No Request was too Extreme: A Post-Deployment Disney Trip *Completed

[DnA2010]

I am learning just so much from your reviews- hoping for new Disney trips with little people in the near future

Love that you are slowing down, taking time to smell to roses to say. it's been neat to read how your character meets have changed over your TRs

 

[vrajewski10513]

Joining in, and all caught up!!

It seems like you guys had a nice laid back start to your vacation! Ohana is one of my favorite resort restaurants, but I definitely noticed the slow service when we were at our 7pm reservation in 2014.

The Poly is my dream resort as well. After our trip this fall our next trip isn't planned until 2021, so I told my DH that if I had to wait that long to go back, thats plenty of time to save up to stay at a monrail resort!

I would be kinda bummed about the weather too, but I come from the frosty northeast, so maybe it still would be a nice break from our winter weather up here lol

I can't wait to hear about the rest of your trip!!

 

[amazingact21]

I don't know if it is fear or just general toddler stubbornness, quite honestly. For example, we'd met the characters in EPCOT... she talked about meeting Mickey all morning, yet when we got there she clammed up around Mickey, wanted nothing to do with Goofy, but loved Minnie.

But then we met Mickey another time and she loved him. So quite frankly, I've got no reasonable explanation.

But in a nutshell, yes, this is what you have to look forward to.

I know Minnie is shorter than the other characters, so I wonder sometimes if kids prefer her because of that.


If I were a betting man, I would say Landon's going to be really friendly with the characters on our upcoming trip. It's Evie that's going to have a fit. She'll smile and laugh at strangers when they see her, but if one of them comes anywhere close, she freaks out. Definitely not a fan of people she does not know. So I can see the Photopass Picture now. Landon standing in front of Mickey, smiling and waving. Alex, my parents, standing next to him. Me, standing off to the side with a SCREAMING Evie...

I am learning just so much from your reviews- hoping for new Disney trips with little people in the near future

Love that you are slowing down, taking time to smell to roses to say. it's been neat to read how your character meets have changed over your TRs

I'm glad my reports have been helpful! I think every Disney trip for every person is a bit of a learning experience. The crowds, weather, fellow travelers all change from year to year, and you can never fully know what to expect on each trip. However, the more you do know the less chance there is for really big surprises.

I hadn't thought of Landon's character interactions on his first trip until I read your comment. It is kind of funny to think of how happy he was around Winnie the Pooh and the princesses back then.

Joining in, and all caught up!!

It seems like you guys had a nice laid back start to your vacation! Ohana is one of my favorite resort restaurants, but I definitely noticed the slow service when we were at our 7pm reservation in 2014.

The Poly is my dream resort as well. After our trip this fall our next trip isn't planned until 2021, so I told my DH that if I had to wait that long to go back, thats plenty of time to save up to stay at a monrail resort!

I would be kinda bummed about the weather too, but I come from the frosty northeast, so maybe it still would be a nice break from our winter weather up here lol

I can't wait to hear about the rest of your trip!!

Thanks for joining in!



I think that's a fair trade off. Honestly, I never thought I'd choose one deluxe visit over several value stays until I stayed at the Poly. But now, I'd gladly do anything possible to stay there again, it was just THAT convenient and nice.



I was too conditioned to my sunny FL weather to know how to deal with the cold wind that was present on this trip. The thickest jacket I owned was a little sweatshirt.

 

[khertz]

Alex and Dustin have a lot in common! I remember a day I had been really looking forward to some resort time after having breakfast at 'Ohana, yet somehow found myself entering MK because we were "just right there." But it looks like it turned out to be a nice evening for y'all, so maybe those husbands do know some stuff. lol

Not sure what it is about it, but I just love this pic!!

I love that y'all just took some time to let him have at it and run around without rushing to the first attraction of the day. That was a nice benefit of going so many times in the past few months, we didn't feel rushed to get to one thing or another.

 

[amazingact21]

Alex and Dustin have a lot in common! I remember a day I had been really looking forward to some resort time after having breakfast at 'Ohana, yet somehow found myself entering MK because we were "just right there." But it looks like it turned out to be a nice evening for y'all, so maybe those husbands do know some stuff. lol



Not sure what it is about it, but I just love this pic!!

I love that y'all just took some time to let him have at it and run around without rushing to the first attraction of the day. That was a nice benefit of going so many times in the past few months, we didn't feel rushed to get to one thing or another.

Sometimes, our idea of relaxing and our husband's idea are not the same. But in the end, I guess it's not a terrible thing to get more park time.

Thanks. Landon looks so small in these photos; it 's hard for me to believe this trip was a year ago. He's so much more mature and older now!

