Can We Do Magic Now? A 2016 TR Adventure. *Complete and DL Paris TR Link Added

[SarahDisney]

I love Pop Century ... but I can totally understand being sick of it after a while. You can only spend so much time at the resort before being completely done.

I'm sorry that the trip ended early ... but sometimes you just have to call it early. It's definitely good that you went home and didn't just try to suck it up and end up more miserable. And it's awesome that you got your unexpected redo in April!

 

[Dugette]

He picked the winning numbers and was next in line for the stomach bug lottery.

When my mom found out, she pulled me into her room and confessed that she didn’t want to stay at Disney anymore. Her reasoning was that if she was going to get sick, she’d rather be in her own home.
I couldn’t blame her. If I were in a similar position I’d probably have bailed, as well.

I definitely get it. Back when I was sick on a trip several years ago, I kept hearing things like, "Well, it's better to be sick at Disney than at home." Well, I disagree - if you're sick in bed at Disney, you are missing things that you've been long anticipating, but if you're at home, you're maybe missing some work.

I need a long breather from the resort and that terrible week. When a family of 4 is sharing one of those small rooms and half the guests get sick and you’re trapped on the resort grounds for 3 of the 4 days of your vacation, you develop a tiny resentment to the place.

I can see that. I guess I hadn't thought about it, but we haven't been back to POR since 2010 when I was sick.

The Magic Kingdom had decided to open 30 minutes early that morning.

Of course it had.

That one's pretty cute!

I knew some poor soul was going to stay in that room the following day, and I wasn’t going to leave it up to MouseKeeping to kill the germs we’d left.

That was very kind of you! And, yes, after our last trip, I can't say I have a high degree of trust in the Pop mousekeeping staff.

Which leads me to the second part of this trip report.

Our April trip!

Stay tuned!

Can't wait!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Ach I'm so sorry that things just went from bad to worse but I'm guessing the only way is up from now on
Sometimes you just have to call it a day and give up and go home but at least you get that lovely feeling of walking in through your own front door and realizing that sometimes home is the best place in the world to be!
Hoping April is the make-up trip you deserve

 

[amazingact21]

Certainly get why you did what you did with the TR. Just painful on every level.
This breaks my heart.
Oh I get that. In fact, I'm trying to do every resort on property without a repeat until I'm done. I love the variety.
I would have been in absolute tears.

UUUUUGH! Not those 2!!

WOW! That IS quite a statement! YIKES, but very understandable. Just not your trip.

I'd like to try as many resorts as possible, but I'm trying to time my stay at them to coincide with my kids' age ranges. For instance, I'm waiting to try Beach Club until they are in older elementary so we can utilize Stormalong Bay a lot without me being on constant watch duty.

I think a lot of outside factors played into being relieved at returning home early. I was knee deep in our move, slightly worried about the challenges awaiting me in a foreign country, and sad that I'd be leaving family. In hindsight, it wasn't a great time to even consider a big vacation.

Lucky him...

I can only imagine. I'd want to stay away from there for a while too.

Oh no...

You were definitely getting kicked while you were down. I know that in most cases you'd tell someone that "it's not going to ruin your trip if you don't get to see Main Street before the park opens," but in your case that definitely doesn't apply. You guys were barely hanging on, just trying to salvage the good... and then this. I just can't even imagine feeling so defeated in Disney World. I'm so sorry that this was essentially how it ended for you.

Honestly, you masked it well. I'm not sure I could even do a fake smile at that point.

That was very thoughtful of you. I know Disney does a good job cleaning rooms, but as far as disinfecting goes, I have my doubts.

I know when DS got sick at Disneyland, we bought a couple of packs of bleach wipes in the GCH gift shop for like 20 bucks each just so we could keep the room wiped down.

I'm so sorry for you guys. Hopefully the April trip made up for this. I know it had to be hard to relive the bad times, but I appreciate you sharing this trip with us. I really hope that the few positive moments your dad had (like the dinner at Ohana) are something that made an impact and maybe you can get a do-over when you make it back to the States.

I try to not let one hurdle ruin my whole trip, but the MK opening early really tested that theory. I was pretty ticked.

I couldn't leave that room knowing I didn't do my part to reduce the chance of some other family getting sick.

The April trip was a lot of fun because it was a different style of touring for us. And you are absolutely right, having my dad there was great. Our time in AK and at dinner and the photos from my parents in Epcot with Landon are the moments I like to look back on.

