"Let's See What We Can See!"- Surviving WDW With Three Under 3! - And now... A CRUISE?! Updated 4/19!

[cindianne320]

Enjoy your trip! I love POFQ and so sad they don't have 5 person rooms like Riverside.
I hope the weather bypasses Disney, and you have a fabulous time!

 

[Disney102015]

Thinking of you with the incoming weather - I hope it doesn’t affect your trip too much!!

 

[vamassey1]

I hope your trip is going well. I know the weather wasn't great at first, but hopefully it's better now.

Loved your walk around POFQ and PORS. I Iove both resorts but I think Riverside has my heart more. We've made so many memories there and being from Louisiana it feels like home. Thanks for sharing the photos.

 

[Mollydolly334]

We stayed in the mansions once and loved it. We were in the middle building right next to the building with the royal rooms. I would never stay in the other section. The mansions have a close walk to the main pool and the main building. The bus stop was right out the back of the building too so it wasn't a long walk at all. I never even realized how it was since we never ventured to the other section.

I hope you have a great time at Disney and that the storm is not that bad in Orlando. I have been following the thread here on the Dis about it. We leave next week for our cruise and I have been keeping an eye on the Bermuda area. We are only going to Bermuda. We may just miss all the rain we will get here from Helene though.

Thank you so much- we had an amazing trip and the weather didn't affect us at all!! Hope you have a wonderful cruise

I stayed there in the late 90s when I was in middle and high school, and I LOVED the giant mansions and the Riverside Mill lobby! I haven't been back since but this is making me really want to try it out sometime. I am curious which one we would love since I have memories of the PORS (It was "Dixie Landings") when I was there. I wish I had more photos! I know we did a Surrey bike of some sort with my cousins, that was a core memory!

I am crossing all my phalanges that you guys have good weather. Sometimes you have the best park days when the weather is bad!

Thank you!! We had such an amazing trip and I can't wait to share the photos

YAY!!!! I'm super not jealous....like at all...even a little bit!! (Do you believe me?)

This made me laugh because it's exactly what Rob says about walking with me!! I don't feel it, just suddenly I'm zooming, and he's half a block behind me. I can't help it!!

Have the most amazing trip--I know you will!!! Be safe, and I'll cross all my parts that the weather doesn't effect your stay in any major ways! Enjoy every magical moment.

Thank you so much!!!! We were so lucky with the weather and had a wonderful trip

I hope the storm stays away as well as the crowds! Have a wonderful trip!
We love POFQ. It is a definite favorite

Thank you!!! We had such a blast

Enjoy your trip! I love POFQ and so sad they don't have 5 person rooms like Riverside.
I hope the weather bypasses Disney, and you have a fabulous time!

Thank you!! We really lucked out with the weather and had a fantastic trip

Thinking of you with the incoming weather - I hope it doesn’t affect your trip too much!!

Thank you so much!! We were so lucky and had pretty good weather overall with no snafus

I hope your trip is going well. I know the weather wasn't great at first, but hopefully it's better now.

Loved your walk around POFQ and PORS. I Iove both resorts but I think Riverside has my heart more. We've made so many memories there and being from Louisiana it feels like home. Thanks for sharing the photos.

Thank you!! We really lucked out and weather didn't effect us too much at all, phew!

 

[Mollydolly334]

September 2024 Trip Recap


Hello friends!! I just returned on Sunday from a super magical 5-night trip to WDW. I didn’t take any detailed notes and took WAY less pictures than I usually do. I really wanted to just be in-the-moment and not worried about being in “reporting” mode! Plus, it was a quick trip with limited park time, so I wanted to soak up ALLLLL the things! I’ll give a general overview of the goods vs. not-so-goods of this trip, then just show a random assortment of more pics.

Highlights:

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party











Evie was Snow White, and the rest of us were the 7 Dwarves

This was an AMAZING special event. This was all of our first times here, so we really didn’t know what to expect. I’m happy to report that this surpassed ALL of our expectations!! We were so impressed by both the Boo to You Parade and the Hocus Pocus Villain Spectacular. We missed the fireworks this time, but did lots of treat trails, and were able to ride a ton of rides with minimal waits.



The twins got to experience their first roller coaster- 7DMT!



Poor Evie was a little shell-shocked.

We also did the Disney Jr. Dance Party! It was so nice to take everything in and enjoy the Halloween decorations, music, costumes, and overall ambience. This was 100% worth the price; my mom was especially impressed and said that she wants to come back next year! We are also brainstorming a possible visit in November/December 2025 to experience MVMCP.

1900 Park Fare









This was our favorite meal of the trip!! The food was delicious and the characters were top-notch!

