Let's Watch the Hallucination Show on the Castle- A May '14 TR *12/3 PTR Link to Real Life News

[Gracefulskinny]

You mean that life as a Mommy to a toddler keeps you on your feet all the time?!? I think you forgot one of the tasks that a mommy does during baby play time.... Preventing said baby from finding new ways to kill themselves. Or maybe thats just my kid!


Taking note of the Stroller parking for that area. Thanks!00

 

[Dugette]

Welcome back! I know how that is trying to keep up on comments and have time to write your own updates. I actually read a number of updates on the bus today, but commenting from my phone on a bumpy ride is just never ideal, so I’m coming back to try to follow up on all of them, if I don’t fall asleep first…

Oooh, I really want to hear about your recent trip! I seldom see anything about Sea World, so that will be different. And that is awesome that you did the Christmas party and it went so well! I’m super excited to hear the details!

Nice double-DIS-meet! I think I may be the only person on the DIS who hasn’t read any MEK reports (oops! ) But I keep seeing her pop up in DIS meets.

You and I have similar taste in dark rides, I think.

Any day that begins with a ride on Pirates is a win for me.

Totally agree with this! For a long time, I’d get off the bus in the morning and get into our skyway system (walkways connecting the buildings downtown) in this hotel that, for some reason, always made me feel like I was walking into Pirates. Something about the atmosphere (unfortunately, they remodeled and it doesn’t have that vibe anymore). Every morning, I would think how nice it would be to jump on Pirates to start the day. I even brainstormed that Disney should just open individual rides around the country and sell annual passes to them – I’d be all over that! I know, big tangent.

Ha, I love that Landon enjoyed it so much! Izzy liked it too, but in a quieter way. Not scared, just fascinated. She did hold my hand really tight on the drop, but was fine. Has he learned to sing Yo Ho yet? That was one of the highlights of my August trip – that Izzy started picking it up while in line. Too cute.

Yep, that mommy-during-playtime looks familiar.

I too am excited about the new Peter Pan queue, but don’t want to have to wait in a long line. I’m thinking I’ll try to hit standby either really early or really late next trip to see it.

Uh oh…a major mommy mistake?!

 

[MEK]

er:

Nice double-DIS-meet! I think I may be the only person on the DIS who hasn’t read any MEK reports (oops! ) But I keep seeing her pop up in DIS meets.

So what our you waiting for?

Imagine my surprise when I saw my picture in your TR this morning. Actually - I did remember that you were up to our meet, but I wasn't going to spoiler alert in my last comment.

That was a very fun meet. I'm glad we made it work and I'm glad you got to meet Cynthia. Watching Landon was a hoot. He was seriously everywhere. Boy do I remember those days. I don't think I would have been able to chase my kids around when they were that age.

I love that picture of the castle that you posted. Really pretty!

How fun that you and your mom got to do a quick trip to Disney for Seaward and MVMCP. It sounds so fun. I have always wanted to see Seaworld at Christmas. It looks really cool.

So I will be in Cape Canaveral 2/24-2/26. Just saying!

 

[amazingact21]

I do the same as you and read updates but then don't get around to posting. Yep, I do it all the time.

Yay for meeting up with Mary Ellen and Cynthia! I love Dis Meets!

I normally try to write updates, but with Alex deployed I gotta make do with what I can! I usually post after 3 or 4 updates, just to let them know I'm still there.

DISmeets are great; I've actually become used to them happening throughout a trip.

YAY, so glad you're going to do a mini report. It'll be nice to see Seaworld and so cool you fit in a MVMCP!!!

And another YAY for your DISmeet with Mary Ellen!!!! Double DISmeet in fact so super YAY!

I'm actually quite looking forward to seeing the new PP queue as well. Do you know if FP bypasses it?

I think May heat is similar to September heat, so I totally understand. It really takes a lot out of you.

I do think the FP line bypasses it. I wanted to go on it during the party last week, but that wait was 40 minutes, and I couldn't waste precious Disney time standing in line.


May does have similar heat to September. I went the last few days of September, and while it was slightly cooler, it was still too hot to be out all day.

ooh, glad to hear you decided to fit in a Christmas Party and that Landon enjoyed it so much. And I think "This is so magical I could cry!" would make for a good t-shirt

and yeah for a great DISMeet!

While you only did two rides, they are both classics - definitely excited to see the new PP queue as well.

uh oh, not liking that foreshadowing though

Hahaha, it would make a good shirt! Hmmm....

