Ever, Ever After: The TR Formerly Known as Wishing You Were Here- May 2011

[Luvmepluto]

Again.....you are quite brave with two toddlers in the park alone. There is no way I could do that! But I bet it is truly an adventure and some good memories setting out with them. Poor little Landon and his eye!

 

[PirateKate]

It's great that you got to do the Safari after all, and that the boys were so well behaved!

So like a Mom to want to multi-task, holding two boys and a camera too! It's good that you let it be, and could just take it all in, while holding tight to that precious cargo!

I was really glad the boys were cooperating on our second Safari attempt. The ride was a lot of fun, with them both behaving so well.

I do regret that not getting that photo of the hippo out of water. That's not a shot you can get all the time. But it really wasn't doable, while holding on to my boys. Maybe I'll get a second chance someday.

I'm so glad you were able to ride the safari successfully. Sounds like you all had a good time! Well, aside from the mommy balancing act you had to do.

We all had a great time on the Safari. Carter and Landon get excited over just seeing a dog, so the Safari was perfect for them. And the balancing act at the end was manageable.

Those eggs aren't real? Next you're going to tell me that the baby elephant in the wagon is a fake too. I'm always so relieved when they rescue it from the poachers and it's alive and breathing at the end! I'm so glad you were able to ride with the boys!!!

Hey, you didn't hear about the baby elephant from me! Sometimes I think it would be kind of cool if they removed the eggs from time to time, to make it look like they hatched and new ones were laid. I wonder how long Carter and Landon will believe in ostrich eggs.

Glad you finally got to ride the safari. I have been on the safari a few times and never even noticed the eggs until this time.

The boys did such a good job waiting

I don't think that the guides always point out the eggs, especially, if there happens to be some real animals to see when you go past the eggs. It's nice how the guides seem to be more interested in the real animals than in the fake stuff.

The boys did do a great job waiting. I was pretty proud of my little model citizens.

I'm glad that Landon got the mischeif out of his system (even if only temporarily ) and allowed you to get your ride on the safari. I'm sure that Landon expects a reward of epic proportions for going out of his way to cooperate with your desires.

Landon probably thought he deserved some ice cream without Oreos in it. Unfortunately, I think he got nothing but the reward of seeing some animals.

Glad to see that you were able to go on KS! And I applaud you for your excellent ability to hold onto two boys, keep up a conversation with a stranger, and enjoy the ride yourself.

I think the conversation with a stranger was the most challenging part of it all. The boys and I had a great time on the ride. I can't wait to take them back on it in October.

Joining in! I'm really enjoying your TR. DS will be 15 months on our trip, so I appreciate getting a glimpse of what it will be like. I'm glad to have been reminded to be flexible with toddlers!

Hi! Thanks for joining in! Flexibility is everything when at Disney with toddlers. Luckily, it's not too hard to let the toddlers set the pace. There's so much for them to discover at Disney that it's kind of fun going with them.

Love your trip report. I took my DS by myself last Christmas when he had jsut turned 4. Kudos for taking on 2 toddlers by yourself.

Thanks! I bet that was a fun trip, just you and your son. I always enjoy getting to go somewhere with just one of my boys. I love having that special one on one time with them.

Yeah for riding KS! How cool to see the hippo out of the water!

That hippo was really cool! I'd never seen one out of water before and he was just standing there, all hippo-y. If only I'd gotten a picture...

So happy that you got to go on KS ... and the fact that your little men had a great time....awesome!

I was very happy we got to go on KS. I knew my little guys would enjoy it, if Landon would give it half a chance.

 

[PirateKate]

Yay for getting to ride the Safari! I'm so glad that Landon didn't give you any trouble and waiting in line patiently.

You had me laughing about the lady who didn't understand what show she actually saw. I'm glad you got it all sorted out in the end!

Landon's kind of funny, sometimes he's really easy to get along with and other times he's not. Maybe it depends on if I'm doing something he wanted to do anyway.

I had to think for a minute when she said the Circle of Life show. My first thought was Epcot, but then, it really made more sense to be the Festival of the Lion King.

I'm glad you didn't spoil the magic for your Safari mate!
I thought of you this weekend. I went in Disney store this weekend and they had buy one Vinylmation get one have a laugh or urban free.

I had a hard time saying ostrich eggs, but I suppose it's nicer to not ruin it for others.

I fell for that deal at the Disney Store here. I got a Woody from the Toy Story Series and some ugly Urban black skeleton with his heart and brains showing. I'm trading that one.

Oh my goodness! I am going through this right now, big time! I had a very hard time yesterday thinking of things to talk to my French teacher about. Everything I could think of involved Claire. I feel like part of my brain is wasting away!

It's hard when you spend so much time around little kids. When I talk to Carter and Landon, it's a bit different than talking to other people. And then when I do talk to others, somehow the boys always come up.

