What a sweet gift!It was a Disney gift card!
Yay - glad it worked out for you!And thankfully, it worked and the cards were applied. It had to be the most backwards way of doing it, but we really didn't have any other option since the rewards came so late in the game. My mom never imagined in a million years the money wouldn't get there before the vacation.
Wow, what amazing pixie dust you got!Except, when our turn rolled around, not only was our room ready, but they had upgraded us to a Savannah View!
Oh my goodness!!!!
Yay for a near-future trip AND a look-forward-to-for-awhile trip! They both sound great!My mom, Alex, Landon, and I are all headed to Disney World next month for a couple of nights.
Seems like it worked out well. I mean if he's got to take the time off anyway...So mid-July was kind of chosen for us, and put in the books. (It didn’t hurt that this was the week after Alex’s math class ends, so no homework for him on vacation.) Alex got the time off, and we figured even if we chickened out on the trip, he could still use the time to relax.
Let me state it... family time together at Disney World.Now, before you think we are absolutely out of our minds, let me state our case as to why this little getaway won’t be a complete disaster.
Oh, well then by all means! This seals the deal!And finally, Number 5: Landon needs a haircut.
Totally makes sense. Let him have a last hurrah with mom and dad!And, to stretch the case even farther, we kind of wanted one last hurrah with Landon before the fall. His poor little life is going to get turned upside down, and we figured one last vacation as a family of 3 was appropriate.
That definitely makes sense too! Take full advantage of that while you can!Alex and I are getting Annual Passes, and we’re going to celebrate the last chance we have to get Landon in before he’s 3, because next time, he won’t be.
Exciting and sad. Kind of bittersweet, I guess. Good luck! I hope he gets something you guys want!My husband and I are working hard to get orders for next summer. We’d love to go overseas, but at this point, we’ll take anywhere. But wherever we head, it’ll be for at least 4 years, so our days of living 6 hours from Walt Disney World are potentially numbered. A trip in May could very well be the last trip we take for at least 2 years.
About time. You'll win him over.First and foremost, my dad’s FINALLY coming along! Only took us 4 years to get him to do it.
Yeah, I totally know how this works...And actually, he never completely agreed. My mom’s just kind of telling him he’s going. We all know once he’s there he’ll have a fantastic time; we just might have to listen to him gripe during the weeks leading up to it…
Excellent choice! One of the resorts I really want to try sometime soon!The Beach Club!
It won’t hurt that the Beach Club has Stormalong Bay, which will be the coolest thing ever for a 3 year old Landon.
It is pretty spectacular. And another great choice!Every single time I visit Art of Animation, I fall in love with the place
Without a doubt.I think if he sees how much his son loves it, he’ll come around to it a little more.
Trust me, July isn't bad! Like you said, you're already used to the heat and humidity. So might as well deal with it at Disney!
The May trip sounds awesome. So believe it or not, last May when I went from staying at AoA to staying at Beach Club, I actually found myself missing AoA. It's just such an awesome resort, and nothing about it (okay, besides the way the bus stops are set up) seems like a value resort. This is not to say that I didn't enjoy Beach Club because I definitely did. You could spend half your day at Stormalong Bay and not even feel guilty about it. I think yall will absolutely have a wonderful trip.
Wow, that is some epic planning! I am a cold blooded northerner who doesn't like it when the temperature gets above 75 and we survived Disney in August so I am sure you'll live going in July. Plus, the parks are open late a lot in the summer so you can do more resting / using the pool during the day and parks at night, etc. ... or, you know, just jump in the Fountain of Nations if you are too warm
One of these trips I really want to stay in the Beach or Yacht Club ... proximity to EPCOT and (especially) access to Storm Along Bay!
July is the ONLY month where I haven't been to Disney. Can you believe it? Isn't it the most crowded? I have no idea. I used to go in the summer all the time when my kids were young. Then they got older and we could go in the nice weather. So this August with the family may be a little shocking.
So - did you decide to start a new TR on the end of your old one? I'm so confused, but that might be because I am on the DIS so sporadically.
So yay for a big May trip and the BC and AoA. My brother and his family just got back from AoA and they LOVED it. Sounds like they had a great time and I am sure you will too.
Your upcoming trips sound awesome, especially the big May trip! You know how much I love the Beach Club, and the Art of Animation is so great, it's really not like a value resort at all!
What a sweet gift!
Wow, what amazing pixie dust you got!
Yay for a near-future trip AND a look-forward-to-for-awhile trip! They both sound great!