 

[amazingact21]

Hey guys, remember me? I don't think I've ever gone so long without posting here on the boards before.
My family took a trip to Disney back in February, and it was TERRIBLE, so I needed to breather from the parks to regroup. And then I stayed busy preparing for our move to Germany. Then April was all about packing and visiting with family, and then May involved the actual move and adjusting to living in a foreign country. So, needless to say, I made a decision to step away from TR writing and focus on my family and transitioning to a new home.


However, I am all settled now and have internet in our house (a pretty big deal here) and am really excited to get back to talking about this amazing trip. I also a short visit to WDW and Universal that occured this last April that I am hoping to post eventually. So, I really hope some of you guys are still around and willing to jump back into my report. I'll be back soon!

 

[KnK]

Blessing on your new adventure. Glad to see you back. I thoroughly enjoy your trip reports.

 

[cindianne320]

So glad you are back and posting!

 

[amazingact21]

Blessing on your new adventure. Glad to see you back. I thoroughly enjoy your trip reports.

Thank you! I am really glad to be back and am looking forward to reliving such a great Disney trip again.

So glad you are back and posting!

Glad to be back! I missed the DIS but needed the break to handle all the real life mess. I was good, but juggling motherhood, moving, AND trip reporting was too much for me.

 

[Disneycampfan]

Welcome back and congrats on the move and settling in. Can't wait to hear about your Disney and German adventures!!

 

[GaRain]

Welcome back to your TR! Just joining in and love it so far....

 

[khertz]

Yay for internet!!! Glad to see you back on the DIS.

 

[amazingact21]

Welcome back and congrats on the move and settling in. Can't wait to hear about your Disney and German adventures!!

Thank you! Since I'm no longer close to Disney, I am really looking forward to getting back into writing these TRs. Allows me to relive a bit of the magic now that I don't have a trip anytime in the future.

Welcome back to your TR! Just joining in and love it so far....

Thank you for joining in!

Yay for internet!!! Glad to see you back on the DIS.

I am so, so happy that the internet only took a week to set up. That was actually a record for Germany. The company tells you 2 weeks at a minimum and everybody I've spoken to says it took about a month for them to get theirs. We definitely lucked out in that department. (Not so much in shipping our stuff but we can't win them all.)

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Glad to hear you are settled - I am sure that was a big move and takes some time to adjust too

Sorry to hear about the bad trip in February but glad there was a positive trip in April

Welcome back!

 

[amazingact21]

Glad to hear you are settled - I am sure that was a big move and takes some time to adjust too

Sorry to hear about the bad trip in February but glad there was a positive trip in April

Welcome back!

Despite being here a month, Alex and I are still trying to adjust to the new place. It's definitely a new way of life. And as with anything, some aspects are better than what we're used while others aren't. It'll just take time and repetition to adapt.


Ugh, that February trip...it was something. I figure I'll combine that one and April's and make it one big 2016 TR. That way I can start off with the bad and end with the good. I wasn't going to write about it at all, but I did a first Disney trip report for Landon, I don't want Evie to feel excluded by skipping hers.
Gotta be fair...the parent's motto.

 

[amazingact21]

February 27th, 2015 Morning Part 2:



The last post I wrote left off with Alex, Landon, and myself heading towards the first coaster of the day.




I went up to the front with Alex and picked up a Rider Swap from a Cast Member. I couldn’t use it since I was pregnant, but we wanted to hold on to it for later in case Alex wanted another turn on the attraction.


My hope was that Landon would want to sit in the stroller and relax for a minute or two after all the running and dancing he’d done, but sadly I was mistaken. I had to park the stroller and take him inside to let him explore the vehicles that were in the showroom.





Keeping Landon entertained in there involved a lot of picking him up and setting him in seats and redirecting him away from places that others were scoping out. It was there somewhere that the Rider Swap I’d stuck in my pocket fell out and went unnoticed by me. I didn’t even realize it had fallen out until Alex returned to us and wanted to put it in his wallet for safekeeping.

Oops.

No 2nd ride for him.


I did feel really bad that I’d lost the card, but seeing as I was in the trenches of beginning pregnancy nausea I wasn’t feeling too terrible about the mistake.

Hard to sympathize when you can’t go on ANY coasters whatsoever and your stomach relies on a precarious system of not smelling anything it decides is unfavorable that day…



Landon was everywhere during the 45 minutes it took for Alex to ride Test Track, and by the time he found us I was ready to sit on a bench and take a minute to breathe. Now that Landon’s older, I can safely say I don’t miss the Disney with a 1 year old days. He was just too much energy and too chaotic for my tired self.


Naturally, I’ll forget these struggles once Evie’s turn rolls around and I’ll end up going through the same kind of torture with her.


The only way to keep Landon contained long enough for us to sit was to strap into our retrieved stroller and let him have a snack.



When all else fails, give the baby food.


Works like a charm.



