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

[KatMark]

August 17th, 2014:






After my mom and I’s arrival at Animal Kingdom Lodge, and our adventure unpacking with a toddler, we headed out of the room to explore our temporary home for the week.









Such a cutie pie.



Landon was already happier once we hit the hallway.








Look what I see mom.



Nothing like a rope bridge to entertain a one year old.









I love this one of Landon and your mom.


Or an actual bridge…










The first stop on our AKL tour was the gift shop. I believe my mom and I were on the lookout for some sundries, but I can’t remember for sure.






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.










It looks like a toy!

The kiddo went bonkers over all the different writing utensils. The light up ones were his favorite, but he wasn’t passing up the oversized character ones, either. Even the Mickey head shaped pens with Disney colors had to be played with.




I tried to steer him over to the stuffed animals or the actual toy displays, which were literally right behind him, but Landon could’ve cared less about them. Maybe I’ve got a future calligrapher on my hands…


Or an artist or something.





With a little bit of a fuss, I finally managed to drag Landon out of the shop. The gift shop was nice and all, but we were at Animal Kingdom Lodge.




We kind of wanted to see the animals.




Just sayin’






Hmmm....what is this?








Before hitting up the viewing areas, my mom and I took Landon to check out the playground.






Great playground (I always thought the AKL,, SR and the Caribbean had the best playgorunds)


As far as playgrounds go, it was pretty impressive.










Very nice.

There was nice shade coverage over the play structures, and a lot of open space between the various slides and tunnels. Compared to the one at Pop, this one was massive.




















Now that it’s been a year (or just shy of one) and having seen a few more Disney resorts, I would give Animal Kingdom Lodge 5 stars for entertainment with kids. Not only does the resort have a massive pool and a kiddie splash area, it also has a variety of other activities to keep kids amused while hanging out at the resort. We never even did the Cast Member-run programs; I’m sure those would have been just as fun, but simply walking around the sidewalks and playing on the playground would be enough to keep a kid occupied for several hours.

I'm surprised you got Landon out of there.








I think once Landon hits the preteen years, AKL will be my go-to resort to stay on long trips.






Alex and I never made it to the pool or anywhere near it on our May trip, which was a shame, because my mom and I walked Landon over there after about half an hour on the slides and discovered some cool flamingos to look at.






We've often stood there looking at those flamingos.




My mom and I let Landon lead us from there, and his exploring took us to the hot tub, which was so tucked away I didn’t even realize what it was until I heard people leaving it. It’s off to one side of the pool, between it and a dead end to a viewing fence. It’s hidden in this little nook and almost private. There was a couple in the tub, and I almost felt like I was intruding on their private relaxation time when we walked by.


Ooops.






That area seemed so quiet and secluded that I mentioned to my mom off-handedly that perhaps Alex and I could sneak down to the resort for a short anniversary weekend while she babysat Landon.




And that would have happened.




If life hadn’t kind of thrown us a curve ball and changed our plans for this fall.



Yes, just a slight change of plans.




My mom and I were loving the open, out of the way, part of the resort, but it became even cooler when some friends came out of the woodworks for us.





Giraffes!!!! I LOVE giraffes.






This little fellow wasn’t shy in the least and came as close as it could to us.













Holy moly, this was awesome!

WOW!!!!








I picked Landon up to let him get a better look at the giraffe, and he instantly began holding his hand out to the creature. At our zoo, you can feed the giraffes, and Landon just assumed he could do the same with this big guy.






I’m sure they wish Landon could’ve fed them, too.


I'm sure they do.













Coolest moment at Animal Kingdom Lodge?




Easily.








Love these pictures.




For several minutes we were by ourselves, but then slowly kids from the pool saw what we were doing and meandered over. My mom and I felt like we had gotten plenty of viewing time and decided to head to the food court for some dinner.




Landon was also starting to get really heavy in my arms and he was a little furnace next to me. I was definitely wishing for Dad’s unwavering arm strength at that moment of the trip.








For dinner, my mom chose a salad and I bought some kind of sandwich. I’m typically adventurous with my meals and try to get something I haven’t had before, but with this sandwich I wished I’d passed. There was some kind of salsa or sauce that was not very tasty.




Guess you live and you learn.






And I didn’t know it then, but thanks to Landon, I was going to be able to try 90% of the stuff on the Mara menu over the next five nights.



Sounds interesting.


Hmmm.








I couldn’t take my mom to AKL and not have her try the famous zebra domes at least once, so I got an order of them for dessert.













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.

I didn't care for them at all. So more for you on your next visit.








I just wasn’t on the ball with food that night.






I blamed it on the arrival day jitters all Disney nuts get. Who isn’t a teensy tiny bit disoriented when they first get on Disney property? The magic and anticipation is too much, at times.






During our giraffe sighting and our dinner, I went back and forth on whether or not I was going to go to Magic Kingdom once I put Landon to bed. My mom had no problem keeping an ear out for him if I wanted to head out for a bit.






In theory, the idea sounded fantastic. Some solo time in a park? It was one of the things I was looking forward to most on this trip.






