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

[amazingact21]

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

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

Thanks for reading! I appreciate it.
February was not our best trip. To put it mildly. However, April was much better, and I'm enjoying writing about that experience a lot.

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!

Aside from the first night we were in Germany and we were getting to sleep after 48 hours of flying, that night we got our beds back was the best night of sleep I'd had after the move. It was wonderful. And now that we are settled in and established, that craziness is just a fun memory. I won't have to think about any of that packing madness for another 2 years.

Meeting Mickey really was a great way to kick off the day. I feel like it set the tone for the rest of the day. I almost wish we could start all MK days that way.

 

[natebenma]

I love the photo of Landon for his 3rd birthday celebration. Spoiler alert... I will have a major Jake and the Neverland Pirates episode in my anniversary trip report.

It was fascinating to learn about the process of your overseas move. And another opportunity to say "Thank you!" to Alex for his service and to your immediate and extended family for your sacrifices.

Either I had forgotten or I didn't know you had never flown before. Wow!

Awesome start to your April trip!

You haven't even left Main Street and already it has been memorable.

Evie looks so much like you in the photo while you are in line for talking Mickey.

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

I'm loving this trip so much more already
Evie and Landon are wee dotes (very cute kids indeed).
Love all the photos with you and Mickey

 

[Imagineer5]

Aw great start to the day!! Cute pics with Mickey. It looks like the wait was fun too!

 

[amazingact21]

I love the photo of Landon for his 3rd birthday celebration. Spoiler alert... I will have a major Jake and the Neverland Pirates episode in my anniversary trip report.

It was fascinating to learn about the process of your overseas move. And another opportunity to say "Thank you!" to Alex for his service and to your immediate and extended family for your sacrifices.

Either I had forgotten or I didn't know you had never flown before. Wow!

Awesome start to your April trip!

You haven't even left Main Street and already it has been memorable.

Evie looks so much like you in the photo while you are in line for talking Mickey.

I'll have to be sure and read that update with Landon. As he gets older, he's starting to enjoy listening to me read reports and look at the photos. He enjoys naming the characters.

We did have a great start to our April trip. Everything was a thousand times better than February.
Evie looked a lot like me when she was an infant; nowadays she resembles her paternal grandmother.

I'm loving this trip so much more already
Evie and Landon are wee dotes (very cute kids indeed).
Love all the photos with you and Mickey

Aw thank you.
I have been having fun going back and looking at the photos from this April trip. I definitely needed those cheery photos after writing so many depressing updates covering February's mess.

Aw great start to the day!! Cute pics with Mickey. It looks like the wait was fun too!

Landon's interaction with Mickey was great. I loved how interested in the characters he was at that age.
It was nice to be able to talk to my inlaws while we waited (inside the air conditioning) and allow them to wrangle the kids for a change.

 

[amazingact21]

An April Day Trip Part 2:


When I last left you all, my immediate family had a set of Fastpasses that were fast approaching their midnight hour. If Alex and I didn’t hustle over to the attraction, we’d be at the mercy of whatever kind and generous Cast Member was working the entrance to let us in.

I’m sure you all have a pretty good idea of what our passes were for, right?

I mean, there’s only a handful of MK attractions that are important enough to ditch our newbie loved ones.

And if you guessed a coaster, you’d be absolutely correct.

But it wasn’t Mine Train.

No, Alex and I STILL have not gone on that. (I mean, really, now it’s just becoming absurd. I’ve been to the park 6 times since it opened. Will I EVER experience the darn ride??)

It wasn’t for Space Mountain.

Alex is too tall to be completely comfortable on that, so it’s one we tend to skip.


And it wasn’t Splash or Thunder, either. Those were currently on the opposite side of the park we were at.


Well, you may be asking yourself, “What’s left?”
Good question.

The answer?

Barnstormer!

Yes, THE Barnstormer.

Better yet, the coaster in the park that had a height requirement of 35 inches. Which just so happened to be one inch shorter than our toddler was at present.

Alex and I were taking Landon on his very first roller coaster!!!

Yes, we were pressing to use our Fastpass on a kiddie attraction that lasts approximately 12 seconds start to finish. No, we did not think we were crazy.

