A Whole New WDWorld: NEW 8/9, Crystal Palace!
- Thread starter oOJulieOo
- Start date
ScotsMinnie
DIS Veteran
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- Apr 13, 2008
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- 1,174
Joining in! Beautiful pictures and I cant wait to hear more about your holiday!
oOJulieOo
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2010
- Messages
- 444
caught up...
glad the flight was uneventful and Clarie had a good time even though you and Grandma were a bit tireddon't you just love the bus ride over there
the trip has begun! can't wait for more!
the mountains in the background look like a backdrop painting...just amazing
An uneventful flight is a good flight, isn't it? Claire seems to have a great time on all flights because we really go out of our way to keep her happy in every way!
Those mountains are just amazing. I don't think the novelty of those mountains will ever wear off!
As tough as it is to be so far away from family and friends (and my dogs!), I am so grateful that we have been given this opportunity.
Oh, how I miss those squeezers! I wish amazon would deliver to Switzerland!
It was SO strange to be here for the 4th of July. DH had to work since it was a Monday. I kept seeing all of my friends' status updates on FB about fireworks and BBQs and I was envious! I have heard that the town that we live in has a huge celebration/festival for the Swiss national day in August, so I'm looking forward to that. So while you're jealous of our travels, I'm jealous that you get to celebrate all the American holidays with other Americans in America!
We plan to be here for 3 years. That's the commitment DH made when he took the job. I would like to be back in the states when Claire starts kindergarten, so that should be perfect timing.
Wow. Look at everything that you have done. It looks like you are having a fantastic exploring your new town and the areas around you. Your pictures are so beautiful, looks like a lovely area to live in.
It is definitely a great place to live. Although it will never really be "home", it's a great place to call home for a few years!
It's so much fun to explore all these little European towns. They all have their own unique look and feel.
We are definitely making precious memories here. I need to be better about printing out pictures because I know that when Claire grows up, she will not remember a lot about our time here, so I want her to be able to see it all in pictures.
Yes, it is!
oOJulieOo
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2010
- Messages
- 444
I love the picture of Claire in the flowers. So cute.
Thanks!
I was always bummed that I never did backpack across Europe. That's one of the reasons I said yes to moving here. I saw it as my second chance!
I think Switzerland is often a country that gets overlooked when planning European tours, but there is just so much nature and beauty here, I really do think it's a must-see.
The squeeze baby food is awesome. I wish we could get it here!
Your new home looks like a movie set -- one of those great old movies -- I would be expecting Audrey Hepburn to round the corner at any moment!
Living so near a bakery would be very, very dangerous for me! Yum!
I have to say that sometimes, these buildings look fake to me because they do look like they're from a movie.
Claire and I picked up lunch from that bakery today on our way to the pool. I had a mozzarella and tomato ciabatta sandwich and Claire had a croissant au jambon (ham-filled croissant). YUM!
Thanks!
You definitely should put Switzerland on your list of must-sees. It is just a gorgeous country. There is so much to see and do here.
Lovely photos, and such a lovely part of the world for you to explore and have fun in together
Thanks!
Wow! Your Switzerland and Italy photos are BEAUTIFUL!!!!I have now added Switzerland to my list of Must-See-Travel spots. Italy was already on it.
Yes! Switzerland is a must-see! There is really so much to see and do here. Beaches, mountains, skiing, sailing, hiking, and the list goes on. And on. And on!
Beautiful scenery. Definitely get the most out of all of those travel opportunities over there.
Any time you care to share pictures of your bakery goodies, too, it'll be fine with us.
I tried to get a picture of Claire today on the way home from the pool. She was in her carseat, eating a croissant from that same bakery, and she fell asleep while eating it! I thought of this comment and thought, "I need to show THIS baked goody to MeMom." But, alas, the picture did not turn out well...
Looks like you guys are having an amazing time in Switzerland!! I'm so glad you are sharing it with all of us!!
What a gorgeous beach right in your town!!
We are definitely trying to make the most of our time here. I am happy to share it with you!
Welcome! Thanks for reading!
tommayer01
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- May 16, 2011
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- 8
yes?
tommayer01
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- May 16, 2011
- Messages
- 8
no?
tommayer01
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- May 16, 2011
- Messages
- 8
tommayer01
Earning My Ears
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up
oOJulieOo
Mouseketeer
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- Dec 26, 2010
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We had finally arrived at Port Orleans Riverside and I was ready to check in! I had checked in online, so I got in the line for online check-in. Unfortunately, however, there was only one cast member helping with online check-in while there were several doing the regular check-in, so our line didnt really move any faster. I didnt really mind, though, because I was at Disney World, in my favorite resort, ready to begin my babys first trip. So I just soaked up the atmosphere.
