The Many Adventures of...A Family With a New Baby! Jan - Dec 2016! New 11/7!

[Imagineer5]

Eventually we made our way to Frontierland, but we made a stop at the treehouse on the way! The guy behind us offered to take our photo

And then we headed off to use our FP. I feel like the FP line for this takes a lot longer than it should - unlike Splash where you basically walk all the way up to the area where they assign boats, here you join the line about 2-4 train cars behind where you're assigned seats. It wasn't too bad, but still...

I usually hold her tight to me, otherwise I'd ram into her on the turns! She had a blast though.

We had about 30 minutes until our final FP, so decided to spend some time over at Tom Sawyer Island. Can I just reiterate how much I miss the paintbrushes at TSI? It was something so different and fun!

Oddly most of the caves were closed off for whatever reason (including the one to leave the Fort!) so we didn't stay too long. Instead headed back to use our Splash FP!

Aria will say this is her favorite ride at Disney 9 times out of 10!

Afterwards we finally remembered to grab a pressed penny! Aria has a book going but we usually only remember to grab 1 or 2 each trip since we're always running around.

And with that we headed out for a break. I texted Andrew and he said it was nap time for Maya -

We trekked it back to the room! Up next - checking out the resort pools and then a delicious dinner!

 

[schmass]

That seems like such a great morning with sooo many rides and I think only the one wait (and just 15 minutes at that!)? And ice cream for lunch!! Aria must have been having such an amazing time!

 

[Dugette]

I was able to book our ROL Package at Tiffins (which is where we were going to eat anyway!) and I'm hoping to read good reports of the dining package views since I'd rather not use up a FP on the show.

I posted one pic of the view on FB when we were there. I thought the viewing was quite good from the dining package area. Granted, I have nothing to compare it to, but the FP area seemed like it was kind of off to the side vs. our view? I also only had to pay for me & Izzy to have breakfast at Tusker House (cheapest dining package), so that seemed very worthwhile (worth it for the meal alone, really). I'd do it again.

SURPRISING ARIA WITH A TRIP TO DISNEY WORLD!!

That's awesome you pulled it off! I am not good at surprises, so the closest I got was not telling Izzy about Tusker House until the morning of (since I booked it just before our trip, I managed not to tell...) But I did tell her the night before that there was a surprise the next day...I think she was hoping for toys and wasn't too excited when we walked up to TH. But she ended up loving it and we had a super fun time (ever seen Mickey shake his tail feathers? ) Anyway, great job on the successful surprise trip!

Ha, I foolishly scared Izzy away from probably ever sitting there again. She was kind of horsing around this last trip and I mentioned that I'd heard a news story (right after one of our trips ) that an employee had fallen through one of those windows in some testing or something. She is now terrified and insists on standing and holding a pole.

We headed straight to Shades, just to check in, and I loved the hot air balloon basket in the car in front of me!

Wow, that is super cool and something you never see on the road!

Riding in one is on my bucket list!

I'm highly tempted to try to surprise Izzy with a ride on the Disney Springs one, since she's fascinated by them. We didn't have the time to get to DS last trip, but maybe next time. Have you done that one before? I can't remember.

Where were we headed first? I had it in my plans to check out F&G booths for lunch, then grab a much-needed margarita at La Cava, before putting Aria down for a nap in the stroller (Margarita first, of course!).

Those sound like excellent plans to me!

So before Aria's next AP expires, I am thinking of booking a 6th birthday trip and keeping it a surprise (for the end of Jan 2018). The surprise aspect was REALLY fun!

Hmmmm, here you go making me want to take more trips than we've planned again. My brain immediately went to "and then we could show up and surprise her and Izzy would be surprised to see Aria..." But, really, if that happened, they'd probably both just be like, "what, she's always at WDW, that's not a surprise" But this is slightly possible, as our APs were supposed to be pro-rated back to December when we used our 7 day PH, but we checked after the trip and were surprised to see they are good into February 2018. But, I am already trying to cram in too many trips (France, Alaskan Disney Cruise?, etc.) vs. the budget I have to work with. We'll see. Sorry, got distracted there, back to the quotes...

It was...okay? I thought it was just a little too floral to be food. Aria enjoyed the cool-ness of it but that's about it.

Interesting, I don't recall ours having flowers on it. I do think the best thing was that it was cold and refreshing on a hot day. And something unique vs. a regular lemonade, etc.

A passionfruit margarita with a slightly spicy tajin salted rim, and a mango foam up top. Yes, still my favorite margarita anywhere. I don't typically like salted margarita rims, but I definitely make it a point to sip all the way around this glass!

I didn't get into La Cava last trip, but I did get a Passionfruit Coconut margarita from the Art Festival booth there. I'm not sure how similar it was, but I enjoyed it. However, it was super expensive, so I'm probably better off going into La Cava to try the real one next time.

It's not the easiest to push a stroller with a full drink, so we made another pit stop to color. I was that parent drinking off to the side

Haha, I read this originally right before our trip, so as I passed this, I was thinking of you.

She didn't get very far like this!

Izzy's tried that far too many times too. It just never seems to work out.

After no time at all we were designing the car- actually I let Aria choose all the options just to see what she would come up with.

It's fun to see what they make. Izzy and I rode TT 4 times (yes, in one day! ) and I let her make all of them...every single one was very unique. Good job on the car, Aria!

Afterwards we were both dragging quite a bit from our very early morning, so we headed next door to Club Cool

I learned something new this trip (maybe you already know?) Club Cool will give you a free slushie drink if you're wearing a birthday button!

Aria remembers the Beverly VERY well and knows not to get that one!

Smart girl. Izzy was standing by the dispenser advising everyone, "Try the red one, it's really good." (she also knows to stay away from the Beverly and was kind enough to direct others )

I was a bit taken aback at the gator signs and the fact that I had to walk past these open ponds each time we walked to the Poly. This was before the GF incident too, but I still give that pond a stare down every time I have to walk past it!