Seems like it worked out well. I mean if he's got to take the time off anyway...
Let me state it... family time together at Disney World.
Nope, definitely not a recipe for disaster.
Oh, well then by all means! This seals the deal!
Totally makes sense. Let him have a last hurrah with mom and dad!
That definitely makes sense too! Take full advantage of that while you can!
Exciting and sad. Kind of bittersweet, I guess. Good luck! I hope he gets something you guys want!
About time. You'll win him over.
Yeah, I totally know how this works...
Excellent choice! One of the resorts I really want to try sometime soon!
It is pretty spectacular. And another great choice!
First and foremost, the trips sound so exciting! Are we still overlapping so we can meet up next month?
I am in the minority on the Beach Club...wasn't a fan. We found service to be below the standards we were led to believe to expect, the buses were terrible and the pool...you have to watch your child/children like a hawk so as not to lose them; to me it is just too big. But I know others absolutely love it.
It's the little things in life...Landon was already happier once we hit the hallway.
And they always put those stupid things low and in easy reach.Whatever it was we began looking for, it quickly got pushed to the back of our minds when we lost Landon to the pen caddy.
You mean you didn't get your fill of them from the balcony? Landon's got exploring to do, there's no time for animals!We kind of wanted to see the animals.
It looks pretty awesome. I'm sure he was loving life.As far as playgrounds go, it was pretty impressive.
I'm glad you had a little moment with Landon and the giraffe.
I'm sorry to hear this. Sometimes things like this happen. I hope you got a chance to redeem yourself to her later.Whoever made that batch of zebra domes must not have followed the recipe card correctly or went off on their own or something, because while they were good, they weren’t over the moon amazing. I actually thought I’d misremembered how delicious they were, and my mom was MEH about them. I was a little disappointed, because usually whatever I recommend to my mom goes over really well. We have very similar tastes in food and I have a knack for knowing what she’ll prefer, but I think she was thinking that I missed the mark on the zebra domes.
Oh yeah, the joy of getting a toddler ready for bed. Always fun.But Landon fought me terribly on bath and bedtime that night. The water was too hot, then too cold, he had no toys to play with, the lotion was smelly, his pajamas sat funny on his body, the room was too bright, the room was too dark, his pack and play was too uncomfortable…
And a million other little things that made putting him to sleep feel like a marathon long sprint
No kidding! It is so much easier before you have kids. And you're always 10X more tired at all times!I knew that I wouldn’t get to sleep until one o’clock and then I’d have to turn around and get up at 6am.
Back in the pre-kids days, that would have been nothing.
Sorry you missed out on MK, but it seems that this worked out for the best. I'm glad you had a chance to chat with him before bed time!(It was his one day off and he worked the nightshift, so even though it was late at night where I was, it was his just after his “after work workout time.”)
AKL is so beautiful! I really hope to stay there someday!
I'm with you- sleep is so important these days, and so unpredictable that I take it when I can!
And they always put those stupid things low and in easy reach.
It looks pretty awesome. I'm sure he was loving life.
I'm sorry to hear this. Sometimes things like this happen. I hope you got a chance to redeem yourself to her later.
Oh yeah, the joy of getting a toddler ready for bed. Always fun.
I always hate it when I have to do the whole bath/bedtime routine by myself. I definitely feel for you having to take on that task (along with all the others) while Alex was gone.
No kidding! It is so much easier before you have kids. And you're always 10X more tired at all times!
Sorry you missed out on MK, but it seems that this worked out for the best. I'm glad you had a chance to chat with him before bed time!
There is nothing like AKL, is there? It's wonderful. There's always something new to explore!
Yeah, you can feed the giraffes at our zoo too, and while that's amazing, I also really enjoy just admiring the animals and not feeling like I have to wash my hands 800 times. Ya know?
Sorry the food was a little off that night. Did you ever get to try the zebra cupcake? SO GOOOOOD.
YES, I completely know what you mean about being disoriented on your first day. It's like you've been excited about it for so long that when you finally get there, it's strangely overwhelming and hard to know where to start!
Even though you didn't make it to MK, hopefully you still had plenty of opportunities to ride BTMRR!
Wow, that is a great playground, especially for toddlers! Love all the slides!Before hitting up the viewing areas, my mom and I took Landon to check out the playground.
Yep, definitely relate to this. It's amazing how many things can derail what should be a simple process.And a million other little things that made putting him to sleep feel like a marathon long sprint.
Wow, that is a great playground, especially for toddlers! Love all the slides!
