Show Me Your Smolder! October 2012 B-Day TR NEW 4/1 Trip Wrap Up & NEW PTR LINK!

[afwdwfan]

It looks like we were writing our final thought posts at about the same time!

Thanks for sharing with us. Paxton is an awesome little boy and it is always fun to see what he and the rest of you do on your trips. I'm glad that he got to have a special second birthday celebration at Disney World and he is expanding his interests in characters and shows a little bit more. I'm sure he'll be into even more new things in this next trip. Now I guess I'll head on over to the PTR and get subbed in over there.


Oh, and I'm glad you got to see Hanson.

 

[khertz]

It looks like we were writing our final thought posts at about the same time!

Thanks for sharing with us. Paxton is an awesome little boy and it is always fun to see what he and the rest of you do on your trips. I'm glad that he got to have a special second birthday celebration at Disney World and he is expanding his interests in characters and shows a little bit more. I'm sure he'll be into even more new things in this next trip. Now I guess I'll head on over to the PTR and get subbed in over there.


Oh, and I'm glad you got to see Hanson.

Ooh, need to go check yours out!

Thank you for your (mostly I kid! I kid!) kind comments throughout the TR! I'm so glad someone besides just me is interested in reading my TR's. I think this trip is going to be a totally new experience for us because of how much Paxton now knows and remembers from last trip, and I can't wait!!

You will be pleased to know Hanson announced their tour dates, and it does not look like they will be playing F&W this year, so you can pretty well bet on my next TR being Hanson free! But...they are going to be in New Orleans in September, so I'm sure they will make an "appearance" on the PTR!

 

[RachelNinja]

Wow, you guys were so lucky to get a great spot to watch the parade without having to wait so early in advance. That's the only reason why I'm not as big of a fan of the parades. I think I need to go during a lower crowd season so that I don't have to deal with so many people vying for few spots available!

I think it'd be fun to get my own boat on IASW! I would definitely get there right away with my own kiddies.

HAHA, I love that "Bob" story. How adorable that must have been!

I think I'm so used to always leaving or flying out in the morning because I'd be thinking about the traveling all day long if I were in a park and not be able to fully relax. It really is tiring getting up that early though! We'd wake up super early on the trips with my family when we'd drive home from Florida to NY all in one shot!

Looking forward to the next trip! I love being able to watch Paxton grow up!

 

[Leger13]

Trying to read through this TR and finish it unlike the horrible job I did keeping up and finishing reading your other TR's in the past haha! Here are a few comments

Day 2 comments : I LOVE Krispy Kream!!!!!! Love the pictures of y’all on the monorail! Little Paxton is just so cute! Yay for laptop entertainment for the munchkin. Alex loves his iPad! I will actually sit him in his crib with his iPad in the mornings while I take a little time to snooze some more or just relax before getting up for the day. That’s something I will highly miss once we get his big boy bed on Saturday. *sigh* I do think I’ve commented on this stuff before though I just can’t remember where I left off the last time I was on your TR. Anyways, I love all the opening of the park pictures. Paxton looks so excited! We missed out on that last trip because we were always so lazy in the mornings haha!

Love the pictures from the hair cut! I won’t be able to do that with Alex this time around because he hates hair cuts now. The tantrum Paxton threw, yeah, Alex would be doing that the whole time. He’s a mess when it comes to getting his hair cut. I’m glad Paxton calmed down enough though for y’all to have it done again this time and yay for a photopass photographer being there! That’s definitely needed for those memories!

Wow on the cat allergy. So glad y’all figured out what the issue is though. I’m allergic to some cats more than others too. It really depends on the cat. And Dog actually. Poor Paxton!

Sorry Paxton didn’t like PoTC this time but yay for redeeming it with a ride on a horsey! We didn’t take Alex on that this last trip but I plan to try and hit it this October. I absolutely love the cheesing pictures of y’all on it! So adorable!

Ok I’m all through day 2 and on page 8 so hopefully I’ll get to read through the rest later today or tonight from my computer at home. I need to get some work done now since I’m at work today (haha!) I will catch up with this TR before you go on your next trip!

