Live from SSR (April 5-10)

[simba20]

Okay, some pics........might have to make a few posts......

The view from our room at SSR:

What I fell asleep to last night:

Sunrise at SSR:

Morning at MK, 7:57 a.m. in front of the castle:

Tomorrowland, after we both rode Space Mountian a few times (2x each), approx 8:30 a.m.

Back of castle, Fantasyland, 9:21 a.m:

Continuing in another post......

 

[nzdisneymom]

wow - there's no one in your pictures! That's great for crowd purposes. Sounds like you all are off to a great start - thanks for doing a live-from trip report and sharing pictures. Since the internet is free, I hope to see more and more live reports!

We've found that the Publix on Vineland (just beyond the Premium Outlets where the Character Premier store is) is easier to get to (and closer) than the one on 192... and a bit less busy. From SSR, just go out to 535 and turn right, then turn left by the Lone Star / Landry's / Golden Corral corner on the other side of I-4 (you'll go under I-4). Then wind your way down by the outlets, past where Dolly Parton's dinner show used to be, and poof, you're there.

Can't wait to read more and see more pics.

 

[simba20]

a few more

Since I was born in Hawaii, I have a thing for hula dancers. Can you guess the ride?

While waiting for the hubster to ride BTMR...crowd in Frintoerland watching parade:

Main Street while eating frozen lemonade at 1:12 p.m.:

Little Bit, a.k.a Cuddlebug a.k.a Stinkbutt and her BA-WOON!:

Off to pack the diaper bag for our visit to AK tomorrow!

 

[nzdisneymom]

Why she's the same size as the dolls in It's a Small World! And way more adorable!

 

[simba20]

Well after going to MK today, we came back to the room. Cuddlebug slept, right up until 3:50 where I realized OMG! She and I needed shower/bath and get ready for Animal Kingdom (dinner ressie at 5:10).

Oh wait, let me back up.

Our ADR’s I made for tomorrow (Yak & Yeti for lunch and Raglan Road for dinner, were spaced to close together. So I walked up to the Carriage House to see if the concierge could work some magic and help me space our ressie further apart, but still at times that met our eating needs. Yipee. I got Yak & Yeti moved form 1:40 to 11:30 and Raglan Road moved from 6:20 to 7:45. Much, much better and gives up plenty of time after eating lunch for our bellies not to be full for dinner. After that I poked around the gift shop and bought a DVC stick to put on our SUV…….now back to today’s events.

I hurriedly got Cuddlebug bathed and myself showed (and hair blown dry, I might add) and we jumped in our car and headed to AKL. I didn’t see the sense in taking a bus to DTD and then jumping on the AKL bus, so we drove. We arrived at AKL and headed downstairs to Boma and it was already hoppin. We checked in 5 mins ahead of our ressie time and were given a pager. Just as I found the hubster and sat on a bench, it went off…..

We used our DP for the meal, but decided to pay OOP for “adult beverages.” I even treated Cuddlebug to a souvenir Tinkerbell cup with a light up Tinkerbell (I knew she’d love it and I wanted one…). The hubster ordered the aguave margarita and I ordered a blackberry mojito. I tried to stomach it, and really I love mojitos, but the thought of drinking something that probably tasted similar to rubbing alcohol came to mind, so I admitted to our waiter that I didn’t like it and ordered what the hubster was having, it was really good. I should know not to stray from tequila. Don’t worry about us driving, we only had one drink (the Disney economy forces us to do that) and we walked around AKL for sometime before leaving.

I started off with my main meal and after visiting two buffet stations, my plate was full. Tonight they had strip that they were slicing. After my “main meal” I then went for the salads and sides, and discovered the red pepper or was it sun-dried tomato hummus was to die for (black olive ranks a close second). The pita bread wedges were so soft, and the hummus. I came back to the table with a desert plate of the two hummuses that I liked and pita bread.

Cuddlebug is exposed to every food under the sun (my rule at home I do not make her separate meals from what we are eating), so she’s a good eater. However, guess what she wanted most…penne pasta and meatballs with marinara sauce. Then Daddy brought her fruit, so she ate two plates of assorted strawberries, watermelon, pineapple, melon, and grapes. The hubster who is a picky eater, stuck with what was close to normal fare (oh but her does love Boma).

It’s supposed to be cold tomorrow (well I have learned that cold in FL is different than what I expect) so after dinner we headed out to find an Old Navy, so the hubster could get a pair of jeans (he forgot to pack some) and a hoodie for Cuddlebug. We found the small outlet center and that did us well.

Tomorrow we are off to AK! Now I'm really packing the diaper bag........

P.S. Thanks for the adorable daughter comment nzdisneymom and TIA to anyone else.

 

[simba20]

Room straightened up...check (I cannot stand a messy hotel room and since we are in a studio....)
Diaper bag pack for tomorrow...check.
Saddlebag packed for tomorrow...check.
DD clothes laid out...check.
My clothes...I have an idea.
Hubster...he has to see just how cold tomorrow will be.
Last look at glowing nighttime Grandstand pool area before sleep...as soon as log off.

Night all, I'm headed to bed. Need to be up at 6 a.m. to get ready and head to AK!

 

[arthur06]

Great pics, keep 'em coming!

 

[chipper10]

Room straightened up...check (I cannot stand a messy hotel room and since we are in a studio....)
Diaper bag pack for tomorrow...check.
Saddlebag packed for tomorrow...check.
DD clothes laid out...check.
My clothes...I have an idea.
Hubster...he has to see just how cold tomorrow will be.
Last look at glowing nighttime Grandstand pool area before sleep...as soon as log off.

