It’s been 3 years. We are SO ready for this trip. June 09 PTR

[DisneyMissy]

You're going to be in Disney in one week!! You must be so excited!

 

[wdwgirl03]

Your AK plans look great! There is a petting zoo at Rafiki's Planet Watch. I know they had goats and I think a couple other animals. And the train ride is neat too.

 

[tinkgurl]

Yes, we are bringing a poncho just for the stroller when it is parked at a ride. I read somewhere else that people have come back to a soaking stroller after riding a ride, so I think I am always going to cover it up when we leave it unattended. Since we are bringing our own stroller, it won't look like all of the other Disney ones, so I'm hoping that it will be fairly easy to pick out.

Oh good idea!

 

[cjackearl]

Good AK plans for your little guy. My girls loved the Boneyard and FOTL? So awesome!!!

 

[DreaGirl]

Sounds great! We like all of those things.


Did you mentiont that little dinosaur ride that is like Dumbo? My DD loves that ride.

 

[ibedancin824]

AK looks good ... U leave in 6 dayssss

 

[Sunset Cliffs]

You're going to be in Disney in one week!! You must be so excited!

We are totally getting excited. It doesn't seem real that it is so close!

Your AK plans look great! There is a petting zoo at Rafiki's Planet Watch. I know they had goats and I think a couple other animals. And the train ride is neat too.

I think the petting zoo will be so fun for him. He gets a little excited around animals, so hopefully he won't scare them w/ his enthusiasm.

Good AK plans for your little guy. My girls loved the Boneyard and FOTL? So awesome!!!

The Boneyard looks so cute. It seems like something kids of all ages would like it.

Sounds great! We like all of those things.


Did you mentiont that little dinosaur ride that is like Dumbo? My DD loves that ride.

I forgot about the Dumbo-like ride. I wonder if the line is as long as it is for Dumbo...?

AK looks good ... U leave in 6 dayssss

I know, yay! Soooo excited to get there.

 

[Sunset Cliffs]

Ok, people. We are in serious crunch time at this point. I am 5 days away from our trip and I’m starting to freak out a little. There is so much to do and so little days to do it. Where did the time go? We have a plan to get through this week, but I’m still worried that I will be up at midnight on Friday night packing. It would be nice if I didn’t have to work this week. I wish I could take a vacation just to get ready for my vacation.

Have I mentioned that one of my favorite things in life is dusk at Disney World? It doesn’t matter where you are…when it starts to get dark and the lights start popping on… there is nothing better than that. Here is a pic from a previous trip during the Flower Festival (I forgot the actual name, forgive me).

Epcot. This is going to be the hardest park for me to plan, I think. I don’t really know a lot of things to do when it comes to young kids. This park always feels so “grown up” to me, and that is part of the reason that I like it so much. I LOVE looking at architecture, so the World Showcase is one of my favorite things to do. And Future World has some really great rides as well. The hard part is going to find things that are Dylan-focused.

So far, this is what we have for him :

The Seas w/ Nemo & Friends – I had him watch part of this movie today and he seemed to like it. We have never seen this ride so it will be new for us. We like The Seas in general and usually spend time just enjoying the aquarium.

Gran Fiesta Tour in the Mexico Pavillion – We haven’t seen this since it was re-done. Dylan will recognize Donald so it should be a winner.

Spaceship Earth – This ride moves slow enough and has a lot to look at. This is high on my list for the adults, and I think he will do well on it. The dark doesn’t seem to bother him.

Imagination Pavilion – I haven’t done the Figment ride since I was in high school, but I am betting that it will be good for Dylan. Lots of bright colors and other kids running around will make him happy.

Turtle Talk w/ Crush – We might try this. He might still be a little too young to get it.

As far as for Todd & I, we like all of the usual suspects at this park. Test Track, Mission Space, Soarin. We also really enjoy The American Adventure (I always get teary at the end of this), Ellen’s Energy Adventure, and Maelstrom. The last time we were there we caught the movie in Canada for the first time. I know it is outdated but it was SO beautiful. I really want to go see this again.

Another big one for us here is….the pastry place in France. This is a MUST DO on every trip, usually multiple times. Todd’s favorite thing is the Napoleon. I always try other things and then end up asking for a bite of his. I get dessert envy. You’d think I would learn.

