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

[teekathepony]

That view of the giraffes sleeping is amazing. That's one thing we didn't see when we were there, it seemed like the animals on our savannah went into a barn or different area at night.
I'm glad you got to set out by yourself for a while! I'm sure it was a welcome break.
Oh NO! RnR was down? I hope it didn't stay that way for very long.

 

[amazingact21]

Ok, that's a pretty huge benefit of staying at AKL.

I'm glad you had this experience to kind of re-charge you after a less than stellar day. Not a bad way at all to wake up and start things off fresh.

As someone who always stayed value before, getting that kind of sight right from my room made me understand why people pay for a deluxe. And while I still enjoy staying at Pop, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to save up for a couple more deluxe stays before the kids grow up.

Um yeah... solo park time!! Giraffes are cool and everything, but you don't want to miss rope drop.

It will ruin you forever. But it is so nice to have that freedom!

I can completely see this logic. I'd tend to feel the same.


But this argument wins, hands down!

It was definitely a smart move on your part. And I'd have been extremely tempted to make them aware of that fact.

I thought that first picture you posted looking down Sunset Blvd looked exceptionally crowded for an early morning crowd.

That really stinks! I hope RnRC opens back up and you can salvage the day.

Hollywood Studios was really crowded that morning! Which was kind of funny, because that was the only time we ever encountered a lot of people. Everyone REALLY wanted to experience the Frozen Summer Fun.

Wow! That is one amazing view. My kids would LOVE waking up to that sight. AKL has moved up my list big time, we usually stay value though, but have recently moved up to moderates. (I did stay in the AK villa once when I went with a group, but not with my family) one day... one day ;-) Sounds like a nice morning despite RnR being down. Can't wait to read about your solo shopping, I think shopping is the hardest thing with kids, I would love to browse the shops without my kids.

We are usually value people, as well, which I think made us appreciate the view that much more. For the time being, we're back to Values (even with a military discount they are just a little out of our vacation budget) but we hope to make it back to AKL when the kids get older. There is so much for them to do at the resort, and who wouldn't love to see a giraffe wake up one morning? It's an experience on its own, and you don't even have to get out of your PJs for it.

I used to be such a browser when it came to shopping. But ever since having Landon I go into the store, get what I need, and leave! Kids are too unpredictable to take a long time with.

 

[amazingact21]

That is an awesome way to start your day!


It's right up there with the Poly as our favorite resort. Gotta get back there someday! It really is fantastic to just hang out on those balconies.

I have to agree with you on that. I don't know which resort I like more, AKL or the Poly. They both have their pros and cons. I keep telling myself Alex and I are going to make it back there and just have a relaxing weekend on one of those balconies. Of course, I might be saying that to keep my sanity now that I'm about to have two kids under 3 in my house.

Haha, I can relate!


Smart of you to take advantage of that shade. Annoying that others have to gripe about it.


I'm thinking it might be due to RnRC being Tier 1 along with TSMM, so everyone needs to ride it standby. Sorry it was down, I hope you get to ride it!

That might very well have been the case. I know I've done that before myself.
Either way, it caused a major pileup outside the attraction when it wouldn't open.

That view of the giraffes sleeping is amazing. That's one thing we didn't see when we were there, it seemed like the animals on our savannah went into a barn or different area at night.
I'm glad you got to set out by yourself for a while! I'm sure it was a welcome break.
Oh NO! RnR was down? I hope it didn't stay that way for very long.

Guess you two will just have to go back to AKL one day....

I had honestly never thought about what happened to the animals at night. I figured they got put away for awhile, because that'd be the time the vets and caretakers could examine/look at them. But I guess I was mistaken.


Getting some solo park time was such a treat. I don't want to say it was the highlight of my trip, because that'd be mean to my family, but it was certainly something I appreciated. It was the first time I felt that Disney magic on the trip, and it did wonders for my patience and attitude!

 

[amazingact21]

August 20th, 2014:



My hard work at getting absolutely nothing accomplished at Rope Drop had made me a little hungry. Fortunately, I was right next to my favorite treat shop in Disney.

Starring Rolls.



Back at home, I’m actually not a cupcake kind of gal. Not even a cake person, really. If I do indulge in some kind of dessert it’s typically ice cream, but when vacationing in the world I make an exception.


If you’ve ever seen one of their mammoth sized servings, I think you’d agree with me, too.



I was planning on getting a chocolate peanut butter cupcake, but I decided to embrace the Frozen craze and try one of their specialty cupcakes. The Star Wars one had been delicious, so why should this seasonal special be any different?




I got an order of coffee but couldn’t finish it, because it was really strong. The Olaf cupcake was good, but it was way too sweet for just me.

I was like Goldilocks right then. Coffee’s too bitter, cake’s too sweet, nothing was just right.




The seating outside was limited, and there was a poor mother with a stroller looking for some place to sit. I waved her over to my table and offered to share my spot with her. She was so relieved to have the help. Apparently, such kindness had been few and far between.


We had a really nice conversation while we ate our breakfasts. They were a family from Canada, the dad and daughter were riding a coaster, and they were having a bit of trouble adjusting to vacationing in the world. They were staying at the Grand Floridian and were a little overwhelmed by how big the resort was and how crowded the places were, and struggling with keeping up with dining reservations and Fastpasses.


She even admitted to me that she was starting to think nobody in the parks was nice, because she’d seen too many men and women not offer an extra chair or space on a park bench.

Poor gal.

Made me twice as glad I decided to eat at Starring Rolls so that I could do my best to convince her not to lose faith in Disney.




My meal finished, I headed towards the now non-existent Sorcerer’s Hat. I don’t know if they moved it anywhere, but the hat used to house one of Alex and I’s favorite pin shops. A lot of the merchandise that couldn’t be found in the generic stores were at the Hat shop, so we always made a point to stop by once each trip.