Here are Claire and my mom waiting for me to check in:
My only request when I made the reservation was that we would be on the mansion side. I have never stayed on the Alligator Bayou side and I really have no desire to stay there. I just love those mansions. So, when it was finally my turn to check in, I was very happy to hear that we got a mansion room. I tried very hard to modify this map to show you where our room was, but I could not, for the life of me, get it to show up here! So I will just tell you that our room was up at the top of the map, two buildings before Alligator Bayou starts.
It was actually a pretty quick walk from where the food court is, quick walk to the pool, and super quick walk to the bus stop. Satisfied with our location, we headed over to check out our room.
I just love the trips first walk from the check-in counter to the room. Seeing all of the other people in the midst of their wonderful vacations and knowing that thats all in store for you is such a great feeling. The trip journal and camera memory card are completely empty and waiting to be filled with memories. Walking past the pool and seeing the happiness on the kids faces is priceless. Especially coming from cold and snowy, frozen door filled Chicago. I became more and more giddy as we neared the room. As I put my key to the world in the door, I was practically bursting with excitement. We were finally there, in our home for the next 7 days.
This Mickey head was there to greet us upon arrival!
Claire was happy to finally get put down on the floor to move around after a full day of travel. I had to quickly get over my disdain for hotel floors because Claire was still a crawler at this point. She was going to crawl on the carpet and there was nothing I could do about it. I Lysol-wiped everything that I could and then let her have at it. Of course, she had to open and close the dresser drawers about 652 times, giving me a mini heart attack each time she would slam them closed. I prayed that she would not slam her fingers in those drawers. Then, she had to check out the pedestals on the sinks and the pipes behind them. Then, she had to check out the air conditioner. She did a very thorough job of inspecting, and tasting, most of the room while I tried to figure out a way to baby-proof those dresser drawers.
Our luggage and our Garden Grocer order soon arrived at our door. I put all of our food away while my mom changed out of her baby food stained clothes. Then it was my turn to change while Mom changed Claire into some more Florida-appropriate, and cleaner, clothes. I made a quick call to the front desk to tell them that there was no pack and play in our room and then we headed to the food court. Mom and I were starving, having only eaten breakfast. I would have loved to start off our trip with a meal at Earl of Sandwich, a place I had been dying to try, but we were way to hungry to wait! Mom got a choose-your-own pasta bowl with a breadstick and I got a choose-your-own salad ingredients salad with bread. We both got souvenir mugs. Both Mom and I had chosen meals that could easily be shared with Claire. On my salad, I had gotten plenty of peas, corn, cheese, and black beans, which were great finger foods for Claire. Mom shared her breadstick and pasta with Claire. Claire was a happy camper with all of these foods to choose from! Bellies full, we headed over to the boat dock. Our first stop of the trip was to be Downtown Disney. Because it had been a long, crazy day with only one very short nap for Claire, I wanted to have a relaxed evening. DTD was the perfect place for this.
Heading over to the boat:
To our delight, there was a boat waiting for us at the dock. We got right on the boat and we were on our way shortly. With the great room assignment and the speedy boat boarding, it appeared as though our luck was turning around!
The boatride over was beautiful and the boat driver was very informative, telling us all about the wildlife (mostly yucky birds) that we saw on the way over.
Claire stayed in her stroller on the boat
A photo from the boat
Upon arrival at Downtown Disney, we strolled around, checking out a few shops here and there. We got some delicious Haagen Dazs ice cream and enjoyed our first evening on Disney property.
Soon, it was time to head back to the resort. I thought Claire could use some time to wind down after this long day. We arrived back at the room to find that the pack and play had been delivered. Claire crawled around and explored the room some more while Mom and I unpacked our things and settled into the room. At around 8 p.m., I gave Claire a bath and put her down into her bed. I prayed that she would go to sleep easily behind the curtain that separates the room from the bathroom area, with the clock radio set on static to block out the noise from the TV. Claire must really have been tired because she fell asleep very quickly and without a fuss. What a relief! Mom watched TV while I read a book and soon it was time for us to go to bed. We had a very important date with some very important DISers in the morning!
Next up: Claire woke up at WHAT time?!?
Here are Claire and my mom waiting for me to check in:
My only request when I made the reservation was that we would be on the mansion side. I have never stayed on the Alligator Bayou side and I really have no desire to stay there. I just love those mansions. So, when it was finally my turn to check in, I was very happy to hear that we got a mansion room. I tried very hard to modify this map to show you where our room was, but I could not, for the life of me, get it to show up here! So I will just tell you that our room was up at the top of the map, two buildings before Alligator Bayou starts.
It was actually a pretty quick walk from where the food court is, quick walk to the pool, and super quick walk to the bus stop. Satisfied with our location, we headed over to check out our room.
I just love the trips first walk from the check-in counter to the room. Seeing all of the other people in the midst of their wonderful vacations and knowing that thats all in store for you is such a great feeling. The trip journal and camera memory card are completely empty and waiting to be filled with memories. Walking past the pool and seeing the happiness on the kids faces is priceless. Especially coming from cold and snowy, frozen door filled Chicago. I became more and more giddy as we neared the room. As I put my key to the world in the door, I was practically bursting with excitement. We were finally there, in our home for the next 7 days.