I remember the news stories mentioning that the Disney resorts should have signage like Shades does - interesting to see. Also, I have to mention, we went to Kennedy Space Center and they were literally pointing out alligators on the bus tour of the grounds! They were everywhere.

I think it's a good thing Aria wasn't too into Baymax as I've heard of other people getting that cold reception. Dugette & Izzy weren't able to get him to fist bump them? So weird!

It was really awkward meeting him. I was not satisfied with my care.

I have fewer than normal ADR's (for me, anyway) but remember we'll have an ~6 week old, 18 month old, and 5.5 year old. California Grill is the only signature we're attempting this trip due to that (between Maya being a stinker and a newborn, that should be interesting).

I really hope it goes well for you!

Here it is if you're interested:

Breakfast will begin with your choice of a mixed berry parfait or fresh fruit salad and a frying pan of pastries featuring braided breakfast bread and clam shell pastries.

“Shipwreck al Forno”
Calzone with scrambled Eggs, Soppressata, Bacon, Sausage,
Blend of Cheeses and Sunday Gravy


“Golden Frittata”
Prosciutto di Parma, Piquillo Peppers, Green Onion,
Pecorino Romano and Roasted Potatoes

“Tangled Eggs”
Tomato & Basil Scrambled Eggs,
Fresh Mozzarella, Sunday Gravy and Roasted Potatoes

“Two Eggs Poached Under Water”
House-made Fennel sausage, Parmesan, and Sunday Gravy
over Golden Polenta and Toasted Ciabatta

“Tower of Pancakes”
Seasonal Buttermilk Pancakes with Bacon or Sausage

“Royal Breakfast”
Oak-Grilled Steak, Cheesy Egg Torte, Asparagus,
Crispy Onions and Roasted Potatoes

“Swimmers di ‘light'”
Smoked Salmon Egg White Omelet with Spinach, Mushrooms,
Tomatoes, Goat Cheese and Roasted potatoes



Kids will enjoy their choice of a Mickey Pancake, Mickey Waffle or a “Little Royal Breakfast,” which will feature an egg, bacon and toast. Breakfast will also include your choice of non-alcoholic beverage such as coffee, tea juice, milk and soft drinks. Mimosas, a Peach Bellini, cappuccino, press pot coffee and more will be available as an additional charge.

The character dining experience will cost $34 for adults, $20 for children. Please note: Disney Characters join guests for breakfast only. Character appearances are subject to change.

Sounds really good - thanks for posting. That's on my October list.

I absolutely LOVEEEE Garden Grill, so that one is a must-do for me.

Ha, we walked by this trip and Izzy was like, "Let's go in there now, I like it!" I had to explain ADRs to her.

Honestly, I was surprised at her response, and it made me a little sad because I believe she has outgrown the Disney Junior shows. She never watches them anymore (only Elena of Avalor) - definitely over Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Sofia, etc. Sometimes she'll want to play with something Doc McStuffins but it doesn't really last too long. She's growing up!

So true - reading this made me realize that Izzy almost entirely watches random stuff on Netflix now. She likes the Disney Junior app, but rarely watches actual shows anymore. Huh.

I naturally wake up early every day (alarm is set for 5:25 for work, and I never, ever need the alarm to wake me up)

If I was saying this, it would totally be as a sarcastic joke. And I get up at the same time (well, after a brief snooze or two...)

So we walked outside to the bus platform. They have those handy dandy monitors showing the upcoming buses. There were none showing for the MK, and there was another family there waiting for a bus to DHS, who said they had not seen an MK bus. I waited a total of 5 minutes. Then I was really aggravated.

I went back inside, and asked to speak to a manager regarding the transportation situation. I explained we had a very expensive special experience booked (Early morning magic) and we wouldn't be getting there at opening, because of Disney transportation! I might have left out we were staying at Shades... they called a taxi over, we hopped in, and the taxi driver rolled his eyes saying he is not supposed to drop me off at the Contemporary, nor is he allowed to drop me off at the MK bus area. I was like, well, we are NOT going to the TTC, and dealing with another transportation issue, so please just take me to the Contemporary and I'll walk. He obliged.

We finally made it, at 7:40 - me sweaty, after having walked all over the place. What a mess!! THIS is exactly why, to me, GF/Poly do not rate up there with BLT/Contemporary. You cannot rely on the monorails, the boats have limited hours, CM's have no idea what they are talking about - just a literal mess.

BUT we made it, and I was determined to NOT let that ruin our day!

Ugh, this is what it felt like every morning in December when we were trying to get to PPO breakfasts with Disney transportation vs. you frolicking along easily with your car. Sorry you had to deal with that and glad you made it there in a nick of time.

Our original plan was Crystal Palace, which would have been approx. $50 for breakfast, and honestly it is one of the best memories I have. Aria and I were running around an empty Fantasyland, and Aria still talks about riding so much so quickly.

So awesome that you made such magical memories that morning!

First - once again I passed the 3-hour glucose test - wahoo!! After failing the 1 hour twice, I was a little worried. But I only have like 6-7 weeks left so I wasn't letting it bother me too much even if I failed.

Congrats!

So I left off right at 9AM as we already had 11 rides under our belt thanks to Early Morning Magic!

Ha, that is a pretty amazing statement!

I'm glad I got to ride this in December thanks to Dug & Dugette.

Happy to help.

Love this picture!

Whew, all caught up and hopefully life will allow me to keep up better now.

 

[heathsf]

Hi! I'm just joining your TR now and have only read one page so I'll need some time to catch up . I just wanted to say hi and let you know that I'm here and following along. My daughter is allergic to dairy and egg. We went to Disneyland for two days when she was 10 months but I really didn't have to worry about food then so I'm trying to do some research now that she'll actually be eating on the trip (she'll be 2).