Night all, I'm headed to bed. Need to be up at 6 a.m. to get ready and head to AK!

Im loving hearing about SSR. We will be staying there in May for the first time. It will be our first stay at Disney since we bought DVC. Our DS was 21 months when we took him in September last year. It was really cute to see what he liked. Luckily, he was not that into Its a Small World, but he did love Dumbo. Our first character pic is of DS crying next to Pluto, but by the end of the trip he was loving the characters and talking with them.

I have one probably dumb question for you, what's a saddlebag?

 

[Corryn]

Saddlebag - I'm guessing a Fanny Pack?

Ooh, I am hooked! We're going in September and I am officially counting down the days!
Your cuddlebug is a cutie
Enjoy your time together and keep us posted!

 

[SunnieRN]

My daughter got to OKW around noon and called to let me know about the rain (she was eating and missed it) but said it was actually a bit humid today.
Your daughter is so adorable!!! She looks like she is having so much fun!! Great pictures!!!

 

[simba20]

The saddlebag is a bag made by Skip Hop. They make diaper bags, and they make a bag, called a saddlebag, that attaches to the side of your stroller. We have a Graco IPO folding umbrella stroller, so we have to finagle it a bit to get it on there. Of course we have to take it on and off when we fold up the stroller and of course for bag checks, but it frees up room int he diaper bag. It's small, but it holds our diapers and wipes case, a snack or two, a juice box, and has an outside mesh pocket to hold a bottle or sippy cup for the little one to reach. It might be a pain to carry an extra bag, but having room in the diaper bag (whcih I'll detatch from the stroller and take on rides with us) is great.

I really love people who ask "How young is too young to go to Disney?" We have family who wonder why we bring her, when she won't remember it, but in reality she gets a lot of of being here and having a good time. I think it all comes down to what you do. We do our Mommy and Daddy rides (switching off) but yesterday, Fanatsyland was all her. She loves the experience and squeals at things she see. However, don't tell Mickey, but she's a huge Barney fam atthe moment and if he were herem she'd probably die. We pace our selves and at times let her lead, let her rest, let her do what she wants to do. We were in a bit of trouble yesterday, at Pooh's Playful SPot, we had to figure out a way to get her out of there. And while taking turns at BTMR, the rocks outside, near Miner's Cover were enough to let her spend her energy and play (she did the same thing with the rocks outside Expediition Everest on our last trip). Also her favorite attraction/ride seems to be the Disney transportation busses. She is obsessed with them. Everytime she sees one, she calls out "bus, bus" or "that's a bus." We drove over to AKL for dinner last night and she threw a fit wonderign why were weren;t on the bus. Also at DTD Sunday night, we were waiting for the bus back to SSR and she couldn;t understadn why we were getting on the other busses that would pull in. She started to fret, wondering if we'd ever get picked up.

Off to finish my cereal and dress for our day at AK. I need to step out on the balcony and check the weather/temp.

 

[DVC Mike]

Nice pics!

 

[timandlesley]

Loving this! We will be staying at SSR with developer points this summer, loving the pics. Hope we get as lucky as you did with the room assignment, that view is GREAT and location unbeatable. Sounds like you guys are having an amazing trip so far. Loved the picture of your adorable daughter and her "bahwoon" Keep it coming, LOVE it!
Lesley

 

[marynvince]

are the people that don't want to deal with a young child at a theme park. My son has been to Disneyland at 26 months and Disney World at 2 1.2 yrs and 3 1/2 years and loved every trip. Sounds like you're having a great trip. Thanks for the updates.

 

[abk96]

Thanks for all the updates and your pictures are great! Your little cuddlebug is adorable.

Enjoy your day!

 

[cogero]

loving your report. we will be there on Saturday

 

[iluveeyore]

Your 'little bit' is so cute, and I'm looking forward to how your day at AK was!

 

[kikiq]

Love your trip report. And your little one is a cutie.

My first real job was at the Woolworth's lunch counter. I remember the tuna sandwiches...there are many people who loved those sandwiches.

Thanks for all the pics. It's helping us make it to August.

 

[OurDogCisco]

What a great trip report!!! Vacations with little ones are AWESOME... Ours are now 8 and 11 years old and are well traveled. We noticed now that are 11 year old is starting middle school it is going to be harder to go on vacations especially with school schedules, sports and other activities so, I'm glad we got to go when she was younger. Heck, I don't remember every vacation I've been on. There are some that I getting fuzzy in my memory. I do scrap them so, I remember most of them but seriously if I didn't take pictures or video I don't think I would remember every detail of every trip. ENJOY....

 

[simba20]

I'll type up today's adevntures later tonight, but to summarize, today we met the crowds. Anyway, some quick pics, before I head to Raglan Road for dinner.

This guy walked right up to us and wanted to pose:

Another money shot:

Cuddlebug loves watching people ride Expedition Everest:

What she loves watching:

Timeout for Cuddlebug at the Boneyard:

Crowd in Dinoland USA at 10:38 a.m.:

Another money shot:

My wonton soup at Yak & Yeti. Oh the bowl is empty. Blame that on me and Cuddlebug. I forgot to take a pic when it was done, but thought this made a comment on how much I love the soup:

Steak and Shrimp at Y&Y:

Beef & Broccoli at Y&Y:

Sorbet dessert at Y&Y:

Fried wonton desert at Y&Y:

Crowed at DHS. Hubster stood in single rider line for Rock-n-Roller coaster for 1 hr to ride. Couldn’t deal with the crowds, so we came back to the resort: