Planning Our Little Ones First Trip To The Castle! NEWS 7/21!

[ariel1025]

Hello and welcome to my (way too) early and (way too) overly planned pre-trip report

I still haven't met a lot of you out there so let me introduce my little family

First, there's me, Shannon a 28 year old full-time worker (hoping to change that ) and soon-to-be first time Mom

I'm the one who started the Disney craze in my household when I suggested we visit Disney World for our honeymoon back in 2008. The Hubby was (almost) instantly hooked and we've been to WDW every year since, with a Disneyland trip and Disney cruise thrown in for good measure

My non-Disney likes are swimming and photography. I am slowly working my way into becoming a photographer and have had an absolute blast doing it!

But, what you are (I'm sure) more interested in are my Disney likes. My favorite movie is always a toss-up between "The Little Mermaid" and "Beauty and the Beast" with "Aladdin" often thrown in there to mix it up My favorite park is Epcot, primarily World Showcase. My favorite ride is Aerosmith's Rockin' Roller Coaster! And, I love planning Disney trips just as much as I enjoy the trips themselves!

Then there's my Hubby. His name is Candido, but since there's four of them he is most often referred to Candi so as not to confuse him with the others! He is the GM at a local company in town and loves his job most days

Before he met me he had been to Disneyland about a dozen times and the thought of going to Disney World never even crossed his mind He is now a true convert of the World and often brings up the next trip just as often as I do!

His non-Disney interest can be summed up with one word ... Sports! His favorite teams are the Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Braves and KC Chiefs.

His favorite Disney park is also Epcot, but mostly for the food and his favorite ride is Soarin'.

Then let's not forget about the reason this whole trip is being planned

Yep, that's right .... this trip is being planned before the baby is even born

Anywhoo, that little peanut is either Candido V or Gabriella ... too early to tell yet!

I'm not crazy, I swear, I just like to plan

Coming up next ... who else are we trying to convince to join us for the ride?

 

[fairytalesfireflies]

CONGRATULATIONS on your new little one! Im sure it will be a fabulous trip!

 

[ariel1025]

CONGRATULATIONS on your new little one! Im sure it will be a fabulous trip!

Thank you and thanks for joining in

 

[ariel1025]

Since this will be the baby's first trip, we want to make it as special as possible. And, since this will be the first Grandbaby for both our parents we want them to be able to share as many of the special moments as possible

So, I give you the possible extension of our traveling party ....

This is Candi's parents, Candido and Flora. They have, of course, been to Disneyland more times than they can count. After all, they are the ones who took Candi all those years They have "signed on" to two of our previous trips, one to Disneyland and one to Disney World. But, in the end they backed out of our trip to the World. They both work incredibly hard; Candi's Dad is a Rancher and his Mom does home health care, and they both deserve a break from reality! We are hoping that when their Granddaughter/son looks up at them with that little baby smile they won't be able to say no

And this would be my parents, Ken and Mary. They are the ones who got me started with my obsession with "the World" when they took us on a family vacation way back in 1998. It was single handedly one of my favorite family memories. Which is why I'm hoping they will join us for this trip. I haven't discussed it with my Mom yet, because she will be heartbroken if they end up not going. I tried getting them to come along on our trip last year (along with Candi's parents) but my Dad had a few reservations about it. To be honest, he just doesn't like to be in large groups. I learned my vacation style from my Dad .... start first thing in the morning and do everything you can squeeze in before the day ends He is worried that there will be too much "bickering" between everyone about what to do and when. Don't hate him, he is a wonderful, wonderful person .... he just likes things to be on his own terms But, once again, I am hoping that little baby smile will be too hard to resist

So there you have it .... there might be seven of us on this trip, or maybe only five, but there will definitely be three

Heading your way soon .... location, location, location!

 

[SOUTHERNtinkerBELLE]

Hi Shannon! I'm joining in! I remember reading your Disneymoon TR before I even joined the DIS and absolutely loving it. You and your hubby are too cute together. Congratulations on the pregnancy! I'm excited to see what all you have planned for your little one's first trip!

 

[ariel1025]

Hi Shannon! I'm joining in! I remember reading your Disneymoon TR before I even joined the DIS and absolutely loving it. You and your hubby are too cute together. Congratulations on the pregnancy! I'm excited to see what all you have planned for your little one's first trip!