She's also allergic to dairy, egg, peanut, dogs and cats. And yes, we have two dogs and two cats whom she adores. It's been an interesting 11 months but we have it mostly under control - and most recently she passed baked-in dairy AND baked-in egg trials at her allergist's office!

That's awesome that Maya passed her food challenges at such a young age. That's really promising. Hopefully she'll outgrow the allergies completely at an early age. My daughter passed her egg challenge in the office but had a skin reaction two days later from the same batch of muffins. It was really disappointing but we'll try again in six months. She's going to do a baked milk challenge in two weeks.

there is another little girl growing in my belly, due 4/27/17

Congratulations!!!

 

[cindianne320]

I can't believe how much you got done in one morning! I love your idea of ice cream for lunch! How fun!

 

[Imagineer5]

That seems like such a great morning with sooo many rides and I think only the one wait (and just 15 minutes at that!)? And ice cream for lunch!! Aria must have been having such an amazing time!

Yes!! It was a really great morning. Pretty awesome to do so much before 1!

I posted one pic of the view on FB when we were there. I thought the viewing was quite good from the dining package area. Granted, I have nothing to compare it to, but the FP area seemed like it was kind of off to the side vs. our view? I also only had to pay for me & Izzy to have breakfast at Tusker House (cheapest dining package), so that seemed very worthwhile (worth it for the meal alone, really). I'd do it again.


That's awesome you pulled it off! I am not good at surprises, so the closest I got was not telling Izzy about Tusker House until the morning of (since I booked it just before our trip, I managed not to tell...) But I did tell her the night before that there was a surprise the next day...I think she was hoping for toys and wasn't too excited when we walked up to TH. But she ended up loving it and we had a super fun time (ever seen Mickey shake his tail feathers? ) Anyway, great job on the successful surprise trip!


Ha, I foolishly scared Izzy away from probably ever sitting there again. She was kind of horsing around this last trip and I mentioned that I'd heard a news story (right after one of our trips ) that an employee had fallen through one of those windows in some testing or something. She is now terrified and insists on standing and holding a pole.


Wow, that is super cool and something you never see on the road!


I'm highly tempted to try to surprise Izzy with a ride on the Disney Springs one, since she's fascinated by them. We didn't have the time to get to DS last trip, but maybe next time. Have you done that one before? I can't remember.


Those sound like excellent plans to me!


Hmmmm, here you go making me want to take more trips than we've planned again. My brain immediately went to "and then we could show up and surprise her and Izzy would be surprised to see Aria..." But, really, if that happened, they'd probably both just be like, "what, she's always at WDW, that's not a surprise" But this is slightly possible, as our APs were supposed to be pro-rated back to December when we used our 7 day PH, but we checked after the trip and were surprised to see they are good into February 2018. But, I am already trying to cram in too many trips (France, Alaskan Disney Cruise?, etc.) vs. the budget I have to work with. We'll see. Sorry, got distracted there, back to the quotes...


Interesting, I don't recall ours having flowers on it. I do think the best thing was that it was cold and refreshing on a hot day. And something unique vs. a regular lemonade, etc.


I didn't get into La Cava last trip, but I did get a Passionfruit Coconut margarita from the Art Festival booth there. I'm not sure how similar it was, but I enjoyed it. However, it was super expensive, so I'm probably better off going into La Cava to try the real one next time.


Haha, I read this originally right before our trip, so as I passed this, I was thinking of you.


Izzy's tried that far too many times too. It just never seems to work out.


It's fun to see what they make. Izzy and I rode TT 4 times (yes, in one day! ) and I let her make all of them...every single one was very unique. Good job on the car, Aria!


I learned something new this trip (maybe you already know?) Club Cool will give you a free slushie drink if you're wearing a birthday button!


Smart girl. Izzy was standing by the dispenser advising everyone, "Try the red one, it's really good." (she also knows to stay away from the Beverly and was kind enough to direct others )


I remember the news stories mentioning that the Disney resorts should have signage like Shades does - interesting to see. Also, I have to mention, we went to Kennedy Space Center and they were literally pointing out alligators on the bus tour of the grounds! They were everywhere.


It was really awkward meeting him. I was not satisfied with my care.


I really hope it goes well for you!


Sounds really good - thanks for posting. That's on my October list.


Ha, we walked by this trip and Izzy was like, "Let's go in there now, I like it!" I had to explain ADRs to her.


So true - reading this made me realize that Izzy almost entirely watches random stuff on Netflix now. She likes the Disney Junior app, but rarely watches actual shows anymore. Huh.


If I was saying this, it would totally be as a sarcastic joke. And I get up at the same time (well, after a brief snooze or two...)


Ugh, this is what it felt like every morning in December when we were trying to get to PPO breakfasts with Disney transportation vs. you frolicking along easily with your car. Sorry you had to deal with that and glad you made it there in a nick of time.


So awesome that you made such magical memories that morning!


Congrats!


Ha, that is a pretty amazing statement!


Happy to help.


Love this picture!

Whew, all caught up and hopefully life will allow me to keep up better now.

Since I want to go back to Tiffins anyway, I think that the dining package should work out fine and keep a FP free for other things. Good since Aria will be tall enough for EE and I need to convince her to get on it lol. I think in October we'll do the Tusker breakfast instead.

I do keep a lot of the day to day planning a surprise each trip, but that is mainly bc I don't want to hear Aria complain if she thinks we're going somewhere (such as a princess meal I mentioned) when that isn't for another day or whatnot lol! It was fun doing a surprise for her, although I do really enjoy the build up and excitement for the trip too. This one worked out to be a surprise since my plans were pretty up in the air with all that was going on with Maya.

We haven't done the Characters in Flight thing at DS. I attempted to one morning a while back (Aria was maybe 2?) on one of our trips together, but it was too windy that morning. We attempted it again at DLP, but it wasn't open or something, idk. Now with holding Maya / new baby it'll prob be a while before we try it again lol!

