Fantasyland Mom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2010
- Messages
- 1,595
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Good morning, good morning, to you, and YOU, and YOU, and YOU!
It was the first morning of waking up at Disney, and I was beyond excited. I was so excited, in fact, that I woke up at about 4:30 and couldnt go back to sleep!
(Insert commercial memory from childhood hereWere too excited to sleep! You know you thought it, too.)
I had slept so hard and so well for the rest of the night on those comfy beds that it didnt even bother me, and at 5:40 I decided just to get up and start getting ready. The alarm wasnt set to turn on for a few more minutes, and being the nice mommy I am, I decided to shut it off and let the kids have a few more minutes of precious sleep. Unfortunately, I am technologically inept and ended up turning ON the radio, and it was LOUD. Oops. Good morning??
Only Julia woke up then, because my other family members were apparently zombies that day, and she had no problem watching Stacey while I took a quick shower. So what if she has the whole thing memorized!? Actually, she did point out to me that there were some new commercials and sections added since last year. I noticed the Star Tours one on my own. I felt proud.
Even though we were about to embark on the happiest day ever in the happiest place on earth, I had to gently (ahem ) nudge the others awake and make them start nomming on some breakfast foods. Sawyer went for leftover fruit that wed stashed in the fridge after dinner the night before. He also had some dry Cheerios and a big cup of milk that wed gotten with our drink credits the night before, since wed used mugs for our drinks. The others had various pastries and cereals, and I was too nervous to eat anything just then. I tried. It didnt work. Instead, I worked on my organizational boxes.
And heres where Im kicking myself. You will learn quickly (like today) that we take pictures of EVERYTHING, and I write about EVERY DETAIL. It means that my TR will be long and cover just about anything you can think of. It means I leave nothing out, good or bad. It means youll often be wondering why on earth I would include such things. This trip, I instituted a new system, because, oh, how I love my systems! Being in one hotel room with five people means you have to organize, or run the risk of losing your mind. Before the trip, I purchased several canvas boxes that fold flat from the Dollar Tree for a dollar each (duh). On the shelf of the open closet, I put the boxes up and we had them for everything we needed, but high enough that the kids couldnt reach them. GENIUS! We had one for adult getting-ready-things, like toothpaste, hair gel, deodorant, etc., one for girls getting-ready-things, like hair bands, detangling spray, kid panties, jeweled crowns, etc., one for baby needs, like diapers, wipes, toddler toothpaste, etc., one for food, one for medicines we hoped to not have to use, one for things wed all have to use, like sunscreen, bug spray, Kleenex, etc., and one for things wed use to replenish items in our park bag, like glow sticks, antibacterial wipes, ink pens, etc. We put the things in the boxes, and you didnt see what was inside from ground level. You saw NO CLUTTER, though everything was clearly in its place and easy to find. It was spectacular and worked so well for us all week! It was a work of art! And we didnt get a picture. Frowny face. Just take my word that I worked on this the first morning and didnt have to worry with it again.
Everyone was fed and I was dressed and ready (except for my make-up, which I throw on in the van ride to the park one of my strange Disney traditions, I guess?), but the kids were dragging. They were loving watching Must Do Disney a little too much. It was right then and there that I gave up my dream of being early enough to have a shot at Family of the Day sigh but we still left at 7:35 and were there way before park opening, which turned out to be perfect for what we needed to accomplish. As a bonus, we figured out in the daylight that our room was very near the parking lot and our van, even if it was a maze and a long walk from Old Port Royal. Also, the tropical plants and trees were looking and smelling wonderful that early in the morning, but we had no time to waste!
Where were we going? Heres a hint: it was the first day.
MAGIC KINGDOM, of course!
We pulled into one of the first parking spaces, unloaded the double stroller and a single umbrella stroller wed brought from home, and all our park bags. Our park bags consisted this trip of one mesh stroller bag with things we probably wouldnt need much, like extra clothes and camp towels, one messenger bag I won in a contest last year for my Disney memory (and that many of you voted for me in thanks again, Dis friends!) with things wed mainly need for mealtimes, like bibs, disposable placemats, antibacterial wipes, and the like, along with some medications and flashlights, and Brandons camera backpack, which doubles as our diaper bag, because we are never without diapers and never without his camera. True story.
