Escaping Irene: A NY family "evacuates" to Disney! *Update 7/7 WWoHP*

[DrMomof3]

Wow, great photo pass pictures in front of the castle with the kids in their princess and pirate gear! I won't comment on those other photo pass pics except to say I have some of those in my collection, too!

Yeah for making RD!!! I enjoy the opening show too.

Lots of Fantastyland and Tomorrowland fun! Congrats on that great Buzz score.

Bummer that you are starting to see signs of the kids "hitting the Disney wall"

I think you are smart to start to think about sitdown vs. counter service meals. IIRC, Tom likes a sitdown lunch. Is it because of the airconditioning? Being waited on instead of dealing with the ordering issues? (I can see how that can get confusing with the kids and all the trays). But there are lots of great indoor options if you need them- Especially if you are early, like an 11 lunch.

We like CHH at MK, Sunshine Seasons at the Land and Tamu Tamu at AK. Tamu Tamu seating is outside, but it is shaded and usually not crowded.

Nathaniel was very stressed about starting school and I think the closer we got to the end of the trip (and school starting), the worse the behavior.... You know how that all worked out in the end.
Counter service.... With a family of 5 we can easily end up with 3 trays worth of food and then no place to sit. NOT fun. There is something nice about sitting down and having someone bring you food. It's my same issue with buffets - by the time I get my food, it's time for me to get up and get something for one of the kids. I just think a sit-down lunch can be a nice break in the middle of a busy day. With young kids we aren't going commando touring or anything but that break allows us another hour or 2 of park touring.
The problem at Disney is that we make ADRs 180 days in advance instead of deciding at the moment what we feel like eating. So if someone is having a bad day and we'd be better off - at that moment - getting something quick at the resort counter service place, you're still stuck trekking over to Epcot or another resort or DTD or wherever your ADR is. I think this is a huge advantage of BC or the other Boardwalk area resorts. In August almost 100% of our dinners will be walking distance to BC. We aren't 180 days out yet but we're thinking about Epcot restaurants and then Boardwalk area restaurants for every dinner. And I don't think we have too many ADRs which require the $10 hold.

Amanda

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

I hate to laugh, but I'm glad to see that my kid isn't the only one that gets a little crabby at WDW! We had our moments on the trip too!

Yes, I usually pack the first couple days and then we slow down in the middle and then speed back up at the end (although we don't HAVE to b/c we've already done a ton at the beginning) It seemed to work well for us!

 

[DrMomof3]

I hate to laugh, but I'm glad to see that my kid isn't the only one that gets a little crabby at WDW! We had our moments on the trip too!

Yes, I usually pack the first couple days and then we slow down in the middle and then speed back up at the end (although we don't HAVE to b/c we've already done a ton at the beginning) It seemed to work well for us!

The grumpy pictures are too funny to leave out. Although I will admit that it was less funny at the time.

Amanda

 

[ddluvsdisney]

Loved the photopass pics!!
The kids look so cute. Like others have said I think we all have pics of grumpy kids at WDW. I think it's really smart to think about how to make it better. I used to do the same thing when DS10 was younger (heck what am I talking about I still do!) maybe just not as much.
I know what you mean about the sit down dinners. Restaurants were always difficult for DS10 and we had to time it just right. Sometimes it got so stressful when you just wanted to relax and enjoy your meal.
I loved Nathanial's green Mickey shirt- where did you get it?

Deb

 

[DrMomof3]

Loved the photopass pics!!
The kids look so cute. Like others have said I think we all have pics of grumpy kids at WDW. I think it's really smart to think about how to make it better. I used to do the same thing when DS10 was younger (heck what am I talking about I still do!) maybe just not as much.
I know what you mean about the sit down dinners. Restaurants were always difficult for DS10 and we had to time it just right. Sometimes it got so stressful when you just wanted to relax and enjoy your meal.
I loved Nathanial's green Mickey shirt- where did you get it?

