Rope Drop is Tip #1!! A June 2016 TR...updated 10/31 pg 19 post 373 THE END!

[ariane37]

I will be very interested after your trip next year to see how much more you prefer doing RD-assuming you make RD next June lol! While I enjoy the benefits of RD and know how important it is, and will be doing many of them in November, I'm definitely looking forward to NOT doing all RD days when we go later this month
I think I may also be looking forward to one of those whoopee pies!! I've never ever seen that before but I'll try anything red velvet

 

[Jfsag123]

Hooray for an update! Even though you had to use the annoying laptop. I am seriously impressed with how well you seem to have maintained despite your schedule going out the window and having to navigate with two young kiddos and a loveable but stubborn dad in tow. I'm going to guess you are an awesome teacher as you seem to have patience to spare! I used to want to be a teacher, then realized I would never cut it because this is not one of my strong suits.

I remember this being a super crowded day for Soarin'! This was the day we rode it after our PPO Garden Grill breakfast, but I looked at the wait times a few times during the day just because I was interested and from the looks of it it seemed like the Land pavilion must have been a zoo. We ate at Sunshine Seasons on our first trip and I remember having a similar experience, complete with fussy 2-year old.

Hope your school year has gotten off to a good start!

 

[ArielSRL]

I will be very interested after your trip next year to see how much more you prefer doing RD-assuming you make RD next June lol! While I enjoy the benefits of RD and know how important it is, and will be doing many of them in November, I'm definitely looking forward to NOT doing all RD days when we go later this month

I'm a total night owl (don't ask me why I chose teaching as a profession...lol) so I really, really like my sleep. So I definitely won't enjoy getting up early. However, the fruits of my labor should make it worth it! And I won't be very far removed from getting up between 5:30 and 6 everyday for work, so hopefully I'll survive it. I'm a little worried with later in the week, but if our breaks work out right, maybe I can rest a bit in the afternoons, as well.

I think I may also be looking forward to one of those whoopee pies!! I've never ever seen that before but I'll try anything red velvet

Red Velvet is my favorite! And I guess it was a red velvet whoopie pie because thats what it looks like to me. I even remember eating every last bite and enjoying each and every one....lol.

Hooray for an update! Even though you had to use the annoying laptop. I am seriously impressed with how well you seem to have maintained despite your schedule going out the window and having to navigate with two young kiddos and a loveable but stubborn dad in tow. I'm going to guess you are an awesome teacher as you seem to have patience to spare! I used to want to be a teacher, then realized I would never cut it because this is not one of my strong suits.

Yes, being a teacher and being a mom of two little boys will teach patience! I don't have nearly as much for adults but in this situation, I just learned to accept it, as I know my dad too well and knew it wouldn't change. I probably should've known it before we even went, but I held out hope for about a minute...lol.

I remember this being a super crowded day for Soarin'! This was the day we rode it after our PPO Garden Grill breakfast, but I looked at the wait times a few times during the day just because I was interested and from the looks of it it seemed like the Land pavilion must have been a zoo. We ate at Sunshine Seasons on our first trip and I remember having a similar experience, complete with fussy 2-year old.

Hope your school year has gotten off to a good start!

That would explain the craziness and the wait time! I was really looking forward to SS too. I always remembered liking it. In the future, hopefully, it will be easier to maneuver.

The year is definitely off to a start...lol. Its actually fine but I always forget how much like kinders they are when they come to us at the beginning. There is a TON of growth in first grade so it will get better. Oh and I'm exhausted but that should get better, too. Thank you!

 

[kastoney]

Sorry for all your laptop problems. Hope you get it fixed soon. We gave up on PC's and moved to Macs a few years ago and I can honestly say we've had no issues at all.

Sunshine Seasons looks yummy. Especially your tacos, but I love all things spicy.