Ethan especially loved all of the characters. Sweet boy!!!





Cosmic Rewind



Nana and her favorite ride

I’m so happy that this is in my “highlights” category!! We had a much more organized system this time, and we were all able to ride with no snafus or egregious waiting! In addition, I enjoyed the ride MUCH more; I was way less nervous because I knew what to expect. I wasn’t quite brave enough to look up the whole time, but I had so much fun screaming and laughing with my mom. We got “Conga,” and while I still like “September” a bit more, this was a super fun and upbeat song and perfect for this ride!

The Boneyard





The twins were looking forward to this playground at Animal Kingdom all trip, and it was such a nice reset and relaxation period during one of our marathon park days. We were able to escape the rain and play here for a good 45 minutes!

Pool Time







The parks were a little crazy at times, so we all LOVED doing pool time together this trip. The twins were way more relaxed, the pace wasn’t as frantic, and we all had such a fun time swimming and splashing! We got to enjoy the pools at AoA, AKL Jambo, and AKV Kidani!

Character Interactions



Similar to last trip, character interactions were our biggest priority and seemed to be the twins favorite part of the trip!! They were still a little more stoic on rides, but the characters brought out ALL of the smiles and giggles. We enjoyed character meals at Akershus, Tusker House, and 1900 Park Fare this trip!









Transportation

We really lucked out with transportation this trip. We never had to wait more than 5 minutes for a bus, boat, monorail, or Skyliner gondola this trip, which is INCREDIBLE.

Weather



Weather this trip was… a double edged sword (as you’ll see in my “lowlights”). We did experience some rain, but due to the rain, temps were soooo much cooler and more manageable. There was also a nice breeze most of the time! We all agreed that it felt way less hot, humid, and stifling than our May 2024 trip!



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[Mollydolly334]

Lowlights:

“Terrible 3s”



….Yeah. If I’m being completely honest, this trip felt more difficult in the areas of park touring with the kids. On one hand, the twins were SO much more animated and “into” all things Disney! But, with more independence and verbal skills comes… more opinions. We definitely dealt with more fussiness, tantrums, and refusals to ride in the stroller this go-around. Props to Haley and Ryan… they handled this with grace and never lost their cool! However, Jake and I had to escape a couple times to keep our sanity.

But, as always, Ethan was a gem. Does this kid EVER fuss???



Seasonal Snacks (And QS Food in General)

Unfortunately, my stomach and appetite are still continuing to give me trouble, so I didn’t really eat much. Food just wasn’t the forefront of my mind at all!

All of our TS meals were solid, but I was really disappointed with QS options. Park touring with the kids made it pretty difficult to stop and snack, so we didn’t get to try ANYTHING from Food and Wine. And, the Halloween snacks I did try (Grilled Masa Flatbread, Sinister Satay Burger, Ube Green Tea Slushy) were all HORRIBLE. Really appalling, especially for the quality I’m used to at Disney!

I will say, the Candy Corn Soft Serve at Auntie Gravity’s was DIVINE. Definitely my favorite thing I ate this trip!!



Hollywood Studios



Although we got some great pictures at this park, this continues to be all of our least favorite park, ESPECIALLY with kids. Despite being here for almost 4 hours, we were only able to get on two attractions due to crazy wait times and difficulty navigating crowds. Next time we come with the kids, I will be more than happy to skip this park!

Weather







Here’s the other edge of the sword. Hello, Hurricane Helene! We did experience some rain on this trip, with 3 separate instances of 1-2 hour absolute DOWNPOURS while in the parks. I’m going to preface this by saying we were SO lucky that this was all it was. We were truly blessed that Orlando didn’t get hit, our MNSSHP didn’t get cancelled (the party the night before ours did!), and we were safe and sound the entire time. We came very prepared with ponchos and sandals, and I felt like we handled the weather the absolute best we could!!


Here are some other random pictures from throughout the trip. Overall, it was another amazing trip in the books, and it’s always so wonderful to get some quality family time in.

To infinity… and beyond!





Nana and Ethan were best buddies this trip.



The bubble wands were a huge hit once again!



A cookie as big as your head is always a great idea.



A solo early morning at Animal Kingdom was just what we needed.





Silly Ollie at MNSSHP!



We were so excited to finally ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure!



Love my Mini-Me.



Jake and Ryan had some great bonding moments this trip. We joked that they made a cute couple!



Mickey Bars are the best!!



And that’s what we call a successful trip. Thanks for reading along, everyone!



​

 

[Paulaparm]

Your costumes for the party were perfect!
Evie’s face on Mine train is a riot
Ethan’s smile is infectious
Glad you had a good time.

