Take Your 2-Year-Old to Disney! Aug '17 TR * COMPLETE 1/10/19

[Leshaface]

No we're not! You can PM your username if you want

Yay will PM you

It is pretty intense. Not roller coaster intense... it's so hard to describe. It's intense because it's so realistic. I'm trying to imagine my 6 year old niece on it and I feel like she could do it. How tall is he? The height reqt is 44"

I think he might barely make it by then. He's scared of a lot though right now I feel. We took him to DL in May of this year and he started screaming on Thunder Mountain. But he does okay with 3D type movie rides I guess we'll just have to wait and see till we get there!

Me either. I had never heard that before the CMs said it. And we didn't try it so I don't know if that was accurate. I would have used the Minnie Van but it wasn't rolled out yet (and spoiler alert, we didn't even go to AK that morning)

Just checked out those Minnie Vans! Waaah. They only service BW and Yacht and Beach club right now. I hope they roll out more resorts soon, cause they already include two car seats in the vans!

 

[Dugette]

Taking a 2 year old was awesome but I can't imagine doing it by myself! Was that one of the trips you did just the two of you?

Yes, it was! But I did meet up with Lauren and Aria for chunks of it, so that helped. It was nice because at that age, Izzy didn't have super strong opinions of her own and was generally happy with whatever I had planned, so long as I let her know what to expect. Not too tantrum-prone yet.

I just love that smile and shriek at the end.

That is precious!

Before I was even ready to take a video, the CM told her it was her turn and she ran right to Ariel. I was shocked at how quickly and confidently she just took off running. She was so happy to see Ariel and also really excited about having her sign her autograph book.

So awesome!

Not even 2 minutes later the music in the area changed to "Jolly Holiday" and Mary walked over to us, held Ryann's hand, and led her to a nearby gazebo. Guys, I seriously had tears streaming down my face as I watched this unfold. It was just so freaking magical, I couldn't even take it. Ryann was completely in awe of her.

Wow, what a magical meet! We had something similar happen with Alice in Wonderland in Epcot - we weren't even planning to meet her, but she walked by and the CM told Izzy to follow her - and she grabbed Izzy's hand and walked her all around the gardens before bringing her to the meet spot. Super special!

It was really funny, and then I realized that I hadn't been filming this whole time! I got the very end but I was so mad at myself for not realizing that the video never started. I was practically in tears and DH kept telling me to let it go, which aggravated me even more.

Oh no, I have been there! Such a bummer!

The last thing I heard her say was something about pixie dust and then she finally fell asleep at 2:45.

Hahaha, cute.

I think he might barely make it by then. He's scared of a lot though right now I feel. We took him to DL in May of this year and he started screaming on Thunder Mountain. But he does okay with 3D type movie rides I guess we'll just have to wait and see till we get there!

@Leshaface How does he like Soarin? I think that is the closest approximation. But also, does he like drops (coasters, Splash, Pirates, etc.)? And was his screaming "scared screaming" or "happy fun screaming" (Izzy always chooses the latter when I ask her). I can tell you that Izzy is a thrill rider (only physical thrills, not psychological - she's terrified of the pre-show for ToT, for instance) and she LOVED FoP! LOVED it. She also just barely squeaked by the 44" requirement this last trip and her new favorite rides are FoP, Everest, and Space Mountain. But Cal may feel differently. I find that it also helps Izzy when I explain to her in advance how the ride works - that she's not REALLY flying, etc. She's able to relax and enjoy it better then.

 

[Stasieki]

Catching up. You had some great character meets! My girls always just want to do rides so we rarely meet the characters. I would really like to try to do a few next trip. We always do the main characters at Epcot and once we did Tink. But I think that is it in 7 trips

 

[heathsf]

Just checked out those Minnie Vans! Waaah. They only service BW and Yacht and Beach club right now. I hope they roll out more resorts soon, cause they already include two car seats in the vans!

I think they're now at all the Deluxe resorts.

It was nice because at that age, Izzy didn't have super strong opinions of her own and was generally happy with whatever I had planned, so long as I let her know what to expect. Not too tantrum-prone yet.

You're exactly right. Ryann was the same for the most part. Even though it's only been a few months since the trip, she has much stronger opinions and likes to stick to them!

Wow, what a magical meet! We had something similar happen with Alice in Wonderland in Epcot - we weren't even planning to meet her, but she walked by and the CM told Izzy to follow her - and she grabbed Izzy's hand and walked her all around the gardens before bringing her to the meet spot. Super special!