 

[amazingact21]

Oh man, what an ending to the trip! I'm sorry it ended like that and not even empty castle pics

That still grinds my gears a little, but I just tell myself it wasn't meant to be. My mom's side of the family has a tradition of the girls going on trips together. (My mom has 2 sisters, and once my cousin and I turned 18 we started tagging along, too.) So I tell myself that one day I'll have tons of photos of Evie with us girls on fun adventures that Landon won't have. So while she might not have those pictures similar to Landon, she'll get something else eventually.

I love Pop Century ... but I can totally understand being sick of it after a while. You can only spend so much time at the resort before being completely done.

I'm sorry that the trip ended early ... but sometimes you just have to call it early. It's definitely good that you went home and didn't just try to suck it up and end up more miserable. And it's awesome that you got your unexpected redo in April!

I still like Pop Century as a whole, it's just not the resort for me right now. Maybe one day, but I have to let this trip fade in my memories first.

I definitely get it. Back when I was sick on a trip several years ago, I kept hearing things like, "Well, it's better to be sick at Disney than at home." Well, I disagree - if you're sick in bed at Disney, you are missing things that you've been long anticipating, but if you're at home, you're maybe missing some work.

I can see that. I guess I hadn't thought about it, but we haven't been back to POR since 2010 when I was sick.
Of course it had.
That one's pretty cute!


That was very kind of you! And, yes, after our last trip, I can't say I have a high degree of trust in the Pop mousekeeping staff.


Can't wait!

Right. Sick at home means you're in your own bed. In your own space. Not in a Pop bathroom where the sink isn't even in the same room as the rest of the bathroom necessities.
Hmm, I wonder if anyone's been back to a resort after they have been hit with a stomach bug. It leaves you with some terrible memories!

Oh no, I don't like hearing that Pop has gotten worse. I remember reading somewhere where you weren't impressed with the buses either. That doesn't bode well.

Ach I'm so sorry that things just went from bad to worse but I'm guessing the only way is up from now on
Sometimes you just have to call it a day and give up and go home but at least you get that lovely feeling of walking in through your own front door and realizing that sometimes home is the best place in the world to be!
Hoping April is the make-up trip you deserve

Very true. Home was exactly where we needed to be, and I don't regret cutting my trip short at all.
April was fun, because it was a little different than Alex and I normally do trips.

 

[ZuuL]

Sorry to hear that your trip didn't go as planned

 

[natebenma]

You do have to appreciate the irony in the wisdom teeth story. Usually it's the patient that has the crazy stuff happen to them, not the poor driver waiting out the surgery!

Yeah, after they gave me smelling salts and propped me in a chair with a drink next to Mark, they asked "Where are those nice people (Mark's parents) who were visiting earlier?" They were not too thrilled with the idea of me being the one responsible for getting us home.

 

[natebenma]

So sorry about such an unhappy ending to your trip.

Poor Alex. Even recovering quickly, it is sad that he was down for the count on Wednesday and that your recovery and Landon's held you hostage at the resort.

A good call on your parents part to end it early.

I am saddened to hear about the early opening of Magic Kingdom that prevented getting pictures like the ones with Landon previously.

You really did hide your disappointment in the pictures, my heart breaks at everything going against you on the trip.

I can see why you decided to pull the plug.

And I look forward to reading about better days during your April trip.

 

[Gracefulskinny]

And with the kids out of commission, Alex and I had an hour or so to ourselves. What’d we do?

Laundry.

Parenthood is exciting, ya’ll.

I'm telling ya! DH and I often find ourselves out running errands on Date nights when Little Miss is sleeping over at my parents. There is just something wonderful about getting to grocery shop in the quiet hours when not so many people are there that's just rejuvenating!

But man, I daydream about those massive top loader washers. My washing machine here can fit 3 towels in it at one time.

And the dryer isn’t the same style as American ones, so there’s a water bucket I have to dump after each load, 3 different filters I have to clean out, and no heat control. I actually only use it for linens and jeans. Everything else gets hung on the line. And when you’re talking about 2 toddlers, a husband who wears work uniforms and PT gear, a dog that gets muddy every time he goes outside, etc etc I feel like all I do is laundry. Literally, every morning my husband sees me come down the stairs with a load in hand, ready to start the procession.

Don’t take your washer for granted, guys. It’s amazing.)

Indeed! I would never survive!

However, luck was with us (for a change) and they showed up only 5 minutes late.

Not too shabby.

Not to mention, 50 dollars for shrimp.