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. In the past Alex would bathe him and then hand him off to me for the putting to sleep part, and that at least broke the work up. With Alex only gone a month, I was still adjusting to being the solo caregiver.






By the time I could hear baby snoring sounds coming from the Pack and Play, it was nine o’clock, and I was beat. The Magic Kingdom was open until midnight, so if I left right that minute I could have made it in time to get in several rides and eat a Dole Whip, but I felt like it wasn’t worth my effort.




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.






But functioning on that little sleep in the brutal August heat without Dad’s support?






Nope.






Sleep was much more important to me at the time.






So, I gave up some turns on Thunder Mountain and chose instead to stay in.




A quick FaceTime call to Alex:






Awwww....


(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.”)






We talked for a few seconds, and then hung up and hit the hay. Tomorrow was a favorite breakfast spot of my mom’s and I didn’t want to wake up late for it.

Heading to the next update now.

 

[KatMark]

Okay...just commenting now...too hard to quote (and I've got to try to finish my TR before I leave Friday a.m.).

I can't figure out the deluxes and especially the DVC's with their limited supply of coffee. There is no way "three" packets is going to last two people 7 days (and they don't replace at DVC until 7 days).

Isn't it wonderful noticing things you haven't seen before because you have an almost empty Main Street? I love that little nook and Mark and I often sit in there and rest. And that picture of your mom with Landon is wonderful.

Okay, I'm not going to lie...I was definitely crying when I saw the PP's picture of Landon sitting in the street looking down at his daddy's picture. That is priceless and you should frame it for sure.

Sorry that breakfast didn't go as you hoped.

At least your mom tried to get some pictures.

Glad you got on a couple of rides.

Did Alex tear the shirt? Or was it a defect with the shirt? They would probably replace it if it was defected.

I hope some "cooling" off will improve Landon's feelings.

 

[MEK]

Holy mega update that I am obviously skimming though so early this morning.

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That picture of Landon in front of the castle is Adorable, Amazing, Inspirational, Tear -Jerking. I can't think of enough adjectives to describe it! It really choked me up! What a great way to start my day. You HAVE to frame that. What a lovely idea.

How fun to be the first on Main Street. I haven't been there before park opening in SO long and it always looks so lovely. But the heat - I am getting nervous for my trip next month!

Love your pics from breakfast. I just love seeing Landon in pics. He is just too cute!

 

[casnider]

Normally, I try not to write about a lot of non-Disney related stuff in my updates, but what happened in the week leading up to our trip effected our vacation and sort of set the tone for how we were going to handle any future obstacles barring our way. So, I’m sorry for this very un-magical post, but bear with me, please. I promise this will be the only one you’ll have to sit through.



I’m sure most of you, by now, know that I’m the type of person who likes to show my excitement. I’ve got to create countdown calendars, dance to Disney soundtracks, talk about every little detail of our upcoming plans to death. Alex might or might not refer to my system of communication as “beating a dead horse.” (Although, that’s an awful statement, is it not? Why would someone beat a horse, dead or alive? Anyways…)


Before this trip, my brother actually implamented a NO TALKING ABOUT DISNEY rule for when we visited each other. He claimed if he had to hear one more word about the parks he was going to stop attending Sunday family dinners.



The habit of being overdramatic is clearly a family trait…




The month leading up to our Disney trip was a busy one. We had Landon’s first birthday to celebrate, two different families come into town, some major decisions about housing to mull over, and Alex was swamped with work. The bad thing about getting ready to deploy: your workload increases exponentially. You have to prepare for being away from your job for 6 months on top of getting paperwork completed. And the meetings. Oh, don’t even get me started on the number of meeting one must attend...


With all that going on, I thought for sure my normal pre-trip excitement would ease up a bit.
On the contrary.

The idea of finally staying deluxe was just too much for me.

I couldn’t believe we were actually going to be one of those lucky ducks getting to experience one of the top resorts on property.


It was such a farfetched concept, that the closer the trip got, the more I got in the habit of saying, “This is too good to be true.”


Alex would roll his eyes at me, but I persisted.


“No. This is just too perfect of a trip. I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.”


Alex’s response? “Stop being pessimistic. Nothing’s going to go wrong.”



Famous last words.



I convinced myself to listen to Alex and stop worrying about the little things, and I began packing for our vacation. We were spending the week prior to our Disney trip with my in-laws, so I had a lot of organizing and list-making to do.


Since this was our second trip in 5 months and we were passholders, we became owners to an obnoxious amount of MagicBands:





(You should see our collection now that Landon and I have taken another trip.)


Everything was going great. Smooth as butter….



And then.



That other shoe dropped.



On Tuesday night, April 29th, a massive storm came through my part of the country. It was vicious, bringing heavy rain, tornadoes, and 10,000 lightening strikes in one hour.





The storm was worse than anybody imagined it would be, and overnight it just kept pelting our cities with rain, rain, rain.


Us Floridians, we are conditioned to hurricanes and tropical storms.
Because with those bad boys, we get forewarning.
They tell us to get the heck outta dodge, and we do!




