Mickey and the Monduhrail! The Stitchs' World Tour! Update 11/1!

[tralin]

This is DD4 first time on a plane. Flying from SEA to MCO. She is not a couch potato kid and that is an understatement. Soooooo....... it should be interesting. Thanks for the tips. I think I will have a carryon just full of food!

 

[PixieMama]

LOL, I didn't even notice Mickey's ear until you pointed it out! Then I had to scroll back up and look!

Mmm, that BBQ flatbread and salad look yummy.

We've been to Chef Mickey's once, back on our first family trip in '07. It was our last meal on the last day of our trip... from what I can recall, we all enjoyed the food. And getting to meet all the characters was great.

 

[mommy2mrb]

This is DD4 first time on a plane. Flying from SEA to MCO. She is not a couch potato kid and that is an understatement. Soooooo....... it should be interesting. Thanks for the tips. I think I will have a carryon just full of food!

we are just north of Seattle! small world! happy to help with the tips....also something else, talk to her about having people around her on the plane, the noise of the engines, to keep her feet off the seat in front of her...the more she is prepared the better trip you will have!

 

[StitchIsOurHero]

Great update! I had to go back and look at the picture after I read your comment, and then I noticed that crazy ear! Had me laughing a'loud!

So glad D got right back into his character meets!

I know. . .I didn't notice that at first in the pic either, until Brian pointed it out. Somehow that made it funnier!

Cool you want to go to DLR, you definately need too, its not that long of a trip probably 4 hours , its the time change that will get you though! D will love it especially the new CarsLand at DCA! we can't wait to go next year and see it!

The more I think about it, the more excited I am about it. We would go in the fall of 2014 for our 15th wedding anniversary. D would be 6 by then (time goes TOO fast!!), so I think he'd like it!

DLR is SOOOOO different. You only need 4 days or so just for DL. I love it though. On the westcoast we go there until our kids are usually older before we take the long trip across country to WDW. We are taking DD16 and DD18 on our last family trip so DD4 is lucking out for her first trip. I will let you know how the plane ride goes since D is the same age. (She is 3.5 now and will be a month away from her 4th birthday when we go. So I just call her 4 when talking about the trip.) Can't wait to hear what you do for D's b-day. We will be celebrating Kaitlin's 4th birthday there to.

How awesome! 4th birthday at WDW!! My bday is in September. . .I will be a little older than 4! At least, chronologically. . . I can't wait to read all about her trip and birthday!!

I've been flying with my DD now 12 cross country since she was 3 months old....my best advice for the little ones travelling is LOTS of snacks, a few new items to play with, favorite books, something they love to snuggle with and if possible a portable DVD or something to watch movies/shows on...I was lucky with Megan and she never had melt downs on planes, sometimes people didn't even know there was a kid by them

I agree with 4 days for first time to DLR, its so much easier to PH back and forth so you don't waste all that time and it so nice DTD is right there too!

Thanks for the flight and DLR info! Getting even more excited!!

I just did a roundtrip flight from DC to San Diego and back with DD5 and DS2 by myself as DW couldn't make the trip and it went well. Had to plan ahead a LOT of things including packing tons of snacks and toys including a few new toys that the kids hadn't seen before and those bought me a lot of time. Downloaded cartoons that the kids like to watch at home on my iPad since there was no wifi.

AND, I learned the magic of Ringpops (lollypops) for taxi-ing out of the gate, take offs/initial ascents and final descents. Kept both kids, especially DS distracted and in his seat without trying to undo his seatbelt. Plus, I think sucking on the lollipops also helped with equilibrating their ear pressures.

Those Ringpops are a good idea, and the cartoons on the iPad are SUCH a blessing! We do that too!!

This is DD4 first time on a plane. Flying from SEA to MCO. She is not a couch potato kid and that is an understatement. Soooooo....... it should be interesting. Thanks for the tips. I think I will have a carryon just full of food!

If she's anything like D, the food will take care of everything!

LOL, I didn't even notice Mickey's ear until you pointed it out! Then I had to scroll back up and look!

Mmm, that BBQ flatbread and salad look yummy.

We've been to Chef Mickey's once, back on our first family trip in '07. It was our last meal on the last day of our trip... from what I can recall, we all enjoyed the food. And getting to meet all the characters was great.

The highlight of Chef Mickey's is definitely the character meeting!! We were a bit "meh" after this visit, but just today (after tweaking some March 2013 plans. . .PTR to come this fall), Brian said he wanted to add that meal one night! And I KNEW a fellow Tennesseean would LOVE that bbq flatbread!

we are just north of Seattle! small world! happy to help with the tips....also something else, talk to her about having people around her on the plane, the noise of the engines, to keep her feet off the seat in front of her...the more she is prepared the better trip you will have!

See, I LOVE the DIS! It helps you find people and help from all over!!

Update in next post, my friends!!

 

[StitchIsOurHero]

First Park for this Trip!

After dinner, we headed to. . .EPCOT! Now, here’s a horrible secret that might get me kicked off of the DIS Boards. I don’t like Epcot. I know, shocking, right?? I like it a little more now than I used to, but the thing is, it just seems like school to me! It used to be (before D) that if Brian and I needed to skip a park (because it was a short trip or something), we skipped Epcot. However, since we’ve had D, we somehow end up at Epcot as our first park EVERY trip! It’s kind of crazy!