Yikes.

To each their own I guess!

It was our last great moment of the trip, because right as were coming out of the restaurant, Landon decided to get some mucus in his throat and had yet another protein spill.

Ugh, ugh, ugh!

And we saw Cast Members unhooking the ropes under the train station and allowing everybody to pour inside.


The Magic Kingdom had decided to open 30 minutes early that morning.


…

……


So instead of strolling in alone, we got to follow the masses under the station tunnel.

What a rough way to end a trip. But I can't blame you for cutting your losses .

 

[khertz]

So sorry your trip ended that way, but I totally don't blame you for making the call to cut your losses and go back home. And I can totally see that ruined MK morning as the straw that broke the camel's back. I would have been SO upset! Had that not happened and you'd had a perfect morning on Main Street, maybe your trip would have turned around...but then you wouldn't have had your re-do opportunity in April!

Looking forward to reading about the re-do!!

 

[vamassey1]

I know I'm late but I'm finally caught up. I'm so sorry your tip went so wrong. I'm happy you have some good memories so it wasn't a total loss. In a few years you'll be able to laugh about it. You'll always remember. . ."that trip".. I totally get your disappointment on missing the empty park. With the new opening procedure I don't know if anyone will ever get that empty picture again. I'm really glad to read that you got a redo and your last taste of WDW for years was happy. We have stayed at POP for several trips and after the last one I said I didn't want to go back just so we could get a taste of something else. Now I'm thinking I might be ready to go back.

 

[amazingact21]

Sorry to hear that your trip didn't go as planned

Thanks. It was rough, but at least this wasn't our first time going. I tell myself it would have been a lot worse had we not been regular visitors.

Yeah, after they gave me smelling salts and propped me in a chair with a drink next to Mark, they asked "Where are those nice people (Mark's parents) who were visiting earlier?" They were not too thrilled with the idea of me being the one responsible for getting us home.

Hah! I can imagine.

So sorry about such an unhappy ending to your trip.

Poor Alex. Even recovering quickly, it is sad that he was down for the count on Wednesday and that your recovery and Landon's held you hostage at the resort.

A good call on your parents part to end it early.

I am saddened to hear about the early opening of Magic Kingdom that prevented getting pictures like the ones with Landon previously.

You really did hide your disappointment in the pictures, my heart breaks at everything going against you on the trip.

I can see why you decided to pull the plug.

And I look forward to reading about better days during your April trip.

It was a rough trip, but I told myself that everything that happened was out of our control. There was no way I could have prepared for everyone getting sick. Just had to make the best of a bad situation, and that meant heading back home.

 

[amazingact21]

I'm telling ya! DH and I often find ourselves out running errands on Date nights when Little Miss is sleeping over at my parents. There is just something wonderful about getting to grocery shop in the quiet hours when not so many people are there that's just rejuvenating!

What a rough way to end a trip. But I can't blame you for cutting your losses .

It's amazing how quick you can hop in and out of the car when you don't have a kid in tow. When my mom came here last September, Alex and I made two different grocery runs while my mom babysat the kids. It was great. And it was quite peaceful. No kids asking a million times for a specific candy or a particular juice.

Hah! That gif pretty much sums up my feelings that morning. I was heartbroken and completely ready to go home.

So sorry your trip ended that way, but I totally don't blame you for making the call to cut your losses and go back home. And I can totally see that ruined MK morning as the straw that broke the camel's back. I would have been SO upset! Had that not happened and you'd had a perfect morning on Main Street, maybe your trip would have turned around...but then you wouldn't have had your re-do opportunity in April!

Looking forward to reading about the re-do!!

Alex and I left our room that morning thinking that the MK photos were going to be our turning around point. We were sure nothing else could happen. Oh well....I didn't feel bad about leaving at all. My home was the most welcome sight.
And April was definitely better, because we got to go to Universal for the first time!

I know I'm late but I'm finally caught up. I'm so sorry your tip went so wrong. I'm happy you have some good memories so it wasn't a total loss. In a few years you'll be able to laugh about it. You'll always remember. . ."that trip".. I totally get your disappointment on missing the empty park. With the new opening procedure I don't know if anyone will ever get that empty picture again. I'm really glad to read that you got a redo and your last taste of WDW for years was happy. We have stayed at POP for several trips and after the last one I said I didn't want to go back just so we could get a taste of something else. Now I'm thinking I might be ready to go back.