Deb

I've been talking to my family about what to do differently this year. I have some good ideas!
We ordered matching Mickey shirts from Etsy. I can't remember the vendor right now. My red shirt has the same Mickey but it's hard to see. You can see it on Jessica's pink shirt.

Amanda

 

[DrMomof3]

(I just wrote a huge post and hit the wrong button and lost everything so I'm trying to re-create it but will probably make it a few smaller posts to save me agony.)
Friday we did everything wrong! We slept in. Took our time getting ready. Ate a hot breakfast in the room. And headed over DHS. Our double stroller had a flat tire that made it unusable (this had happened before and Tom reassured me that it would be fine for the trip ). We parked the car and entered the park. We stopped at stroller rental and got a stroller for the day (they stored our broken one for us). Tom sent me to TSM to grab FPs while he headed to the JTA sign-up area. It was probably about 10am.
The FP return time for TSM was around 6-7pm. The return time for JTA was around 4:30. We weren't planning to still be at DHS for either. Oh well! We waited it quite a long line for Star Tours and then headed to the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground. This was also the hottest day of the week!

Tom and I had this brilliant plan of taking turns riding RNR or ToT while the other one stayed in the playground. He ran over to RNR - only to discover it was broken. And the line for ToT was prohibitively long.

We grabbed a quick-serve lunch at whatever that counter service place is right next to the playground. And decided to cut our losses by heading back to the pool! We returned our rental stroller, retrieved our broken one, and herded 3 crabby and overheated children back to the car.

LESSON: Do not bother going to DHS if you miss the early morning!!!

Amanda

 

[DrMomof3]

After leaving DHS we changed into bathing suits and headed to the pool. The kids had a blast and even participated in some of the group activities. I know there was a water balloon toss that they enjoyed. Then it was time for showers/baths and getting ready for dinner in Epcot.
We took the monorail to Epcot, picked up a rental stroller (which lead to multiple fights over who got to ride in the rental), and headed to Innoventions.

Garden Grill is a favorite in our family and this trip proved why!

Then Dale noticed that Nathaniel was playing a baseball game instead of paying attention to the characters...

Dale got to work...

And hit a long fly ball to deep center field! (My kids will tell you that Dale flew out. Dale, however, believed that he hit a home run!)

He even signed our autograph book as Dale, home run champ!

Anyway we had a blast! I think Dale spent at least 10 minutes at our table and we had good character time with the other 3.
We headed back to the front of the park.

And hopped on the monorail home.

Amanda

 

[ddluvsdisney]

How do those FPs for TSM go so fast!!??? What a bummer! I love that ride.
We love Garden Grill too! We ate there for the first time in August, and we have an ADR for April- can't wait!
The pool solves everything

 

[natebenma]

Woah! Everyone looks HOT at HS!!!

Sounds like you made a wise choice to get out of there!

Glad to hear the afternoon/evening was better. I forget about the Garden Grill. We have never eaten there. But Chip and Dale are my favorite characters, so I know I would love it.

Really cute pictures with the baseball stance and everyone smiling.

 

[DrMomof3]

How do those FPs for TSM go so fast!!??? What a bummer! I love that ride.
We love Garden Grill too! We ate there for the first time in August, and we have an ADR for April- can't wait!
The pool solves everything

This is one of the problems that Next Gen will hopefully fix. It really stinks that the only way to ride TSM is to arrive at rope drop OR stand in line forever.
Garden Grill is so much fun!

Woah! Everyone looks HOT at HS!!!

Sounds like you made a wise choice to get out of there!

Glad to hear the afternoon/evening was better. I forget about the Garden Grill. We have never eaten there. But Chip and Dale are my favorite characters, so I know I would love it.

Really cute pictures with the baseball stance and everyone smiling.

It was really hot! And frustrating.
We love Garden Grill. The food is fine. I like it but I don't know that I'd go there JUST for the food. The characters are consistently awesome!

