Hi everyone.
We're back from our very first 'Disney with a baby' trip
After 6 or 7 holidays as a couple it was wonderful to experience things through our son's eyes. A small world will never be the same again
Loads of highlights that i'll try to put together in a trip report over the next few weeks, but some of the major things:
- Twilight check-in at Gatwick and Downtown Disney check-in for the return reduced our stress levels by a massive amount, especially with a 5-month old in tow.
- Executive parking (www.executive-parking.co.uk) were pretty good value at about £76 for 15 days meet & greet parking. So nice to get through customs and be in your own car in 10 mins or so and on the way home. Thanks to RedSnapper for the tip!
- As always everybody that we met was so friendly and attentive, and happy that we had brought our little boy to visit them! Is it just me, or does everyone find the smiling to be contagious? Within a few hours i'm grinning like the cheshire cat at everyone that I meet (see!)
- The new rides and shows were great - Mission Space felt *very* realistic on all four occasions I rode it (!). Mickey's Philharmagic was also a big hit with the audience cheering at the end of the show. Finally the new MK fireworks were truly stunning, and we were lucky enough to be there for the public opening night too. If you get the chance, pick a spot near to the castle in Fantasyland and the whole thing seems to go on around you.
- Apart from a couple of big thunderstorms towards the end of the trip the weather was absolutely perfect - daytime highs in the low-mid 80s, nighttime lows in the low 70s.
- We had a great room at the Boardwalk facing out towards the Swan and Dolphin, with the Tower of Terror in the background. Biggest surprise was on Columbus day when there was a surprise running of Sorcery in the Sky fireworks. I was just getting ready for bed at about 11.45pm and heard a bang and the start of the music, so managed to catch most of the show on video!
- So many great meals over the two weeks, with the following worthy of special note: Crystal Palace had good food, wonderful atmosphere and excellent servers (plus Pooh, Tigger, etc of course). Whilst the lunch sampler at Nine Dragons isn't such good value as it used to be, the Honey Sesame Chicken is still a must-do. Great steaks at Le Cellier, and DW tells me the Vanilla Bean Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory was the best she's ever tasted (I think she's right, but didn't get more than a couple of bites myself 
Difficult to think of any negatives except perhaps the amount of smokers at Seaworld and Busch Gardens. It may have just been us noticing it more due to visiting with a child but it did seem that cigarettes were absolutely everywhere. The Disney parks were much better, although there are still a few people who seem to be oblivious of the smoking sections.
Jet lag is still doing it's best to make me think i'm in Florida, hence the time of posting this, but I am sitting here with a smile on my face remembering the trip.
As always, if anyone has any questions to do with the parks, Boardwalk, Virgin, etc then please ask away.
Paul
We're back from our very first 'Disney with a baby' trip
After 6 or 7 holidays as a couple it was wonderful to experience things through our son's eyes. A small world will never be the same again
Loads of highlights that i'll try to put together in a trip report over the next few weeks, but some of the major things:
- Twilight check-in at Gatwick and Downtown Disney check-in for the return reduced our stress levels by a massive amount, especially with a 5-month old in tow.
- Executive parking (www.executive-parking.co.uk) were pretty good value at about £76 for 15 days meet & greet parking. So nice to get through customs and be in your own car in 10 mins or so and on the way home. Thanks to RedSnapper for the tip!
- As always everybody that we met was so friendly and attentive, and happy that we had brought our little boy to visit them! Is it just me, or does everyone find the smiling to be contagious? Within a few hours i'm grinning like the cheshire cat at everyone that I meet
(see!)- The new rides and shows were great - Mission Space felt *very* realistic on all four occasions I rode it (!). Mickey's Philharmagic was also a big hit with the audience cheering at the end of the show. Finally the new MK fireworks were truly stunning, and we were lucky enough to be there for the public opening night too. If you get the chance, pick a spot near to the castle in Fantasyland and the whole thing seems to go on around you.
- Apart from a couple of big thunderstorms towards the end of the trip the weather was absolutely perfect - daytime highs in the low-mid 80s, nighttime lows in the low 70s.
- We had a great room at the Boardwalk facing out towards the Swan and Dolphin, with the Tower of Terror in the background. Biggest surprise was on Columbus day when there was a surprise running of Sorcery in the Sky fireworks. I was just getting ready for bed at about 11.45pm and heard a bang and the start of the music, so managed to catch most of the show on video!
- So many great meals over the two weeks, with the following worthy of special note: Crystal Palace had good food, wonderful atmosphere and excellent servers (plus Pooh, Tigger, etc of course
). Whilst the lunch sampler at Nine Dragons isn't such good value as it used to be, the Honey Sesame Chicken is still a must-do. Great steaks at Le Cellier, and DW tells me the Vanilla Bean Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory was the best she's ever tasted (I think she's right, but didn't get more than a couple of bites myself Difficult to think of any negatives except perhaps the amount of smokers at Seaworld and Busch Gardens. It may have just been us noticing it more due to visiting with a child but it did seem that cigarettes were absolutely everywhere. The Disney parks were much better, although there are still a few people who seem to be oblivious of the smoking sections.
Jet lag is still doing it's best to make me think i'm in Florida, hence the time of posting this, but I am sitting here with a smile on my face remembering the trip.
As always, if anyone has any questions to do with the parks, Boardwalk, Virgin, etc then please ask away.
Paul
so pleased you had such a great trip! 