Thank you so much for joining along on this new journey I'm definitely going to have to jump over to your PTR .... planning a Disneymoon is so exciting!!!

 

[ariel1025]

Picking where to stay for this trip is actually more difficult than you might think. We are DVC members (one of the best decisions we have ever made ) so we will definitely be in one of the Villas. However, that's about as far as we've narrowed it down

Option One:

Villas at Wilderness Lodge

Pros

* This feels like our "home"
* We stayed here on our honeymoon and it seems special for it to be the first place baby stays too
* Access to Magic Kingdom via boat
* Very relaxing feel at the end of a long day
* Great restaurants

Cons

* We weren't overly impressed with the studio sized Villa
* Pretty sure both our Moms will not like it


Option Two:

Animal Kingdom Villas (Kidani or Jambo)

Pros:

* Rooms have a definite WOW! factor that we think everybody would enjoy
* Quiet and peaceful feel to the resort
* Savannah view!
* We still talk about how much we enjoyed staying here last year

Cons:

* Not enough points for everybody to get a savannah view room
* Bus is the only transportation option


Option Three:

Bay Lake Towers

Pros:

* Boat, Monorail and Bus transportation options
* Possible Magic Kingdom view rooms
* Closest to Magic Kingdom (which I think we will spend the most time at with the baby)
* First place I ever stayed was Contemporary so it would be pretty cool to stay in their newest addition

Cons:

* Decor seems more contemporary than our tastes
* Not enough points to get a 1 bedroom villa for us if both parents go and I think we will miss the extra space with the baby

Ok, I think that pretty much sums it up. Any suggestions or feedback are highly requested

Next Chapter ..... Mom, what's for dinner?

 

[ariel1025]

Any true Disney obsessed planner knows one of the most fun parts of planning the next trip is planning where to eat

Now, some of these choices will be absolute "musts" for us, others are currently in debate. To make it easier for my planning brain I am going to break this up by meal.

Let's start at the most logical place .... breakfast.

A few things that are important to note about breakfast for us:

* Candi's Dad cannot start his day without breakfast!
* Candi is not a big fan of breakfast
* My Dad thinks the only way to get his money's worth at breakfast is by choosing buffet.
* Both Moms would rather be shopping than wasting time eating breakfast
* I tend to choose breakfast locations based on getting early entry into the park (However, I'm not sure if reservations this early are wise with a baby .... opinions??)
* Many, many character breakfast are in consideration because of the Baby
* The dining plan is a definite, the question is which type

So ... here we go ...

ANIMAL KINGDOM:

Tusker House

Pros:

* It's a buffet
* It's a character meal
* It's possible to get a pre-park opening reservation
* 1 TS on dining plan

Cons:

* Animal Kingdom is mine and Candi's least favorite park
* I've read split views on Tusker House

EPCOT:

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall

Pros:

* All you can eat (half buffet, half brought to your table)
* Character meal
* Pre-park reservation
* Moms will love the Princess factor
* 1 TS credit on dining plan

Cons:

* Not a huge selection of food
* Been here before and "liked" it but didn't "love" it

MAGIC KINGDOM:

Cinderella's Royal Table

This is a must for us! It has become tradition for us to eat breakfast here on our first park day of the trip

Crystal Palace

Pros:

* Been interested in trying for a while
* Character breakfast
* Buffet
* Pre-opening reservations
* Most people in traveling party love Pooh and Gang
* 1 TS credit on dining plan

Cons:

* Not sure if there are any ....

Main Street Bakery

Pros:

* I am in desperate need of trying a cinnamon roll
* Pretty sure snack credits could be used for breakfast options

Cons:

* Probably won't count as breakfast to the Dads
* I've heard you have to fight the masses to get cinnamon rolls before they run out!


We are not interested in breakfast at Hollywood Studios. We tried Hollywood Dine on our honeymoon for dinner and had such a horrible experience we have boycotted it

I will stop here for now and continue on to hotel breakfast options later today. I would love any feedback on everything ...... don't be shy, speak up and say Hi

 

[loritemp]

Just found your PTR and am joining in. Mainly because you are a girl after my own heart...I am also super early planning my #2 kiddos first Disney trip before he is even born!!!!! Congrats on the little one, you are in for the time of your life!!!

