I finally found a way to get DH excited about Disney! - ADDED LINK TO TRIP REPORT

[emma212010]

We ate at H&V when I was younger... before the new Disney Jr character addition. Back in the day I danced with Minnie and friends during the dance party!! Oh, the good ol' days! I was probably not much older than Reid at that time! Funny how time works!

I love Phineas and Ferb! The lines were always sooooo long, so that was never high on our to do list.

YUM! Starring Rolls!!!! You are going to have a tough choice on your hands!!! Good luck!

 

[amandaw]

DHS really is hard to develop a plan for. There are some great attractions there, but unfortunately there just isn't enough "filler" in between them to spread the crowds out. It's hard to get everything done in that park without zig zagging all over the place.

I'm so glad you said that - I always feel like I'm the only person who zigzags all around that park. I'm glad to know I'm not alone. It really is hard to do that park in some ways.....especially with little ones.

I think breakfast at H&V is probably a good idea. We ate dinner there a few years ago and it is on our "never again" list. I'd say it would be hard to screw up breakfast food though.

Let's hope they can't screw up breakfast! I figure we'll do it & mark it off our list of things to try.

Enjoy the cupcakes at Starring Rolls. I've still not been there. I keep stalking the line whenever I walk by. One of these days there won't be a crowd there and I'll get one.

I am determined to get a cupcake this year! I'm tired of being teased by all the pictures here!

Sounds like a fun DHS morning!

Thank you!

We did H&V breakfast last year with an 8am ADR. We were out before rope drop & we got our check about half way through our meal. I think you all should be fine to make the TSM run! Anthony loves the characters there and Tessa loves the music. I thought the food was good and at 8am everything will be fresh.

Ooohhh....I am sooo happy to know this! Thank you!!! This gives me great hope for making TSM for FP's & a standby ride. And I'm really glad to know y'all thought the food was good. I've been so worried with all of the horrible reviews here.

I have a hard time making a plan for DHS too!

So glad I'm not the only one. Seriously! It's not a big park so it seems like it shouldn't be hard to put together a plan. But, when I sit down to think about it, I just get overwhelmed because I don't know how to piece it together.

The only show we have seen at DHS is Beauty and the Beast. I want to see Lights Motor Action next time. You have to get to Starring Rolls!

I haven't seen Beauty & the Beast in so long! I'm hoping Reid will want to go to it this year. I will be a woman on a mission to get to Starring Rolls!

I think you might like H&V more than you think, but I don't want to ruin the surprise of my TR.

Ooohhh.....you have me very intrigued! I'll be waiting for that TR update from you for sure!

Sounds like a good plan for the day! Let me know how you like the cupcake, I still haven't tried one! I never seem to be hungry for sweets in the middle of the day...

Thanks! Unfortunately for me (& my scale), I am always in the mood for sweets.

I figured. But I had to give you a little grief for not having it nearer the top of the agenda!

Just don't tell Willow that I don't have it on the morning agenda.

Starring Rolls cupcakes - definitely a winner!

I am soooo excited to try one of their cupcakes!

I had the dinner buffet once at H&V and I thought it was fine. I really don't know why that restaurant gets such a bad rap. I read a recent review on breakfast that was quite positive and I'm sure Reid will love it!

Y'all are making me feel much better about making an ADR there. Hopefully, it will be better than I'm anticipating. I do think Reid is going to be quite excited!

We ate at H&V when I was younger... before the new Disney Jr character addition. Back in the day I danced with Minnie and friends during the dance party!! Oh, the good ol' days! I was probably not much older than Reid at that time! Funny how time works!

Awww, I love your great memories of Disney! I really hope Reid remembers all of these fun times when he grows up.

I love Phineas and Ferb! The lines were always sooooo long, so that was never high on our to do list.

They're great, aren't they? Today, we went to Target & when we were getting out of the car, Reid asked me, "Mom, do we live in the Tri-State Area like Phineas & Ferb?"

YUM! Starring Rolls!!!! You are going to have a tough choice on your hands!!! Good luck!

I really don't know how I'm going to decide! I think I need to at least narrow it down to 3 choices before I go to try & make it easier.

