How to Take a Toddler to the "World" by Yourself

[Kaleigh]

So, after lunch we went to check out our room, leaving the luggage in the car in favor of getting a nap in as quickly as possible. Our room turned out to be in a great location, just next door to the food court and up one flight of stairs. Literally. Our room was on the corner as soon as you got up that flight of stairs. Talk about convenient. It was about the closest you could get to all of the amenities and the bus stop/parking lot. Here is a picture of our room. POFQ has not been renovated yet, but it is still very nice. It is like the classy side of Mardi Gras (if that exists)

After attempting to nap for about an hour and getting bed rails delivered, we are both too excited to do anything but head out to the parks. Then, I get a great idea to let someone else carry my luggage up for me.

Tip 6- If you have a little one, use bell services. It only costs you the tip, isn't that better than making multiple trips to the car or holding a child's hand while you have bags dangling from every limb?

The valet was so sweet and gave V a Mardi Gras necklace. Seriously, this kid got more attention in one day than James and I have gotten in 10 years of Disney. After the bags were safely in the room, we headed to Epcot.

I walked it in from the far-flung parking spot because I really didn't feel like waiting for and negotiating the tram. I saw several people asking to search for a spot up closer and being allowed to do so both times we came to Epcot and am tempted to do that next time I am alone with V. It is just really frustrating trekking all the way out there and back with a baby and the tram does not help. I understand why they still direct people way out there, but if I can bypass that whole mess, I will.

We stopped to take some Photopass pictures since I had prepurchased the CD and then were off to one of my favorite Epcot attractions- Living with the Land. Yep, that one. Go ahead and laugh. This is one of those attractions that I remember as a kid and that I feel still has that great Epcot synergy of creativity and learning. Plus, I thought it would be a good ride to ease Veronica in since it has nothing that jumps out at you etc. She liked it until the greenhouse, then she started wanting to stand up and I had to hold her until it was over. No fussing or anything, just bored at that point. Next, I get the great idea to take her to the character spot to meet Mickey and the gang.

Boy, I had no idea how long these lines got. I truly came to appreciate character meals on this trip because you can meet the characters without waiting in line. V hated the line, but enjoyed the videos they showed, especially when they starred her favorite character, Donald. She would point and yell "Duck!" when they came on. I kept her from completely flipping out using various tactics like giving her stickers and lip gloss until we got up to the front. We got up past the wall and suddenly, she saw what/who we were waiting in line for. It was like this understanding/amazement came over her face as she saw the real Mickey. She looked up at me like "can you believe he is really here?!" and kept pointing and saying "LOOK". She tried to climb under the rail to go see him and I had to hold her back until it was our turn. When she finally had her chance, she was a bit tentative as she got closer. It wasn't like fireworks and hugs as she ran into Mickey's arms, but to me, it was much cuter as she kind of tested the waters with him. The photopass photographer got some great photos that I will post as soon as my CD comes in. After Mickey, she was cool with Pluto until he touched her, which made her cry, so we left him quickly. She was happy to see Minnie until she caught a glimpse of who was up next...Donald. And she promptly left Minnie to run off toward Donald yelling (you guessed it) "Duck!" As he was still with another family, I had to haul her back to Minnie to take some pictures before we could go over to Donald. She actually did hug Donald and spent the most time with him. After Donald was Goofy, and I think he was just a little too big for her, so we got out of there as soon as she got a bit wary.

Tip 7: Take it slow with kids and characters. Don't force them. They can then get more comfortable with them the more they see them at their own pace. Forcing too much too soon can turn them off for a long time.

This tip is important. By the end of the trip, she was running into Donald's arms. It just takes some time for them to figure out what the characters are actually about and what the protocol is for when they meet them.

More of Epcot next!

 

[H20DogsNDisney]

great update! great tips

 

[Kaleigh]

After meeting the characters, we went to the Seas with Nemo, rode the ride and looked at the fish for a bit. A shark swam right by the glass and Veronica was fascinated because the glass is floor to ceiling, so she could see everything so well. Now, I have never been big into aquariums and thought we should visit Turtle Talk with Crush. Alas, the show was not starting immediately and Veronica was getting restless. She started to freak while waiting, so we just left.

Tip 8: Pay attention to your kids. What they like may not be what you like. Nothing is worth a tantrum.
NOTHING, because as we know, tantrums are not easy to recover from. If it is that important to you, come back and try again later. Forcing the issue will only make both of you unhappy.