We started our walk the few steps to the TTC, and the morning Florida sun was making me so very happy and looking so very beautiful. For the moment, it was nice and cool, and I had all the first day excitement and jitters!
See how close we were? We were parked across the tram lane, right in front of that gate opening.
If you read my last TR, you know that I can never make it past the TTC restroom without stopping. I guess that makes it another one of my odd Disney traditions? I have a tiny bladder, and also the bathrooms first thing in the morning are so clean and actually smell really great. I know its odd, but for some reason, that smell memory is one of the strongest ones for me, and it makes me happy. Dont judge. I even know that Target restrooms must use the same air freshener, because they have that same smell. Yes, Ive gone there to get my Disney fix. Again, dont judge. Brandon even uses the Old Spice Fuji deodorant and body wash because it reminds me so much of this combo of bleach and air freshener. Need I say it again? Dont judge! Just know that the Disney obsession is strong in this one, mmmkay? Its become a joke in our household that this particular bathroom has some sort of power over me. So Brandon took a picture.
No embarrassment here. Okay, maybe a little embarrassment.
While I took care of business and took deep breaths, Brandon gave Julia her own camera to use for this trip. It was just a little Olympus Tough 10mp Waterproof/Shockproof/kidproof camera, and she was going to use it to take pictures of Hidden Mickeys she found. She ended up taking pictures of everything.
This just about says it all: Julia wide awake, the other two thinking about their beds.
As we walked towards the transportation, we discussed whether or not we wanted to use the monorail or ferry boats. That was decided for us, though, because the monorail wasnt running! Ferry Boat it is!
Approaching the Magic Kingdom from the Ferry is a wonderful way to catch that first glimpse of the castle, in my opinion. See? Pretty happy about it.
We just bought that video camera a couple of months ago, specifically so we can make a kick-booty Disney Trip Video. At least, thats what Brandon has promised me since I allowed him to drop hundreds of dollars. We took six hours of video on the trip, so hopefully Ill be able to show you guys that before the TR is finished!
Soon, we were making our way through bag check and the ticket gates.
As you can see, it was still pretty much empty, as it was nearly an hour until park opening at this point.
We first walked to the open area to the left near the tree. Hardly anyone was over there, and I took the opportunity to go to the little shop and get a new autograph book and pen. When I walked back to the strollers a minute later, a smell overwhelmed me. Was that no surely not here.
CIGARETTE SMOKE. Right here. There were three redneck (and Im not categorizing smokers as rednecksthese were rednecks if Ive ever seen them, which I have, because Georgian here) men sitting up on the wall just puffing away. These were the same men in the Ferry Boat sign picture above...classy. Brandons neck was red and his jaw was clenched. I knew we needed to move away from them, and FAST, so we went clear across to the opposite side and parked our strollers. We couldnt smell it over there, thank goodness, but it was still strange that nobody was stopping them, and the wall is clearly not a designated smoking area! There were plenty of CMs around and barely any people, so its not like it wasnt noticeable.
We still had plenty of time, so I took Brynn and did the best thing I have ever done on any trip everI got her a GAC (guest assistance card). Weve been on trips before and didnt use them, but weve had plenty of issues on those trips, plus she was smaller and somewhat easier to manage back then and we usually had an extra person to help us. I wasnt even sure wed need it, because I really wasnt sure how shed react since it had been a full year since we were here, but let me tell you now that I will never do another trip without one if shes with us. They tell you that it doesnt speed up your wait time, and that is true, but the time we waited was much less stressful and involved many less meltdowns than in years past.
I carried Brynn over to the Guest Relations desk outside the turnstiles. We were first in line and were called up by a young girl named Morgan. I didnt know how to go about getting the GAC, so I just told her I had heard about a card to help people with disabilities to be accommodated better, and she was more than happy to help me. She never asked Brynns diagnosis, but instead asked what kinds of things she might need assistance with. I told her about Brynns paroxysmal spells, and how she cant move during them and is often weak after them, so she might need to use the umbrella stroller as a wheelchair if thats going on, and also if shes in need of a safe place when shes too stimulated. I also told her that shed need a separate place to wait if the waiting area had people jammed in too closethink show waiting areas, where it looks like a can of sardines with very little personal space. This was for Brynns benefit (so she didnt panic if she was closed in) and for the benefit of those waiting around her (in case she had a meltdown and flailed her arms and legs, or in case she was in one of her touchy moods so she wouldnt be rubbing her hands all over them). Most of the time wed use Fastpass and be in lines that were narrow enough that our family could surround her just in case, but if not, a little extra space would be greatly appreciated. Within a minute, she had the card with stamps for stroller=wheelchair and for alternate entrance, plus a sticker to put on the stroller.
