I Suppose the Baby Can Come, As Well-A December 2013 PTR Updated 12/13* TR Link Up

[amazingact21]

Introductions:


It’s time to play the music…


It’s time to light the lights…..


It’s time to meet the cast!




Hello, everyone. Welcome, welcome, to my 3rd pre-trip report here on the lovely and all-knowing DISboards. While I’ve had the dates for this trip set since May, I debated creating a PTR for it. Would I have enough time? Would I have enough content? Would it be worth the read?





For the longest time, I answered those questions with a resounding no, but then plans started to formulate, reservations began piling up, and schedule shifted around. It all became a little overwhelming, and just when I was about to pull my hair out from frustration, I realized I needed something to keep my ducks in a row. There needed to be some order brought to the chaos that was my Disney plans!




And, as such, I fell upon the realization that a pre-trip report was, in fact, in order.


Hence, this gem of a thread.




To begin this pre-trip report off right, let me first tell you who all will be undertaking this grand adventure.


First off, there’s me:


I am Alicia, 23, and I’ll be your guide throughout this recap and continuing journey through my family’s Disney planning stages.






Most of you probably already know me through my previous 3 trip reports that I have written. Or perhaps the cruise thread. Maybe you’ve seen me popping in and out on the events/competition portion of the W.I.S.H. section. Or you might even recognize my username from the December 2013 trip thread. I tend to travel around here on the boards. I promise I’m a friendly sort of gal, and while I have been known to slack on updates (see my year and a half long May TR) I believe this PTR will be more consistent.


For those of you who haven’t the slightest idea who I am, I’m a pretty open book.






Disney has been a passion of mine for a number of years, the beginning of which can be traced back to my Lion King VHS tapes.






At 23, I tend to take life in stride, and there’s not much that won’t make me smile.


Covering the Disney basics, for me: Magic Kingdom’s my favorite park, Thunder Mtn my favorite coaster, Pirates my favorite dark ride, and FotLK my favorite show.


Myself, along with the rest of my party, love to let our inner child out while at Disney World, and our goofiness becomes quite apparent to anyone and everyone around.








The next person setting sail with me is my partner in crime, my fellow Disney addict, my Chip to his Dale, my darling husband, Alex:











Alex has accompanied me on 5 Disney trips and one cruise. There was a short period of time when he wasn’t with me for a portion of a Disney trip, and the world just didn’t feel quite the same without him beside me.






No matter what he says, Alex’s favorite thing to do at Disney is shop. He collects pins, and is an avid Vinylmation trader. He’s constantly on the lookout for unique and witty Disney tees, and if there’s nothing on the shelves that beg to be purchased, he’s more than content to peruse.


While more reserved than me about his happiness to be at Disney, Alex does have those occurrences where you can see that silly grin come over his face and you just know he’s living in the Disney moment.









Another member who has decided to join us again is my mother, Zelda:







I took her on her first on-site, weeklong vacation in May of 2012, and she fell head over heels in love with Walt Disney World. Already a huge fan of the films, my mom discovered the food, the resort, and the guest treatment all add up to create the magical atmosphere that is the Disney experience.





And don’t let her age fool you…she can be silly as the rest of us crazy folks:







For awhile, my mom was on the fence about going on another Disney trip so soon, but then her title of “mom” was graduated to the title of “grandma” and that’s all she wrote. She wasn’t going to miss her first grandchild’s first trip to Disney for anything.





Speaking of child, I guess it’s about time I introduce the newest cast member.



His very first intro:



Everyone, meet Landon:














Landon is Alex’s and I’s first kid; born back in April he’s a little firecracker of a boy who I’m sure will give us a run for our money on this upcoming Disney trip.



This will be his first time going to Disney World. Unless you want to count the 2 times he tagged along while I was pregnant with him. And while he did show his excitement for certain attractions by kicking me senseless, I’m disqualifying those trips on the basis of him not being able to see any of the iconic sights.



Landon will turn 8 months old on our last day of the trip. Under a year is a little earlier than I’d planned on taking him, but we decided a December trip would fit perfectly in place after a trip to see family for Thanksgiving.