That's awesome about your AP's going thru February!! We went to a birthday party yesterday and there was a piñata, so last night we were chatting about Aria's first piñata experience (in Mexico during that Disney Cruise when she was 3, how fitting) and Aria said we need to take that trip all over again for her next birthday lol! I was like...in 3 years sweetie! <3 I have a small budget for Jan/Feb trip and so far Aria has already decided she wants a Jungle themed party (? not sure where that came from) so we'll see if there ends up being a trip or just a party. I'm still looking into where to stay just in case

Oooh I'll have to try out the free slushie thing in October!!

For once the bus might have saved us some frustration - IF it had come in time, but that's a big if. It's just a PITA to get to MK no matter how you try - as you know with buses, cars, monorails, etc lol!

Hi! I'm just joining your TR now and have only read one page so I'll need some time to catch up . I just wanted to say hi and let you know that I'm here and following along. My daughter is allergic to dairy and egg. We went to Disneyland for two days when she was 10 months but I really didn't have to worry about food then so I'm trying to do some research now that she'll actually be eating on the trip (she'll be 2).



That's awesome that Maya passed her food challenges at such a young age. That's really promising. Hopefully she'll outgrow the allergies completely at an early age. My daughter passed her egg challenge in the office but had a skin reaction two days later from the same batch of muffins. It was really disappointing but we'll try again in six months. She's going to do a baked milk challenge in two weeks.



Congratulations!!!

Hi!! Thanks so much for joining in!! I'll talk a bit more about food when I get to the December TR - when is your trip? If you have any questions LMK Maya was 12 months but LOVES LOVES to eat, so we really were able to explore the allergy options while eating out then. We were at Disneyland when she was 9m old but also didn't have to worry too much about the food (I brought lots of packets and snacks and stuff).

I'm sorry about the baked egg challenge - good luck on the baked milk!! We have a peanut challenge coming up, although some more testing beforehand because she's shown signs of being allergic to Almonds which wasn't an allergen we were worried about.

I can't believe how much you got done in one morning! I love your idea of ice cream for lunch! How fun!

It was an epic morning lol! Between EMM and ice cream for lunch, we def had a great time!!

 

[Imagineer5]

Aria took a snooze in her stroller while we trekked it back to the room via the monorail and walkway from the Poly. I had a bit of time to organize the bag once again, get swim stuff ready, etc and then I think I got antsy and got her up lol!

Up and ready we decided to head to the busier pool first - there is one pool that I consider a "quiet pool" with a zero entry area, and the other one with a big slide and splash pad area.

First we did the splash pad!

These slides were so slippery you zoomed across the base until the edge of the water. They were a hit lol!

She managed to do the enclosed slide a number of times, so it was nice she was going out of her comfort zone

I was ready for some pool time so we headed back to the main pool area to hop in!

Aria practiced her pool jumps (something she was nervous about in swim lessons still - now not anymore! She loves everything about swimming now!)

At one point I made her sit on an empty chair (it really wasn't busy despite the perfect pool day with high temps and all) so I could check out the water slide. It had a 48" height requirement (I think it was 48) and Aria had no interest in trying it anyway. I could see her all the way up, then hopped in the slide (no wait) and she was in her seat when I came out the end. But it killed my back lol so I had no need to go again! definitely prefer tube slides over body slides.

After a bit longer we went back to the room for showers and changing for dinner!

Can you guess where this is?

We drove over the short distance to dinner, parked and headed inside.

We had a 5PM reservation, you can see how empty it was when we were seated!!

I'll spare you all the shots but Aria got about 15 of me haha!

The waiter offered to bring Aria a tablet, which I was a little annoyed about bc obv she wanted it after hearing they had one (they do not offer crayons at CG, btw).

It kept her busy for a bit while I was able to order though. She had the grilled chicken (surprise!)

And after the AMAZING allergy friendly version of the fish tacos I had had in January, I ordered them again this time without worrying about the allergies. Mmmm just as amazing!!

I also had a Washington apple martini with my app

For my main dish I branched out a little. Andrew was VERY jealous I was eating at Cali Grill and I promised him a sushi photo (I don't eat sushi). They had a vegetarian version though, so I ordered that to try it out.

Our waiter took our photo

I found a packet of mickey confetti from the last trip in my bag so we had some fun with that

For dessert Aria ordered the cookies and I had crème brulee.

And with that, our meal was complete!! it isn't a WDW trip for me without a dinner at California Grill! The sushi was okay but not something I need to order again - the fish tacos however, I would be hard pressed not to order if given the opportunity! SO so good!

I like busy park mornings and then afternoon/evenings like this, so I was very happy with how the day turned out! We drove the short distance back to Shades, Aria wanted to say hi to the Mickey statue in the lobby

And Andrew texted me this photo of a roly poly Maya who had rolled across the room from her blanket!

Aria and I spent the remainder of the evening playing with her Inside Out characters and watching the Disney channel before tucking in to sleep!

 

[ariane37]

Plus she isn't quite strong enough to spin it much by herself so I pretended to help but really didn't -:-D (I'm not a huge fan of the spinning)

This is why I haven't been on the teacups in YEARS - I can't do spinny. I can go upside down, super fast, sideways, basically any roller coaster, but I can't do the teacups. Or any carousel lol.

so decided to spend some time over at Tom Sawyer Island

I haven't been here in years either! Neither of my boys even remember it although they've both been over there, however they didn't want to go over in Nov. I should just go over when Steve and I are there this month......................

The pools at Shades look nice, I've never seen any pictures of the resort except for in your report. Also had no idea they had tablets for kids at CG and haven't seen that offered anywhere else. Wonder if they do offer them at other signatures? My kids don't need them as they're older and have their own electronics just curious

 

[Imagineer5]

This is why I haven't been on the teacups in YEARS - I can't do spinny. I can go upside down, super fast, sideways, basically any roller coaster, but I can't do the teacups. Or any carousel lol.