By 5 o’clock the following morning, the base Alex works at issued a command that all non-essential personnel had to leave. The roads were beginning to flood and things were getting dangerous.


I always hate when that command comes through, because for Alex, that means he has to GO to work. He is one those people that have to go on shift to keep one of the very basic operations up and running.


So, with flood waters filling up the streets, Alex got up and called the command post 3 different times to triple check that he’d be allowed on base. They had closed the gates to prevent anyone from entering/leaving, and he wanted to make darn sure he wasn’t wasting time going out in that mess.


He called one last time from the driveway as he was getting ready to go.


He was good.

But between the 5 minute drive from our house to the gate, they changed the orders and now, not even mission essential people were allowed to get to work. Whoever was on shift was stuck there and nobody could go relieve them.


Which meant Alex had to turn around and come home.






And in that ten minute time frame, the water had risen from ankle deep to shin deep. Flood waters rise at a scary fast speed, and it just so happened to be doing that while Alex was on the road.


We own a small, compact SUV.


It didn’t make it.




Alex got it all the way to entrance of our neighborhood before water flooded the engine and it died. Him and the gate guard to our housing development had to push it to the side of the road, and Alex waded back home.



The flooding only got worse; my local area made major headlines and we were declared to be in a state of emergency.







It was nuts!



My neighbors and I stood in our driveways and watched the water creep higher and higher. One of our neighbors worked on cars, and he and Alex went out to check on our car. On the way back, they took some photos of our street.








Thankfully, we were safe and after the floods on Wednesday, the weather remained cooperative and allowed for everyone to start getting busy on repairs and damage control.



On Thursday, Alex had our car towed to our dealership (the vehicle was only 1 year old) to see what they had to say about it.


We were supposed to be leaving on Tuesday, and our second vehicle was so tiny there was no way we could use it to travel.


So the countdown to the fate of our trip began.


Thursday afternoon: “Yes, Mr. W? We have to wait for an insurance adjustor to check out your claim before we can begin looking at your car.”



Oh boy. There were only a hundred million people waiting on insurance claims for wrecked vehicles along with us.



Friday afternoon, T-minus 4 days until Vacation lift-off: “Your agent approved your claim and said there’d be about 6,000 dollars in damages they are covering. All you have is the 1,000 dollar deductable. The good news is, we can start working on it on Saturday.”


Gah!


“I think the universe is trying to tell us not to go on this trip, Alex.”

“Well, the universe is wrong. We’re going.”

“How will we get there, though?”


Luckily, a rental car was covered under our insurance.

Not so luckily….the car that was covered was a small compact car.

A Ford Focus, to be more exact.

Alex pulled into our driveway from picking it up at the Enterprise Friday evening, and we looked at it together.

We even threw Landon’s stroller in there, just to see if it we could possibly fit two weeks’ worth of stuff in the trunk.


No chance.


Saturday, T-minus 3 days until Vacation Lift-off: Alex and I spent hours on the phone with the insurance companies and the rental car agents, trying to figure out if we could swap out our car for a bigger one and pay the difference in amounts out of pockets. And then we spent another hour on the phone with the dealership, finding out if they would hold our car for a week if it was completed and we were still out of town.


We were going on a 2 week long trip and the estimated time of repair was around 5 days. Our options were:
Take the rental car and just go see family

Take the rental and do both parts of the trip and pay for the rental out of pocket

Or postpone the entire trip several weeks, until we got our car back in top shape.


I was a fan of Option 3, because Alex got approved to move his leave days because of the circumstances, but his family FREAKED out at that idea. Like, had a complete meltdown over the thought of it.


You would have thought we were telling them we weren’t going to see them before Alex left at all.

But, family can be unreasonable at times, and I don’t think they understood the magnitude of drama we were dealing with in regards to our car the rental situation.


Monday morning, T-minus 1 day until Vacation Lift-off: I told Alex we were going to keep our trip exactly the same. Discussions of how to get down to Orlando had ranged from borrowing my mom’s car, to his parents renting a minivan and coming up to our place to pick us up. (At the time, there were no bigger vehicles to rent ANYWHERE. The companies were having to ship in new cars daily because so many people needed them.)


Alex called the Enterprise branch that afternoon, found out they would have an SUV available at noon the following day that we could upgrade to at our own cost.


Fine. Whatever.


Do it.


If it gets us to Disney we’ll pay it. What’s a couple hundred extra on top of our deductible?


Tuesday morning, T-minus 8 hours until Vacation Lift-off: Alex went to Enterprise to exchange vehicles.

When he got there, another agent had rented out the car already, not bothering to look and see if it was on hold.


Ahhh, jeeeeeeez.


Really?


REALLY??


The agent felt terrible about the situation and offered us an extra upgrade at no cost.


When Alex called and told me this, I thought about our streak of bad luck and simply said, “Get the price in writing.”


I had a bad feeling about it.


And, as it would turn out later (in the middle of the Magic Kingdom) I was right in being so persistent.


But anyways, we went from an itsy bitsy Focus to a Buick Enclave.