 

[missjackiemcg]

Love the costumes! Y'all are pros and dealt with everything thrown at you to pack in the most fun in a short amount of time. SO glad the weather wasn't too much of a factor for you, too. I was so nervous for you!

 

[ambula603]

Oh, I have been so excited to hear from you! The twins are growing up and omg I could eat Ethan with a spoon! I was really worried when I saw that Thursday was canceled so I am thankful yours went well. I hate it for those people who didn't get to attend at all.

Sad the food wasn't the best, but I am going to try to find that ice cream treat!

You know we leave TOMORROW for our Orlando trip (multiple days at Universal, then Sea World and MNSSHP) and it is supposed to pour while we are there. No hurricane but still lots of rain and wind. I am obviously sad but keeping it all in perspective, a rainy day at a theme park may mean lower crowds and is still better than a rainy day at home! And with so many people that have lost everything, I know my worries are a little superficial. But it does stink when you only have one shot at some of the things!

If you have any specific tips on handling the rain, send them my way! We have raincoats and plastic ponchos but now I am thinking of wearing sandals instead of our tennis shoes. Won't be any cute photos this go-round!

 

[cindianne320]

I'm so glad everything turned out ok with your hurricane trip! The kids smiles are adorable, and overall it looks like everyone had a great time, despite all the challenges!

 

[vamassey1]

Welcome Back!

I'm amazed how much all 3 kiddos have grown up since the last trip. It does look like they had a great time. I do understand about the rough times too.

It's great that you got to enjoy your MNSSHP altogether. I went last year for the first time and really want to go back.

So many great photos!

 

[Woth2982]

Still so bummed I missed you all by a DAY! Oh well. Another trip is needed is all! Looks like you all had such a great time! I love your 7 Dwarfs costumes! Ethan just gets cuter each time you post his photo! What a little chunk! And those little teeth! Almost makes me want another baby

 

[Mollydolly334]

Your costumes for the party were perfect!
Evie’s face on Mine train is a riot
Ethan’s smile is infectious
Glad you had a good time.

Thank you so much!!! It went by so fast but it was great family time! LOL Evie is still scarred from that ride; I guess they took her on IASW right after, and she asked, "This one won't go fast and high, right???"

Love the costumes! Y'all are pros and dealt with everything thrown at you to pack in the most fun in a short amount of time. SO glad the weather wasn't too much of a factor for you, too. I was so nervous for you!

Ahhh thank you so much!! It could have been SO much worse and we were really so relieved. Still not fun with the stress before the trip though; I always hate that it sort of "ruins" the excitement!

Oh, I have been so excited to hear from you! The twins are growing up and omg I could eat Ethan with a spoon! I was really worried when I saw that Thursday was canceled so I am thankful yours went well. I hate it for those people who didn't get to attend at all.

Sad the food wasn't the best, but I am going to try to find that ice cream treat!

You know we leave TOMORROW for our Orlando trip (multiple days at Universal, then Sea World and MNSSHP) and it is supposed to pour while we are there. No hurricane but still lots of rain and wind. I am obviously sad but keeping it all in perspective, a rainy day at a theme park may mean lower crowds and is still better than a rainy day at home! And with so many people that have lost everything, I know my worries are a little superficial. But it does stink when you only have one shot at some of the things!

If you have any specific tips on handling the rain, send them my way! We have raincoats and plastic ponchos but now I am thinking of wearing sandals instead of our tennis shoes. Won't be any cute photos this go-round!

Ahhhhh Amber I have been sending ALL the prayers and good vibes your way! I hope you're enjoying your vacation so far and making core memories!

Luckily, you are in a VERY safe place if the hurricane does hit hard. All Disney resorts are designated as Category 5 storm shelters. But, it is TOTALLY ok to be worried and sad about your vacation. Do not let ANYONE tell you otherwise or try to make you feel guilty. I'm very passionate about this because we went through the exact same thing with Hurricane Irma in 2017 and it sucked!!! We heard from the whole peanut gallery on the DIS as well as from family and friends the entire time, and it was so unnecessarily stressful. As long as you don't do anything stupid (which I know you wont) and follow all rules/guidelines, you will be safe!!!

We lost 2 1/2 park days off of a 7-day trip and I was honestly crestfallen, but it ended up okay and we made the most of it. We spent lots of time at our resort (AKL) and watched football, snacked/drank (we needed ALLLL of the alcohol ) , and participated in all of the resort events they had going on (group games, character meets, dance parties, movies in the lobby). As crazy as this sounds, I actually look back on that trip as an overall positive memory.