We just became DVC members and are going to stay at BWV because we can get 2 BR and bring the grandparents along. We want to invite other family as well but I guess I am kind of like your dad and worry if we have too many people there will be conflict. But I intend to tell people up front that while it is a family vaca to feel free to do your own thing if you choose. Planning with a little one can be difficult and you don't want people to be upset if you need to change things on the fly!

How old will your little one be when you go? You might change your mind on AK, my son was 16months when we took him and he FLIPPED over the animals, made us love AK that much more.

Ok, looking forward to more updates!!!!

 

[ariel1025]

Just found your PTR and am joining in. Mainly because you are a girl after my own heart...I am also super early planning my #2 kiddos first Disney trip before he is even born!!!!! Congrats on the little one, you are in for the time of your life!!!

We just became DVC members and are going to stay at BWV because we can get 2 BR and bring the grandparents along. We want to invite other family as well but I guess I am kind of like your dad and worry if we have too many people there will be conflict. But I intend to tell people up front that while it is a family vaca to feel free to do your own thing if you choose. Planning with a little one can be difficult and you don't want people to be upset if you need to change things on the fly!

How old will your little one be when you go? You might change your mind on AK, my son was 16months when we took him and he FLIPPED over the animals, made us love AK that much more.

Ok, looking forward to more updates!!!!

Thanks for jumping in - I knew I couldn't be the only one to plan like this When is your little one due?

We have considered the 2BR as well, and if only one set of Grandparents come than we will definitely go that route. If both come then we are doing a 1BR for us and 2 studios for them. No sense in causing hurt feelings over who gets to be in our connecting room

Us, like you, completely intend on telling people to feel free to do their own thing. However, I have a feeling that my parents will do that, but his ....not so much. They don't do so well in unfamiliar territory. I am trying to figure out a polite way to ask for an evening of just the 3 of us though

We are still playing around with dates but as of right now the baby will be between 18 and 20 months when we go. I also thought about him/her loving the animals so we will definitely give Animal Kingdom a go!

 

[ariel1025]

Ok, let's start looking at breakfast options outside the park ....

Resorts:

Boma

Pros:

* Both Candi and I are intrigued by this restaurant
* Buffet!
* 1 TS credit on dining plan
* If we stay at AKL then its right in our lobby!

Cons:

* Can't come up with any ....

Cape May Cafe

Pros:

* Character breakfast
* Buffet
* 1 TS credit on dining plan
* Moms would love the ambiance of Beach Club

Cons:

* Moms might love the ambiance too much and wish we had stayed here

Chef Mickey's

Pros:

* Character breakfast
* Buffet
* 1 TS credit on dining plan
* My Mom's favorite memory from our family trip in 1998!

Cons:

* Have definitely read mixed reviews

1900 Park Fare

Pros:

* Buffet
* Characters
* 1 TS credit on dining plan
* Moms will love the Grand Floridian
* I have been wanting to try it for a while

Cons:

* Is it possible to have too many character meals

Grand Floridian Cafe

Pros:

* 1 TS credit on dining plan
* The Grand Floridian factor
* More relaxed breakfast option

Cons:

* Not buffet

Kona Cafe

Pros:

* Really enjoyed it on our last trip
* Chance for families to see Polynesian
* Tonga toast!
* 1 TS credit on dining plan

Cons:

* Not buffet - but do you really need it with the feast breakfast plate

'Ohana

Pros:

* Stitch!
* All you can eat brought table side
* 1 TS on dining plan

Cons:

* Not very much food variety

Whispering Canyon Cafe

Pros:

* Option for breakfast skillet
* Fun atmosphere
* If we stay at WL it's in the lobby
* If we don't stay at WL it gives our families a chance to see it

Cons:

* Bad wait staff experience on our trip earlier this year makes us hesitant

So ... there you have it! Those are all the places that we are considering for breakfast. Of course, we know we will have to eliminate several so all opinions are greatly appreciated!

Some other options we are considering as well:

* Ordering food from Garden Grocer and using in room kitchen to make breakfast and save on meal credits

* Looking into quick service options for breakfast and not going deluxe on the meal plan

 

[loritemp]

I have never heard a bad thing about the Cape May buffet!! Plus if you plan a meal there you can knock a lot out at once, show them the BW area, easy access to either DHS or Epcot. I vote for that for at least one meal.

I am due Dec 21, you are about a month behind me, right?