The Napoleon in all of its glory

Look how happy he is.

So I really need help here. Can anyone give me other suggestions for toddler-age things to do here? I just haven’t had the time to do enough research and I know I will probably miss something really cool.

TIA for your help!

Totally off-topic. We needed to get Dylan a haircut, but he is not very pleased w/ the whole experience so we kept putting it off. We took him to the park the other day and they have these new slides that create quite a bit of static electricity. We just died laughing because his hair kept getting bigger & bigger w/ each trip down the slide. Are you ready to see it?



Wait for it….




Wait for it…..

Needless to say, he got a haircut the next day. But wow, it was worth the picture!

Next up……DHS.

 

[wdwgirl03]

I love those slide pictures!! Too cute!

I agree about dusk...all the lights are so cool.

YAY for being so close!

 

[cjackearl]

Aw, those slide pictures of Dylan are adorable and funny! He's a baby blond haired Don King.

As for Epcot, hmm...do you mind him getting wet? There are some fun jumping fountains that the kids are magnetically drawn to that he might enjoy playing in. I think you listed some great choices for Dylan.

I'm right there with you on the slight feeling of panic, sister! So much to do, so little time! BUT, at the end we'll be in Disney World!

 

[DisneyMissy]

Haha those pictures of Dylan are so cute!! It's too bad you don't live closer, I'd do all your laundry and pack for you...that's how bored I am now that I'm done with school!! I'm not much of a help when it comes to kid stuff at Epcot, but here's a few he might enjoy:
Living with the Land (he might not totally understand it, but they have giant veggies and big fish tanks he might find cool)
The Circle of Life if he likes the Lion King
Honey, I Shrunk the Audience

I don't know if you let Dylan drink soda, but something you guys might enjoy is the store called Club Cool. I never got in there (and I really wanted to), but they have popular sodas from all around the country that you can try for free. I hear the one from Italy is super nasty though!! It's in Innoventions East or West.

 

[tinkgurl]

I love the Nemo ride! It's so cute!

 

[Raecheal]

Aww, thanks for coming over to check out my PTR. I hope you didn't mind me telling you my story on your PTR, but I remember going through what you were describing. Dylan is a pretty cute little kid. We are so blessed with him and his little personality.

No prob. I enjoy reading your PTR-- I really didn't mind you telling me your story.. that was so sweet of you.

You are blessed to have him.. he's absolutely adorable.

It has been very weird planning our trip this time because it is the first time I have had to research things for kids to do. Todd and I have taken many trips here with no kids and we are pretty good at going with the flow. Now that we have Dylan, I have been looking at all of the things for kids to do and I realized, “Oh my gosh, I’m a mom!” (Yes, this still happens to me even though he is 1 ½ years old.). So we are making 2 lists… a list of things we would like to do for us and for Dylan.

I loved this post, especially this part... I love that you both are making 2 lists.. I think that's a good way to transition from going to WDW without kids to with kids. Good idea!!!

I have girlfriends who have the "OMGosh i'm a mom" moments. How precious for you.

Just a quick update tonight. I just found out tonight that my in-laws are coming up to visit….tomorrow! Now don’t get me wrong, I love my in-laws and they are wonderful people. But let’s just say that my house is not exactly “in-law ready”. So we have been cleaning all night and there is still more to do tomorrow. So that means the next few days are going to be very busy! I am glad they are coming because they have not seen Dylan since Christmas and he has changed so much since then. It is hard for them to get away because they own their own business and it is a 7 hour drive to come see us (or for us to go see them). I have been shopping the last couple of weekends for items for our trip and I wanted to show you a couple of things I thought were so cute. There is a department store that is going out of business near us and they had a cute little Pirates of the Caribbean outfit in Dylan’s size for $8.00! It is perfect for a MK day. Here it is.

Then, we go to a shoe store next door and I found some shoes to match it for $5.00. I wanted to get him some Crocs-type shoes and this was the only pair in the store. She said it was their last pair in stock and it was in his size. I never get so lucky!

Oh.. those last minute in-law visit. I feel yah.. thats alot of cleaning for 24 hour notice..

Those crocs are aboslutely adorable!!

-Your list for things to do while in AK sounds good. I"ve never seen Nemo.. but I would def. take him to see FOTK. We've never tried the Flame tree BBQ, i've read plenty of good reviews tho.

