Island Hopping: A Highly Inappropriate TR. (Boom.)-- Link to NEW TR! 10/8

[MagicShell]

I love Julia's photo, amazing! We will get to see the new Dumbo in less than 2 months. I can't wait to see it all. Your husband's pictures of it are incredible. I'm glad Brynn finally got to her favorite ride. She and Sawyer look completely mesmerized.

 

[katt789]

Hold up...you're allowed to skip the little play area at Dumbo?? Clearly we were not told of that! (and considering we are both fully grown adults, and the play area is for up to 12....you think they would've told us)
Ha!

The new dumbo really is amazing! So beautiful at night too! IASW is a classic, you can't get through a trip without doing it. I love the shot of the 4 of you on the ride, they're great!!

Ah! PVH! I'm excited to hear what you have to say about the flat breads!

 

[hlrababy]

You know, I was just wondering today if you had started this TR yet. Low and behold, you have...and I am late! lol

 

[mxkris]

Another great update!! Can't wait to hear about PVH since we've never eaten there, and I'm so anxious to see how the haircut went!!!

 

[CandleontheWater]

yay dumbo! That play area is both a blessing and a curse! Kids seem to love it, and mine loved it so much that he wouldn't get on the ride. I also really wished that the toddler area had a gate, to keep the kiddos corralled. Those big kid slides are just too tempting, and I agree that are is like a black hole! DS keep wanted to go over there, and I was really worried he get lost or stuck and there was no way my 7 months preggo butt was climbing up there to get him!

So glad everyone enjoyed the ride!

 

[lauren_elizabeth]

The new Dumbo area looks absolutely AMAZING! And how cool is that play area inside?! It looks like the kids had a blast!

I how much your kids LOVE It's a Small World! It holds a special place in our hearts as well and we're another family that rides it OVER & OVER!

Can't wait to read more!

 

[Dancegrl624]

Great update! We love IASW too...keep the pics coming! It is quite relaxing and I always leave with a smile on my face.

The new Dumbo area is just gorgeous. I was in complete awe when I saw it!

 

[danimaroo]

I already saw it on FB but I'm SO happy for Julia! That photo really is awesome and she deserved a big ol' ribbon. Hopefully she does well in the county contest!

DUMBO! Can you believe I've never been on this in my life? I mean, I'm sure when we have kids we will but yeah. Part of me wants to go on it next trip just because it seems like the quintessential ride to go on. PLUS, that queue from your photos is BEAUTIFUL!

I know my dorko husband think he'll look creepy going on it saying WHEEE in his manly voice , but we might just have to do it.

Bahaha, I love how Sawyer is holding onto those gummies for his dear life. So cute.

I love that photo of Julia coming down the slide; super cute! All of your photos from the Dumbo area/ride are fabulous.

That's awesome the GAC worked out so well for you guys and Brynn. And you can just see how enchanted the kids are with the IASW! I love that ride so much, even though my brother was terrified when we were little kids.

OOOH! I'm excited to see your thoughts on PVH and the new food. I wouldn't be surprised if we pop in there during our trip at least once.

And I'm SUPER excited for Sawyer's first haircut! Hopefully there aren't any tears!

 

[TriniandBre]

Your kids are beautiful I have been lurking for a day and a half trying to get caught up and I have finally caught up!!! I love the face paints on your girls, I have never rode IASW or Dumbo and have always wanted to. (So many Disney trips and have never ridden those rides )The pictures are amazing, I can't wait until my next Disney trip. Finally, I can't wait to read more updates from your trip.

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

Oy! I'm so sorry it's taken so long for me to reply to the comments. Things have been so busy around here, but in all honesty they aren't looking to slow down any time soon, so I thought I'd best find time!

I agree with you on the new Dumbo. It's just amazingly beautiful, and the indoor queue is so well done! I love it.

I love how much yall love small world.

HAHAHA. That exact CM and his puppet will appear in my TR later too!

WEIRD! Hmmm...wonder if there's a story there!

First of all, I love the pictures in this update. They're all fantastic! Especially Julia's! That's seriously impressive, and seriously better than anything I could ever even hope to do.