Your little one will be a great age. Old enough to enjoy everything and have fun on some rides and young enough to still nap and go to bed at a reasonable time and give you all some downtime

 

[ariel1025]

I have never heard a bad thing about the Cape May buffet!! Plus if you plan a meal there you can knock a lot out at once, show them the BW area, easy access to either DHS or Epcot. I vote for that for at least one meal.

I am due Dec 21, you are about a month behind me, right?

Your little one will be a great age. Old enough to enjoy everything and have fun on some rides and young enough to still nap and go to bed at a reasonable time and give you all some downtime

Excellent point about Cape May and the easy park access AND Epcot the favorite park for us both. I think you just "forced" me to add another point to Cape May

Awwww .... a holiday time baby, how fun! Yes, I am a little over a month behind you (Jan 31). I am so anxious to find out if we are having a boy or girl!!!

 

[ariel1025]

Hello everyone

Don't have a trip update today, but I do have a baby update

I had my monthly visit with my Mid-wife yesterday and she said everything looks superb. My weight and blood pressure are exactly where they should be. And, we got to hear the all important heartbeat again Baby's heart is holding strong at 154 beats per minute!

Next time I go we get to find out if we are having a girl or boy ..... so excited that I'm counting down the days. 34 if you were curious

Have a great rest of the week!!

 

[Disneychix]

Congratulations to you!! I've read some of your past TR and you and your DH are such a cute couple!

You should def do CP with a 18-20month old! That is my fav breakfast and I love the early morning ADR so you have Main st all to yourselves. We got some super cute shots of DS running down Main St when he was 20 months! Too cute!

 

[loritemp]

Congrats on the good news from the doc!!! It's always so reassuring when you get to hear the heartbeat, isn't it?!

 

[ariel1025]

Congratulations to you!! I've read some of your past TR and you and your DH are such a cute couple!

You should def do CP with a 18-20month old! That is my fav breakfast and I love the early morning ADR so you have Main st all to yourselves. We got some super cute shots of DS running down Main St when he was 20 months! Too cute!

Thank you very much

Glad to hear a thumbs up for CP .... I think it will be hard for me not to choose a breakfast there

Congrats on the good news from the doc!!! It's always so reassuring when you get to hear the heartbeat, isn't it?!

Thank you .... I absolutely hate having to wait 4 weeks each time to hear the heartbeat

 

[ariel1025]

Hello, hope everyone had a great weekend Ours was packed full of stuff and quite exhausting ... I could go to bed right now and not wake up until tomorrow

On Thursday we decided to buy tickets to the Toby Keith concert at the spur of the moment. Oh my goodness, I am so glad we did, it was awesome and we had killer seats! I'm not sure how because the venue was packed, but we ended up being 5th row for the show

It opened with James Otto

Now, I am familiar with James Otto and love his biggest hit, Just Got Started Loving You, but I have to say I am a big fan now. He puts on a great show, has so much energy and stage presence! Also, if you have not already heard it you must go listen to the song "Soldiers and Jesus" it is truly one of the best songs I have ever heard!

Following James was Trace Adkins

I have been a Trace Adkins fan for a long time and the only bad thing I will say is that he didn't sing a lot of my favorite songs However, he is also one heck of a performer ... he really gets down on stage, especially for being such a big guy. Speaking of which .... oh my goodness, I knew he was big, but he is seriously a handsome little giant!

Then of course there was the main man himself, Toby Keith

Singing my favorite song, Not Crying for Me (Wayman's Song), it makes me cry every sing time!

Unfortunately, right before the encore a huge fight broke out in the seats right next to us. I'm sorry, but it irritates the heck out of me when people have to go and ruin things for other people

Luckily, Security escorted everybody out before the big encore and it was a good one.

He ended the night singing Courtesy of the Red White and Blue as a duet with Trace Adkins and it sounded awesome!

After that fun filled night we, of course, had to go to work on Friday which was eventful on its own. Then on Saturday we had a wedding to go to in another town so that was an all day event. Today we had a breakfast date with my brother-in-law and have been playing "catch up" on house chores all day .... phew, it's tiring just writing it



Ok .... now on with the trip planning .....


First we should check in with the star of this trip ...

Clearly growing like crazy. I must admit if I'm this big at 16 weeks, I'm a little scared to see what I will be like towards the end But, Dr says everything is normal and perfect so that's what matters!


