Second Star to the Right and Straight on 'Till Morning..to DisneyWorld! Sep13-NEW10/3

[TMGosizk]

GReat plans for Day 2.


So sorry about Laura's ear infection. My DS went through a similar thing when he was a baby. His Eustachian tube wasn't wide enough to drain the fluid out properly and any fluid in the ear was just picking up bugs/infection and also creating pressure against the ear drum.

We ended up putting in grommets in his ear and never looked back after the op.

I hope the ENT sorts it out for you and Laura; and I hope it is something simple!

Thanks It's really rough watching them go through something like this over and over, especially SO young when they can't verbalize what hurts or how they're feeling! I'm glad to hear your son's ear issues are a thing of the past now! We are also hoping for a simple solution. Her primary doc has already said it's probably the tubes she needs...hopefully, if that's the case, it helps her and she doesn't have to go through this again!

She is definitely getting better, though! We can tell a huge difference between this weekend and last! Thank goodness!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Thanks It's really rough watching them go through something like this over and over, especially SO young when they can't verbalize what hurts or how they're feeling! I'm glad to hear your son's ear issues are a thing of the past now! We are also hoping for a simple solution. Her primary doc has already said it's probably the tubes she needs...hopefully, if that's the case, it helps her and she doesn't have to go through this again!

She is definitely getting better, though! We can tell a huge difference between this weekend and last! Thank goodness!

Are you seeking a specialist opinion?

The difficult thing is deciding what age to put the tubes in. We waited a bit because we had the summer coming up and also because we didn't want DS to undergo surgery at such a young age. So we delayed for about 3 months. Fortunately, our ENT specialist was pretty pragmatic about the whole thing and agreed with us.

In the end, it really was a simple procedure. DS was booked in for a 8 am op. He wasn't allowed food overnight and the op took all of 30 minutes. We stayed at the hospital until 11 am just because they wanted to keep him in after the anesthetic. By 1 pm, we headed to mother's group and he was playing with all of his other kiddie friends like nothing had happened.

 

[TMGosizk]

Day 3-MGM

Plans for September 19th!

Once again, Mom and I will probably be up about 7:00am, if not earlier. We'll grab some coffee and go for our walk.

I'll have John text me again when Laura's awake so we can head back!

After enjoying some breakfast in the Lounge, we'll head down to the Contemporary bus stop to wait for a bus to go here:



I've been thinking that our mornings will start much earlier than we're used to in Disney with Laura along. I said in my last post, we're not rope drop people, but I think this trip we'll be more “don't HAVE to be there by rope drop” people. Laura's usually up about 7:30, so we'll just naturally get an earlier start now. I hadn't really thought of this previously, but now that I do, it is likely we'll be close to rope drop almost every day.

That being said, I can't imagine we'd get to MGM much later than the 9am opening this day. We see this park a bit differently than the others because there's a lot of shows. We have only three show priorities: Disney Jr., Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast. If we see them at least once this trip, we'll be happy, and if we fit in any others, that'll be icing on the cake!

When we arrive, we'll take a few pictures in front of the Sorcerer hat,



I have no explanation for why I look so annoyed here (Sorry, I don't have a better one with John in it!)..I remember this picture being taken and know I wasn't ACTUALLY annoyed...I believe Buzzy had water drip on her head or something; hence her expression. And, John was just excited to get a move on!

Once we've taken our pictures, we will head toward



and check on the line/fastpass situation. We have NEVER ridden this-it's the only ride we've failed to get on since it opened!! Usually, by the time we get to MGM, all the fastpasses are gone and the stand-by line is already 75+mins long (the downside to not getting there for rope drop). If the passes are for a reasonable time, we'll grab them. If they're not, then someone will run down to Rock-N-Roller Coaster and grab fastpasses for that instead.

We'll then get in line for the Great Movie Ride!



After we've toured the movies, we'll head over to Disney Jr. Live on Stage. I'm hoping we'll make the 10:30am show!

Laura and I watch Disney Jr. every morning during breakfast. It's her only real TV time. We actually started doing this when she was about two months old; I'd put it on just for background noise in the mornings and now she actually watches! She LOVES Mickey Mouse Clubhouse the most! I can't wait to see her reactions during the live show!

So, we'll watch Disney Jr. and then pop over to



There's an 11:20am show, so hopefully we'll get in for that one if we made the 10:30 Disney Jr. show.

After Little Mermaid, we'll look for somewhere to have lunch. We always have a difficult time finding a place we all agree upon in MGM. So, we'll probably split up and meet back at the tables outside Tower of Terror/Rock-N-Roller Coaster.

After lunch, we'll head across the street to Beauty and the Beast for the 1pm show.



Then we'll take turns riding Tower of Terror!



I'll never forget the first time I rode Tower of Terror. I was a little nervous, but very excited! Nunna and Nunu were there with us that year and Mom, Nunna, and I went on for my first ride.

