Is Mickey a Captain or a Jedi? Both! - May '15 Land & Sea ~ Updated 6/14: Trip Report Started!

[MEK]

I really love all the little T's you got for Izzy. When my boys were young I used to match up all their clothes before I packed them, so I understand your enjoyment in figuring out her outfits. That was always fun.

Love the T you got for yourself at Target. Super cute.

More importantly - nice job at finally getting your ADRs all straightened out, even if the lunch ADR does overlap with your character meat. I'm sure you'll get that tweaked as well.

Yay for your trip being only 2 weeks away. I hope you start feeling better really soon!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Bummer about the dominos being $3 (hate when things are mislabeled) but I think you are all good with what you got

Double bummer that you are still sick - hopefully you can get some rest this weekend

It helped that Dug took Izzy out after daycare and told me to nap!

good!

Love the Magic Band chain .... if you guys do a Disney Christmas Tree that could be like the garland/ribbon on it

 

[Gracefulskinny]

We've only watched a few episodes of Jake and the Neverland Pirates, but I'm pretty sure there's a girl named Izzy

There sure is!

It helped that Dug took Izzy out after daycare and told me to nap!

Such a nice dh!

would be easy to link together! So, I present to you, the Non-Crafty Person’s WDW Countdown Chain :

Wonderful! Just don't loose um!

As far as outfits go, for the most part I think you've got some good ones in there. It can be so hard to tell without seeing them put together. The only one that really jumps out at me as not going together would be the olaf shirt and the frozen leggings. But then I am not big on printed leggings to begin with. I can say that the R2D2 shirt looks awful cute with white shorts or a skirt. I would definitely bring the white sparkle skirt.

 

[StephanieE]

I've been gone for a few days but I'm all caught up! Looks like ADRs are setting up more Dis-meets for you! That's awesome!

I love all of the shirts that you've been picking up! I need to go on the hunt for some more Disney shirts and definitely some stuff for SWW! We picked up a few good shirts at Target for my hubby on our last trip so I'll likely start there.

I think the Ariel princess dress is perfect for CRT breakfast and she could change right after if she isn't feeling it for all day wear. I think the Bibbidi Bobbidi shirt would be great too though!

I love the yellow Minnie shirt with the red shorts! I was going to suggest that as a combo. It is perfect!

Boo for still being sick! You have enough time to rest up and feel better before you go though so that's good! Being on a plane when you are sick is the worst!!

I'm going to have to head over to the SWW thread and read more about the updates. I thought the new place would just be a quick service/pop in type of place. I think I'll be happier if they do allow booking ahead of time because then I know we'll be able to go at a set time. But then it just means scoping out one more ADR!!

I'm still working on a better H&V dinner. The one I originally booked now overlaps with the dessert party/fireworks of the package. And I booked another one so we are definitely going but I'd prefer to find a different time.

Also I know you mentioned Trader Sam's in a previous post. I've been reading more reviews and it looks really fun! All of the souvenir glasses are cute too! I think we'll probably check that out at some point!

And we haven't found an Ohana reservation that works but I just learned that you can get the same dinner as room service at the Poly!!

Your countdown via magic bands is PERFECT! That's a very creative way to use them and also a smart way to create less work!! I'm still trying to decide if I even need to take all of the new ones they've sent me?! They definitely need to find a way to link trips together when you have split stays!

Overall I'd say it looks like your trip is really coming together!!

 

[Tracy161]

First off, I hope you're feeling a lot better!!!

YAY for the Beaches and Cream ADR! As far as outside-of-the-parks restaurants go, that's at the top of my list! And I think I saw that @SimplyGoofy and her sister will be there at the same time!!!

I LOVE your MagicBand countdown chain! Genius!

 

[Dugette]

I really love all the little T's you got for Izzy. When my boys were young I used to match up all their clothes before I packed them, so I understand your enjoyment in figuring out her outfits. That was always fun.

Thanks! It's fun to try to put things together. Her clothes are a lot more fun than mine. Who knows if she will actually agree to wear any of them these days, though.

Love the T you got for yourself at Target. Super cute.

Thanks! I couldn't resist having a tiny Minnie in my pocket! If I wear it on a Minnie meet day, I'm sure she'll get a kick out of it too.

More importantly - nice job at finally getting your ADRs all straightened out, even if the lunch ADR does overlap with your character meat. I'm sure you'll get that tweaked as well.

I'm sure we'll figure it out. I am so happy to have finally found a suitable time on the day I needed for H&V and a workable alternative for the B&C meal we'd had to cancel previously.

Yay for your trip being only 2 weeks away. I hope you start feeling better really soon!

I am really, really hoping I feel better soon. Need some of this stuff:

Bummer about the dominos being $3 (hate when things are mislabeled) but I think you are all good with what you got

I think we'll be good. Turns out that the dominoes are just cardboard anyway.

Double bummer that you are still sick - hopefully you can get some rest this weekend

I've gotten some rest, but am still miserable and exhausted.

good!

So glad Dug gave me that chance to nap when I needed it.

Love the Magic Band chain .... if you guys do a Disney Christmas Tree that could be like the garland/ribbon on it

Haha, true. I know some do all-Disney trees, but we just do one with mostly normal and a slowly-growing collection of Disney ornaments.

There sure is!

Izzy (ours) just watched an episode yesterday and thought it was super cool that there was a "Pirate Izzy".

Such a nice dh!

He scored some points with that one!

Wonderful! Just don't loose um!

Haha, I think one is lost right now. I put a Magic Band box next to them to put them in and did with the first one today. And it's not there. I'm sure it hasn't gone far, but I haven't looked hard yet. I think I'll put them around the banister when we remove them to keep them from wandering.

As far as outfits go, for the most part I think you've got some good ones in there. It can be so hard to tell without seeing them put together. The only one that really jumps out at me as not going together would be the olaf shirt and the frozen leggings. But then I am not big on printed leggings to begin with. I can say that the R2D2 shirt looks awful cute with white shorts or a skirt. I would definitely bring the white sparkle skirt.