Since Landon was helpless for the time being, Alex and I figured then would be as good as time as any to start making our way over the World Showcase. We had a lunch reservation in that neck of the woods and didn’t want to worry about rushing to get there.


We took a shortcut through MouseGears:




About which time Landon lost interest in his Puffs and Alex had to pull out his new pin to keep the child focused on the task at hand. (That being not letting him pull anything off any shelves or knock over breakable merchandise.)









It was still cloudy and overcast as we got into the World Showcase.












Since there weren’t that many people around, we decided to let Landon back out of the stroller (how he had more energy left was beyond us).




It was Alex’s turn to chase after him.





Even though we had to keep a toddler’s pace, Alex and I enjoyed our walk over to lunch. We stopped and looked at what the kiosks had to offer, stared at the water for a bit, and followed Landon to whatever drew his interest. Life was tranquil that day.












I was pretty excited to see some of the Flower and Garden topiaries were out a week ahead of the festival.

f1 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr




It was killing me a little bit not to be there for the actual event. I had been in 2011, 2012, and 2014 and absolutely loved it. There’s not a better time to be in Epcot, in my opinion. I know people love their Food and Wine Festival and their holiday season, and those are great, too, but nothing compares to the beauty of Epcot in the spring. I could easily see myself planning vacations around the event in order to experience the food and the flowers.



Unfortunately, we were leaving right before the official start of the festival that year, so getting a sneak peek was a pleasant treat.


I took a picture of the Germany pavilion as we passed by:
f2 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


Little did I know at the time that I would be living in the country by the following summer. Funny how things like that happen.




Landon’s wanderings brought him to the train set, and he was immediately mesmerized.

f3 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

What kid can resist trains?




I left the boys to their train observation (Landon wasn’t the only one fascinated) and took in the beautiful Snow White topiary by the water.

f4 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr




And then it was back to the husband and son to pry them away from the trains.

f5 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr



Landon was standing on the railing on alert for the train to pass by in front of him. He waited so patiently for the machines to come back around over and over again and then he’d point and smile in joy when it came into view.

f6 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr



I felt guilty tearing him away from something that was entertaining to him, but our lunch reservation time had arrived and I was more than ready to eat. All that toddler corralling had worked up my appetite!





Continued in the Next Post:

 

[amazingact21]

February 27th Part 3:



Every trip I take to Disney, I have to eat at a certain pizzeria in Italy.








Via Napoli is my favorite Disney restaurant; I dream about their pizzas when I’m at home and count down the days until I can taste their tiramisu again. If I could only eat at one place my entire vacation, this would be the place I’d choose.




Alex and I parked our stroller and were seated at a table with very little wait. That’s always a win when you’ve got a baby to entertain.



One of the most exhausting parts of Alex being deployed was being in charge of food duty for 6 straight months. That sounds petty, but it really was the thing I got so sick of doing on my own. Diapers, baths, strapping him into carseats was no big deal to me.


But the food battle….

THAT got old.


It was mainly because of Landon’s age. Alex was gone from when Landon was 16 months to 22 months old, which is right when my son developed this astronomically picky palette and extreme messiness. Most nights consisted of him tossing food on the floor, screaming at his choices, and there was the occasional gagging on ordinary snacks.


Feeding a 1 year old sucks.



So that was why I had zero issue sticking Landon with his dad for lunch.





While I was still Mom and had to do my share of the work, I was able to sit back and let Alex help him color his paper and point out shapes and letters.


I could actually sit back in my chair for a few seconds.


Mini vacation for me!


It was about this point that Landon told us how he felt about his mom slacking off in the form of a diaper disaster. Fortunately, there was a bathroom inside the restaurant (and fairly close to us) so I gave Alex the diaper bag and sent him off.

(Actually, Alex offered to do it because he’s an awesome husband like that, but that version didn’t flow with the whole “Mom’s free!” vibe I had going so I couldn’t exactly put, “My husband was trying to make up for 6 months’ worth of diapers he missed and graciously asked for the diaper bag without me having to ask.”)




During their absence, one of the waiters came up to the table to take our drink order. He was very friendly and polite, but unfortunately his accent was so thick I couldn’t understand a word he was saying.


I told him we just wanted water and felt really rude when I asked him to repeat his question for a 3rd time. Finally, he pointed to something on the menu, and I just nodded my head in order to finish the conversation.


It was only when a bottle of sparkling water was placed before me on the table that I realized what I had agreed to.


The guy was asking me if I wanted tap or bottled water.

(And now that I live in Germany, I have learned that if you ask for water at restaurants in Europe they automatically give you bottled unless you specifically ask for tap.)


Oops.


Alex returned to the table and shot me a strange look when he saw the bottle.

“I made a mistake!”

“Man, I can’t leave you alone, anywhere, can I?”


