I actually just squealed! Baby girl's 1st trip!~Sept '12 AoA~Day 6 and single digits

[gellybean]

I can't take it any longer... I must start a PTR! I had vowed to complete my TR first but I must... plan... our trip!! And to a DISer, planning a trip without a PTR is like... going to 'Ohana and not eating the bread pudding... or going to Magic Kingdom and not watching Wishes.... it's just not right!!!

For those of you that have read my TRs, and PTRs before, thank you for bearing with me through the ups and downs of my DIS board activity over the last year. For those of you that have no stinkin' clue who I or my crazy family are... let me introduce us and give a little back story.

Cast:

me - gellybean aka elastigirl - 32- stay at home mom, lover of all things Disney, reader, tv watcher, scrapbooker, busy busy busy

Mr. Incredible - 34 - my husband, works in the restaurant business and is not home nearly enough. We try to make the most of the quality time we do get as a family, which includes our Disney trips! He's a late comer to the Disney World thing but seems to really enjoy our trips! So glad I converted him back in 09.

Dash - 9 - my oldest son, loves Disney and rides. Is a lucky duck that gets to go to Disneyland nearly as much as Disney World because his dad and step mom love it as much as we love WDW. He will be in the fourth grade when we make this trip. Loves reading, riding his bike, video games, Halo action figures, and watching Disney movies when he thinks no one is looking

Jack Jack - 4 - real name is Jack which is how the whole Incredible family nicknames came to be. Really began to enjoy the magic on his last trip, right before he turned 3. Sweet boy, cracks us up with his sense of humor. Worried that there's a shark in the pool at WDW that's gonna eat him!

Violet - 11 months - oh Miss Violet. She's our only girl and youngest. She's also the reason I am a year later finishing the TR I am currently working on. I went to WDW twice when I was pregnant with Violet... once with my mom, sister and boys at Christmas and then once with just Mr. Incredible and I in January. We returned from our couples trip in January to find out the very next day we were having a girl. Everything looked great on the ultrasound.... until a routine growth scan at 28 weeks showed that her brain had enlarged ventricles. She was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, "water on the brain" and we were told there was nothing they could do while I was pregnant. So we had 9 excruciating weeks of not knowing what this meant for our daughter. 9 weeks of watching her ventricles and head size get larger and larger, watching her brain tissue get more and more compressed. She was born on May 20th at 36 weeks, 6 days and had brain surgery at 23 hrs old to place a shunt. The shunt drains the spinal fluid from her brain and deposits it into the area around her stomach, where her body reabsorbs it. She will always have to have a shunt and the tricky part is that the shunt can stop working at any minute, so we are always watching her for signs of shunt malfunction. I learned this about hydro kids while still pregnant and knew that our love of Disney World might very well be put on permanent hold if she could not travel. A lot of hydro kids have frequent malfunctions - there bodies just aren't compatible with the shunt. A lot of hydro kids have seizures or are on trachs or feeding tubes. And some parents decide that traveling is just too risky. So when our daughter's neurosurgeon gave us his blessing to travel... as long as we had a neurosurgeon in Orlando's number in our cell phones.... we were on . Violet is now 11 months old and is doing AMAZING! The spectrum of hydro prognosis is a broad one and we are so very blessed that as of now, Addie needs no breathing or eating support, she does not suffer from seizures and she's never had a shunt malfunction. (Thank you God!!) She rolled over, sat up and crawled all when she was supposed to. She is a happy girl with the cutest smile ever! She has just starting cruising the furniture in the last week or so!! To be at the point that we are able to plan a trip back to the World just one year later from receiving the news of her condition?? is a DREAM come true. Something I did not dare hope for! Yet here we are!! *SQUEAL*


Recurring Guest Stars:

My mom aka Fairy Godmother - 69 - mom has accompanied us on a few trips in the past and this would be no exception. She loves Disney and is responsible for my love of Disney. How could I not include her on Violet's first trip? She's very excited. She's recently gotten internet at her house and has an iPad and will more than likely be reading and maybe even commenting along on this PTR. She's enjoying being able to research Disney on her own and not just listen to the goodies I find and read to her over the phone.