You know, I don't know if I've ever been on Dumbo. I'm sure I went when I was little, but I can't remember it for the life of me. Part of me is tempted to try going on it now, but something tells me a 6'5" bearded man riding Dumbo without kids might come across as....creepy. (Deep voice)"Wheeeeeeeee."

I have to admit, I love IASW. So much. I just think it's fantastic across the board, and I love the song, theming, smell, everything. I really don't get the people who find it annoying. Last year we didn't go on it until 4-5 days into our trip, and that was WAAAAYYY too late for me. This year, it's a day one "must-do."

Looking forward to hearing your review of PVH! I love going there, but last year wasn't too impressed by the pizza they had available.

Yeah, come to think of it, that *is* a little creepy! One day you'll have kids...perhaps you should save Dumbo for that time.
I am so with you on IASW! When people hear about Brynn's obsession, they always joke that we must be so annoyed by it. NOPE! Doesn't get on our nerves at all! I think it's fun and unique!

The Dumbo play area looks really cool!!! I'm surprised about the unmanned play area door, that doesn't seem like a great idea!!!

I love how much your family loves IASW! It really is such a cute classic ride!

Definitely something they overlooked, and hopefully it was a fluke or will be corrected.
We are IASW fans for life! And if that's wrong, I don't wanna be right.

I'm glad I read from my phone! I'm trying not to spoil the new areas so I have not looked at any pics Disney or disers have posted!! It's so hard! I did read what you wrote and I can't wait!!

I'm with brynn, I LOVE iasw!! My fav section is the hula girls! Does she have one fav scene?

She LOVES the hula girls, too! Her other favorite is the platypuses, because she always cracks up and yells, "WHY ARE THEY THROWING THEIR EGGS!?!?!?!" Classic.

Good for Julia and her Photography Win!

The redo of Dumbo really is very lovely...... unattended open doors not so much...

IASW is such a classic and I love all the Mary Blair art/illustration in there... just so happy... It really is a great song too ... it's just easy to get it stuck in your head...

It is also a really nice floating rest spot on a hot day...

Brynn likes all Mary Blair artwork. In fact, her grandmother has already purchased her a collection of Mary Blair's Golden Books for Christmas. She is going to be so excited!! (Okay, me, too, truth be told.)

Loving your updates and all of your amazing photos !! Yay for your daughter's art award. I am inspired to give my kids their own camera now and see what they come up with. I think it is very important to be creative.

I love seeing what they come up with! We try to give them a number of creative outlets each day, from art, to video cameras and cameras, to blank books, to computer cartoon makers...they just keep surprising us!

That is so awesome Julia’s picture got second place and is going to compete with other schools!

Double Dumbo is just gorgeous. I have like 100 pictures of it.

I have to say, I was singing along with it’s a small world during this update. I have no shame.

You are only (an awesome) human if you were singing along!!

Wow, congratulations Julia! That picture did turn out pretty amazing.

That play area looks so cool! And it's indoors, that's definitely a bonus.

LOL, comfort gummies. I wish that I could just treat naughty food as comfort food that if I held it I would feel better.

Yay, the IASW happy place. Nothing better than that.

BWAHAHAHAHA!!! That's such a good point! Maybe that's why he's so skinny and tall!

Love this update! So funny...my kids tell me no disco dancing on all the rides with that sign. Even since we have been back, they have seen that picture (of course I took a photo of one!) from our last trip, and still tell me, "mom, look, no dancing!" Love it!

The pic of Julia coming off of the slide is awesome!! And Brynn's face while you were on IASW is priceless. She looks mesmerized and totally in awe!

Looking forward to the next! I am so loving your TR!

But here's the real question--do you do a little disco dancing just to embarrass them and break the rules? Cause that would be what any good mom would do.

Oh yeah, and Julia's picture is awesome! Congrats to her on the 2nd place win!!

Thanks! I'll pass that along to her!

 

[Holly324]

But here's the real question--do you do a little disco dancing just to embarrass them and break the rules? Cause that would be what any good mom would do.


[/B]

Yes. Yes I do.