The big daddy of luxury SUVs.


It was massive!





So much trunk space!


A parent’s dream.


And the seats, they were like driving in Lazy Boys.


A mom could get used to this kind of cruising.




After what felt like YEARS, Alex and I were finally ready to go on vacation. Never mind the stress of our car being broken, not having transportation, the unexpected expenses, and the deployment still shaking its ugly fist in the back our heads.


We were going to Disney, gosh darn it!


Come heck or high water!



Literally.





Up Next...They Have Real Towels in the Bathrooms

Oh me, what a small world! Your photos bring back memories of a wonderful April on the Gulf Coast. (sarcasm added) I thought my house was going to float away. Most rain Gulf Shores had ever seen, even more than Ivan. Since the water got close but not in, maybe that means I can survive the floods of a storm.

 

[Dugette]

(Alex doesn’t touch the stuff.)

I'm with Alex on that one!

we did manage to ride on one of the new accordion buses

Ironically, when I first read this update I was on an accordion bus (no, not WDW, just on my way to work).

Who knew there was a little nook off to the right???

We actually had a nice little break/snack at those tables in the back on this last trip. Great area to unwind in!

Great picture!

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.

Very, very true!

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.

Also very true!

It was at about that point that a Photopass photographer who had been standing nearby came over and told me he had watched me try and get a picture with the sign I’d brought and offered to take some photos for me.

Nice! Great CM!

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.”

Aw, how sweet!

This is amazing!!!

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.

I've gone through this update twice now (once to read, then came back to comment) and I've teared up BOTH times. So perfect!

Well, clearly he's just avoiding a tiger attack.

Little did we know Landon was just building up at that point.

Uh oh.

My mom and I cut through the Emporium on our way out, because…well, if given the chance to walk through air conditioning, we’re gonna take it.

We always do the same.

I hope your break goes well, but I'm not so sure based on your above comment.

 

[marDgreen88]

What an awesome post. There is something so special about being on Main Street before the crowds roll in. And then when you get a picture like that, it's even more special.

 

[Gracefulskinny]

Like almost every trip, Alex came at me with an arsenal of reasons why we needed to do this. And this time, his main point was that he could take Landon off my hands a lot of the time and go to the parks while I hung back at the pool. I got the chance to experience Disney with Landon in August and December; this time around Alex could do that. All I have to do is pack extra sunscreen and my favorite flip flops.

That's quite the perk! I suggest looking into booking a spa treatment. Even if its just a Pedicure. Trust Me. Its worth it.

Sleep was much more important to me at the time.

Amazing how priorities change when you are an adult.

My mom and I tend to fly down Main Street during regular park hours, simply because there’s so many people everywhere and we can usually find room to breathe in one of the lands. But since we practically had the place to ourselves on this day, we decided to look around and take in a lot of details we pass by normally.

Main Street is fun to explore when its not crowded!

but to my mom and me he resembled one of those chalk outlines you see on crime shows.

He was so incredibly nice and immediately got down on Landon’s level to start taking pictures.

Wonderful! and how great of him to do it!

And if him going out of his way wasn’t enough, he managed to snap the dream shot.

Little did we know Landon was just building up at that point.

Uh Oh!

So my mom got some foliage:

Its a nice shot!

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.




Talk about someone not being impressed by his surroundings.

Talk about a picture that says it all!

 

[khertz]

Love all of the early morning Main Street photos! It's just the best time of day in that park before the floodgates open and it becomes swarmed with people. Dang, those first few pictures with the sign were pretty cute, but that second CM really got the money shot! It just couldn't get more perfect than that!!

The heat and humidity is SO rough! Landon looks pooped and just done with it all. Hopefully a little break at the resort put some pep back in him!

 

[natebenma]

OK, I am super late to the party, but I brought popcorn. For everyone!

Well, maybe not everyone. As you said, Landon has a lot of groupies! He is adorable.

Thank you to Alex for his service and to your family for your sacrifices!

It will take me awhile to catch up on the report, but I have read through your arrival in the your room.

Love the title of you report!

Your display of MB on your wrist before the trip was

Oh no, on the storm and on the damage to the car! What a PITA and such bad timing!

The pictures of Landon on the beach at sunrise are great!

I did not know about the DIS welcome center. That is so cool! Even without the gifts they gave you, what a cool place to visit.

Loved the monorail tour you took with your inlaws. I have never done that and in fact have never stepped foot in the Grand Floridian.

***************************

Nice start at Animal Kingdom. Sorry your meal at Yak & Yeti was just ok.

I'm glad you got a great seatmate for your ride on Everest. I have had some great encounters with other rides. Once on Everest I rode single with a grandmother, mom and daughter from England. It was there first time and they all loved it. I happened to have 3 FP, that were ready to be used that my family didn't want, so I gave them to the family and they rode again immediately.

Too funny on Landon's reaction to the meet & greet with Mickey & Minnie. As others have probably pointed out, your trips to Disney will change all the time, as he grows from a toddler to a preschooler to a kid to tween to a teen. At every stage what the kids want to do and don't want to do changes!