So, with all of that background, here we go! We took the monduhrail from Contemporary to TTC and then on to Epcot. We knew we wouldn’t be riding any BIG rides. . .our plans were just to walk around.

When we got there, we went over for some PhotoPass pics (gotta load up that Plus!). These are probably my favorite PP pics of the trip. . .

When the PP photographer stepped back to take our pic, she had the camera turned vertically. D thought that he was supposed to turn his head sideways too so the camera could take his picture! It was so cute!

So, of course, D told us that ALL of us should do it!

We headed through the entrance area and got to Character Spot. The wait was posted at 15 minutes, and D was still all into the characters from dinner, so we decided we’d wait. He thought it was lots of fun to watch the old cartoons on the TVs while we waited.

We probably waited about 10 minutes before it was our turn. As we got up to the characters, D said, “I can go up all by myself?” We assured him he could. . .so Mr. Independent had to make sure he got his OWN pictures first!

By the time we got to Donald, the characters had to go take a quick snack break. They were back in just a couple of minutes, though, and off we went.

Donald is definitely our family’s favorite (outside of Stitch), but tonight, D was all about Minnie!

We ended up with Goofy! Lots of fun!

Then, it was off to my Epcot favorite. . .Nemo!!! We stopped outside of the ride and watched the birds for a while. D thinks they are hilarious!!

After our bird visit, we headed in to ride. D was NOT happy about that. He thought the ride was really going to take him under water, and he did NOT want to do that. He cried through most of the queue and the beginning of the ride, but by the jellyfish part, he was good to go! He decided it was lots of fun when it was finished. . .but he wasn’t sure it was fun enough to ride again!

It was about 8:15 when we finished Nemo, and we knew we had an early morning the next morning, so we headed out to catch a bus to Wilderness Lodge!

Next Up: The Stitchs’ Surprise!

 

[Britard]

Epcot=school...I felt the same way when I was younger-now, my 2 daughters say it is their favorite park, so we go multiple times each trip.

 

[StitchIsOurHero]

Epcot=school...I felt the same way when I was younger-now, my 2 daughters say it is their favorite park, so we go multiple times each trip.

Oh, thank Heaven, someone agrees with me!!

 

[mirage0306]

hey, newcomer here. your family is just lovely! i have to tell you that the pic of you guys w/your heads sideways is one of the cutest family pics i've ever seen on here. love it!

great updates--your little one is precious!

 

[tralin]

we are just north of Seattle! small world! happy to help with the tips....also something else, talk to her about having people around her on the plane, the noise of the engines, to keep her feet off the seat in front of her...the more she is prepared the better trip you will have!

We are actually from Vancouver, Canada. Any tips you have would be greatly appreciated.

Love the pics. Epcot has never been my favorite either. I don't hate it, but spend the least amount of time there. I can't get enough of D's cheesy grin! It's adorable.

 

[mommy2mrb]

I know. . .I didn't notice that at first in the pic either, until Brian pointed it out. Somehow that made it funnier!



The more I think about it, the more excited I am about it. We would go in the fall of 2014 for our 15th wedding anniversary. D would be 6 by then (time goes TOO fast!!), so I think he'd like it!

that's a great time to go to DLR....they even have a halloween party, not like the one at WDW but still fun!

How awesome! 4th birthday at WDW!! My bday is in September. . .I will be a little older than 4! At least, chronologically. . . I can't wait to read all about her trip and birthday!!

hey I'm a Sept girl too! the 7th!

Thanks for the flight and DLR info! Getting even more excited!!

always up to enable a trip to see Mickey!

Those Ringpops are a good idea, and the cartoons on the iPad are SUCH a blessing! We do that too!!



If she's anything like D, the food will take care of everything!



The highlight of Chef Mickey's is definitely the character meeting!! We were a bit "meh" after this visit, but just today (after tweaking some March 2013 plans. . .PTR to come this fall), Brian said he wanted to add that meal one night! And I KNEW a fellow Tennesseean would LOVE that bbq flatbread!



See, I LOVE the DIS! It helps you find people and help from all over!!

Update in next post, my friends!!

We are actually from Vancouver, Canada. Any tips you have would be greatly appreciated.

Love the pics. Epcot has never been my favorite either. I don't hate it, but spend the least amount of time there. I can't get enough of D's cheesy grin! It's adorable.

your not to far, only a couple hours! like I said before LOTS of SNACKS and a couple new things to play with will keep you sane!!!

guess I was wrong with my park guess

How can you NOT like Epcot we it and usually have two days there! now DHS that's our least fav park due to the bigger rides that we don't ride yet, maybe someday!

you sideways photo in front of the ball....so cute D was a big boy with the characters! did it confuse him that he had just seen them at dinner?

 

[StitchIsOurHero]

hey, newcomer here. your family is just lovely! i have to tell you that the pic of you guys w/your heads sideways is one of the cutest family pics i've ever seen on here. love it!

great updates--your little one is precious!