I haven't been here in years either! Neither of my boys even remember it although they've both been over there, however they didn't want to go over in Nov. I should just go over when Steve and I are there this month......................

The pools at Shades look nice, I've never seen any pictures of the resort except for in your report. Also had no idea they had tablets for kids at CG and haven't seen that offered anywhere else. Wonder if they do offer them at other signatures? My kids don't need them as they're older and have their own electronics just curious

I had totally skipped the tea cups for years, but Aria loves them SO much. When DH is there, I let him take her on, otherwise I grin and bear it! lol.

Even with the ages of your boys, I think they'd actually have a LOT of fun at Tom Sawyer island. You should convince them to go over there!

I hadn't seen many photos, and it was hard to decipher the ones that I did see, so I've been trying to include more resort photos than I might typically. The pools were really great though and not crowded which was a huge plus.

As for the signatures, I've never seen nor been offered the leapfrog tablet things anywhere else. Most of the others have given crayons from what I can remember (Yachtsman, Flying Fish, Tiffins come to mind). In a big group, I think the addition of the tablet would be nice, but it was just the two of us so it was a little awkward. It's as if I took out my iphone and played on it all meal, leaving her to sit there and twiddle her thumbs? LOL. But I didn't let her play on it too long, and so we ended up having a nice meal (I think I used her food as an excuse since I didn't want her to get something on the tablet).

 

[Jenny Sanders]

What an awesome mommy/daughter trip.

 

[mousehappync]

We enjoyed having our own boat, and Aria thought it was hilarious to sit clear across the row from me.

I love this ride! I've never been on early enough to be firs, though!

Then I asked where she wanted to go next - Barnstormer! Okay, perfect- so that was our next stop!

I love mornings where you don't really have an agenda but you still get a ton accomplished!

We went to use our Speedway FP, which Aria wanted me to drive for

Lucky you...mine like to give me whiplash in addition to the headache the fumes give me.

We have fun with it, but Aria doesn't like not being good at shooting so instead of practicing she'd rather spin us around!

I agree!! I stink at this ride--no clue how people do well on it.

We shared a sundae and root beer float. This was my first "real" ice cream in 3.5 months, so I was VERY excited!

Yum!! We might need to adopt this tradition.

It was also nice just to take a little break. The move it parade was going on so Aria enjoyed watching that while I took the opportunity to give Andrew a call. He texted a photo of Maya for me to see

Cute Maya!

Eventually we made our way to Frontierland, but we made a stop at the treehouse on the way! The guy behind us offered to take our photo

I think the treehouse is so cool. That's a cute picture of you two.

We had about 30 minutes until our final FP, so decided to spend some time over at Tom Sawyer Island. Can I just reiterate how much I miss the paintbrushes at TSI? It was something so different and fun!

We neve hunted for paintbrushes! We didn't visit TSI on our first few trips, and then they discontinued that. My kids LOVE that place, regardless. They could spend hours there.

Afterwards we finally remembered to grab a pressed penny! Aria has a book going but we usually only remember to grab 1 or 2 each trip since we're always running around.

We have a jillion pressed pennies-- it's one of my boys fave things to do!

 

[mousehappync]

ready, etc and then I think I got antsy and got her up lol!

Up and ready we decided to head to the busier pool first - there is one pool that I consider a "quiet pool" with a zero entry area, and the other one with a big slide and splash pad area.

That's a really fun-looking splash pad. I want to go down the zippy slides! I love her swimsuit--so cute!

We had a 5PM reservation, you can see how empty it was when we were seated!!

Early bird catches the... Fish taco?

The waiter offered to bring Aria a tablet, which I was a little annoyed about bc obv she wanted it after hearing they had one (they do not offer crayons at CG, btw).

I would have been SERIOUSLY annoyed by this. We have worked super hard to train the kids to function in adult restaurants without electronics, but if they offer and you say no you look like the mean parent and you have an unhappy kid.

And after the AMAZING allergy friendly version of the fish tacos I had had in January, I ordered them again this time without worrying about the allergies. Mmmm just as amazing!!

This DOES look amazing! We have only tried CG once, years ago, and did not love it. Might be time to try it again!

For my main dish I branched out a little. Andrew was VERY jealous I was eating at Cali Grill and I promised him a sushi photo (I don't eat sushi). They had a vegetarian version though, so I ordered that to try it out.

What's the cream/sauce on that? It looks interesting. I like traditional sushi, but that looks yummy.

And with that, our meal was complete!! it isn't a WDW trip for me without a dinner at California Grill! The sushi was okay but not something I need to order again - the fish tacos however, I would be hard pressed not to order if given the opportunity! SO so good!

What a nice evening! Sounds like a perfect day from start to finish!

 

[schmass]

What a perfect ending to the day! I love California Grill! We haven't attempted it with kids yet though!

That picture of Aria jumping into the water is great!

That is a little annoying about them mentioning the tablet!

Lola had another allergic reaction over the weekend...this time it was to a latex balloon!? Poor kid, can't even play with a balloon without breaking out in hives. Fortunately this time she didn't need the Epi-pen or ER and we were able to treat it with Benadryl and hydrocortisone.

 

[Imagineer5]

What an awesome mommy/daughter trip.

Thank you!! Especially for the time it happened, it was very much needed.

I love this ride! I've never been on early enough to be firs, though!



I love mornings where you don't really have an agenda but you still get a ton accomplished!


Lucky you...mine like to give me whiplash in addition to the headache the fumes give me.


I agree!! I stink at this ride--no clue how people do well on it.


Yum!! We might need to adopt this tradition.

Cute Maya!


I think the treehouse is so cool. That's a cute picture of you two.

We neve hunted for paintbrushes! We didn't visit TSI on our first few trips, and then they discontinued that. My kids LOVE that place, regardless. They could spend hours there.


We have a jillion pressed pennies-- it's one of my boys fave things to do!