I started my browsing and turned around just in time to see Donald Duck walk through the shop with his handler. He stopped at the checkout counter and pointed to a pair of scissors the Cast Member had sitting out, then he started wagging said finger in a “No, no, no,” gesture.


I couldn’t help but laugh and give the Cast Member a bit of a hard time about it when I went to check out.

“You just got scolded by a duck…”



I would’ve went a little further with the joke, but the poor fellow looked almost sick with worry. When we went to put in my Annual Pass discount for my purchase, he completely botched it up, which only made him get more panicked. I felt really bad for the guy; he was obviously new and was clearly having a hard time getting used to his job. I wanted to tell him it’d be all right. Not to stress about the small stuff. I told him if he couldn’t figure out the discount code then not to worry about it; I wasn’t going to stress over getting 90 cents off a pin.


He was determined, though. He kept turning over the pins and reading the barcodes to make sure he’d applied the deal to every single item, then when the receipt printed he looked it over with a vengeance.



The funniest part about the whole thing?

When I got back to the room and pulled out the paper I saw that he actually had missed a few items.


Poor, poor Cast Member. I hope his day got easier from that point forward…





I’d killed enough time shopping that my Toy Story Mania fastpass time had come due, so I headed towards the attraction.

f1 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

I still couldn’t believe I’d only just discovered that little gem of a place a year or two back. The things I had been missing…





I was able to walk right into the TSMM queue once I scanned my handy dandy MagicBand:

f2 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


And then got pulled by the glasses station to ride right away.

The perks to being a single rider.


I was hoping I’d get my best score ever on the attraction since I wouldn’t be competing with Alex or holding down a wiggly toddler, but in the end I did pretty average.

f3 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


I guess having someone else to beat helps up my game…






I’m hoping one day in the future my family can make it out to Disneyland and DCA and Alex and I will be able to ride TSMM several times in one day to really hash out who has the better game. Or maybe once Toy Storyland is open this version of the ride will calm down.


Doubtful…but a girl can hope, right?





I checked my phone after walking out of the ride to see if Rock N Roller Coaster was back up and running but no luck.


What to do now?





I supposed I could take Jacquie’s advice and wander into Wandering (hardee harr harr) Oak’s Trading Post and check out their Frozen gear.


There were a lot of kid’s toys and clothes inside shop, and back then that stuff was hard to come by. I had 2 cousins that would have thought they’d have died and gone to Frozen heaven if they saw the dolls and dresses on shelves. In addition to the typical souvenir overload, they were also selling some pretty cool MagicBands and pins. I knew my mom was a fan of Olaf (anyone who loves summer as much as she does is cool in her book) so I texted back and forth with her for a few to see if she wanted anything.


She almost went with the MagicBand, but in the end she picked an Olaf pin instead. I think she might regret that decision now, just because she has visited the parks more times than she thought she would, but at the time she didn’t see the band being worth the cost.


And she had spent a pretty penny earlier in the week on the porcelain Mickey figurine…




Leaving Frozen-land (that’s what it felt like to me) I checked one more time on Rock N Roller Coaster.

Still no luck.


I was just going to have to accept that my day was not going to include my favorite roller coaster.




At least I could say that I didn’t have too much extra fun while Alex was gone.


To round out my shopping excursions, I stopped in the shops along the main drag of the park. Back in May, they had a ring for sale that I really liked, but I made the fatal error of saying I’d go back for it later if I really wanted it. Of course, that never happened, so I was prepared this time around to actually get it.


Per my luck that day, though, the ring was unavailable in my size. The Cast Member had me try and size up and a size down to see if I could make one of them work, but alas, it was not meant to be.


Kind of the theme of this entire trip when I think about it.



I did find some awesome phone cases farther down in the shop, though.

This one, especially, caught my eye:



I really loved it, and I went back and forth with myself for several minutes on whether or not to buy it. In the end I told myself to put it back, because I had just bought my fairly expensive Disney Dooney case for Mother’s Day. I couldn’t really justify getting another one so soon.



Kind of ironic that I went into a store intending to buy an item I regretted not purchasing months earlier only to leave the store seeing something else I really wanted.

And…to this day am still mad I didn’t get.


I’ll learn not to sit on those kind of decisions one day.




As I was coming out of the store, I kind of stumbled into a spot reserved for parade viewing with a Cast Member telling me that if I stayed in that exact spot I’d have a front row view of the Frozen parade that was about to occur.


It was hot out. Really hot out. And I needed to start thinking about getting back to Landon and my mom.


But how could I resist a parade?

I mean, there were parents and little kids who planned entire vacations around seeing this thing.


Meh, why not?


What’s five more minutes out in the FL heat?




They had ice skaters:


Who reminded me quite a bit of MVMCP’s skaters. Hmmmm.




And Kristoff:





And some junior princesses:
Who were just the most adorable little ones ever. They all looked so happy and excited to be walking in the parade; you could just tell they were having the best day of their lives. I’m sure none of them will forget about their touch of stardom in DHS.


Simply endearing.



And, of course, the processional was rounded out with the main event:




All right, that was the fellow they were led by, but honestly they were more interesting to me. Who doesn’t love horses, especially Disney horses? I’m dying to go over to Ft. Wilderness one day and book a riding session. On my bucket list.



There. There were the 2 famous ladies.



I wouldn’t have said that was a “parade” per say. It was more like a couple floats and some street performers. A little mid-morning entertainment show. If I were planning a whole day around the Frozen activities, I think I would have been a little disappointed if I’d waited more than 15 minutes for that.

But for having just stumbled upon it, I wasn’t going to complain.



And the best part about it was that I was right near the exits and had an easy time slipping away from the crowds. Most of the guests around me were trying to shove their way forward to the get to the stage show that was happening farther into the park, while I was moving in the opposite direction.