While I am clueless as to what to expect with a 7-month old Landon, I can say for sure that a 4-month old Landon will absolutely love all the lights in the parks and any character with a purple outfit. Most notably, Lotso and Rapunzel.




Now that the boring ‘ol introductions have been made, I’ll be back later to discuss my dates for the trip and where we will all be staying!

 

[amazingact21]

Reserved for Chapter Links


[post=49289818]The Dates[/post]
[post=49337961]The Resort[/post]
[post=49419361]Deal or No Deal[/post]
[post=49490004]To Do Lists[/post]
[post=49607680]Day 1 Plans[/post]
[post=49633960]Day 2 Plans[/post]
[post=49754262]A Few Odds and Ends[/post]
[post=3156655]What a Weekend Pt. 1[/post]
[post=49844205]What a Weekend Pt. 2[/post]
[post=49934986]Day 3 Plans[/post]
[post=49975203]Signs the Trip is Getting Closer[/post]
[post=50028000]Magicband Arrival and More[/post]
[post=50028000]Day 4 Plans[/post]
[post=50072266]Day 5 Plans[/post]
[post=50087802]Day 6 Plans[/post]
[post=50117045]Sick![/post]
[post=50144515]7 Days to Go[/post]
[post=50197255]Back Home[/post]
[post=3156655]TR Link[/post]

 

[teekathepony]

First?

Yay first!

Great intro, Landon is getting so big! And he's so frickin cute!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[UGAFan0829]

I'm here, I'm here and will gladly take 2nd! Goodness knows, I wouldn't miss another Alicia and family trippe!

Oh, I can't wait to hear all about your plans and such, and I can't wait to hear what Landon thinks of the World! This is going to be awesome!!!!

 

[wiigirl]

Following along.

 

[MagicShell]

Following along. I must admit that I am jealous. We usually go to WDW in Dec., but no trip this year.

Landon is precious!

 

[amazingact21]

First?

Yay first!

Great intro, Landon is getting so big! And he's so frickin cute!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

Thanks! We call him a chunk monster, because he's so big!

I'm here, I'm here and will gladly take 2nd! Goodness knows, I wouldn't miss another Alicia and family trippe!

Oh, I can't wait to hear all about your plans and such, and I can't wait to hear what Landon thinks of the World! This is going to be awesome!!!!

Thanks for joining, Missy! We're all pretty excited to see how Landon reacts to Disney World.

And what's this I see in your signature? You have a trip coming up?!? Yay!

Following along.

Thanks for following me over here!

Following along. I must admit that I am jealous. We usually go to WDW in Dec., but no trip this year.

Landon is precious!

Aww, Disney in December is the best; I can completely understand why you usually visit during that time. I'm sorry you can't make it down there this year.

 

[amazingact21]

*Because this update is going to severely lack in pictures, I figured I’d throw in a cute photo of Landon to make this worth your while.*





His dad’s uniform hat looks adorable on him, but I think his face is suited more for Mickey ears.




****


Now that I have divulged who all is going to Disney World with me, it’s about time I discussed the specifics of the trip.


The Dates:


Our official dates are:

December 1st through December 8th.



Which is a Sunday to a Sunday, in case anyone was curious.



I will admit, I had a very hard time choosing when we were going to go. Like every detail of this vacation, nothing came easy.


Around the beginning of May I began putting serious thought into when I wanted to return to Disney. Normally, Alex and I would’ve already been back to Orlando already (our last trip was December 16th) but with a new baby our life couldn’t handle anything outside the typical schedule of work, sleep, eat, function, etc. Plus, summer was about to arrive and FL is too hot to have a newborn outdoors.


I always knew, even back on our last day trip that December would be the absolute earliest we could go.


The biggest issue lied in the exact dates.



I wanted to be settled back at home for Christmas, but I wanted our trip to be late enough to be able to really enjoy the holiday spirit around the parks.






Really, the only thing I knew for sure was that we all wanted to go for a week.



Alex has never been to WDW for that long before, and I felt that for such a long break in between visits, the 3 of us deserved to take a few extra days for ourselves. It will have been a year for the two of us, and a year and a half for my mom since we all stepped foot inside the parks; that warrants a weeklong stay, in my opinion.