 

[MEK]

It was so fun recapping another fantastic Disney World TR with all of you, but sadly it must come to an end. But don't despair, the next trip is already in the works, and I would love it if you chose to follow along with our plans! Before getting to that, I thought I'd cap off with a few of our final thoughts from this trip.[/SIZE][/CENTER]

I really enjoyed your TR. It was so great to see Paxton's (Mostly) smiling face in every update. And I loved the way you so candidly shared your parenting moments. I never had the never to travel with my kids when they were that age, so kudos to you for doing it. And doing it so well!

1. CROWDS
Overall, there are no complaints about the crowd levels while we were visiting. Part of it is probably that we spent a lot more time with the minor attractions than usual, so we weren't following the typical path of a Disney World visitor. The only real time we found it almost unbearably crowded was a time when it was totally expected, the one night we decided to visit Magic Kingdom to see MSEP and Wishes. When you go during a time of year with hard ticket parties, you can definitely count on those nights being packed! Otherwise, we didn't wait long for anything, which is a plus when traveling with a toddler.[/SIZE][/CENTER]

I thought the crowds were decent. I also have no complaints. Plus, I think any crowd is a lot more manageable when the weather is nice. I never really noticed crowds except in the TSM FP line.

2. WEATHER
The weather was pretty close to perfect! There were a couple times when it started getting a little too hot in the sun, but thankfully there was little to no humidity, so it was much more bearable than the summer heat. We thought the end of the week was going to be a washout from Hurricane Sandy, but we only experienced one afternoon rainstorm while we were there, so no complaints there. I guess the only thing I can complain about was that I had packed a few long sleeved shirts hoping for some cooler days mixed in, but the day the temperature dropped was the day we were leaving![/SIZE][/CENTER]

You summed it up perfectly. But silly me didn't even think to take any long sleeved clothes or pants other than my travel clothes. So I was actually chilly a couple of nights. Next time I will remember a sweater.

3. TAKING A 2 YEAR OLD
Absolutely the best part about this trip was being able to celebrate DS's 2nd birthday in our favorite place, the Magic Kingdom! Spending the whole day doing only the attractions he could ride and doing several character meets was absolutely the most perfect way to spend his birthday. However, there were plenty of moments where he acted every bit a two year old. Was it frustrating? Of course. But I would still do it again in a heartbeat. He was actually very well behaved for a toddler, and we avoided any major meltdowns, only a few minor ones. [/SIZE][/CENTER]

He's an awesome little boy and he shares the same b-day as my Nicholas which makes him all the more special!

4. NEW EXPERIENCES
One thing I love about Disney World as a destination is that you can experience something new and different every single time you go! For me, my favorite new experience was seeing my most favorite band Hanson at the Food & Wine Festival Eat With the Beat concerts two nights in a row!
Anyway, I guess this is officially the end! BUT!! Don't cry just yet. We are going back to Disney World again, in just a little more than 6 months! And there's still lots of planning to do between now and then. So if you'd like to follow along with them, or if you just want a placeholder until the next TR, follow the link to my NEW PTR![/SIZE][/CENTER]

I totally agree with this. I thought F&W in general was such a great experience and I can't wait to go back.

Trick-Or-Treat & Birthday Sweets! ​

Going to sub right now!

 

[debrapagliasotti]

Headed over to your PTR right now!

 

[disneybarbie]

Really enjoyed reading your latest TR, thanks for sharing! Heading over to your new PTR now

Emma x

 

[Leger13]

Ok all caught up with day 3!! Looks like you guys had a wonderful day Hanson and all. That's awesome that you got to see both shows, rode plenty of rides and met tons of characters all with taking a break in the afternoon. I love touring the world with a toddler. It's such a different experience but so much fun!

 

[khertz]

Just realized I had some replies here I never got to!

Wow, you guys were so lucky to get a great spot to watch the parade without having to wait so early in advance. That's the only reason why I'm not as big of a fan of the parades. I think I need to go during a lower crowd season so that I don't have to deal with so many people vying for few spots available!