Before I could even think about making my way to a bus, I had to make a bio break, where I ended up taking one of my more random photos.



Maybe I was trying to show how flipping hot out it was or maybe it was just to commemorate my solo park time.

Goodness only knows when I’m going to get that again.




Alex happened to call me right as I was leaving the bathroom, and I had a brilliant idea.

Why not let him “visit the parks for a minute?”




I walked back through the ticket turnstiles while FaceTiming him. So, technically, he got to go into Hollywood Studios that morning. He even had a Cast Member say hello to him.


Definitely not as good as actually being there, but hey…he got to see the hat and hear the park music and he even got to watch me walk all the way back out to the wrong bus area.

I was so busy talking to him about my morning and what I’d done that I walked straight past the resort buses and made it all the way to the walkways to go to the Boardwalk before I realized my mistake.

Good grief, Alicia.


That was embarrassing.

Because the park wifi wasn’t working worth a lick, I was using data to talk to Alex and that meant the conversation was cut pretty short once I rounded back to the correct bus area.


I texted my mom telling her I was on my way back, and I just stood in the bus line reflecting on what a relaxing morning it had been.


Sure, I hadn’t gotten to do what I’d planned on, but that week was all about adapting and overcoming. In the past, Alex has always been the go with the flow, adjust the plans accordingly person. He tends to have to rationalize and remind me that things rarely go the way they are supposed to, so not having him around to do that was forcing me to be a lot more receptive to road bumps. I was learning a big lesson in letting the little things go and learning to appreciate what I was able to get.



I didn’t get to use my RNRC Fastpass, but I did cheer up a random stranger. I didn’t get to take advantage of a single rider line, but I did do some kid-free shopping.


I didn’t do what I’d set out to that morning, but I did get to leave the room and get a breather for a short while. I knew several military mom friends that never got that kind of break throughout their husband’s entire deployment, and not only did I get that, but I got to do it in Disney no less.

So no complaints from me that day.

Just pure appreciation and joy at being in Disney and staying at a dream resort.






Up Next…Nothing Like a Room Evacuation to Liven Up an Afternoon

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Glad you got in your Via Napoli meal even if not the all time best time ever

I agree with you about how photogenic EPCOT is and how it shows off the best of Florida weather when said weather cooperates. Maybe it is just b/c EPCOT is unique to WDW vs other Disney properties around the globe but more than any other park it really does scream FLORIDA to me (or maybe that is because in Walt's mind it was the key to the Florida Project, even if what was created wasn't really his original vision)

I am glad you got a chance to speak/facetime with Alex. I think our partners serve various rolls and sometimes it is just to vent to and listen.

Ugh, sorry about the scene at Mara. Sometimes there is just nothing you can do and I am sure that when people saw you trying to calm him down they understood and most of the judgementalness would subside - still not a fun time

Sometimes moms really are the best - they can just sense what you need and provide it. Definitely great that she was with you on this trip

It's funny how things work out some times - like, you probably really needed that view of the giraffes that morning more than other times. And I am sure that whole time would have been much tougher if you were at Pop instead of AKL with view of the animals.

It is amazing how much less stuff you need when no kids - it's like there is an inverse relationship between your size and how much stuff is needed when you travel

Oh no! Too bad RnRC was down and had you questioning your plans

Speaking of things sometimes can work out - definitely seemed like you were meant to have to be at Starring Rolls at that time to be there for that woman who was struggling with her trip. Sad that she hadn't experienced more nice guests - glad she met you!

Always tough with shopping - you can't just buy everything that catches your eye, but at the same time it definitely happens that you save something for later and then don't get it. Always a tough balancing act and guess it depends how much you want it. If something you don't recall seeing anywhere else and you really want it, sometimes best to just get it.

That's cool you were able to bring Alex into the park with you. For all the negatives technology can bring that is definitely a positive ... can't imagine back in the day when the best you could do was write him a letter.

Definitely not the morning you envisioned but maybe the one you needed - or the one others needed of you.

 

[JPFamilyMom]

Your solo morning sounds great!!! Oh I so know about too sweet cupcakes, I had one with what seemed like a pound of icing one time, it wasn't quite what I had expected ;-)
so nice of you to brighten someones day.
room evacuation that does not sound good, we had to evacuate our apartment the other day (I have a 10 yo and 7 yo) and that was rough, I can't imagine at a hotel with a toddler.
hope all is going well with you and your pregnancy and your little guy.

 

[afwdwfan]

I was planning on getting a chocolate peanut butter cupcake, but I decided to embrace the Frozen craze and try one of their specialty cupcakes.

Don't do it!!!

I was like Goldilocks right then. Coffee’s too bitter, cake’s too sweet, nothing was just right.

See, I told you! Should have gone with the chocolate peanut butter cupcake.

Made me twice as glad I decided to eat at Starring Rolls so that I could do my best to convince her not to lose faith in Disney.

I love when random moments like these happen.

The funniest part about the whole thing?


When I got back to the room and pulled out the paper I saw that he actually had missed a few items.


Poor, poor Cast Member. I hope his day got easier from that point forward…

poor guy... at least you have to give him credit for trying.

The perks to being a single rider.

I’m hoping one day in the future my family can make it out to Disneyland and DCA and Alex and I will be able to ride TSMM several times in one day to really hash out who has the better game. Or maybe once Toy Storyland is open this version of the ride will calm down.

I really hope the addition of a new track and some more family friendly rides will cut the wait down. I don't think it will ever be a walk on, but I can see it becoming a 40 - 60 minute wait attraction as opposed to 90 +.

Per my luck that day, though, the ring was unavailable in my size. The Cast Member had me try and size up and a size down to see if I could make one of them work, but alas, it was not meant to be.


Kind of the theme of this entire trip when I think about it.

That really is frustrating! I'm so sorry that things just never seemed to quite work out according to plan.

And…to this day am still mad I didn’t get.