I folded this in half and had the alternate entrance side showing through the clear pocket of my lanyard pouch, which I either wear around my neck or clip to my belt loop, and figured the sticker on the stroller would be obvious if we were going to have to use that.
With all the little things taken care of, all we had to do was wait for the opening show!
So? BUBBLES!
Soon, that glorious music of the Welcome Show started playing through the speakers, and Julia was waving wildly to the performers!
And after we all loudly counted down, the park was open!
We had somewhere to be first thing, so we decided to make another stop at the restrooms. (Stop laughing.) On the way to the ones next to Guest Relations, we spotted this guy, which even a sleepy Sawyer enjoyed!
NOW it was time for our first view of that castle from Main Street U.S.A.!
Whos the most excited? Me, obviously. Kid at heart here, people.
We stopped for a quick family photo because a CM insisted, though it didnt turn out to be our best, and definitely not our last!
We were hurrying down Main Street to make it to our appointment on time, but we did make sure to take in all our magical surroundings on this beautiful morning!
And just like that, we were veering left on our way to our first adventure of the trip, and our first experience of this kind ever!
Where were we headed?
Youll have to stay tuned to find out, Matey!
Arrrrr you realizing that this TR will be overly-detailed? Arrrrrrr you ready for the best pictures my husband has ever taken? Those are coming up in the next update!
Good morning, good morning, to you, and YOU, and YOU, and YOU!
It was the first morning of waking up at Disney, and I was beyond excited. I was so excited, in fact, that I woke up at about 4:30 and couldnt go back to sleep!
(Insert commercial memory from childhood hereWere too excited to sleep! You know you thought it, too.)
I had slept so hard and so well for the rest of the night on those comfy beds that it didnt even bother me, and at 5:40 I decided just to get up and start getting ready. The alarm wasnt set to turn on for a few more minutes, and being the nice mommy I am, I decided to shut it off and let the kids have a few more minutes of precious sleep. Unfortunately, I am technologically inept and ended up turning ON the radio, and it was LOUD. Oops. Good morning??
Only Julia woke up then, because my other family members were apparently zombies that day, and she had no problem watching Stacey while I took a quick shower. So what if she has the whole thing memorized!? Actually, she did point out to me that there were some new commercials and sections added since last year. I noticed the Star Tours one on my own. I felt proud.
Even though we were about to embark on the happiest day ever in the happiest place on earth, I had to gently (ahem ) nudge the others awake and make them start nomming on some breakfast foods. Sawyer went for leftover fruit that wed stashed in the fridge after dinner the night before. He also had some dry Cheerios and a big cup of milk that wed gotten with our drink credits the night before, since wed used mugs for our drinks. The others had various pastries and cereals, and I was too nervous to eat anything just then. I tried. It didnt work. Instead, I worked on my organizational boxes.
And heres where Im kicking myself. You will learn quickly (like today) that we take pictures of EVERYTHING, and I write about EVERY DETAIL. It means that my TR will be long and cover just about anything you can think of. It means I leave nothing out, good or bad. It means youll often be wondering why on earth I would include such things. This trip, I instituted a new system, because, oh, how I love my systems! Being in one hotel room with five people means you have to organize, or run the risk of losing your mind. Before the trip, I purchased several canvas boxes that fold flat from the Dollar Tree for a dollar each (duh). On the shelf of the open closet, I put the boxes up and we had them for everything we needed, but high enough that the kids couldnt reach them. GENIUS! We had one for adult getting-ready-things, like toothpaste, hair gel, deodorant, etc., one for girls getting-ready-things, like hair bands, detangling spray, kid panties, jeweled crowns, etc., one for baby needs, like diapers, wipes, toddler toothpaste, etc., one for food, one for medicines we hoped to not have to use, one for things wed all have to use, like sunscreen, bug spray, Kleenex, etc., and one for things wed use to replenish items in our park bag, like glow sticks, antibacterial wipes, ink pens, etc. We put the things in the boxes, and you didnt see what was inside from ground level. You saw NO CLUTTER, though everything was clearly in its place and easy to find. It was spectacular and worked so well for us all week! It was a work of art! And we didnt get a picture. Frowny face. Just take my word that I worked on this the first morning and didnt have to worry with it again.
