Springtime is Disney Time - A March 2016 PTR Updated 3/7

[TinkLoverSam]

I know what you mean with big babies... Arthur is 7.5 months old wearing 12-18 month clothes!

 

[afwdwfan]

Consider resort hopping? LOL!

Exactly! I mean if you can't get the discounted Pop room, why not go big and stay one night at AKL?

Or Poly.

 

[DisneyParkLover]

We took a 2 month old on a 12 hour car trip to Disney and we loved it! They are so portable and easy at that age. Oh, and Miss Evelyn is adorable!

 

[amazingact21]

I know what you mean with big babies... Arthur is 7.5 months old wearing 12-18 month clothes!

It's so funny when people ask their age and are shocked when they hear the answer. All those rolls are deceiving! I swear, though, every morning there's a new outfit that won't fit Evie anymore. I just look at her and go, "This fit you 3 days ago!!"

Consider resort hopping? LOL!

Exactly! I mean if you can't get the discounted Pop room, why not go big and stay one night at AKL?

Or Poly.

We want to, we really do. But unfortunately, we just don't think we can swing it. We have to pay to move our dog with us, and the cost of flying a pet is ridiculous. And then we have to get him inspected when we get to Germany and get a special clearance 10 days before we leave, all of which costs an arm and a leg. So we really don't have a lot of play money to be able to stay at a deluxe again.
(Although, a moderate isn't TOO far out of the realm of possibility. We haven't completely thrown the idea out...)


But then there's the fact that we'd have to set up shop in a room for one night, and then turn around and pack it up and move to a new room. While we could get away with just an overnight bag for clothes and toiletries, there'd be the Pack and Play to deal with, diapers, soap, food, etc. It'd be a lot of work for just one extra night.

We took a 2 month old on a 12 hour car trip to Disney and we loved it! They are so portable and easy at that age. Oh, and Miss Evelyn is adorable!

Oh wow! That's awesome. And kudos to you for taking the jump and making the 12 hour roadtrip. Did they do well? Was there a lot of stopping involved?
I agree with ease of them at that age. It's mostly eating, sleeping, and diaper changing at that age!

 

[rdkeim]

I've been following your TR's since before you had your little boy. It's fun watching your family grow even though I'm a stranger Even without kids it seems like a lot of trouble staying somewhere for 1 night. Looking forward to reading your TR - my sister and I will be there at the same time and staying at Pop! I'll keep an eye out and say Hi if I get up the nerve.

 

[amazingact21]

I've been following your TR's since before you had your little boy. It's fun watching your family grow even though I'm a stranger Even without kids it seems like a lot of trouble staying somewhere for 1 night. Looking forward to reading your TR - my sister and I will be there at the same time and staying at Pop! I'll keep an eye out and say Hi if I get up the nerve.

Thank you for reading all my reports! It would definitely be a lot of work to unpackp/re-pack/unpack again for one night.

Oh, please say hi if you see me! I love DISmeets; they are one of the highlights of my trip. We're bound to be wandering around. Landon's favorite part of vacation is running from the room to the food court and pushing the elevator buttons. I'll bound to have one of the kids out of the room at all times when we're at the resort. And maybe our paths will cross in the park, too!

 

[amazingact21]

Sorry for being M.I.A. here on the boards, guys. We got our official departure date for our move, and since it’s about 3 weeks earlier than we expected, things have been a little hectic around my home. There’s not enough hours in the day, I tell you!






Only 13 days left until Disney!!!!









Honestly, I’ve been so focused on our move that I’ve barely had time to think about our vacation. It hasn’t really hit me yet that we’re about to take Evie on her very first Disney trip. I’m sure any day now it’ll sink in, and I will be excited beyond belief.






For now I’ll stick with organizing my day to day plans and posting about them on here. So far, you all have helped me out by pointing out things I didn’t know (like the Boneyard being closed. Ugh.) so I really need to write everything else out just in case I have more obvious mistakes I need to rectify.