I am so happy you stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge and that you had a great room with the giraffe view! That is fabulous.

:

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Ack, fallen terribly behind on this TR ... I'll try to catchup!

That's pretty funny about Landon and the pens. Maybe just thinking of all the various surfaces he can draw on with a pen

It is kinda funny though to be at AKL and think - we have to see animals, that is the point of staying here .... no time for any other fun! Stop having fun and come have different fun!

That play are does look fun. Definitely heard a lot of good things about activities and just the resort like feel of AKL - heard good things about the sessions with the CMs too - not just the kids one, but the ones where they talk about traditional African art or whatever as many of them are from Africa. Of all the resorts, AKL seems like the one you can most feel separate from the rest of WDW - almost like a vacation inside a vacation

Wow - that is so cool with the Giraffe coming so close! Bummer about dinner though - especially the zebra domes. On the plus side at least Mara got to get a second chance ... I guess

I was totally in agreement with you in not going to MK solo that night ... until you mentioned Dole Whip - that is one thing that could have made me go. But given the early rise the next day it was probably the smart move ... just Dole Whips can cause dumb decisions for me

Ok, next to Dole Whip the idea of a fresh cup (or 6) of coffee on the balcony at AKL sounds pretty heavenly.

I truly feel walking down a fairly empty Main St. is one of the great joys of life. I think that little nook off to the side is where some of the princesses that got kicked out of Fairy Tale Hall by Anna and Elsa now meet

I also love that one balcony with the flowers at it feels like a nod to New Orleans Square at Disneyland.

it’s also a lot about nostalgia and seeing something new through loved one’s eyes.

One of my favorite things about WDW is that I got to experience it as a kid, and then as an adult sans kids and now with my kids and seeing them love things that I love - but also different things that they are more excited about than me.

That birthday book is such a great idea and that is such a cute picture!

Ach, that is nothing though compared to the above shot! That is amazing, and you might have also made the guy reading this TR cry a little. So sweet!

So sorry that CP didn't go better - sometimes kids just get to the point of too much everything. Even better that you got those pictures before the meltdown of "Mehdown" happened ... and if the downside scenario is spending time at AKL, not too bad.

 

[natebenma]

EPCOT- Monday May 12

It sounds crazy to love this restaurant when there are so many amazing dining locations within the World Showcase, but what can I say? The food there is always fresh and flavorful.

Sunshine Seasons is the best!!!

But they discontinued my favorite, the roasted beet and goat cheese salad

Brilliant banana transport idea. My million dollar idea was a spit-up colored burp cloth, but that one never took off. Huh?


That is cool that Landon is such a ham! I can just imagine the looks he gets. So sorry to hear about his fall, though

It was a pretty exciting thing to experience. I was even happier when I saw they added it as a permanent snack inside AK. At least that way my mom can try it eventually. Since, after all, she was the one who set the ball rolling on that idea.

Wait, What?

The Dole Whip with Rum is permanent in AK? I did not know that! Where?

I couldn't have had it on my June trip anyway, because no alcohol for chaperones, but still. This is great info!



Too funny about your mom inventing that treat.

It's like that time my family was at the Wizarding World , and we had just seen the last Harry Potter Movie and we said "You know what Universal needs to build? A rollercoaster ride through Gringott's Bank" And lo-and-behold... Escape from Gringott's!

Your mom, and we, should be getting theme park royalties!



I will go on record to say that the Piggylicious Cupcake was NOT my idea!

How awesome that you had a "Date Night" just enjoying each other at EPCOT while Landon obligingly slept.



I'll be back!

 

[JPFamilyMom]

So glad I found this trip report. I did read your first one, though it was after you had completed it so I don't know if I ever commented. You have such a lovely family and I'm loving your report(s). Looking forward to reading more

 

[amazingact21]

Hey guys, sorry it's taken me so long to get to replies. I was in Walt Disney World all last week, and I've just not gotten a few minutes to get on the DIS and catch up. Bear with me, Landon's still on Disney time so he got us up at 5:45 this morning thinking it was 6:45. And without the ability to have coffee, I am pretty out of it right now. Apologies in advance if my replies are a little loopy.

I hope I am able to do the same when we attempt to bring all 3 kids for the first time over Spring Break!



You got me- I cried as soon as I saw it!

I hope that Landon just needed to cool off and wasn't getting sick or anything!
Can't wait to hear who you met!

Thanks! I was so grateful I was able to get that picture. Something I'll remember for a long time to come.
At that point, my mom and I were so busy with our ADRs and Fastpasses that we didn't even stop and consider that Landon might not have been feeling well.

Alex has good taste...



Brutal...


Well said!

Well said again. This is becoming a very profound update!

That is an awesome idea!



The chalk outline is exactly what I thought of too. Of course our kids like laying down on our blacktop driveway and getting outlined.

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.

Yeah, I had absolutely no emotional reaction...

It really is an amazing picture.

Oh boy. I hate that feeling.

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.


Yuck. But at least Meh always beats meltdown...