Everyone was fed and I was dressed and ready (except for my make-up, which I throw on in the van ride to the park one of my strange Disney traditions, I guess?), but the kids were dragging. They were loving watching Must Do Disney a little too much. It was right then and there that I gave up my dream of being early enough to have a shot at Family of the Day sigh but we still left at 7:35 and were there way before park opening, which turned out to be perfect for what we needed to accomplish. As a bonus, we figured out in the daylight that our room was very near the parking lot and our van, even if it was a maze and a long walk from Old Port Royal. Also, the tropical plants and trees were looking and smelling wonderful that early in the morning, but we had no time to waste!
Where were we going? Heres a hint: it was the first day.
MAGIC KINGDOM, of course!
We pulled into one of the first parking spaces, unloaded the double stroller and a single umbrella stroller wed brought from home, and all our park bags. Our park bags consisted this trip of one mesh stroller bag with things we probably wouldnt need much, like extra clothes and camp towels, one messenger bag I won in a contest last year for my Disney memory (and that many of you voted for me in thanks again, Dis friends!) with things wed mainly need for mealtimes, like bibs, disposable placemats, antibacterial wipes, and the like, along with some medications and flashlights, and Brandons camera backpack, which doubles as our diaper bag, because we are never without diapers and never without his camera. True story.
We started our walk the few steps to the TTC, and the morning Florida sun was making me so very happy and looking so very beautiful. For the moment, it was nice and cool, and I had all the first day excitement and jitters!
See how close we were? We were parked across the tram lane, right in front of that gate opening.
If you read my last TR, you know that I can never make it past the TTC restroom without stopping. I guess that makes it another one of my odd Disney traditions? I have a tiny bladder, and also the bathrooms first thing in the morning are so clean and actually smell really great. I know its odd, but for some reason, that smell memory is one of the strongest ones for me, and it makes me happy. Dont judge. I even know that Target restrooms must use the same air freshener, because they have that same smell. Yes, Ive gone there to get my Disney fix. Again, dont judge. Brandon even uses the Old Spice Fuji deodorant and body wash because it reminds me so much of this combo of bleach and air freshener. Need I say it again? Dont judge! Just know that the Disney obsession is strong in this one, mmmkay? Its become a joke in our household that this particular bathroom has some sort of power over me. So Brandon took a picture.
No embarrassment here. Okay, maybe a little embarrassment.
While I took care of business and took deep breaths, Brandon gave Julia her own camera to use for this trip. It was just a little Olympus Tough 10mp Waterproof/Shockproof/kidproof camera, and she was going to use it to take pictures of Hidden Mickeys she found. She ended up taking pictures of everything.
This just about says it all: Julia wide awake, the other two thinking about their beds.
As we walked towards the transportation, we discussed whether or not we wanted to use the monorail or ferry boats. That was decided for us, though, because the monorail wasnt running! Ferry Boat it is!
Approaching the Magic Kingdom from the Ferry is a wonderful way to catch that first glimpse of the castle, in my opinion. See? Pretty happy about it.
We just bought that video camera a couple of months ago, specifically so we can make a kick-booty Disney Trip Video. At least, thats what Brandon has promised me since I allowed him to drop hundreds of dollars. We took six hours of video on the trip, so hopefully Ill be able to show you guys that before the TR is finished!
Soon, we were making our way through bag check and the ticket gates.
As you can see, it was still pretty much empty, as it was nearly an hour until park opening at this point.
We first walked to the open area to the left near the tree. Hardly anyone was over there, and I took the opportunity to go to the little shop and get a new autograph book and pen. When I walked back to the strollers a minute later, a smell overwhelmed me. Was that no surely not here.
CIGARETTE SMOKE. Right here. There were three redneck (and Im not categorizing smokers as rednecksthese were rednecks if Ive ever seen them, which I have, because Georgian here) men sitting up on the wall just puffing away. These were the same men in the Ferry Boat sign picture above...classy. Brandons neck was red and his jaw was clenched. I knew we needed to move away from them, and FAST, so we went clear across to the opposite side and parked our strollers. We couldnt smell it over there, thank goodness, but it was still strange that nobody was stopping them, and the wall is clearly not a designated smoking area! There were plenty of CMs around and barely any people, so its not like it wasnt noticeable.