I agree about the classic rides. And I have discovered with a young kid, two rides is actually a lot. One thing I appreciate now that Landon's getting older is the fact that we can go on more attractions without him needing to sleep or eat or becoming overwhelmed.

You mean that life as a Mommy to a toddler keeps you on your feet all the time?!? I think you forgot one of the tasks that a mommy does during baby play time.... Preventing said baby from finding new ways to kill themselves. Or maybe thats just my kid!


Taking note of the Stroller parking for that area. Thanks!00

Toddlers definitely keep you on your toes! I gained a new perspective on life when Landon started walking.
"Oh, an elevator...cool. No, not cool, anymore...That would be the gap between the doors and the lift that your kid's trying to shove his fingers in. And speaking of doors, that's what your son is about to walk into. Oh, and the emergency button, better grab his hand before he gets to that."



If you need any help with the stroller parking, I'm a pro at all the locations.

 

[amazingact21]

Welcome back! I know how that is trying to keep up on comments and have time to write your own updates. I actually read a number of updates on the bus today, but commenting from my phone on a bumpy ride is just never ideal, so I’m coming back to try to follow up on all of them, if I don’t fall asleep first…

Oooh, I really want to hear about your recent trip! I seldom see anything about Sea World, so that will be different. And that is awesome that you did the Christmas party and it went so well! I’m super excited to hear the details!

Nice double-DIS-meet! I think I may be the only person on the DIS who hasn’t read any MEK reports (oops! ) But I keep seeing her pop up in DIS meets.

You and I have similar taste in dark rides, I think.



Totally agree with this! For a long time, I’d get off the bus in the morning and get into our skyway system (walkways connecting the buildings downtown) in this hotel that, for some reason, always made me feel like I was walking into Pirates. Something about the atmosphere (unfortunately, they remodeled and it doesn’t have that vibe anymore). Every morning, I would think how nice it would be to jump on Pirates to start the day. I even brainstormed that Disney should just open individual rides around the country and sell annual passes to them – I’d be all over that! I know, big tangent.

Ha, I love that Landon enjoyed it so much! Izzy liked it too, but in a quieter way. Not scared, just fascinated. She did hold my hand really tight on the drop, but was fine. Has he learned to sing Yo Ho yet? That was one of the highlights of my August trip – that Izzy started picking it up while in line. Too cute.

Yep, that mommy-during-playtime looks familiar.

I too am excited about the new Peter Pan queue, but don’t want to have to wait in a long line. I’m thinking I’ll try to hit standby either really early or really late next trip to see it.

Uh oh…a major mommy mistake?!

I like to think everyone on the DIS is understanding and knows that sometimes people just don't have enough hours in the day to write replies. I actually thought I would get more updates written while Alex was gone, because at night after Landon would go to be I wouldn't have anything else to do. But as it turns out I'm so exhausted by 8pm that I don't have the energy to turn my computer on.


Seaworld was an interesting experience, and I'm glad that I got to do it.


Mary Ellen has been on the boards for a long while, and she writes great reports with some gorgeous photographs, so a lot of people do know her. She's incredibly friendly, and if you ever want to see different parts of Florida, definitely check her reports out.


That skyway sounds like it would have been a great thing to go through on your way to work. Like, a little bit of Disney-like cheer before you start your workday.



Speaking of your trip, when in May are you going? Alex and I like to throw around tentative trips when we talk, and we're considering May. Because, you know, 3 trips during that month wasn't enough.

So what our you waiting for?

Imagine my surprise when I saw my picture in your TR this morning. Actually - I did remember that you were up to our meet, but I wasn't going to spoiler alert in my last comment.

That was a very fun meet. I'm glad we made it work and I'm glad you got to meet Cynthia. Watching Landon was a hoot. He was seriously everywhere. Boy do I remember those days. I don't think I would have been able to chase my kids around when they were that age.

I love that picture of the castle that you posted. Really pretty!

How fun that you and your mom got to do a quick trip to Disney for Seaward and MVMCP. It sounds so fun. I have always wanted to see Seaworld at Christmas. It looks really cool.

So I will be in Cape Canaveral 2/24-2/26. Just saying!

I'm really happy it worked out and we were able to meet.
Landon is always go-go-go. My poor mother...I kept warning her before our August trip that Landon was a lot of work, but I think she was still surprised by how exhausted her grandkid made her. She tells anybody and everybody..."there's a reason I can't have kids at this age!"