We’re talking about a Disney kid milestone here!

He was supposed to try Barnstormer back in February, but since we didn’t make it past Main Street on that trip (I think we can all agree calling that week ‘vacation’ would be a bit of a stretch.) this was Number 1 on Alex and I’s Must Do’s for that day.

And because we aren’t total monsters and wanted to continue to show off our Disney tips, when we got to the entrance of the attraction, Alex picked up a Rider Swap and our in-laws took Evie to a shaded corner to wait for us.


The time for Landon to get his thrill on had arrived!

f1 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


f2 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

I told Alex he could sit with Landon on this first ride, because I called dibbs on Thunder Mtn. We’ve actually already divvied up which coasters we get to take each kid on first. I mean, that’s just smart Disney parenting, right?


Since I was riding solo, I sat in front of them to try and snap some pictures to commemorate the event.



This also happened to be Alex’s first time on Barnstomer, as well, and he was pleasantly surprised at the speed of it.

Landon seemed pretty trepidatious at first, but near the end we got a smile out of him.








As you all know, the ride was over seconds after it began. We asked Landon if he wanted to go on it again, and at first he hesitated, but then we got him back with the rest of our group and he got a second wave. My BIL hinted that he would be interested in trying the attraction, so Alex let him go ahead and use the Rider Swap. He could have come along, too, but we didn’t feel right leaving our MIL alone so he sat back and chatted with his mom while I took a turn sitting next to Landon.



I wouldn’t say Landon LOVED the coaster, but he definitely didn’t dislike it; we think the speed of the ride made him a little uneasy.

Alex and I wanted to get MIL on an attraction after she was gracious enough to watch Evie for us, and Landon was hollering for Dumbo by that point. He could see it off in the distance and really wanted to go on it. In fact, that was the biggest reason he hesitated to ride Barnstormer a second time; he wanted get his Dumbo on. We had to promise him we would go directly there afterwards.

Standby was only about a ten minute wait, but we asked to go into the indoor play area for a few minutes, because we wanted Landon to cool off and Evie needed to eat. So my BIL and Alex took Landon off to roam around while my MIL and I found a spot on the bleachers to sit.


Landon didn’t last long, though. Alex thinks he was too excited about Dumbo to want to play on the slides. We ended up handing our pager back to the CM and exiting before we needed to.

This was Evie’s first Dumbo experience!



She was really interested in watching the elephants move up and down and the water features. At six months old, it was fun for me to see her so much more interested in aspects of the park compared to our visit when she was 4 months old. Landon’s first trip was at 8 months, and I really think that 6 to 8 month window is the best time to take a baby. They are pre-walkers but old enough to take in their surroundings and react to things they like.




Or they could also get completely distracted by Mom’s hair. Whatever. Can’t win them all.


When our turn arrived, Alex and I squeezed into a vehicle with Evie while Landon rode with his MiMi and BIL rode solo.

Evie loved playing with the joystick; I don’t think she noticed we were moving up and down.




When we got off, Landon came up to Alex and I all excited and bouncy. It was amusing to me, because the last few trips this kid was all about Small World- that was his bread and butter, but it appeared his tastes were evolving and Dumbo was the new frontrunner in his adorable little mind.

My kid was growing up, and while I was intrigued to witness the change, it was also a little sad to know he was old enough to “move on” from an old love and discover a new one. How did he get to be 3 already? It felt like yesterday we were JUST bringing him to Disney for the very first time.


Evie was falling asleep in Alex’s arms by the time we retrieved our stroller from the parking area. She was past due for her morning nap, and so we set her down in her seat and she crashed immediately. That limited what we could do next, because we didn’t want her to miss out on Small World or the Carousel or any other Fantasyland highlights.


We made our way over to the restrooms by the splash pad area so we could all take a break and come up with a plan. While we were over there, Alex noticed that the posted waits time for the characters in the big tent were reasonable. Landon’s reaction to Mickey had been really positive, so we suggested seeing how he did with another meet.

My MIL offered to park the stroller with the sleeping Evie in the shade while the rest of us went inside, which was really sweet of her. It allowed Alex and me to spend a few minutes alone with Landon, and I think that meant the world to him. Usually, we have to tag team; it’s rare Landon gets BOTH our undivided attention.