Aside from FP rides, I try to be open about what to ride when we're able, although I do try to direct to a certain area of the park if I know on another day we'll be in another area. Did that make any sense? LOL

There are apparently many tips to getting the crazy high points on Buzz, but I've honestly never cared enough to look! I am not competitive and don't like video games sooooo it really makes no difference to me.

I feel like we always just give TSI a little bit of time, but given lots of time at Disney and perfect weather (i.e. not sweltering or cold), we could definitely spend hours here.

That's a really fun-looking splash pad. I want to go down the zippy slides! I love her swimsuit--so cute!

Early bird catches the... Fish taco?


I would have been SERIOUSLY annoyed by this. We have worked super hard to train the kids to function in adult restaurants without electronics, but if they offer and you say no you look like the mean parent and you have an unhappy kid.

This DOES look amazing! We have only tried CG once, years ago, and did not love it. Might be time to try it again!

What's the cream/sauce on that? It looks interesting. I like traditional sushi, but that looks yummy.

What a nice evening! Sounds like a perfect day from start to finish!

The pools were really great - I was sad that in December we didn't make the time to enjoy them, although it was a bit chilly in the evenings anyway.

Exactly - Aria is totally fine in restaurants. She doesn't need anything, although she does enjoy coloring, and typically we'll color together when it's the two of us dining together. So the tablet was really annoying but I didn't want to start off the meal (esp at CA Grill) on a sour note so I just enjoyed my martini and peace and quiet for a bit hahahaha.

I don't remember what the sauce was, and that particular sushi option is not available anymore - I just looked though and there is a new vegetarian version that actually sounds really good so I might have to go back on my word and try another variation! haha

Truffle-scented Tofu Roll - Avocado, Jicama, Quinoa, Crispy Fingerlings, Silken Tofu, Truffle Emulsion - $22.00

What a perfect ending to the day! I love California Grill! We haven't attempted it with kids yet though!

That picture of Aria jumping into the water is great!

That is a little annoying about them mentioning the tablet!

Lola had another allergic reaction over the weekend...this time it was to a latex balloon!? Poor kid, can't even play with a balloon without breaking out in hives. Fortunately this time she didn't need the Epi-pen or ER and we were able to treat it with Benadryl and hydrocortisone.

Oh no gosh, I didn't even think about latex. Wow! Maya broke out in hives this weekend but we realized it was from hugging our cat she did play with a balloon, but was playing with it last night too and was okay. Ugh, so so tough. You can't keep the kids in a bubble but it sure would be nice to. Daycare texted me that Maya is just crying on the floor today and asked if I know what is going on - she was fine early this morning and I have no idea

I have to admit, I am not as excited about California Grill with three kiddos in tow in June. It is still in the back of my mind that there is Kids Nite Out (although I did say I never wanted to use them again) or the other sitter service I used a couple years ago. Our experience there with Maya when she was an infant was fine - she slept in the wrap almost the whole meal. It's a couple days in to the trip, so maybe I'll call in a last minute babysitting service if I feel it is necessary!

 

[Imagineer5]

So our next day was an odd one for me - we had a pretty relaxing morning followed with AK in the afternoon, and ending with a dessert party!

After a restful night, we got up by 6:45 or so and got ready - headed back over to the Contemporary for breakfast! (see why I like the Contemporary/BLT so much? We love the restaurants!).

Luckily Shades is literally 2 minutes down the road, so it was very easy to get around.

On our way, Andrew texted me this pic of Maya

I could tell the Neocate was really doing wonders. This day was the first he got her to take a full bottle of it!

We checked in and immediate headed over to get our plate picture.

We were seated at an itty bitty two top near the buffet. These tables fill up way too quickly at a buffet!

After ordering some drinks, Minnie came right over - which was great because many times at Chef Mickey's Minnie seems to be the one we're always waiting on!

Since Aria last wore this dress at Disneyland Paris, Aria discussed seeing Minnie all the way in France <3

And then we headed up for our food. I found cheesy potatoes, a potato mix, and tater tots. LMAO. I told you I like potatoes! And added in some fruit to seem somewhat healthy.

Aria went with her usual eggs, bacon and a croissant. She also enjoys hard boiled eggs and fruit so she had those too. I think she was finally coming around to the idea of tater tots. I have to say, Maya LOVES tater tots, so at least one of my kids eats like me

Goofy came by next

And Pluto

Then Donald

Thennnn the napkin twirling. Look at Aria's plate - I think she'd eaten a total of two bites!

Mickey made his way over

And since we were not in a rush (so nice!) we were able to finish up breakfast. I really enjoyed breakfast (especially loved having all the potato options!) although I will say there is nothing overly amazing about it (such as CP's breakfast lasagna or whatever). Still very good and I enjoyed the food more than many others (Ohana, Akershus come to mind).

On our way out, something in the store caught Aria's eye. I thought these were super cute, so I bought them.

Back at the resort, I got another blurry Mickey statue photo

And the temps were already in the mid 80's so we decided to spend the morning at the pool!

Actually the day before, Aria had spied a playground off the pool area, but since we were wet and needed to get ready for dinner, we skipped it. Today though that was our first stop after getting ready for the pool.

This playground has the coolest "elevator"

It was such a great little playground and really well kept up!!

After a while I convinced Aria to go to the pool! I was hot! haha

Aria was having fun taking pictures with the water camera

Then we headed back to the splash area for some more fun there.

We decided to play in the other quieter pool which ended up having balls in the pool which were fun

And then we went inside to shower and change. We didn't need to be at AK until after 2:30, but I decided to head there for Aria to take a nap while I pushed the stroller and did some shopping

 

[Imagineer5]

On our way back to the car I snapped this photo, Aria was all ready for AK!

With the 1PM or so arrival, I had to park pretty far back, but the parking lot really isn't that big and I just walked to the front. I had Aria laid back and she was asleep by the time I got to Africa. I decided to stop for a refreshing drink first! Dawa Bar -

I opted for the African Margarita

It was refreshing, but I would try something else next time.

