Sharing the Magic-Our Niece and Nephew's 1st Trip to the World! 2/1-COMPLETE!!!!

Quick question about the Valdosta hotel. Would you stay there again? We are thinking about leaving a day earlier and stopping in Valdosta. I worry about everything and I am worrying about leaving most of our luggage in the car overnight. What do you think?
 
Last days are so sad!

Love your Photopass pics outside AK entrance!

How wonderful that they got to see Devine! She is mysterious that one.

Why did that woman have a stroller in line anyways? Aren't they supposed to put them in the stroller parking area?

Thanks, Jennifer! Devine is mysterious, indeed so I was very glad that we were able to see her!

I'm not quite sure about the stroller lady! She definitely had it in line...heck she certainly wasn't considerate, and she obviously wasn't a rule follower either!

Aw, your last day. :sad1: But at least it sounds like it started off well. The croissant sandwich is actually pretty good, in my opinion.


It's awesome that you got such a friendly and cooperative PP, who was willing to take a bunch of pictures in different poses. Makes viewing them later on so much fun.


Glad the safari went well and all the animals cooperated for Mark and Jaden's first trip. :goodvibes Guess the 40 minute wait was well worth it! Even if you did have to deal with a rude guest behind you. I mean, really, lady, pay attention and be respectful to other people's surrounding. :rolleyes2

Yes, it did start off well...very well! And it stayed that way...you'll see, if I can ever manage to get this thing finished!

The safari was definitely awesome and worth the wait!

I am only up to your arrival morning and I am already in tears. Your niece and nephew are so adorable. I can't wait to read about their first trip. We took my niece and nephew for their first Disney trip 2 years ago and it was such a special trip.

Aww, thank you so much! I'm so glad you're here!

This was definitely a special trip for us as well!!!

Quick question about the Valdosta hotel. Would you stay there again? We are thinking about leaving a day earlier and stopping in Valdosta. I worry about everything and I am worrying about leaving most of our luggage in the car overnight. What do you think?

Yes, I would definitely stay at the Hilton Garden Inn again. The parking lot was well lit. We actually left all of our luggage in the car, with the exception of one bag that we had packed just for that one night. I did make sure to take in my camera and anything else that was valuable. (I don't think you can ever be too careful about those kinds of things no matter where you are). But as far as luggage, we weren't concerned about that at all.
 
When I last left off, we’d just finished with the Safari and were ready to take on our first thrill ride of the day. I’m pretty sure you can probably guess where we were headed!

Though the crowds in the park were really starting to grow, the line for Everest wasn’t too bad! The decision was made that Mark and Mike would ride together and so would Jaden and I. For some reason, I love taking pics on this ride, especially from the top!
IMG_3518.jpg


IMG_3520.jpg


IMG_3521.jpg


IMG_3522.jpg


IMG_3523.jpg


The kids loved it and immediately knew why it was one of our favorites! As we exited through the gift shop, we stopped and had our ride photos added to our PhotoPass card.
Photo0284FourBySix.jpg


Photo0283FourBySix.jpg


Having conquered the mountain, we decided it was time for a snack and some hydration. So, we went in search of some Powerade and our first cream cheese stuffed pretzel!
IMG_3526.jpg


We found a place in the shade and enjoyed our snack while we cooled off a little and discussed where we should head next.

And this is what we decided on.
IMG_3527.jpg


I don’t think I could ever see this too many times! As we waited in line, the kids really enjoyed checking out the Tree of Life and decided to see how many different animals they could find!

Again, the wait wasn’t too long and we were in and out pretty quickly. Again, the kids loved it and talked about all the different scenes!

We weren’t really sure where we were headed to next, but as we walked by the area where Pooh and the gang are usually located, I noticed that they were out! We’d not seen them all week, so we had to stop. The kids had a good time interacting with each of them which was so much fun to see since Pooh is my all-time favorite! We got a ton of PP pics here, so I have to share!
Photo0288FourBySix.jpg


Photo0295FourBySix.jpg


Photo0298FourBySix.jpg


Photo0315FourBySix.jpg


Photo0319FourBySix.jpg


Since we were already there, I couldn’t resist saying hello to my friends as well!
Photo0290FourBySix.jpg


Photo0320FourBySix.jpg


We said goodbye to our 100-Acre Wood friends and decided to hit up another ride.

Continued in next post...
 
Of course now that the trip has been so long ago and with me not having took notes, the details of the day are really fuzzy. So, somewhere along the way, we stopped for more PhotoPass pics.
Photo0270FourBySix-1.jpg


I love these next couple magic shots…
Photo0272FourBySix.jpg


Photo0275FourBySix.jpg


Photo0277FourBySix.jpg


Photo0282FourBySix-1.jpg


Now, it’s time to get back to our next ride experience!
IMG_3551.jpg


Mark was so excited about this one!
IMG_3554.jpg


Judging from the ride photo, Jaden wanted no part of the end. When I asked how she liked it, her reply was “okay.”
Photo0323FourBySix.jpg


Our next destination was one that Mike and I had never been on, but Mark and Jaden had been asking about it all day. I’m not much of a water ride fan if there’s any possibility that I might get soaked. And from what I’d read about Kali River Rapids, there was a very good chance. Besides, it was the kid’s first visit and they really wanted to do it…and it was a pretty hot day, so we decided why not?

The line did take forever, but we finally made it through. And since I didn’t want to chance ruining my camera, it was safely packed away inside the middle of the raft, so no pictures. But, I can tell you that Mike was definitely soaked and I wasn’t too far behind him. It was a really fun ride though, and seeing the smile on their faces was definitely worth it!

In order to try and dry off a little, we decided to walk around and check out the Maharajah Jungle Trek as this was another thing they were excited to see.

By this point, the heat and all the walking was starting to get to Jaden and I, but Mike and Mark were still going strong. I must’ve really been tired, as this was the only picture I took during the Trek, and I’m not even sure that I’m the one who took it!
IMG_3565.jpg


Thankfully, towards the end, Jaden and I found a bench to rest on for a few minutes while we gladly let them continue their exploration!
IMG_3566.jpg


It was getting close to dinner time, but we had one last ride that we wanted to take the kids on first. And of course I once again didn’t get a single picture to document the huge grins we all wore while taking a spin on Primeval Whirl!

Finally, it was time to head towards Asia where we had a dinner ADR at Yak & Yeti! This was our first time trying it, and I couldn’t help but look forward to those yummy looking Cream Cheese Wontons!

We checked in and were taken to our table right away. We were seated towards the back of the restaurant where we had a great view of our surroundings. I think this was the quietest meal that we’d had all week—I couldn’t help but notice how empty the place was.
IMG_3573.jpg


We quickly made our food choices and before long we were all digging in. I decided on the Sweet and Sour Chicken since not much else appealed to me.
IMG_3574.jpg


Mark and Jaden both had the Cheeseburger.
IMG_3575-1.jpg


And Mike had Ribs.
IMG_3576.jpg


The best part of the meal came next! Mike and I decided to split the Cream Cheese Wontons so that Mark could have the Cheesecake from the adult menu and Jaden was happy with the Sundae.
IMG_3577.jpg


IMG_3579.jpg


IMG_3578-1.jpg


The dessert was by far, the very best part and I wouldn’t hesitate eating here again just to be able to have such yumminess!

With one more place to visit before the end of the day, it was finally time to bid farewell to AK, but not before we made one more stop for more PhotoPass pics. It was our last day afterall, and I wanted to make sure we got all the pics that we could to help document this wonderful vacation!
Photo0331FourBySix.jpg


Photo0333FourBySix.jpg


This was suppose to be our silly face pic, but Mike was the only one who followed directions!
Photo0334FourBySix.jpg


Last one!
Photo0335FourBySix.jpg


We then continued on, but we didn't quite make it to the exit before Mark found one last place he wanted to explore.

We spent quite a few minutes checking out the different animals and reading about each of them.
IMG_3585.jpg


IMG_3591.jpg


IMG_3598.jpg


Finally, Mark agreed that he’d seen enough and we could finally depart.

We made our way to the bus stop and patiently waited a ride back to AKL.
IMG_3609.jpg


We were all hot and tired, and it had been a great day of exploring, but we needed to head back to the room to freshen up and take in a quick moment of rest before heading out to our one final destination of the evening.
 

I love EE!

Jaden's reaction to Dinosaur, is the same reaction I always have! I try to get as far down in the seat I can, on that part! So loud & scary! :rotfl:
 
I love EE!

Jaden's reaction to Dinosaur, is the same reaction I always have! I try to get as far down in the seat I can, on that part! So loud & scary! :rotfl:

EE is SOO much fun!!

Bless her heart! I had no idea that she had done that until I saw the picture. I totally wasn't thinking about the side that she was on, and if I'd thought about it, I would've moved her to the middle or the other side!! It is loud for sure!
 
It took us no time to make it back to the resort where we headed straight for the room. As we walked, the kids wanted to stop and check out the view from the windows in the hallway.
IMG_3618-1.jpg


IMG_3617.jpg


Back at the room, the first order of business was to see what was going on out on the savanna.
IMG_3620.jpg


Once that was done, we all took a few minutes to freshen up, have some water and just rest.

Of course, it didn’t take long until the kids were raring to go again! We’d been telling them all week that if we had the time that we’d go play some mini-golf. And well, today was the perfect time. So that’s exactly where we were headed next.

Instead of taking a bus, we decided that we’d drive our car just to save the hassle. As we made our way in to the parking garage, I got this picture of Mark, which is one of my very favorite from the whole trip.
IMG_3622.jpg


Usually, he’s the one who shies away from the camera while Jaden loves having her picture taken, but this time was the opposite way around. I think it shows how much he just let loose and had a good time. Disney tends to do that to you, which is one of the many reasons why I love it so much!

We loaded up the car, and within just a matter of minutes we had arrived here…
IMG_3625.jpg


I was really excited about being here as well. It seems like every trip before this one, Mike and I would always plan to try and make it here, but we never had…until now! And seeing it in person made me even more excited!

It being our first time here, I immediately began taking pictures and didn’t stop the whole time!
IMG_3628-1.jpg


First order of business was to act like Santa in Mrs. Claus!
IMG_3630.jpg


Then we were on our way to check-in. We were given a pager and told that it would be a few minutes. I’ve never seen this at a mini-golf course before, but I’m thinking they do this so that people don’t start stacking up on one another. Something that’s worth mentioning is that you do get a fairly decent discount if you show your DVC card, so make sure and do that if you are. I did take this pic of the prices to give you an idea.
IMG_3710.jpg


We decided to play the Sand course, and within just a very few minutes we had our putters and ball in hand.

The theming was SO clever…
IMG_3632.jpg


IMG_3633-1.jpg


Mark was really into it!
IMG_3634-1.jpg


Aren’t the surfboards cool? I think Mark may have gotten a hole-in-one here which is why he’s holding up his finger!
IMG_3642.jpg


Of course this was my favorite hole of all!
IMG_3655.jpg


IMG_3665.jpg


IMG_3679.jpg


IMG_3678.jpg


Miss Priss was finally posing it up!
IMG_3681.jpg


This was one was really cool too!!!
IMG_3683.jpg


It actually takes your ball up…
IMG_3685.jpg


IMG_3686-1.jpg



And then spits it out the little spout…
IMG_3688.jpg


Continued in next post...
 
Moving towards the end...
IMG_3692.jpg


IMG_3698-1.jpg


Its hard to see since the kids are standing in front of it, but theres a computer screen here that theyre looking at.
IMG_3702.jpg


IMG_3703.jpg


Our scorecard&
IMG_3704-1.jpg


We had SOOO much fun! Every one of us had a blast and said that wed definitely have to come back on our next trip.

We turned in our equipment, but before we could leave, the kids wanted a pressed penny.
IMG_3705-1.jpg


And I took a couple more shots while we waited for it to finish&
IMG_3706-1.jpg


IMG_3707.jpg


And the kids took this picture of Mike and I in the sleigh, though you can barely see my face for the shadow of my hat!
IMG_3709-1.jpg


And just like that, we were back in the car and headed back to AKL for our last night in Disney! But we werent sad. Wed just enjoyed a really fun game of mini-golf. And instead of dwelling on the fact that we were leaving in the morning, we talked about how much fun we had, our plans for the next morning and what a wonderful, wonderful week wed had! It was the perfect ending to the night and I'm so glad that we finally made it there!

We made it back to Kidani in no time where we all got ready for bed and went to sleep with dreams of Mickey Waffles dancing in our heads!
 
Saturday morning, Mike and I awoke pretty early. Out plan was to get ready and get as much packed as possible before waking the kids. We did get a start on it the night before, but didn’t get everything finished.

Finally, we were all done and everyone was ready to go. The plan was to go ahead and check out now so that once we left breakfast we could head to DTD for our last last-minute shopping before heading for home.

As I was packing up, I noticed that there had been a letter slipped under the door and as I read it I became a little confused. Evidently, Guest Services could not get the credit card on file to accept the charges that were left on our room, which I thought was really odd. So, I called right away as I was worried that something was wrong. I knew that I had put our Disney Visa on file when I checked in and that there should be no problem as we’d been using it throughout the week and had also called before we left home to let Chase know that we’d be using it out of town. Unfortunately, the CM I spoke to was no help, so I ended up having to make the long walk down to the check-in desk to find out what was going on. I’m not sure why, but turns out that they had an old debit card on file that had expired. I’m not even sure why they had it when I’d given them my Disney Visa at check-in. Anyway, problem was solved and I headed back to the room.

We then proceeded to gather all our belongings and head towards the car. This is always the sad part for me!

However, we did have a couple places to go before our visit was officially over. And the first stop was here at my dream resort for breakfast with some friends.
IMG_3714.jpg


We made our way inside and up to the second floor where we checked in for our breakfast ADR with Lilo and Stitch!! We checked in and were given a buzzer before being directed to have our photo taken.
Photo0341FourBySix-1.jpg


And by the time that we’d found a place to sit, our buzzer was going off!!!

We were lead to our table following a fresh basket of bread!
IMG_3728.jpg


And then the juice came and all were in heaven!!
IMG_3729.jpg


And before we knew it, the characters were making their rounds. Stitch managed to sneak up on Mark which gave us all a good laugh!
IMG_3731.jpg



IMG_3734.jpg


IMG_3736.jpg


And then the food arrived and we all dug in!
IMG_3737.jpg


Next came Pluto who the kids loved!
IMG_3739.jpg


And then the star of the show, Lilo!
IMG_3741.jpg


Mike made sure I got a shot with her since she’s one of my faves!
IMG_3743.jpg


IMG_3744.jpg


And last, but certainly not least came the Big Cheese himself! I always love seeing him in his Hawaiian attire!
IMG_3747.jpg


We stuffed ourselves silly, making the most of our last meal of the trip, then settled up the bill and headed out. But, we weren’t done yet. Since we’d only been able to ride the Monorail once, Mike and I decided that it was the perfect time to take one last spin on it before heading out. So that’s just what we did!
IMG_3750.jpg


IMG_3751.jpg


We waved goodbye to the castle and the Magic Kingdom as we made the loop back around to the Poly. We hopped off, and then headed to the car where we embarked towards our one final destination…Downtown Disney.

I picked up a few things from Basin as I’d been wanting to try some of their items for a while now. I ended up getting a few of the Mickey head bar soaps and a couple tubes of the bath salts. We also spent a little while in the World of Disney store where Mark finally bought his Walt Disney World Train set that he’d been wanting all week. And I was so proud of him for saving his money until then. Jaden had a hard time finding what she wanted, but she ended up with a couple small things—a Minnie note pad and a charm bracelet with several charms.

While we were in World of Disney, a CM came up to Mark and Jaden and asked if they’d like to play a little game. They agreed, and she set up a little bowling game right there. They both played and she gave them both a button and a certificate, which was really cool. They were a little unsure of it all though, but it was very sweet of the CM to have taken the time to play with them!

I’d also been texting back and forth with my sister while we shopped as well. She and her boyfriend had been on a cruise at the same time, and it just so happened that they were heading home that day as well. So we planned to meet up somewhere along the way home.

Eventually, we headed on out, saying our goodbyes to Disney and leaving with so many memories of a wonderful trip! As we headed out of Downtown Disney, I spotted this rainbow in the clouds and I nearly teared up…what a wonderful way to end such a magical trip!
IMG_3752.jpg



Thankfully, the trip home was uneventful and we ended up meeting up with my sister in South GA at Cracker Barrel where we told her all about the trip and she showed us her beautiful new engagement ring that she’d received on their cruise.
IMG_3759.jpg


At this point, they decided to take the kids on with them so that we didn’t have to meet up again, so we unloaded all the kids stuff and packed them into my sister’s vehicle. From there we said goodbye, and I think that’s when it finally hit me that the trip was over!  It was an awful long and quiet ride back home!
 
I can honestly say this was the trip of a lifetime! It was everything that I wanted it to be and then some! Yes, there were a few rough moments, and some things that didn't go perfectly, but not every trip is going to be. I am so very thankful that Mike and I had this opportunity to share Disney and all it's magic with Mark and Jaden. And they loved it--that was the best part of all.

Traveling with two kids such a long way from home and for so long was so much easier that I imagined it would be. My biggest fear was one of them getting separated from us, but thankfully that never happened. I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that we sat down with them before the trip and explained how important it was that we all stick together. And if there was something they wanted to stop for, all they had to do was ask.

I honestly don't know that I would have done anything different, other than driving the whole way in one day instead of stopping in Valdosta. Mark and Jaden both informed me that they would rather do that next time! They were really, really good on the way...the DVD player really came in handy!



And as for our future trip plans, Mike and I have decided to take yet another Disney Cruise...this time bringing Mark and Jaden along with us! A Disney cruise is another thing that we've been wanting to share with them for a while, and I think they're finally at a great age for it. We're planning for 4 nights on the Dream sometime next May or June, depending on when they get out of school. In addition to that, we're also planning to spend a couple nights in Disney both pre and post cruise, visiting one park before and one park after!

Thanks to everyone who followed along...I hope you enjoyed our adventure!
 
Sorry to see this TR is over. I am glad the kids had such a good time. We took your advice and booked at fishing excursion leaving from the Poly. DH is taking our two boys, niece, and nephew. While they fish, my Mom and I are going to do the 'Ohana character breakfast.
 
Thanks for sharing your adventure! How wonderful the kids had a great time :)

Mini golf looks like such fun. That's been on my list for a while too.

Your future plans sound great.
 
Sorry to see this TR is over. I am glad the kids had such a good time. We took your advice and booked at fishing excursion leaving from the Poly. DH is taking our two boys, niece, and nephew. While they fish, my Mom and I are going to do the 'Ohana character breakfast.

I took me way too ling to finish, but I'm sad that it's over as well! Thanks for reading!

I hope that your family enjoys the fishing trip. It was a lot of fun for us, and definitely one of the highlights of the trip...Mark still won't let Mike forget that his biggest catch was bigger than Mike's!

Thanks for sharing your adventure! How wonderful the kids had a great time :)

Mini golf looks like such fun. That's been on my list for a while too.

Your future plans sound great.

Thanks for reading!

You should definitely give mini-golf a try...it was so much fun!
 
Aw, I'm sad that this TR is finished. I really enjoyed reading about your journey taking 2 kids to WDW for the first time. It sounds like they had an amazing first trip, one they'll remember forever. And how great of you to be able to do that for them. It's wonderful.

You and Mike managed to show them so many different things and participate in so many different activities! BBB, fishing, minature golf, all those little extra things that just add on to the excitement of riding thrill rides and seeing fireworks. You made me want to pack up some of my cousins and surprise them with a trip!


And now a cruise!!! :cool1: Are you going to write a TR for that as well? I hope so. I'd love to see Mark and Jaden's adventures continue on a cruise ship. :rotfl2: If you do, you'll have to either post a link to it on here or let me know via Facebook. Wouldn't miss it...
 