That's awesome! We saw Alice in Epcot but her line was very long so we just waved as we walked by

You had some great character meets! My girls always just want to do rides so we rarely meet the characters. I would really like to try to do a few next trip. We always do the main characters at Epcot and once we did Tink. But I think that is it in 7 trips

I wasn't really into meeting characters either. I don't remember being interested as a kid and I rarely met any on my adult trips. This was the first time I ever hunted characters down and it was WAY more fun than I thought it would be.

 

[heathsf]

Chapter 7
In which Pooh Ate, and Ate, and Ate, and Ate, and Ate, and Ate, and Ate, and Ate, and Ate!

When I last left off, DD had finally fallen asleep for her nap at 2:45 and I had planned on leaving Coronado at 4. Needless to say, it would have to be a short nap. We left the room at 4:15 and headed back to MK. We had an ADR at Crystal Palace with our friends M, S, and A. M got there a few minutes before us and was just about to check-in when we got there. I confirmed DD's food allergies and was given a list of the buffet items with each of the top 8 allergens marked as safe or not safe for each item. It was really helpful to have something to look at ahead of time. I wasn't going to have DD eat off the buffet because it's too easy for something that's safe to be cross-contaminated with something that's not (ie, using the wrong serving spoon, or something splashing or dripping onto another food item) but it was great to see what they already had prepared that could be brought directly from the kitchen to our table.

While we were waiting, DH and S took the girls to see the very end of the Move It! Shake It! Dance & Play It! Street Party as the floats were leaving. I really wanted to experience this because it's the one place to see Jessie from Toy Story who DD loves and she would get to dance with her! There were 3 going on each day so I figured with so many opportunities we'd get to it at some point this trip...

M spotted them on their way back to Crystal Palace and we realized that DD and A were walking around holding hands. Turns out, they did that on their own. It was so adorable to see them walking through Magic Kingdom like that, having such a blast together. Even better, DH actually took a video if it and I was able to screen shot a few good pics out of it. Good job, DH!


We waited ten minutes before we were brought in to be seated. I asked our server if I could please speak to a chef and he was really great about it. Chef Brandon came over quickly to discuss DD's allergies and we went over the menu but he was willing to make her anything I wanted. He cooked it quickly and served it to us himself. He brought her way more food than she could ever eat. He made her chicken, broccoli, green beans (which were too peppery for her but I thought they were really yummy), corn and peas, bread and "butter", and apple slices. She mostly ate the apple slices and bread and butter. Go figure.




For dessert she got a huge bowl of Rice Dream chocolate "ice cream" and she couldn't get enough. DH ate his dinner first while I tended to DD eating. Then we switched so I could eat. She was on to dessert at this point and DH let her eat waaaaaaaaay too much. She got an adult portion of ice cream and wanted to finish it. I eventually had to tell DH to take it away because I was certain she would vomit.


I don't think I even took a pic of my own plate because I was so hungry by the time we ate. I ate off the buffet and it was really good, much better than I remember dinner being when I ate here last which was 8 years ago. I really loved the corn bread souffle thing, the mashed potatoes, and the carrots. I had one little bite-size s'more for dessert and it was good.

As for the character interactions, they were amazing! Ryann went nuts over all of them (we're big Winnie the Pooh fans) and she seriously demanded multiple hugs from them. She couldn't get enough. I was SO glad we booked so many character meals. DD also really enjoyed participating in the character parade around the restaurant. She wanted it to keep going for longer though, and I also thought it felt really short.

Eeyore visited us first and he was so fun. He gave DD huge hugs which she loved. He was also happy to see that he was on my shirt.


HUGE hugs!


Piglet visited next and DD jumped out of her chair to run to him.​

Pooh and I accidentally bumped heads which made both of us laugh. Meanwhile, DD was basically shouting at him, "I want a hug! I want a hug!" She did get her hug but I don't have a picture of it. I have a video of her with Pooh but I guess I didn't actually take any photos.

Here she is demanding more hugs from Pooh after she already got several

Tigger and DD bounced together which made my heart melt. I couldn't pick just one picture with Tigger because in this one she's actually looking right at the camera and smiling this huge and genuine smile...​

...and in this one she is just staring up at him like she's in disbelief that she's really with Tigger. I just love it!​

Overall, I loved this meal. We had such a great experience dining with food allergies which makes it a win no matter how the food was, but I really enjoyed the food much more than I was expecting to. I definitely hold buffets to a lower food-standard than the sit-down meals at WDW, but overall it was great. It completely exceeded my expectations and the character interactions took it to the next level.