Yeah, those darn Frozen leggings. I found them on clearance awhile back and thought Izzy would get a kick out of them, but just haven't found anything they go with. I finally had her wear them yesterday with another Frozen shirt. It was okay, but they really don't work well with anything. And I think they'll be too warm for the trip anyway, so maybe I'll just bring them as an emergency spare, as they fold up small. Last trip, I had a huge struggle with Izzy over the white sparkle skirt (and she won and didn't wear it), so I'm skeptical about her wearing it this time - but she commented yesterday on how much she liked some similar skirts in the store, so maybe times have changed. I agree it would be adorable with the R2D2 shirt!

I've been gone for a few days but I'm all caught up! Looks like ADRs are setting up more Dis-meets for you! That's awesome!

Yeah, ADRs and DIS-meets seem to go hand-in-hand this trip!

I love all of the shirts that you've been picking up! I need to go on the hunt for some more Disney shirts and definitely some stuff for SWW! We picked up a few good shirts at Target for my hubby on our last trip so I'll likely start there.

Yeah, Target tends to have some. Otherwise, I tend to find them at JCP, Old Navy, and Kohl's. I know others find great Disney shirts at Hot Topic, but I haven't ventured in there. I'm cheap.

I think the Ariel princess dress is perfect for CRT breakfast and she could change right after if she isn't feeling it for all day wear. I think the Bibbidi Bobbidi shirt would be great too though!

That's what I was thinking - at least start the day in it. Out of all her stuff, that's the one I love the most. And she loves Ariel, so I hope that will help (though she's just now starting to figure out that her fishy is NOT Nemo ).

I love the yellow Minnie shirt with the red shorts! I was going to suggest that as a combo. It is perfect!

Thanks! The shorts are a really dark pink, actually, but I think it works. That shirt is bright, but quite cute!

Boo for still being sick! You have enough time to rest up and feel better before you go though so that's good! Being on a plane when you are sick is the worst!!

I really hope I'm better soon. For sure by the trip, but even before - I'd like to have my normal stamina back for packing and all.

I'm going to have to head over to the SWW thread and read more about the updates. I thought the new place would just be a quick service/pop in type of place. I think I'll be happier if they do allow booking ahead of time because then I know we'll be able to go at a set time. But then it just means scoping out one more ADR!!

Keep an eye out tomorrow morning. There's talk it may be released for booking as early as 6am. But who knows.

I'm still working on a better H&V dinner. The one I originally booked now overlaps with the dessert party/fireworks of the package. And I booked another one so we are definitely going but I'd prefer to find a different time.

That was my issue - the original one we'd decided to do overlapped with the package (once we chose to do that) and would've made us miss the shows in the later day. I hope you can find something. People are in crunch-time and there seem to be a lot of cancellations in general, so hope you can grab one. I still have several I haven't cancelled - what day are you looking for?

Also I know you mentioned Trader Sam's in a previous post. I've been reading more reviews and it looks really fun! All of the souvenir glasses are cute too! I think we'll probably check that out at some point!

It looks super fun! You're staying at the Poly, right? I hope you can make some time to hang out there.

And we haven't found an Ohana reservation that works but I just learned that you can get the same dinner as room service at the Poly!!

Really?! I never knew that. Wow! I can't remember - are you staying Club Level? If so, maybe the concierge can get you in there (not sure if he's still there, but Lawrence was the BEST concierge we had in 2010).

Your countdown via magic bands is PERFECT! That's a very creative way to use them and also a smart way to create less work!! I'm still trying to decide if I even need to take all of the new ones they've sent me?! They definitely need to find a way to link trips together when you have split stays!

It's silly that they are sending us three sets for this trip. I mean, we really wouldn't even need any with the ones we already have. I'd say that you might at least want one spare in case you were to lose one. Otherwise, maybe just if they are different colors and you want them to match different things? I guess I haven't thought about how many of ours we should bring.

Overall I'd say it looks like your trip is really coming together!!

Thank goodness.

First off, I hope you're feeling a lot better!!!

Still working on it, but thank you!

YAY for the Beaches and Cream ADR! As far as outside-of-the-parks restaurants go, that's at the top of my list! And I think I saw that @SimplyGoofy and her sister will be there at the same time!!!

Yes, they're going to be there too! Pretty awesome. I'm glad I was able to grab that ADR.

I LOVE your MagicBand countdown chain! Genius!

Haha, thanks! I can think of clever things when they save me work.

 

[kroseycorn]

!


Yeah, those darn Frozen leggings. I found them on clearance awhile back and thought Izzy would get a kick out of them, but just haven't found anything they go with. I finally had her wear them yesterday with another Frozen shirt. It was okay, but they really don't work well with anything. And I think they'll be too warm for the trip anyway, so maybe I'll just bring them as an emergency spare, as they fold up small. Last trip, I had a huge struggle with Izzy over the white sparkle skirt (and she won and didn't wear it), so I'm skeptical about her wearing it this time - but she commented yesterday on how much she liked some similar skirts in the store, so maybe times have changed. I agree it would be adorable with the R2D2 shirt!

Yeah, Target tends to have some. Otherwise, I tend to find them at JCP, Old Navy, and Kohl's. I know others find great Disney shirts at Hot Topic, but I haven't ventured in there. I'm cheap.

Maybe a plain blue/sparkly silver tank or tee with the leggings? party legs, business top i always say.

Also, Hot Topic has some outstanding clearance racks that always have Disney stuff... Sometimes with additional sales. Also, their alternative-y staff are always some of the most pleasant and most nerdy that one can encounter in a sterile mall setting!

 

[Dugette]

Maybe a plain blue/sparkly silver tank or tee with the leggings? party legs, business top i always say.

That's kinda what I was thinking. Something plain with it. Izzy doesn't have much plain, though. I'll see what I can find.

Also, Hot Topic has some outstanding clearance racks that always have Disney stuff... Sometimes with additional sales. Also, their alternative-y staff are always some of the most pleasant and most nerdy that one can encounter in a sterile mall setting!

Good to know. Clearance you say? I like that word!