 

[pas130]

We did a 830am ADR at H&V...sent out a "runner" for the FP, we asked the waitress if it was OK, she said sure...easy peasy! And it wasn't crowded, the food was good. Lots of opportunity for characters, FUN! Plus the kiddos do a parade, dancing. I approve !

 

[amandaw]

We did a 830am ADR at H&V...sent out a "runner" for the FP, we asked the waitress if it was OK, she said sure...easy peasy! And it wasn't crowded, the food was good. Lots of opportunity for characters, FUN! Plus the kiddos do a parade, dancing. I approve !

I'm so glad to hear that it was ok for y'all to have a FP runner. Maybe it won't be as bad as what I'm thinking. I do think Reid will enjoy it and, ultimately, that's all that matters. I am very glad to have your seal of approval!

 

[JPFamilyMom]

Sounds like a good plan. What a fun breakfast plan, I have a friend who did I think they lunch and her son had a GREAT time So I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself.

Love your to do list for the morning, very similar to mine. Hope you can get it done by lunch and can't wait to see what kind of cupcake you choose

 

[amandaw]

Sounds like a good plan. What a fun breakfast plan, I have a friend who did I think they lunch and her son had a GREAT time So I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself.

Thank you! All of this positive reinforcement about H&V is making me feel so much better about booking there. I do hope it gets our day off to a great start!

Love your to do list for the morning, very similar to mine. Hope you can get it done by lunch and can't wait to see what kind of cupcake you choose

Thanks! I'm hoping we'll be able to get a good bit done before lunch. I really need to start researching the cupcakes there so that I can start narrowing down which one I want to try.

 

[amandaw]

Happy Friday!!!

I wanted to pop in real quick & post 2 little updates that relate to our trip.

1. Yesterday, I experimented with a nap time for Reid. He had swimming lessons in the morning & then we came home to have lunch. After lunch, I made us go lay down in my bed. Now, he says swimming lessons make him tired. Well, it was almost an hour & a half before he fell asleep! Then, he slept for about an hour to an hour & a half. So, the good news here is that I was (miraculously) able to get him to nap. I put him to bed about an hour later than his normal bedtime plus I had to give him some Benadryl for a bug bite on his neck. Should go to sleep, right? UH, no! He was up until midnight.....when I went to sleep. So, it seems like nap time will definitely be a must for the ToT race day & MNSSHP day. If I can get him to nap, even a little, I think he will be good to go for the parties!

2. I called DVC today & added (& paid for) our DDP! I also put in a room request for our OKW ressie: lowest floor possible & as close to the main building as possible. We'll see what we're given!

The only "pre-pay" item I have left to purchase is our IoA tickets. Everything else will be stuff we pay for while we're on vacation. And I looked at our budget today.....we already have it all saved up!!! So, we are pretty much all set for Disney!

Now, the next 70 days just need to tick on by.

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!!!

 

[jennyjinx3]

Hi! All caught up again....it is hard with the naptimes isn't it? I found with the girls when we went to the Halloween party last year, we tried to get them to nap. No one did, and we ended up leaving the party earlyish around 10 pm... But our youngest was only 2 then. We will try again though this time!!

 

[amandaw]

Hi! All caught up again....it is hard with the naptimes isn't it? I found with the girls when we went to the Halloween party last year, we tried to get them to nap. No one did, and we ended up leaving the party earlyish around 10 pm... But our youngest was only 2 then. We will try again though this time!!

Hi there! Nap times have always been a battle with Reid. I'm really hoping he'll nap at least a little bit before the 2 parties. If not, I just won't let him ride in his stroller. He'll be more prone to stay awake if he's walking around everywhere.

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Finally had time to get all caught up!

Sounds like the nap is perfect for the trip (Sophia is the same...if she does nap, which is extremely rare, she'll be up until at least midnight). Hope it works out just right for you at Disney.

Sounds like all you need to do is pack!!

 

[RGirl]

Well, it sounds like a pre-party nap will do the trick!!! Not a fun experiment though!!!

I hope you get your requests and for being all paid and saved!!!