But you did the responsible thing. And sometimes being responsible just sucks.

Who doesn’t love horses

Full disclosure... my sisters have horses and one has made a career of training horses and is now a vet tech. I've spent far too much time around them and... well...

Maybe I was trying to show how flipping hot out it was or maybe it was just to commemorate my solo park time.

Or maybe you just wanted to document the cleanliness of the restroom?

Alex happened to call me right as I was leaving the bathroom, and I had a brilliant idea.


Why not let him “visit the parks for a minute?”

Awesome idea!!!!

I didn’t get to use my RNRC Fastpass, but I did cheer up a random stranger. I didn’t get to take advantage of a single rider line, but I did do some kid-free shopping.

I'm glad you were able to keep this attitude and spin it this way!

 

[Gracefulskinny]

My hard work at getting absolutely nothing accomplished at Rope Drop

Kind of the theme of this entire trip when I think about it.

How frustrating! To look forward to something so much and then have it go wrong.

 

[amazingact21]

Glad you got in your Via Napoli meal even if not the all time best time ever

I agree with you about how photogenic EPCOT is and how it shows off the best of Florida weather when said weather cooperates. Maybe it is just b/c EPCOT is unique to WDW vs other Disney properties around the globe but more than any other park it really does scream FLORIDA to me (or maybe that is because in Walt's mind it was the key to the Florida Project, even if what was created wasn't really his original vision)

That's a really good point. I think I'll always associate Epcot with the FL theme parks, more so than any of the other ones. It manages to embrace eleven different countries and cultures AND the best of Florida's attributes.

I am glad you got a chance to speak/facetime with Alex. I think our partners serve various rolls and sometimes it is just to vent to and listen.

Ugh, sorry about the scene at Mara. Sometimes there is just nothing you can do and I am sure that when people saw you trying to calm him down they understood and most of the judgementalness would subside - still not a fun time

Sometimes moms really are the best - they can just sense what you need and provide it. Definitely great that she was with you on this trip

It's funny how things work out some times - like, you probably really needed that view of the giraffes that morning more than other times. And I am sure that whole time would have been much tougher if you were at Pop instead of AKL with view of the animals.

I can't say I was too sad to go from staying at Pop to AKL. And I think my mom really loved the chance to get to experience a deluxe resort.

It is amazing how much less stuff you need when no kids - it's like there is an inverse relationship between your size and how much stuff is needed when you travel

Oh no! Too bad RnRC was down and had you questioning your plans

Speaking of things sometimes can work out - definitely seemed like you were meant to have to be at Starring Rolls at that time to be there for that woman who was struggling with her trip. Sad that she hadn't experienced more nice guests - glad she met you!

Always tough with shopping - you can't just buy everything that catches your eye, but at the same time it definitely happens that you save something for later and then don't get it. Always a tough balancing act and guess it depends how much you want it. If something you don't recall seeing anywhere else and you really want it, sometimes best to just get it.

That's cool you were able to bring Alex into the park with you. For all the negatives technology can bring that is definitely a positive ... can't imagine back in the day when the best you could do was write him a letter.

Definitely not the morning you envisioned but maybe the one you needed - or the one others needed of you.

I won't lie, I was really disappointed that RNRC was down that morning. Kind of felt like the universe was working against me that whole trip. But I knew if I let one more thing get to me I'd ruin my whole vacation. I had no other choice but to just brush it off and keep going.
I can only hope I keep that kind of mentality on future vacations.

Your solo morning sounds great!!! Oh I so know about too sweet cupcakes, I had one with what seemed like a pound of icing one time, it wasn't quite what I had expected ;-)
so nice of you to brighten someones day.
room evacuation that does not sound good, we had to evacuate our apartment the other day (I have a 10 yo and 7 yo) and that was rough, I can't imagine at a hotel with a toddler.
hope all is going well with you and your pregnancy and your little guy.

Sometimes, less is more when it comes to desserts. I love rich tasting treats, like chocolates and cheesecakes, but my sweet threshold isn't very strong. Makes my teeth hurt just thinking about that Olaf cupcake!


The room evacuation wasn't quite what it seemed, but it was definitely necessary for my mom and I.

We are all doing well, just waiting impatiently for our newest addition to arrive!

 

[amazingact21]

Don't do it!!!

See, I told you! Should have gone with the chocolate peanut butter cupcake.

I love when random moments like these happen.


poor guy... at least you have to give him credit for trying.



I really hope the addition of a new track and some more family friendly rides will cut the wait down. I don't think it will ever be a walk on, but I can see it becoming a 40 - 60 minute wait attraction as opposed to 90 +.

I do, too. I mean, the ride can only stay at those astronomical levels for so long. Right? I'm secretly hoping everyone flies to the new Star Wars land when it opens and clears out the other areas. Go ahead and go, folks, I'll take walk on times at RNRC any day...

That really is frustrating! I'm so sorry that things just never seemed to quite work out according to plan.

But you did the responsible thing. And sometimes being responsible just sucks.



Full disclosure... my sisters have horses and one has made a career of training horses and is now a vet tech. I've spent far too much time around them and... well...

Or maybe you just wanted to document the cleanliness of the restroom?

Awesome idea!!!!


I'm glad you were able to keep this attitude and spin it this way!

Hah, I can see where you'd be sick of horses. I used to ride and be around them a lot when I was kid, but as an adult I don't ever get that experience so that's probably why I miss them so much. I'm sure I'd be the same if someone said something like that about chickens or dogs or dolphins. I've kind of become accustomed to them to where they lost their appeal.

How frustrating! To look forward to something so much and then have it go wrong.

I won't lie, I was really bummed that RNRC was down that morning. Of all the days it could have broke, it had to be the day I went to DHS.
But that was how my entire trip was going, so I wasn't too surprised. Just had to take the hit and keep moving forward.