Side note: Here's where the chapter title comes from. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is one of my all-time favorite Disney movies, and now DD loves it too!

​

 

[heathsf]

Chapter 8
In which the Night Ends Happily Ever After

After dinner, the girls spent about 15 minutes watching the ducks graze (do ducks graze?) near the pond outside the restaurant. While I was genuinely concerned that DD would throw up from eating all that ice cream, my fears turned out to be unfounded. However, at some point while watching the ducks, she completely filled up her diaper, and not with pee. I told DH that this diaper change was aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall for him and he took her to the Baby Care Center which was conveniently located right next to Crystal Palace. If you're nearby, I'd highly recommend it for a diaper change (and also for nursing or feeding - which we did in Disneyland last year and really appreciated that they had high chairs). It was SO much easier to change her in there than in a bathroom. The changing tables are huge and I love that they have disposable "pads" to keep it sanitary.

Then we headed back to Fantasyland


DD loved walking through the castle. She kept asking to do it for the rest of the trip but it was closed off a lot of the time for the shows they do throughout the day.


M, S, and A went on the carousel while they waited for us, and then we arranged to meet at it's a small world to use a FP that we had booked when we were leaving MK earlier. M, S, and A hadn't used their bonus FP yet so they decided to use it for this. The stand-by wait wasn't too long but we got to walk right on.


DD loved scanning her Magic Band at the tapstiles, even though she didn't actually have to since she didn't have any FP.


M and I both love IASW while our hubbies are not fans. At all. But the girls were totally enraptured by it and we all had a great time watching them soak it all in. It was neat to see our names displayed on the screen at the end of the ride. Well...at least some of us made it on there Sorry DH!


Our friends had a FP scheduled for Journey of the Little Mermaid and were going to ride it next. As soon as we scanned our bands for IASW, I was able to find a FP for JLM just a few minutes in the future. So after IASW we headed there all together to ride.

After that, M, S and A decided to go look for a spot to watch the fireworks and we booked a FP for Dumbo with a window that opened almost immediately.


After Dumbo, DD saw the Barnstormer next door and said she wanted to ride it. There were FP available that would have let us ride it immediately but the FP line was backed up and DD seemed to be forgetting that she didn't like it this morning. We decided to skip it and go meet our friends to watch the fireworks. They had actually found a table in front of Casey's that had a semi-decent view. It was so nice to have chairs to sit in and we had a pretty good view of the castle but we could only see the low fireworks because of the umbrellas at the tables. We knew it wasn't our only chance to see the fireworks so we were happy there. I wouldn't recommend it if it's the only time you will see the fireworks and you want to actually see them in the sky!

Before the show started, S and I went to Adventureland for some snacks. I desperately wanted a Dole Whip. For so long I had been looking forward to having DD eat one too because the pineapple soft-serve is dairy-free, but a few weeks before our trip Disney brought the vanilla ice cream back to Aloha Isle and they come out of the same machine, so the Dole Whip is no longer safe for a dairy allergy.

As disappointing as that was, it was an important lesson to make sure I always check the ingredients before giving her something to eat. Never assume that just because something has been safe in the past, that it is still safe! Thankfully, I am in an awesome FB group and it was announced as soon as it happened so I knew before we went. Anyway, the happy ending here is that I was able to eat the Dole Whip myself! (Though I did feel a teeny bit guilty about it.) And it was SOOOOOO good and refreshing on this hot night.


S and I had split up so I could get my Dole Whip and he got a citrus swirl from Sunshine Tree Terrace. After taking a bite, he immediately realized that what he had really wanted was a Dole Whip and he had gotten confused. Oops. He also grabbed a Mickey Bar for A. When we returned, DD got to eat some safe cookies that I had brought with us and DH went to get a lemonade and decided to splurge (69 cents) for the Mickey straw which he was excited to show off to me, but insisted it was his and he would not be sharing it with me (Yup, this is the guy that says he doesn't like WDW )

I was super excited to see Happily Ever After for the first time. I watched it on opening night when it was live-streamed and was blown away. I downloaded the soundtrack and listened to it 1,000 times before our trip so I enjoyed singing along while watching it. It was even better in person and it brought tears to my eyes, though there's no surprise there. Like I mentioned, our view of the fireworks was mostly blocked but we still all really enjoyed it. Well, all of us except for A, who fell asleep in S's arms in the middle of the show. DD really loved it, I'm not sure she even blinked through the whole thing. The moment it started she enthusiastically said to me, "I like this!"