If it wasn't for the fact that I know my grandmother wasn't in Disney, I would say that the woman sounds an awful lot like her! She will start a conversation with anybody and of course (bc she did this on our last trip) ask questions about things to strangers rather than her group! (Side note: she was also impressed with the eggs and we chose to keep it a secret from her as well!)

That's funny. Wouldn't it have been weird if I had rode the safari with your grandmother? I liked the lady I rode with, though. It was kind of nice to have someone else to talk to.

Again.....you are quite brave with two toddlers in the park alone. There is no way I could do that! But I bet it is truly an adventure and some good memories setting out with them. Poor little Landon and his eye!

Very brave or very crazy, hard to say which. We did have a lot of fun on the trip, though. I'm sure I'll take them back by myself the next time Jeremy has to travel. The older they get, the more fun we'll have.

 

[PirateKate]

After such a great Safari, I was starting to think about heading back to Pop Century. I knew the boys probably wouldn't nap any more the rest of the night, but I thought they would probably play happily in the room while I sat on the bed.

I saw the end of Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade leaving Harambe. I didn't want to walk right behind a parade the whole way out of the park, so I foolishly decided to exit through Asia.

There were people lined up, waiting to see the parade as it circled back. There was a narrow line of people trying to get by, but it wasn't long before I was stuck. The stroller wouldn't fit through the path for single file walkers.

Well, this was okay. We could stand right there and watch the parade go by. No big deal.

Or so I thought.

A CM walked by actually yelling at people to keep moving. I hadn't known I wasn't supposed to stop there. Even more importantly, I couldn't keep moving anyway, which was why I had stopped.

I didn't appreciate being yelled at, or being unable to go forward, so I went back the way I had came. There was an empty spot right in front of the rope and I saw no one coming by to yell at lingerers, so I parked the boys in the front row and we sat back to watch the parade.

It wasn't very crowded where we were and the characters were spending a lot of time with the boys. Landon was eating up the attention and made special friends with Baloo.

Carter seemed neutral to Baloo, but Landon leaned up for a high five.

King Louie gave us a friendly wave from the other side.

Landon was a little disappointed when Baloo left, but a dancer came over to talk to him instead.

The boys watched happily and I watched them watching. The boys got many waves.

Landon high-fived Brer Rabbit and was fairly brave when his new best friend left.

"Goofy!"

"That's right, Carter! There's Goofy!"

I sort of wished Goofy could come over to say hi to Carter. Carter seemed to like him the best.

The parade ended and we were able to leave through Africa. I was ready to go back to our room and relax, but I decided to make one quick stop first, much to the dismay of Landon.

I had one more Big Baby to get rid off.

I traded it for number 23 and got something that was actually pretty similar.

Quasimodo in Vinylmation form was not a very cute sight. I knew what I'd be trading next.

 

[teachermommy78]

I thought it was Peter pan in mid wink!

Great update! I'm sorry you got stuck, but if you have to get stuck somewhere, in the middle of a Disney parade with lots of attention on your happy boys sounds like a great place to be stuck!

 

[emma212010]

Great updates! I'm so glad you had fun at AK! Too cute about reading Landon's point of view!!

 

[jc040404]

I think I'd feel too guilty to trade Quasi and just buy a new one. Aren't we supposed to see beyond the way he looks? I could seriously see myself having this inner battle in the middle of a Disney store! Maybe this trading game might be a bit too much for me to handle afterall...

Great updates! I love all the attention the boys got during the trapped parade experience. Super glad you were able to go on the safari without any issues. (Not counting your friendly neighbor.. That might've had me a little nuts after a bit!)

 

[Mommy2BnB]

Glad Landon enjoyed the parade! and I'm glad you were able to trade the awful Big Baby vinylmation, just too bad it was Quasimodo. ugh

 

[basketkat]

We had the same problem in AK last year!! I didn't understand the CM yelling either... I nicely asked her where we should go because we got caught in a sea of people. Her response was "a parade viewing area" Uh???? Okay????

I love keeping up with your vinylmation trading! I was browsing the Disney Movie Rewards site the other day and there is a Toy Story 3 vinylmation you can purchase with your points. I thought of you as soon as I saw it! I was tempted...but afraid I would get Big Baby!

 

[lbuzz52]

I love how all the attention at the parades makes the kids feel special! Even if the cm's don't

I fell for it al the Disney store too. I stayed away from urban though. I got the pumpkin Mickey (cutester?) and the Aladdin (have a laugh). Maya has claimed them both though so I guess that they won't be traded.

 

[Mrs. Gumdrop]

"I fell for that deal at the Disney Store here. I got a Woody from the Toy Story Series and some ugly Urban black skeleton with his heart and brains showing. I'm trading that one. "

In case you are curious, that black vinyl you pulled is called X-ray. I have blind boxed that one twice! And I don't buy many blind boxes! Good news is lots of people like the "creepy" designs and will be happy to get it when you trade it away. On the other hand, Quasi is just unfortunate. I agree with you, he just doesn't fit the mold very well.