 

[Dugette]

Shoe Shopping

Still sick here, but I’ve been working on this update all day (I’m very slow today ), so wanted to post it before going to bed. For those of you who have reports I’m following, I have been reading your recent updates, but haven’t had the time/stamina to respond yet. I’ve pretty much taken care of Izzy and slept all weekend. And still feel lousy. Just before this, I consulted “Doctor Google” and now am wondering if I have Viral Pneumonia. The symptoms fit. But who knows. And you basically just have to rest and drink fluids to get rid of that anyway. I just want to feel better ASAP. I have two big days of work in front of me (including an extra-long day Tuesday, due to our month-end ), then have to do all the rest of the packing and pre-trip things. And I normally walk a lot each day, but haven’t been able to handle it with this illness, so I’m worried I’ll be out of shape for Disney. I usually take walks during my breaks at work and end up between 8k-10k steps/day. Now I’m getting like 4k-5k, just necessary walking (to/from bus, etc.) Hope I can handle all that walking through Epcot and such. Anyway, on with the update I wrote:

Izzy and I had a mommy/toddler day yesterday, as Dug was at an all-day volunteer event. It was tough, as I was still sick and Izzy was really trying out her uncooperative toddler skill set. I’m actually a bit nervous about our upcoming trip with her in this stage. I mean, I’ve taken three Disney trips (and several non-Disney trips) with a toddler, so you would think I wouldn’t be concerned…but this is new. Reflecting back on our other Disney trips, I’d say this (obviously, this is just my kid and your experience may vary):

14.5 months = Takes some extra work, as there are so many special needs (especially mealtime accessories and assistance). Still nursing at night and waking up for it. Walking, but new to it, so easy to keep up with (but falling a lot). Pretty agreeable to nearly anything – no strong opinions and not verbal enough to express them, if she had them. Overall, pretty good and I’d do travel at this age again.

21 months = Fewer special mealtime needs (could sit in regular chair sometimes and eat a lot more “real” food vs. bringing toddler foods). Established walker, but pretty good at listening to directions. More opinions, in her case a mild fear of characters had developed. Nursing before bed, but sleeping through night. Generally more interactive and involved in what we did. I’d do this age again too, but it wasn’t my favorite.

23 months = I have to admit this was my favorite so far. Not a lot of extra work for meals (no longer needed placemats or toddler foods or high chair, etc.) Very involved and excited about what we did, but at the same time, agreeable and not terribly opinionated – very go with the flow/plan. Really receptive to all the fun and loved the characters. Independent walker/runner, but good at taking directions. Nursing before bed, but sleeping all night. Pretty good verbal skills, so able to converse enough to understand what was going on and share her needs. I had a blast with her on this trip – despite what people have said on that TR about me being a “super mommy” and such , it was actually just really easy and fun (and I don’t have any special mommy skills that made it work, just a good kid at a good age).

2 years 8 months (this upcoming trip / 32 months) = I feel like she’s become a lot more of a “toddler” over the last several months. I am really hoping I come back from this trip feeling great about things, but I have my doubts. Hard to top last trip’s experience. The pros are great, though: very little in the way of special accommodations – sits in regular chairs, eats regular foods, can drink out of a normal cup, can use the potty vs. diapers, etc! I see a lot more convenience and less to lug along, though I will still have to pack diapers for nap and bedtimes. She doesn’t seem to care for food pouches anymore, so that saves a lot of luggage space. So, in many ways, like bringing an older kid and some extra freedom with that. However, the attitude and strong verbal skills are what scares me. Don’t get me wrong, she’s always been a pretty agreeable and good-natured kid, and she still generally is, but she really seems to be testing out various forms of resistance these days. Refusing just for the sake of refusing (i.e. saying, “I don’t like that!” to a food that she’s never tried and would likely love) and being very stubborn and uncooperative at times. Losing her little mind if she doesn’t get her way. Lots of tears and screaming. I’m just hoping we can keep that to a minimum during the trip.

Anyway, yesterday (and today) just made me think about this. I really hope we have a wonderful time and that Izzy enjoys herself and allows us to enjoy ourselves too.

So, a brief pictorial overview of the day. First off, we broke out those Target Dollar Spot dominoes I got for Izzy. I’m glad I passed on them for the Fish Extender gifts. I was expecting actual dominoes, but these are thin cardboard “dominoes”:





I mean, Izzy still had a good time playing with them and enjoyed the pictures. But it’s not the same.

She also discovered my countdown chain and was quite impressed:



However, when I asked her today if we should pull off one link, she freaked out and said we had to keep them all on! That kind-of defeats the purpose, though… (Don't worry, she did change her mind later and then wanted TWO taken off, so we could both wear one ).

She also found something I’d gotten super cheap on Christmas clearance (and then misplaced), with the thought it could work as a Disney countdown:



It’s a Frozen Advent calendar, but could work for a countdown. Think I’ll stick with my Magic Band chain this time, though.

So, our one and only planned outing for the day was going to a fairly new outlet mall in the area, since they had a Stride Rite outlet and could take measurements on Izzy’s feet. It’s been a long time and I suspected her shoes were on the tight side (she was wearing the same pair last August at WDW ). The regular Stride Rite is too far away, though, so this was a good alternative, since I wanted to get her new shoes before the trip, if needed.

It was a beautiful day here and great for walking around an outdoor mall. I was so tired, though, which made it challenging. And could barely talk. And had little walking stamina, compared to normal (my lungs are a mess with this cold).

As we entered the mall from the parking ramp, my first goal was to find a restroom. Izzy had refused to go before we left (hadn’t all morning), so I was thankful she didn’t have an accident in the car. But now she was telling me that she wanted to go. We found restrooms and ended up in the family restroom (a lady by herself came out , so we went in). I had brought her new travel potty seat, but we didn’t even need it: this really WAS a family restroom, complete with tiny potty and toddler chair. Awesome! She happily used the tiny potty and the chair was a good step stool for the sink (though she was VERY upset that they were out of soap – I convinced her a wet wipe I had was loaded with soap, though). On this topic – does WDW have any of these tiny potties? I think I maybe saw one in a Baby Care Center, but I was never really looking for them, so not certain.