Our quick trip was really fun, and I think what made it even more so was the fact that we decided to do the Christmas party at 4pm that evening. Very spur of the moment.



Well, your Cape Canaveral dates fall in our tentative trip dates, so that's exciting! So long as Alex gets home when he is scheduled to (nobody relies on being home on time.) then we are trying to go on our family cruise either the 20th or 27th. Either way, we'd be in CC afterwards or right before we get on/off the ship. I'll have to let you know once Alex is actually back home and we're able to make definite reservations.

 

[Dugette]

Speaking of your trip, when in May are you going? Alex and I like to throw around tentative trips when we talk, and we're considering May. Because, you know, 3 trips during that month wasn't enough.

As of now, the plan is to fly down on 5/14, stay at the Boardwalk until our cruise on 5/18, return from the cruise on 5/22, and stay at BW/BCV until leaving on 5/26. We don't have flights yet, though, so not set in stone. That would be awesome if you guys were there too!

 

[Marsheliz]

My favs! Pirates and PPF! It's not a day at the MK without them IMO!

I know what you mean about that heat. You know what happened to me in June. YUCK

Can't wait to hear about the mini vacay!

 

[amazingact21]

As of now, the plan is to fly down on 5/14, stay at the Boardwalk until our cruise on 5/18, return from the cruise on 5/22, and stay at BW/BCV until leaving on 5/26. We don't have flights yet, though, so not set in stone. That would be awesome if you guys were there too!

Wow, sounds like a great trip! Are you doing a Disney cruise?
Unfortunately, I think if Alex and I did go in May, it would be earlier in the month. But who knows, we could always overlap at the beginning by a day or so.

My favs! Pirates and PPF! It's not a day at the MK without them IMO!

I know what you mean about that heat. You know what happened to me in June. YUCK

Can't wait to hear about the mini vacay!

Aren't those great attractions? I don't think of the MK without thinking of them.

Yeah, we wanted to avoid all issues with heat as much as possible. It didn't happen, but that's how it goes.



Our mini trip was such a nice surprise; I'm really grateful we got to do it. And what about you? How was the beach with your boys?

 

[MEK]

Well, your Cape Canaveral dates fall in our tentative trip dates, so that's exciting! So long as Alex gets home when he is scheduled to (nobody relies on being home on time.) then we are trying to go on our family cruise either the 20th or 27th. Either way, we'd be in CC afterwards or right before we get on/off the ship. I'll have to let you know once Alex is actually back home and we're able to make definite reservations.

I just noticed the cruise in your ticker! I certainly hope we will overlap. That would be GREAT! We are going to be staying at Ron Jon's again (now the Holiday Inn Vacation Club or whatever its called). I loved it there. It was great being able to walk to their beach and watch the cruise ships go out. I did not see any other properties in that area that had such a wonderful vantage point.

 

[amazingact21]

I just noticed the cruise in your ticker! I certainly hope we will overlap. That would be GREAT! We are going to be staying at Ron Jon's again (now the Holiday Inn Vacation Club or whatever its called). I loved it there. It was great being able to walk to their beach and watch the cruise ships go out. I did not see any other properties in that area that had such a wonderful vantage point.

Yeah, a lot of the places near there are actual homes and/or timeshares. My in-laws had been looking for a townhome in Cape Canaveral for a year before the one they have became available. As it is, they had to snatch it up quick before anyone else made a better offer. I don't mind that they did, though, because I love their location. And your hotel is even closer to the ports, so I can only imagine how cool it was seeing the ships leave that close. I thought I was near them, but I was probably three miles south of where you watched them. Even there, though, it's a cool sight to see.

 

[amazingact21]

A little over a week ago, my mom and I set out on a short vacation to Central Florida with Landon. The goal was to spend a few days with my in-laws at their house in Cape Canaveral, and that was exactly where we were headed.


With an itty bitty two night detour in Orlando.



The month prior, my mom had scored a great deal on a Seaworld ticket. As a retired military spouse, she got an admission ticket for 48 dollars, and as an active duty military spouse, I got a free one. It was simply too good an opportunity to pass up. 48 dollars to get into a theme park? That was just about the same price as it cost the two of us to get into our local animal centers.


But the caveat was we couldn't do Disney.

We couldn't.


Absolutely not.


My pass had expired the first of December; my mom didn't have any tickets.