I didn't mean to make a profound update, but hey, I'll take it.

Normally, Landon doesn't lay down on the ground. He'll sit anywhere he pleases, but he definitely doesn't just lay out when the mood strikes him. My mom and I were so confused when he did it right there on Main Street.


Thanks; I love that photo. It was definitely one of the best things I did on the trip. I had thought of it just a few days before the trip and was really happy I remembered to print the page out prior to leaving. Even if I did have to do some creative cropping work with the photo to cut out my little FaceTime window since I screenshotted one of our calls to get said picture.

 

[amazingact21]

Okay...just commenting now...too hard to quote (and I've got to try to finish my TR before I leave Friday a.m.).

I can't figure out the deluxes and especially the DVC's with their limited supply of coffee. There is no way "three" packets is going to last two people 7 days (and they don't replace at DVC until 7 days).

Isn't it wonderful noticing things you haven't seen before because you have an almost empty Main Street? I love that little nook and Mark and I often sit in there and rest. And that picture of your mom with Landon is wonderful.

Okay, I'm not going to lie...I was definitely crying when I saw the PP's picture of Landon sitting in the street looking down at his daddy's picture. That is priceless and you should frame it for sure.

Sorry that breakfast didn't go as you hoped.

At least your mom tried to get some pictures.

Glad you got on a couple of rides.

Did Alex tear the shirt? Or was it a defect with the shirt? They would probably replace it if it was defected.

I hope some "cooling" off will improve Landon's feelings.

They don't replace the coffee pods in the DVC rooms? Now that you say it, it makes sense but still...that's just impossible. Although, after staying at Shades last week, I'm not going to complain about 2 pods. Our housekeeping only gave us 1 pod. Even after we requested multiple, housekeeping never listened. Poor Alex had to go up to the desk every single night and get more. But that's a rant for another day....



I love that picture of Landon, too. Now that you mention it, I might have to frame it. I definitely had to get some creative family shots throughout Alex's whole deployment. You should see our annual family Christmas picture. Where there's a will...


Alex didn't notice the hole until after he wore it a few times, so I think it was just a bad sewing job that made itself known after a couple wears and washes. I'm sure if I stopped being so lazy and pulled out the sewing kit I could fix it, I just have zero motivation to do so right now. (Besides, he has a million other Disney shirts in his closet that he can rotate through until I get to it.)

Holy mega update that I am obviously skimming though so early this morning.

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That picture of Landon in front of the castle is Adorable, Amazing, Inspirational, Tear -Jerking. I can't think of enough adjectives to describe it! It really choked me up! What a great way to start my day. You HAVE to frame that. What a lovely idea.

How fun to be the first on Main Street. I haven't been there before park opening in SO long and it always looks so lovely. But the heat - I am getting nervous for my trip next month!

Love your pics from breakfast. I just love seeing Landon in pics. He is just too cute!

Thank you, Mary Ellen. I was really happy to have gotten such a memorable photo of Landon. It was actually a year ago yesterday that Alex left, and I when I look at that picture in the update, it blows my mind that we survived that deployment. Even knowing I handled Landon for 6 months, I still think about it and go, "Oh my goodness, I couldn't do it."


The heat is bad, but so long as you take it easy it's not unbearable. I found that by 12 I wanted to be in my room again, and once the sun sets it's manageable. The humidity is gross, but I just kind of accepted it and told myself everyone was as hot and icky as I was. And hopefully since you're going in August it'll be a tad bit less crowded.

Oh me, what a small world! Your photos bring back memories of a wonderful April on the Gulf Coast. (sarcasm added) I thought my house was going to float away. Most rain Gulf Shores had ever seen, even more than Ivan. Since the water got close but not in, maybe that means I can survive the floods of a storm.

That was a rough month for our part of the country, that's for sure. I don't think anyone wanted to see rain ever again after that!

 

[amazingact21]

I'm with Alex on that one!


Ironically, when I first read this update I was on an accordion bus (no, not WDW, just on my way to work).


We actually had a nice little break/snack at those tables in the back on this last trip. Great area to unwind in!


Great picture!


Very, very true!


Also very true!





Nice! Great CM!


Aw, how sweet!


This is amazing!!!


I've gone through this update twice now (once to read, then came back to comment) and I've teared up BOTH times. So perfect!


Well, clearly he's just avoiding a tiger attack.


Uh oh.


We always do the same.

I hope your break goes well, but I'm not so sure based on your above comment.

Those accordion buses make me so glad that I'm not a bus driver. I hate driving my dad's massive pickup truck; I couldn't imagine trying to turn and merge in those big old things!

That photo is my absolute favorite from the trip. I couldn't wait to write about it and share it with everyone.


Those tiger attacks can be unexpected and vicious!

What an awesome post. There is something so special about being on Main Street before the crowds roll in. And then when you get a picture like that, it's even more special.

Thanks! Main Street before the park opens is just amazing. I didn't get to do it last week, and I realized how much I missed it. There's nothing quite like getting to take in the castle and all the shops without a million other impatient guests milling about.