Plus my mom’s using this an informational sheet.






She has no idea what’s happening after March 1st…






I kinda need to help her out.




It would be polite.








March 2nd, 2016:








This day is going to be our intricate one. I have a very specific system set up that I can only hope we get to follow.






Because, you know, having two kids with us won’t cause us to go off course at all.






Especially one who wants to meet a character only available at one park and who wasn’t in these original plans.








On this particular morning, my family and I will cram into my mom’s car and drive over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.















Yep, still no MK morning. Absurd, right?








The park opens at 9am, and I plan for us all to go straight to Rock N Roller Coaster the second we get through the ticket stations. Thanks to the lovely tiering system, all of us will have to ride this attraction standby. Alex and I will go first, snag a Rider Swap, then my parents will use the swap to go on the attraction. Either Alex or I will join them. It’ll most likely be Alex, because I’ll probably have to feed Evie by that time.




Gotta love the mommy life.










I’m banking on the 2 turns not taking more than an hour. If it does, we’ll just hold on to the passes for later, because from 9:05 to 10:05, only Alex and I have Fastpasses for Tower of Terror. We’re going to walk over there and get a Rider Swap, then head into the queue. I want to see the inside of the attraction, so I’ll go through it with Alex (plus I’ll use any excuse to get two minutes to ourselves without the kids) and then take the chicken exit at the very end. I don’t do Tower of Terror.




I rode it once. In 2003.






I’m good.















Depending on the time, my dad and Alex might use the Rider Swap and go on the attraction. My mom skips over this ride. Not her forte, either.








Actually, typing these plans out, I see that it might be better if Alex and I go use our Fastpasses after the initial ride on RNRC. That way we’ll get both Rider Swaps in hand and then the kids can be taken to be entertained. Depending on their moods, perhaps my mom and I can take Landon to meet Jake from Jake and the Neverland Pirates (his meet and greet opens at (9:30) while my dad and Alex use the two swaps.




Another option would be to take them to Voyage of the Little Mermaid or the Frozen Sing Along (that’s a big IF since we wouldn’t have passes.).






All that we’re going to kind of leave up in the air. I don’t like planning too much in way of the kids, because Landon’s so unpredictable. He could be having an awesome morning and be content walking around a shop or he could be restless and want to watch something entertaining. We won’t know that until we step inside DHS…








The four of us all have Fastpasses for Toy Story Midway Mania from 10:25 to 11:25am. I figure so long as we make our way over to the attraction by 11, we’ll be all right. I wish this ride would offer a Rider Swap, because I’m always a little uncomfortable taking a baby on a ride that whips guests around like TSMM does. Thankfully, my mom has offered to hold Evie on this; she did really well when we took Landon on it during his first trip. She put one hand on his chest so he was firmly against her and held his head during the turns with the other hand. It braced him really well.






I was pretty grateful that Evie gained her neck control early on, though. I would have hated taking a baby that unstable on it.






Okay, mini rant over….






My dad and Landon will ride together, because, well…Landon’s going to insist. Any opportunity he gets to sit next to his Poppy, he’s going to take.






And that’ll leave Alex and I to battle it out next to one another.






Bring it.















After TSMM, my group will head over to the Star Wars Launch Bay part of the park. If Landon hasn’t gotten to see Jake yet, we’ll stop and let him do that. Otherwise, we’ll walk around and explore the new area. We’re all looking forward to seeing this new addition; my dad actually doesn’t even know about it, so it’ll be entertaining to see how he reacts to all that Star Wars stuff.




Although, I was really bummed to hear Darth Vader got replaced by Kylo Ren. No offense to Kylo, but I’d much rather have met Darth.








Next up will be lunch at 50’s Prime Time Café.




If I have to eat in Hollywood Studios, I always choose this restaurant. I love the homestyle cooking and the fact that it’s not a steak or a pasta dish or a salad, things I typically order. I’m a comfort food lover, and all the dishes here fit that bill.