It certainly made Evie's first trip memorable, that's for sure. I had no intentions of even writing this report, but then I realized it wouldn't be fair to Evie to have a report for Landon and not one for her. So, all the ugly bits are written down for memory. Hah!

I don't like the new opening procedure at MK, because I doubt I'll ever get those empty Main Street photos. However, I get why they had to do it. That space between the tunnel and the tapstiles got insanely congested in the mornings.

 

[amazingact21]

An April Day Trip Part 1:


Before Alex and I could head down to his parent’s house and enjoy a few hours in the Magic Kingdom, a lot had to happen first.

April began with celebrating Landon’s 3rd birthday:


(He was really into Jake and the Neverland Pirates at the time.)


And then, four days later, on the 11th, the move officially kicked off with our Unaccompanied Baggage getting packed.




For those of you who don’t know, when the military moves you overseas, they give you the option of sending two different shipments of stuff to your new home. The first one (Unaccompanied Baggage) has a small weight limit and it is sent via air so it theoretically will arrive sooner. The purpose of it is to get those essential items you cannot live without back in your possession ASAP. You can’t send furniture with them, but the military provides loaner stuff for you to rent out.

My unaccompanied baggage weighed 333 lbs total and consisted of mostly kids’ toys, high chairs, linens and towels, tools, extra dog food, all but the uniforms Alex was hand carrying with us, and most of my kitchen essentials.

It only took 6 weeks for the baggage to make it to Germany, and that was the perfect amount of time. The day we signed the lease for our rental was the day we got our temporary beds and this stuff.

I cannot stress enough how amazing it was to get some of our things back. We spent from the 11th of April to the 21st of May living out of 4 suitcases, so seeing our old toys and clothes was the greatest thing ever. And not having to use the lodging’s shoddy pots and pans, anymore…glorious!

I only wish I had gotten close to our 600 lb weight limit. When we head home I am going to send so much more!


Four days after our UB left our possession, the real packers came and spent all of the 15th and 16th boxing and loading our house up. (This was called our Household Goods.) Everything had to be wrapped and any furniture that could come apart had to in order to get it as small as possible.



You’re given a weight limit for this one, as well, based on your family size and rank, but I can’t remember what ours was. Nor can I think of how much ours came in at. I want to say 700 something?

The goods were shipped on a cargo ship and that caused it to take a long time to get to us.

The crates hit German land around June 12th, but the soonest the movers had available to deliver was June 23rd.

10 weeks, total.

It was safe to say we missed our beds something fierce.


My parents lived in the same town as us so after our home was packed, we bunked with them.

April 18th, the following Monday, I closed up shop at our home for the final time while Alex drove to Atlanta to drop our car off at a port. It was being shipped to us (I want to say it arrived June 21st, so about 9 weeks later.) We made the call to rent a minivan for the few weeks we had left in the states, and it was such a great decision.


When we drove down to my in-laws the following morning, we had such a smooth trip. There was ample room for the kids’ car seats, our Pack & Play, and the two suitcases we brought with us.


While at the family’s house, we spent some time at the beach.



I desperately miss that sight now!


And overall just relaxing. We used the time to let the grandparents watch the kids while Alex and I just tried to recoup from the stress of the move. It had been a long, long month. The packers were just the tip of the iceberg when it came to getting us to Germany. Believe it or not, it was one of the easiest parts about the move!

We still had to take our dog to the vet to get a 10 day health clearance and sell Alex’s car, but that was small stuff in comparison. I was just grateful I didn’t have to think about what needed to go in what list, what the perfect airline carrier was for our pet, what flight we were going to be on, how many bags I would be allotted, etc etc.


Of course, being that close to Moving Day (we left on May 3rd.) brought with it a whole slew of new stresses. I had no idea what was waiting for us once we got off the plane in Germany. I had never flown on a plane before, and doing it with two little kids and a dog was intimidating me. And then there was the bigger ordeal of knowing we were saying our goodbyes to family for three years.

The stress was still there, and that’s why our day trip to the Magic Kingdom couldn’t have come at a better time.

I seriously needed a day where I stopped thinking about the words: move, fly, overseas, goodbye!



So, we all woke up bright and early April 22nd and got ready to go. Alex’s brother works for a bus company in Orlando (his frequent job is shuttling Disney Wedding groups around…how cool!) and he is allowed one ticket to each park, including the water parks, for him and one other person every year. So the minute we got the green light to go to Disney, we called him up and told him to get his butt in gear and get his tickets!