And, if I had listened to this advice initially, we would have had a better evening. But, I had these visions of enjoying the food and wine festival with Veronica: walking around, sharing snacks, sipping my wine and pointing out all the neat things in the world showcase to her until we watch Illuminations at the end of the night.
Here is how it went: waited in line almost 15 minutes for cheddar cheese soup which we both devoured in a matter of seconds. Walked past several booths with more terribly long lines, through a hoard of people while she is saying "eat, eat" until I decide to finally give up and just wait in line for fish and chips. Which took another 20 minutes. Then, we sat on a bench next to the international gateway to eat that as it got darker and even more crowded. I was wishing that I had parked at the Boardwalk at this point. (or was staying at one of these coveted venues) After eating, we force our way around the world showcase through the people and Veronica won't sit down in her stroller. So I let her walk, wearing her harness. Which slows us down. By the time we hit Mexico, I am so done that I don't want to even walk up the ramp to enter the building, allowing us to ride the boat ride with Donald. I am NOT willing to wait the 40 minutes til Illuminations. So, we take a few photopass pictures and leave. As I am parking my car, I see the fireworks. Yep, that is how long it took me to get from the lagoon to the hotel.

Tip 9- Toddlers (and perhaps all children) slow you down tremendously.

James and I could have been out of there in less than 10 minutes, but with V, it took me 40.
We trudge to the food court for a brownie and soft drink before bed (aren't I a great mom?) and crash. Tomorrow? Animal Kingdom!

 

[Sassagoula Billy]

I have started reading. I swear! And this photo makes me feel like Christmas morning. TOTALLY ADORABLE. V is growing up already!

I'm so glad, too, that the French Quarter worked out for you. I wonder if the CM who gave you the Mardi Gras beads was the same guy who helped me out with my little surprises on my visit.

But really, I will be reading more in-depth... as soon as the work day comes to a close and I'm able to go vote.

Mwah! Love ya!

 

[Kaleigh]

Day 2- Animal Kingdom

The next day, Animal Kingdom is on the agenda with a late trip over to Magic Kingdom after nap and dinner to see the Main Street Electrical Parade. I decide to take the bus to Animal Kingdom because I just hate walking it in from that parking lot and we have already discussed my loathing of getting on trams with a stroller. It worked out really well. Actually, the buses all week at POFQ were great. We never went over to Riverside once, which I considered quite lucky. POFQ is so small that when the buses aren't going to Riverside, it must be the best bus service on property. Think about it. No other resort near that size gets its own buses with no other stops.
After the obligatory pictures,

we head to meet some characters and to ride the "dinosaur dumbo". Which she loved, of course.

So I am starting to realize that all my "must do's" are not going to get done and that the key to having a good time is to just take it slow and make smart decisions. As I look at the show schedule, I see that doing both Finding Nemo and Festival of the Lion King is not going to be possible if I keep our 11:00 dining reservation at Yak and Yeti. While I realize that V may prefer Nemo, my personal favorite is the "Festival", so I choose to do that. We got a great seat and she LOVED it. She kept saying "Wow" and watching the stilt walkers. Timon was right next to us, and she was fascinated by him. The air ballet thing brought tears to my eyes like it always does and I was so thankful to be sharing it with her.

Tip 10- Make sure to do those things that are special to you. Enjoy your vacation. You spent the money, if the kids don't know any better, pick what you enjoy.

As soon as that was over, we started the walk over to Yak and Yeti, just enjoying the scenery along the way. We checked in and were seated as soon as the restaurant opened and sat down to a really good meal. One issue with toddlers and little kids at this place and all of Animal Kingdom is the cardboard straws. Kids just love to chew them because they notice the texture difference from regular straws. As they chew the straws, they get soggy and impossible to drink out of. Don't be afraid to ask for multiple straws.
Veronica loves green beans, so for an appetizer, the clear choice was the fried green beans, but here is another cool tip. If you can't eat a ton of them, you can get the side order of fried green beans for 3 dollars cheaper than the appetizer and it is still a great sized portion AND they will bring it out as an appetizer. Here is a pic of that side order

My food picture suck when blown up, so you get thumbnails. I think this portion size would have been great for even me and my husband and at 4.99 is a bargain compared to 7.99. For our meal, I chose the shrimp and chicken stir fry because Veronica had not been eating a whole lot this trip and she LOVES noodles. The portion was huge and could easily be split unless you are both big eaters.

They do not accept Tables in Wonderland here, but do give a 10 percent annual passholder discount for lunch. We did not get dessert because we were full, but really enjoyed the meal. Everything was fresh, hot and tasty. The stir fry could have had more seasoning, but I didn't want to overwhelm V with soy sauce. The plum sauce that comes with the green beans is the perfect complement. After lunch, we head back to the hotel for a nap and preparation for Jiko and Magic Kingdom that night.