I, personally, wanted to meet Daisy Duck since that’s not someone we see very often, but the wait time for her was longer and when asked, Landon said he wanted to see Donald.

All right then.


First up was Goofy and while he was fun, he wasn’t the best. It was almost like he didn’t know how to interact with a toddler. He greeted Landon by trying to orchestrate this complex handshake, and after a high five and fist bump Landon just kind of stood there and stared at him. Alex and I jumped in quick to get our pictures and move on.

f3 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr





There were a couple families in front of us when we finished with Goofy, and we had to wait a minute or two before reaching Donald. However, Landon could see the duck up ahead, and he became really excited. He kept pointing and shouting, “That’s Donald! Donald! Silly Donald!”

Seeing him so thrilled, I made the call to let him go through the meet and greet alone. I figured if he was that happy to see the character, he was old enough to handle some one on one time with him.

Another “grown up” first for Landon on this trip.

It ended up working out perfectly. When our turn came around, Donald held out his arms and Landon ran straight into the hug.





Then we got my favorite picture of the trip:





Landon did great with the meet, and not only did I get my favorite photo right then, that was probably my favorite activity we did on that trip.
(Amusingly enough, it wasn’t Landon’s. He had something happen a few days later that he enjoyed much more.)


We went into the gift shop when we were finished and bought ourselves a big water of bottle then reunited with my MIL and Evie, who was starting to wake up.




Up Next…The Things You’ll Endure for your Child

 

[natebenma]

What a great update!

on the priority for Barnstormer. I have never been on it and I'm not sure I have even seen it. My time in that area has been very limited and I had never taken a step into Mickeystoontown. Nice picture of the two of you on the ride.

Evie had her first ride on Dumbo at 6 months. Mine was at age 51 and my husband was 52 when we first experienced the elephant. The pictures of Evie at and on Dumbo are very cute!

That was such a fantastic meet with Donald.

#1!!!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Loving it all! Landon's wee face on Barnstormer is so cute My youngest, who's now the grand old age of 10, still loves the Barnstormer and Dumbo too for that matter
Evie really is taking it all in isn't she. The look of concentration on her wee face at Dumbo says it all
As for the photos of Landon and Donald-simply priceless!!
I'm always a wee bit jealous of other people's character photos as my littlest son is very wary of characters. He doesn't mind seeing them in the distance but doesn't ever want to get close
Mind you when I see some of the queues for them I'm also a little bit grateful

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

Making lots of memories today. Landon's first ride on Barnstormer and Evie's on Dumbo.

I just love your favorite picture with Donald. Adorable!

 

[KarriTigger]

Long time reader, first time commenter! love your writing style...and that you're living Disney through the eyes of your children! Awesome stuff!

 

[Imagineer5]

We’ve actually already divvied up which coasters we get to take each kid on first. I mean, that’s just smart Disney parenting, right?

We did that too, but it all got messed up with my pregnant-at-Disneyland-Paris trip! LOL. Andrew got to take Aria on BTMRR there, and thus I got to take her on Splash when we went to WDW in January. But Splash is more Andrew's favorite...oh well! 7DMT was ALllll me too, but that's mainly because I was the only one there for that

Alex and I wanted to get MIL on an attraction after she was gracious enough to watch Evie for us, and Landon was hollering for Dumbo by that point. He could see it off in the distance and really wanted to go on it. In fact, that was the biggest reason he hesitated to ride Barnstormer a second time; he wanted get his Dumbo on. We had to promise him we would go directly there afterwards.

So nice having family there willing to sit with the kiddos!

Get ready for him to move on even from Dumbo!! I had to convince Aria to ride it in December, she was much more interested in running off to 7DMT and I had to remind her that Dumbo was something all of us could do! (She does love the play area inside though).

and I really think that 6 to 8 month window is the best time to take a baby.

Agreed, we took one of our best ever trips when Aria was 8 months old, and Maya at 9 months old at DL was SO great. It's before any fear of characters, but they are old enough to sit in a high chair / eat snacks (nice for restaurants!) AND they enjoy the rides! Really fun age.

