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

[Sunset Cliffs]

Don't forget about Aladdin's Magic Carpet ride. It is just like Dumbo and usually doesn't have that long of wait since the "carpets" hold more people.

My DD loved Mickey, but was scared of almost all the other characters our first couple of trips. On our last one she warmed up a bit, but still likes the face characters better.

We love Pooh's Playful Spot. It is so fun, but last time we were there the "squirters" weren't working.

I had no idea there were "squirters"! Pretty sure he will love that! And I totally forgot about Aladdin's Magic Carpets as well. That might be more fun if all of us could ride together. I have never been on it. I'm wondering how Dylan will handle the other characters. We have a breakfast at Crystal Palace and he has been watching some Pooh cartoons to get ready for it. Hopefully he will recognize them as well.

I have 2 suggestions for the MK:

Ride the Magic Carpets of Aladdin if he likes Dumbo!

Ride the train all the way around once. It's a nice way to relax!

Ooooohh, the train. I forgot the train! That's a great suggestion. And the Magic Carpet rides is good too. He didn't actually ride Dumbo last time, but we are going to give it a go this time around.

I think your little guy list looks great. I thought that I'd read that The Enchanted Tiki Room was a little on the scary side at one point? Maybe just a time to give an extra big snuggle.

What's with the pretend Dumbo? Is there a real Dumbo ride at DL?

I don't remember much about the Tiki room, and I haven't seen the new show. Is it scary? I remember there was rain at one point....I will have to research that.

The pretend Dumbo is just a stationary one that is next to the actual ride so that you can take pictures more easily. We didn't take him on the real ride because the line was massive, but we thought the picture would be cute. We are going to take him on the ride this time and just keep it flying really low until we see how he likes it.

 

[Sunset Cliffs]

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!

I have also been thinking about all of the rain. When we were there in June 3 years ago, it really didn’t rain that much, but once when it rained we tried using the ponchos. Let me just say that I felt like I was in a greenhouse or something. It was SO HOT underneath that thing that I said never again. We have used umbrellas after that and like them so much better. I found some great umbrellas at Target recently and they are so cool. They fold down to about 8 inches, yet they are full size when you open them up. So I got to pick a cute one for me and a plain black for Todd.

I know it’s lame to get excited about umbrellas, but they will fit easily into our bag and we don’t have to share and have ½ of my body be soaking wet.

Hopefully I will have a little time to do another update soon.

 

[cjackearl]

I don't remember much about the Tiki room, and I haven't seen the new show. Is it scary? I remember there was rain at one point....I will have to research that.

I don't think the whole show is scary at all, just the one part with an angry Tiki God, I think.

The pretend Dumbo is just a stationary one that is next to the actual ride so that you can take pictures more easily. We didn't take him on the real ride because the line was massive, but we thought the picture would be cute. We are going to take him on the ride this time and just keep it flying really low until we see how he likes it.

That's actually a great idea for photo ops! I'm sure Dylan will love Dumbo this trip.

 

[DreaGirl]

I know the feeling about the house not being ready! I hope you got it all cleaned up in time.

I love that outfit! So cute!! I never get that lucky either.

I hate the poncho feeling as well and love the small umbrella idea. Did you know they make a cover for the stroller that is poncho-like but has good ventilation (or so my friend tells me)?I think she got hers at Babies R Us.

 

[tinkgurl]

OMG! Talk about short notice!

Aw, that outfit is so cute! My little guy LOVES his Crocs so I hope yours does too!

 

[ibedancin824]

Heyy I had to catch up because I apparently forgot to subscribe last time I was here

Anyway we are also flying out of our local airport and I am extremly excited about that it takes a huge load off my shoulders! Any you got a good deal on the tickets plus w. ur points it was free WHO DOESN'T LIKE FREE!!!

I wish we could go for enough time that I could throw in free days!!!

That outfit for dylan is soooo cute!!!

 

[Sunset Cliffs]

I know the feeling about the house not being ready! I hope you got it all cleaned up in time.

I love that outfit! So cute!! I never get that lucky either.

I hate the poncho feeling as well and love the small umbrella idea. Did you know they make a cover for the stroller that is poncho-like but has good ventilation (or so my friend tells me)?I think she got hers at Babies R Us.

We got the house clean (enough) before they got here, yay! I am going to look for the stroller poncho this weekend. Thank you for that tip! I have never heard of that and I just bought a plain, large poncho to put over the stroller when it was parked. But if there is one with ventilation holes, I will be buying it.

OMG! Talk about short notice!

Aw, that outfit is so cute! My little guy LOVES his Crocs so I hope yours does too!