We left immediately after the fireworks, choosing not to stay for the projection show on the castle after the fireworks. We left in such a hurry that DH forgot his Mickey straw at the table.

We thankfully only had to wait 5 minutes for a bus, but I had to stand and hold DD because there were no seats. We could have waited for the next bus so we could sit down, but the ride to Coronado is pretty short and we really just wanted to get back. A stayed asleep through the second half of the fireworks show, on the bus, and all the way back to the room where M put her down to bed. DD, on the other hand, stayed awake the whole time and didn't fall asleep until after I put her down in her pack n play. I then took a shower, ate a Mickey rice crispie treat, and went to sleep.


It was an amazing first park day and I couldn't wait for more.​

 

[DopeyFan1]

Loving this report! I'm wanting to take my little girl right before she turns 3 and seeing how much your daughter loved it is getting me even more excited! Maybe a few happy tears as well

 

[heathsf]

Loving this report! I'm wanting to take my little girl right before she turns 3 and seeing how much your daughter loved it is getting me even more excited! Maybe a few happy tears as well

Thank you! You will definitely cry happy tears and the trip will exceed your expectations. I was out-of-my-mind excited for this trip, constantly playing out scenarios in my mind and imagining how magical it will be.... and it wasn't even close to how great it was in real-life. The magic is *real* (That's not to say there weren't bumps and it wasn't all perfect...but it was still amazing!)

 

[ariane37]

Mary walked over to us, held Ryann's hand, and led her to a nearby gazebo. Guys, I seriously had tears streaming down my face as I watched this unfold.

Aw, that is so sweet! I've seen face characters walking with children on their way to their meets before and I always smile And it always makes me miss the days my boys enjoyed character meets!

One of the groups in front of us were Disney-bounding extraordinaires. I really wished I could be friends with them.

Wow, yup they're doing it right! I envy some of these Disney-bounders.

DD really liked the projection of the card on the ground.

We haven't actually met talking Mickey so I haven't seen this card on the ground, but I do love this picture of Ryann.

A very good day at MK!

 

[heathsf]

Aw, that is so sweet! I've seen face characters walking with children on their way to their meets before and I always smile And it always makes me miss the days my boys enjoyed character meets!


Wow, yup they're doing it right! I envy some of these Disney-bounders.


We haven't actually met talking Mickey so I haven't seen this card on the ground, but I do love this picture of Ryann.

A very good day at MK!

This is why I keep telling Bobby that we need to go back sooner rather than later. She's going to grow up too fast!

You haven't met talking Mickey yet!? I was appalled at myself that I forgot to meet him when he was new 3 years ago. It was fun!

 

[heathsf]

Days 1 & 2 Video

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[kastoney]

What a perfect first day in the parks!!!!! So glad that they were so accommodating to Ryann's allergies and she got to have some unexpected treats. Sitting and HEA sounds awesome! Would you believe we never got to see it on our trip??? I figured we would at some point, but timing never worked out, plus Casey's patience and waiting is next to none these days.

Your video is awesome. Thanks for sharing it!

 

[heathsf]

What a perfect first day in the parks!!!!! So glad that they were so accommodating to Ryann's allergies and she got to have some unexpected treats. Sitting and HEA sounds awesome! Would you believe we never got to see it on our trip??? I figured we would at some point, but timing never worked out, plus Casey's patience and waiting is next to none these days.

Your video is awesome. Thanks for sharing it!

I can totally believe it, LOL! There were a lot of things we didn't get to experience on our trip that I was hoping we would. Time moves like quadruple speed in Disney! But you definitely need to see it next time!

 

[Dugette]

Caught up on the last couple updates. I love how happy she was at Crystal Palace - really sweet!

 

[heathsf]

Caught up on the last couple updates. I love how happy she was at Crystal Palace - really sweet!

Thanks! It was a great meal.

 

[hswillia07]

Fellow allergy mom following along! Looks like you had a great trip! I think my 3 yo has similar allergies to your daughter - we're egg, wheat, and dairy. When we were there in May, it was her first time eating in a restaurant, so I totally understand your fear & excitement I'm glad it went so well! So bummed about the change to the Dole Whip; I hope they put it back to the way it was!