For those that know, my mom has a special connection to O’hana’s bread pudding due to it reminding her of her grandmother. Well, my dad (he would never admit this) has something similar to fried chicken. His mom used to cook it (going through the whole shebang, using chickens from their coop) and he doesn’t eat it that much now. So I’m sure when he sees he gets to order some really great fried chicken along with his favorite dessert – a milkshake – he’s going to be a happy camper.






If I were a betting man, I’d put money down that this is going to be his favorite meal of the trip.





















Rather than go straight back to our room after lunch, which is our typical schedule, I scheduled a Fastpass for Muppet Vision; good until 1:40. If we use this one, great, if we don’t then it’s no sweat off our backs.






And then from 1:40 to 2:40, my parents have a Fastpass for Star Tours. They’ll go on it, grabbing a Rider Swap for Alex and I, which we’ll turn around and use once they are done. I figure the kids will be napping by this point, so Alex and I can use the time my parents are riding to do a little shopping.










My family will head back to the room after Star Tours and rest for a few hours. The Magic Kingdom has nighttime Extra Magic Hours from 8 to 10pm. I figured we’ll all head to that park in the late evening, around 6 or 7 and ride some of the less popular attractions.

































Hopefully, we’ll be near the Tangled bathrooms when Wishes is playing, so that we can watch the show from our favorite location.




My main focus this night is for the adults to enjoy as many rides as possible during EMH. The kids will hopefully be asleep in the stroller. (Evie, at least.) There’s a good chance my dad won’t want to go the MK after a full day in DHS, which is perfectly fine. He can chill and hang out at Pop while we go enjoy ourselves.












March 2nd is going to be a busy, busy day, but I’m looking forward to it. Starting off my day riding my favorite coaster and ending it in my favorite park sounds like a pretty awesome time.










Up Next…March 3rd Plans, also known as my parent’s last day at Disney.

 

[afwdwfan]

She has no idea what’s happening after March 1st…






I kinda need to help her out.




It would be polite.

The park opens at 9am, and I plan for us all to go straight to Rock N Roller Coaster the second we get through the ticket stations. Thanks to the lovely tiering system, all of us will have to ride this attraction standby.

I hate the stupid tiers... This is the one place that it always seems to bite me.

I want to see the inside of the attraction, so I’ll go through it with Alex (plus I’ll use any excuse to get two minutes to ourselves without the kids) and then take the chicken exit at the very end. I don’t do Tower of Terror.




I rode it once. In 2003.






I’m good.

Another option would be to take them to Voyage of the Little Mermaid or the Frozen Sing Along (that’s a big IF since we wouldn’t have passes.).

If you decide you want to do them... I think you'll be fine. DW and DD did both in January without FP+ just walking up a few minutes before showtime. In fact, we were walking past Frozen on our way to go do something else, when the CM's were standing there yelling last call for the show that was about to start. We figured we might as well knock it out and change the FP... there was still plenty of room in the theater.

Granted we were there during a slow time, but I wouldn't think it should be too much busier when you're there.

And that’ll leave Alex and I to battle it out next to one another.






Bring it.

This should be epic...

Although, I was really bummed to hear Darth Vader got replaced by Kylo Ren. No offense to Kylo, but I’d much rather have met Darth.

I'd like to see Kylo too, but Vader is definitely the iconic villain.

 

[Gracefulskinny]

We got our official departure date for our move, and since it’s about 3 weeks earlier than we expected, things have been a little hectic around my home.

YIKES! That must be adding pressure!

Only 13 days left until Disney!!!!

Honestly, I’ve been so focused on our move that I’ve barely had time to think about our vacation.

I know that feeling!

(plus I’ll use any excuse to get two minutes to ourselves without the kids)

Wise choice. Milk the free sitters while you still have them!

I don’t do Tower of Terror.




I rode it once. In 2003.






I’m good.