Always fun to just explore the resort. What a great giraffe encounter!
Yep, definitely relate to this. It's amazing how many things can derail what should be a simple process.
Sleep is definitely a priority, so I can't say I blame you there.
Another upgrade, wow! You have some luck when it comes to AKL.
Those Lion King pajamas are adorable! I just logged onto the Disney Store site to see if I can find something similar for Matthew, lol.
So exciting that you have another TWO TRIPS coming up! You just don’t stop, girl (I’m totally jealous). And in May you’re staying at Beach Club, no less! It’s funny the things we do for our kids – I plan our trips around the resort pools, too.
P.S. I love the picture of you and Landon looking out at the giraffe!
I don't blame you one bit for giving up your idea of going to the MK. Getting kids ready for bed at night can be grueling. How nice that you had a couple minutes to face time with Alex.
I know exactly what hot tub you are talking about. It is very private back there and I remember thinking how I would not like to have that specific room view if I were staying in that part of the building.
Boo to meh Zebra Domes. Did they change the recipe? I haven't had them in quite awhile.
Isn't the animal interaction great there. So much better than the safari. The giraffes are amazing!
In 90% of the pictures, my mom is the only one smiling, because she didn’t care how hot it was or how cranky her 3 kids were; she was in Disney World and she was making the most out of every moment.
Not going to lie, this is one of my favorite pictures. I might or might not have gotten choked up when I looked at my camera and saw it for the first time.
Alex has good taste...I guess I was spoiled in May and got all the coffee to myself. (Alex doesn’t touch the stuff.)
And all this talk of coffee has made me look longingly at my coffee pot sitting off to the side, silently doing a countdown to November, when I can get more than 1 measly cup a day.
Brutal...But even at 7 in the morning, it was apparently already 77 degrees out.
Um... everybody?Who knew there was a little nook off to the right???
Well said!I feel like while Disney is all about making new memories and creating lasting emotional connections with people/events, it’s also a lot about nostalgia and seeing something new through loved one’s eyes.
Well said again. This is becoming a very profound update!Just goes to show that Disney can be as basic or as complex as you want it to be. To some, a theme park is enough; to others, an intricate entertainment center founded on layers of philosophies, new creations, and ideals is what makes the park the special entity that it is.
That is an awesome idea!So, before I left I made a small booklet and turned it into a big birthday themed book. Some pages were reserved for any character autographs I could get, others were for little notes from me and scribbles from Landon.
And others had spots for photographs I wanted to take especially for him.
Or at least, that’s what my mom and I thought as we watched him run and frolic, but the next thing we knew Landon was taking a seat on the ground.
The chalk outline is exactly what I thought of too. Of course our kids like laying down on our blacktop driveway and getting outlined.Perhaps he watched his dog try and find cool spot on the ground one too many times and was trying to mimic that, but to my mom and me he resembled one of those chalk outlines you see on crime shows.
That is awesome. Everything about it. The picture, the effort on your part to make it happen and Landon going along with it. I'm so glad this PP photographer took the time and effort to help make it happen.He took a seat right on the ground and asked for my camera and began snapping away. I couldn’t thank him enough for his willingness to help me out like that.
And if him going out of his way wasn’t enough, he managed to snap the dream shot.
The picture that I put on the first page of Alex’s card.
The picture that a family walking beside us stopped and told me, “You just made the guy in that picture cry. At least, that’s what I’d do if I got something like that.”
Yeah, I had absolutely no emotional reaction...Not going to lie, this is one of my favorite pictures. I might or might not have gotten choked up when I looked at my camera and saw it for the first time.
Oh boy. I hate that feeling.At the time, my mom and I figured he was just having one of his rough days and tried to complete our meal as quickly as possible. We were hovering right near Meltdown Central, tiptoeing back and forth across the line the longer Landon was stuck in his highchair; we needed to rush to make it out of there before full blown CHAOS reigned down over our heads.
Somebody has to pick up his slack! I'm glad that you were able to channel your inner shopper to come up with some treats to send him.Still, I was happy to find something so fitting for him. In fact, I had an easy time the entire trip shopping for little things for Alex. I guess it’s a given rule that one of us must be the designated shopper in the family on every Disney trip. If a W. isn’t buying out the parks then we aren’t vacationing right…
Yuck. But at least Meh always beats meltdown...That was what we were dealing with. A grumpy looking toddler. No outright frustration since breakfast, but no remote sign of happiness, either.
Just…MEH.