 

[heathsf]

Chapter 9
In which we Visit Arendelle

I'm terrible at sleeping when I need it the most. I woke up at 3am with a migraine. I took 2 Aleve but had trouble falling back asleep because of the pain. When I finally did, I woke up at 5:30 when DD cried in her sleep. I couldn't fall back asleep after that so I got dressed and went to Cafe Rix around 6:25 in search of something to help combat the migraine (ie. caffeine and something to eat).




I wished I could have been sleeping but it was nice to walk around the resort in the calm early morning hours.


I got an iced latte and a blueberry muffin. Neither were outstanding but they did help me feel better. I sat at a little table outside the cafe. There were a few other early risers around.


DD liked this interesting statue. She asked what it was when we had dinner here on the first night and I really didn't know what to tell her...


Feeling better, I went back to the room to wake up DH and DD. We left our room at 7:40 and a bus came at 7:49. It was great timing. We were the only ones who got on for Epcot so we had the bus to ourselves for a moment, but it got decently full by the time we were leaving Coronado. It took 10 min to circle the resort and hit the other 3 bus stops and then only about 5 minutes to actually get to Epcot.


We said “hi” and “bye” to the bus driver as we got on and off the bus and then Ryann added, “Have a nice day!” It was really cute and the driver must have appreciated it because he gave us a Transportation Card with some fun facts and a hidden mickey tip. Ryann was thrilled even though she didn't understand what it was. We breezed through security and were on line for the tapstile at 8:17.


At 8:30 we were let in and waited in front of Spaceship Earth. We were really close to the front of the pack and I was very happy I seriously have recurring nightmares that I'm in WDW and running hours behind to get to a park. It's terrible




At 8:45 The Jammitors came out and performed for a while. DD loved it and wanted more. When they were finished and leaving, DD asked where they were going. I said the first thing that came to mind, which was that they were going on a ride. Then DD asked, "A drum ride?"

At about 8:55 the ropes were dropped and we were allowed to head to attractions. I was immediately body checked by a woman running past me.

Some people broke off from the herd to go toward Soarin'


(continued in the next post)​

 

[heathsf]

Most people surprisingly went toward Test Track and Mission Space, which had just reopened the week before. Maybe that shouldn't be surprising. I was expecting more of a crowd heading toward where we were going...


By the time we were entering World Showcase, the crowds had thinned and dispersed enough so that it was a comfortable and civilized (although quick-paced) walk.


Getting closer...


Stop for a moment to enjoy the scenery...


Almost there...


Finally!


We arrived at Frozen Ever After at 9:04 with a 10-minute standby wait posted. It actually took less than 5 minutes to walk through the queue and board. I was SO excited to ride this. I was sort of indifferent when it opened because I wasn't yet a huge Frozen fan. But with Frozen being one of DD's favorite movies at the time of the trip, I was super psyched to see her reaction to riding it.


I am seriously pumped.


So... DD's reaction? "I wanna ride it again!" Good thing we had a FP for later!

We were off the ride at 9:15. Next door, the wait to meet Anna & Elsa was posted as 30 minutes. I asked the CM at the entrance if it was really 30 minutes and without saying anything, she just shook her head "no." I assumed this meant it would be less so we headed in to the queue. We literally waited only 2 minutes.

DD was SO excited about meeting Anna & Elsa that she ran around in circles screaming like a nut until she fell over. That's actually what happened.


(continued in the next post)
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[heathsf]

That was really all she had time to do before it was our turn to go in and meet the ladies of Arendelle. DD looked so scared of Anna I thought she might vomit. She warmed up slowly and by the time she met Elsa she actually talked to her a little bit and said "Let It Go" Even though DD was starstruck and quiet, both were great character interactions and she was so happy afterwards.





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[heathsf]

Fellow allergy mom following along! Looks like you had a great trip! I think my 3 yo has similar allergies to your daughter - we're egg, wheat, and dairy. When we were there in May, it was her first time eating in a restaurant, so I totally understand your fear & excitement I'm glad it went so well! So bummed about the change to the Dole Whip; I hope they put it back to the way it was!

Hi! We do have similar allergies. Wheat must be a tough one too.... Yeah it's really crappy news about the Dole Whip. I do personally enjoy it with the vanilla but it stinks for those with dairy allergy to lose such an iconic snack that *should* be safe since it's technically dairy free! It's pretty frustrating... How did the restaurants work out for you on your May trip?​