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

Another GREAT update!!!!

We are thinking late Sept for our trip...just saying!

We have never eaten at PVH..hmmmm, might have to try!


Oh, the picture of Julia coming down the slide, when I scrolled down it actually looked like she was moving (that or it was the vicodin that I took for my foot!)

AHH! You should totally plan for the same time! We really can't change our schedule any because of Fall Break, but Sept. 13 it is...hint, hint...

I already commented on it on Facebook, but the picture that Julia took is so beautiful. I can't believe she not only took it herself, but managed to play with it with photoshop to make it look even better! Me thinks someone will take after their Daddy...

Speaking of amazing photography, that picture of Julia coming out of the slide with everything blurry around is wonderful!

I like It's a Small World. Yes, the ride AND the song. Brynn and I would get along just fine.

She is very much like her Daddy. She's also his assistant when he does photo shoots for people. She holds all the reflectors and carries his gear. Photographer in training, for sure!

Had to come out of lurkdom to congratulate Julia on her awesome photo! that girl's got some skills!
While I'm at it thank you for sharing all the details about WDW with Brynn. As a teacher of students with special needs, many of whom are on the Autism spectrum, I enjoy seeing a family's real life experiences and point of view ( if that makes sense). And I'm not just saying that because I am an IASW fan! I will definitely have to share about the benefits of the GAC with the parents of one of my students for their trip this spring!
As for the "gift" from Sawyer I just had to laugh because, yeah, been there before.....the glamorous life of a mom!

Hooray for coming out of lurkdom! And thank you so much; I will pass along the compliment!
I am so happy to hear that sharing our adventure with Brynn at Disney might be helping some other families be as successful as we were! And I'm also happy you appreciate how very unique and amazing she is!

The Dumbo play area looks awesome! I can't wait to see that whole area done-I love it!

Once again-gorgeous photos. And how great is Julia's photo? She rocks!

You will be amazed. Really, the pictures don't even do it justice. It's just so immersive.

I am in love with the pics in your report! Julia did a great job. Good luck to her. I'm starting to get so excited to get down there and see all the new stuff for myself.
Looking forward to the first hair cut update as we'll be doing that for Connor in December!

All my kids have now had their first haircuts at WDW. It is such a wonderful experience! You will not be disappointed.

I love Julia's photo, amazing! We will get to see the new Dumbo in less than 2 months. I can't wait to see it all. Your husband's pictures of it are incredible. I'm glad Brynn finally got to her favorite ride. She and Sawyer look completely mesmerized.

Less than two months! LUCKY! I may be a little jealous...
They totally were mesmerized. Then again, so was I!

Hold up...you're allowed to skip the little play area at Dumbo?? Clearly we were not told of that! (and considering we are both fully grown adults, and the play area is for up to 12....you think they would've told us)
Ha!

The new dumbo really is amazing! So beautiful at night too! IASW is a classic, you can't get through a trip without doing it. I love the shot of the 4 of you on the ride, they're great!!

Ah! PVH! I'm excited to hear what you have to say about the flat breads!

I can't promise that's how it is every time, but since there was no wait, that's what they offered us. And they also didn't buzz our buzzer; they just said to bring it up when we were done playing and go get in line.
I am excited just to talk about the flatbreads, if that's any hint!

You know, I was just wondering today if you had started this TR yet. Low and behold, you have...and I am late! lol

You're not very late! I'm still on the morning of the first day! I'm just glad you're here.

Another great update!! Can't wait to hear about PVH since we've never eaten there, and I'm so anxious to see how the haircut went!!!

We've only eaten there a couple of times, and both times were very different. Stick around to see which one was which!

yay dumbo! That play area is both a blessing and a curse! Kids seem to love it, and mine loved it so much that he wouldn't get on the ride. I also really wished that the toddler area had a gate, to keep the kiddos corralled. Those big kid slides are just too tempting, and I agree that are is like a black hole! DS keep wanted to go over there, and I was really worried he get lost or stuck and there was no way my 7 months preggo butt was climbing up there to get him!

So glad everyone enjoyed the ride!