We had him wear the Crocs today. After the initial crying (he hates trying on shoes), we gave him his juice and he forgot all about them. He wore them for a couple of hours with no complaints, so I think we are on the right track.

Heyy I had to catch up because I apparently forgot to subscribe last time I was here

Anyway we are also flying out of our local airport and I am extremly excited about that it takes a huge load off my shoulders! Any you got a good deal on the tickets plus w. ur points it was free WHO DOESN'T LIKE FREE!!!

I wish we could go for enough time that I could throw in free days!!!

That outfit for dylan is soooo cute!!!

I am so relieved about flying out locally. I am much less stressed because we don't have to worry about all of the effort it usually takes to get to the airport. I still can't believe our luck on the free tickets, either. I know we are so lucky to have all of the free days. It will probably be the only trip we will ever get that will be like this, so hopefully we will be able to take advantage of it.

 

[Sunset Cliffs]

Just a quick hello! My in-laws got here late last night and they will be leaving sometime tomorrow. They had a great day with Dylan today and he was a very happy camper w/ all of the extra attention. Hope to do an update tomorrow. Have a wonderful day!

 

[OneTreeHillAddict]

Umbrellas! GREAT idea! I hate those stupid ponchos too. Love the little POTC outfit. SO cute. Less than 10 days!!!

 

[cjackearl]

I KNOW I responded to the clothes post? My answer must have gotten eaten. Anyway, I think Dylan's new outfit is adorable. Dontcha love a deal?

I'm glad you had a good day with the in-laws. My dad and stepmom are coming today (from NC) so I've been a cleaning dervish also.

Can't wait to read more.

 

[eandesmom]

Hi! Fun PTR

There are clear stroller covers, (they remind me of the old bubble umbrellas in their look) definitely look online and then check out target or babies, I know they are out there. While I prefer umbrellas, the ponchos weigh less in a bag but since you've got your stroller, I wouldn't worry about it!

Don't worry about stroller size, it's really not an issue at Disney and will help with all the stuff you'll need to cart. At that age you'll want them to be able to nap, in shade, in it, and you just can't in a smaller one as well. Not to mention all the diaper bag stuff. My double stroller was a godsend at DL in 01, I had a smaller one with us as well but didn't use it except in the airport! Ended up lending it to my SIL. But those are so light, a full diaper bag when the kid gets out....tip over city! Or at least the way my diaper bags were packed back then. LOL!

Are you going to try do autograph books for Dylan? When the younger ones were 1 and 2 we went (DL) and the 2 year old was obsessed with the characters and getting his book signed. That and the train. He didn't need much else. The 1 yr old however was just old enough to be mad that he was left out of everything as he was not mobile enough, yet. We rode the train, A LOT. Sounds like Dylan will be fine.

On the plane ride I wouldn't worry either. We are west coasters as well and my now 9 year old did several Chicago to Seattle rides between 3 months and 3 years old. One of those ended up being a 9 hour flight thanks to a freak storm. On the 9 hour flight, at 1 year old, he was amazing! Even when we ran out of food. The 4.5 return flight? A nightmare. You just never know. Do your best and roll with it, be prepared with an extra outfit in case of an explosion, and remember that to some degree kids will respond to how you handle it as well and you will be fine!

I'm not sure which part of Universal you are thinking of as it's 2 parks. When we went in 04 DS* was obsessed with Blue. I would have bought 2 extra tickets to go to that side to see Blue, had Blue been out. But no Blue. While Islands of Adventure is geared more to adults there are at least 3 great kid things.

1. the Nick soak zone and play area.
2. the entire Dr Suess area and
3. there is a talking fountain that is just a riot!

My kids were 4 and 5 and I'm not sure how it would be for a 1.5 year old but there are some kid things on that side. The other side is much more Nick Jr focused. If the kids would have been younger (or not as many adults, there were 20 of us with 7 kids lol) we'd have probably done the Nick Jr side.

The outfit is adorable! And good idea to break him in on wearing the shoes now...esp if he isn't much of a shoe wearer, I know my youngest wasn't at that age.

You will have a great trip!

 

[DreaGirl]

Just a quick hello! My in-laws got here late last night and they will be leaving sometime tomorrow. They had a great day with Dylan today and he was a very happy camper w/ all of the extra attention. Hope to do an update tomorrow. Have a wonderful day!

Glad everyone is having a good time! Can't wait for the update.

 

[tinkgurl]

Does Dylan have wide feet? My little guy does so he HATES wearing tennis shoes for a long time. The Crocs fit him just perfect and he loves having room to breathe in them!

