The WDW Vets Head West! A DL May 2012 TR - Complete!

[afwdwfan]

I really hope you get to see WoC next time. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that the paci will be making the trip with you next time though.

I'm glad you went ahead and attended the AP event after the park closed.

 

[khertz]

Love your report. 10 visits to WDW and 1 to DL I am ready for DL again. Gald to see the Dolfin cove photos and the driving info, we are Wyndham owners as well. First report I have ever read about it. Your report is really Awsome

Dolphin's Cove was great, but it's a smaller resort so it seems to book up quickly! We had talked about going there a few years ago before DS was even thought of, and a few months out there was no availability. But it's absolutely worth it if you can book it! The room was plenty spacious and it's SO close to the parking garage! The only thing I was disappointed about in this resort was not having laundry in the units. We were right above the laundry room and several of the machines were broken, so there weren't many to use and they were almost always being used when I went down to check. Luckily we were only there for a few days, so we didn't accumulate too much dirty laundry. But otherwise, it was a great resort!

Thanks! I'm so glad you are enjoying it!

I really hope you get to see WoC next time. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that the paci will be making the trip with you next time though.

I'm glad you went ahead and attended the AP event after the park closed.

Oh, yes, the paci definitely came with us for nighttime from then on!! We didn't make that mistake twice.

I'm glad I went to the event too! I just feel like I would have had more fun if I had been more familiar with the park's layout so I could have explored more. But it was very fun and very cool to be in the parks after hours for an AP event. As much as I was agonizing over the decision before we left, I was SO happy that I sucked it up and went!

 

[exwdwcm]

Love the pic of Pax sitting on the ground with Pluto- so cute!

and so happy he loved the Bug's land ride. The smile on his face is adorable.

So sorry you missed WoC that night, but you did the responsible thing. Many parents don't and I know you've seen them, pushing their child/ren beyond to the point of throwing fits from being so overly tired or overstimulated! Sometimes you just gotta leave or take the break. Hopefully you got to see it later in the trip! It's amazing.

I love the POTC at DL too. so so much better!

 

[mandas08]

That pic at lunch is the cutest thing ever. He looks almost rotten in it..love it That brownie looks amazing yum, they just need to get you ice cream to dip it in

Sorry you all had to leave. I am sure I will get a few of those moments in December. We are hoping to watch the fireworks and Fantasmic this time around. Our last trip DS was going to bed at or before 7pm so all of the night show weren't an option...fingers crossed for next trip.

 

[skier_pete]

Looks like a good day overall. Too bad about Paxton fussing so much for WoC, and you wasting your wait time. However, I think you did the right thing to leave, it would've been no fun for all involved.

But my big question...how can you possibly be unsure of Sweet Potato Fries? Yum. I never turn those down. Not he same as regular fries, but very, very tasty. (A few places in this area have been serving them for 15+ years.)

 

[khertz]

Love the pic of Pax sitting on the ground with Pluto- so cute!

and so happy he loved the Bug's land ride. The smile on his face is adorable.

So sorry you missed WoC that night, but you did the responsible thing. Many parents don't and I know you've seen them, pushing their child/ren beyond to the point of throwing fits from being so overly tired or overstimulated! Sometimes you just gotta leave or take the break. Hopefully you got to see it later in the trip! It's amazing.

I love the POTC at DL too. so so much better!

Oh boy did he ever enjoy that Ladybug ride! What a hidden gem for Paxton. We had not even planned on riding it, so I'm really glad we did!

The people around us didn't seem too upset and actually looked pretty understanding, but I'm sure that wouldn't have stayed the case had he continued acting up during the show! Plus, I couldn't very well enjoy it fully with a crabby toddler either. Luckily, we had decided to try for it early in the trip so we'd have a couple more opportunities to try to see it for exactly this reason.

That pic at lunch is the cutest thing ever. He looks almost rotten in it..love it That brownie looks amazing yum, they just need to get you ice cream to dip it in

Sorry you all had to leave. I am sure I will get a few of those moments in December. We are hoping to watch the fireworks and Fantasmic this time around. Our last trip DS was going to bed at or before 7pm so all of the night show weren't an option...fingers crossed for next trip.