You are so right, it is definitely a blessing and a curse. I sharply warned mine before we went in that when I said it was time to go that they would go right then or we'd go right out of the park. Turns out that wasn't the problem--the problem was finding them in the first place!!

The new Dumbo area looks absolutely AMAZING! And how cool is that play area inside?! It looks like the kids had a blast!

I how much your kids LOVE It's a Small World! It holds a special place in our hearts as well and we're another family that rides it OVER & OVER!

Can't wait to read more!

Glad to have some IASW kindred spirits! Not sure there are that many of us!

Great update! We love IASW too...keep the pics coming! It is quite relaxing and I always leave with a smile on my face.

The new Dumbo area is just gorgeous. I was in complete awe when I saw it!

I think IASW is relaxing and nostalgic. Add in fourteen minutes of seated air-conditioning, and you've won me over!

I already saw it on FB but I'm SO happy for Julia! That photo really is awesome and she deserved a big ol' ribbon. Hopefully she does well in the county contest!

DUMBO! Can you believe I've never been on this in my life? I mean, I'm sure when we have kids we will but yeah. Part of me wants to go on it next trip just because it seems like the quintessential ride to go on. PLUS, that queue from your photos is BEAUTIFUL!

I know my dorko husband think he'll look creepy going on it saying WHEEE in his manly voice , but we might just have to do it.

Bahaha, I love how Sawyer is holding onto those gummies for his dear life. So cute.

I love that photo of Julia coming down the slide; super cute! All of your photos from the Dumbo area/ride are fabulous.

That's awesome the GAC worked out so well for you guys and Brynn. And you can just see how enchanted the kids are with the IASW! I love that ride so much, even though my brother was terrified when we were little kids.

OOOH! I'm excited to see your thoughts on PVH and the new food. I wouldn't be surprised if we pop in there during our trip at least once.

And I'm SUPER excited for Sawyer's first haircut! Hopefully there aren't any tears!

Yeah, maybe you should just go on Dumbo alone, cause now I can't get the image of Matt's "WHEEEE" out of my head, and it's a little scary.
Do mom tears count??

Your kids are beautiful I have been lurking for a day and a half trying to get caught up and I have finally caught up!!! I love the face paints on your girls, I have never rode IASW or Dumbo and have always wanted to. (So many Disney trips and have never ridden those rides )The pictures are amazing, I can't wait until my next Disney trip. Finally, I can't wait to read more updates from your trip.

Glad you are here and all caught up!
You must go on Dumbo and IASW! It's true that not adults love them, but you just have to try them at least once! After that, feel free to skip them. I'd most likely skip Dumbo if I didn't have kids.

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

Yes. Yes I do.

You have passed the test.

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

When we left off, Brynn was being a puppeteer in front of Pinocchio Village Haus. Julia took a quick turn, and then it was time to go in.

I had to explain to the CM at the door that Brynn's stroller was being used as a wheelchair, and I offered to bring it back out once she was transferred to a seat, but she said it was fine to keep it in there.

Of course the coveted seats are those by the window that look down on its a small world, but we didn't even venture over there. I could just imagine the meltdown that would ensue if our children figured out what you could see from there, and then a table wasn't available. We didn't risk it.

I seated the family here:

Not bad for a CS restaurant! I love the theming in here!

I went up to order by myself while Brandon stayed with the kids. This would become our counter service tradition. Ordering without people hanging on my legs is a good thing.

There were really no crowds at this point, though they would start accumulating as we ate. I walked immediately up to the register, and about three minutes later our food and drinks were ready. Since the CM felt sorry for me with my two overflowing trays of food, she offered to follow me to my table without me even having to ask!

Apparently she wasn't the only nice cast member at PVH; while I was ordering, someone gave all the kids stickers with Pinocchio on them, and then she gave them fastpasses for Mickeys PhilharMagic that were good through September 30! I know that FPs aren't usually needed for PhilharMagic, but its the gesture that counts.

Also while I was ordering, Sawyer busied himself with the misting fan. At least he was cool.

I'm so happy I have these pictures of him drenching himself, as they're some of the last ones I have of his baby curls before his haircut!