 

[ArielSRL]

Sorry for all your laptop problems. Hope you get it fixed soon. We gave up on PC's and moved to Macs a few years ago and I can honestly say we've had no issues at all.

Sunshine Seasons looks yummy. Especially your tacos, but I love all things spicy.

Thank you for the sympathy! I honestly think it was just a perfect storm. Fortunately the update worked the next night so I think I'm good to go for the next update!

 

[Princess Leia]

Sorry to hear about your laptop issues. Hopefully things will get better!

Something Disney related...my mom bought me a Disney Villain adult coloring book.

That looks fun! Hannah passed some time colouring on the plane. Tell me will you colour creatively or will you just colour things the correct colour?

lso I'm kind of glad the Olympics are almost over. This has seriously been killing my sleep time and I really need as much as possible this first few weeks back at school.

The start of session is brutal. There is just too much to be done. To be fair it doesn't really improve until we reach summer.

So we ended up waiting probably 30 minutes, even with our FPs, which was kind of crazy.

That is frustrating! Do you think everyone wanted to see the old soaring before it departed?

I really hate how you have to leave the stroller outside. They seriously need to find an area to turn into stroller parking in the pavilion or closer to it because its really very inconvenient.

Fortunately I've never had to negotiate Disney with a stroller. Peter was 3 when he first went and he walked everywhere - silly boy! It does seem that you have to take them out the strollers a lot.

I believe I got the Whoopie Pie maybe?

Looks good - I think I would enjoy this cake.

Ok, its getting a little late so I think I will finish Epcot another day. I'll try not to go so long between updates this next time!

You and me both. Don't worry a slower pace suits me and doesn't make me look so bad!

 

[mustinjourney]

After my last trip with a 3 year old and a 6 month old -- I've come to realize rope drop ain't happening unless you are on the monorail or can walk to the park. I also learned the hard way that arrival day, with little ones, should NOT be used to get in some rides and watch fireworks at the MK. Best to hang at the resort and try to get to bed semi-early. We did not do that. Instead, we went to MK, met some friends for dinner that just happened to be at the park the same time as us -- rode a few rides, watched the fireworks, and then stayed for extended magic hours since the crowds thinned out. Got back to the room at Port Orleans an hour after we left the park, and didn't get to bed until after midnight. 7 am wake up call was no es bueno.

I also will note that those Touring Plans are far too ambitious when you have toddlers/babies. Things like water breaks, bathroom breaks, getting food, walking from one place to another, etc...take so much longer than you'd think, and I just don't think Touring Plans adequately takes that into account. We used a touring plan back in February and after the first day, I figured most of my planning was out the window and we were going to have to scale back big time. I also found that getting to/from the parks took a lot longer than I had expected. Being on the monorail is soooooooooo much nicer....especially with a stroller. Don't have to fold it up, just wheel it on and off and you're back at your resort and the kids are still napping. Makes life so much better.

 

[ArielSRL]

Sorry to hear about your laptop issues. Hopefully things will get better!

I'm going to test it out tonight with an update...I hope!

That looks fun! Hannah passed some time colouring on the plane. Tell me will you colour creatively or will you just colour things the correct colour?

Probably creatively! I'm not really a "rule" follower....lol.

The start of session is brutal. There is just too much to be done. To be fair it doesn't really improve until we reach summer.

So very true!

That is frustrating! Do you think everyone wanted to see the old soaring before it departed?

Yes, that definitely could've affected it....

Fortunately I've never had to negotiate Disney with a stroller. Peter was 3 when he first went and he walked everywhere - silly boy! It does seem that you have to take them out the strollers a lot.

Strollers can be a nightmare and a savior all at the same time!

Looks good - I think I would enjoy this cake.

It was soooo good!

You and me both. Don't worry a slower pace suits me and doesn't make me look so bad!