We'd gone in August.

It wouldn't be fair to poor Alex to go again.

So.

No Disney.



Except a Disney resort.




My mom and I figured that would be a good compromise. We wouldn't go into the parks, but we'd at least get some of that Disney atmosphere by staying on property for a few nights.

So, in the wee hours of the morning, on the 11th of December, my mom and I loaded Landon into his car seat and took off for Walt Disney World. We got to Pop Century at around 2:30 p.m., which was a little later than we expected but no big deal.


Check in was a breeze. The girl checking us in actually graduated from Florida State, the same college I went to, so we hit it off immediately. She told me she majored in hospitality, and we briefly discussed a few other things, like this not being Landon's first trip, and Alex being on the path to hotel management, as well.

She was every bit what a Disney Cast Member should be, and she made sure some bed rails were on our way to our room.



Our room was in the 50's building, and despite it being a standard, it was a great location. And amusingly enough, it was the last building in that section I had yet to stay in. On our honeymoon, Alex I stayed in Tramp's building. In December, my group was in Lady's, and on this trip, we were in the jukebox.

Kind of amusing.


This trip also marked Pop Century as being the resort I've stayed at the most.


Because it was such a short trip, my mom and I had our bags unloaded and set up in our room in no time.

We had to sit around for awhile and wait for the bedrails to arrive, and while we did my mom and I had a hard conversation.


"This is hard, Alicia."
"I know. We could be in Epcot in thirty minutes."


"How much is a one day hopper again?"
"Too much."


"You're right."
"It'd make more monetary sense to get the military hoppers."


"Too bad we can't get those."
"We could get them at Shades of Green."


"Oh really?"
"Let me look and see when they close...oh look, they're open til 7. We'd have time to get there."


My mom grabbed a nearby notepad and started doing to some math.
"We could make it work."


At that point I seriously thought about it.

Going to a Disney park that night.
That's a hard thing to pass up.


But in the end, I made a valid observation. "In order to do that, we'd have to put Landon back in his carseat, drive all the way over to Shades, get him out, go buy the tickets, put him back in the car, drive over to Epcot, hop on a tram, and then activate the tickets...All before we can even get in the parks."

I am pretty sure Landon was the deciding factor that kept us from buying those tickets. He had been kept in a car for 7 hours already, and the last thing he would want to do would get put back in. It wouldn't have been fair to him to coop him up after doing that to him all day.


So, my mom and I stayed strong and stuck to our plan.

Go us.




As I mentioned, Landon needed to burn off some of his endless toddler energy, so my mom and I set out towards Art of Animation to run around and explore.







Are you coming, Mom?



Just a disclaimer, all my photos were taken on my phone. I didn't want to lug around a camera, and I was trying to be more attentive to what was going on around me. And I have to admit, not hiding behind a lens the whole time had its appeal. I felt like I got a lot more accomplished.


The first place we took Landon was the Little Nemo playground. Toddlers and play areas - always a big hit.


Landon watched some older kids going down a tunnel slide for a long time, then my mom came around and we set up shop on each end of a big slide so that Landon could go down it multiple times.

After about a dozen goes on that particular piece of equipment, I took him over to the younger section and showed him the smaller slide. He was wary of it at first, but when I went down with him once he warmed up to it.




The next thirty minutes was spent walking around the various sections of Art. I showed my mom the Big Blue Pool, and we both spotted the splash pad at the same time and exclaimed, "Landon would love that!"

The things you notice as a parent...



We meandered over to the Cars section first, but we couldn't stay long because Landon saw a kid grabbing the rocks from the side of the pathway and that's all he wanted to do.

"You know, a 5 or 6 year old would absolutely go berserk at this resort. They'd recognize the characters and love every part of the place," my mom observed as we meandered over to the Lion King section.


Landon adored the elephant graveyard walk through area. He kept running through all the tunnels, and when we pointed out Simba to him and said it was a lion, he yelled, "Roar, roar!"



It was such a tiny magical moment that made me realize how fast he is growing up. Getting responses from Landon was a first on this trip: a pretty awesome realization.

My kid actually loved the Scar statue, as well. The whole Lion King area was a hit, and if the pool wasn't in the Little Nemo section, it might be considered his favorite. His response was so positive that I almost want to book a room there in the future.


We did manage to break Landon away from the lions and got to about the halfway point between LK and the Little Mermaid when my son discovered an open grassy area.

A blank field? Yay!