On the trip front, we still haven't made solid plans for breakfast, but have discussed lunch options

A few things that are important to note about lunch for us:

* Some of these places we really want to try but the dinner menu isn't appetizing
* Not a fan of eating at places without indoor seating
* Leaning towards "light" options since we will eat breakfast most days

So ... here we go ...

ANIMAL KINGDOM:

Flame Tree BBQ

Pros:

* Not just a "burger joint"
* Heard many good reviews
* We are all big fans of BBQ
* QS option on dining plan

Cons:

* Pretty sure there's only outdoor seating
* Not sure we will actually be at AK during lunch time

EPCOT:

Nine Dragons

Pros:

* We all love chinese food
* Candi and I enjoy the food here

Cons:

* Filling meal option for lunch

Rose & Crown

Pros:

* One of our favorite Epcot restaurants
* Love the charm and atmosphere
* Best fish & Chips EVER!

Cons:

* Pretty sure nothing on the menu will be appetizing to my parents
* Difficult to imagine eating here when it's not dinner time during Illuminations

San Angel Inn

This is a must do for us! Best tortilla soup in the world - enough said

Hollywood Studios

'50s Prime Time Cafe

Pros:

* Menu sounds good
* Atmosphere is right up our alley

Cons:

* Heard a lot of mixed reviews

Sci Fi Dine In

This is a must do for us!

Magic Kingdom

Columbia Harbour House

Pros:

* Heard lots of good things about this place
* Lighter meal options
* QS credit on meal plan

Cons:

* Is there indoor seating?

Pinocchio Village Haus

This is an option solely because Candi's Mom's favorite ride in the entire world is Small World and I heard you can get tables overlooking this ride!

Plaza Restaurant

Pros:

* We love the intimate charm of this place
* Good food!

Cons:

* Negative experience last time caused us to not keep our reservation

DTD

Earl of Sandwich

A must do at some point during the trip!

We know there are also a lot of options outside of the parks but the only one that is on our list is Beaches 'n Cream which is a must do for us! Otherwise, we are aiming to keep lunches in the parks

As always, we would love all feedback, experiences, advice, opinions on somewhere we didn't name etc.

 

[SOUTHERNtinkerBELLE]

Wow! I've missed alot! I've been out of the country for 2 weeks so I'm just trying to get caught up now - I've got lots to comment on!

First off - you are so adorable pregnant! I'm so glad to hear that you and the baby are progressing nicely.

For the resort choice - I would vote for either WL or BLT. I think WL would be great for the sentimentality of it, and BLT for it's proximity to MK. I would save AKL for when the baby is a little older and can really be "wowed" by the animals more. Does that make sense?

For the meals - I really recommend Tusker House! The food is so yummy for breakfast and it has the most variety (in my opinion). We had some fabulous character interaction there on our January trip.

Cape May is also another good one that doesn't get talked about quite as much here. It's a bit of a quieter character breakfast which is nice when you've got a lot of adults.

CHH is great for lunch! And there is indoor seating. I'm with you on that one - a/c is a must!

 

[ariel1025]

Wow! I've missed alot! I've been out of the country for 2 weeks so I'm just trying to get caught up now - I've got lots to comment on!

First off - you are so adorable pregnant! I'm so glad to hear that you and the baby are progressing nicely.

For the resort choice - I would vote for either WL or BLT. I think WL would be great for the sentimentality of it, and BLT for it's proximity to MK. I would save AKL for when the baby is a little older and can really be "wowed" by the animals more. Does that make sense?

For the meals - I really recommend Tusker House! The food is so yummy for breakfast and it has the most variety (in my opinion). We had some fabulous character interaction there on our January trip.

Cape May is also another good one that doesn't get talked about quite as much here. It's a bit of a quieter character breakfast which is nice when you've got a lot of adults.

CHH is great for lunch! And there is indoor seating. I'm with you on that one - a/c is a must!

Ahhh, I'm still so "jealous" you got to go to Italy!!!

Well, we have narrowed down our hotel options ... but I'll get to that in my next update

I keep hearing about Tusker house and am this close to making it a must do.

We had reservations at Cape May on our trip earlier this year and didn't make it, still makes me pretty sad

Glad to hear CHH has indoor seating because I always hear such awesome things about it!