Anyway, we came out of the restroom and were right by an Old Navy Outlet. I think we’d all agree that I had to check for cheap Disney shirts for Izzy, right? So, we headed in to take a look. They didn’t have a great selection, but a few things I thought were cute (and I saw that Andy’s Room shirt I got her there):







So, did we get these? Nope! Because, though Izzy said she liked them (and she really got a kick out of the Mike/Sulley one), she was adamant that she did not want them. Me: “Izzy, do you want this shirt? I’ll get it for you.” Izzy: “No! No, I don’t need it, sorry!” She is not much of an enabler. So, we left there empty-handed.

It was approaching lunchtime, though, so I thought I should grab something to tide us over until we got home. I don’t think I’ve ever been to an Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, but there was one right there and I knew it was one thing Izzy was likely to eat, so I got an order of pretzel nuggets and a water:



I don’t know if I was just really hungry or what they put in these (probably don’t want to know), but they were delicious!!! (We shared). Might have to make sure we add pretzels to the snack list for WDW. Yummy. (Oh, notice that it was like 78 degrees out and my child was insistent on wearing boots and a warm jacket – hoping I can convince her to do without on our trip ).

Anyway, we crossed the mall and made it over to Stride Rite. Izzy got a kick out of the Disney Croc display:



That’s not what we were there for, though. I found someone to measure Izzy’s feet and it was a major struggle. Izzy was refusing and fighting it like crazy. I think the lady helping us was frustrated and I was having trouble trying to get her to cooperate when I could barely talk. I eventually said something like, “Either you can do this all by yourself or I’ll help you” and that convinced her to allow a quick measurement. She went up a half size.

Since they were having a BOGO 40% sale (and already outlet prices), I ended up coming home with two boxes in her new size (rather than order online and hope they show up on time):



The new style I got her was one of the light-up ones. Not exactly my favorite (and they didn’t have the Ariel version in her size), but there were not a lot of options for her size/width and these seemed fun enough that maybe she will agree to wear them instead of her boots. And could be fun at night with the lights. They are the Aurora version:



And lit up (that was hard to get a picture of, since the light is triggered by hitting the ground ):



The other pair I got her is exactly the same as the previous ones she had. We really liked them and knew they worked for her, so why not? These are the Cinderella ones:



The carriage is along the Velcro strip and Cinderella’s profile is inside:



In comparison to her old pair, I was surprised what a difference half a size made:



Looks WAY bigger!

Once we got home, we had lunch (peanut butter sandwiches – we had little food in the house and I was wiped out) and she procrastinated extensively on naptime. She wanted to watch more “Minnie” (Mickey Mouse Clubhouse - had one on while we ate) and lost it when I said she couldn’t right now. Eventually, she figured out how to effectively stall me by requesting to see the castle (I’d shown her pics from a TR the other day and she was enthralled). I decided to search for video of CRT to show her and found a cute vlog of a dinner there (and the daughter falling asleep in her food, haha). Izzy and I both enjoyed that sneak peek of going inside the castle. After all the distractions were said and done, she didn’t get down for a nap until nearly 4pm. And I napped too, as I was barely hanging on. I woke up around 7pm (her normal bedtime is 7-8pm!) She was awake (and content in her crib), so I figured I should get us up for dinner, then put her back to bed.

She did not want to get out of her crib, so I think we eventually sat down to dinner around 8pm. She requested waffles and I went with that, as it was about all I was up to cooking anyway. During dinner, I somehow decided to find a video of the Disney Junior Live show to see what she’d think of it. Back on her first trip (the 14.5 months), she was bored by it. But she also didn’t really watch TV back then, so she only knew the Mickey characters by books and stuffed animals. Well, this time she really got a kick out of it and said she wants to see the show. (And actually requested to see the other shows – Jake, Sofia, Doc – during lunch today). The cutest part of the day was towards the end of dinner. She saw her Mickey ears on a shelf (from her first – and only - haircut) and insisted on wearing them. I apologize for the dustiness of the ears – Izzy dusted them with her Swiffer shortly afterwards. I also apologize for my sick, scratchy voice. But, other than that, the video’s awfully cute:

(click to watch)

I would like to point out that, in true toddler fashion, Izzy watched this video with me today and contradicted herself on everything. For instance, "Do you want to see the Disney Junior Live show?" was followed with, "Noooooo! I don't want to see that! That would be silly! Sorry!" (yes, she apologizes for bad news, but not for injuring me, which she did three times today ).

And a picture of her in her Mickey ears (and food in her hair ):



Finally, before I managed to get her to bed at nearly 10pm , Yoda tried on her ears too. I thought it was appropriate for SWW:



I’ll leave you with that for tonight. (See ya on "May the Fourth Be With You" Day tomorrow!)

 

[Imagineer5]

Sorry you are still sick! Have you made an appointment to get checked out? Would be good to get on antibiotics if you need them.

Izzy's new shoes are so cute. I can't believe her feet only grew 1/2 size lol! I move up a size in her shoes every 4-5 months it seems. She's in 9's now.

Don't worry about the walking at Disney, you'll get back into it quickly, just need to kick this sickness first!

Oh and regarding her attitude. I am also thinking we might be in for an interesting trip - the 3's have definitely come with quite the attitude. From our previous trips though I am not really too concerned, because everything at Disney is fun. Sometimes all they need is an extra snack or treat and they are good to go, at least from my experience. Afternoon pool time helps too

 

[Gracefulskinny]

Izzy (ours) just watched an episode yesterday and thought it was super cool that there was a "Pirate Izzy".

Haha, I think one is lost right now. I put a Magic Band box next to them to put them in and did with the first one today. And it's not there. I'm sure it hasn't gone far, but I haven't looked hard yet. I think I'll put them around the banister when we remove them to keep them from wandering.

Sounds like the little wandering hands got a hold of it! Its been a hard fight to prevent that in our house!

For those of you who have reports I’m following, I have been reading your recent updates, but haven’t had the time/stamina to respond yet.