My oldest sister aka Edna - 51 - lover of Disney and of my kids so it's a win win! She's been invaluable helping out this past year, keeping the boys while I take Addie to doctor's appointments, folding clothes! You name it! Very excited she gets to come along for fun and not just to help out! She has been more recently than any of us. She went with my other sister and her family last June right after Violet was born.

So now you know the Who.... thank you for bearing with me for all that long introduction and back story!!

Onto the WHEN:

We've never been during Free Dining.... and it's a big savings for my family of 5. And when I found out that the last days of Free Dining overlapped with the first days of the Food and Wine Festival!!? SCORE!

So a few phonecalls to Mr. I, mom and Edna and BOOM I had 3 YESes!

September 26-October 2 (just a week after mine and Mr. I's 8th wedding anniversary )

I called and booked us for POP, since we needed two rooms and Art of Animation was not included on the free dining offer....


Onto the WHERE:
Until Tuesday, when I just happened to check the free dining offer on WDW website and low and behold the Art of Animation Resort was now included on the free dining offer!

WHAT??!

So a few more quick calls, and a few more YESes! And I called and switched us from two rooms at POP to one family suite at AoA and kept our free dining!




I'm so excited!!!!!!!!!!

It's gonna be about $400 more than two rooms... $100 each for Edna and FGM and $200 for Mr. I and I... but imho it's worth it. I can't wait to see the boys faces when they see our Cars Suite! And all the Cars stuff around the courtyard and the Big Blue swiming pool!!

Ok... who am I kidding...I'll probably be just as excited to see all that as they are.





Thank you all for joining along in our PTR! I promise to post pictures of everyone soon! And we also are planning a very important First birthday party around these parts... Miss Violet is turning 1 next month, so I'm sure I'll be yapping about that.

And... I already have all our ADRs made, so stay tuned for those plans!

I'm extra excited.... and maybe a tad emotional... I've wanted a daughter all my life and didn't believe that Violet was really a girl for the longest time, and then to find out there was something wrong with her little brain...... it was hard. I didn't know if .... well... we never know do we?

But I am planning a Disney trip for my baby girl's first trip! I get to look at girl clothes, and custom outfits on Etsy and the princesses! .... I'm pretty stinkin' excited. Not gonna lie!!


Until next time!!

Disney wishes ~
gellybean

 

[gellybean]

Reserved for Chapter links :

It wouldn't be a Gellybean PTR without changes....
Day 1 - Arrival Day
Day 2 - Magic Kingdom ~ A Tradition Years in the Making
The Good, The Bad and the Magical Way
Day 3 - Epcot and DTD
Birthday girl
Day 4 - Animal Kingdom Bonus Day
Day 5 - DHS and Date Night
Day 6- Magic Kingdom and DTD
Day 7 - Epcot, Food and Wine Festival and DTD


Pictures as promised!

Mr. Incredible - with Jack Jack

This was taken at our January 2010 trip when we stayed at AKL. Jack Jack turned 2 that trip.

Same trip, feeling the 'Ohana love.

The four of us, January 2010

Me - pregnant with Violet! December 2010 trip

A very excited Jack Jack and Dash arriving at midnight to the Poly - August 2010

One of my fave pics of Dash

Jack Jack - he knows 'Ohana is where it's at!

Both boys, high on Wishes and Casey's

Edna celebrating her 50th birthday in Paris

Mom, post waffle bowl sundae, wearing the Mickey ears someone bought from her the next day

Mom with both boys, Christmas trip @ WL Dec 2010

Boys enjoying the WL Dec 2010

Edna, Mom and Jack Jack


And now... Miss Violet, just taken on 4/20 - her 11 months birthday

Trip down TR Memory Lane:

"So is this when they bring out the Mickey Mouse cattle prods?" An August Poly TR here

"Look at those chompers!" AKL DxDP January 2010 here

Hop, skip, and a week! A TR full of Mayhem, Masticating and Mortification here

As well as a few PTRs:

THREE for the price of one here

You know it's time to start a PTR when.... here

Hey honey, let's take both our moms to WDW instead of going to Vegas just the two of us! here

 

[annmarieda]

I followed over from Amy's fall PTR... I totally am on board!!! It is killing me not starting my own PTR. I really am trying to stick with the "not going to start till I finish my TR" goal.