 

[ArielSRL]

After my last trip with a 3 year old and a 6 month old -- I've come to realize rope drop ain't happening unless you are on the monorail or can walk to the park. I also learned the hard way that arrival day, with little ones, should NOT be used to get in some rides and watch fireworks at the MK. Best to hang at the resort and try to get to bed semi-early. We did not do that. Instead, we went to MK, met some friends for dinner that just happened to be at the park the same time as us -- rode a few rides, watched the fireworks, and then stayed for extended magic hours since the crowds thinned out. Got back to the room at Port Orleans an hour after we left the park, and didn't get to bed until after midnight. 7 am wake up call was no es bueno.

I think we would've been ok with RD if my dad hasn't messed up our plans. Most of the time we were up just waiting on him. We are also hoping to be at WL this next trip, so while not on the monorail, we should be close to MK. But I most definitely agree with a relaxing arrival day. We will employ that strategy next trip.

I also will note that those Touring Plans are far too ambitious when you have toddlers/babies. Things like water breaks, bathroom breaks, getting food, walking from one place to another, etc...take so much longer than you'd think, and I just don't think Touring Plans adequately takes that into account. We used a touring plan back in February and after the first day, I figured most of my planning was out the window and we were going to have to scale back big time. I also found that getting to/from the parks took a lot longer than I had expected. Being on the monorail is soooooooooo much nicer....especially with a stroller. Don't have to fold it up, just wheel it on and off and you're back at your resort and the kids are still napping. Makes life so much better.

I'll still make the touring plans but one, I will set the walking speed to the slowest and two, I will definitely just use them as a guide knowing we will probably get off them at some point. I wish I could afford a monorail resort. Unfortunately it isn't in the cards.

 

[ArielSRL]

OK, so I am currently on my mom's laptop but its outdated so it won't display all the DISboards options for posting. So I'm gonna see if I can update it any further and if not, I'll go back to my DH's annoying laptop. But there will be no update tonight. Ugh. I just can't believe this is what is stopping me from updating. I want to finish this TR...darn it!

 

[toomuchtv]

I just got caught up on your report. Your boys are adorable, but your dad sounds like my dad would be! I guess it's okay that he's choosing not to go with us next May.

I hope you get your laptop situation worked out so that you can finish your report!

 

[ArielSRL]

I just got caught up on your report. Your boys are adorable, but your dad sounds like my dad would be! I guess it's okay that he's choosing not to go with us next May.

I hope you get your laptop situation worked out so that you can finish your report!

Thank you! Yes, I love my dad but OMG at the frustration....glad you will be spared. Trying to make do with this laptop issue.....

 

[ArielSRL]

Ok, so my mom's computer is just so outdated that the browser won't support the Disboards site. So I am back on my DH's. Ugh. Just for you Disers...because I really can't stand this thing.

Day Five 6/8/2016 ~ Epcot (part 2) & Disney Springs

So last I wrote, we finished up at Sunshine Seasons and then we headed to The Seas with Nemo and Friends. I had changed our Turtle Talk FP for Nemo because according to MDE and Lines, the wait was long and I didn't think we would have time to do TT anyway. We got in and the boys really loved all the aquariums and all the fun stuff inside. Here are a few photos:

The time stamp on the last photo is 2:12pm. I'm not quite sure how long we hung around but I know that we had to eventually leave and get to SSE to use our FP there. I think we stopped at the Disney Visa M&G on the way but the line was incredibly long so we skipped it. We used our FP for SSE - Mom decided to skip it - but even the FP line was kind of long here, too. I think I almost fell asleep on the ride but I was riding with Will so I couldn't really do that. Also, the camera must not have worked for us because at the end, we got generic cartoon people. I was really looking forward to seeing Will's and my photo but oh well.

Once we got off the ride, I think we had to rush the boys through so they didn't try to start playing games. Unfortunately, we didn't have the time. Here's a couple photos we took right before we headed out:


The timestamp on these is 3:25. I have written in my notes "4pm back to room". I'm hoping that means we got back at 4 and we didn't leave at 4...because we had an 5:30 ADR at T-Rex. And I'll just save you the suspense...yes, we were late!