I know how that goes! Feel Better!

It was tough, as I was still sick and Izzy was really trying out her uncooperative toddler skill set.

Don't you just LOVE days like that?

I feel like she’s become a lot more of a “toddler” over the last several months.

Little MIss has her moments as well. I have found that giving her as much freedom as I reasonably can when I can helps her to be more cooperative in the long run.

Losing her little mind if she doesn’t get her way. Lots of tears and screaming. I’m just hoping we can keep that to a minimum during the trip.

Ahhh toddlers. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. But its bound to happen at least once.

It’s a Frozen Advent calendar, but could work for a countdown.

Perfect for a countdown!

On this topic – does WDW have any of these tiny potties? I think I maybe saw one in a Baby Care Center, but I was never really looking for them, so not certain.

If I see any I will let you know.

Me: “Izzy, do you want this shirt? I’ll get it for you.” Izzy: “No! No, I don’t need it, sorry!”

You give her choice of what is in her closet? Little Miss doesn't get that very often! And instead when I ask these things I ask what she thinks and if she likes it. Not does she want it.

(Oh, notice that it was like 78 degrees out and my child was insistent on wearing boots and a warm jacket – hoping I can convince her to do without on our trip ).

If its not there as an option she won't have a choice.

The other pair I got her is exactly the same as the previous ones she had. We really liked them and knew they worked for her, so why not? These are the Cinderella ones:

Love these! I saw them when I was looking at shoes for Little Miss and was tempted. They are awful cute!

I would like to point out that, in true toddler fashion, Izzy watched this video with me today and contradicted herself on everything.

Yeah I was informed the other day that she would rather not meet Anna and Elsa My response was... "TOO BAD! Mommy and Daddy stayed up very late fighting to get those FPs for you you will be seeing them at least once."

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Sorry to hear you are still sick - seems like you got a lot accomplished all things considered on your trip to the outlet mall

Thanks also for posting your take on taking toddlers at different ages and the experience. Like you said, every kid is different and also I am sure how often you go makes a difference. I.e., the fact that Izzy had just been there 2 months prior probably impacted her trip when she was 23 months vs. if that was her first trip there

We definitely went through an attitude period with Olivia (well, still kinda in said period but I think it is less frequent now). When through a long stretch where everything in her mind was "not fair!" I would then try to calmly tell her that it was in fact fair as it fit into our previously agreed plan. When that didn't work I would eventually wind up saying "you're right, it's not fair. Life is often not fair so get used to it!" (admittedly not my best daddy moment). I would think that as long as you keep some flexibility and allow for rest time (either in the stroller or back at the resort/pool time) I think you should be fine!

Izzy: “No! No, I don’t need it, sorry!” - OK, at this point even Izzy is like "Mom, seriously, I think I have enough clothes!!!"

Cute video!

 

[kroseycorn]

I appreciate this post. I didn't grow up babysitting or anything like that. In fact, I had never held a newborn baby (or relatively newborn) until they put mine in my ARMS. Yea, talk about shock factor.

And now I always say, "NOBODY TOLD ME"... about a million different things: how long she would breastfeed, how long she would bottle feed, how long she would be swaddled, how long she would crawl, etc, etc. I mean, I guess I should have known... but I found it hard to sort of visualize these first years of life. So it's super helpful to see how your daughter's development has progressed, and exceptionally helpful to see how quickly those changes happen! As we're on the verge of walking (she turns one on June 3rd!! ), I'm sure things will once again change rapidly.

My daughter (her name is Maple, so I don't have to refer to her as "my daughter" anymore) is starting to develop more of a personality and tastes for things... and I'm with you, it's totally scary! But who knows, maybe Izzy's newfound feelings of determination will make some things more fun? Bright side?!?!

Hope you feel better! My biggest fear is getting sick on a vacation (it's happened a few times), though its never as bad as I make it out to be. On our cruise last year, some guy passed out and puked all over the deck... and they implemented the hand-sanitizer-don't-touch-anything plan... and I was totally freaked out that we would get norovirus or something. We didn't! (Though we couldn't get our own ice cream until the last day of the cruise. BUMMER). If you think you need the drugs, you should get them ASAP!

 

[MEK]

Oh my goodness - I really hope you start feeling better soon. It's hard enough taking care of a toddler when you are feeling well.

That video is super adorable. Izzy really has a great vocabulary. But hitting the "terrible twos" with the constant "nos" is never fun!

I absolutely love her new shoes. Both pairs are adorable.

 

[ashw100]

Omg that video is adorable! I totally understand your fears for this trip because I am having the same fears. My ds2 LOVES asserting his independence and saying no. Half the time he says he doesn't want to go to WDW and then he flips . As people told me on my TR and I will pass it along, maybe Disney Magic will prevail and those toddlers traits will stay away during the trip. Also, I love how she apologizes when she's says no. Got to take the sorrys when you can I suppose.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

I'm so sorry that you're sick! I hope you're feeling better soon...

I LOVE the Magic Band countdown chain! I hope Izzy changed her mind and allowed you to remove some of the bands!

Very cute new shoes!

Izzy looks adorable in the Mickey ears!

 

[hokieinpa]

Then it dawned on me – we have a giant pile of Magic Bands and they would be easy to link together! So, I present to you, the Non-Crafty Person’s WDW Countdown Chain :

I love this idea! Very Disney!

However, when I asked her today if we should pull off one link, she freaked out and said we had to keep them all on! That kind-of defeats the purpose, though…

This was totally Colin last trip. I made a paper countdown chain and he FREAKED OUT when we went to tear the first link off! He got over it eventually but it was quite the ordeal those first few days.

The new style I got her was one of the light-up ones. Not exactly my favorite (and they didn’t have the Ariel version in her size), but there were not a lot of options for her size/width and these seemed fun enough

Colin has light up Lightning McQueen shoes. I swore up and down I wouldn't get light up shoes for my kids but he fell in love with them at the store and he still gets a total kick (ha, ha ) out of them lighting up. I think Izzy will love them and they will be a great source of entertainment in the stroller, so bonus!