At least, that’s how I justified taking the 7 nights.



So, for a few days, I formulated a plan that would have us arriving on the 3rd and leaving on the 10th.



Then, that shifted to the 5th through the 11th.



At one point, I cut it back to the 7th through the 12th.



There were so many days decided upon it was ridiculous.



Eventually, I realized that a Thanksgiving at Alex’s parents was due, so I scratched all my old plans and began forming a trip around the holiday timeframe. I discovered that Thanksgiving falls on the last Thursday before December, so it seemed only logical to have us leave Alex’s family’s place the following Sunday and head straight to Disney.



Hence, the 1st-8th.



It took me almost 3 weeks to finally set those dates in stone, and even then I had a lot of trepidation about them.



Still do, actually.




There is a lot going on that week in Disney, and a part of me doesn’t want to be anywhere near the chaos while its underway.



There’s the Pop Warner kids arriving on the 6th.





In fact, my dates were finalized at the 8th through the 14th (I even announced them to my family) but when I learned about Pop Warner’s schedule I immediately switched.



Then, there’s the Christmas Parade Taping that’ll most likely occur on the 7th in the Magic Kingdom.






It’s typically that first weekend in December, and while I can simply avoid going to Magic Kingdom during that weekend, it kind of stinks to be limited to when I can and shouldn’t go.




It doesn’t sound important, but All Star Sport’s Food Court will be under refurb throughout our stay. They plan on having shuttles to take guests to the other All Stars to use their facilities. And while, no, this isn’t the biggest snag we’ve encountered, it does play a role in our trip, as I’ll discuss later on in this PTR.





Despite all my complaining and griping about the struggle to find a convenient slot and having to work around special events, I am excited to see Disney during this time. I’ve been twice in mid-December, and if the parks are half as magical as they were then, I’ll have the time of my life.






I have read countless trip reports that claim these first few weeks in December are the best, because the Thanksgiving crowds have dispersed and the holiday masses haven’t made their way down yet.


The weather is supposedly fair, the lines for attractions short. The holiday decorations will be in full force and the typically early opening hours will work well with our baby’s schedule.


It was a long road getting there, but now I am looking forward to our first week of December choice.



Up next….If I Thought the Dates were Difficult….

 

[jewels1916]

Hi Alicia! Landon is ADORABLE!

Your planning style, at least in picking dates sounds a bit like mine..."well, if I do these dates....but if I go these dates...." In fact, I was doing that yesterday for December 2014....so...far...away!

I love Disney in December, it's extra magical. I can't wait to hear about more of your plans, so I am subbing!

Courtney

 

[teekathepony]

Landon is so, so, so adorable. Look at those cheeks!
Great week to stay. I wish I could go a little closer to Christmas (we go Nov. 11-18) but at work we take and print the Santa Claus photos in the mall, it's our busiest time of year and my boss wouldn't be too happy if I missed any of it! Hahaha oh well, I still get to enjoy much of the atmosphere.

 

[marDgreen88]

I'm here! Hooray for December!!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[UGAFan0829]

Thanks for joining, Missy! We're all pretty excited to see how Landon reacts to Disney World.

And what's this I see in your signature? You have a trip coming up?!? Yay!

Look at you paying attention and all! Indeed, we do have a trip, and I am SOOOO excited. Granted, it's only for 4 nights, but I'm beyond excited that I will be in the Magic Kingdom on my Birthday, AND, I get to eat breakfast with my favorite bear. (Though I do have to admit that I'm a little nervous about it after reading about your experience there in May)!

 

[UGAFan0829]

I absolutely love the way you think and the reasoning behind a whole week in Disney--it's genius I tell ya!

I have to admit that I'm a bit envious of your dates! Mike and I have been dreaming of visiting the World during December for years, but we just haven't made it. I can't wait to live it through your report!!

I agree, Landon is quite adorable in Alex's hat!

 

[amazingact21]

Hi Alicia! Landon is ADORABLE!

Your planning style, at least in picking dates sounds a bit like mine..."well, if I do these dates....but if I go these dates...." In fact, I was doing that yesterday for December 2014....so...far...away!