Amanda

 

[DrMomof3]

We weren't in a hurry when we woke up Saturday morning. We knew we were checking out but our flight wasn't until evening. Our plan was to pack things up, take our bags to get checked-in for the flight, and then wander over to MK. Or so we thought. As we were getting out of bed and starting the packing process, Jessica started to vomit. Remember the foreshadowing that Zachary wasn't the only sick child on the trip??? I got her clothes into the washer/dryer right away and we agreed that Tom would hang out with her after we got rid of our bags and I would take the boys to MK. Tom went with the bell services person to the check-in desk and I got our carry-on stuff organized. Once he got back, the boys and I walked over to MK.
It's really become clear to me that the only way to do the Disney parks efficiently, is to get there early! That having been said it wasn't a bad day in MK. We went left instead of our usual right. The boys were curious about Swiss Family Treehouse so we did that. NEVER AGAIN! I really don't see the point. It was tons of stairs (not good for Zachary) and the kids were completely bored. At least I can say we did it!
We shopped a bit in Adventureland. The boys both wanted hats. We stopped and rode Pirates before heading to Splash Mountain. Zachary had never ridden Splash before! I felt a little guilty because Splash is one of Jessica's favorite rides. I was also worried because I had all sorts of electronic devices in my purse (ipad, 2 phones, camera, etc.) and had no plastic bag. Spalsh was enjoyable as always and nothing got wet. Zachary seemed to like it!
Tom called to let me know that Jessica had vomited again but they were ok. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to rush back to the hotel to help or if he was just sharing his misery.
The boys were both getting a little hot and tired so I bought them ice pops.

We stopped in the Emporium and bought Tom a polo shirt and Jessica a pirate shirt. Before saying our good-byes to MK.

We grabbed lunch at the Wave. The food was pretty good. I had a tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich that tasted great! Then we packed up the car and headed back to MCO. Thankfully there was no vomiting in the car (although Nathaniel and Jessica did manage to fight the whole way!). Our flight was fairly uneventful and our nanny was waiting for us at the airport.
We were happy to see that our house suffered no damage in the storm. Jessica did vomit one more time on Sunday but was recovered enough to go to her 1st day of Kindergarten on Monday. Nathaniel never seemed to get it.
I think we learned several lessons from the trip:
1. Fewer ADRs until we see how things are going.
2. Having a car is both a blessing and a curse. There are definitely some benefits but I'm not sure it's worth the cost.
3. Dividing up the family may make for happier children.

That's pretty much it. I think I'm going to continue this TR with our brief trip in October rather than starting a new thread.

Amanda

 

[ddluvsdisney]

Too bad Jessica got sick- At least it was the last day.
And the boys got to enjoy MK one last time.
Getting to the parks early is the best!! Last year was the first year we missed RD a couple of times b/c of our teenage son. Those boys do like to sleep! I swear the kid NEVER slept past 7am until 7th grade
Looking forward to reading about your other trips (I heard you have quite a few, I'm jealous!) Thanks for sharing.

Deb

 

[DrMomof3]

Too bad Jessica got sick- At least it was the last day.
And the boys got to enjoy MK one last time.
Getting to the parks early is the best!! Last year was the first year we missed RD a couple of times b/c of our teenage son. Those boys do like to sleep! I swear the kid NEVER slept past 7am until 7th grade
Looking forward to reading about your other trips (I heard you have quite a few, I'm jealous!) Thanks for sharing.

Deb

I've been very lucky with my trips!
I could spend a day in MK and never go on a ride. I just love being there. I had the "whatever the boys want" attitude on the last day so they enjoyed ice pops in the morning. I'm usually strict about that stuff at home!

Amanda

 

[ddluvsdisney]

Amanda- I forgot to say- glad you didn't have any damage to your house when you got home. When we got home after hurricane Irene, a big branch fell on our jungle gym. ( Didn't really matter- we were going to take it down this year anyway.)

 

[natebenma]

Poor Jessica! Poor mom & dad! Like Deb said, it's good she made it through most of the trip feeling ok. I was worried when you commented that there would be more sickness.