Then I headed into the marketplace to do some shopping - ended up with a fun BBQ sauce for Andrew, and a bag for my mom, that I envisioned her using to carry in vegetables from her veggie garden.

Side note: I am not too excited about Pandora's new dining location, Satu'li Canteen, considering it's a QS place, BUT their new bar Pongu Pongu sounds very refreshing. There was mention of a bioluminescent frozen cocktail. I think I'll enjoy that while we're rider swapping the Flight of Passage ride - Aria will just squeak by 44" with the right shoes :-D (She's 43.5" right now).

Back to the TR:

Aria was sound asleep.

After about an hour nap (why didn't I grab a dole whip with rum??) I woke up Aria so we could have some time for Rafiki's Planet Watch before our first FP.

She was still tired, poor thing! (BTW, she has 99% cut out the thumb-sucking, I can't even think of the last time she did it).

Our first stop once off the train - Chip & Dale! They had just finished a set so we were 2nd in line for the next one.

We said a quick hello to the goats and sheep and then went back to ride the Safari.

Hippos were out and walking around

Giraffes were abundant (early morning seems to be the worst giraffe time btw)

Lions were relaxing in the heat

After the ride, we hightailed it across the park, as we had FP for the Finding Nemo show which started at 4PM. We got there just in the nick of time, but had decent seats.

I am pretty certain the last time we saw this show, Aria was a baby and we had to leave mid-show due to a diaper explosion, so it was good to see it again LOL!

I attempted to convince Aria to ride Dinosaur, and while she thought about it, she played at the Boneyard.

I really hope Disney doesn't nix this play area too, it has been a favorite for years.

I managed to talk her into Dinosaur. She knew what she was getting into (as she hated the ride in January). But it's my favorite lol.

I love how all the parents are holding on to their kids on the ride photo. Aria was a trooper and didn't cry, but was very glad for it to be over.

We had one more thing on the agenda before dinner! Our final FP was for Kali River Rapids. This was a favorite back in 2015, but was closed in Jan. On this day, the heat must have moddled people's minds, as there was a 90 minute wait for Kali River Rapids. Folks, this ride lasts all of 30 seconds (ok maybe a little longer). I.can't.imagine! We sped through the FP line and were soon on our raft.

We had a blast. Thankfully we were not the two-seater who got drenched by going backwards, phew!

Afterwards we headed to dinner. It had been a LONG time since we'd eaten at Yak & Yeti, so that was up for tonight. I booked it before our surprise for the evening and opted to keep it, despite the fun ahead!

I don't see this drink online, but it was a kiwi drink. I am pretty certain kiwis are my all time favorite fruit (and btw, both Aria and Maya LOVE them too!). This was amazing.

I ordered the chicken tikka masala, which was really delicious.

I skipped my favorite part of the meal though, the cream cheese won tons, due to our evening plans. I need to make another trip here just for dessert next time!!

Oh while we were at dinner, Andrew texted me this pic. He was finally home, and getting ready for the week ahead.

Side note: we spent last weekend gathering baby stuff. It seems like just yesterday we were storing it all away in the garade! Of course, Saturday our washing machine broke after 7/8 years straight of working perfectly, so I have a bunch of loads of laundry to do (most baby stuff) once it's fixed. The Boppy Newborn Pillow (above) reminded me!

As we were leaving dinner, Andrew texted me this photo. Every single night Maya would fall asleep either nursing or taking her bottle. Little sweetie!

I grabbed a quick pic on our way out of the park

Once in the car, I actually needed to pump. I haven't really mentioned this much, but if you're wondering, I had successfully gotten down to two pumps per day starting at Day 1 - once when I woke up and generally once when we got back to the room after dinner (although that was pushing it). Since the dessert party was pretty late, I had to do it upon leaving AK. Sooo I multi tasked on the way to DHS.

Continued in next post!

 

[Imagineer5]

Our parking spot at DHS wasn't terrible, and soon we were at the park. First stop, some photopass pics!

Then we checked in for the Star Wars Dessert Party - this was a last minute addition when I realized I'd be able to eat everything without the allergy issues! I will admit, we are not into Star Wars, but I enjoy being about to drink lol, so this party definitely appeals to me more than the Wishes Dessert Party.

We had a little time to kill, so in Star Wars fashion, we checked out the new Launch Bay.

We didn't know what we were looking at and Aria had no interest in the characters, so we went back and stood in line to go into the party.

Soon we were let in. I had noted 1 wheelchair in line, and there were I believe 6 handicap low tables, so I grabbed one knowing we could move if necessary. The rest except for 1 actually ended up staying empty all party I believe. IMO, they need more low tables, considering kids cannot reach the high ones! (And A CM told us that we'd have to move if they needed another handicap table -again, totally understand, BUT they need to accommodate children too IMO).

I was able to bring the stroller to the table, which was nice. We made lots of trips up to get food!

Our view -

Aria loved her mickey ice cream bar!

I liked these cupcakes

Drinks were okay - sort of watered down, but still good. They did not offer wine.

This was very weird.

Here was the nitro frozen nutella thing

I did that twice, it was really good!!

The appetizers were refreshing - especially enjoyed the caprese bites and grapes.

Hard to see, but mid-party they let us get our Chewbacca mugs. This was a hit with Aria and she really enjoyed playing with hers the rest of the party.

Soon the show started. I really liked our location - both inside the party (front low table, on the side closest to the middle) and inside the park - great view. The stroller came in handy, as I sat in it with Aria on my lap lol.

However the show was okay. I mean, I love fireworks. But, again, not into Star Wars so the plotline just didn't cut it for me.

When it was over we joined the hoardes, made it to the car, and then sat in traffic. Between getting out of the park, and finding a parking spot in the Shades garage, we didn't make it back to the room until after 11 - I was so tired!