Very cute video and pictures of Izzy and the Mickey ears! She's going to Disney World!

I hope you feel better soon!

 

[Dugette]

Sorry you are still sick! Have you made an appointment to get checked out? Would be good to get on antibiotics if you need them.

Between you and co-workers asking (and me wanting to be well for the trip), I saw a doctor today. Will cover it in the upcoming update...

Izzy's new shoes are so cute. I can't believe her feet only grew 1/2 size lol! I move up a size in her shoes every 4-5 months it seems. She's in 9's now.

9's?! Wow, either Izzy's tiny or Aria's on the bigger side - I guess Aria is getting tall, so the feet should match. And Izzy's pretty small still. She's only 6.5 (W). She still fits in her 6's, but they're getting snug, I guess.

Don't worry about the walking at Disney, you'll get back into it quickly, just need to kick this sickness first!

I hope so! I hate that I feel like I'm about 95 years old these days. I normally walk a ton, take the stairs, etc. Now I get winded walking to the printer. I want to feel normal again! I hate jello legs after doing one flight of stairs (extra slow).

Oh and regarding her attitude. I am also thinking we might be in for an interesting trip - the 3's have definitely come with quite the attitude. From our previous trips though I am not really too concerned, because everything at Disney is fun. Sometimes all they need is an extra snack or treat and they are good to go, at least from my experience. Afternoon pool time helps too

I am hoping the pixie dust will prevail. I'm worried, though, because distraction used to be my best weapon. Oh, upset about this thing? Well, check out this other awesome thing! And it usually worked. Like a charm. Not so much now. If she's upset, she wants to stew on what she's upset about. And she remembers it too. She had a breakdown in her high chair and on my bed on Saturday (both putting off nap time) and later that night, she brought it up, "Mommy, I was sad in my chair. I was sad in your room." Here's hoping Mickey-shaped snacks will snap her out of it!

I asked her if SHE was Pirate Izzy and she's like, "No, I'm just Izzy!" But she's enthralled with Pirate Izzy.

Sounds like the little wandering hands got a hold of it! Its been a hard fight to prevent that in our house!

Yeah, I found it under a nearby chair. Tonight, we put them around the banister. She's not strong enough to undo them yet, so hoping they stick around!

I know how that goes! Feel Better!

You sure do! Hope you're doing better!

Don't you just LOVE days like that?

Such a hard day! Just draining!

Little MIss has her moments as well. I have found that giving her as much freedom as I reasonably can when I can helps her to be more cooperative in the long run.

Makes sense. We try to give her reasonable freedoms too, but sometimes she just wants a bit too much.

Ahhh toddlers. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. But its bound to happen at least once.

Thanks! Hoping we can avoid the worst!

Perfect for a countdown!

Maybe I'll use it for Disneyland, since they don't have Magic Bands there anyway (assuming we go there).

If I see any I will let you know.

Thanks! Would be really handy!

You give her choice of what is in her closet? Little Miss doesn't get that very often! And instead when I ask these things I ask what she thinks and if she likes it. Not does she want it.

Haha, she likes to control her wardrobe. We make suggestions, but she approves (usually). Also, with the asking if she wants it, my thinking was Doesn't Want It = Will Refuse to Wear It = Wasted $$$.

If its not there as an option she won't have a choice.

And then she will be "sad" and At least that's what I'm worried about. But, no, we're not bringing boots and a heavy coat to the Bahamas.

Love these! I saw them when I was looking at shoes for Little Miss and was tempted. They are awful cute!

We've loved those little Cinderella shoes, so I'm glad they had them in her bigger size. Cute, comfortable, go with nearly anything.

Yeah I was informed the other day that she would rather not meet Anna and Elsa My response was... "TOO BAD! Mommy and Daddy stayed up very late fighting to get those FPs for you you will be seeing them at least once."

I hope she changes her tune once you're there. We had a terrible meet with Anna & Elsa last June, as Izzy decided they were to be feared. She was screaming and crying the whole time. I bet Little Miss will forget that she said that.

Sorry to hear you are still sick - seems like you got a lot accomplished all things considered on your trip to the outlet mall

Got her measured and even got the shoes (and yummy snacks), so I really couldn't ask for more.

Thanks also for posting your take on taking toddlers at different ages and the experience. Like you said, every kid is different and also I am sure how often you go makes a difference. I.e., the fact that Izzy had just been there 2 months prior probably impacted her trip when she was 23 months vs. if that was her first trip there

I'm sure that's true. I can only speak to my experience and I know it will vary a lot with others.

We definitely went through an attitude period with Olivia (well, still kinda in said period but I think it is less frequent now). When through a long stretch where everything in her mind was "not fair!" I would then try to calmly tell her that it was in fact fair as it fit into our previously agreed plan. When that didn't work I would eventually wind up saying "you're right, it's not fair. Life is often not fair so get used to it!" (admittedly not my best daddy moment). I would think that as long as you keep some flexibility and allow for rest time (either in the stroller or back at the resort/pool time) I think you should be fine!

Sounds good to me. I agree, life isn't fair and they should start understanding that (with the non-serious things) when they're young. I actually have explained that to Izzy a few times already - we can't always have what we want when we want it. And it's okay, we all are okay. Etc.

Izzy: “No! No, I don’t need it, sorry!” - OK, at this point even Izzy is like "Mom, seriously, I think I have enough clothes!!!"

Pretty much!

Cute video!

Thanks! I love that one! Made a rough day brighter!

 

[Dugette]

I appreciate this post. I didn't grow up babysitting or anything like that. In fact, I had never held a newborn baby (or relatively newborn) until they put mine in my ARMS. Yea, talk about shock factor.

Same here! I never babysat (other than my brother, but he's 3 years younger, not a baby). I think I held a couple babies briefly, but not any experience caring for them until Izzy. So I get it!