Round and round Landon ran in circles while I did my best to keep him out of the path of other guests. (A constant and sometimes unsuccessful job.)


It was at this time that my mom and I happened to see a bunch of families start to walk past in holiday attire. There was a family that had dressed their kids to the nines in adorable Christmas dresses and another that sported ugly Christmas sweaters.




Hey!

A lightbulb went off in my head.


There's a Christmas party tonight!

"Mom, wouldn't the party be fun?"

"I thought it was sold out tonight."

I pulled out my phone and did a little research.

"Tomorrow's party is sold out, but tonight's is still good."


My mom and I had a quick pros/cons conversation.

Could we handle being out that late after driving all day?

Would we be okay when Landon woke up at the crack of dawn?

Would it be worth our time? It was already 4:00 p.m.


The answer to everything was YES.



Quick! We booked it back over to Pop Century to go to the concierge desk. We had wished we'd come to this decision BEFORE we'd walked all around Art of Animation, but what could we do?

The girl who'd checked us into the resort was actually working concierge and was the person who helped us buy our party tickets. The entire process was ridiculously easy. We gave her our cards, the tickets were automatically added to our bands, she printed out a copy of our tickets just in case -Boom, boom, done!


In less than fifteen minutes, my mom and I went from not stepping foot in the parks to having two tickets to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.

(I should also say that I sent a message to Alex saying something along the lines of, "There's a party tonight, and I wish I could go so bad." And his responding message said something like, "You should do it!" His go ahead was the final push for me to jump on board. If Alex wasn't going to be disappointed he missed out, then I was all for it.)



After getting our tickets, my mom and I and Landon went and had a quick dinner in Everything Pop, and then we ran up to the room to grab warmer clothes and change shoes.

With all of that, we were still first in line at the bus stop at 6:00 p.m.

Not too shabby.


"Hey Mom, when we were driving down the interstate this morning, did you think we'd be going into the Magic Kingdom?"

"No way."

And that was the best thing about that night. It was so spontaneous and unexpected. Not having any time to plan really opened up our night and gave us the freedom to do whatever we wanted. I kind of fell in love with that concept. It made me want to step back and not schedule every hour of my park time in the future.



Even sitting on the bus I knew that that night was going to be special and exciting.

There was only one problem.


My mom and I were taking Landon into Mickey Mouse's home, and we had a mission.

To prevent Landon from seeing the mouse at all costs.



You see, Landon LOVES Mickey. I mean, LOVES, LOVES, LOVES him. That is his main man, the one character he absolutely adores and cherishes. And when he gets to see Mickey Mouse again, he's going to flip out. I just know it.

Alex also knows it, and if there's one thing he wants to see, it's Landon's reaction. So I felt like it was only right to wait for Alex to be with me when that event happened.

Meaning, Landon could NOT spot Mickey that night.

It was our goal to avoid him.


Which, is like an oxymoron in and of itself.

No Mickey Mouse in the Magic Kingdom?



Challenge accepted.

 

[Joyciemc]

I love how you described the struggle with whether to go to a park or not... and I'm so glad you made it to the Christmas party! Can't wait to hear how our goes, and whether you successfully avoided Mickey, lol!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

A Disney resort is still Disney so... good call Alicia.

Ooh I like 50's section at Pop. I found it great when you have a car.

Hahaha, it would have been funny if you sent that message to Alex and his response after getting the tickets. In fact, at first I thought that's what happened.

Regardless I absolutely LOVE the fact that you made this impromptu decision. The party is fun. But an unexpected last minute party is SO MUCH BETTER!!!

 

[IheartDDuck]

Mary Ellen is really the sweetest, isn't she?! So is Cynthia, it was such a bonus to be able to meet both of them. I'm glad that the stars aligned and that you were able to meet them.

Baby laughs on Pirates! OMG, that's so perfect.

I'm really excited about the new queue at PPF too! I think I might go on it first thing in the morning on our trip, so we can actually wait and see it.

I'm telling you, you're so right about the heat during that time! It was so hot for us the whole time too. And it's not like we didn't expect heat in May, but I feel like it was hotter than it should have been.

Wow, that really was a great deal you and your Mom got for Sea World. Totally smart taking advantage of it.

Yay for staying on plan! Although I totally feel your pain.

Yay, MVMCP! Good choice. Your resolve didn't last that long, but still. Good choice.