I'm right there with you on that one!

. Depending on their moods, perhaps my mom and I can take Landon to meet Jake from Jake and the Neverland Pirates (his meet and greet opens at (9:30) while my dad and Alex use the two swaps.

 

[JPFamilyMom]

Looks like a well planned out day. We have similar ride tastes I think, at least for DHS. I went on ToT once (on our honeymoon) and that was enough for me too.

I didn't know Kylo replaced Vader, I thought it was a mix. Hoping they add several more characters as the new area is built and opened. My kids are Star Wars obsessed. They are sad there is not SWW this year, though they are looking forward to the new land, but they have to wait for it... and waiting for a kids is hard. ;-)

 

[Dugette]

Actually, typing these plans out, I see that it might be better if Alex and I go use our Fastpasses after the initial ride on RNRC. That way we’ll get both Rider Swaps in hand and then the kids can be taken to be entertained.

Makes sense to me, since they're right by each other.

The four of us all have Fastpasses for Toy Story Midway Mania from 10:25 to 11:25am. I figure so long as we make our way over to the attraction by 11, we’ll be all right. I wish this ride would offer a Rider Swap, because I’m always a little uncomfortable taking a baby on a ride that whips guests around like TSMM does. Thankfully, my mom has offered to hold Evie on this; she did really well when we took Landon on it during his first trip. She put one hand on his chest so he was firmly against her and held his head during the turns with the other hand. It braced him really well.

If you get there early enough, you might be able to go in two waves so that someone can stay with Evie while the others ride, then trade. But sounds like your mom handles babies on the ride well anyway.

 

[amazingact21]

I hate the stupid tiers... This is the one place that it always seems to bite me.



If you decide you want to do them... I think you'll be fine. DW and DD did both in January without FP+ just walking up a few minutes before showtime. In fact, we were walking past Frozen on our way to go do something else, when the CM's were standing there yelling last call for the show that was about to start. We figured we might as well knock it out and change the FP... there was still plenty of room in the theater.

Granted we were there during a slow time, but I wouldn't think it should be too much busier when you're there.

This should be epic...

I'd like to see Kylo too, but Vader is definitely the iconic villain.

The tiering system is so flawed, it's not even funny. I think it's ridiculous not to implement the tiers in a park like the MK, where there's plenty of attractions to go around, but insist on having them in Epcot where Soarin' isn't even operating at the moment. No logic to that...



I'm hoping the parks aren't going to be too crowded when we're there, but judging on the restaurant availability and current wait times, I'm not holding my breath.

YIKES! That must be adding pressure!



I know that feeling!

Wise choice. Milk the free sitters while you still have them!

I'm right there with you on that one!

I'm going to have such a huge reality check when I move to Germany and don't have my parents nearby. I've been really lucky in that anytime I've had an appointment or needed to take the kids somewhere I didn't want the other going, my mom's always been able to watch them. And then once or twice a month, Landon spends the night over at their house so Alex and I get a little break. I'm sure by the end of summer I'm going to be searching far and wide for a reliable babysitter.

Looks like a well planned out day. We have similar ride tastes I think, at least for DHS. I went on ToT once (on our honeymoon) and that was enough for me too.

I didn't know Kylo replaced Vader, I thought it was a mix. Hoping they add several more characters as the new area is built and opened. My kids are Star Wars obsessed. They are sad there is not SWW this year, though they are looking forward to the new land, but they have to wait for it... and waiting for a kids is hard. ;-)

Kylo and Vader might switch out, I'm not 100% sure. I really hope so. No offense to Kylo, but if I am going to be a Star Wars villain I'd prefer it to be Darth.
I was surprised that they got rid of SWW this year. I know the new land is coming, but that won't be for a few years. Why not keep the events going until then? (I'm sure it has something to do with all the construction going on.)

Makes sense to me, since they're right by each other.


If you get there early enough, you might be able to go in two waves so that someone can stay with Evie while the others ride, then trade. But sounds like your mom handles babies on the ride well anyway.