And now I always say, "NOBODY TOLD ME"... about a million different things: how long she would breastfeed, how long she would bottle feed, how long she would be swaddled, how long she would crawl, etc, etc. I mean, I guess I should have known... but I found it hard to sort of visualize these first years of life. So it's super helpful to see how your daughter's development has progressed, and exceptionally helpful to see how quickly those changes happen! As we're on the verge of walking (she turns one on June 3rd!! ), I'm sure things will once again change rapidly.

That's one thing I really love about TRs - you get to see what's to come and what others are dealing with. I follow a lot of toddler TRs and started following baby ones before Izzy was born. It helped a ton! (And thanks everyone! ) I am still constantly surprised at how fast those changes happen. I mean, I feel like she was just a tiny helpless baby and here she is carrying on full conversations with me. Even correcting me - I picked out her underwear the other day and thought it had Ariel on it and she's like, "No, Mommy. That's not Ariel. That's Punzel." And, sure enough, upon closer inspection, it was Rapunzel. My kid now knows the princesses better than I do! Regarding the walking, Izzy started around 13 months (just over), but I know there's a wide range. And, yes, lots of change coming, as she acquires more freedom on her feet!

My daughter (her name is Maple, so I don't have to refer to her as "my daughter" anymore) is starting to develop more of a personality and tastes for things... and I'm with you, it's totally scary! But who knows, maybe Izzy's newfound feelings of determination will make some things more fun? Bright side?!?!

Aw, Maple, that's cute! It's so crazy to see their little personalities developing and being expressed! I'm sure it will bring more fun - I will for sure know more of what she's thinking than on past trips, as she'll insist on telling me.

Hope you feel better! My biggest fear is getting sick on a vacation (it's happened a few times), though its never as bad as I make it out to be. On our cruise last year, some guy passed out and puked all over the deck... and they implemented the hand-sanitizer-don't-touch-anything plan... and I was totally freaked out that we would get norovirus or something. We didn't! (Though we couldn't get our own ice cream until the last day of the cruise. BUMMER). If you think you need the drugs, you should get them ASAP!

Glad you avoided illness on the cruise! Being sick on vacation is the worst! I always think of our January 2010 trip - I got so sick (maybe norovirus?) that I had to miss Le Cellier and stay in bed all day.

Oh my goodness - I really hope you start feeling better soon. It's hard enough taking care of a toddler when you are feeling well.

Thanks, I hope I'm at the tail end by now. We'll see.

That video is super adorable. Izzy really has a great vocabulary. But hitting the "terrible twos" with the constant "nos" is never fun!

Her vocabulary astounds me. She is just sponging up words and phrases like crazy! But the "no"s are a bummer.

I absolutely love her new shoes. Both pairs are adorable.

Thanks! She actually agreed to wear the light-up ones instead of boots today, so that's progress!

Omg that video is adorable!

Aw, thanks! I love it.

I totally understand your fears for this trip because I am having the same fears. My ds2 LOVES asserting his independence and saying no. Half the time he says he doesn't want to go to WDW and then he flips . As people told me on my TR and I will pass it along, maybe Disney Magic will prevail and those toddlers traits will stay away during the trip.

For both our sakes, I hope that is what happens!

Also, I love how she apologizes when she's says no. Got to take the sorrys when you can I suppose.

It's so hilarious! I don't know why she does it, but I love it.

I'm so sorry that you're sick! I hope you're feeling better soon...

Thanks!

I LOVE the Magic Band countdown chain! I hope Izzy changed her mind and allowed you to remove some of the bands!

She did, but she wants them removed two by two now.

Very cute new shoes!

Thanks, just hoping Izzy thinks so too!

Izzy looks adorable in the Mickey ears!

So cute that she wanted to wear them.

I love this idea! Very Disney!

Ha, thanks!

This was totally Colin last trip. I made a paper countdown chain and he FREAKED OUT when we went to tear the first link off! He got over it eventually but it was quite the ordeal those first few days.

Glad he got over it. Izzy's so happy with the chain and how it swings that she doesn't want to mess with it, I think.

Colin has light up Lightning McQueen shoes. I swore up and down I wouldn't get light up shoes for my kids but he fell in love with them at the store and he still gets a total kick (ha, ha ) out of them lighting up. I think Izzy will love them and they will be a great source of entertainment in the stroller, so bonus!

Haha, cute! Very true, Izzy has always enjoyed playing with her shoes in her stroller and this takes that to a whole new level.

Very cute video and pictures of Izzy and the Mickey ears! She's going to Disney World!

I love that she just did that on her own (and I got her to repeat it for the camera). She knows what's going on this time around!

I hope you feel better soon!

Thanks so much!

 

[Dugette]

May the Fourth Be With You

I don’t intend to do updates every single day, but there always seem to be things I want to share. And, besides, I have to do an update to this SWW PTR on Star Wars Day, right?

A quick throwback to last night, though. Talking about how Izzy tends to flip out when she doesn’t get her way. As dinner was winding down, her episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse ended and we told her that was the last one, since she had to go to bed after finishing her gigantic spoonful of yogurt. She didn’t take it well. Like any good parent, I whipped out the camera to take photos and video :



(click to watch)

Man, she’s gonna hate me for posting that in about 10 years.

Today was a lot better with her attitude, though. Dug discovered that saying, “Do you want to take a minute to think about [thing that’s making you sad]?” sometimes helps her get herself put back together after an upset. Who knows what each day will bring, though? I am convinced that we need to prioritize her sleep on the trip, though – making sure she gets her naps and not keeping her out late every night. She’s much happier when she’s well-rested.

But back to today:

This day started off with a bang. Got a 6am text from our daycare provider that she would be closed for the day. Thankfully, we have a back-up care center provided as a benefit through my work and they were able to get Izzy in today. Turns out that our daycare provider’s husband was in the hospital with chest pains. Fortunately, his tests today all came out fine and he is back home and doing well. Very scary start to the day.

Then, on top of that (but much less important), reports started coming in of some people being able to book the Rebel Hangar / Backlot Express Lounge for SWW. Only a couple people had success early on and most CMs were telling people it was not available. By the time I left for work, more successes had rolled in, so I decided to call while I drove to the park and ride. Funny to listen to Disney soundtracks instead of the radio – not bad, though!