I love Disney in December, it's extra magical. I can't wait to hear about more of your plans, so I am subbing!

Courtney

Welcome! Thanks for joining!

Usually I'm not so scatterbrained when it comes to planning trips, but this year I've just been all over the place. It seems like I can't make my mind up at all. And I don't think Dec. 2014 is too far away to beginning setting things in motion. Of course, this is coming from someone who's already got a tentative Nov. 2014 trip in the works...

Landon is so, so, so adorable. Look at those cheeks!
Great week to stay. I wish I could go a little closer to Christmas (we go Nov. 11-18) but at work we take and print the Santa Claus photos in the mall, it's our busiest time of year and my boss wouldn't be too happy if I missed any of it! Hahaha oh well, I still get to enjoy much of the atmosphere.

Yeah, I'm sure that's a pretty inconvienent time for you to visit WDW. I didn't even think of that, but now I can only imagine how busy you photographers must be with Santa photos.
It's nice that Disney puts up their decorations so early in November, so that people who do have to work a lot in December still get the opportunity to enjoy the festivities.

I'm here! Hooray for December!!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

Hi Marissa! Thanks for following along!

Look at you paying attention and all! Indeed, we do have a trip, and I am SOOOO excited. Granted, it's only for 4 nights, but I'm beyond excited that I will be in the Magic Kingdom on my Birthday, AND, I get to eat breakfast with my favorite bear. (Though I do have to admit that I'm a little nervous about it after reading about your experience there in May)!

Oh, that's fantastic! When's your birthday? Mine's the 21st, no idea ours were so close!
And 4 nights is better than no nights! Where are you staying? Anything planned?

And don't worry too much about Crystal Palace, I honestly think it was just a bad day and I picked a horrible time. It's way too popular here on the DISboards to be like that all the time. Plus, my mom LOVED the food and asked if we could go back, so not to worry. I'm sure you're going to have a great experience there. And Pooh bear is so fun to meet!

I absolutely love the way you think and the reasoning behind a whole week in Disney--it's genius I tell ya!

I have to admit that I'm a bit envious of your dates! Mike and I have been dreaming of visiting the World during December for years, but we just haven't made it. I can't wait to live it through your report!!

I agree, Landon is quite adorable in Alex's hat!

As much as I love visiting Disney during May and even October, nothing quite beats Disney World in December. It's stunning, and some of my favorite Disney memories occured while on Holiday trips, so it was only fitting I take Landon for the first time during then.
You and Mike HAVE to go one day. There's so much to do! There's always this December....

 

[MagicShell]

I think you chose a perfect time to go! Waiting for more details.

By the way, thanks for sharing pictures of Landon. I love looking at cute baby pictures!

 

[UGAFan0829]

Oh, that's fantastic! When's your birthday? Mine's the 21st, no idea ours were so close!
And 4 nights is better than no nights! Where are you staying? Anything planned?

And don't worry too much about Crystal Palace, I honestly think it was just a bad day and I picked a horrible time. It's way too popular here on the DISboards to be like that all the time. Plus, my mom LOVED the food and asked if we could go back, so not to worry. I'm sure you're going to have a great experience there. And Pooh bear is so fun to meet!






As much as I love visiting Disney during May and even October, nothing quite beats Disney World in December. It's stunning, and some of my favorite Disney memories occured while on Holiday trips, so it was only fitting I take Landon for the first time during then.
You and Mike HAVE to go one day. There's so much to do! There's always this December....

I had no idea that our birthdays were so close either! Mine's the 29th!

The only plans we have is MK on my birthday...other than that and some ADR's, we're just gonna wing it. Definitely spend some time at DTD, and maybe explore some new resorts.

The first night we're spending at OKW, and the other three will be at Bay Lake! I'm really excited since both places will be a first for us! And I'm super excited that we can either walk to MK, or take the monorail!

Originally, I had booked CP for 8:05, but then I realized we'd miss park opening, and since it's one of our favorite things to see, I decided to change it to 9:30. So I'm hoping that it won't be terrible. It's been a few years since we've been to CP...the last time we were there, they still had the Pooh waffles. Pooh's my favorite character of all time, so I thought it was only fitting to have breakfast with him on my birthday!

Hopefully we'll make it down in December one of these days...sadly, I just don't see it being any time soon, especially since I'm losing my job in less than two weeks! Which is one of the reasons why we're only doing the one park this time...this will definitely be a budget-minded trip...thankfully, we had planned this way in advance, which is why we're still going.

Goodness, look at me, here I am on a thread about your trip and it seems like I just wrote my very own mini TR here...sorry about that!

 

[MEK]

Woo Hoo! A trip is planned and a trip report is here! I think your dates are great. Early December is a fantastic time to visit! Looking forward to all your planning and happy to see your mom is going again.

 

[amazingact21]

I think you chose a perfect time to go! Waiting for more details.

By the way, thanks for sharing pictures of Landon. I love looking at cute baby pictures!

I think we're going to enjoy that time of the year in WDW. Plus, it's always interesting going during a new time, seeing if it's better/worse than your normal visit.

I had no idea that our birthdays were so close either! Mine's the 29th!

The only plans we have is MK on my birthday...other than that and some ADR's, we're just gonna wing it. Definitely spend some time at DTD, and maybe explore some new resorts.

The first night we're spending at OKW, and the other three will be at Bay Lake! I'm really excited since both places will be a first for us! And I'm super excited that we can either walk to MK, or take the monorail!

Originally, I had booked CP for 8:05, but then I realized we'd miss park opening, and since it's one of our favorite things to see, I decided to change it to 9:30. So I'm hoping that it won't be terrible. It's been a few years since we've been to CP...the last time we were there, they still had the Pooh waffles. Pooh's my favorite character of all time, so I thought it was only fitting to have breakfast with him on my birthday!

Hopefully we'll make it down in December one of these days...sadly, I just don't see it being any time soon, especially since I'm losing my job in less than two weeks! Which is one of the reasons why we're only doing the one park this time...this will definitely be a budget-minded trip...thankfully, we had planned this way in advance, which is why we're still going.

Goodness, look at me, here I am on a thread about your trip and it seems like I just wrote my very own mini TR here...sorry about that!

Oh, please, I love hearing about your plans!

I'm sorry to hear about your job, that has to be stressful on you. But I can't think of any other way to deal with it than spending some time in the happiest place on earth. I hope everything ends up working out, whether that be a new job or a new direction. And one day the December trip will happen, and when you do get to go it'll be that much sweeter.


Ooooh, Bay Lake, I'm super jealous! To be able to walk into the Magic Kingdom or to just hop on the monorail and get off at the Polynesian or the GF....that sounds like so much fun!

I think you'll still have a blast with one park. Let's be honest, it's going to be ridiculously hot down there (and probably rainy...I swear it's rained here in FL every day this summer) so choosing to do other activities is probably a wise decision. It's not like you haven't been in the parks before, so this gives you a chance to explore some new things, take it a bit slower, and hopefully stay in more A.C.ed locations.


You'll either have to write a TR or post lots of pics on Facebook so I can see the amazing resorts!

Woo Hoo! A trip is planned and a trip report is here! I think your dates are great. Early December is a fantastic time to visit! Looking forward to all your planning and happy to see your mom is going again.

I'm hoping I picked some good dates. If we weren't visiting family, I would've preferred a little later in the month, but it'll be interesting to visit during a new time frame.


I don't think my mom would miss Landon's first trip for anything. And Alex and I don't mind, because it means free babysitting!

 

[amazingact21]

Whew, for the past month Landon’s been a little hellion when it comes to sleeping at night, but I bought him a new crib mattress yesterday, and he gave me 5 straight hours of rest. I feel like a new person!


And add a cup of coffee to the mix, and I’m ready to write more about my Disney trip. I’m so close to the double digit dance I can almost see those 2 beautiful 9’s dancing before my eyes.



This update will be about the age old “where are we staying” question.


And like everything else about me, the answer isn’t quick and easy. I feel like there has to be an explanation as to how I came to my decision and whether or not I’m happy with it.


To start, let me take us allll the way back to October 2012.



Yes, that long ago.