 

[Sunset Cliffs]

Well, the in-laws left tonight and it was a successful visit. Todd took some time off today and got to golf w/ his dad which means his mom got to spend some alone time w/ Dylan while I was at work. She said they played a lot and she was exhausted by his nap time. I told you he has a lot of energy!

So I typed up my next update but I am fighting w/ my pictures tonight. I will have to post it tomorrow because I can't post an update w/out photos! Sorry for the delay. My ticker tells me that we leave in 9 days. We have hit the single-digit countdown. OMG!

Umbrellas! GREAT idea! I hate those stupid ponchos too. Love the little POTC outfit. SO cute. Less than 10 days!!!

The ponchos make me feel like I am in a sauna. It feels unnatural to get MORE sweaty during a rain storm than just standing in the sun. I'm excited about our mini-umbrellas. We tried on the POTC outfit and it looks so cute!

I KNOW I responded to the clothes post? My answer must have gotten eaten. Anyway, I think Dylan's new outfit is adorable. Dontcha love a deal?

I'm glad you had a good day with the in-laws. My dad and stepmom are coming today (from NC) so I've been a cleaning dervish also.

Can't wait to read more.

I went back and found your earlier response. I just missed plain missed it, SO sorry! The outfit is cute and I liked it so much better when it was on clearance (but I would have bought it anyway ). I hope you got all of your cleaning done in time and are having a great time w/ your family.

Hi! Fun PTR

There are clear stroller covers, (they remind me of the old bubble umbrellas in their look) definitely look online and then check out target or babies, I know they are out there. While I prefer umbrellas, the ponchos weigh less in a bag but since you've got your stroller, I wouldn't worry about it!

Don't worry about stroller size, it's really not an issue at Disney and will help with all the stuff you'll need to cart. At that age you'll want them to be able to nap, in shade, in it, and you just can't in a smaller one as well. Not to mention all the diaper bag stuff. My double stroller was a godsend at DL in 01, I had a smaller one with us as well but didn't use it except in the airport! Ended up lending it to my SIL. But those are so light, a full diaper bag when the kid gets out....tip over city! Or at least the way my diaper bags were packed back then. LOL!

Are you going to try do autograph books for Dylan? When the younger ones were 1 and 2 we went (DL) and the 2 year old was obsessed with the characters and getting his book signed. That and the train. He didn't need much else. The 1 yr old however was just old enough to be mad that he was left out of everything as he was not mobile enough, yet. We rode the train, A LOT. Sounds like Dylan will be fine.

On the plane ride I wouldn't worry either. We are west coasters as well and my now 9 year old did several Chicago to Seattle rides between 3 months and 3 years old. One of those ended up being a 9 hour flight thanks to a freak storm. On the 9 hour flight, at 1 year old, he was amazing! Even when we ran out of food. The 4.5 return flight? A nightmare. You just never know. Do your best and roll with it, be prepared with an extra outfit in case of an explosion, and remember that to some degree kids will respond to how you handle it as well and you will be fine!

I'm not sure which part of Universal you are thinking of as it's 2 parks. When we went in 04 DS* was obsessed with Blue. I would have bought 2 extra tickets to go to that side to see Blue, had Blue been out. But no Blue. While Islands of Adventure is geared more to adults there are at least 3 great kid things.

1. the Nick soak zone and play area.
2. the entire Dr Suess area and
3. there is a talking fountain that is just a riot!

My kids were 4 and 5 and I'm not sure how it would be for a 1.5 year old but there are some kid things on that side. The other side is much more Nick Jr focused. If the kids would have been younger (or not as many adults, there were 20 of us with 7 kids lol) we'd have probably done the Nick Jr side.

The outfit is adorable! And good idea to break him in on wearing the shoes now...esp if he isn't much of a shoe wearer, I know my youngest wasn't at that age.

You will have a great trip!

Hi & welcome! Thanks for all of your info. We are going to Sacramento for a volleyball tourney this weekend and they have a Babies R Us close by, so I'm hoping to find the stroller cover there. That will be a nice thing to pick up before we go. My diaper bags are always heavy, and I didn't even think about tipping over a lighter stroller. I think we made the right choice to just stick w/ what we have.

I have never thought about autograph books for Dylan. I just figured he was too young. Maybe we will see how the first character interaction goes, and if it is longer than 15 seconds w/ out him getting scared, we might pick one up. As far as the plane goes, I think I am over-nervous, but someone else mentioned that there will be other kids on the plane too and that makes me feel better. I am always worried about inconveniencing others around us. I will definitely pack extra clothes and a little more food. A 9 hour flight w/ a 1 year old. You poor thing!