Sorry to get all preachy but I just want to reassure you that everything will be ok. Sending ALL my love!!!!!

I'm so glad everything turned out ok with your hurricane trip! The kids smiles are adorable, and overall it looks like everyone had a great time, despite all the challenges!

Thanks Cindi!! It was one of our more chaotic trips, but we made such good family memories

Welcome Back!

I'm amazed how much all 3 kiddos have grown up since the last trip. It does look like they had a great time. I do understand about the rough times too.

It's great that you got to enjoy your MNSSHP altogether. I went last year for the first time and really want to go back.

So many great photos!

I KNOW! Jake and I were just looking at pictures from May vs September and we were floored. We see them so much, so I don't notice these differences in person. But in pictures you can totally tell that they've gotten taller and lost some baby chub!

We LOVED MNSSHP so much. We will definitely be back soon!!

Still so bummed I missed you all by a DAY! Oh well. Another trip is needed is all! Looks like you all had such a great time! I love your 7 Dwarfs costumes! Ethan just gets cuter each time you post his photo! What a little chunk! And those little teeth! Almost makes me want another baby

UGH YES I know we were by the pool at AKL our first full day and I was like "UGH I could be having a drink with Katie right now!"

Seriously... Jake and I are still undecided on kids, but if we could guarantee that they would come out just like Ethan, we'd have one in a HEARTBEAT! However, let's see if he continues his reputation as a toddler...

 

[Mollydolly334]

Day 7 (The One Where We Get An Intimate Knowledge of Dinoland, and Meet an Evil (Drag) Queen?)- Part 2


Mom and I finally entered Animal Kingdom at 11:30 AM! It felt great to have a leisurely morning enjoying the last of our stay at POFQ!







This felt SO late to me, since I was so used to rope-dropping this entire trip! But, this really marked a whole new change in touring pace for us. From this point on, we were much more relaxed and slow-paced in our touring due to the kids and extra people. I got a little bit of both styles this trip; heavy-hitting and commando right away, then calm and slow for the last portion.

The crowds at Animal Kingdom were NONEXISTENT today. We were so happy that we didn’t bother with Genie + this morning! Dinosaur was a walk-on, so Mom and I headed there first! This is one of Mom’s favorites; she loves fast-paced and chaotic rides, and this definitely fits the bill!

After we rode Dinosaur, I realized that I was getting thirsty (it was cloudy but soooo humid), and I had only one thing on the brain. Two words: FROZEN. MATCHA. You best believe that I was getting one ALLLLL to myself today after having major drink-envy a couple days ago with Jake. Mom was feeling like a beverage herself, so we headed over to Royal Anandapur Tea Company in Asia.



On the way over, we took a picture of the showtimes for Finding Nemo the Musical. We figured that we’d at least do one show today with the kids, and I was REALLY gunning for this one. Can you believe that I had never seen it before? I wanted to rite that ship today!



Mom ordered an iced tea, and I was finally reunited with my beloved. Frozen Matcha- secured!! It was just as creamy, sweet, and refreshing as I remembered.



I sent this picture to Jake, with the question, “You jelly?” He was like “UGH, YOU’RE TORTURING ME!!”

As a form of karma, I immediately spilled a huge green splash of matcha all down my dress as soon as I texted that to Jake. Lesson learned!! Luckily the lady at the counter was SUPER nice and gave me tons of wet wipes, and the stain came out almost immediately!

Side note- when Jake and I had our solo morning at AK last week, we beelined it over here for this drink and found out it had been DISCONTINUED. Jake literally almost started crying then and there. He lamented, “Why does Disney always get rid of things I love???" We were SO bummed!

R.I.P Frozen Matcha. You will be missed.

As we enjoyed our drinks, we decided to walk through the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail. We figured that this was something we could do quickly, since Haley and Ryan had texted us that they were heading out!



We also took a picture of showtimes for Festival of the Lion King, just in case!

I don’t remember too much from our walk through the trail- I think the gorillas were out this time, so I was happy to see them! Out of all of the animals, I only managed to get a picture of the ducks. So, it must not have been super exciting over there!



Haley and Ryan texted us at 12:40, stating that they were entering the park. So, we met them over by the Tree of Life!



This cutie was quite the fashionista today! She looks like a literal INFANT to me in this picture. It’s crazy to see how much they’ve grown in just 5 short months!

Cici, Chief, and Kahla were on the way; they had decided to take the car over to CBR to park, drop off their luggage, and get all checked in! Plus, Thomas and Mel were arriving from Chicago late tonight (unbeknownst to Haley and Ryan), so they also wanted to get the Marriott villa all set up and ready for them.