Now, the part you've all been waiting for&THE FOOD!

We were on the Disney Dining Plan for the first part of our trip (while we were still staying at CBR), so we had drinks, food, and desserts for four of us. We kind of just ordered a multitude of things and split them. Baby Sawyer did not go hungry, and we were able to mix and match foods to get something for everyone. Admittedly, the food pictures at PVH are not great, because honestly we forgot to take them in our hunger and kind of half-heartedly snapped some shots when we remembered. Oops.

Brandon had the Meatball Sub Sandwich with fries and a chocolate cake.

He had this the last time we ate here, and its been a pretty good, if standard, choice. Its filling, but not huge, and of course DISNEY FRIES.

Need I say more?

I went with the Caprese Flat bread, which is new. PVH only recently made the switch from regular pizza to flat breads, and I had been curious to see if I liked it or not. I'm a fan of normal Disney pizza (I see your judgy eyes), but I normally like a very thin crust. The crust on this was thin&flat, even. It had a good amount of mozzarella, tomato slices, basil, and a balsamic drizzle.

While it was hard to keep all the ingredients on the crust, it was delicious! I took a cue from Brandon's pizza-eating playbook and just folded the toppings up inside the crust to keep them all in. I got a yogurt for dessert, which I gave to Sawyer as part of his meal. He LOVES yogurt--can you tell?

I got both girls the kids pepperoni pizza with DISNEY FRIES (*angels sing*) and grapes, I think. I know they ordered apple juice, which came in a cup with a lid instead of a juice box like I was expecting. Sawyer drank one juice, Brynn the other, and Julia took my Sprite. She never gets to drink it at home, and I'm not a big soda fan, so I just sipped off Brandon's.

And here's where I have to say that I did not like the flat breads. I really think they should have kept the kids pizzas as the normal Disney pizza. Lets face it--kids aren't exactly known for their palates, and my kids had the same trouble keeping the toppings on as I did, except they could not figure out how to fold it and eat it for the life of them. Don't get me wrong--they did manage to shovel in the pizza (the girls each gave a piece to Sawyer), but it wasn't without difficulty and confusion.

See? Brynns thinking, What the heck do I do with this??

The whole meal was peaceful and calm. All our kids sat still and ate their food well. Hardly anyone talked, and everything was delicious. It was a meal success, for sure&unlike some of our other meals would turn out on this trip&

(That's called foreshadowing.)

After lunch and a quick restroom break, it was time to use our Peter Pans Flight Fastpasses. As it was just across the way, it was pretty convenient just to hop on for a quick flying boat ride through London and Neverland.

The kids all loved it, just like last year, and soon we were on our way to our next destination: Mickeys PhilharMagic! No, we didn't need to use the FPs. In fact, they weren't even taking them. We used the alternate waiting area for this attraction, which in this case was the same as the handicapped entrance. This is the place I originally thought of when I was thinking about where Brynn might need an alternate entrance. In the normal waiting area, you are packed closely together while you wait for the doors to open. In years past, it has been a struggle to keep Brynn from touching people, throwing herself around, or getting upset because its just too tight quarters in there. We walked to the right after going through the first part of the line, and there was space! Wide open space!

Soon we were in our seats, which were in the very back of the theater, enjoying our yellow glasses and singing along&except for Sawyer. He was literally shaking in my lap. He never fussed. He never cried. He never even moved, except for the shaking. When we were done, we asked if everyone enjoyed it, and he just gave a nervous half-smile and didn't answer. You cant win 'em all.

It was now 1:30, which was time for Sawyer's appointment at Harmony Barber Shop for his very first haircut. We rushed down Main Street and checked in immediately. Sitting in his Barber's chair was Michal, the famous-to-me barber, and he told us he'd been waiting for Sawyer to give him his first cut. I was ecstatic!!! Michal! Famous person!

Now, if you don't know him, this is his video for Disney Parks Blog HERE. You should watch it; it makes me happy. I told him that he was famous and I loved seeing his video, and he said that seeing that video made him want to diet! LOL! He looks great and is super sweet, so don't listen to that nonsense!