Aww, thanks!! And welcome! Glad you're reading along! I love your TR!!

We are actually from Vancouver, Canada. Any tips you have would be greatly appreciated.

Love the pics. Epcot has never been my favorite either. I don't hate it, but spend the least amount of time there. I can't get enough of D's cheesy grin! It's adorable.

Thank you! We had a lot of PP photographers say, "he's closing his eyes!". We had to keep telling him that was how he smiled!

your not to far, only a couple hours! like I said before LOTS of SNACKS and a couple new things to play with will keep you sane!!!

guess I was wrong with my park guess

How can you NOT like Epcot we it and usually have two days there! now DHS that's our least fav park due to the bigger rides that we don't ride yet, maybe someday!

you sideways photo in front of the ball....so cute D was a big boy with the characters! did it confuse him that he had just seen them at dinner?

He actually thought they rode the "monduhrail" over to Epcot after dinner, too! DHS is Bri's favorite park, and D loves it for the characters...I love that WDW has so much different stuff that there's something for everyone!!

 

[PixieMama]

And I KNEW a fellow Tennesseean would LOVE that bbq flatbread!

But, of course!

 

[PixieMama]

I used to not think much of Epcot, too... it's definitely my girls' least favorite park. They'd be happy to just walk back and forth between Soarin' and Test Track! Maybe a ride on Spaceship Earth now and then, LOL!

And I say "used to" because after my trip last summer, I like Epcot a lot better now! That trip was adults only, and it was fabulous to walk around the World Showcase at our leisure!

 

[shan23877]

Just saw the link in your signature! Subbing now and I'll get caught up tomorrow!

 

[mommy2mrb]

Aww, thanks!! And welcome! Glad you're reading along! I love your TR!!



Thank you! We had a lot of PP photographers say, "he's closing his eyes!". We had to keep telling him that was how he smiled!



He actually thought they rode the "monduhrail" over to Epcot after dinner, too! DHS is Bri's favorite park, and D loves it for the characters...I love that WDW has so much different stuff that there's something for everyone!!

smart boy he is thinking they rode the "monduhrail" too!

 

[StitchIsOurHero]

I used to not think much of Epcot, too... it's definitely my girls' least favorite park. They'd be happy to just walk back and forth between Soarin' and Test Track! Maybe a ride on Spaceship Earth now and then, LOL!

And I say "used to" because after my trip last summer, I like Epcot a lot better now! That trip was adults only, and it was fabulous to walk around the World Showcase at our leisure!

I can understand that! D's (and my) Epcot plan goes like this: PhotoPass pics, Character Spot, Nemo, find other characters, eat, go home! I know, though, that as he gets more into the rides and stuff, that he'll enjoy exploring the KidCot and World Showcase!

Just saw the link in your signature! Subbing now and I'll get caught up tomorrow!

Yay! Welcome aboard!!

smart boy he is thinking they rode the "monduhrail" too!

I know, right? He just decided that was how it had to have happened!!

Having a fight with Photobucket right now, but the next update will be up soon!

 

[StitchIsOurHero]

The Stitchs' Surprise!
Remember when I said we had a surprise coming? Well, we had told D for quite a while that if he would be completely potty-trained when we went to WDW, Mickey would bring him a big surprise!

He kept his end of the bargain, so I booked the DVC Welcome Home package from Disney Florist.

When we got back to the resort, I asked D what he wanted to do that night. He said, “I hope Mickey brings me a surprise wish!”. We rode the elevator up to our room, and I ran ahead to make sure it had been done. When he rounded the corner, he was BEYOND excited.

Mickey had left a sign, footprints around our room, and then a big Mickey and Pluto were sitting on a soft blanket. . .holding the remote, and watching the DVC channel, of course!

Minnie was also part of this. She baked cookies and left a note.

Tinkerbell was also there, shining from the light

There were a few other things, but those were the ones D was most taken with.

He was SO excited! He had to call my Mom and Dad and tell them that he had gotten a surprise wish! It was definitely worth it!

After all of the excitement and phone calls, Brian went down to get drinks, and I did some work for work. Then, I realized that I probably needed to call the front desk and ask when the buses started for AK the next day. . .we had an 8 am ADR, but the park didn’t open til 7 am.

I called the front desk, and got the funniest guy! He said, “The buses start at 7 am. ALL of the buses”. I said, “Ok, we’re going to AK.” He said, “Even though AK doesn’t open til 9, the bus still starts at 7. Although. . .Mufasa may be MAD if you wake him up, and if that happens, you’re on your own!” It was hilarious! I love when I get a CM who doesn’t give the “stock” answer!

From there, it was off to sleepy time. . .first FULL park day tomorrow!

 

[mommy2mrb]

boy that Mickey sure does give a good party! love all the little details and how Mickey set up the room for D!

 

[shan23877]

What a cute surprise! I love the way everything was arranged!

 

[tralin]

OMG! That is so awesome! How did you pull that off? Did you do that yourself, arragne it with the hotel.....??? Can you pleeeeessssee give me the details? I do have a 4th birthday I need to do something about. I had something similar planned, but it was just going to be me sneaking back into the room and putting out stuff that I brought.