For whatever reason, after everyone was loaded into the elevator, the CM lowered the security bars almost immediately without really checking if everyone was ready. Mom wasn't sitting down even and had one leg out in the aisle still! I mean, she wasn't even all the way into the row of seats!! The CM lowered the bar and I FREAKED out! I was SO scared that Mom was going to have to go through the ride like that!! I remember calling to the CM to raise the bar, saying "my mom's not in yet, my mom's not in yet!!”

Of course he had the bar raised and let her actually get seated before lowering it again, but I still remember the pure panic I felt when that happened! He obviously would have realized she wasn't in, but in my already nervous state, I had a moment of overreaction!

We laugh about it now, but that sure wasn't a good way to start my first ride!

And we'll take turns riding Rock-N-Roller Coaster


I have had an obsession with Aerosmith since before this ride opened....In seventh grade I had Aerosmith in my CD player, while the rest of my friends listened to N*SYNC.

Anyway, Mom was a fan as well, so this was one ride we were not missing when it opened! However, she had never been on a roller coaster before the trip we rode this (she actually rode the Kracken at Sea World before this).

Mom had her eyes closed the entire ride! Afterward, we asked if she saw the palm trees (the neon ones) and her response was: “what palm trees?” She loves the ride, even though she still closes her eyes at times! She has gotten better, but certainly can't help screaming at the beginning!


From 2008...priceless!

By this time, it'll probably be nearing time for us to leave. So, we'll make our way back up Sunset Blvd., leisurely checking out the shops along the way. We'll head out of the park, onto the bus, and back to the Contemporary!

I know we didn't see the entire park, but we'll get back there at least one more time to finish what we missed!

We may have time to swim a little after we get back to the resort, but I'm not counting on it.

We'll need to get cleaned up and changed and down to the boat docks to make it over to Fort Wilderness for the 6:15pm seating of the Hoop Dee Doo Revue at


(sorry it's a bit blurry)

This is a huge family favorite! John has asked me about five times in the past two months if we're going to the Hoop Dee Doo this trip....he is so excited! This was also one of Buzzy's "must dos" this year! I really think Laura will like it a lot! We have Category 2 seats, so I'm hoping we'll get there early enough to check in and I'll be able to request the center balcony. We've sat up there a few times and really like it.

After the show, I had originally planned to try to get us over to the Fort Wilderness campfire sing-a-long with Chip and Dale that I read about here in a TR recently, but we will miss the start of it, I think. There is one other night I'm thinking we could possibly make it, though. Laura would LOVE it if we can get to it!

We'll get the boat back to the Contemporary after the show! Might make it back in time to see Wishes from the room balcony or in the lounge--the lounge will have desserts, which will definitely make it more enticing!

We'll put Laura to bed then and hang out together until we're tired enough to sleep!

Coming up next: Day 4-Epcot

 

[TMGosizk]

Are you seeking a specialist opinion?

The difficult thing is deciding what age to put the tubes in. We waited a bit because we had the summer coming up and also because we didn't want DS to undergo surgery at such a young age. So we delayed for about 3 months. Fortunately, our ENT specialist was pretty pragmatic about the whole thing and agreed with us.

In the end, it really was a simple procedure. DS was booked in for a 8 am op. He wasn't allowed food overnight and the op took all of 30 minutes. We stayed at the hospital until 11 am just because they wanted to keep him in after the anesthetic. By 1 pm, we headed to mother's group and he was playing with all of his other kiddie friends like nothing had happened.

We are going to see a specialist, yes. At the time of her last appointment, Laura's doc encouraged it since she's had so many infections within a year and had a referral set up for us. Tricare (our military insurance) has to refer us to a civilian ENT if we want to pursue anything. Laura's doc said it wouldn't hurt to have her looked at and see why she's getting infections so often. She said that tubes are usually what the solution is. Unfortunetly, I don't have any experience with ear infections or ENTs or tubes, so this is new territory for me. John and I figured it wouldn't hurt to see the ENT they assigned us and go from there.

In all honesty, the thought of her having surgery this young is not something I'm a fan of...at all. I'd like to hold off a bit longer, as well, but at the same time, I really don't want her to have to go through another infection. Reading that your son's surgery went so well and he was up and going that same day is encouraging, though, that's for sure!

Hopefully we'll have some answers after seeing the ENT.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Hope you get on TSMM.

 

[PrincessInOz]

We are going to see a specialist, yes. At the time of her last appointment, Laura's doc encouraged it since she's had so many infections within a year and had a referral set up for us. Tricare (our military insurance) has to refer us to a civilian ENT if we want to pursue anything. Laura's doc said it wouldn't hurt to have her looked at and see why she's getting infections so often. She said that tubes are usually what the solution is. Unfortunetly, I don't have any experience with ear infections or ENTs or tubes, so this is new territory for me. John and I figured it wouldn't hurt to see the ENT they assigned us and go from there.

In all honesty, the thought of her having surgery this young is not something I'm a fan of...at all. I'd like to hold off a bit longer, as well, but at the same time, I really don't want her to have to go through another infection. Reading that your son's surgery went so well and he was up and going that same day is encouraging, though, that's for sure!

Hopefully we'll have some answers after seeing the ENT.

I hope you get some more information from the ENT.

You're coming up to winter; and more virus/flu season. So, if anything...a discussion with the ENT may provide you with options.
If it helps, we held off til DS was about 13 months. It was at that stage we could definitely tell that he was lagging behind in the speech side of things compared to where he should be.

We got the immediate feedback when we brought him home after the op. As we were opening the door, we could hear a fire engine in the distance coming closer. I was watching DS' face at the time and there was an instant reaction, eyes widening and jaw dropping, as he heard the sound coming closer. It's not a moment I'll forget as that was such a positive reinforcement that we had made the right decision to go ahead with the op.

He pretty much caught up from the speech side immediately as we hadn't left it too late and disadvantaged him.

The only change that we had after the op was to get him specially formed silica ear plugs. DS was having water familiarisation/swimming classes and he needed to wear the plugs so that water wouldn't get inside his ear.

The tubes dropped out by themselves when DS was about 4 - 5 years old. We've never had any issues then or since.

 

[TMGosizk]

Hope you get on TSMM.

I hope you get some more information from the ENT.

You're coming up to winter; and more virus/flu season. So, if anything...a discussion with the ENT may provide you with options.
If it helps, we held off til DS was about 13 months. It was at that stage we could definitely tell that he was lagging behind in the speech side of things compared to where he should be.

We got the immediate feedback when we brought him home after the op. As we were opening the door, we could hear a fire engine in the distance coming closer. I was watching DS' face at the time and there was an instant reaction, eyes widening and jaw dropping, as he heard the sound coming closer. It's not a moment I'll forget as that was such a positive reinforcement that we had made the right decision to go ahead with the op.

He pretty much caught up from the speech side immediately as we hadn't left it too late and disadvantaged him.

The only change that we had after the op was to get him specially formed silica ear plugs. DS was having water familiarisation/swimming classes and he needed to wear the plugs so that water wouldn't get inside his ear.

The tubes dropped out by themselves when DS was about 4 - 5 years old. We've never had any issues then or since.

This is amazing! And encouraging! I am so happy to read about such good results!! Thank you for sharing-you've actually made me feel a bit better about everything!

 

[TMGosizk]

We are UNDER two weeks away!! 12 days to be precise!

I've made seven lists...yes, that's right, SEVEN. These include our packing lists-one for each of us; what Sadie needs for the Kennel list; what goes in our carry-ons list; the “to be done before we go” list, and the “to purchase for trip” list. I've got nearly everything on the “to purchase” list-but need to make one more trip to get the last few things.

That may sound completely insane, but I have to make lists, especially to pack, or things are forgotten...important things....like underwear.....

I've started pulling clothes for both Laura and I. I've got us about done, and will start on John's clothes in the next day or so-he needs packing help anymore-since we ended up having to buy pretty much an entire wardrobe over Christmas for him when he brought an almost empty suitcase for two weeks--still can't figure out what he was thinking!

I know Mom, Buzzy, and Dad have also started their “Disney piles” because they've all texted me pictures of said piles and their chosen outfits.

So, we're making headway in our preparations!

Day 4-EPCOT

Plans for September 20th

Today, we'll start with our usual morning walk and then family breakfast in the lounge. We'll head down to the Concourse and get the monorail to the Transportation and Ticket Center! There, we'll switch monorails and go to Epcot!!



John “driving” the monorail in 2005!


Now, I LOVE Epcot. Love. It. I adore Magic Kingdom, of course, but I have this soft spot for Epcot. I think I remember more Epcot moments during my childhood trips than I do anywhere else. I remember wanting to watch Illuminations every single night. There is a kind of peaceful energy about being in Epcot after the sun goes down. I can't put my finger on it, exactly, but I love the lights and it has a different feel from the other parks. It's slower paced and lends itself to a day of less rushing and more time spent taking in the sights.

The park opens at 9am, so we'll get there not much after that, I'm sure.

We'll enter the park and take the usual “in front of Spaceship Earth” pictures



Usually, someone runs over to Soarin' to grab fastpasses, so I'm sure that'll be first on the agenda. When our runner gets back, we'll all line up for Spaceship Earth. This is ALWAYS our first ride in Epcot!

After our first ride, we'll walk through Innoventions.



We'll head then toward The Living Seas!



Here, we'll start by seeing Turtle Talk! I'm really excited for this; we've never done it, but I think Laura will like the animation of Crush and I can't wait to hear and see the interaction of the kiddos with him. Obviously, Laura is too little to participate, but she should enjoy the show.

Once we've talked to Crush we'll get on the Finding Nemo ride. While this is very cute, it's not something we make a point to see every trip, but Laura will probably really like it, so that will change, I'm sure.

We'll take some time checking out the rest of the Seas and such.

Next, we'll head over to The Land where we'll use Rider Swap for


(hopefully it'll be time to use our fastpasses-if not, we'll come back).

And take Laura on Living With the Land! I haven't ridden this since I was a kid. I remember riding with Nunna and Nunu!

By the time we're done on those two rides, it'll probably be lunch time. We always eat in Sunshine Seasons for lunch! So, I'm sure we'll continue that tradition. Again, this is a place I have such fond memories. It's one of the places I remember vividly from my childhood trips!


Love the balloons!

After lunch, we'll finish Future World.

I really don't know if anyone will want to ride Figment...I personally have very negative feelings toward the re-done version. The old Figment was perfectly magical and I adored it.

I miss it.

Not as much as I miss Horizons, though! I cried when I found out they were removing it! It had been my absolute favorite ride in ALL of Disney World!

Anyway, I digress, I think we'll make the decision to ride Figment or not when we're in the park.

Our next ride, will be Test Track! I'm interested to see how they've redone this. We'll use Rider Swap again.



After Test Track, we'll start our trip around World Showcase! We'll start in Mexico!



We'll ride the Three Caballeros ride and then walk through the shops and such. Buzzy and I and probably Mom, will grab a delightful drink at La Cava del Tequila!

While sipping our drinks we'll move on to Norway



And of course line up for Maelstrom! I always loved this as a kid, but was SO scared the boat was actually going to go down over the opening!

After looking through the shops, we'll continue on down to China.



We've never spent much time in China, it's usually one we just kind of walk through and that's it, but I'd really like to explore it a bit more this trip. I know they have a movie, so we might check that out!

Then, it's onward to Germany. Another one we don't normally spend a lot of time in, but since Buzzy just spent a year there, we will certainly take a closer look this trip.



I think we'll have to get a snack and a drink at Sommerfest! If not a snack, then definitely a drink! Buzzy is interested to see how their food compares to what she ate in Germany.

Once we've seen all of Germany we'll make a stop in Italy.


From 2010!

We usually spend a lot of time in the Italy shops. And, we'll stand and stare sadly at Tutto Italia and remember when it was Alfredo's. Oh, how I miss Alfredo's. We used to eat there every trip with Nunna and Nunu! And Nunu would always order in Italian! We celebrated many things at Alfredo's-birthdays, anniversaries, graduations! I wish I had copies of the pictures from those trips with Nunna and Nunu, but they're all at my parents' house in albums and such.

A few pictures from 2005. Nunna and Nunu were not there that year.

John and I!


All of us!

(as a side note, I've been mentioning Nunna and Nunu a lot with this park, and I think they are the reason I love Epcot so much. They're in almost all of my childhood memories from there and it makes me very sad that no one thought their last visit to the World would actually be the last time they were ever there.

They had gone to Disney World every single year, in October, without fail, from before Epcot was opened. Nunna always used to tell us the story of her first trip. It was just her and Nunu and on their last day they rode the train in Magic Kingdom and she sat on it and cried, because she didn't want to leave. Nunu had put his arm around her, told her it was alright, and promised he'd bring her back. And he did.....over 20 times! They are why Mom loves Disney so much, and in turn, why I love Disney so much!)

Anyway!

John, Buzzy, and I really want to try Tutto Gusto, but we'll try to get there on our “split up” day instead of taking the time this day.

It will then be onto the American Adventure!!



We'll definitely go in and do the show. I think this one Laura will like!

And then it's onto one of our favorite Pavilions! Japan!!



We spend the most time here. We'll take awhile looking through the shop and John will do the Pick-a-Pearl. He LOVES Pick-a-Pearl! He'd stay there ALL day if he could! I will probably end up picking a pearl, too. In fact, everyone probably will!

Then, we'll move on to Morocco!



I was obsessed with this Pavilion when I was a kid! I thought it was so cool and different! Morocco is one of my top “must see” countries because of visiting here. Buzzy actually spent a few days in Marrakesh last month during her travels. She absolutely LOVED it! She and her friend rode camels, jumped off high cliffs next to water falls, and ate amazing food!

I really want to eat in Tangierine Cafe! Everything sounds just delightful!

After sampling some Moroccan food, we'll move onto France.



Okay, really funny story about France....maybe, we're the only ones that think it's so funny, but I'll share anyway....I'm cracking up just thinking about it!

I shall preface this story with a tidbit of information: My dad LOVES chocolate. My dad also LOVES free samples of food (like at SAMS Club)...combine the two, and he's pretty much in his own personal heaven.

Now, he and my mom were in the France Pavilion. Mom was checking out something in one of the shops before they headed off to dinner. Dad was starving (never a good thing-he gets grumpy) and was in this shop I believe:



He was just wandering around and saw a dish of what he thought was round, multi-colored chocolates sitting on the counter......so he took a few and popped them in his mouth!

After taking a couple more, the CM behind the counter came up to him and said “Sir, that's not meant to be eaten....it's MAKE-UP!!”

Dad cracked up laughing and said “You know, I thought they tasted funny, but I'm hungry and was happy to see candy!”

She then asked if he'd like a demonstration on how to use the make-up. He politely declined.

The CM and my Mom, who had walked in just in time to see the whole thing, got a good laugh about it! She told Mom that she saw him reaching for the little make-up balls or whatever they were and couldn't even say anything to stop him, because she couldn't believe he was going to do what he did! I guess it's a good thing they weren't toxic!

I wish I had been there to witness this, but Buzzy and I were somewhere else at the time. Mom remembers it vividly and gives a pretty good rendition of the whole thing, though!

Okay back to this trip! I'd like to see the movie, but we'll see. A MUST do; however, is the Grand Marnier slush! I dream about this drink and cannot wait to savor the deliciousness again!

Once we're finished in France, it's on to the UK



We'll see the UK and then end our tour with Canada.



We are fans of the 360 movie here, so we'll probably do that and then see some of the shops.


Dad in 2008 after having to buy a new shirt in Canada!

After we're finished seeing all the countries, we'll go back and hit some of our favorites of the day, if there's time (I'm not sure how long it'll take us to get through the countries, so we'll play it by ear), until we need to find a spot for Illuminations! They are at 9pm tonight, so we'll find a spot probably by 8:15. We usually watch from Future World, so I'm sure that's where we will watch this year as well. While everyone holds our spot, I'll run off and get us all snacks.

Then, we'll settle in and watch Illuminations! I love it!



Once it's over, we'll stroll out of the park, onto the monorail, and back to the Contemporary. We'll put Laura to bed and then hang out until everyone else is ready to sleep!

I know I didn't mention anything about an actual "dinner" for the day, but I'm not sure where we'll decide to eat. It'll be somewhere in World Showcase! The way I'm thinking at the moment, we'll probably just eat here and there as we go through the countries. We'll see how it goes!

Have a great night everyone!

Up Next: Day 5-Animal Kingdom

 

[PrincessInOz]

That's going to be a great day at Epcot. We are also planning on grazing our way through Epcot.

 

[TMGosizk]

That's going to be a great day at Epcot. We are also planning on grazing our way through Epcot.

Thanks! Eating while strolling through Epcot is perfect!

 

[TMGosizk]

TEN Days until we're in DISNEY!!!

Just a quick update on how Laura's doing! Yesterday, John and I took her to the doctor to make sure her ear infection is gone...and it is! HOORAY! Praying she doesn't get anymore until we see the ENT after we get home.

Also, Laura took her first unassisted steps yesterday afternoon!!!! Oh my we were so excited!!! She has been very timid with the walking by herself thing, but John and I were able to get her to walk between us without holding on!!! So, so happy!!

Alrighty, onto our plans!

Day 5-Animal Kingdom

I'll start by saying, Animal Kingdom has never been our favorite park. It's usually a half day park (if that) for us and we normally have a dinner reservation that evening. Also, Dad tends to stay behind at the hotel because he really minds the heat there.

This year, we're doing things a little differently and I'm really hoping it gives us a more positive outlook! I'm not saying we hate it or anything, it's just not been one we've really spent a lot of time in. Buzzy and I were discussing this recently, and there's a ton of things we've never seen and really want to this trip! Laura, I'm thinking, will absolutely LOVE this park, so I'm looking forward to seeing it through her eyes, as well!

We'll start the day with our walk and family breakfast in the lounge. Then we'll head down to the bus stop and take the bus over to Animal Kingdom!



The park opens at 9am today, so we'll be there close to opening, I think.

Normally, we start with Kilimanjaro Safari and have a runner go grab fastpasses for Everest, but I think this year we'll grab fastpasses for the Safari and wait on Everest since we can all go on the Safari at once.

I think we'll do it this way so we can leisurely stroll through the shops at the front of the park and make time to see some of the animals in the Oasis. I don't think any of us even knew there WERE animals in this section! Seriously, it's ridiculous how much of this park we've missed over the years.

We'll get a few photopass pictures in front of the Tree of Life.



We'll continue our walk through Discovery Island and head toward Camp Minnie-Mickey for Festival of the Lion King! We'll hopefully make the 10:30am show!

After the show, we'll make our way around Discovery Island on the way to Africa!



We'll spend some time looking around Africa. I'm hoping we'll get to see the drummers again this year! We saw this last trip and thought it was really cool!



After exploring the shops and such, we'll check in for our 12:00 reservation at Tusker House!!

I am SO excited for this! It will be Laura's first Character meal, so it'll be interesting to see how she does with them roaming about and coming to the table!

After lunch, we'll ride Kilimanjaro Safari (if it's time for fastpasses) and then walk the Pangani Forest Trail! This is also something we've never done before! I can't wait to see the different animals on this trail!

We may or may not take the train over to Rafiki's Planet Watch. I'm not sure at this point.

Then we'll head back out through Africa and I really want to stop at the Dawa Bar for an adult beverage. Buzzy and I have been talking about stopping here for months and I'm very excited!

While sipping our drinks, we'll head to the Maharaja Jungle Trek! We've never done this either! I can't wait to see the tigers!

We will probably skip Kali River Rapids this trip and head toward Everest! We will TRY to fit the Nemo show in, but it'll depend on how the times work out.



I'm hoping the line isn't crazy long, but it may be possible to grab a fastpass if it is and then move onto DinoLand and come back when it's time to use them.

Laura will like the TriceraTop Spin, so we'll ride that!

Then, John, Buzzy, and I will go on Dinosaur!

[

I have a love-hate relationship with this ride. It legitimately frightens me-I can't really put a finger on why, but at the same time, I find my slightly irrational fear amusing and have fun with it! Mom and Dad usually choose to sit this one out, so they will spend some time with Miss Laura.

After we're done visiting the Dinos, we'll make our way back toward Discovery Island, stopping for a snack probably, as well. We'll walk the Discovery Island trails and check out some more shops. I'm also hoping we'll get to see the Parade!



After the parade, we'll make our way out of the park probably!

Now, after we leave Animal Kingdom, we need to figure out how to get over to MGM. I'm THINKING about just hopping on a bus to the Animal Kingdom Lodge and then taking a bus to MGM. How are the buses out of the Lodge? Do they come often here or would we be better getting a bus to another resort and then transferring to an MGM one there? Perhaps going to Art of Animation and then over to MGM? Hmm...

Once we make it to MGM, we'll head toward the back of the park and see what we missed the first day we were there.

Including:

Star Tours


The Backlot Tour!


And, we'll work our way toward

We've never gone in here, so I'm looking forward to it!

I also really want to go in the Animation Academy!!

We'll probably ride some favorites over again as well. We'll play it by ear mostly while we're there!

I think we'll also probably grab something for dinner in between attractions! Might grab something at:



After we've seen all we want to see and ridden all we want to ride in MGM, we'll take a bus over to the Transportation and Ticket Center if there's enough time to make it to the Magic Kingdom for the Electrical Parade.

We'll take the Express Monorail over and I'm hoping we'll make it before the 8:00pm start of the parade!

If we decide to stay in MGM until close (8pm) that day, we'll be able to catch the light parade the next day, so it'll just depend on what our time situation is and how Laura's holding up!

If we ARE in the Magic Kingdom, I don't think we'll stay for Wishes, but it'll depend on Laura mostly. If she's had enough for the day, we'll head out and back to the Contemporary. We can watch Wishes there and have some desserts in the Lounge. We'll put Laura to bed and hang out for the rest of the night.

This will most definitely be a full day, and I'm really not sure how much of what we've planned we'll actually get to. I figure if we can see everything we want to at Animal Kingdom, then everything else is just an added bonus!

I also found out the other day that an old friend of mine from High School will actually be in the parks on this day as well! We're working on meeting up! We haven't seen each other in quite a few years, so it'll be nice to catch up if we can work out a time/place to meet!

Alrighty, that's it for me tonight! Have a good rest of the weekend!

Up Next: Day 6-We Split Up!

 

[PrincessInOz]

That's great news about Laura's ear infection. You must be so relieved and happy. And she's walking! she's walking! YAY!


You've got great plans for AK and DHS. I hope it all works out.

 

[TMGosizk]

That's great news about Laura's ear infection. You must be so relieved and happy. And she's walking! she's walking! YAY!

You've got great plans for AK and DHS. I hope it all works out.

SO relieved the infection is gone, yes!!!!! It was funny she walked Friday, because we were talking to the doc about how she hadn't walked by herself yet at her appointment. Came home and she did it! It was great!!

Thanks, I hope the plans work out, too!!!

 

[emmysmommy]

Hi TM!! I'm here just in time to see your final week of your countdown!

You have a beautiful family - thanks for sharing your wedding photos - you were a gorgeous bride!! I loved how your announced your pregnancy at Christmas. That's priceless.

What great plans you have for your time in WDW. I wish you all the best with your trip.

 

[TMGosizk]

Hi TM!! I'm here just in time to see your final week of your countdown!

Thank you SO much for joining in! I appreciate you taking the time to read along!

You have a beautiful family - thanks for sharing your wedding photos - you were a gorgeous bride!! I loved how your announced your pregnancy at Christmas. That's priceless.

You're sweet Thank you I was so happy with how the reveal turned out...John and I thought for sure someone would catch on before Christmas Day! It went perfectly!

What great plans you have for your time in WDW. I wish you all the best with your trip.

Thank you! We're so excited!

 

[TMGosizk]

WE ARE IN THE SINGLE DIGITS!!!!! Only NINE Days to go!!

I'm trying very hard to get through these daily details before we leave! I know the next week will be busy, so I want to make sure I've got them done! The next few days of plans are a little bit more open ended than the first few days of the trip, which does make it easier to type up, though!

So, onward!

Day 6-We Split Up!

We'll go through our usual morning routine of a walk and family breakfast.

On this day, we're planning on splitting up for at least the first part of the day. My parents want to take Laura on their own while John and I get to have some baby-free time! We're pretty excited about this and I know Mom and Dad are as well! Buzzy will get to choose who she wants to hang out with for the day! I think she'll end up splitting the day between us all actually!

For this update, I will only get into what I would like for John and I (and Buzzy if she joins us). Mom and Dad will have Laura and I'm not 100% sure what they're doing, yet. They don't even know for sure, but I think they're considering Magic Kingdom.

John and I have been considering spending some of the day park hopping and hitting the “non-toddler-friendly” attractions again!

We'll probably start with MGM (yes, again) and try to see:



This is one we'll skip with Laura...I just don't see her being interested at this age, so maybe next time. But, John loves cars and motorcycles and he enjoyed this last time he saw it, so we'll try to catch it on this day!

We'll also try to ride


And



If we didn't get into One Man's Dream or the Animation Academy the day before, we'll do those, too.

Then I'm thinking we'll jump over to Epcot and spend some time there. As I mentioned on our Epcot day, we really want to go into Tutto Gusto, so we will definitely go there. If we missed anything from the first day in Epcot, we'll hit those as well. John will probably want to do another pick-a-pearl, too!

We'll also probably ride:
Spaceship Earth




Maelstrom


Maybe Test Track

Depends how we liked the new version.

And anything else that tickles our fancy.

We'll probably grab dinner somewhere in Epcot OR walk over to the Boardwalk and eat somewhere over there!

After dinner, we will probably meet back up with Mom, Dad, and Laura somewhere. If we missed the Electrical Parade the night before, we'll catch it this night. It's at 8:00pm and then Wishes is at 9:00pm. We may stay for Wishes, we may not...it'll once again depend on how Laura's holding up! I'll probably take Laura back to the Contemporary and put her to bed after either the parade or Wishes.

If we saw the Electrical Parade the night before, we'll plan to meet at Fort Wilderness for the Chip and Dale Sing Along! Then take Laura back to the Contemporary and see Wishes from the room. I'll put Laura to bed and we'll decide what to do for the rest of the night.

Magic Kingdom has Extra Magic Hours until 1:00am, so at least one of us will stay back at the room with Laura and the rest will return to Magic Kingdom. We've only talked about this briefly, so I'm not sure how it will actually work out.

I love evening Extra Magic Hours in Magic Kingdom! We always have so much fun and it's great how empty the park is! But, we'll decide once we're there who will go and who will stay! I remember my parents doing this with Buzzy and I when we were kids. One would stay in the room with Buzzy and the other would take me out at night! So, we'll see!

I know there wasn't a ton of concrete plans in this update, but this is probably our most up in the air day. We have no dining or show reservations and can really just play it by ear! I'm very interested to see how we end up spending the day!!

Coming up: Day 7-Downtown Disney!

 

[TMGosizk]

Disney in only EIGHT DAYS!!!!!

Woo! Moving right along with these daily plans!

Day 7-Downtown Disney!

Today, I'm sure Mom and I will be up early and go for our walk and then come back to the room to get Laura ready. We'll have a leisurely breakfast in the lounge and then go downstairs and catch a bus to Downtown!



We'll start out in the Marketplace



And probably take some pictures with our friends from the Hundred Acre Wood!



As always end up here for most of the morning:



This store is so huge it's a little intimidating! But, it's fun to get lost in the plethora of Disney souvenirs! I am hoping to get some Christmas shopping done here, actually. I have a number of things I'm thinking I want to get for family on my list!

We'll also check out a few other stores including!



and


There's a few things on my list that I'm hoping to get at the Harley store!

It would be fantastic to be able to come home and have a few people crossed off our continuously growing list for Christmas!

We'll grab a small lunch somewhere...I really want to try Wolfgang Puck Express this trip and I know John's been hinting at that as well. He was in Wolfgang Puck's restaurant in Vegas while on TDY a few years back and raves and raves about it still. So, he wants to try this out as a quick lunch spot!

So, we'll find a good place to eat. And then we'll finish our shopping.

After we've shopped our little hearts out, we'll catch the bus back to the Contemporary and I'm thinking it'll be a good afternoon for a swim!

We'll take Laura down to the pool and let her play until it's time to go back up to the room and get ready for dinner!

Once everyone is dressed, we'll go to the lounge for some hors d'oeuvres and the usual pre-dinner pictures.

Mom and Dad in 2008


Then we'll head down to the second floor to check in for our 5:30pm reservation at California Grill!

Dad, cutting into his dish, with the fantastic view behind him in 2008!


We are REALLY looking forward to eating here in the newly renovated restaurant! Hopefully it remains our favorite on property!

Since we do have an early reservation and Wishes is at 9:00pm this night, we'll probably have about an hour to kill after dinner until we'll need to head back up to the observation deck to watch the show!

We'll probably go down to the Concourse and visit some shops!



We'll head back up to California Grill and out to the observation deck to watch Wishes about 8:30pm or so! I love that they pipe in the music from the park! This is Mom's favorite place to watch Wishes!



After Wishes, we'll put Laura to bed and just relax before going to bed ourselves!

Up next: Day 8-Our Last Full Day in the World.

 

[KatMark]

I'll be back to read tomorrow...don't know how I didn't know about this.

***Okay, it dawned one me when I started reading this that you looked really familiar. And then I remember reading before you had to disappear from the DIS for awhile.

I'm still not done catching up and will try to do so tomorrow from work. But I wanted to welcome you back and say I'm sorry you've had a rough go of it, and hope things continue to get better.

 

[TMGosizk]

I'll be back to read tomorrow...don't know how I didn't know about this.

***Okay, it dawned one me when I started reading this that you looked really familiar. And then I remember reading before you had to disappear from the DIS for awhile.

I'm still not done catching up and will try to do so tomorrow from work. But I wanted to welcome you back and say I'm sorry you've had a rough go of it, and hope things continue to get better.

Thank you so much for the welcome back! It's great to be here again! I thought of the DIS often in my absence and all the lovely people I'd "met" here, but as much as I missed it, I just couldn't get into it with so much going on. Things are definitely looking up, for sure!

I really appreciate you reading along!!

 

[TMGosizk]

ONE WEEK FROM NOW WE'LL BE IN DISNEY!!!!

Day 8-Our Last Full Day in the World.

Today will start as any other, with a walk and our last breakfast in the lounge.

Usually our last full day always ends at Magic Kingdom; however, when we picked our trip days....a year ago (just doesn't seem that long ago!)....we didn't know that this night would be a MNSSHP night and we'd have to be out of the park by 7pm without tickets.

So, I'm thinking we'll do it this way...

We'll start the day in Magic Kingdom.



We'll ride some favorites:









Just to name a few...

Take our “fountain picture”


We get one at this fountain every trip (this is from 2010).


From 2008

I'll look for any others I may have floating around the house to share...I think I know of at least one more that I actually have from when Buzzy and I were kids!

I'm sure we'll try to fit in some character greets as well. I haven't mentioned these much throughout the plans so far, but they're really things we'll just do as we see them available. The only one I'm now planning for is the opening of the new Princess Fairytale Hall so Laura can meet Cinderella on our first day (she's got a Cinderella dress to wear!). It opens the 18th so we'll get to be there for that!

Anyway, lunch will be somewhere in the park...somewhere...it'll depend where we are when we're hungry.

After lunch we'll continue hitting our favorites and just wander the park.

We'll also try, for the first time (if we haven't yet previously in the trip) a Dole Whip! We have NEVER had one before! Shocking, I know!

Since the park closes so early, we'll head out in the late afternoon, I think. We will return to Epcot for a few hours and see Illuminations again, which I'm not at all opposed to, because we all know how much I love Epcot!

I really want to take a ferry this trip. I have a very vague, cloudy memory of boarding a ferry when I was really little. I THINK it was the year we stayed at the Polynesian, but I can't be sure...so I really want to ride one this trip!



Then we'll take the monorail over to Epcot!



We'll ride a few rides and walk the stores again in World Showcase

From 2008. The things around our necks were “dream fastpasses” we were surprised with as a part of Year of a Million Dreams that day! Basically they were fastpasses for every ride in the park!


Also 2008!


This will give us another chance to sample some previously un-tasted “foreign” cuisines.

I'm hoping to try

in France.

And

in Norway.

I will have to be rolled onto the plane after this trip! But, it will be worth it!

I think it would be fun to also see Illuminations from the World Showcase this time, too. So, when it's time, we'll find a good spot! Illuminations is at 9pm this evening! Any suggestions for World Showcase Illuminations viewing?

We'll watch the show and then make our way out of Epcot for the last time this trip

Onto the monorail we'll go, and then back to the Contemporary!

We'll put Laura to bed and then relax in the lounge for the night!

Up next-That Dreaded Departure Day!