 

[amazingact21]

August 20, 2014:


I returned to Animal Kingdom Lodge to find my mom and Landon having a grand time in the resort. My mom said Landon was starting to feel a lot better and wanted to walk the hallways all morning long. He’d actually roamed around so much that all the mousekeepers on our floor had come to know him. When I took him to lunch shortly after I got back, one of them was coming out of a room and exclaimed, “There goes Landon again! Walk, baby!” My mom informed me a few moments later that Landon reminded the lady of her grandbabies and conversing with him reminded her of home.




After lunch and catching up with my mom for a while, she headed down to the pool to get some relaxing in while I put Landon down for his nap.



He was out!





I didn’t do much during his two hour nap. Played around on my ipad mostly…went through my pin stash.









I think it was safe to say I’d spent the gift card Alex had given me on myself. Ironically enough, that was probably the largest amount of souvenirs I’d ever bought on one trip. I guess with the main shopper of the family gone, I felt it was my duty to pick up the slack.




My mom got back from the pool, where she took a nice nap on one of the lounge chairs, and Landon made his way back into the land of the living. He was such a happy camper compared to that same time yesterday. My mom and I couldn’t stop commenting on how the break away from the parks and all the stimulation really mellowed him out.



The two of us weren’t planning on rushing out the door to our next destination any time soon, but Landon changed that plan.

As a parent, sometimes kids give you messes that are pretty gross.



No matter how high you think your tolerance for that kind of stuff has become, they love to prove you wrong and present you with a whole new level of nasty.

On that afternoon Landon did just that and it was our misfortune that it happened when we were trapped in our resort room.



I took the offensive weapon down the hallway and disposed of it in a place we wouldn’t have to smell it. (I couldn’t even type that without feeling so, so, so guilty for the poor folks who made the mistake of going to the vending machine that afternoon. Poor unfortunate souls, in pain…..)


I got back to the room and it was still a toxic wasteland. My mom couldn’t do it. She opened the balcony door and we escaped outside.

That wasn’t working.


We propped open the room door to try and get a cross breeze going.


Still nothing.


My mom and I had to admit defeat.


Landon had successfully ran us out of the room. Some extra time roaming around the other Disney resorts before our dinner reservation was a must.

I can say over a year later that that was the worst diaper experience I ever had with Landon.


So many lovely memories were made while on that Disney trip....





The three of us hopped on a MK bus, then walked to the resort monorail and rode it to the Contemporary Resort. My mom had never been inside before, and I knew from my May trip there were lots of open spaces for Landon to walk around in. It was the perfect place to kill some time.


I fretted a little over how Landon was going to handle the outing. He hadn’t been anywhere but Animal Kingdom Lodge since the previous morning, but I ended up having nothing to fear. Whatever was ailing him earlier was wearing off, and he was in the best mood he’d been in in days.

The stairs leading down to the conference rooms were a massive hit:












As was the open floor between the shops and the Bay Lake Tower walkway. Landon ran around and around in circles in that space and watched the monorails going by through the big glass windows.


Eventually, I became exhausted from chasing him around and going up and down the stairs and picking him up and removing him from the shops and their tempting toys. I needed to sit for a second and catch my breath, so my mom and I found an open bench and made ourselves at home.


A kind Cast Member saw Landon and came over and gave him a sticker and talked to him for a few minutes. The sticker was neat. It was Contemporary themed.


I wished I hadn’t unstuck it from the paper so I could have kept it.




But how I could tell that happy face no?



Landon’s world was knocked over when he saw the first monorail go by right over his head.

He thought that was the greatest thing on the face of the earth.

Every single time the express one went by he’d point and chase after it then become heartbroken when it went out of eyesight.


I took a video of the experience, because it was just so cute, but I don’t have it uploaded to any site so you’ll just have to believe me.


I knew kids loved the monorail, but I didn’t realize how much.


I emailed Alex telling him that I was officially outnumbered. My household now had 2 votes for the Contemporary as the next dream deluxe to my 1 vote for the Poly.



I knew right then and there that I’d have to stay at that resort one day, no matter how I felt about it. Landon was too in love to deny him that opportunity…





We were still half an hour away from our dinner reservation time, but I figured my mom and I could head over there and see what the chances were for getting in early.

It was a slim chance, but we never would know if we didn’t try.

And, amazingly, we were able to go right in!


I was treating my mom to a brand new restaurant for her, one that Alex and I had tried in May and fell in love with. She’d heard so much about the menu and the theming that she really wanted to try it, and I had lucked out and gotten an available ADR. (I found it in the middle of a haircut, actually. The hairdresser thought I was nuts when I started booking the reservation while sitting in her chair.)

The place in question?

O’hana!



There aren’t really any pictures from our experience there. I suppose I was too busy eating to do much else.




My mom ordered some kind of pineapple drink that she said was really, really good.


I got a favorite of mine:



I don’t know what it is about the Polynesian, but they make one of the best Pina Coladas around. They are better than the ones on the Disney Cruises, plus they come in an awesome glass. I always start out with the angry tiki face and turn it around halfway through. Who isn’t happier after drinking one of those?


I wish I had forgone the drink, though, because it filled me up too much, and I wasn’t able to eat all my noodles or pot stickers.

Shameful.


Landon, though, was back to chowing down on bread and edamame and beef, so I was relieved. Although, the waitress we had did rub my mom the wrong way due to a Landon situation.


Landon wasn’t even 2 at the time of our meal, and 90% of the meals I took him to both there and at home, he just ate off my plate. When our waitress came to take our drink orders initially, she was really nice and friendly. But then she asked if I wanted to order Landon some chicken nuggets or hot dogs off the kid’s menu.

I told her no, that he would just eat off my plate, because A)neither of us eat that much to begin with and B)I wasn’t going to make him eat generic nuggets when he could have real meats and vegetables.