Your kids are so darn cute.

My current TR is from our stay at WL in December...love your pics from your 2010 trip.

I am so glad your dd is doing well. I know first hand how tricky it can be to travel with a child with some amount of "special needs".

let the planning begin!

 

[onescgirl]

Your family is precious! Violet has the most beautiful, big blue eyes!
I'm glad she is doing great, she has gone through a lot in her 11 months.
I'm looking fwd to reading your PTR!

 

[wigdoutdismom]

Yay! So happy to hear you are going back! Violet's first trip will be extra special!

 

[gellybean]

I followed over from Amy's fall PTR... I totally am on board!!! It is killing me not starting my own PTR. I really am trying to stick with the "not going to start till I finish my TR" goal.

Your kids are so darn cute.

My current TR is from our stay at WL in December...love your pics from your 2010 trip.

I am so glad your dd is doing well. I know first hand how tricky it can be to travel with a child with some amount of "special needs".

let the planning begin!

Thanks for following over! I really tried to stick to not starting until the TR is finished but the current TR this time is more for me anyway.... a matter of stubbornness. I've forgotten so much, a year later, that's it's mainly pictures anyway.

We have traveled with Violet a few times, but they were medically related trips. When you are flying and the destination is a hospital, I guess you don't worry about it as much.

Thanks for the sweet compliment about my kids! I think so, too, but I'm partial.

Your family is precious! Violet has the most beautiful, big blue eyes!
I'm glad she is doing great, she has gone through a lot in her 11 months.
I'm looking fwd to reading your PTR!

Thank you!! I'm very thankful she's doing great as well! She has been through a lot but I know of so many hydro kiddos that have been through so much more in their short little lives too!! Perspective is a wonderful thing!!

Thanks for reading along!

Yay! So happy to hear you are going back! Violet's first trip will be extra special!

So glad to have you on board Wigd!! Hate that we lost our pic from our surprise meet up!! Looks like we're gonna miss each other by a few weeks in October. Bummer!! I think this trip will be extra special for lots of reasons, but definitely extra magical because it's Violet's first trip!!

 

[lovealldisney]

Gelly,

Little Addie is SO ADORABLE!!! This is a well deserved trip for you ALL! Loved all your other TR. Can't wait to hear about this one.

 

[brookelizabeth]

I'm here!!! SO HAPPY for you that you have the green-light to travel!!!

 

[annmarieda]

Ya know what else I forgot to mention? Our dates are almost the same!

We have been lucky with dd and have not needed to fly to a hospital for her care. We were lucky to be living where we were when she was born. This area...is the only area from Alaska south and west from Montana that could have dealt with her at birth. I can't imagine having/needing to fly for medical care. That could not have been easy. Often when we are at Children's hospital, I look around and I can picture that many people are not as blessed to live near by. Last summer when dd was in hospital.. a room mate of hers had to fly home once she was released. Again... I just can't imagine. When dd was released we were not home but 12 hours before a complication occurred and she was readmitted. How do families do that when they just flew home? I had a melt down just needing to drive the hour or so back to the hospital. It makes me realize I need to count my blessings.

 

[gellybean]

Yep. We already have changes.

Oy vey.

But they are good changes. Small changes. I think they are important changes.

After talking to the boys, and pouring over all the videos of AoA over at allears, and looking at the map of AoA again, we've (ok I've) decided to switch us to a Finding Nemo suite instead of a Cars suite.

I really prefer the aesthestic of the inside of the Nemo rooms... the color scheme. I live in Texas... brown, western scenes abound. So I am excited about the colorful fish themes of the Nemo rooms. AND after looking at the rooms and realizing that there's no way our door can open up to the pool, I'm not as concerned about the noise factor. I was informed that there is no such thing as a preferred room location. At Pop, we always paid for a standard view but requested 60s building. That way we got a good building but not the noise of the room right off a pool.

The doors opening to a inner hallway (indoor hallway?) solved that potential issue.

YAY!