-Oh Epcot... although we didn't pick that park for our upcoming trip.. reading your list of things to do...made me re-think our plans. I really want to go to the Flower Festival in May 2010.

- Those photos are hilarious of his hair.

 

[Sunset Cliffs]

I love those slide pictures!! Too cute!

I agree about dusk...all the lights are so cool.

YAY for being so close!

Both Todd & I have always liked dusk the best. Sometimes he will just suddenly say "It's dusk" and it makes the moment special.

Aw, those slide pictures of Dylan are adorable and funny! He's a baby blond haired Don King.

As for Epcot, hmm...do you mind him getting wet? There are some fun jumping fountains that the kids are magnetically drawn to that he might enjoy playing in. I think you listed some great choices for Dylan.

I'm right there with you on the slight feeling of panic, sister! So much to do, so little time! BUT, at the end we'll be in Disney World!

He does look like Don King! I think he looks like one of those plastic, static balls of electricity that when you touch it, the rays of light shoot out to touch your fingertips.

We are planning on bringing him extra clothes every day so that he can play in the fountains. I will be so hot and he loves to play in the water, so I'm sure it will be hard to keep him out of the fountains.

Haha those pictures of Dylan are so cute!! It's too bad you don't live closer, I'd do all your laundry and pack for you...that's how bored I am now that I'm done with school!! I'm not much of a help when it comes to kid stuff at Epcot, but here's a few he might enjoy:
Living with the Land (he might not totally understand it, but they have giant veggies and big fish tanks he might find cool)
The Circle of Life if he likes the Lion King
Honey, I Shrunk the Audience

I don't know if you let Dylan drink soda, but something you guys might enjoy is the store called Club Cool. I never got in there (and I really wanted to), but they have popular sodas from all around the country that you can try for free. I hear the one from Italy is super nasty though!! It's in Innoventions East or West.

That's so sweet of you to offer to help w/ laundry! I probably would have taken you up on it if you lived close by. Aren't you getting ready to head back to WDW yourself? We have gone to Club Cool once before and tried the nasty soda. Let me tell you, it was bad. I'm sure we will go there again because it is freezing in there and it will feel good on a hot day.

I love the Nemo ride! It's so cute!

We are looking forward to doing Nemo for the first time.

No prob. I enjoy reading your PTR-- I really didn't mind you telling me your story.. that was so sweet of you.

You are blessed to have him.. he's absolutely adorable.

Thank you so much!

I loved this post, especially this part... I love that you both are making 2 lists.. I think that's a good way to transition from going to WDW without kids to with kids. Good idea!!!

I have girlfriends who have the "OMGosh i'm a mom" moments. How precious for you.

I'm glad it's not just me. You'd think that I would be used to it by now, but as he grows up, it's like I "grow up" as a mom. Does that make sense? I think that's why I still have those moments.


Oh.. those last minute in-law visit. I feel yah.. thats alot of cleaning for 24 hour notice..

Those crocs are aboslutely adorable!!

-Your list for things to do while in AK sounds good. I"ve never seen Nemo.. but I would def. take him to see FOTK. We've never tried the Flame tree BBQ, i've read plenty of good reviews tho.

The Flame Tree BBQ is so good! If you like BBQ at all, you should give this place a try.

-Oh Epcot... although we didn't pick that park for our upcoming trip.. reading your list of things to do...made me re-think our plans. I really want to go to the Flower Festival in May 2010.

- Those photos are hilarious of his hair.

There are some responses above in pink. The Flower Festival is so overwhelming because there is so much detail. I am adding a couple more pictures of it in my next update.

 

[cjackearl]

Hello! Look, I'm on west coast time. No, Ian fell out of bed and then I couldn't get back to sleep. Must be Disney nerves. How's your packing coming?

 

[Sunset Cliffs]

Before I forget, I want to post a couple more pictures from a past trip at Epcot. We were there during the Flower Festival and you could not take a bad picture if you tried. It was SO beautiful and I really hope to go back again during that time period. I think these were both taken in France.

Ok, so now we are on to DHS. I’m sorry, but it will always be MGM to me. DHS just does not seem to roll off the tongue the way that MGM does.

This used to be my favorite park because I love all of the old Hollywood stuff. The feel of this park is so different. I love the quote from the dedication day of the park. The end of the quote is “…We welcome you to a Hollywood that never was—and always will be.” This perfectly sums it up to me.