 

[Dugette]

At one point I made her sit on an empty chair (it really wasn't busy despite the perfect pool day with high temps and all) so I could check out the water slide. It had a 48" height requirement (I think it was 48) and Aria had no interest in trying it anyway. I could see her all the way up, then hopped in the slide (no wait) and she was in her seat when I came out the end. But it killed my back lol so I had no need to go again! definitely prefer tube slides over body slides.

It's tough to do things when you're solo with a kid! You know your kid and that they'll do what they're told, etc. - but don't want to look like you're abandoning them. At least that's how I felt - this reminded me of Tusker House on our recent trip. Just me and Izzy and she was happily eating, but I wanted to run up to the buffet to get some things I'd missed the first time. Did the same thing - told her she had to stay in her chair and I could see her the whole way except at the main station I wanted to get things (including tator tots), where of course it took FOREVER for the people in front of me to finish and I was freaking out a bit about Izzy being out of sight for so long. But she was fine - it occurred to me on the way back that, had that taken much longer, she might have had a character visit while seated by herself, which would have been...odd. Sorry for the tangent.

There are apparently many tips to getting the crazy high points on Buzz, but I've honestly never cared enough to look! I am not competitive and don't like video games sooooo it really makes no difference to me.

I only saw one YouTube video way back when and therefore only remember a couple things. It just highlighted the targets that get you 100k points/each. So, I just go for the couple I remember as many times as possible. I mean, you can literally just hit the same target 5 times, do nothing the rest of the ride, and still have 500k. (not that I always even get that, I hate the stupid red dot )

That really is a cute dress!

It was such a great little playground and really well kept up!!

Looks like fun!

I think I'll enjoy that while we're rider swapping the Flight of Passage ride - Aria will just squeak by 44" with the right shoes :-D (She's 43.5" right now).

Woohoo, that's awesome - way to grow, Aria! Izzy got measured with shoes today at her early childhood screening thing for school and she came in at 42". We've got some work to do between now and October... Given that she loves Soarin', I think she'd love the Flight of Passage thing too, so we'll see if she can get there.

I really hope Disney doesn't nix this play area too, it has been a favorite for years.

Yes, it's a fun one. (Too fun, I had SOOOO much trouble getting Izzy out of there to ride anything on our recent AK day!)

Haha, I think our picture looks almost exactly like the one of you and Aria!

Oh, that's right, they did everything outside when you took this trip. Our recent party was inside the Launch Bay and then they lead you out to the party viewing area before the show.

We didn't know what we were looking at and Aria had no interest in the characters, so we went back and stood in line to go into the party.

Even if you don't know much about SW, Chewie is always fun to hug (if not a bit intimidating, but he's a good guy!)

Anyway, sounds like a fun couple of days with swimming, good dining, park time, and relatively relaxed touring.

 

[Imagineer5]

It's tough to do things when you're solo with a kid! You know your kid and that they'll do what they're told, etc. - but don't want to look like you're abandoning them. At least that's how I felt - this reminded me of Tusker House on our recent trip. Just me and Izzy and she was happily eating, but I wanted to run up to the buffet to get some things I'd missed the first time. Did the same thing - told her she had to stay in her chair and I could see her the whole way except at the main station I wanted to get things (including tator tots), where of course it took FOREVER for the people in front of me to finish and I was freaking out a bit about Izzy being out of sight for so long. But she was fine - it occurred to me on the way back that, had that taken much longer, she might have had a character visit while seated by herself, which would have been...odd. Sorry for the tangent.

I've had to do it on numerous trips, and so far it's worked out okay. I know we had an issue once at CP where a CM stayed with Aria after realizing she was alone and I had gone up to get food - I saw the CM checking on her and then not leave.

Another time, actually on this trip, I left Aria at the entrance to a shop to sit and wait for me to go grab the stroller. I was gone a total of 40 seconds (she was tired of walking as the stroller had been parked for a quite a while, so I offered to grab it while she waited). A guest who was maybe a 60 year old lady was talking to her when I got back.

I wouldn't do these things on the streets of NYC, but feel comfortable doing it at Disney? And it isn't like it's for a long period of time. I think it promotes independence lol but we'll see

Even if you don't know much about SW, Chewie is always fun to hug (if not a bit intimidating, but he's a good guy!)

Nope, she wanted nothing to do with Chewie! lol!

 

[ariane37]

On our way, Andrew texted me this pic of Maya

That is the most adorable picture!

On our way out, something in the store caught Aria's eye. I thought these were super cute, so I bought them.

I've never seen them before and I love them!

I decided to stop for a refreshing drink first! Dawa Bar -

Always a good idea

Aria was a baby and we had to leave mid-show due to a diaper explosion

I remember these explosions happening! We had to leave a place or two for the same reason...........always fun lol

On this day, the heat must have moddled people's minds, as there was a 90 minute wait for Kali River Rapids. Folks, this ride lasts all of 30 seconds (ok maybe a little longer). I.can't.imagine!

Right? Chris loves KRR. I don't mind it but like you said, it's just so short and unlike most other Disney rides, there's just nothing to it. We went to Great Adventure last summer for the first time in years and they have a similar ride, Roaring Rapids. I hate to say this but..........it's so much longer and......better

I ordered the chicken tikka masala, which was really delicious.

Good pick! Loved it in Nov.

We didn't know what we were looking at and Aria had no interest in the characters, so we went back and stood in line to go into the party.

Ha ha this would be us! DH and the boys have tried watching the first SW movie a few times but none of them can get through it, and I have zero interest. I know who the main characters are of course like Darth Vader, Chewbacca, etc. but that's it. Back in Aug. Steve and I saw the higher SW fireworks while in Epcot's WS and they looked very pretty, but we have yet to make the time to see the show in HS simply because it's mostly projections. I dessert party with alcohol though is certainly a good excuse to watch it!