He did, fortunately, and so we were meeting him at the TTC while Alex’s mom drove with us and used his guest pass.

We stopped by a Dunkin Donuts along the way to grab some coffee for me and donut holes for the car. Landon was over joyed and we hadn’t even gotten him to the good stuff yet. The ride took about 45 minutes, and we found my BiL shortly after we finished sunscreening everybody up.


Time to board the monorail and go in!

Alex and I impressed my MIL a bit by showing her the long line at the Express Monorail and leading her instead to the resort one. We hardly waited at all before we climbed aboard an arriving rail.

Bingo.


On our way to the in-law’s house a few days earlier, Alex and I had stopped by Shades of Green and bought Landon his first ever park ticket as well as getting each of us some tickets for another park. (Alex and I still had valid APs.) I went ahead and linked Landon’s ticket to MDE and booked the three of us a few Fastpasses. The tentative goal was to stop by a kiosk once we got in the park and try to link my BIL and MIL’s passes to ours.


Before we could even do that, though, I spotted a 15 minute posted wait time for Micket in Town Square and couldn’t resist.

Evie had yet to meet Mickey Mouse, and we intentionally didn’t tell my MIL that the mouse talked, hoping it would be a fun surprise.


We ended up waiting close to 20 minutes, but no one in my party cared. We were all having fun entertaining the kids and chatting.








When it was our turn, Landon ran right up to Mickey, excited to say hello.





Mickey asked him to dance, which happened to be one of Landon’s favorite pasttimes.






And then it was time for some group shots.





Aside from staring hard at his nose, Evie did not pay too much to Mickey. She mostly just watched her older brother make a bunch of noise.

But hey, at least she got to meet him!

Something that never got to happen on our February trip.


When we were finished with the meet and greet, Alex and I walked the group to Main Street so that we could get a good glimpse of Cinderella’s Castle.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2jqoojL]f1 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr[/URL]

Such a beautiful sight.



While only April, we were in Florida and therefore it was about 80 million degrees out, so we walked over to Cosmic Rays to pick up a couple cups of water. My BIL hadn’t remembered sunscreen so this also gave him the time to borrow some from us.

So far, this MK experience was going much better than our last:




Because of our unexpected stop with Mickey, we were already in the window for our first Fastpass. Actually, we only had about fifteen minutes left to use it.

A good daughter in-law would have gone and found a kiosk right then and there.

But I wasn’t one that morning.


You see, our pass was for something really special, and I wasn’t going to let anything mess up our opportunity to go on it.

Not even family duties.

My in-laws were on their own for this one!



Up Next…Our fun-filled morning continues.

 

[rdkeim]

Wow stress with a capital S! Just a regular move is stressful enough - I can't even imagine what yours entailed. Sounds like a fun day trip so far!

 

[afwdwfan]

April began with celebrating Landon’s 3rd birthday:

Awesome cake!

It only took 6 weeks for the baggage to make it to Germany, and that was the perfect amount of time. The day we signed the lease for our rental was the day we got our temporary beds and this stuff.

Wow. I'm glad it was timed so well.

I cannot stress enough how amazing it was to get some of our things back. We spent from the 11th of April to the 21st of May living out of 4 suitcases, so seeing our old toys and clothes was the greatest thing ever. And not having to use the lodging’s shody pots and pans, anymore…glorious!

I just can't even imagine.

The crates hit German land around June 12th, but the soonest the movers had available to deliver was June 23rd.

10 weeks, total.

It was safe to say we missed our beds something fierce.

So, what kind of things did you pack? I mean I've never had to make a move like that. Did most of your stuff that you didn't have room for go to storage, get sold or donated? I assume you'll go through the same process when moving back? Sorry for taking you off topic. You might be too traumatized to want to even talk about it. I'm stressed just reading about it and trying to understand it all.

We made the call to rent a minivan for the few weeks we had left in the states, and it was such a great decision.


When we drove down to my inlaws the following morning, we had such a smooth trip. There was ample room for the kids’ car seats, our Pack & Play, and the two suitcases we brought with us.

So, is this your way of saying your first vehicle when you get back to the States will be a minivan?

Of course, being that close to Moving Day (we left on May 3rd.) brought with it a whole slew of new stresses. I had no idea what was waiting for us once we got off the plane in Germany. I had never flown on a plane before, and doing it with two little kids and a dog was intimidating me. And then there was the bigger ordeal of knowing we were saying our goodbyes to family for three years.