This park is no longer my strong favorite, but for no reason other than that I like all of the parks pretty equally. Each has its strong points & weak points. I used to look forward to MGM the most just because of the atmosphere & overall feeling of the landscaping & architecture.

At first, I thought it was going to be a struggle to find things here for Dylan. Once again, I had never paid attention to the “kid” things offered at this park. Once I started looking at the list of attractions, I realized that he is not going to be hurting for things to do.

Dylan’s list

Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground – This might be a little too big for him, but it will make for some good photo opportunities.

Little Mermaid show – He will really like all of the music & the puppets. Especially the “Under the Sea” part.

Playhouse Disney – Live on Stage – In order to get him ready to meet some of the characters, we have had him watch some of the shows from Playhouse Disney. He LOVES Mickey Mouse, but he also has really gotten into Handy Manny lately (we found a little toolbox set at Walmart that he carries around w/ him). So this is a must do. Before kids, I never thought I would go to a show like this. Now I can’t wait to see his reaction to seeing Handy Manny in person.

Toy Story Mania – He has gone on this twice at DCA with us. He sits in between us and his eyes are huge, but he comes off smiling.

Great Movie Ride – Slow paced ride w/ a lot to look at. Not too sure about the cowboy/gangster section and the Alien section is pretty scary. We are still considering this.

Stuff for the adults on the trip

Tower of Terror & Rock n Roller Coaster – Obviously. Nothing else to say!

American Idol Experience – I really want to see this. Haven’t heard much about it, but I LOVE the show.

Shows – We are probably going to see Beauty & the Beast and we are really going to try to see Fantasmic. This will depend on the crowds & how Dylan is holding up at that time of the night. Todd & I may do this as a “date night” on a separate night and just go for a couple of hours w/out Dylan. I hope this works out.

We have an ADR at the Sci-Fi Dine In. This is another must-do for us. The food is not spectacular, but it is pretty good. We really go for the atmosphere. Todd always leaves this restaurant saying, “ That wouldn’t be that hard to do, if someone wanted to copy that idea and make a restaurant like it somewhere else.” He is an entrepreneur at heart and he is always looking at things like his next possible business idea. Here are some photos from a few years ago.

We took a picture like this on our wedding day. We are looking out the back window of the old-fashioned car that drove us to our reception. So we copied it at the Sci-Fi.

That wraps up my park plans. I started packing Dylan’s suitcase tonight so I feel a little better. It is amazing how much stuff you have to pack for a baby/toddler. That’s why I did his suitcase first because I know I have forgotten things that will be tossed in over the next couple of days.

Next up….last minute details.

 

[cjackearl]

Your DHS list for Dylan looks good. I love your Sci Fi pictures. Good idea to get one from the back. It looks cute AND it blocks out the people in the front seat.

 

[Sunset Cliffs]

Hello! Look, I'm on west coast time. No, Ian fell out of bed and then I couldn't get back to sleep. Must be Disney nerves. How's your packing coming?

Wow! It is late even for west coast time. It is really late for you! Is Ian ok? That is an unpleasant way to be woken up.

I started packing tonight. I think Dylan's suitcase is officially done, which is a big relief. I'm always worried I'm going to forget things for him. We are going to pack most of our own suitcases tomorrow when I get home from work. That means that Friday will be more of a double-checking day than a last minute, frantic packing day. At least that is the plan for now.

How about you? Has anyone violated the sanctity of your packing room? At this point, that could cause a major packing set back.

 

[cjackearl]

Yea, Ian is fine. It just doesn't take much to get my mind racing, so once I was up, I was up.

Amelia keeps trying to enter MY packing room and help, but then I threaten her with bodily harm, or at least THE EYE and she backs away. I'm having the most trouble with toiletries, believe it or not. I keep wondering how many travel sized whatevers are enough for us, wether I should put all of our toiletries together or have the girls in their suitcases, yadda, yadda, yadda. I need a hobby, clearly.

Friday George is taking all of the kids to his parents to switch cars and plant a bush, so I'll have the whole day to myself to clean, pack, recheck and maybe go see Land of the Lost by myself.

 

[tinkgurl]

For The Little Mermaid show...try not to sit in the exact front row because it's hard to see up at the stage!