Had to grab some PhotoPass shots!









We decided to meander about Dinoland. I loved strolling with my favorite twins.



Pretty soon, Cici, Chief, and Kahla arrived, and we were ready to get this show on the road! Everyone got alcoholic beverages; the favorite of the day was definitely the “Rotten Apple,” which was Angry Orchard hard cider with a float of Fireball and gummy worm garnish.



This was at multiple stands around the park, and we made lots of trips for refills throughout the day! I didn’t partake, but I heard that it was delish. Ryan and Jake also drank a couple of these during our AK day last week as well!

We saw that Donald and Daisy were meeting in their dino costumes, so we hopped in line to see them! In line, Ollie and Evie started talking to this ADORABLE sister duo. These little ladies were about 4 and 6 and were super friendly and outgoing with the twins. This really sparked a whole new interest in other children; it was SO cute. From this moment on, the twins tried to talk to and engage with any kid they could see!





They even held hands, it was absolutely precious!!



These girlies were so sweet and happy to chat! It definitely helped pass the time in line.

Pretty soon, it was our turn!





Donald and Daisy were so fun!! The twins definitely preferred the face characters to the fur characters, but still loved giving them big hugs and stroking their feathers!





Then, while Ryan’s parents headed off in search of some food, the rest of us decided to take the twins on Triceratop Spin! Nana watched sleepy Ethan in the stroller.

I took some cute shots of Oliver in line. Poor guy looks TOASTY!





Ryan and Kahla rode with Evie, and Haley and I rode with Ollie!



It was just about 2:00 PM when we disembarked, and I figured that this would be a perfect time to catch the 2:30 PM showing of Finding Nemo the Musical! Everybody was kind of moving slowly, but I pretty much forced everyone into this show. It was getting later in the day, and I felt like we hadn’t really done anything! I was hoping that we could regroup with some time in the shade.


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[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

always think it’s weird that the guac here comes with pork rinds instead of tortilla chips, but it actually was a really good combination!

They used to give pork rinds at the margarita booth outside. And I LOVED them. I was so sad when they switched to regular tortilla chips...

I’m a huge snacker, but I really like having at least one TS meal a day to slow down and take a breather!

We have found that one TS a day helps us recharge. For sure! We did a non- TS trip a long time ago and we got so crabby because we wouldn't stop to eat.

ve distress either, which is sometimes a problem with Mexican restaurants. This meal improved my mood immensely!

Glad it helped your mood!

Overall, my opinion on Luminous was “meh.” I think I’m in the minority when I say that I preferred Harmonious to Epcot Forever AND Illuminations.

I haven't loved any of the EPCOT shows. They are or were all fine. But that's ok. But I agree Luminous was meg. It's fine.

uted to this. So, needless to say, I kind of have beef with that ride.

I understood that I was projecting my anger a bit; it was nobody’s “fault.” I also really didn’t want to make Mom feel guilty either; it was her trip as much as it was everyone else’s, and she deserves to have fun along with everyone else!

Sometimes you just got to get it out. And once you say it out loud you feel better.

We were really sad that it was our last night at POFQ; we did NOT want to leave!! This resort had charmed us so much and was quickly becoming a favorite. You cannot beat the peacefulness and price!

We love POFQ! It is so peaceful! The only downfall is that it is bus city when staying here.

We were asleep by 11:30 PM. There was a rocky bit in the middle there; but, to be fair, there's always some drama on every family trip.

I always say, every trip has one bad day or bad moment. It's inevitable. And I alwasy like to share it because it's not fair to say that it is alwasy all rainbows and sunshine in Disney.

Us going into this week be like…

Ha! Well, counds like you were there during the "better" hurricane. Sounds like Disney is going to get hit with Milton!

We snagged some rocking chairs right outside the lobby, sipped on our hot chocolates, and watched the storm.

What an amazing moment for you and your mom. I swear some of the best moments can never be planned!

The twins got to experience their first roller coaster- 7DMT!



Poor Evie was a little shell-shocked.

Her face! Poor girl. What did she say after?

I LOVE that these characters are using friends that are actually approriate. I have seen some that I wanted to scream at them being not the right ethnicity.

Cosmic Rewind

Your Favorite... glad to hear it went better this time.

“Terrible 3s”

Oh Terrible 3s!!! 3 was def the worst for Morgan and Gwen!

However, Jake and I had to escape a couple times to keep our sanity.

The joy of being the aunt and uncle!