This Mickey head was there to greet us upon arrival!
Claire was happy to finally get put down on the floor to move around after a full day of travel. I had to quickly get over my disdain for hotel floors because Claire was still a crawler at this point. She was going to crawl on the carpet and there was nothing I could do about it. I Lysol-wiped everything that I could and then let her have at it. Of course, she had to open and close the dresser drawers about 652 times, giving me a mini heart attack each time she would slam them closed. I prayed that she would not slam her fingers in those drawers. Then, she had to check out the pedestals on the sinks and the pipes behind them. Then, she had to check out the air conditioner. She did a very thorough job of inspecting, and tasting, most of the room while I tried to figure out a way to baby-proof those dresser drawers.
Our luggage and our Garden Grocer order soon arrived at our door. I put all of our food away while my mom changed out of her baby food stained clothes. Then it was my turn to change while Mom changed Claire into some more Florida-appropriate, and cleaner, clothes. I made a quick call to the front desk to tell them that there was no pack and play in our room and then we headed to the food court. Mom and I were starving, having only eaten breakfast. I would have loved to start off our trip with a meal at Earl of Sandwich, a place I had been dying to try, but we were way to hungry to wait! Mom got a choose-your-own pasta bowl with a breadstick and I got a choose-your-own salad ingredients salad with bread. We both got souvenir mugs. Both Mom and I had chosen meals that could easily be shared with Claire. On my salad, I had gotten plenty of peas, corn, cheese, and black beans, which were great finger foods for Claire. Mom shared her breadstick and pasta with Claire. Claire was a happy camper with all of these foods to choose from! Bellies full, we headed over to the boat dock. Our first stop of the trip was to be Downtown Disney. Because it had been a long, crazy day with only one very short nap for Claire, I wanted to have a relaxed evening. DTD was the perfect place for this.
Heading over to the boat:
To our delight, there was a boat waiting for us at the dock. We got right on the boat and we were on our way shortly. With the great room assignment and the speedy boat boarding, it appeared as though our luck was turning around!
The boatride over was beautiful and the boat driver was very informative, telling us all about the wildlife (mostly yucky birds) that we saw on the way over.
Claire stayed in her stroller on the boat
A photo from the boat
Upon arrival at Downtown Disney, we strolled around, checking out a few shops here and there. We got some delicious Haagen Dazs ice cream and enjoyed our first evening on Disney property.
Soon, it was time to head back to the resort. I thought Claire could use some time to wind down after this long day. We arrived back at the room to find that the pack and play had been delivered. Claire crawled around and explored the room some more while Mom and I unpacked our things and settled into the room. At around 8 p.m., I gave Claire a bath and put her down into her bed. I prayed that she would go to sleep easily behind the curtain that separates the room from the bathroom area, with the clock radio set on static to block out the noise from the TV. Claire must really have been tired because she fell asleep very quickly and without a fuss. What a relief! Mom watched TV while I read a book and soon it was time for us to go to bed. We had a very important date with some very important DISers in the morning!
Next up: Claire woke up at WHAT time?!?
Lifelong_Dreamer
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2007
- Messages
- 15,138
So glad you had a good first day with Claire.
mousescrapper
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2007
- Messages
- 4,595
so glad you got an awsome location at POR 
and you just seemed so overjoyed to be there, makes me smile just reading it! we loved that boat ride to DTD when we stayed there in '05
yay for settling in and can't wait to hear all about day 1)...and the IASW DISmeet right?
and you just seemed so overjoyed to be there, makes me smile just reading it! we loved that boat ride to DTD when we stayed there in '05yay for settling in and can't wait to hear all about day 1)...and the IASW DISmeet right?
Charleston Princess
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2008
- Messages
- 21,444
I swear reading about your travels with Claire reminds me so much of traveling with my two when they were that age! Trust me when I say I was shuddering at the crawling on hotel carpet, too, but the good news is that it doesn't seem to harm them in the long run. LOL! Plus, the whole slamming the drawers on the dresser -- yep, I remember that, too!
Hurray for a great room location, a fun boat ride, a relaxing evening at DtD, and Claire dropping off easily.
Hurray for a great room location, a fun boat ride, a relaxing evening at DtD, and Claire dropping off easily.
Lady Lallie
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2008
- Messages
- 18,540
What a great arrival day at Disney. After traveling you were able to settle in and relax. I can't wait to hear how your first day unfolds.
I can't wait to hear how your first day unfolds.
micandminforever
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2006
- Messages
- 2,329
A boat ride and a relaxing evening at DTD is a great way to start your trip.
Roxychica7
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 14, 2008
- Messages
- 1,712
Claire is cute cute cute! So glad you had a safe trip, can't wait to read all about your first full day on Disney property!
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