I look forward to reading about your upcoming travels!

 

[DrMomof3]

Amanda- I forgot to say- glad you didn't have any damage to your house when you got home. When we got home after hurricane Irene, a big branch fell on our jungle gym. ( Didn't really matter- we were going to take it down this year anyway.)

At least things weren't worse for you!
My parents - on Long Island - lost power for a few days but no damage.

Poor Jessica! Poor mom & dad! Like Deb said, it's good she made it through most of the trip feeling ok. I was worried when you commented that there would be more sickness.

I look forward to reading about your upcoming travels!

She wasn't too bad. I think she vomited 2x on Saturday and once on Sunday at home. She was sad to miss Splash Mountain!
I'm excited to write about my abbreviated birthday trip and then Nathaniel and my trip to DISapalooza. And then the marathon.... Although I did a detailed race report on my running blog....

Amanda

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Hi I've just realised that I dont think I've posted here but I've loved reading your report
Sorry you had sick kids on your trip but I'm glad they made it home ok!
Love your attitude to your last MK day-like you I could simply walk there all day without doing any rides (also dont get the treehouse)

Looking forward to reading all about your upcoming travels

 

[DrMomof3]

Hi I've just realised that I dont think I've posted here but I've loved reading your report
Sorry you had sick kids on your trip but I'm glad they made it home ok!
Love your attitude to your last MK day-like you I could simply walk there all day without doing any rides (also dont get the treehouse)

Looking forward to reading all about your upcoming travels

Thank you SO much! I wish I had been able to write this closer to the time of our trip but, well, life happened!

Amanda

 

[DrMomof3]

This next part of my trip report is going to be about my 40th birthday trip. I turned 40 in October. I've been thinking about taking a trip with Tom for my 40th birthday for at least a year. For Tom's 40th I planned a surprise trip to Las Vegas for the 2 of us. It was amazing! We stayed at the Bellagio and ate incredible meals and had a wonderful time. For my 40th birthday I wanted something more relaxing. So I booked us on the Disney Dream for a 4 night cruise. My 40th birthday fantasy was to spend hours sitting on a quiet verandah enjoying the views of the water while sipping either coffee or a cocktail (depending on the time of day) and reading a good book. Sounds good, right?
We booked our cruise and bought our plane tickets. We were flying down late on Saturday for a Sunday departure. We planned to stay at the airport Hyatt and then take Disney cruise transfer to the Port in the morning. We were checked in, shore excursions picked, Palo dinner reserved, ready to go.

And then LIFE happened.

To protect Nathaniel I won't post all of his medical details but he was hospitalized for 2 weeks in late September into early October. Although he was home and stable, his doctor vetoed our trip a few days before we were scheduled to depart. Feel free to judge me as a bad mom but I was devastated! I do A LOT for my family and have an extremely stressful job (which was particularly stressful last summer and fall and is slowly getting better). I ask so little for myself and this was my special birthday trip. To make matters worse it was one of the few trips we've booked WITHOUT trip insurance.
Just to add to our overall stress, this was also the week that our beloved Black Lab was diagnosed with a tumor. We knew she'd need surgery to remove the tumor and we didn't know if it was cancer or benign.
While I totally understood that being in the middle of the Caribbean with no cell phone access was out of the question, I figured we might be able to salvage a trip to Disney World for Food & Wine. I mean we had plan tickets and Annual Passes, right? My parents were willing to take Nathaniel for a few days and my nanny could keep the younger 2.
I called my travel agent who got us a good rate at the Swan and I moved our return flight from Thursday evening to Monday evening. The plan was to fly to MCO on Saturday night, spend 2 days enjoying Food & Wine Festival, and then fly home late Monday night and face reality again.
Something is better than nothing, no?

Amanda

 

[ddluvsdisney]

OMG poor Nathaniel, and you!!
We all do way to much for our families and deserve a break once and a while. Our yellow lab had a tumor too and passed away 3 yrs. ago right before our Disney trip.