I debated making us do that, but I'm so afraid there's so many other things my dad is going to want to cram in before our lunch that I won't want to waste any more precious time. Plus, my dad - whom I love dearly - is not the most patient man in the world when it comes to my Disney itineraries, so I don't think he'd fly for that.

 

[DisneyParkLover]

Luke did awesome on our road trip when he was that little. There was a lot of stopping because I was nursing, so we stopped every 3 hrs or so to nurse. But we stopped halfway for the night and it worked really well. You are going to have a blast!

 

[brb1006]

We had never gone on Figment, either, until Landon's first trip. I don't know why it's so easy to skip. Maybe because it's kind of tucked away in the corner of Future World? I don't know...either way, glad to hear your 7 year old loved it.

The moving plans are underway. I have a blog dedicated to my moving adventures and am going to use it for my adjustment experiences in Germany. anawfullybigmilitaryadventure.com I'm hoping having it will help me keep track of everything I need to do.


Ahh, Korea. Seems like everyone gets sent there at some point in their career. I remember my dad going way back in the day, and Alex and I have already prepared for him to go. (Fun fact, we were actually hoping to get orders to Spain, because if we went there, it would've been considered a "short tour" being only 2 years, and then he probably wouldn't have had to do 1 year in Korea. Ah well...)



I see you have a trip coming up this fall! Food and Wine time! Are you excited? And it's with other homeschoolers (I think...judging by your countdown. Could have read it wrong.)
If you decide to start a PTR or eventually write a TR about it, please let me know! I'd love to follow along!


Goodluck, be sure to buy a Marie plush to show to her when they meet her.






My dad is already more excited about this trip than he's letting on. He's not going to be able to hide his Epcot enthusiasm while we're there. He asked my mom the other day if we were staying in "those treehouse thingies" I showed him....2 years ago!
Proof that he's been keeping his ear to the ground where Disney is concerned. Makes me even more excited for our trip now.











The kids will be at the Magic Kingdom probably 4 times on this trip. So, plenty of chances to meet Marie!

 

[amazingact21]

Hi everyone.


My family has been back from this trip a few days now, and I figured I'd hop on here really fast and give a quick recap.




By far, the worst Disney trip I've ever had. It was no fault of Disney, just a string of bad luck that hit my family while we were there.



On arrival night, I was hit with a stomach bug and Alex caught it later that Wednesday. Both kids came down with RSV and had to be taken to the emergency room for medication. My parents left a day and a half earlier than planned, because my mom was catching our bug and wanted to be home when she dealt with it.


We left 4 days early.




My group attended 2 of the 6 ADRs I'd worked so hard to book, nobody made it into DHS, and of the 98 hours I was in Walt Disney World, I spent 6 total hours in the parks. (An hour and a half of which was taken up by a breakfast.)



I went on 1 ride and saw 1 show.




Evie never met Mickey or Minnie Mouse.



And poor Landon never got to see his favorite character, Jake. Nor did he get to go on his first coaster (the Barnstormer).






And Alex and I STILL HAVE NOT GONE ON MINE TRAIN!!!!!!!




I cannot believe I'm going to move to Germany and not have ridden that blessed coaster...





If you need a visual summary of how this trip felt, I think Landon summed it up pretty well:











I am equal parts excited and terrified to get around to writing a trip report for this adventure.

 

[Gracefulskinny]

By far, the worst Disney trip I've ever had.

Oh no! What an awful way to say goodbye to Disney WOrld!

On arrival night, I was hit with a stomach bug and Alex caught it later that Wednesday. Both kids came down with RSV and had to be taken to the emergency room for medication. My parents left a day and a half earlier than planned, because my mom was catching our bug and wanted to be home when she dealt with it.


We left 4 days early.

YIKES! I hope all are at least starting to feel better now! Sorry that it was such a rough trip.