Alex and I took a weekend trip to Walt Disney World when I was 11 weeks pregnant. (The trip was planned before I had a little one on the way, and we didn’t want to cancel it just because I was preggers.)


We were down there for Epcot’s 30th, Food and Wine, and the Halloween season, and it was a lot of fun. While we were there, we couldn’t ride any of the coasters, and it was really hot, so touring the parks all day was out of the question.


The two of us were forced to change our normal go-go-go pace and instead, we spent a lot of time touring some of the deluxe resorts.





When we first found out we’d be adding a new guest to our Disney trips, Alex and I both agreed we should try to stay at a deluxe once the baby was with us.


The main reason being, we were going to be shifting our schedules from going every 3-4 months to once a year, leaving us with a lot more money. The second reason being, we’d be spending more time in our room and less in the parks.


So, Alex and I chit chatted about where we’d like to stay.


Our top priority was a monorail resort.


And everyone who knows me knows this picture kept flashing in my mind on a jumbotron-sized scale:






My dream resort!



The Polynesian.


Oh, I can see it now….returning from a long morning in the Magic Kingdom, simply pushing Landon’s stroller off the monorail, being greeted by a friendly hello:




Taking a quick nap, then heading to the pool to relax for a bit:




Putting the baby down for the night, then one of us escaping to watch Wishes from the comfort of our temporary home:






It sounded like a dream come true to me.




And Alex was cool with the idea.



Until we toured the Contemporary Resort.



Alert: Alex found his very own dream resort.



While my imagination overflowed with leis and waterfalls and longhouses, Alex’s filled with Bay Lake views, five legged goats, and monorail-watching.


And I wasn’t completely opposed to it.



I mean, you can’t beat this form of transportation every morning:




Or simply walking to the Magic Kingdom.


Walking!




I didn’t have too much trouble cozying up to the idea of passing these shops every day, pushing a sleeping son towards his Pack & Play:







When we returned from our trip, up until our day trip with family in December, Alex and I thought over some other options, and we came up with the solution that we didn’t HAVE to have a monorail resort. While it would be nice, we normally drive anyways, so loading and unloading a stroller wouldn’t be such a big hassle.


Reviewing other deluxes, I quickly threw out the Beach Club. Not because I don’t like the resort. Quite the opposite; it has several great reasons to stay there. The main being ice cream and Epcot.

But I had already told Alex that I didn’t want to stay there until our kids were older and could enjoy Stormalong Bay.



Very quickly, my priorities shifted to my 2nd favorite resort (and a much more affordable one).






Animal Kingdom Lodge!


A savannah room, of course.





After all, it would be perfect.


Landon’s nursery is Lion King themed, and almost all his toys are animal-related. I even incorporated safari animals into his newborn photoshoot:










Yes, that was it.


We were staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge, where I could wake up every morning and enjoy a cup of coffee while I watched giraffes and zebras roam around.


That was that. It was decided.



Until….



*Cue ominious music and sinking feeling in one’s gut*



If you read my last trip report, then you will know that on our way home from a family trip last December, Alex’s car bit the bullet, and we had to invest in a new vehicle.


And while I love our new crossover, especially with all our baby gear, our little family went from having 2 cars paid off to a 5 year car loan.


Which, is never fun.


So, our Disney plans shifted drastically. What was once our monthly vacation deposit very quickly got chopped up and became a car note, with a measly amount left over for Disney.



And while we can still go to Walt Disney World, Alex and I have to do it on a much more modest budget.



Skip ahead to about March, when we got the bulk of our trip funds from our tax return, and I could start seeking out a new place to stay.



I know it might sounds nuts, but Alex and I aren’t huge fans of any of the moderate resorts. None of the designs really appeal to us, and we’d rather save a few bucks and stay at a value or save up and splurge on a deluxe.


We’re just not moderate people.



Although, I’m sure one day we’re bound to stay at one. But this trip is not that “one day.”



*****


I won’t lie, it took me almost a month to get over my non-deluxe gloom.


I really thought we were going to be staying in a deluxe for the first time, and it was hard for me to accept our demotion. Between the trouble picking dates and being forced to stay somewhere I wasn’t prepared to, my enthusiasm for planning wasn’t exactly through the roof.