I'm sure back at SSR I took a shower and we all freshened up and changed. Then we headed back out again. Fortunately we were at SSR, which is right by Disney Springs, so it didn't take us forever, but we did drive over. I got both boys, I believe, in the stroller and ran off to get to T-Rex ASAP while my parents took a little more time. They just can't move as fast as me, so that is why we did it that way. Unfortunately for me, I got lost. I went one way and never seemed to find it, so I stopped someone to ask and they re-directed me back around the way I came and by the Lego Store. So that's the way I headed, all sweaty and breathing hard and rushing. Once I arrived, guess who I ran into? My parents! They beat me there. And the funny thing was, later after dinner, I figured out that if I had just kept going the first way I went, I would've arrived at T-Rex within a minute or two! Ugh! Btw, we checked in around 6pm...30 minutes late.

Ok, so this is where I become a really bad Diser because besides not taking ANY photos of T-Rex or our food, I have absolutely NO idea what we ordered! I'm gonna pull up the menu and see if I can remember anything. Ok, after glancing, I remember I got a sampler. I know I got Bruschetta, quesadillas, maybe shrimp and artichoke dip. I truly do not remember what my parents got. I'm sure the boys got chicken nuggets. I thought my food was fine but nothing special. Mom and I got the Meteor Donut Bites for Two as our dessert. They were just okay. I should've went with something else because the other desserts sounded wonderful and probably tasted better. The restaurant had a neat atmosphere but it didn't bowl us over. We may get back over there at some point in the future but not any time soon.

After dinner, we went through the gift shop and then let the boys play a bit in the bone digging site area:



I'm glad they got a chance to play, but of course, when it was time to leave, they totally protested. Oh well, we had to head out because we had a date to see some fireworks in a galaxy far, far away....

Next up: Day Five 6/8/2016 ~ Disney Springs Photopass Photos

 

[Jfsag123]

Love the update! We were at SSE just a little after you that day. I think we used our FP in the 4:00pm hour. By that time there wasn't much of a stand-by line and we were almost the only ones in the FP line. Crazy how much crowds can shift within such a short time span!

If it makes you feel any better, we were also late for our dinner ADR on this same night at Via Napoli. Sometimes it's just hard. This seems like it was a super busy day for y'all!

Adorable pictures, as usual. Very much looking forward to your thoughts on the SW fireworks!

 

[ArielSRL]

Day Five 6/8/2016 ~ Disney Springs Photopass Photos

Oops... I forgot to post a couple Photopass photos from Disney Springs (not that I could've fit them into the update anyway, as I was at my 10 photo limit). So, here they are:

Next up: Day Five 6/8/2016 ~ DHS

 

[ArielSRL]

Love the update! We were at SSE just a little after you that day. I think we used our FP in the 4:00pm hour. By that time there wasn't much of a stand-by line and we were almost the only ones in the FP line. Crazy how much crowds can shift within such a short time span!

That is crazy because it was probably just about an hour or so later. But I'm sure there is a rhyme and reason to the crowd ebbs and flows at Disney!

If it makes you feel any better, we were also late for our dinner ADR on this same night at Via Napoli. Sometimes it's just hard. This seems like it was a super busy day for y'all!

Honestly, this was just probably the worst snowball day of all. Arriving at Epcot about 2 hours past when I planned it really set our day off and it was just too hard to recover. Most days we were able to recover during our break time, but today the snowball affect won and we lost...lol.

Adorable pictures, as usual. Very much looking forward to your thoughts on the SW fireworks!

Hopefully coming up within a few days but we shall see....

 

[ariane37]

Those Nemo outfits the boys had on at Epcot are adorable! I miss dressing my boys in cute Disney outfits
I feel bad you were rushing so much. I have a strong feeling you won't be rushing as much next year lol, and I do remember rushing a bit more when our boys were younger. The heat certainly doesn't help when you're lost and sweating somewhere, either!