I gave her my reply in a friendly enough way and I definitely didn’t go into the whole “I’d rather him eat what’s being served over another option spewl” but she got really snippy with us after that and pretty much ignored us for the rest of the meal.


It was like she thought we were trying to work the system and not pay for a kid’s worth of food. Which I could’ve understood.


If he was 3.

Or if he was actually eating a serving’s worth.


But between him and I, we might have had 2 pieces of beef and 1 piece of chicken from the skewers.



So that was a little bit of an annoyance, but not enough to ruin my mom’s experience. She fell in love with pot stickers, just like I thought she would, and she told me she’d eat at O’hanas every single trip if she could.



And then the bread pudding came out…

This was such a special moment for us that it made the entire trip (Landon’s fussiness and all) worth it.

While we were waiting for the dish, I explained to my mom how it was a bread pudding, and she shared her apprehension with that kind of dish with me. She told me how she wasn’t a big bread pudding fan because most are a hard consistency and she grew up on her grandmother’s type, which is softer.


The dessert came out, we each dished ourselves some, my mom took a bite, and tears sprang into her eyes.

The bread pudding reminded her exactly of her grandmother’s. To a tee.


Something that she hadn’t been able to have since she was a girl. I think she might’ve had it before her wedding, but that was still over 20 years ago for her. Her grandmother passed in the 80’s, and when my mom tasted that dish, it brought her right back to memories of this woman she loved dearly.


It was so sweet to watch my mom experience that kind of remembrance through food. I had no idea that was going to happen when I brought her to the restaurant, but I was extremely grateful that it worked out that way.


When my mom finished her plate, she actually thanked me for taking her there, because she got something she never expected.

It was surreal and lovely and probably one of my mother’s most cherished Disney memories. Ever.




I can’t even imagine what that had to have been like. I know I have a few foods that will always remind me of people, but I’m fortunate enough to still have them around. I just pictured myself taking a bite of my father in-law’s French Onion Soup after not having it for decades, and I couldn’t wrap my head around those kinds of emotions.

It was crazy, to say the least.




Once dinner was over, my mom and I made our way back to Animal Kingdom Lodge. I have no idea why we didn’t go into the Magic Kingdom for some late night fun. Landon was doing much better.

My only guess is we were both tired and wanted to be ready to get up early the following morning.


It was my birthday day, after all!

Hooray!






Up Next… Always Go with the Cinnamon Roll

 

[Positively Bashful]

Ah, the mystery of Landon's uncharacteristic behavior is solved! Imagine how cranky you'd be if you had toxic sludge brewing in your tiny intestines.

Glad it cleared up before you had to go home with no really happy memories of the trip.

 

[Dugette]

Back at home, I’m actually not a cupcake kind of gal. Not even a cake person, really. If I do indulge in some kind of dessert, it’s typically ice cream, but when vacationing in the world I make an exception.

And this is why we get along! I'm the same - I am not a big fan of cake or cupcakes unless they are something really special. I love ice cream, though. But, yeah, I've indulged in a few Disney cupcakes.

Made me twice as glad I decided to eat at Starring Rolls so that I could do my best to convince her not to lose faith in Disney.

Aw, that was sweet of you to share some magic with her.

I was just going to have to accept that my day was not going to include my favorite roller coaster.

What a bummer that it was down for so long!

I walked back through the ticket turnstiles while FaceTiming him. So, technically, he got to go into Hollywood Studios that morning. He even had a Cast Member say hello to him.

That is really cool!

I returned to Animal Kingdom Lodge to find my mom and Landon having a grand time in the resort. My mom said Landon was starting to feel a lot better and wanted to walk the hallways all morning long. He’d actually roamed around so much that all the mousekeepers on our floor had come to know him. When I took him to lunch shortly after I got back, one of them was coming out of a room and exclaimed, “There goes Landon again! Walk, baby!” My mom informed me a few moments later that Landon reminded the lady of her grandbabies and conversing with him reminded her of home.

Aw, so sweet!

He was such a happy camper compared to that same time yesterday. My mom and I couldn’t stop commenting on how the break away from the parks and all the stimulation really mellowed him out.

Yay, so glad that he was so much happier!

Landon had successfully ran us out of the room. Some extra time roaming around the other Disney resorts before our dinner reservation was a must.



I can say over a year later that that was the worst diaper experience I ever had with Landon.



So many lovely memories were made while on that Disney trip....

I think traveling with a baby or toddler all but guarantees you'll have some fond bathroom-related memories.

But then she asked if I wanted to order Landon some chicken nuggets or hot dogs off the kid’s menu.

I didn't even know they had a kids menu there. How weird that the waitress reacted that way.

The bread pudding reminded her exactly of her grandmother’s. To a tee.




Something that she hadn’t been able to have since she was a girl. I think she might’ve had it before her wedding, but that was still over 20 years ago for her. Her grandmother passed in the 80’s, and when my mom tasted that dish, it brought her right back to memories of this woman she loved dearly.

That's so great! What a wonderful bonus ending to a great meal.

 

[JPFamilyMom]

Sounds like a delightful day despite the unfortunate diaper, lol. But maybe that is what helped Landon feel better
Exciting.... can't wait to read about your birthday day

 

[Gracefulskinny]

When I took him to lunch shortly after I got back, one of them was coming out of a room and exclaimed, “There goes Landon again! Walk, baby!”

I took the offensive weapon down the hallway and disposed of it in a place we wouldn’t have to smell it. (I couldn’t even type that without feeling so, so, so guilty for the poor folks who made the mistake of going to the vending machine that afternoon. Poor unfortunate souls, in pain…..)

Landon had successfully ran us out of the room. Some extra time roaming around the other Disney resorts before our dinner reservation was a must.

Great idea!

Whatever was ailing him earlier was wearing off, and he was in the best mood he’d been in in days

Landon’s world was knocked over when he saw the first monorail go by right over his head.