In fact, I didn’t even call to book our room until a week before making our ADRs. Which, for me, is unheard of.


When I did decide to put my big girl pants on and get over the deluxe shunning, I started to think about all the values.


Obviously, the first one I thought of was Art of Animation.


I mean, c’mon, how does this not appeal to a Disney fanatic?





And with a suite, my mom could be in the room with us, making life a little bit easier on everyone.


But, it just didn’t feel like the right choice for us at that time. I know once my family gets a little bigger, Alex and I will stay there, but for this trip, the resort was kicked to the curb.



Thinking about what was left, I really wanted an All Star Movies preferred room.



Optimistically, in the Toy Story section.








Alex and I had stayed there during that October weekend trip, and I was really happy with the overall resort. Our room was dirtier than the ones at All Star Sports, but the location of the Food Court and parking lot to our room was fabulous.


I felt like it was a resort I could walk around with Landon in the wee hours of the morning when he couldn’t sleep, and one all 3 of us adults would be happy with.



I started to get excited about my trip again.


Then, I remembered something.


Our dang dates.



They coincided with the start of Pop Warner week.


Nuh-uh.


No way.


No how


Was I going to be staying at the same resort a million kids would be at.



If it were just Alex and I, that’d be a different story. We could deal with the insanity of the food court and the loud noises along the walkways.


But there was no way I was risking all that chaos with a baby.



I read someone TR who stayed at Coronado with the Pop Warner kids, and they said their little one woke up once because of the teenagers.


I’m not even going to risk that.




And switching our dates was already out of the question, because we’d already told Alex’s family we’d be there for Thanksgiving, and Alex had submitted his leave request at work.




So, it was time to choose another resort.


Well, really,there was only resort left.


Process of elimination.



It was:






Good ‘ol Pop Century Resort.






In October of 2011, Alex and I stayed at Pop for 2 nights during our Disneymoon, and I actually did not like the resort.


Shocking, I know.



There were a few things that bothered me, but I do have the good sense to say that I was sick during my stay and I had just gotten off a 7 day cruise. So, I was tired and a little burned out by the time I got to Pop.


But my overall impression was that it was big. Much larger than the All Stars, which had spoiled me with their close proximity to the parking lots.



We’d stayed in the 50’s building, by the Tramp statue:





And our room, to me, smelled funky the entire time.




I don’t know how to describe it, except that it was overpowering and almost musty smelling. Plus, we could hear our neighbor’s toilet flush every 5 seconds. I thought that bathroom was going to take off, it was so loud. It woke me up in the middle of the night, once.



However, I am a smart enough person to know that one mediocre experience doesn’t set the precedent for all stays there. So, I got myself excited, and began doing some research for Pop.


My party guests had some “musts” so when I called to book a room, I actually put in a request. A first for me.


My mother wanted to be fairly close to the food court, because she did not want to walk ten minutes to get a cup of coffee every morning.


And I wanted to be far away from the pools, because I didn’t want to risk Landon not sleeping due to outside noise.


And Alex insisted we be near a parking lot, since he’d be lugging our bags and Landon back and forth to and from the car.




I did my research and if our requests are granted, then we’ll have 2 rooms in either the 50’s section, by Lady:





Or the 70’s building, by the big tyke car:





I am more than a little worried that the room is going to be too small for us and a baby, but luckily my mom will have a room of her own. So worst case we can store our luggage in her room and utilize her free space. I’d like to think between the 2 value rooms we’ll make it work, but we won’t know til we get there.




So…the final verdict?


Am I excited?


I am a little.


The more time that passes, the more I’m looking forward to giving Pop another chance. And I already know Landon is going to love the design. All the bright colors and the over the top statues. He’s going to have plenty to keep him entertained. Plus, I’ve already got a time set aside to visit Art of Animation across the way.


Now, will we keep our reservation at the resort even with my growing fondness for the place?


We’ll see….



There’s quite a bit of drama still in tow with the resorts that I’ll talk about later.

 

[teekathepony]

Well, Pop is very near and dear to me, I really love the resort. I hope that this trip can change your mind!

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