DD's First Trip 2/26 - 3/1

[Space Command]

Hello Fellow DISers,
I am making my first foray into real trip report. I hope to be as entertaining or at least informative as the reports that give me a nice break from reality each day. My DW and I took our 20 month old DD to the world on 2/26 and stayed through 3/1. We stayed at Kidani in a studio with Savannah/Pool view. We did 2 park days and 2 pool days.
We were very nervous about our DD's first Disney experience as we were unsure how she would react to the crowds, rides, characters etc ... All I can say is that she loved every minute of it. I am glad I didn't listen to all of the naysayers who told me she was too young or that she wouldn't remember or enjoy it because the memories we have from the time leading up to the trip to our return will not be forgotten. I can't wait to share them all with you ...

 

[GreatBiscuit]

Hello Fellow DISers,
I am making my first foray into real trip report. I hope to be as entertaining or at least informative as the reports that give me a nice break from reality each day. My DW and I took our 20 month old DD to the world on 2/26 and stayed through 3/1. We stayed at Kidani in a studio with Savannah/Pool view. We did 2 park days and 2 pool days.
We were very nervous about our DD's first Disney experience as we were unsure how she would react to the crowds, rides, characters etc ... All I can say is that she loved every minute of it. I am glad I didn't listen to all of the naysayers who told me she was too young or that she wouldn't remember or enjoy it because the memories we have from the time leading up to the trip to our return will not be forgotten. I can't wait to share them all with you ...

Glad to hear she had a great time! Looking forward to hearing more details.

 

[Space Command]

In getting up the first post. All my fans and followers must have been upset [silence].
Anyway, I am going to start with a little background on this trip and my fellow travelers. I am a Disney nut. I have been to the world approximately 30 times and still feel I haven't been enough. Most of my trips have been little one and two day trips but if I am Florida, I feel that I must make the drive over. DW isn't much of a Disney fan. She would much rather go on a relaxing beach vacation but she has fun while we are there even though she will never admit to it. DD loves the little exposure she has had to Disney thus far which was basically Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and youtube videos of kids meeting characters.
Anyway, we have a DS on the way in June so we wanted to get away while it was just the three of us and figured we wouldn't do much traveling for the next couple of years. We talked about a couple different places but set out to do a Disney trip. We figured there would be a lot for her to do outside the parks to keep her busy on the days we stayed at the hotel or went to Downtown Disney.
We had booked a trip in Early December staying at POR and doing the Free dining plan but it fell through when work was getting real busy before the end of the year. We decided to put it off and possibly go in June 2013 for both DD and future DS's birthdays.
Fast forward to January 2012. I was looking on various airline websites and flights to Orlando were diving to below $200. So, I went to the DVC rent board just to do a little inquiry into dates in February that DW and I could both take off from work. Lo and behold, there was a studio available at the AKL Kidani. I also reached out to friends who worked at Disney to see about maingate passes and they let me know they could help out a couple days. We locked up the room and flights and had a 4 night stay with passes and airfare for less than $1000 (minus food of course). The same room at AKL through disney would have been $2100. DVC rentals are amazing ... plus they treat you like a DVC member at the resort which is nice.
I am usually a very crazy Disney commando/planner but this trip we figured we would just let everything happen and pretty much let DD's mood, appetite etc ... decide the plans for us. So I actually went without a single ADR and/or park plan ...

For the next 6 weeks I can't count how many times people told me I was crazy for bringing DD at 20 months ... she won't like it, she won't remember it etc... What I can say is that she loved it and she still talks about it. I am glad I didn't let the crazy talk keep us from going.

So that is the background to our Trip Report ... i hope to update a little more regularly going forward.
And anyone contemplating trips with a toddler, feel free to reach out to me on PM.