 

[gellybean]

Gelly,

Little Addie is SO ADORABLE!!! This is a well deserved trip for you ALL! Loved all your other TR. Can't wait to hear about this one.

Thank you !! We are so looking forward to it, and just the hope of planning is such a wonderful feeling I will NEVER take for granted again. I'm thinking this is gonna be one amazing trip! But I'm determined to enjoy the planning to the fullest extent too.

I'm here!!! SO HAPPY for you that you have the green-light to travel!!!

YAY!! Brook is here!!! I'm so happy we have the green light to travel too!!

Ya know what else I forgot to mention? Our dates are almost the same!

We have been lucky with dd and have not needed to fly to a hospital for her care. We were lucky to be living where we were when she was born. This area...is the only area from Alaska south and west from Montana that could have dealt with her at birth. I can't imagine having/needing to fly for medical care. That could not have been easy. Often when we are at Children's hospital, I look around and I can picture that many people are not as blessed to live near by. Last summer when dd was in hospital.. a room mate of hers had to fly home once she was released. Again... I just can't imagine. When dd was released we were not home but 12 hours before a complication occurred and she was readmitted. How do families do that when they just flew home? I had a melt down just needing to drive the hour or so back to the hospital. It makes me realize I need to count my blessings.

That's so awesome that you are gonna be there at almost the same time. I will pop over to your PTR as soon as you start it!! *AHEM* so I can see if our plans are overlapping too.

I know what you mean about not imagining flying for medical care. I know of a lot of hydro fams that live hours and hours from their hospital that handles their children's neurosurgical care and I don't know how they do it! Scares me to death. We are very fortunate to have our neurosurgeon 15 mins away. Austin wooed him from Duke about 6 years ago and he's amazing.

Everything about Violet has made me realize how much I need to count EVERY blessing!! And I was a pretty half glass full person to start with but now my cup runneth over!!

 

[brookelizabeth]

The Nemo Suites really do look bright and fun!!

 

[annmarieda]

Yep. We already have changes.

Oy vey.

But they are good changes. Small changes. I think they are important changes.

After talking to the boys, and pouring over all the videos of AoA over at allears, and looking at the map of AoA again, we've (ok I've) decided to switch us to a Finding Nemo suite instead of a Cars suite.

I really prefer the aesthestic of the inside of the Nemo rooms... the color scheme. I live in Texas... brown, western scenes abound. So I am excited about the colorful fish themes of the Nemo rooms. AND after looking at the rooms and realizing that there's no way our door can open up to the pool, I'm not as concerned about the noise factor. I was informed that there is no such thing as a preferred room location. At Pop, we always paid for a standard view but requested 60s building. That way we got a good building but not the noise of the room right off a pool.

The doors opening to a inner hallway (indoor hallway?) solved that potential issue.

YAY!

I think the nemo suites look awesome. Just today I was looking through a tour and noticed the indoor corridors. How cool is that? I mean... the deluxes are the only ones with that so this is super cool that Disney made these suites with them.

That's so awesome that you are gonna be there at almost the same time. I will pop over to your PTR as soon as you start it!! *AHEM* so I can see if our plans are overlapping too.

I know what you mean about not imagining flying for medical care. I know of a lot of hydro fams that live hours and hours from their hospital that handles their children's neurosurgical care and I don't know how they do it! Scares me to death. We are very fortunate to have our neurosurgeon 15 mins away. Austin wooed him from Duke about 6 years ago and he's amazing.

Everything about Violet has made me realize how much I need to count EVERY blessing!! And I was a pretty half glass full person to start with but now my cup runneth over!!

I will make sure to let you know when I start a PTR.

I too usually am a pretty positive person... but every now an again it all catches up to me. When dd had to be readmitted last summer... it was one of those moments where I was not in my best form. Oddly enough though, when she had to go to the ER just two days before we were about to fly out for our December trip... then I was mostly calm and like "well, we will just deal with whatever we have to"

 

[gellybean]

Day 1 – Arrival Day

Plans in a nutshell:

• Dash to school as usual, the rest of us home packing up last minute things.
  