My MIL offered to park the stroller with the sleeping Evie in the shade while the rest of us went inside, which was really sweet of her. It allowed Alex and me to spend a few minutes alone with Landon, and I think that meant the world to

So sweet, glad you had that time with him!

Donald held out his arms and Landon ran straight into the hug.

Aww love this, and love the photos you got!!

 

[amazingact21]

What a great update!

on the priority for Barnstormer. I have never been on it and I'm not sure I have even seen it. My time in that area has been very limited and I had never taken a step into Mickeystoontown. Nice picture of the two of you on the ride.

Evie had her first ride on Dumbo at 6 months. Mine was at age 51 and my husband was 52 when we first experienced the elephant. The pictures of Evie at and on Dumbo are very cute!

That was such a fantastic meet with Donald.

#1!!!

Barnstormer is cute, but it's nothing worth waiting in line for. It's definitely designed for toddlers.

At the rate I'm going, I feel like I'll be 51 before I ride Mine Train. I feel like a lot of people must have an attraction or show that they always seem to miss each trip. Although, I'm really glad you have finally ridden Dumbo!

Loving it all! Landon's wee face on Barnstormer is so cute My youngest, who's now the grand old age of 10, still loves the Barnstormer and Dumbo too for that matter
Evie really is taking it all in isn't she. The look of concentration on her wee face at Dumbo says it all
As for the photos of Landon and Donald-simply priceless!!
I'm always a wee bit jealous of other people's character photos as my littlest son is very wary of characters. He doesn't mind seeing them in the distance but doesn't ever want to get close
Mind you when I see some of the queues for them I'm also a little bit grateful

It's good to know Barnstormer is still a hit at 10. I wondered if the fascination would disappear once the kids were tall enough for rides like Thunder.

I feel like I am going to be in the same boat as you once we take Evie back to Disney. She is a very shy girl, and she's not so crazy about the characters. Hopefully when we reach that point, Landon will be out of his character phase.
I'm sure it is a nice relief not to have to waste FPs on meet and greets or rush to a certain line right at rope drop!

Making lots of memories today. Landon's first ride on Barnstormer and Evie's on Dumbo.

I just love your favorite picture with Donald. Adorable!

MK is such a great park to tour with toddlers.
I was so excited when I signed on to our MDE account later that evening and saw the photo with Donald. It's one that's going to be pulled out later when I'm missing the kids being so little and sweet.

 

[amazingact21]

Long time reader, first time commenter! love your writing style...and that you're living Disney through the eyes of your children! Awesome stuff!

Thank you for reading!

I always loved Disney before I had my kids, but now that I get to take them to the parks, I've gained a whole new appreciation for WDW.
However....I won't lie, I cannot wait to go back sans kids one day and get to ride the coasters without a Rider Swap.

We did that too, but it all got messed up with my pregnant-at-Disneyland-Paris trip! LOL. Andrew got to take Aria on BTMRR there, and thus I got to take her on Splash when we went to WDW in January. But Splash is more Andrew's favorite...oh well! 7DMT was ALllll me too, but that's mainly because I was the only one there for that

So nice having family there willing to sit with the kiddos!

Get ready for him to move on even from Dumbo!! I had to convince Aria to ride it in December, she was much more interested in running off to 7DMT and I had to remind her that Dumbo was something all of us could do! (She does love the play area inside though).

Agreed, we took one of our best ever trips when Aria was 8 months old, and Maya at 9 months old at DL was SO great. It's before any fear of characters, but they are old enough to sit in a high chair / eat snacks (nice for restaurants!) AND they enjoy the rides! Really fun age.

So sweet, glad you had that time with him!
Aww love this, and love the photos you got!!

I can completely believe the kid's interest evolving as they get bigger. I'm not sure if you rode it while in DL Paris, but there was a Slinky Dog ride that basically went in circles and had small drops. Well, Landon LOVED it. We had to ride it 4 times in a row. We had the opportunity to go to EMH and ride Dumbo and Peter Pan's Flight a second morning, but all Landon wanted to do was ride that Slinky attraction.
And I'm afraid Evie is going to be even worse. She is a crazy daredevil at 1!