I think we are starting to rule out Universal. We went to IoA when it first opened & had a great time, but I think it is more about the big rides at those parks and we would have a hard time getting on them. I think we might try it when Dylan is a little older. Thanks for your input though. It is helping me feel like he will enjoy it more when he is in that 4-5 age range.

Glad everyone is having a good time! Can't wait for the update.

Thanks, we had a great visit. I am one of the few people I know that truly like their in-laws, so I feel very lucky to have them.

Does Dylan have wide feet? My little guy does so he HATES wearing tennis shoes for a long time. The Crocs fit him just perfect and he loves having room to breathe in them!

The top of his feet come up pretty high. I don't know if he just has baby rolls up there or what, but we have a hard time shoving his fee into shoes because they get stuck. We have gone for velco sandles & lace up tennis shoes so far, but these Crocs seem to fit him ok. I like that they can get soaking wet & it won't matter because they will dry quickly.

 

[DreaGirl]

My friend's daughter has really wide feet. The only shoes she can wear are from PediPed and SeeKaiRun. She buys them New off Ebay.

 

[DisneyMissy]

Yay for single digits!!!!
Can't wait for the update!

 

[DisneyMissy]

Oh I just remembered a question I had for you. Have you ever used an umbrella when bringing Dylan to Disney Land or anywhere else? I know you're planning on bringing one this time. I would much rather have an umbrella than a poncho, but I'm wondering how difficult it will be to hold an umbrella and push a stroller??

 

[tinkgurl]

Just thought of something to ask you! You're bringing/renting a stroller right? Are you going to tie anything to the back or something like that so you can find your stroller easier after getting off a ride/out of a show etc?

 

[Sunset Cliffs]

So the AK will be the second park of our trip. This will be our second full day and my parents will be flying in late tonight. We have picked this park because we know that Dylan loves animals and we want to have time to just let him watch them. Our plan is to do a few things for a long period of time the first day, then we will try to hit more of the rides for the “big kids” when we come back later in the trip. I have found a few photos from one of our last trips so I am including them below.

Things to do w/ Dylan :
Safari ride – we’ll probably try to do this first while it is early.
Pangani Forest trail – we’ll take a lot of time to do this. I think he is going to like the meercats and the gorillas the best, although right now he has been really into birds… not sure where that comes from! So overall, this should be a big hit with him.

Petting zoo – I thought I’ve read there is a petting zoo at Rafiki’s Planet Watch. The train ride is fun and he will probably want to hug every animal that he can touch (have I mentioned that our dogs don’t enjoy his hugs very much? He is an aggressive hugger. ).
Discovery Island trails around the Tree of Life – We have never done this before and we have never seen the tree up close. Looking forward to seeing that.
FOTLK & Nemo Musical – FOTLK is one of our favorites & we have never seen Nemo.

The Boneyard – Another playground for kids, only this time he will get to get dirty. One of his specialties. This looks like a good area for him to run off some steam.

For Todd & I we have done EE only 1 time so we are really looking forward to that. We also like Dinosaur, Primeval Whirl & Maharaja Jungle Trek (I LOVE the tigers). Todd’s favorite place to eat here is Flame Tree BBQ, so that is a must.

As you can see, our plans here are going to be very loose. Since it is such a big (& hot) park, we are going to try to pick an area and stay there until we are done. We usually make the mistake of criss-crossing all over the park and we wear ourselves out. We are really going to try to not do that this time. If Dylan gets tired, we will leave & let him take a nap & probably go swimming and then come back.

Next up…..Epcot.

 

[Sunset Cliffs]

My friend's daughter has really wide feet. The only shoes she can wear are from PediPed and SeeKaiRun. She buys them New off Ebay.

I am grateful that we don't have to buy special shoes for him. I don't think his feet are wide as much as they have this fatty area on the top of his foot. It doesn't work to shove his foot into a shoe most times. We have to get a lace up or velcro.

Oh I just remembered a question I had for you. Have you ever used an umbrella when bringing Dylan to Disney Land or anywhere else? I know you're planning on bringing one this time. I would much rather have an umbrella than a poncho, but I'm wondering how difficult it will be to hold an umbrella and push a stroller??

It is definitely not as easy, but I've become quite the Master at pushing the stroller w/ one hand. Hopefully it will not be too difficult because I don't want to break down & buy the ponchos.

Just thought of something to ask you! You're bringing/renting a stroller right? Are you going to tie anything to the back or something like that so you can find your stroller easier after getting off a ride/out of a show etc?

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.