We still had plenty of time, so I took Brynn and did the best thing I have ever done on any trip everI got her a GAC (guest assistance card). Weve been on trips before and didnt use them, but weve had plenty of issues on those trips, plus she was smaller and somewhat easier to manage back then and we usually had an extra person to help us. I wasnt even sure wed need it, because I really wasnt sure how shed react since it had been a full year since we were here, but let me tell you now that I will never do another trip without one if shes with us. They tell you that it doesnt speed up your wait time, and that is true, but the time we waited was much less stressful and involved many less meltdowns than in years past.
I carried Brynn over to the Guest Relations desk outside the turnstiles. We were first in line and were called up by a young girl named Morgan. I didnt know how to go about getting the GAC, so I just told her I had heard about a card to help people with disabilities to be accommodated better, and she was more than happy to help me. She never asked Brynns diagnosis, but instead asked what kinds of things she might need assistance with. I told her about Brynns paroxysmal spells, and how she cant move during them and is often weak after them, so she might need to use the umbrella stroller as a wheelchair if thats going on, and also if shes in need of a safe place when shes too stimulated. I also told her that shed need a separate place to wait if the waiting area had people jammed in too closethink show waiting areas, where it looks like a can of sardines with very little personal space. This was for Brynns benefit (so she didnt panic if she was closed in) and for the benefit of those waiting around her (in case she had a meltdown and flailed her arms and legs, or in case she was in one of her touchy moods so she wouldnt be rubbing her hands all over them). Most of the time wed use Fastpass and be in lines that were narrow enough that our family could surround her just in case, but if not, a little extra space would be greatly appreciated. Within a minute, she had the card with stamps for stroller=wheelchair and for alternate entrance, plus a sticker to put on the stroller.
I folded this in half and had the alternate entrance side showing through the clear pocket of my lanyard pouch, which I either wear around my neck or clip to my belt loop, and figured the sticker on the stroller would be obvious if we were going to have to use that.
With all the little things taken care of, all we had to do was wait for the opening show!
So? BUBBLES!
Soon, that glorious music of the Welcome Show started playing through the speakers, and Julia was waving wildly to the performers!
And after we all loudly counted down, the park was open!
We had somewhere to be first thing, so we decided to make another stop at the restrooms. (Stop laughing.) On the way to the ones next to Guest Relations, we spotted this guy, which even a sleepy Sawyer enjoyed!
NOW it was time for our first view of that castle from Main Street U.S.A.!
Whos the most excited? Me, obviously. Kid at heart here, people.
We stopped for a quick family photo because a CM insisted, though it didnt turn out to be our best, and definitely not our last!
We were hurrying down Main Street to make it to our appointment on time, but we did make sure to take in all our magical surroundings on this beautiful morning!
And just like that, we were veering left on our way to our first adventure of the trip, and our first experience of this kind ever!
Where were we headed?
Youll have to stay tuned to find out, Matey!
Arrrrr you realizing that this TR will be overly-detailed? Arrrrrrr you ready for the best pictures my husband has ever taken? Those are coming up in the next update!
Seriously though, I LOVE your totally detailed reports. It makes me think of all the things I could be doing to make our trip even more special. 
) but smell is such a strong sense -and you can smell something and it can totally take you back to another place and time...
You have EVERYTHING ahead of you... I still get that giddy feeling on Main Street...
, and so unlike me! I'm going to go through all the other pictures and see if somehow it's in the background of any of the shots we took in the room. Seriously, though, picture a row of boxes with no clutter sticking out the top, all perfectly aligned on the wire rack up high next to the sink, and that's what it was. It was perfection.
!
.
(<---best smilie I could come up with).
Actually, what I really need is you. Wanna come over help me figure out a system to organize my gazillion papers and have them STAY organized? 
) because my son has ADHD and SPD and can't handle a lot of crowds and people. He is good in small groups, large groups make him nervous and he flips out. He's been known to hit, bite, scream, throw things...and he doesn't remember any of it after. I am perfectly fine with things being slower for us, as long as we can have a good time and actually enjoy ourselves instead of trying to diffuse situations. 