The two of us shared a good laugh over my water mishap. Especially when we looked at the menu and saw it cost us 7 dollars.




The bottle in question:



“You gonna take that bottle with you as a souvenir?”

“You left a couple drops in your glass, better drink them up.”

“Are you sure you want that pizza? Better be specific, Alicia.”


Alex had quite the time ribbing me throughout the meal.


Oh well. You live and learn.




Alex and I ordered our favorite pizzas; I didn’t take any photographs of them because I already have about a dozen on my computer, and Landon got the spaghetti and meatball meal. Back in August, the restaurant told us it was complimentary since he was under 3 years old, but we were charged this time around. Not a big deal, but it was something I wanted to note so nobody relied on that information when planning their dining cost.






Landon decided at O’hana’s the night before to rebel against the disposable bibs we’d brought for traveling. He used them with no issue every time before, but in his little almost-2 year old mind they were currently the worst thing on the planet.

I hadn’t packed any regular bibs, so Alex tried to make do with a napkin contraption.

With no luck:



Landon freaked out and was starting to make a scene, so we just pulled it off and zipped his sweater all the way up. I figured if he could contain the mess to one outfit, I could take it off after lunch and wash it later in the room.



Overall, the meal was fantastic as always. I ordered myself the tiramisu while Alex passed on the desserts. He doesn’t mind the choices here, but he would much rather save his money and grab something better at one of the World Showcase pavilions.

That’s one of the reasons we stopped using the Dining Plan on our trips. We tend to split a dessert or opt out for alternatives somewhere else.


Landon had eaten more of the spaghetti than I thought he would, especially since he’d had a snack earlier in the morning.



Everyone was fat and happy.





The next order of business was to get the munchkin down for a nap so that the adults could enjoy Epcot at their leisure.


It worked well back in May 2014, so why not give it another go this time around?




Up Next….More Epcot Fun

 

[Dugette]

Glad to see you back here! I hope you are settling in and enjoying your new home.

I had to park the stroller and take him inside to let him explore the vehicles that were in the showroom.

Toddler requirement! Must "drive" all cars!

Little did I know at the time that I would be living in the country by the following summer. Funny how things like that happen.

Life sure is funny. Does real Germany look just the same?

While I was still Mom and had to do my share of the work, I was able to sit back and let Alex help him color his paper and point out shapes and letters.


I could actually sit back in my chair for a few seconds.



Mini vacation for me!

I know that feeling - so nice to have that bit of freedom from responsibility.

The next order of business was to get the munchkin down for a nap so that the adults could enjoy Epcot at their leisure.



It worked well back in May 2014, so why not give it another go this time around?

This sounds a bit ominous.

Glad you had a nice meal at Via Napoli...yum!

 

[amazingact21]

Glad to see you back here! I hope you are settling in and enjoying your new home.

Our car should arrive here any day now, and our stuff can't be delivered until the 23rd, so we're still feeling like we're living in limbo a little bit. I miss my own bed so, so much. And it's funny how much you miss your little possessions after you've been away from them for over 2 months. Like, there's a coffee cup I'd love to be able to use again, along with our rice maker, Landon's lamp, and my office chair. You miss the strangest things...

Toddler requirement! Must "drive" all cars!

Yes! You know they love getting to pretend to do the thing they see Mom and Dad doing all the time.

Life sure is funny. Does real Germany look just the same?

I'm sure there are parts of the country that do, but like America, every region has its own "look." We're in Southwestern Germany, which is mainly farmland and wine country. I've gotten to see lots of greenlands and beautiful hills with vineyards growing up the sides. I'm sure if I went east towards some of the bigger cities like Munich and Berlin I might see those kinds of buildings. I also think that style is popular in the far south.
Guess I'll just have to start touring in order to find the area that Disney modeled the showcase after.
For research purposes, of course...

I know that feeling - so nice to have that bit of freedom from responsibility.


This sounds a bit ominous.

Glad you had a nice meal at Via Napoli...yum!

Naptimes at Disney are always so stressful. I'm almost glad Landon doesn't nap anymore, because now I don't have to stress about him anymore. I'll just have one kid to battle in the future versus two.

 

[epsmith921]

I've lurked other reports you've done and I think this is the first time I'm commenting.

This trip looks awesome so far and I'll keep reading for sure!

Gotta love toddler energy. My youngest is currently 18 months and he's just nonstop! And nothing like his older sister. It was much different taking him to Disney at this age versus our daughter at 2.5.

Best wishes for your new adventure in Germany! When you venture into the bigger cities, Berlin for sure, try a doner kebap! I still dream of them. It's like a gyro but a bit different. At least with the European train system you can travel pretty easily. I loved that. Then I tried Amtrak here - yeah no. (Not east coast)

Looking forward to reading more! So glad you got your family together in your dream resort!