He thought that was the greatest thing on the face of the earth.

I gave her my reply in a friendly enough way and I definitely didn’t go into the whole “I’d rather him eat what’s being served over another option spewl” but she got really snippy with us after that and pretty much ignored us for the rest of the meal.






It was like she thought we were trying to work the system and not pay for a kid’s worth of food. Which I could’ve understood.




If he was 3.




Or if he was actually eating a serving’s worth.

Uhhhh...... Odd.

The bread pudding reminded her exactly of her grandmother’s. To a tee.

How very special!!!!

 

[amazingact21]

Ah, the mystery of Landon's uncharacteristic behavior is solved! Imagine how cranky you'd be if you had toxic sludge brewing in your tiny intestines.

Glad it cleared up before you had to go home with no really happy memories of the trip.

I was really relieved that Landon started to feel better before the trip was over. Even if it did mean we had to run out of our room halfway through the day.

And this is why we get along! I'm the same - I am not a big fan of cake or cupcakes unless they are something really special. I love ice cream, though. But, yeah, I've indulged in a few Disney cupcakes.

Hopefully one day our Disney trips will cross paths and we can hang out. I feel like both us and the kids would get along great!

Ice cream is my go-to dessert. I don't know what I'm looking forward to more, not being pregnant anymore and being able to splurge on sundaes again. Alex knows that my post baby celebration item is a milkshake...

Aw, that was sweet of you to share some magic with her.


What a bummer that it was down for so long!


That is really cool!


Aw, so sweet!


Yay, so glad that he was so much happier!


I think traveling with a baby or toddler all but guarantees you'll have some fond bathroom-related memories.


I didn't even know they had a kids menu there. How weird that the waitress reacted that way.


That's so great! What a wonderful bonus ending to a great meal.

Kids have a knack for making the biggest messes when they're out of the house! I'm already anxious about our May Disney trip. Landon's been potty training (although very reluctantly..the boy is crazy stubborn) and by the time of our trip, we'll have a baby AND a kid that'll be fresh out of the diaper stage. I imagine I'll have several panicked moments in lines and in restaurants...


I don't understand the kid's menu at O'hana's, either. I guess it's there for the picky eaters...

 

[amazingact21]

Sounds like a delightful day despite the unfortunate diaper, lol. But maybe that is what helped Landon feel better
Exciting.... can't wait to read about your birthday day

By that evening, I was so relieved that Landon wasn't crying or unhappy that I didn't care if he'd run us out of our room.

My Disney birthday was definitely different than I expected it to be...

Great idea!





Uhhhh...... Odd.

How very special!!!!

My mom's experience at O'hana definitely put the restaurant in a new life for me.
I do have to laugh that both my husband and my mother share the same favorite Disney restaurant. I'll never get to take a trip and NOT eat there again.

 

[amazingact21]

August 21st, 2014:


It was my birthday!!!


I was going to get to spend my actual birthday in the Disney parks with my son and my mother. How great was that going to be?


And it was our last day of vacation, so that added desire of wanting to capture every experience, every smell, every memory possible was there as well.



It was going to be great!


Except…



When my alarm clock went off, I opened my eyes and WHAM.

My head felt like it weighed a thousand pounds and it was like someone had put a boulder between my eyeballs.

Oh no.

Dear, dear, dear….


Everything finally fell in place for me.


THIS was why Landon had been acting so terrible all week.


He’d been sick.


And it was apparent that whatever he had was kind enough to jump to me.

I turned over and faced my mom and told her about this recent development.

My poor son.

For days he’d been feeling like junk and did I – his mom – give him any medicine? Keep him cool indoors? Provide a BRAT diet?

Nope.


Nope.


And nope.


Instead, I took him out in 100 degree heat and made him sweat and walk around and try and be on his best behavior.

I felt terrible.

Both physically and emotionally.


Landon was the kid who never got sick, especially with any kind of cold or sinus infection, so the concept had never crossed my mind. But sitting in bed that morning, my head feeling like an anvil, I knew we’d been hit with something nasty.



But, but…it was my birthday!

It was my last day of vacation!

Why couldn’t this thing have held off for another day? Why’d it pick today of all days to appear?



Well no matter.

This wasn’t the first time I’d started coming down with a cold at Disney. If I could survive the one Disney day I got at the tail end of our Disney Cruise honeymoon with the sniffles, I could do another.




The Magic Kingdom had morning extra magic hours that morning, as if the park was welcoming me early on my day, and I wasn’t about to miss it. Landon was in a great mood, and there were a couple things I wanted to let him ride before we left.


My group and I made our way to the bus stop. (I was not in the mood to drive and deal with the TTC transportation that morning.) A huge crowd had already formed at the MK spot, and it didn’t take long before dozens of others showed up behind us.



I don’t know what was going on, but there were no buses arriving for the park. Ten minutes passed, then fifteen, then twenty…it was getting ridiculous. The kids were becoming bored and the adults were getting grumpy. There were lots of grumbles and expletives thrown around. It was pretty nuts…the line was backed up almost to the lobby doors, which if you are familiar with AKL you know spans a long walkway and through a rather large stop.


Finally, a dad at the front of the line left and went got a Cast Member working the front desk. I guess he put up quite the fuss, because someone appeared shortly afterwards and radioed in 3 buses for the park.


And 3 buses weren’t even enough! My mom, Landon, and I made it on the second one, and we weren’t that far back. Disney probably needed close to 5 or 6 to get everyone to their destination.



My mom was highly disappointed in the whole situation. She swore that she had never had those kind of issues when she stayed at the value resorts, and I had to agree with her. You would have thought since we were paying for a deluxe experience, we’d have had a smooth bus experience.


But if I’ve learned one thing since both that trip and my other ones, the deluxes actually have some of the most unorganized bus systems. I’d take the All Stars to the Poly any day of the week.