Aw, I'm sad that this TR is finished. I really enjoyed reading about your journey taking 2 kids to WDW for the first time. It sounds like they had an amazing first trip, one they'll remember forever. And how great of you to be able to do that for them. It's wonderful.

You and Mike managed to show them so many different things and participate in so many different activities! BBB, fishing, minature golf, all those little extra things that just add on to the excitement of riding thrill rides and seeing fireworks. You made me want to pack up some of my cousins and surprise them with a trip!


And now a cruise!!! :cool1: Are you going to write a TR for that as well? I hope so. I'd love to see Mark and Jaden's adventures continue on a cruise ship. :rotfl2: If you do, you'll have to either post a link to it on here or let me know via Facebook. Wouldn't miss it...

Thanks, Alicia! Your sweet words really mean a lot! :) I'm sorry that it took so long, so thanks for sticking around!

We definitely wanted to share as much with them as we possibly could! We wanted to make their first trip as grand as possible. What makes me happy is that they loved it so and still talk about it.

I can't wait to take them on a cruise. They've wanted to go for a while, and we've wanted to take them, but I wanted to make sure that they'd really like Disney first!

Most likely I'll do a TR, so I'll make sure and let you know when I get it started. Sadly, it will be a while, but we do have a camping trip to look forward to this summer!
 
What a great trip! I'm sure the kids will remember this forever. You guys are the best aunt & uncle taking them on trips like this! Do they know about the cruise yet or are you going to surprise them?

I hope you are going to write another TR for that! :goodvibes
 
What a great trip! I'm sure the kids will remember this forever. You guys are the best aunt & uncle taking them on trips like this! Do they know about the cruise yet or are you going to surprise them?

I hope you are going to write another TR for that! :goodvibes

Thanks, Jennifer! And thanks for always following my reports!:)

Yes, they do know about the cruise. After Mark was so shocked from the reveal of this trip, he asked us not to surprise him again. So, we decided to tell them! I can't wait!

By the way, were you guys just in Disney?
 
I'm sure they are going to wish away the rest of the school year in anticipation for the cruise!

Yes we just got back from Disney last night. New Fantasyland is gorgeous! :goodvibes We didn't like the new Test Track at all though. A big thumbs down on the refurb! :sad2:
 
I'm sure they are going to wish away the rest of the school year in anticipation for the cruise!

Yes we just got back from Disney last night. New Fantasyland is gorgeous! :goodvibes We didn't like the new Test Track at all though. A big thumbs down on the refurb! :sad2:

Well, we actually are doing the cruise until 2014...gotta have time to save up.:guilty: We are taking them camping this summer though, so that does give them something to look forward to!

I'm soooo jealous of your trip!;) I hope you had a fantastic time. I'm having Disney withdrawls pretty terrible lately and it doesn't help that my best friend has been there since last Friday and a co-worker just got back. :sad2::sad1: Are you doing a trip report?:goodvibes
 
Well, we actually are doing the cruise until 2014...gotta have time to save up.:guilty: We are taking them camping this summer though, so that does give them something to look forward to!

I'm soooo jealous of your trip!;) I hope you had a fantastic time. I'm having Disney withdrawls pretty terrible lately and it doesn't help that my best friend has been there since last Friday and a co-worker just got back. :sad2::sad1: Are you doing a trip report?:goodvibes


We had a wonderful time, thank you! Believe me, Disney withdrawls set in before we got on the plane last night. We have a major blizzard heading our way tomorrow, makes us miss the sun even more!

I won't be doing a TR this time. We were very leisure on this trip just walking around. No ADRs or many rides for that matter. It would make for a boring TR. :rotfl:
 















Receive up to $1,000 in Onboard Credit and a Gift Basket!
That’s right — when you book your Disney Cruise with Dreams Unlimited Travel, you’ll receive incredible shipboard credits to spend during your vacation!
CLICK HERE







New Posts







DIS Facebook DIS youtube DIS Instagram DIS Pinterest DIS Tiktok DIS Twitter DIS Bluesky

Back
Top