That's exactly why we have always skipped parades in the past, but we seemed to have good parade mojo this trip. The nighttime parade is the worst, but we will likely stick with getting spots in Frontierland from now on. It was a lot better than trying to find a spot on a super crowded Main Street!

I think it'd be fun to get my own boat on IASW! I would definitely get there right away with my own kiddies.

It was really fun in a cheesy sort of way.

HAHA, I love that "Bob" story. How adorable that must have been!

It really cracked me up, and still does when I think about it and remember it! He was so serious about it!

I think I'm so used to always leaving or flying out in the morning because I'd be thinking about the traveling all day long if I were in a park and not be able to fully relax. It really is tiring getting up that early though! We'd wake up super early on the trips with my family when we'd drive home from Florida to NY all in one shot!

It can be a little stressful knowing we have a flight coming up and making sure we leave in enough time. But at a certain point in the morning, we are more walking around taking in the park instead of riding attractions so that we don't risk getting stuck on something. We have always gotten to the airport WAAAAY early for our flight (knock on wood!).

Looking forward to the next trip! I love being able to watch Paxton grow up!

Thanks! It is so fun experiencing Disney World differently every time we take him at every age.

Trying to read through this TR and finish it unlike the horrible job I did keeping up and finishing reading your other TR's in the past haha! Here are a few comments

Day 2 comments : I LOVE Krispy Kream!!!!!! Love the pictures of y’all on the monorail! Little Paxton is just so cute! Yay for laptop entertainment for the munchkin. Alex loves his iPad! I will actually sit him in his crib with his iPad in the mornings while I take a little time to snooze some more or just relax before getting up for the day. That’s something I will highly miss once we get his big boy bed on Saturday. *sigh* I do think I’ve commented on this stuff before though I just can’t remember where I left off the last time I was on your TR. Anyways, I love all the opening of the park pictures. Paxton looks so excited! We missed out on that last trip because we were always so lazy in the mornings haha!

The iPad was great, but it was way too heavy to carry around with the case we have it in every single day. It was nice the days we had it with us though. Now that there is wifi in the parks though, it should be easier to pull things up on my phone instead if he needs a distraction.

Love the pictures from the hair cut! I won’t be able to do that with Alex this time around because he hates hair cuts now. The tantrum Paxton threw, yeah, Alex would be doing that the whole time. He’s a mess when it comes to getting his hair cut. I’m glad Paxton calmed down enough though for y’all to have it done again this time and yay for a photopass photographer being there! That’s definitely needed for those memories!

After getting Paxton's hair cut again at home recently, I think he just hates his head being sprayed with water! Once that part is over and the actual cutting begins, he's totally fine. Having the PP photographer there was really awesome! I hope it is something they are doing more often because I'm hoping to have his hair cut there again this year. Hopefully one day you will be able to get Alex's hair cut there.

Wow on the cat allergy. So glad y’all figured out what the issue is though. I’m allergic to some cats more than others too. It really depends on the cat. And Dog actually. Poor Paxton!

That's him, just depends on the cat! And after trying Claritin, then Allegra, we figured out that Zyrtec seems to work best for him. His eyes occasionally get a little red, and he has a cough that comes and goes sometimes at night, but overall MUCH better than he was before we knew what was going on!

Sorry Paxton didn’t like PoTC this time but yay for redeeming it with a ride on a horsey! We didn’t take Alex on that this last trip but I plan to try and hit it this October. I absolutely love the cheesing pictures of y’all on it! So adorable!

I'm hoping this year I can prepare him for the drop so he won't be so upset! He loves pirates and knows the song, so I definitely want to try taking him again. He seemed to like the carousel at the mall in Baton Rouge too, so hopefully no more meltdowns on the one in MK!

 

[khertz]

I really enjoyed your TR. It was so great to see Paxton's (Mostly) smiling face in every update. And I loved the way you so candidly shared your parenting moments. I never had the never to travel with my kids when they were that age, so kudos to you for doing it. And doing it so well!

Thanks so much! He can definitely be a handful, and there were times he was embarrassing the heck out of me, but he's two! He's going to have his moments, so we tried to be as prepared as possible for them and avoid them whenever we could.