Oh yes, he is definitely rotten! Notice he has a fry and a piece of hotdog, like he's thinking, "I knew you suckers would give me your food!" Oh, ice cream would have made those skewers even more perfect! It was sooooo delicious. We should have gotten 2!!

Paxton's bedtime was around 7 or 7:30 last year too, and we really only tried to push it one night of the trip to see Wishes. He still fell asleep in his stroller that trip, so he slept right through it with some earmuffs on. This trip, we kept him up way past his bedtime almost every night, and he was a total trooper! So maybe it won't be as hard as you think to see some of those nighttime shows.

Looks like a good day overall. Too bad about Paxton fussing so much for WoC, and you wasting your wait time. However, I think you did the right thing to leave, it would've been no fun for all involved.

But my big question...how can you possibly be unsure of Sweet Potato Fries? Yum. I never turn those down. Not he same as regular fries, but very, very tasty. (A few places in this area have been serving them for 15+ years.)

That was probably the most annoying thing, was that we had stood there almost 30 minutes before deciding to give up and leave. We shouldn't have even invested that much time because he really wasn't calming down at all. But we definitely knew we had made the right decision even though it was killing us to miss the show!

Now, for the sweet potato fries, I would have been perfectly happy to try them if they would have also had regular fries available and we could have gotten an order of each! But we're not too adventurous and I couldn't see spending all that money on dinner and not liking them. Neither of us have ever tried them, and in fact, I'm not sure I can remember ever seeing them offered anywhere but in Disney!

 

[onelilspark]

Joining in

 

[khertz]

Joining in

Thanks! I read through a couple of your TR's (the October one, and your solo trip) while DS was napping, and they were great!

 

[tofubeast]

So glad you made it to Fantasmic too. Loving all the pics so far!

You situation around WoC reminds me that when travelling with such a little one, we all have to be so flexible. I really hope you got to see it another night!

 

[Imagineer5]

So glad to see the AP event was fun, and being solo wasn't too bad! I enjoy being solo, and never have been scared while at DL or WDW alone. Glad you also found it pretty safe!

Looking forward to the next bit! Hope you find Indy!

 

[khertz]

So glad you made it to Fantasmic too. Loving all the pics so far!

You situation around WoC reminds me that when travelling with such a little one, we all have to be so flexible. I really hope you got to see it another night!

I'm so glad I did it too! I was very proud of myself for getting over my fear.

Oh yes, be sure to pack plenty of flexibility & patience when you take your trip!! They are both always at the top of my packing list since I started traveling with Paxton.

So glad to see the AP event was fun, and being solo wasn't too bad! I enjoy being solo, and never have been scared while at DL or WDW alone. Glad you also found it pretty safe!

Looking forward to the next bit! Hope you find Indy!

I wasn't so much scared to be in the parks, I'm very comfortable there. I was more nervous about going out to the parking lot alone (which seemed way scarier in my mind) and getting back to the resort so late at night alone and having to walk up to the room. I don't think I've ever walked so fast in my life! But it was all very worth it to have the experience.

Spoiler Alert: I do eventually find Indy!

 

[Curiouser&curiouser!]

I just found your trip report and am enjoying it! We just decided to try Disneyland next year instead of Disney World, so I'm trying to soak up as much information as I can!

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

Good for you going to the AP event alone! Well done!

Poor Paxton, it's hard to know what to do when you are trying to wean them from the pacifier...I found that vacation time was always difficult when we needed to calm a baby..nothing is familiar and there is so much stimulus...

I hope you guys got a chance to see it later....

Can't wait for more!!

 

[khertz]

I just found your trip report and am enjoying it! We just decided to try Disneyland next year instead of Disney World, so I'm trying to soak up as much information as I can!

I hope you love DL just as much as we did!! Although we are die-hard WDW lovers, DL has a special charm that just can't be replicated. Hopefully I can share some good DL tips with you!

Good for you going to the AP event alone! Well done!

Poor Paxton, it's hard to know what to do when you are trying to wean them from the pacifier...I found that vacation time was always difficult when we needed to calm a baby..nothing is familiar and there is so much stimulus...

I hope you guys got a chance to see it later....

Can't wait for more!!

Thank you! I was pretty proud of myself, and glad I didn't let myself miss out on something great because I'm a scaredy cat.

