTMRR. You are totally right about the size of WDW vs DL. In fact I couldn't have said it better myself. DL has so much charm and ambience and a lot of it (in my opinion) has to do with the size of everything. There are definitley areas where it gets too crowded (like the bottleneck area over by Indiana Jones) but overall I don't mind it.

 

[justluvthemouse]

Love the Report. Dylan is so cute. Can't wait to read about the rest of your trip.

 

[Sunset Cliffs]

Love the Report. Dylan is so cute. Can't wait to read about the rest of your trip.

Welcome! Thanks so much for reading.