Again, I just can't even imagine the stress. And for this to be your first time on a plane! Holy cow! Talk about diving into the deep end.

We stopped by a Dunkin Donuts along the way to grab some coffee for me and donut holes for the car. Landon was over joyed and we hadn’t even gotten him to the good stuff yet.

At his age, donut holes are the good stuff. There's not much better.

Aside from staring hard at his nose, Evie did not pay too much to Mickey. She mostly just watched her older brother make a bunch of noise.

But hey, at least she got to meet him!

Something that never got to happen on our February trip.

That's awesome. It looks like a successful meet!

A good daughter in-law would have gone and found a kiosk right then and there.

But I wasn’t one that morning.

You can use your best Disney manners and use 2 fingers to point them in the appropriate direction of the nearest kiosk...

You see, our pass was for something really special, and I wasn’t going to let anything mess up our opportunity to go on it.

Not even family duties.

Honestly, after the last time you stepped foot in MK, you have the right to do what is best for you, Alex and the kids. I'm pretty sure they'd understand.

And if not, you're getting ready to move away from them for a few years so who cares?

 

[toony]

I'm hooked! Great trip report so far!!
Love your writing style.

 

[toony]

Oh boy. So sorry you had to end the trip early.

 

[SarahDisney]

Wow, the move really sounds stressful - I'm glad everything worked out and you got all of your stuff eventually. There's nothing like being able to sleep in your own bed ... especially when you haven't slept there in a while.

Meeting Mickey is a great way to start the day at MK. I'm glad this day seemed to be working out much better than the last trip to MK!

 

[amazingact21]

Wow stress with a capital S! Just a regular move is stressful enough - I can't even imagine what yours entailed. Sounds like a fun day trip so far!

Moving overseas was probably one of the most stressful things I have ever done in my life, but now that we are here and all settled in, I'm glad we could do it. My husband requested to be sent to Europe, and I don't regret the decision at all. And now that we're familiar with the process, anywhere we go from this point on will be a breeze!

Awesome cake!

Wow. I'm glad it was timed so well.

I just can't even imagine.

So, what kind of things did you pack? I mean I've never had to make a move like that. Did most of your stuff that you didn't have room for go to storage, get sold or donated? I assume you'll go through the same process when moving back? Sorry for taking you off topic. You might be too traumatized to want to even talk about it. I'm stressed just reading about it and trying to understand it all.

We downsized a lot before the move. The military offers to pay for storage while you're overseas, but we opted not to go that route.
We ended up selling our 2nd car, Alex's motorcycle, our washer and dryer, microwave, treadmill, and all the spare furniture we could part with. (Extra chairs, entertainment stands, etc.) The military provides us washers and microwaves here (since Europeans use different types) and most of our appliances we keep stored in our attic. (Most of our stuff doesn't work with the different voltage here. We were given some transformers to use but they kill the motors in the devices fast and use a ton of electricity. I usually save it for the vacuum, Landon's tablet, and rice cooker.) There's a popular thrift store on base that people use as kind of a turn around service. We got our house phone, coffee pot, toaster, and crockpot from people who donated them right before they left Germany. And we'll do the same with the items when we leave.

My parents were kind enough to keep our trailer, house plants, and firearms at their house while we are over here, and we'll just pick them back up when we go back.

So, is this your way of saying your first vehicle when you get back to the States will be a minivan?

Indeed! We already have our "minivan" fund set up. We're hoping to ship our CR-V back when we move, and then as soon as we get back to the states we buy a van to share until our car arrives.

Again, I just can't even imagine the stress. And for this to be your first time on a plane! Holy cow! Talk about diving into the deep end.

At his age, donut holes are the good stuff. There's not much better.

That's awesome. It looks like a successful meet!

You can use your best Disney manners and use 2 fingers to point them in the appropriate direction of the nearest kiosk...

Honestly, after the last time you stepped foot in MK, you have the right to do what is best for you, Alex and the kids. I'm pretty sure they'd understand.

And if not, you're getting ready to move away from them for a few years so who cares?

I wouldn't recommend anyone fly internationally for their first flying experience. I had a quick learning curve.

I can get Landon to do pretty much anything with the temptation of donuts.

Fortunately, my family was really understanding. My MIL could have cared less, actually. She is not a Disney person. She was only there because she getting to spend time with her grandkids and it cost her nothing but park food.
And, ironically enough, we are still seeing family while here. My mom came to visit last September. Alex's parents are coming in a few weeks, and my sister in-law is stopping by in March.