• Pick up Dash around 12:30pm
  
• Lunch on the way to the airport (probably Chick Fil A)
  
• Arrive AUS 1:15pm
  
• Break the x-ray machine with our ginormous stroller
  
• Fly out of Austin 3:15pm on SW
  
• Land at MCO 6:50pm
  
• Magical Express to AoA.
  
• Stay put! Explore the resort.
  
• Turn in early – 10-11pm EST which is 9-10pm CST

Details: The ever-so-exciting arrival day. The day we count down to for months and months. For us, arrival days are generally pretty low key. Mostly because traveling with three kids can be exhausting. And also because we are flying out on the only non-stop flight Southwest offers and it’s an early afternoon departure…. Which is good for Dash – one less absence. But bad for arrival time and any chance of going into a park on the first day.

We will most likely take forever to get through security at Austin. We tend to break the x-ray machine with our stroller. It never fails. We tell them everytime, "You might not want to put this through there." And they always reply, "Oh it'll be fine." And then the machine stops working when it gets stuck. *SIGH* So if you see us in the airport security line ahead of you, pick another line!

We are checking our luggage straight through to AoA. I learned the hard way that schlepping kids, strollers, and luggage, all the way from Term A to baggage claim B area and then down and over to ME is a nightmare. And an accident waiting to happen. Just read my Hop, Skip and a Week TR if you don't believe me.

We generally have pretty good luck with ME, so hopefully this will continue. I am allowing for an hour from landing to arrival at AoA. Hopefully this works out. I realize it could be longer, which is why I never plan ADRs for arrival night.

Once we do arrive at AoA, I'll pick up our online check in folder and we'll be on our way. I feel like the rest of my family will wait for me in the lobby and not get any sneak peeks at the resort without me! We will most likely then check out our room, drop off our carry-ons and head straight back to eat dinner and check out the lobby, gift shop and resort.

Originally, I had it planned to go to DTD this evening. Why eat at Everything Pop! when you can eat at WPE twice in one trip?! (nothing against Everything Pop! I just love me some WPE)

But now that we have switched to AoA, I really want to try the dinner menu at Landscapes and this will be the only evening we have a chance to do so. We are planning on using counter service credits this evening, and eating in the food court (as opposed to taking it back to the room). I am hoping that since we won’t even get to AoA until 8pm that we will more than miss the evening rush.

We may even pack swim suits in our carry on, and take a dip in the pool this evening. I know that will be Dash’s vote. I’m hoping the pool hours mimic Pop Century’s and that we have til midnight to swim.

I mean who could wait to jump into that on a warm Florida September evening?

I am assuming that Edna (who is not a fan of swimming) will keep Violet either poolside or back in the room. And it will depend on how tired FGM is, as to whether she’ll join us or not.

DISCLAIMER: As always, when traveling with small children any and all plans could completely fly out the window. And that’s ok!

 

[brookelizabeth]

When I read your bulleted list about the stroller breaking the x-ray machine, I chuckled out loud thinking you were just giving it some dramatic flair...but you were serious! Which makes it even funner!

But yet that has to be ANNOYING at the same time!

Sounds like a lovely first evening to me! I look forward to your reviews of the AoA eats.

 

[Elleshoodat]

Joining in! I came over from my PTR and can't wait to follow along with you.

Your boys are adorable, and little Addie ... what a blessing. She is precious.

Happy planning!

 

[kaileighbug]

AoA looks like so much fun. I would rather be in a nemo suite than a cars suite too. I keep looking at the little mermaid rooms. They look so cute.

 

[Dancegrl624]

Coming over from Amy's PTR. You'll be arriving the day after we leave!! That totally stinks. So excited that you'll be staying at AoA....it looks amazing!!!

I have a PTR of my own if you want to check it out. I need to update it...probably get to it tomorrow.

 

[onescgirl]

I'm so excited for you staying at AoA!
Your arrival plans look great. I hope you have better luck at the airport with your stroller!

 

[Dugette]

Just saw that you started this PTR! How awesome that you get to go back and bring Violet on her first WDW trip! So happy for you!

I really haven't kept up on AoA details, but from what I can tell, it seems like a great addition to Disney's resort line-up. I hope it's a perfect place for your family to stay and I can't wait to hear about it!

So happy you're planning this trip!