As for that rude CM, I also don't enjoy being yelled at. I have a low tolerance for shouting unless someone is injured or in peril. I am glad you and the boys were able to enjoy the end of the parade. Have you ever done a character meal with Carter and Landon? I bet they would be a lot of fun.

 

[Nermel9]

I got a little behind, but yay, so glad you finally got to do the safari! I don't like the poacher story either, I guess they feel they have to do something to make it exciting at the end, but seeing the animals is good enough for me!

The parade looks cute, but it's so annoying getting stuck behind a parade, or near a parade when you want to go somewhere else! We always seem to get trapped at MK when they are doing a parade!

Ugh, another weird Vinylmation! I have nothing against Quasi, but I don't think I'd want him in Vinylmation form!

 

[amazingact21]

Sorry that you couldn't escape the parade madness, but at least Landon had a good time interacting with all the characters. And that Vinylmation looked a little creepy. Hope you were able to trade it for something better!

 

[DisneyMomma09]

We saw the parade at AK for the first time on our last trip. I like how all the animals moved. Parades make it SOOOO difficult to get anywhere in the parks if you are just walking, let alone pushing a double stroller! Once again, you seem to go with the flow so easily! At least the boys were pretty well entertained by the parade and not in the middle of a meltdown. That could have been ugly!

 

[CandleontheWater]

Sorry you got stuck during the parade. Its really tough to navigate AK during parade time, I really wonder why Disney decided to put a parade in that park at all, it just seems like poor planning overall. Glad the boys enjoyed it though!

I'd trade Quasimodo too! He looks extra creepy in vinylmation form!

 

[KatMark]

Why did the CM have to yell at you? Couldn't you see you had no where to go?

Glad the boys enjoyed the parade.

I'm not into the Vinylmations at all, but the one you had was really awful. And the one you traded for isn't much better. Hope you have better luck on the next trade.

 

[creativeamanda]

I seems like the parade makes it really difficult to navigate through Animal Kingdom, but I don't think the CM needed to yell at you because of it.

I'm glad the boys enjoyed the parade, though.

 

[Shannon84]

I think I would be trading that one right away too! It just looks like Big baby grew up into something worse

 

[oOJulieOo]

Ugh! Getting stuck because of a stroller is a bummer. I'm glad you were able to get a front row seat and make the best of it though.

It sounds like the boys had some great character interactions.

 

[PirateKate]

I thought it was Peter pan in mid wink!

Great update! I'm sorry you got stuck, but if you have to get stuck somewhere, in the middle of a Disney parade with lots of attention on your happy boys sounds like a great place to be stuck!

It does sort of look like a winking Peter Pan. I'd probably have liked that better than Quasimodo.

It all worked out pretty well, since we got to see the parade and Landon enjoyed himself immensely. I'd take being stuck there any time.

Great updates! I'm so glad you had fun at AK! Too cute about reading Landon's point of view!!

Thanks! Landon always has interesting ideas about things.

I think I'd feel too guilty to trade Quasi and just buy a new one. Aren't we supposed to see beyond the way he looks? I could seriously see myself having this inner battle in the middle of a Disney store! Maybe this trading game might be a bit too much for me to handle afterall...

Great updates! I love all the attention the boys got during the trapped parade experience. Super glad you were able to go on the safari without any issues. (Not counting your friendly neighbor.. That might've had me a little nuts after a bit!)

I didn't feel guilty for a minute. I've never liked the movie. There's Quasimodo, falling in love with Esmeralda and hoping she can love him too, despite his hideous appearance, but she can't and she really loves the blond, good-looking guy and at the end all Quasi gets is the acceptance of one little kid.

Landon was loving every second of attention during the parade. I'm sure he thought everyone in the parade was marching by especially for him. I didn't mind sitting next to a friendly neighbor on the safari. I figured if the kids did get fussy, it'd be better to be sitting next to someone friendly.

Glad Landon enjoyed the parade! and I'm glad you were able to trade the awful Big Baby vinylmation, just too bad it was Quasimodo. ugh

Quasimodo wasn't a bit better than Big Baby. Oh well. At least Landon got to see the parade. I think he likes parades, as long as he doesn't have to wait for them.

We had the same problem in AK last year!! I didn't understand the CM yelling either... I nicely asked her where we should go because we got caught in a sea of people. Her response was "a parade viewing area" Uh???? Okay????

I love keeping up with your vinylmation trading! I was browsing the Disney Movie Rewards site the other day and there is a Toy Story 3 vinylmation you can purchase with your points. I thought of you as soon as I saw it! I was tempted...but afraid I would get Big Baby!

I almost think it would have been simpler to close off the road in Asia altogether. I guess they were trying to keep a small path clear, but it wasn't really working, at least not for us. It seems like they would have a better system than yelling at anyone who stops.

I ordered one of the Movie Rewards vinylmation. I figured another Big Baby was unlikely, plus I could always trade him later. I actually ended up getting Buzz, which I was thrilled with. I now have Jessie, Buzz, Woody, Bullseye, Wheezy, and two Green Army men. And no Big Babies.