Because of the delay, we were dropped off at the MK right as the park was opening.



We saw the finale shot as we were walking up to bag check.


I was hoping to get there for the opening show, because I never seem to make it to it on other days. Usually, Alex and I are eating at Crystal Palace. But it wasn’t meant to be on that day.

Something to add to my future To-Do list.






I don’t know if it was the timing of our arrival or just that particular day, but the crowds were already really heavy.


I had never seen the start of a morning EMH that busy before.












Hello, Stitch.





My mom insisted I take a photo in front of the castle to memorialize my birthday in Disney.




But I see that picture and all I can remember is almost dropping Landon from being so hot and tired.






Since it was my mom, Landon, and myself in the Magic Kingdom there was no argument over what to do first.

A tradition for my mom and I on our trips together.
It doesn’t hurt that it’s Landon’s favorite, either.



















The attraction never gets old for Landon.
Or for my mom.







When we got off Small World, I offered to walk us over to the other side of Fantasyland to ride another popular ride in our family.

f1 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


As far as newer rides go, I love Under the Sea. I think it fits right in with a traditional dark ride while utilizing newer technology, and it’s something I always try and experience once each trip.




After journeying through Ariel’s world, my mom and I were feeling a little puckish and needed something to fill our bellies.

And I knew just the place to go.

Gaston’s Tavern.


I told my mom she needed to try the warm cinnamon roll. It wouldn’t disappoint.

She went and found a seat for us and the stroller while I ordered.


I wanted the roll, as well, but I was afraid it would be too much for me in my condition, so I went with a smaller Danish.

f2 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


As soon as I sat down to eat it, I regretted my decision. No matter how I felt, a cinnamon roll is always the right choice.



Oh well…



While we were eating, I checked my phone and saw Big Thunder Mountain had about a fifteen minute wait over in Frontierland.


I really wanted to go on it at least once this trip. I hadn’t been on any coasters yet. No Mountain, no Everest, no Rock N Roller Coaster (no Mine Train, but that was a conscious decision…I wasn’t going to go on that for the first time without Alex around.) I should go on some kind of thrill ride on my birthday.

My mom offered to wait with Landon while I ran over and did it.

I thought about getting up and walking through the Magic Kingdom…


In the heat…

And the bright sunshine…

Then getting on a jostly coaster….

And being whipped around…

While my head felt like it was going to drop off…

Then walking all the way back through the August weather…


No.

It wasn’t going to happen.

My head hurt and my body ached too much to pull that kind of stunt. The reward was not worth the effort on that morning.


Despite knowing the responsible answer and listening to my body, I was still a little crabby from that point on. I wanted to go on a thrill ride and I couldn’t.

Boo.


I was hot, tired, and irritable.

And watching as more and more people piled into the Tavern.

Time to go.


f3 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr




I told my mom I needed some caffeine at that point if I was going to last the rest of the day.

f4 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

The most rewarding wait that morning.

Coffees in hand, I realized Landon had fallen asleep in the stroller.

So no more rides for the time being.



We could have crossed the street and perused the shelves of the Emporium for awhile, but I was kind of shopped out at that point.

Staying outside wasn’t an option. It was too hot and way too crowded.

And I was becoming exhausted.

“I think I need to go back to the room for awhile,” I admitted to my mom.



Yes, we had gone through so much trouble to get to the Magic Kingdom only to stay for an hour, but I knew my limits and knew I needed some serious rest.

We wanted to let Landon get a good nap in, though, so we took our coffees and sat down on a bench by the bus stops.


We figured we’d take our time drinking our beverages and wake him up once we were done.

f5 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr




The view was actually very picturesque:

f6 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr



One of the more random places in Disney to kill time, but it was actually kind of nice. We were separated from the crowds we’d been in the middle of all morning, we were drinking some yummy coffee, it was quiet and there was a nice breeze under the portico.



My mom and I talked about our highlights from the trip so far, what we liked, what we wished we’d done differently, etc etc. We kept commenting over and over again on how we couldn’t believe we missed Landon being sick. We felt like such idiots.


Never again would we overlook something like that.


Close to twenty minutes later, Landon woke up and we headed back to AKL.






Up Next…The Bus Ride from Hades

 

[JPFamilyMom]

OH NO!!! Not on your birthday! So sorry you woke up feeling so crummy.

 

[Dugette]

Hopefully one day our Disney trips will cross paths and we can hang out. I feel like both us and the kids would get along great!

That would be great!

we'll have a baby AND a kid that'll be fresh out of the diaper stage. I imagine I'll have several panicked moments in lines and in restaurants...

That makes me anxious just thinking about it.

Landon was the kid who never got sick, especially with any kind of cold or sinus infection, so the concept had never crossed my mind. But sitting in bed that morning, my head feeling like an anvil, I knew we’d been hit with something nasty.

Ugh, so sorry that you both were sick during this trip!

But, but…it was my birthday!

Of course. I'm pretty sure I've been sick on at least two of my last three birthdays. But, it is during the winter sickness season. Blah.

I don’t know what was going on, but there were no buses arriving for the park. Ten minutes passed, then fifteen, then twenty…it was getting ridiculous.

Wow, that is just awful! And I can picture the line - that had to be atrocious! It might have been enough for me to call a cab if I was further back in that!

My mom was highly disappointed in the whole situation. She swore that she had never had those kind of issues when she stayed at the value resorts, and I had to agree with her. You would have thought since we were paying for a deluxe experience, we’d have had a smooth bus experience.

I'd take the Pop buses over AK any day.

Despite knowing the responsible answer and listening to my body, I was still a little crabby from that point on. I wanted to go on a thrill ride and I couldn’t.

What a bummer! But I totally understand. I've been in the MK while sick and it certainly changes up what you feel like doing.

Up Next…The Bus Ride from Hades