While I checked in, Brandon took some last pictures of the crazy mess of curls that was Sawyer's baby hair.

We put Sawyer up in the chair, and Michal immediately covered him with tons of Mickey stickers and gave him a Lightning McQueen spinner. Honestly, Sawyer has no idea who Lightning McQueen is and probably would have preferred the Minnie one, but it did light up and spin and served its purpose.

Michal asked what I wanted done to the hair, and I told him that I honestly didn't know. Sawyer's hair goes in all different directions, and he has a cow-lick front and center. We could never tell how to brush it. So he said, "Basically you just want me to make him into a little boy?"

Cue mom tears. "Yes."

About to make the first cut. Mom with video camera in hand.

Michal saved every piece of hair and put it in a tissue inside a little sachet bag. All three of my kids have now had their first haircut here, but this is the first time Ive seen the bag.

And now for lots of sappy shots of pretty much the same thing but I don't care cause its my baby:

Touch-ups. Looking like a big kid now.

All done! Getting his First Haircut Mickey ears!

Such a handsome young man!

It's only a few weeks out, and Sawyer's hair already almost needs another cut! I was so worried about the curls not coming back, but I needn't have worried. The longer it gets, the curlier it gets. And he's STILL my sweet baby boy, even if he looks more like a big kid.

During the whole hair-cutting session, the girls were trying to run around wild, which is highly inappropriate in such a small place. As you can see in the photos, the place is only big enough for three chairs, and if anyone sneezes in there you can be sure you'll feel it landing on you. They weren't happy when we were very clearly told them that they needed to sit down OR ELSE. See how Julia thinks were the best parents?

We paid at the cash register, where we were given the saved hair and a First Haircut certificate. Sawyer kept his Mickey Ears on for the moment. The first haircut is currently $18.00, and we gave Michal a $5.00 cash tip. Know if you are going here that you cannot add on a tip onto the receipt. You must have cash, as their system is linked with the Emporium's cash register system, which does not have places for tips like a restaurant or normal hair salon would. Just some advice, because these guys do a great job and totally deserve tipping!

So, here we were, allllllllll the way down Main Street. The Emporium and the Confectionery were both within view.

Hmmmmm&..what to do, what to do???

 

[Holly324]

Awwwwwwwwwwww!!!! I love the first haircut pics!! Makes me tear up...my oldest had blonde curls, and he looked like such a big boy when he got his first cut! Thanks for sharing, and bringing back sweet memories!

 

[dara00]

oh gosh I hate when mickey's philharmagic is packed with people in the waiting area and I'm not a little kid with sensory issues! you are lucky to use the alternate entrance!

 

[LifeIsDis]

Oh my goodness, Sawyer looks adorable with his haircut! I just love how you captured the whole thing.

I don’t think the haircut prices are too bad, especially for Disney! And plus you get five zillion Mickey stickers and a hat I kind of want to make an appointment to get my haircut...

 

[shan23877]

While the new flatbreads sound delicious to me, I can't imagine that a kid would agree. That's weird that they changed the kids pizza too. Love the pics of Sawyer with his yogurt spoon.

That's great that you got to go to an empty area before Philharmagic! I get a little claustrophobic, and those areas kill me!

How sweet are those first haircut photos? I think that must be one of the hidden gems of WDW. And so inexpensive! Sawyer looked very handsome (and a lot like Julia) after his big boy cut. Glad for you that the curls are coming back though.

 

[GrimGrinningStitch]

Yup, you've confirmed it! PVH is definitely going to happen in January! And hooray for helpful cast members! I always love the cast members who are kind and considerate, and actually go the extra mile.

What a great first haircut experience! And once again, yay for good Disney employees!

As for your next steps, the Emporium and the Confectionary are both day 1 visits for us, though the Confectionary I try to go to on my way out of the park, since by that point I'm usually full and less tempted to buy 50,000 things.

 

[katt789]

I have to say, I really do like Disney pizza, but I also liked the flatbread, I just wanted some more balsamic on it haha. I do like the food at PVH though, really good!

Adorable first haircut! That's so awesome that all the kids have had their first haircut there, a great idea!