 

[afwdwfan]

By far, the worst Disney trip I've ever had.

These are words I never wanted to see.

My group attended 2 of the 6 ADRs I'd worked so hard to book, nobody made it into DHS, and of the 98 hours I was in Walt Disney World, I spent 6 total hours in the parks. (An hour and a half of which was taken up by a breakfast.)



I went on 1 ride and saw 1 show.




Evie never met Mickey or Minnie Mouse.



And poor Landon never got to see his favorite character, Jake. Nor did he get to go on his first coaster (the Barnstormer).

I knew it was bad, but yikes! Again, I'm really sorry that this trip was such a letdown. I hope there are some positives to take away from this. I really wish that you guys could get a do-over, even if just a day or 2 when you head that way to visit family. Just so you can do a couple of must do's and make up for this!

 

[Dugette]

I know things went terribly wrong on this trip and I'm so sorry it happened the way it did. But, I have to admit, I am looking forward to reading the report - something a bit different, I guess. And I know you'll have many great Disney experiences to share in the future (Paris!) So sad it ended this way, though. Get well soon!

 

[amazingact21]

Oh no! What an awful way to say goodbye to Disney WOrld!

YIKES! I hope all are at least starting to feel better now! Sorry that it was such a rough trip.

It broke my heart to know that was the last memory I'd have of Walt Disney World, but at least I'm fortunate enough to have other positive experiences. The bug was hitting guests everywhere, and I felt so bad for the people who were on their once in a lifetime vacation.
When I was at concierge cancelling one of my dining reservations, there was a dad next to me who was cancelling Cinderella's Royal Table. It was his 8 year old daughter's birthday, and she was up in the room with the stomach bug. He was asking the Cast Member if there were any cakes at the food court he could buy for her and if they would have a candle available.
It broke my heart a little to hear how that little girl was spending her birthday rather than eating with the princesses. And it definitely put my trip into perspective.

Thankfully, today, I think we are all finally over the worst of our colds and everyone feels somewhat human again. Hooray!!

These are words I never wanted to see.

I knew it was bad, but yikes! Again, I'm really sorry that this trip was such a letdown. I hope there are some positives to take away from this. I really wish that you guys could get a do-over, even if just a day or 2 when you head that way to visit family. Just so you can do a couple of must do's and make up for this!

It was rough, I won't lie. My family and I couldn't help but talk about all the things we DIDN'T get to do and see after we got home. However, there were a couple good memories that I was able to take away and that's all that matters. Despite being sick/feverish/absent for 90% of the trip, I was still able to have two or three awesome experiences with my dad, and that's something I'll never forget.



As much as we want to be able to fit in a day trip in April, Alex and I just don't see how it'll be possible. Landon won't be free anymore, we already promised my brother and sister in-law we'd visit Universal Studios with them, and parents would have a fit if we told them we wanted to use some of their last visit to go to Disney. They already caused a massive fight when we were there last week because we weren't visiting with them. It wouldn't go over well.
But, while not the same, Disneyland Paris's 25th Anniversary is right after Landon's 4th birthday (April 2017) so Alex and I are just going to put aside the money we didn't use on this trip and use it to go to France next spring. Small victories..

I know things went terribly wrong on this trip and I'm so sorry it happened the way it did. But, I have to admit, I am looking forward to reading the report - something a bit different, I guess. And I know you'll have many great Disney experiences to share in the future (Paris!) So sad it ended this way, though. Get well soon!

Thanks. This trip was something else...I was actually really happy to be back home in my own space. Pop Century, as fun a resort as it is, is not great for overcoming illnesses.

There were some funny and nice memories made on this trip, too. Definitely not a lot, but a few, so I'm looking forward to writing about those.

 

[cindianne320]

I still feel so awful on how this trip turned out.

And selfishly, I hope this round of sickness is all cleared out in the next few weeks. I bought travel clorox wipes to wipe down our room with when we arrive. Terrified of someone getting sick!