I didn't even think about the dining advantages of babies. Being able to sit them in highchairs and give them simple foods is a lifesaver, especially when you're dealing with other kids.

 

[rdkeim]

Great update! Such a sweet picture of your DS with Donald. I can see why it's a favorite. My sister and I did a sisters trip last March and I finally rode Dumbo at age 64! When my boys were younger (which was late 80's, early 90's) the old style line was always too long. When they were older, they had no interest in it. Have never done Barnstormer but hope to experience Disney with our new grandson in the years to come. My daughter-in-law is somewhat anti-Disney but I hope to win her over

 

[Jenny Sanders]

So glad you got a redo!!!!!

 

[SarahDisney]

I think that the first time when your kid is tall enough for a roller coaster is one of the greatest moments ever. I'm glad that Landon liked the ride a little, even if he didn't love it. (And the speed makes me a little uneasy too sometimes ... and I'm a little older than Landon!)

I love the pictures of Landon and Donald Duck! So cute!

 

[amazingact21]

Great update! Such a sweet picture of your DS with Donald. I can see why it's a favorite. My sister and I did a sisters trip last March and I finally rode Dumbo at age 64! When my boys were younger (which was late 80's, early 90's) the old style line was always too long. When they were older, they had no interest in it. Have never done Barnstormer but hope to experience Disney with our new grandson in the years to come. My daughter-in-law is somewhat anti-Disney but I hope to win her over

I remember that old line for Dumbo. It was ridiculous! Disney was brilliant when they decided to add that second one and create an indoor play area. So much better now. I'm glad you were able to try it, eventually! Geared for younger kids or not, it's actually pretty fun.
Hopefully you'll be able to take your grandson one day. Everyone needs to experience Disney at least once!
(And if my children are any indicator, the kids tend to have more fun when a grandparent is present.)

So glad you got a redo!!!!!

This MK day was a million times better than our last one!

I think that the first time when your kid is tall enough for a roller coaster is one of the greatest moments ever. I'm glad that Landon liked the ride a little, even if he didn't love it. (And the speed makes me a little uneasy too sometimes ... and I'm a little older than Landon!)

I love the pictures of Landon and Donald Duck! So cute!

It was so fun watching Landon climb aboard his first coaster. When anyone gets to do a Disney first, it's really exciting. And now that he's old enough to ride Mine Train, I am so happy him and I get to experience it for the first time together. Makes me want to return!

 

[amazingact21]

April Day Trip Part 3:

We were all feeling a little peckish after meeting Donald (or in Evie’s case, napping) so I made the command decision to take everyone to Pinocchio’s Village Haus for lunch. It’s simple fare there, but I like it. With little kids, Alex and I tend to spend the majority of our time in Fanstasyland, and Pinocchio’s is in a primary location so it’s our go-to Quick Service restaurant.


My BIL and I took the kids and headed up to the second story of the building and found two tables to combine to give everyone plenty of room. Everyone but my BIL ordered the flatbread pizzas and we also had a breadstick combo for the table. It was a decent meal, nothing extraordinary, but it hit the spot and the air conditioning was great. Everyone took their time and enjoyed each other’s company.

Once lunch was finished, I needed to keep my tradition with Landon going and take him to ride Small World. Every time we have visited the MK, Landon and I have had to take a turn on this classic.

It’s a tradition!

The only problem was that it was 12:30 in the afternoon and peak park time.

EVERYBODY else had the same idea as me and the standby time was 30 minutes. The line was packed, and we were in the very last switchback left in the queue. Normally, I would NEVER have tolerated such a long wait for a boat ride, but we only had the one day.


So wait we did.

The things you do for your kids…

This was also Evie’s very first time on It’s a Small World, and because I had let Landon ride with my mother his inaugural trip, I thought it fitting if Evie rode with Alex’s mother.

*Interesting fact: my MIL grew up in NY and visited the World’s Fair in 1964. She told me she couldn’t remember the specifics, but she was sure her father took her on the attraction while there.*

How cool is that?!


I haven’t met a baby around that isn’t enthralled by Small World, and Evie was no exception.




She was so interested in the animatronics that her eyes remained glued to her right. About halfway through, my BIL commented, “You could take her on this again and sit on the left, and it’d be a whole new ride for her!”