Just as I pulled into the parking lot, a CM answered. I was lucky enough to get one that knew just what I was talking about (some got very clueless CMs). She searched 5/23 for me and the only time she could find was 4:10pm. I wanted 7:45pm, but grabbed it anyway, knowing we could possibly make it work if we had to (between shows on the package day). And she got us booked! Sweet!

As you may remember from last month, Disney really enjoys releasing SWW reservations during my busy month-end time at work. So, I spent the day working hard (while sick and exhausted ) AND trying to keep tabs on the Rebel Hangar in order to get our preferred time. Only calls could get ADRs, as it wasn’t available online. And only very limited times were being found.

Meanwhile, I was still sick and co-workers were becoming a bit concerned about me. And I was all paranoid about pneumonia or something serious. So, I walked over to the clinic in Target HQ (yes, there is a full medical clinic there) and asked for an appointment. Got one for this afternoon. Saw the nicest doctor ever (who knew my old doctor from before we moved across town) and he basically confirmed what I had figured I’d hear: appears to be a virus (possible seasonal allergies too) and I was doing pretty good overall. My lungs were good, which was my main concern. He said that I just need to keep drinking lots of water and could take some Mucinex to help clear it out – so I tried that, not sure if it’s helping, but I do feel a bit better tonight. I also just wanted to mention that this doctor asked about our upcoming trip and was very excited about the Disney Cruise – he has friends who just took their kids and grandkids on one and had the BEST time. So, that was cool. Anyway, he said that if I don’t feel better in a few days, I could get in touch and he could prescribe an antibiotic, but he didn’t think that was needed with what I have. Just in case.

So, I go back to work after that appointment and start working. Then I remember to check in on the SWW thread. And it turns out that they opened up Rebel Hangar bookings online while I’d been gone. What?! So, I go to get one and, of course, the system is down/having problems. Boo, missed the window. I kept trying and late in the afternoon, I finally got it working. I got us 7:45pm on our package day, which is what we wanted! (I may also have hoarded a couple of alternative options just to run by Dug, but this one will probably stick). Thank goodness this is done! I hope there’s nothing else to book – we leave in 10 days!

Anyway, came home to some fun mail tonight. I got a $50 Disney Gift Card I’d ordered from Target.com (can use Target Gift Cards to do that and still get 5% Red Card discount). Added that to my little pile.

Also got an Etsy package – Izzy’s custom pillow case! I love this:



So cute! We’ll have the characters on the ship sign it (drop it and fabric pens off at guest services, I believe), then give it to Izzy as a souvenir. Very happy with this so far!

We also had an envelope that I assumed was junk mail, but felt compelled to open anyway. Just a plain envelope with an unfamiliar return address:



I’m sure glad I opened it, as inside was this:



My Disney Vacation Club account balance! You can have the balance of your account (up to $1k) transferred to a gift card before your trip. I had called to do this recently and here it was! They had told me that it would be 2 cards, as they couldn’t be more than $500 each, but this appears to be the whole $990 on one card. Fine by me! I will plug it into the Disney Gift Card app to verify later. I like this option, as I hate carrying around giant stacks of Disney Gift Cards and I really hate when it takes the front desk CM like 4 years to run all of them on a slow system. A big chunk on one card will be great for paying off our room charge balance. I am going to get a few more, though (we have to pay for all these ADRs after all!) – Target just started selling $100 ones in stores, so I’ll go with those – again, fewer cards to carry around. (Word of advice for gift card users: either enter them in the Disney Gift Card app or take photos of the numbers, just in case you lose them – the info is there for you).

After checking all those things out, I made us a Star Wars Dinner for Star Wars Day. I had noticed this when I shopped over the weekend:



I don’t normally buy mac and cheese (though I did have a period of my young life where I survived on Kraft Spiral Mac & Cheese), but I had to get one – too cute! So, I made that tonight, along with Kielbasa “light sabers” and “Endor trees” (broccoli). And, of course, the only picture I took is blurry:



Oh, well. You really couldn’t make out the Star Wars shapes in the mac and cheese anyway. They broke up sticking to the pan and all (guess I am out of practice on the mac & cheese cooking skillz ). Still tasty, though!

Izzy did have another freak-out scene tonight. She’s talked about “big hot dogs” before and I thought that meant Kielbasa (we’ve had it before with her and she’s loved it). So, I told her I was making “big hot dogs” and she got all excited. Until she saw them on her plate. End of the world! Because, apparently, by “big hot dogs” she meant “corn dogs”. Oops, toddler translation fail. She actually did end up eating everything (even the broccoli) willingly, though. Win!

As she was finishing up dinner, I realized there was a box I hadn’t opened. Looked like another Magic Band box, so I broke it open to see what color we’d gotten:



Yay, blue! And then Izzy said, and I quote, “We need more Magic Bands!” After I finished laughing, I asked her to repeat it for the camera (and, yes, she is eating Kielbasa with a spoon out of her empty milk glass – don’t you? ):

(click to watch)

If there’s anything we need, it’s more Magic Bands! She did allow me to pull one off the chain, with her assistance, tonight. She wanted to pull two off again, so we could each wear one, but I showed her how cool it was to hook them around the banister and bounce them up and down and she was good with that instead. I’m just hoping that if I keep repeating, “We pull one off every day and when we take the last one off, we go to Disney World that day!” that she will be okay with leaving for vacation then. She has a massive case of the “Later!”s with this trip. Can’t put it off forever, kid!

Oh, one other thing from today: it’s been confirmed that Characterpalooza WILL be happening during SWW this year! It didn't used to happen during SWW, but the change in show venue allows it now, I guess. Should be around 6-6:10pm by the ToT exit. I’m super excited and will try to do that on 5/23, as it’s between shows and Izzy and I won’t be at those anyway. I might have to re-do my write up for that day, with this and the RH included now. It’s gonna be one crazy SWW day!

By the way, someone posted this pic on the SWW thread. It's a Darth Vader waffle at Sci Fi's breakfast:



Pretty cool!