 

[Gracefulskinny]

If you need any help with the stroller parking, I'm a pro at all the locations.

Good to know. I'll have to consult you after I get the main plan of action in place!

Yeah I don't know that I would be able to avoid the Magic Kingdom either.

Avoiding Mouse in MK with a toddler? That's quite the feat!

 

[Dugette]

So what our you waiting for?

Um, apparently my lunch break at work last Friday? I started in on your TR, but given how long it's been going, it will take a LOT of lunch breaks to catch up! Love all the pictures so far!

Wow, sounds like a great trip! Are you doing a Disney cruise?
Unfortunately, I think if Alex and I did go in May, it would be earlier in the month. But who knows, we could always overlap at the beginning by a day or so.

Yes, Disney Dream 4-night cruise. Super excited! Keep me posted on May! We are overlapping at the beginning with Lauren and Aria by a couple days too!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I love this update and all of the spontaneity!

First off, how awesome is AoA?! So glad you got to enjoy it for a bit. I basically ran through and took some blurry pictures on the way to the Magical Express in August, so I really wished I had more time to look around once I saw how awesome it was. I know what you mean about the splash pad looking fun. And Izzy would have loved the playgrounds too.

Yay for going to the Christmas Party! I have no idea how you are going to avoid Mickey at a party he's "hosting", but I'm interested to see how it goes.

By the way, how old is Landon now? I cannot believe how much older he looks in these pictures vs. May.

 

[Marsheliz]

I LOVED this update!

Yay for checking in and letting Landon roam around AOA. Looks like lots of fun and LOVE the unexpected decision. How sweet of Alex to give you the go-ahead. Got to love it when you get the DH's approval. TEE HEE HEE

Can't wait to read about the party!

 

[blabbermouth]

Yes! OMG, I can't believe you made it to a park for one night! Nice work.

We've stayed at Pop twice and been in the 50s section both times. It's definitely my favourite! I love being near the quiet(er) pool and it's still close enough to the buses etc. for me. Next trip my sister and I are staying at AoA in a Little Mermaid room, and I'm hoping I like it as much as Pop! I hear it can be a bit further of a walk to the buses and food court, but it's hard to visualize without actually doing it.

I can't believe Landon is talking already, so cool.

 

[amazingact21]

I love how you described the struggle with whether to go to a park or not... and I'm so glad you made it to the Christmas party! Can't wait to hear how our goes, and whether you successfully avoided Mickey, lol!

It sounds ridiculous, but my mom and I really did have a hard time saying no to tickets. I am still amazed we stayed strong and didn't end up at Shades of Green.

A Disney resort is still Disney so... good call Alicia.

Ooh I like 50's section at Pop. I found it great when you have a car.

Hahaha, it would have been funny if you sent that message to Alex and his response after getting the tickets. In fact, at first I thought that's what happened.

Regardless I absolutely LOVE the fact that you made this impromptu decision. The party is fun. But an unexpected last minute party is SO MUCH BETTER!!!

I can't say how the other sections of Pop are, but yeah, the 50's section is great. The first time around, I felt like we had a long walk to our car, but in hindsight, it wasn't that bad. We had just had a bunch of stuff since we'd done a 7 day cruise prior to Pop.


I don't think I could have gone to the party without Alex giving the go ahead. Disney is such a special place for him, it wouldn't have been fair for me to take TWO vacations while he was stuck in a crappy place.

Mary Ellen is really the sweetest, isn't she?! So is Cynthia, it was such a bonus to be able to meet both of them. I'm glad that the stars aligned and that you were able to meet them.

Baby laughs on Pirates! OMG, that's so perfect.

I'm really excited about the new queue at PPF too! I think I might go on it first thing in the morning on our trip, so we can actually wait and see it.

I'm telling you, you're so right about the heat during that time! It was so hot for us the whole time too. And it's not like we didn't expect heat in May, but I feel like it was hotter than it should have been.

Wow, that really was a great deal you and your Mom got for Sea World. Totally smart taking advantage of it.

Yay for staying on plan! Although I totally feel your pain.

Yay, MVMCP! Good choice. Your resolve didn't last that long, but still. Good choice.

Meeting Mary Ellen and Cynthia was great. I loved meeting such veteran DISers.


That was our 3rd trip to Disney in May, and while we normally go a week earlier, I still think it was hotter than normal. I couldn't believe how muggy it was. Ugh. I'm hoping my logic for 2015 works now. In 2010, FL had a cold winter. By May 2011, the weather was actually perfect for Disney.
Since we're freezing our butts off this year, I'm hoping the same rule applies for this upcoming May. I'd love for it no to be a million degrees while I'm there.