We've never done T-Rex but whenever I see a picture of some dessert they have there - a volcano explosion or something?? - it makes me want to go. We tried once when Chris was 2 and you could easily walk up, but as we were being brought to our table he got a look at all the dinosaurs and started screaming Wasn't funny at the time because of course Ricky was all excited to eat there, but that was the end of that!

 

[ArielSRL]

Those Nemo outfits the boys had on at Epcot are adorable! I miss dressing my boys in cute Disney outfits

I love putting my boys in matching outfits and they like it too. My DH says its cheesy...oh well...deal with it. LOL

I feel bad you were rushing so much. I have a strong feeling you won't be rushing as much next year lol, and I do remember rushing a bit more when our boys were younger. The heat certainly doesn't help when you're lost and sweating somewhere, either!

Yes, way too much rushing. That's really the stinker of it all. I feel like I didn't have time to ever stop and smell the Disney roses, soak up the atmosphere, get that tingly feeling, etc, etc. And honestly, in the end, isn't all that the best parts??? So that's why hitting rope drop will be worth it to me...so I don't have to rush around all day and miss the little moments that make up the memories.

We've never done T-Rex but whenever I see a picture of some dessert they have there - a volcano explosion or something?? - it makes me want to go. We tried once when Chris was 2 and you could easily walk up, but as we were being brought to our table he got a look at all the dinosaurs and started screaming Wasn't funny at the time because of course Ricky was all excited to eat there, but that was the end of that!

Yes, I think there is a volcanic explosion type dessert and we should've gotten that! That is funny about Chris. AJ probably would've done the same at 2, as he is my timid, scared one. Will, my daredevil child, the one who will cause me to have a heart attack in my 40's, loved it!

 

[ArielSRL]

Day Five 6/8/2016 ~ DHS

So after we left Disney Springs, we got in the car and headed to DHS. Our sole purpose for being there was to see the Star Wars fireworks. As a matter of fact, we changed our plans for this night - we were supposed to stay in Disney Springs to shop - so that the fireworks fit better in our schedule. At this time, they weren't showing them nightly and we were already planning on seeing Fantasmic and not trying to rush out of that on Friday night.

So, for once on this trip, we actually arrived in plenty of time! We grabbed some Photopass photos and a video on the way in:

We got a great spot right in the middle of whatever the main street in DHS is. We were right up past the cross street (yes, I'm being lazy and not looking up the proper names). We settled in and I went over to a kiosk to get us some popcorn and drinks. Unfortunately for me, they were the non-alcoholic type. I kept glancing at the Brown Derby outside bar, thinking I should go over and get something but I never did. Oh well.

After the snacks, we waited a bit more, which I think was kind of tough on my parents. They may have gone to sit or lean up against something. The boys were seated in their stroller and I was sitting on the ground, so we were good. Fortunately I don't think we had too much more to wait. Then one of the best fireworks shows I have ever seen, started . Just a fair warning, I'm going fireworks photo heavy here:










And yes, that kid was sitting on his Daddy's shoulders.

Continued in next post...

 

[ArielSRL]

*Continued* Day Five 6/8/2016 ~ DHS



And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen, one of the best fireworks shows I have ever seen. Even though I haven't seen the new show, I'm a tad disappointed they got rid of this one. But, being a Star Wars fan, I will probably enjoy the projections from the movies. I just don't like how it limits the good seats for the show. And even though I'm hearing the dessert party is less than ideal in its new format, we will most likely pony up for tickets just so we can have a good view of the new show without staking out a spot hours in advance.

After the show, we got the hell out of dodge and back to the hotel at a semi-reasonable hour...or at least earlier than most of the other nights of our trip.

Next up: Day Six 6/9/2016 ~ Magic Kingdom (Part 1)