 

[megan511]

I hope nap time works out on your trip and Reid is ready to go for MNSSHP. I will be studying your results closely for research purposes. I am itching to talk about our next trip plans but I'm trying to get through my TR first!

Hooray for having things pre payed for! That's always a great feeling! I hope you have a great weekend also

 

[amandaw]

Finally had time to get all caught up!

Thanks for stopping by! I really appreciate it!

Sounds like the nap is perfect for the trip (Sophia is the same...if she does nap, which is extremely rare, she'll be up until at least midnight). Hope it works out just right for you at Disney.

Thank you! I really hope it won't be as big as fight on the trip to get him to nap. But, at least I know it will probably be worth the fight!

Sounds like all you need to do is pack!!

Pretty much! I have a few craft things to finish up, a few things to buy, packing lists to write & then I can pack. Although, I always wait to pack the day before we leave. I really love packing day!!!

Well, it sounds like a pre-party nap will do the trick!!! Not a fun experiment though!!!

Yes, I was very happy to see that even a small trick really did the trick for him. Not the best experiment, I'll admit. But, I do have to admit that he was pretty good staying up. He played "limbo" with my computer charger that was plugged up & watched Disney Jr. The only time I had to fuss at him was when he kept trying to go talk to Ed while he was trying to do some work. And can you believe......he woke up at 8 am still! I wish I had his energy.

I hope you get your requests and for being all paid and saved!!!

Thank you! Such a good feeling to see that you have all your vacation either paid for or saved up for.

I hope nap time works out on your trip and Reid is ready to go for MNSSHP. I will be studying your results closely for research purposes. I am itching to talk about our next trip plans but I'm trying to get through my TR first!

I really hope it works on the trip, too. At least I know that it possibly can work. I will definitely be reporting in my TR on how it worked out (or didn't) at Disney. Ooohhh....I'm ready to talk about your next trip, too! I love talking about trips! I have 3 going on on in my head right now: our trip this fall, the cruise in May 2013 & then I really want to do US/WDW in May 2014.

Hooray for having things pre payed for! That's always a great feeling! I hope you have a great weekend also

Thanks! It is indeed!

 

[RGirl]

Yes, I was very happy to see that even a small trick really did the trick for him. Not the best experiment, I'll admit. But, I do have to admit that he was pretty good staying up. He played "limbo" with my computer charger that was plugged up & watched Disney Jr. The only time I had to fuss at him was when he kept trying to go talk to Ed while he was trying to do some work. And can you believe......he woke up at 8 am still! I wish I had his energy.

Thank you! Such a good feeling to see that you have all your vacation either paid for or saved up for.

These dang kids and their boundless energy!!!!!

 

[amandaw]

These dang kids and their boundless energy!!!!!

I know, right?!? Sometimes, I get tired just watching him running around the house or spinning in circles.

This afternoon, we went to a karate school. They did an eval on Reid to see if he would be ready to enter. They said he is, that he is a very typical 4 y/o boy who obviously has lots of energy that he doesn't know how to reign in when he's overly excited. So, we are going to do 3 classes on a trial basis & then decide if we want to commit to the "Little Ninja program" for the next 6 months. I really hope he likes it because I think it will really help to get him to focus & learn how to listen better when he's in "excitement mode." He just gets so wild sometimes.

 

[RGirl]

I know, right?!? Sometimes, I get tired just watching him running around the house or spinning in circles.

This afternoon, we went to a karate school. They did an eval on Reid to see if he would be ready to enter. They said he is, that he is a very typical 4 y/o boy who obviously has lots of energy that he doesn't know how to reign in when he's overly excited. So, we are going to do 3 classes on a trial basis & then decide if we want to commit to the "Little Ninja program" for the next 6 months. I really hope he likes it because I think it will really help to get him to focus & learn how to listen better when he's in "excitement mode." He just gets so wild sometimes.

Phew - they are exhausting! I am closing in on 43. I totally get why people have kids in their 20s!!!