From the get-go, Landon knew what was in store for him and was ready to go.



It’s difficult to tell in the photo, but he was sitting straight up in the boat, waiting anxiously for the ride to begin.


He could say Dumbo was his favorite ride of the day, but he couldn’t fool me. He still loved that catchy song and those rooms full of dancing people and animals.


The sun was blazing when we stepped back outside. This is where my memory gets away from me, because I can’t remember what we did next. I think we went into the pin store in Frontierland to let Alex check out the merchandise, but I can’t make any promises on that.

I do know, though, that around 2:15pm my group found a seat near the outside area of Pecos Bill to wait for the parade. My BIL and I left the others to keep our spots and went to pick up a couple Dole Whips for everyone to share. The line for the treats was crazy busy, as usual. It’s unbelievable that they moved the sales counter to a bigger location and it STILL doesn’t cut it.

They need an entire building just for Dole Whips.


This was my first time getting a Dole Whip here, and I was heartbroken to discover they didn’t sell the vanilla/pineapple swirl there. I had that when I was pregnant with Evie in February of 2015 and fell in love with it. It was the perfect combination of sweet and tangy. While I enjoy Dole Whips and their floats, I can only handle one every few trips or so. They are just so big and overpowering pineapple-y. But that swirl….man I could have gotten one a day and been good.


Still a little upset over my superficial loss, I just got the regular Dole Whip soft serve for the kids and me to split. Alex hates pineapple (and coconut. He’s basically going to be the biggest part pooper ever when I get him to Hawaii.) but he took a few bites of the dessert since I left out the juice. The food was the perfect thing to eat while waiting for the parade. It gave us a tiny bit of respite from the heat.

Man, that day was unbelievably warm for April. None of us were expecting it. It was probably the hottest day of our entire trip.

No matter to me, though.


I did Disney in July while pregnant.

I could handle anything from then on.

Seriously.

Anything.



The Festival of Fantasy began right at 3 o’clock and, as always, it was amazing.






Landon waved to all his favorites.




There seemed to be a Cast Member or a friend that knew a lot of the parade people who was there with some small children sitting to our right. She would call out a word or name and grab the performer’s eye and receive a lot of attention, which meant Landon was pretty much overlooked, but he didn’t seem to mind. It wasn’t really that big a deal except the girl was being pretty obnoxious about it.

It was like she was screaming to everyone in a ten mile radius:

“I’m with them! I know them! Look, look, over here! It’s meeeee!”


Dial it down, sweetie.





When Maleficent came out in her dragon form and breathed fire right in front of us, I heard my MIL whisper, “Now THAT’S cool.”

I don’t think she intended for anyone to hear, but it made my day. Heck, it made my whole week!

We impressed my non-Disney family with Disney.

Oh, yes!

We rock.


Honestly, I think she was pleasantly surprised with the parade. I am sure she was expecting some floats with characters riding on top waving and that was about it. I’m pretty sure the details that were involved in the sets and the fact that Disney went with a steampunk style for the Sleeping Beauty portion wasn’t something she expected. She was still in the mindset Disney was kid-centered and immature.

Boom.

Alex and I burst that bubble.


At the end of the parade, Alex and I conferred and agreed that we should make our way to the front of the park and head out. It wasn’t something we wanted to do, but realistically it was the smartest plan. We had an hour drive back home, and the kids were pretty hot and uncomfortable.


My BIL stayed in the park since he only had the one day ticket. He parted ways with us right after FOF was over to go shop for an ipad case. He ended up finding one he wanted and he played some Sorcerer’s of the Magic Kingdom and found a nice bench to relax on while he waited for Wishes that evening.

It sounded like a pleasant time and it made me look forward to the day when I have that kind of freedom.


On Main St. I remembered to stop for a few Photopass pictures on our way out.



The Ron Jon’s hat that Landon is wearing? Yeah, that was found at my MIL’s house last summer. It belonged to Alex as a kid, which I think is hilariously adorable.





It had been a long time since Alex and I had stayed in the Magic Kingdom for more than a few hours, and it was nice to experience that change of pace. Variety is the spice of life, and I enjoyed our loose touring style. The two of us went in with only two Must Do’s, and we left the day open to unfold as it would. Overall, I think it turned out well.