Although we got some great pictures at this park, this continues to be all of our least favorite park, ESPECIALLY with kids. Despite being here for almost 4 hours, we were only able to get on two attractions due to crazy wait times and difficulty navigating crowds. Next time we come with the kids, I will be more than happy to skip this park!

The business of HS has made it my least favorite park. It's a love hate relationship for sure. AND it def still needs more things for little kids. More things for everyone.

To infinity… and beyond!

Love it!

As a form of karma, I immediately spilled a huge green splash of matcha all down my dress as soon as I texted that to Jake. Lesson learned!! Luckily the lady at the counter was SUPER nice and gave me tons of wet wipes, and the stain came out almost immediately!

Oh No!!! I was LITERALLY thinking that I loved the dress but would totally spill on myself wearing that. And then ....

It was just about 2:00 PM when we disembarked, and I figured that this would be a perfect time to catch the 2:30 PM showing of Finding Nemo the Musical! Everybody was kind of moving slowly, but I pretty much forced everyone into this show.

Taking charge! I like it! You know with a group like that, sometimes someone needs to!

 

[missjackiemcg]

Aww, bummer about your favorite drink being discontinued....especially for poor Jake who didn't get a last hurrah!

I'm hoping you got everyone shuttled over to the Nemo show in time!! It's one we have only seen ONCE, too!! I think the times have just always been "off" with the rest of my park day plan. The only time we did manage to see it, CMs were waving people into line as we were walking by and I dragged my family (complaining the whole way!) in, too!

 

[piglet1979]

Thank you so much- we had an amazing trip and the weather didn't affect us at all!! Hope you have a wonderful cruise

I am glad you had a great trip and the hurricane didn't interfere too much. The cruise was ok. I think we were getting some high seas from Hurricane Kirk and maybe a lot of wind. But no rain. It was really rocky for most of the trip. I get sea sick so this trip I was trying the patch to see if that would help. It did for the first 3 days and then all the side effects showed up and they were a bit too much. I spent the last day and a half in the room sitting on the bed. It was still go as we had a balcony and keep the door open and got to see a wonderful sunset on our last day. It was a Sunday so we just watched football, I finished the book I was started on the first day and got room service. SO it was still a good trip but confirmed that I need to stick on land and not on water.

Can you believe that I had never seen it before?

We always seem to miss Nemo on our trip so when we went in 2023 it was a top priority. I finally got to see it. So you are not alone.

 

[Mollydolly334]

We love POFQ! It is so peaceful! The only downfall is that it is bus city when staying here.

YES! We loved it as well! And honestly, since it's only one bus stop, I don't really mind all that much. We felt the same way about AKL this trip; the bus service was wonderful and we never waited more than 5 minutes for a bus! It's the resorts with internal bus stops that really grind my gears.

I always say, every trip has one bad day or bad moment. It's inevitable. And I alwasy like to share it because it's not fair to say that it is alwasy all rainbows and sunshine in Disney.

I appreciate you always sharing those moments as well! It sucks in the moment, but vacation can actually be a high-stress time since you're out of your normal routine!

Ha! Well, counds like you were there during the "better" hurricane. Sounds like Disney is going to get hit with Milton!

I KNOW!! I feel so bad for those that had planned to travel during that time. And I also feel horrible for those who live in its pathway!! It was giving me PTSD flashbacks to being at WDW during Irma

Her face! Poor girl. What did she say after?

HAHA! She said she liked it... but then, my mom took her on IASW right after, and she asked, "This won't go fast or high, right?" Meanwhile, Mr. Daredevil Oliver LOVED it and asked to go again as soon as they got off!

Oh Terrible 3s!!! 3 was def the worst for Morgan and Gwen!

The joy of being the aunt and uncle!

Yes, this trip definitely required an adjustment in expectations!! Don't get me wrong, we LOVE our niece and nephews dearly and adore spending time with them, and this age is so fun. But, Jake and I also considered this trip as a good form of birth control.

Aww, bummer about your favorite drink being discontinued....especially for poor Jake who didn't get a last hurrah!

I'm hoping you got everyone shuttled over to the Nemo show in time!! It's one we have only seen ONCE, too!! I think the times have just always been "off" with the rest of my park day plan. The only time we did manage to see it, CMs were waving people into line as we were walking by and I dragged my family (complaining the whole way!) in, too!

I know!!! We were so bummed, and Jake is very picky about his matcha, so it's hard to find a drink that he really likes! Maybe they'll bring it back next spring??