My family used to go to Seaworld every year when we lived an hour from Orlando, because they've always given active duty military free tickets, but it got to the point where I was sick of going. Sorry, Seaworld! So, after about a decade, I figured it was time to use that offer again.

Good to know. I'll have to consult you after I get the main plan of action in place!

Yeah I don't know that I would be able to avoid the Magic Kingdom either.

Avoiding Mouse in MK with a toddler? That's quite the feat!

I think only parents of toddlers can understand how hard this task was!

 

[amazingact21]

Yes, Disney Dream 4-night cruise. Super excited! Keep me posted on May! We are overlapping at the beginning with Lauren and Aria by a couple days too!

Nice! DCL is awesome. I will say, though, that there's a learning curve with cruises. They take some getting used to. My father in-law, whose platinum level with RCL, even says that he hated his first cruise. Just saying...nobody warned me of this on my cruise, and I wish they had.

Have you checked out the cruise line forum yet? It's a ton of help, and if you join your specific cruise thread, you can meet some fellow cruisers. That resource helped me so much when I was planning my trip. Any question I had, I could ask on that thread, and someone would have an answer. Not to mention, I met some great people. Two of them are still our friends, and we meet up with one whenever we're in Disney.


Oooh, and if possible, try Palo. The chocolate souffle is the best chocolate you'll ever eat!

I love this update and all of the spontaneity!

First off, how awesome is AoA?! So glad you got to enjoy it for a bit. I basically ran through and took some blurry pictures on the way to the Magical Express in August, so I really wished I had more time to look around once I saw how awesome it was. I know what you mean about the splash pad looking fun. And Izzy would have loved the playgrounds too.

Yay for going to the Christmas Party! I have no idea how you are going to avoid Mickey at a party he's "hosting", but I'm interested to see how it goes.

By the way, how old is Landon now? I cannot believe how much older he looks in these pictures vs. May.

AoA is amazing! This was the second time I visited the resort, and I think I liked it even more this time around. There's just so many things to like about the place. The play areas for kids, the music along the walkways, the big food court, the theming....I really want to stay there in May! (However, a LM room costs 20 dollars more than a room at Pop, so I'd have to really justify it to myself. )



The good thing about avoiding Mickey was that I just had to avoid the character. Him in Celebrate the Magic was fine. Still....it was a feat!


Landon's 20 months old now. Just shy of 2!

It kind of breaks my heart a little, because he has grown up SO MUCH in the last six months. Alex won't recognize him when he comes home. All the baby look is gone from him; he really does look like a kid now.

I LOVED this update!

Yay for checking in and letting Landon roam around AOA. Looks like lots of fun and LOVE the unexpected decision. How sweet of Alex to give you the go-ahead. Got to love it when you get the DH's approval. TEE HEE HEE

Can't wait to read about the party!

Thanks, Marcie!

I wouldn't have gone to the party without Alex's approval. I would have felt too guilty that I was partying it up with (everyone but) Mickey, while he was stuck overseas.
So, yeah, you should have seen me when I got Alex's text. I started leading a charge to the Pop front desk!

Yes! OMG, I can't believe you made it to a park for one night! Nice work.

We've stayed at Pop twice and been in the 50s section both times. It's definitely my favourite! I love being near the quiet(er) pool and it's still close enough to the buses etc. for me. Next trip my sister and I are staying at AoA in a Little Mermaid room, and I'm hoping I like it as much as Pop! I hear it can be a bit further of a walk to the buses and food court, but it's hard to visualize without actually doing it.

I can't believe Landon is talking already, so cool.

The 50's section is great for exactly the same reasons you said. It's nice to be away from the craziness of the main pool, but still close enough to the front of the resort.



You're going to love AoA! I haven't met anyone who isn't blown away by the resort. I don't want to say it, but yeah, the LM room is a little bit of a walk to the food court and buses. Maybe two minutes more than 50's to Everything Pop. The longest stretch is between the LM section and the Lion King rooms. There's an open sidewalk with a some patches of grass you have to walk past. However, I want to say I left the food court at 12:40pm once and made it to my car that was parked behind the LM rooms by 12:48pm.
And that was stopping and letting a one year old look at various things. So...a one year old's pace.