Alex regretted leaving so early, but anything short of park closing would have made him feel that way. He is the type of Disney fan who wants to spend every moment in the parks, whereas I am happy with short bursts here and there.

At the TTC, Alex took the kids for diaper changes, and while I was sitting next to my MIL, I turned to look towards the monorail station and get one last look.

That was the last time we were going to be in the Magic Kingdom for a long, long time. We had no idea if we were coming home while in Germany (still don’t, by the way) so I had to go with the assumption that it would be summer of 2019 before we returned.

3 whole years away from Cinderella’s Castle and Thunder Mtn and Wishes. (Obviously, I didn’t think Wishes was going anywhere before the 50th Anniversary.)


I guess my emotions were evident on my face, because my MIL let out a gasp and proclaimed, “This is you guy’s last visit! Oh, that’s so sad! Let’s go back in.”

Since she was such a non-Disney fan that could have easily come off as sarcastic but the sweet thing about it was that it wasn’t. It had just dawned on my MIL that her son was leaving something he was passionate about, and she felt bad.

I can’t remember what I said, but I let her know that we were okay. Alex and I had decided together to apply for overseas bases; we knew what it would mean if we got one. We thought long and hard and concluded that missing a few years’ worth of Disney vacations (probably 6 total had we stayed in FL) was worth the chance to tour Europe.


And my MIL, still being super sweet, said, “Well, you guys are going to come back to visit.”

“Yes, but if we do make that long trip back, we would only have a few weeks, and we would want to use that time to visit family.”

(Okay, not completely true there, but hey, she was extending the olive branch. The least I could do was return the favor.)

“Oh, if you come visit me, we can do another day trip like this. It would be easy.”


You all and I both know if Alex is flying two little kids back to the states, he’s going to want more than a day trip to Disney, but the conversation as a whole was extremely thoughtful and nice. I think my MIL knows that just because she doesn’t get our love, she accepts that it’s what works for our family.

And her trying to take us back into the park was a great way to end our day. We were leaving on a high note, and Alex and I had a secret between us that we were keeping under wraps.

The plan after our MK visit was to go back to the in-law’s house, spend the following day hanging out with family, and then Sunday afternoon (two days from then) we were all going to head over to Universal Studios. My BIL and SIL are Annual Passholders there and live, literally, 5 minutes away from the park. They had been trying to get us there for years, and neither Alex or I had ever seen the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Alex and I realized we needed to get that knocked out before we moved, and we saw it as a perfect way to spend some time with the siblings.


That was all planned out and decided weeks before the MK day trip came about.


And the plan afterwards was to head back to my parent’s house. My younger brother works full time at a restaurant and goes to college full time, as well as participates in an internship for his degree, so his schedule was usually packed solid. He had exactly one day a week where he wasn’t working, but even that day had him in class until noon.

Anyways, the plan was for us to get back home on Tuesday, rest on Wednesday, and then have a big day out with my brother before we left. We were all going to go to the zoo, eat at our favorite lunch spot, and have a fun day.


However, a day or two before our MK morning, my mom called me to let me know that Isaac’s (my brother) internship professor arranged a mandatory meeting Thursday afternoon. He couldn’t get out of it, and it was going to eat into most of his day.

In other words, there was no point in us heading home right away on my brother’s account.

My mom told us to use those two nights and stay at Disney. She would see us that Thursday night up until we left the following Wednesday.

Alex and I did some secretive scrambling and managed to procure a reservation at a 1 bedroom Wilderness Lodge villa for the two nights following Universal.

We were keeping it a secret from his family, though, because we didn’t want their feelings to get hurt that we were not staying with them longer.

But there it was.


Two nights at Universal followed by two nights at WL.


Fun times were ahead!

 

[SarahDisney]

I love that Disney impressed your non-Disney family! Miracles really do happen at Disney World!

I'm looking forward to reading about your Universal time (I still haven't seen Diagon Alley and don't know when I will, so I have to experience it through pictures and other people's stories) and your bonus Disney time!

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

It looks like somebody just got a little pixie dust! I'm glad the Disney trip wasn't coming to an end for you.