We always hesitate to stop and watch a show too... we're just so into the "RIDES RIDES RIDES" mentality. But, I always end up loving the shows!! It's definitely something we also need to *force* ourselves to do

I am glad you had a great trip and the hurricane didn't interfere too much. The cruise was ok. I think we were getting some high seas from Hurricane Kirk and maybe a lot of wind. But no rain. It was really rocky for most of the trip. I get sea sick so this trip I was trying the patch to see if that would help. It did for the first 3 days and then all the side effects showed up and they were a bit too much. I spent the last day and a half in the room sitting on the bed. It was still go as we had a balcony and keep the door open and got to see a wonderful sunset on our last day. It was a Sunday so we just watched football, I finished the book I was started on the first day and got room service. SO it was still a good trip but confirmed that I need to stick on land and not on water.

We always seem to miss Nemo on our trip so when we went in 2023 it was a top priority. I finally got to see it. So you are not alone.

Oh no!!!! This is my #1 fear about cruising and why I've been so hesitant to try one. I know that I at least need to try to know if I don't like it... but spending a vacation being nauseous and dizzy in the room sounds like a NIGHTMARE to me! Jake and I still have a Mediterranean and/or Alaska cruise "on deck" for future vacations, since these types of cruises seem to be less prone to rough waves. Luckily it sounds like you took it in stride- props to you!!

 

[Mollydolly334]

Day 7 (The One Where We Get An Intimate Knowledge of Dinoland, and Meet an Evil (Drag) Queen?)- Part 3


Where I last left off, everyone was making our way towards the 2:30 PM show of Finding Nemo the Musical. None of us had never seen this show before, and I am always pumped to try something new at WDW!

I was getting pretty hungry, so I grabbed some Buffalo Chicken Chips from Trilo-Bites for a little snack to eat in the theater. I remember trying these back in 2018 and not liking them, which is weird because I love anything with buffalo sauce. I must have gotten a bad batch back then, because these were great this year. Perfectly salty, crunchy, and a bit spicy- they hit the spot!



I also bought some popcorn for the rest of the fam to munch on. Ethan had woken up a little bit ago, and was ready for the show!!



SWEET BOY!



OMG. I can’t believe that I had never seen this show before. HOLY COW it was sooooo good!! I’m a huge sucker for live theater, and I ate this up!! I loved all of the choreography and puppet work, the songs were super catchy, and the singers were SO talented! It felt like a Broadway-level production! My favorite song was definitely “Go With The Flow”- it was stuck in my head all day long. The twins and everyone else liked this too, but I think it was safe to say that I was the most impressed. I literally couldn’t stop talking about it! I really wish that we got to see it again in September- I know that Jake would have really enjoyed it!



After the show it was… back to Dinoland. Haley really wanted the kids to check out The Boneyard playground!

As expected, they LOVED it. Couldn’t get enough of the Dig Site and all of the beans to play in! Ollie still talks about this all the time; on their birthday back in June, Haley asked them what they wanted to do to celebrate, and immediately, Ollie replied, “Go to dino playground!”



Hello up there!!



Auntie Kahla joining in on the fun!

Since we spent so much time in Dinoland today, I got super familiar with the music loop!! Now, Shining Star by Jump5 and Walk the Dinosaur by Was (Not Was) will always remind me of Animal Kingdom and our fun day.

While we were in The Boneyard, I got a room-ready text for our room at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort!



I immediately breathed a huge sigh of relief. 1st floor Aruba- just what we requested! I was so happy that we weren’t placed in the Trinidad section; Mom and I stayed in this section back in 2015, and we hated how far it was from everything and how isolated it seemed! We also found out that Haley/Ryan/the kids, Cici/Kahla, and Me/Nana were all directly next to each other 3 rooms in a row, which was super convenient!!

We stayed in the area for a good amount of time; about 45 minutes! There may have been a tantrum or two when it was time to leave this area.

By this time, it was about 3:45 PM. Since we had a dinner reservation at Storybook Dining at Artist Point for 5:45 PM, we figured that we needed to be out of the park by 5:00ish. So, really, at the pace we were going at, we only had time for one more attraction. We decided that Kilimanjaro Safaris would be our final ride of the day!

First order of business, however, was a tasty treat! The kids needed to try their first Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar!!



Mickey Bars all around! I went against the grain and got a Mickey Ice Cream Sandwich instead.



Um…. I think they enjoyed it…









Nothing better than eating delicious ice cream while in a Disney park! The kids LOVE chocolate, so we knew that they would be totally into this. Of course, they were absolutely FILTHY afterward, but hey that’s part of the fun right?

While we enjoyed our ice cream, we watched some super entertaining street performers!! This is another thing that both Jake and I loved about Animal Kingdom the other day; even if you’re just wandering around, there is so much entertainment to see and watch!