That's quite the perk! I suggest looking into booking a spa treatment. Even if its just a Pedicure. Trust Me. Its worth it.

Amazing how priorities change when you are an adult.

Main Street is fun to explore when its not crowded!



Wonderful! and how great of him to do it!




Uh Oh!

Its a nice shot!

Talk about a picture that says it all!

Don't you wish you could bank all those naps you refused to take as a child? I sure do. If given a choice between anything and sleep, sleep always wins!



That is a great way to describe that photo. No words needed...

Love all of the early morning Main Street photos! It's just the best time of day in that park before the floodgates open and it becomes swarmed with people. Dang, those first few pictures with the sign were pretty cute, but that second CM really got the money shot! It just couldn't get more perfect than that!!

The heat and humidity is SO rough! Landon looks pooped and just done with it all. Hopefully a little break at the resort put some pep back in him!

I think if more people could experience Main Street like that, uncrowded and calm, there'd be less complaining and griping going on in the parks.
That was definitely my favorite shot of the trip.


I am glad that I can say I survived Disney twice now in the summertime, but I'm not gonna lie. I turned to Alex at one point last week and said to him, "Yep, I've made my decision. When Landon starts school we're going to take our trips over Christmas break rather than Summer Break. I don't care if it costs us more."

 

[amazingact21]

OK, I am super late to the party, but I brought popcorn. For everyone!

Well, maybe not everyone. As you said, Landon has a lot of groupies! He is adorable.

Thank you to Alex for his service and to your family for your sacrifices!

It will take me awhile to catch up on the report, but I have read through your arrival in the your room.

Love the title of you report!

Your display of MB on your wrist before the trip was

Oh no, on the storm and on the damage to the car! What a PITA and such bad timing!

The pictures of Landon on the beach at sunrise are great!

I did not know about the DIS welcome center. That is so cool! Even without the gifts they gave you, what a cool place to visit.

Loved the monorail tour you took with your inlaws. I have never done that and in fact have never stepped foot in the Grand Floridian.

***************************

Nice start at Animal Kingdom. Sorry your meal at Yak & Yeti was just ok.

I'm glad you got a great seatmate for your ride on Everest. I have had some great encounters with other rides. Once on Everest I rode single with a grandmother, mom and daughter from England. It was there first time and they all loved it. I happened to have 3 FP, that were ready to be used that my family didn't want, so I gave them to the family and they rode again immediately.

Too funny on Landon's reaction to the meet & greet with Mickey & Minnie. As others have probably pointed out, your trips to Disney will change all the time, as he grows from a toddler to a preschooler to a kid to tween to a teen. At every stage what the kids want to do and don't want to do changes!

I am so happy you stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge and that you had a great room with the giraffe view! That is fabulous.

:

Thanks for joining! (And bringing the popcorn!)


The Welcome Center is a nice little shop in the Cocoa Beach area. It's really convenient to be right down the road from my inlaws. I don't doubt we'll be back in there one day.

The Grand Floridian is nice, but it's main draw the holiday decorations. I always like to go in there once and see the Gingerbread House; otherwise I don't mind skipping the resort throughout the rest of the year. It can come off a bit stuffy most of the time.

Landon's reactions to the characters have changed so much, Alex and I just play it by ear. Even on one trip, his likes changed! We go in figuring if he doesn't want to see them, we can always redirect them during a meal.


I loved Animal Kingdom Lodge. Easily, one of my favorite deluxes!

Ack, fallen terribly behind on this TR ... I'll try to catchup!

That's pretty funny about Landon and the pens. Maybe just thinking of all the various surfaces he can draw on with a pen

It is kinda funny though to be at AKL and think - we have to see animals, that is the point of staying here .... no time for any other fun! Stop having fun and come have different fun!

That play are does look fun. Definitely heard a lot of good things about activities and just the resort like feel of AKL - heard good things about the sessions with the CMs too - not just the kids one, but the ones where they talk about traditional African art or whatever as many of them are from Africa. Of all the resorts, AKL seems like the one you can most feel separate from the rest of WDW - almost like a vacation inside a vacation

Wow - that is so cool with the Giraffe coming so close! Bummer about dinner though - especially the zebra domes. On the plus side at least Mara got to get a second chance ... I guess

I was totally in agreement with you in not going to MK solo that night ... until you mentioned Dole Whip - that is one thing that could have made me go. But given the early rise the next day it was probably the smart move ... just Dole Whips can cause dumb decisions for me

Ok, next to Dole Whip the idea of a fresh cup (or 6) of coffee on the balcony at AKL sounds pretty heavenly.

I truly feel walking down a fairly empty Main St. is one of the great joys of life. I think that little nook off to the side is where some of the princesses that got kicked out of Fairy Tale Hall by Anna and Elsa now meet

I also love that one balcony with the flowers at it feels like a nod to New Orleans Square at Disneyland.

One of my favorite things about WDW is that I got to experience it as a kid, and then as an adult sans kids and now with my kids and seeing them love things that I love - but also different things that they are more excited about than me.