I thought the crowds were decent. I also have no complaints. Plus, I think any crowd is a lot more manageable when the weather is nice. I never really noticed crowds except in the TSM FP line.

That is so true! The crowds just seem multiplied by a million when it is super hot and humid outside. And I don't really care if I have to maneuver around a lot of people while I'm walking around, as long as the lines for the attractions are manageable.

You summed it up perfectly. But silly me didn't even think to take any long sleeved clothes or pants other than my travel clothes. So I was actually chilly a couple of nights. Next time I will remember a sweater.

DH always laughs when I pack a jacket, but this trip we definitely used them in the mornings & evenings!

He's an awesome little boy and he shares the same b-day as my Nicholas which makes him all the more special!

Aww, thank you & yay for birthday twins!

I totally agree with this. I thought F&W in general was such a great experience and I can't wait to go back.

The atmosphere is so great at F&W (as long as there are not too many sloppy drunks around! )

Headed over to your PTR right now!

Really enjoyed reading your latest TR, thanks for sharing! Heading over to your new PTR now

Emma x

Thanks for following along & commenting, Emma!

Ok all caught up with day 3!! Looks like you guys had a wonderful day Hanson and all. That's awesome that you got to see both shows, rode plenty of rides and met tons of characters all with taking a break in the afternoon. I love touring the world with a toddler. It's such a different experience but so much fun!

Totally different, but way more fun than I ever could have imagined! I remember walking around on our last adults only trip in '09 thinking how hard it was going to be not to be able to run to all the mountains in MK or RnRC and ToT over and over again in DHS, how much it would suck pushing around a stroller, taking naps, etc. and thinking we wouldn't enjoy the trips as much with children along. Boy, was I ever wrong!!! Never thought I would have gotten more than halfway through a trip before even riding my first rollercoaster of the trip and really not caring that all we had done was the rides without a height requirement! It is so magical seeing everything the way Paxton does and having new experiences.

 

[Leger13]

The iPad was great, but it was way too heavy to carry around with the case we have it in every single day. It was nice the days we had it with us though. Now that there is wifi in the parks though, it should be easier to pull things up on my phone instead if he needs a distraction.



After getting Paxton's hair cut again at home recently, I think he just hates his head being sprayed with water! Once that part is over and the actual cutting begins, he's totally fine. Having the PP photographer there was really awesome! I hope it is something they are doing more often because I'm hoping to have his hair cut there again this year. Hopefully one day you will be able to get Alex's hair cut there.



That's him, just depends on the cat! And after trying Claritin, then Allegra, we figured out that Zyrtec seems to work best for him. His eyes occasionally get a little red, and he has a cough that comes and goes sometimes at night, but overall MUCH better than he was before we knew what was going on!



I'm hoping this year I can prepare him for the drop so he won't be so upset! He loves pirates and knows the song, so I definitely want to try taking him again. He seemed to like the carousel at the mall in Baton Rouge too, so hopefully no more meltdowns on the one in MK!

Oh yeah, Alex's iPad is too heavy too. We have it in an OtterBox and it's an iPad 2 so it's pretty heavy. We only let him play with it in the car if we're out somewhere. Yes the phone should be good That distracted Alex on our December trip too.

haha well Alex doesn't like the whole hair cutting experience. He screams the whole time. We did get his first haircut there in Feb last year but since then hair cuts have been a nightmare.

Well that's great that you finally have that answer and can do something about it now.

Ah well I sure hope he does better with it in October for you

Totally different, but way more fun than I ever could have imagined! I remember walking around on our last adults only trip in '09 thinking how hard it was going to be not to be able to run to all the mountains in MK or RnRC and ToT over and over again in DHS, how much it would suck pushing around a stroller, taking naps, etc. and thinking we wouldn't enjoy the trips as much with children along. Boy, was I ever wrong!!! Never thought I would have gotten more than halfway through a trip before even riding my first rollercoaster of the trip and really not caring that all we had done was the rides without a height requirement! It is so magical seeing everything the way Paxton does and having new experiences.

I couldn't agree more! Seeing the world through your child's eyes...there's just nothing like it. And each trip is a totally different experience!