Finally, we were off to Kilimanjaro Safaris! We were a bit pressed for time; I didn’t want to be late to our ADR over at Wilderness Lodge! Luckily, the line was only posted at 10 minutes, and we basically walked right on.



I’m just out of frame on the left of this picture; I got to hold Ethan in my lap during the ride You can see his little blue hat!

I took absolutely ZERO pictures of the Safari, because, well, I was just soaking in ALL of the Disney magic. Evie absolutely CAME ALIVE on this ride! She excitedly pointed out and labeled all of the animals, and every time she saw a new animal, she would shout, “LOOK! I SEE SOMETHING!” This was also where “Let’s see what we can see” was officially born!

It was SO cool to see her excitement and just live vicariously through her. I’ve never been a huge fan of this ride in general, but this made it SO much better to me, LOL! It was so precious; everyone else on the ride was laughing along with us and sharing in her excitement.

I’m not going to lie, after we got off the ride, I was feeling guilty. Evie absolutely adored this ride and was the chattiest she had been all day… and I just wished that we had done more rides. What made me even sadder was that it wasn’t due to crowds; quite the opposite, it was absolutely dead all day and a lot of the rides were walk-ons! It’s just a given when traveling in a large group… everyone wants to do different things and touring just naturally becomes a lot slower.

This is what I struggle with as the life of the planner- you take it personally when the day doesn’t turn out exactly like you planned. However, I tried to remember the one important thing; the kids still had an absolute BLAST even though we “missed” some stuff. They got to see a new show, have tasty Mickey Bars, meet some characters, see some animals on the safari, and play in an awesome playground!!!

I really had to let go of the notion of what I thought we were “supposed” to do and just focus on what we could do. I vowed that from this moment on, I would be like Crush and be more “go with the flow” and just let things happen. And, I’m proud to say, this was the last day that I felt any disappointment with the pace of the trip!

I couldn’t dwell on the disappointment for too long; as soon as we started walking towards the park exit, it started absolutely downpouring! RUNNN!!!



It had been cloudy and muggy all day, so we knew that this would happen at some point!! It was so funny; we all congregated under some shelter at Tusker House to grab some ponchos and put on the stroller cover, but as soon as we all got situated and started walking again, it immediately stopped raining.

We had good timing and caught a bus to Wilderness Lodge by 5:30. This little girl was absolutely POOPED!



Nana in her prime. Oliver also managed to get a quick catnap on the bus, which was good because we had big plans for tonight!

We were entering Wilderness Lodge by 5:50 PM (only 5 minutes after our ADR time- a huge win in my opinion, LOL)!





Immediately, upon walking into this lobby, SO many memories flooded over me. We stayed here for the first time in July 2023 on my Disney Bachelorette Party (Mom, Haley and I stayed at WL for 2 nights, then the rest of the group arrived and we stayed over at BCV for the remaining 4 nights). We had decided to splurge for the special occasion and book a standard Club Level room; we were SO excited for this since we had never done CL at WDW before. Imagine our shock when we got a surprise upgrade to the YOSEMITE SUITE!



(I felt like I had to add some pictures of this amazing room).

Needless to say, this resort brings back ALL the good memories and vibes. It was a resort stay that I’ll truly never forget, and I want to stay here again sometime VERY soon! I love WL!

We headed straight to Artist Point to check in, but they were running a little bit behind and said that there would be a wait. The crew decided to grab a drink at Territory Lounge to pass the time! Kahla and I looked in the gift shop for a bit, then I headed to Roaring Fork to snag a different kind of drink. I was fading fast and NEEDED some coffee!



I ordered a “Gold Rush Latte”, which was basically just an iced caramel latte. I remember ordering this in July and really liking it, and it definitely perked me up! I also took a picture of the Magic Cookie Bars, but sadly, did not order one this time.



I returned to Territory Lounge to check on the group and chill for a bit. Mom was sipping on a S’mores Old Fashioned and was really enjoying it!



We were called into Artist Point at 6:15 PM. About 25 minutes behind, but it honestly wasn’t a huge deal. Territory Lounge was a really nice place to hang out and decompress!





That being said, we were super excited to dine at Artist Point. This was one of my most highly anticipated ADRs of the trip!





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[BellaBaby]

Loving your TR (and the update for your most recent trip)! We also saw the NEMO show for the first time in years during our June trip and loved it!! Will definitely try to see it again. It is so well done!
The Yosemite suite is beautiful! What a wonderful upgrade!
I know how you feel since I am also the planner of all our trips. But it sounds like a great day, even though it turned out somewhat different! Take the win!!
Looking forward to hearing more!