"Little Ninja program" - you have to do it just for the name! I love it!!!!! I bet he will love it. (I have actually stopped the extracurricular stuff with Willow because, when combined with her BFF, she (they) just could NOT behave. I realized that we were asking way too much of them - they are at "school" for 8-10 hour a day; it was ridiculous to ask them to then go and focus at an after school class. Since Reid is not subjected to so much structure all day, he will probably really enjoy the class and thrive in it!)

 

[amandaw]

Phew - they are exhausting! I am closing in on 43. I totally get why people have kids in their 20s!!!

"Little Ninja program" - you have to do it just for the name! I love it!!!!! I bet he will love it. (I have actually stopped the extracurricular stuff with Willow because, when combined with her BFF, she (they) just could NOT behave. I realized that we were asking way too much of them - they are at "school" for 8-10 hour a day; it was ridiculous to ask them to then go and focus at an after school class. Since Reid is not subjected to so much structure all day, he will probably really enjoy the class and thrive in it!)

I know...I love the name of the program!! And he got a cute little karate outfit. I'm hoping it won't be too much on him - it's 2 nights a week (Mon & Wed) from 530 to 6pm. I can definitely see where it would be hard if he had his BFF with him. I'm really hoping he'll want to stick with it after the 3 trial classes. They teach so many things that I think will help at home & school: focus, discipline, listening skills, etc. He was so hyper with the Sensai today but by the end of his short eval he was at least following her directions doing the punches & kicks & standing still & bowing when given the commands. Cross your fingers for me that he will love these classes!

 

[RGirl]

I know...I love the name of the program!! And he got a cute little karate outfit. I'm hoping it won't be too much on him - it's 2 nights a week (Mon & Wed) from 530 to 6pm. I can definitely see where it would be hard if he had his BFF with him. I'm really hoping he'll want to stick with it after the 3 trial classes. They teach so many things that I think will help at home & school: focus, discipline, listening skills, etc. He was so hyper with the Sensai today but by the end of his short eval he was at least following her directions doing the punches & kicks & standing still & bowing when given the commands. Cross your fingers for me that he will love these classes!

Oh, I really do think he will do great. He is not having to spend all day in "school" already - that will make a huge difference. And you aren't doing it with a BFF. If I'm totally honest, DD's BFF's mom and I had really set up classes for our kiddos so that we would have an hour or two a week to breathe and talk to each other. Don't judge! It was a really bad idea!!! For some reason, it worked with swimming lessons when they were 3-4, but it was a disaster with gymnastics when they were 4-5. However, I at least got to hold Willow's BFF's baby brother for two hours a week, so it was worth it for me! Seriously, those two girls were ridiculous - they acted like they hadn't seen each other in years and had to spend every second ignoring the coach and digging each other. Um, yeah, they had just been at school together all day! REID WILL BE FINE!!!!!

 

[TinksThree]

I am so bad with noticing signatures but I am subbing! I don't know if I can catch up on all of the 42 pages but I am in now!!

 

[amandaw]

I am so bad with noticing signatures but I am subbing! I don't know if I can catch up on all of the 42 pages but I am in now!!

No worries! I am really bad about missing those kinds of things. But, I appreciate you subbing now!

And don't worry....I know it can sometimes be too hard to catch up on threads. I'll give you the cliff notes version of what I've posted already:

Thurs, 9/27: We'll leave when my DH gets off of work & drive half way to WDW

Fri, 9/28: Go to Wide World of Sports, get race packets, check into POFQ, DTD that night & EoS for dinner

Sat, 9/29: I run the ToT 5K that morning, hang out @ the resort, Ed runs the ToT 10 miler than night & we're doing the Villains Bash party

Sun, 9/30: Move to OKW; MNSSHP that night. We will be dressing up as Wendy Darling (me), Mr. Smee (Ed) and Cpt. Hook (Reid).

Mon, 10/1: spend most of the day @ Islands of Adventure; that night Reid will go to the Neverland Club while Ed & I have a date night at Citricos

Tues, 10/2: 730am ADR @ 'Ohana; entire day spent @ MK

Wed, 10/3: 8am ADR @ Hollywood & Vine; lunch @ Starring Rolls

And my next update will be the rest of our day @ DHS.