That birthday book is such a great idea and that is such a cute picture!




Ach, that is nothing though compared to the above shot! That is amazing, and you might have also made the guy reading this TR cry a little. So sweet!

So sorry that CP didn't go better - sometimes kids just get to the point of too much everything. Even better that you got those pictures before the meltdown of "Mehdown" happened ... and if the downside scenario is spending time at AKL, not too bad.

Animal Kingdom Lodge has such a great variety of things to do for kids it's unbelievable. I can't wait to stay there when Landon gets older and will want to enjoy those little perks more. And if they could put in a kiddie splash park like the ones the Grand Floridian and the Polynesian than we'd never stay anywhere else again.


Dole Whips were a big incentive to go to the park, especially in the summertime when it was really hot out, but sleep won.




It's hard to go to Disney and NOT get into the park pre-opening. I didn't think I'd miss it as much as I did last week. Definitely one of the main reasons I'm going to be sure and plan my dining reservations carefully this upcoming trip.



That photo of Landon was one of my favorites from the trip.

 

[TinkLoverSam]

I just had to comment about the accordion busses. My DH is a transit driver and while he now drives the light rail train he used to drive the busses and he says the accordion busses are easier to drive and turn because they have a smaller turning radius than the regular busses. A regular bus is 40 feet long and only has the two sets of wheels so it turns... Not well at all! The accordion busses are 60 feet long but have 4 sets of wheels so it can actually turn much more sharply (sleep deprivation from a four week old means I'm not sure if any of that made sense at all!)

 

[amazingact21]

EPCOT- Monday May 12
Wait, What?

The Dole Whip with Rum is permanent in AK? I did not know that! Where?

I couldn't have had it on my June trip anyway, because no alcohol for chaperones, but still. This is great info!



Too funny about your mom inventing that treat.

It's like that time my family was at the Wizarding World , and we had just seen the last Harry Potter Movie and we said "You know what Universal needs to build? A rollercoaster ride through Gringott's Bank" And lo-and-behold... Escape from Gringott's!

Your mom, and we, should be getting theme park royalties!



I will go on record to say that the Piggylicious Cupcake was NOT my idea!

It is in Animal Kingdom! It's at Tamu Tamu refreshments over in Africa. While I've never actually gotten one there (I haven't been to AK since Dec. 2013...yikes!) I read a Trip Report where someone ordered one there. So it does exist! Now, if they could add that to the Pineapple Lanai over at the Polynesian I could plan a weekend getaway and not even buy tickets.


The Gringotts bank scene was set up perfectly to be turned into a ride! Universal would've been dropping the ball big time if they skipped out on that idea.

So glad I found this trip report. I did read your first one, though it was after you had completed it so I don't know if I ever commented. You have such a lovely family and I'm loving your report(s). Looking forward to reading more

Thank you so much for reading! I am being a terrible slacker on this trip and barely updating at all. Maybe with no trips in the near future to go on I'll be able to catch up and post in a timely manner.

I just had to comment about the accordion busses. My DH is a transit driver and while he now drives the light rail train he used to drive the busses and he says the accordion busses are easier to drive and turn because they have a smaller turning radius than the regular busses. A regular bus is 40 feet long and only has the two sets of wheels so it turns... Not well at all! The accordion busses are 60 feet long but have 4 sets of wheels so it can actually turn much more sharply (sleep deprivation from a four week old means I'm not sure if any of that made sense at all!)

You know, I never thought of them that way. Now that you explain it, makes more sense. How's merging into traffic with them, though? I'd be so worried about crazy tourists trying to cut me off constantly...
Congrats on the 4 week old! (Probably 5 weeks by now.) I completely understand the sleep deprivation troubles, don't worry about apologizing. Hopefully you're able to get some naps in!

 

[Nermel9]

Finally catching up!

AKL is so beautiful! That playground looks like fun, and OMG I can't believe how close that giraffe got to you guys!

Wow, you guys got to MK super early! I love an empty Main Street, and that little side area is one of my favorites!

Aww, those pictures of Landon with the sign were adorable, what a great idea!

I'm sorry your trip to Crystal Palace wasn't that great, but I can understand where Landon's coming from! Sometimes you just get to a point at Disney when you're done, you're done!

 

[amazingact21]

Finally catching up!

AKL is so beautiful! That playground looks like fun, and OMG I can't believe how close that giraffe got to you guys!

Wow, you guys got to MK super early! I love an empty Main Street, and that little side area is one of my favorites!

Aww, those pictures of Landon with the sign were adorable, what a great idea!

I'm sorry your trip to Crystal Palace wasn't that great, but I can understand where Landon's coming from! Sometimes you just get to a point at Disney when you're done, you're done!

I love AKL! If it wasn't the farthest resort on property, I'd try an stay there every trip. But with young kids, that monorail is a big convenience.


I want to say our reservation for CP was around 8am, so we had to be at the park so early. The only perk to that was there was zero traffic on the road and the sun was absolutely bruta that early on. But yeah, we decided to skip that early arrival on this last trip, because we wanted to sleep in.