We had been talking a lot before vacation about taking the pacifier away completely soon, and I had to convince DH that it wasn't a good idea to do it right before we went on vacation! He got it a lot more than week than he usually did because vacation can be so over stimulating and crazy and that night he was just not having it! Luckily though, we were able to get him completely off of it at bedtime about a week after we came home, so he is now pacifier free! I am hoping that by doing it so far out from our next vacation he will be used to not getting it even when things are unfamiliar and he can cope better. We will have an emergency one on us just in case, but hopefully we don't need it!

 

[khertz]

DAY 3: Wednesday May 16th

Even though I had been out late the night before, we only had two DL days left, so sleeping in was not an option! We were up by 7 and got DS fed and dressed. We were out the door by 7:45 and actually made it to the parking garage before it even opened at 8. By the time we parked and took the tram, it was 8:30 when we entered the park and were allowed up to the hub area where the ropes were out. We went over to the left side so we could avoid the people heading to Tomorrowland and Space Mountain first. We had a great CM at the rope who did his best to keep everyone, including DS, entertained. But eventually, DS got a little crabby so DH took him in the stroller through one of the shops on Main Street to keep him busy.

​

There wasn't as many people there as I would have thought! At exactly 9 am, the ropes finally came down and we hurried through the Castle to Fantasyland and straight over to Dumbo. We were on the very first ride of the day!

Next up, we wanted to try Peter Pan's Flight since we hadn't ridden it yet. It had already built up a pretty long line, so we ended up waiting about 20 minutes even though it was only our second attraction of the day! Darn you DL for not having a PPF FastPass!

There was an older Indian couple there with what looked like some adult children, and we kept passing them in the switchbacks. The dad kept asking the women how to pronounce the name of the ride, and he kept repeating it back one syllable at a time. Then he picked up his video camera and started videoing while walking through the line and narrating, "We're in the line for Pe-ter-Pan's-Fl-ight." It was pretty entertaining!

Finally we boarded our pirate ship and we were off to Neverland!

Overall, the ride was pretty similar to the WDW version. DL had a better Neverland scene, but WDW by far has the better flying over London scene. I was disappointed that there were no little cars on the city streets! The exterior building is definitely nicer looking than WDW's facade, but I was pretty bummed they didn't have FP.

Next up, we went to another Fantasyland attraction we had missed before, and one I had never been on, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride!

I only visited WDW once while this attraction was still open, and due to limited time in the Magic Kingdom, I never rode it. I have seen it hyped up on the boards by Mr. Toad lovers everywhere, but I have to say...I just didn't get it! I'm not familiar with the story or movie it's based off of, so I was pretty clueless through the whole thing. It seemed pretty chaotic and a little scary. Not sure what the hype is about, other than maybe people who are fans of the movie? At least I can now say I've ridden it.

We went over next to the Storybook Land Canal Boats, something else we had missed on our first morning in DL. We had a short wait for this too, about 10 minutes, and we boarded our boat. DH had been hesitant about taking DS on this since the boats are so small and he could easily abandon ship if he was getting restless since there is not much keeping you in, but I'm happy to say DS sat quietly in my lap for the whole attraction!

Entering Monstro's mouth

A family of duckies we passed!​

I don't remember all of the little houses and villages we passed, but I'll try to identify the ones I can remember.

Not sure...DH was probably just taking a picture of the giant duck in the normal sized village. Haha

Ooh, I know this one! It's Agrabah!

I think this is the cottage from Snow White?

I remember this one is from Cinderella because of the carriage stopped halfway down when it turned back into a pumpkin

Gepetto's Wood Carving Workshop

This one I remember is Prince Eric's castle from Little Mermaid, and his ship parked out front.​

Overall, it was a cute little attraction and we enjoyed "touring" all of the villages from the Disney fairy tales. Don't know that it's something I'd have to do every trip, but it was cute for our first visit.

I have in my notes that DH went to get FP's for Space Mountain but it was down (not sure if it was the ride that was down or the FP machines, but I'm guessing the ride?). It was pretty close to 10 am so he also ran over to DCA to get some World of Color FP's so we could try again to see the show that night. We got the blue section again, same as the day before, so at least we'd know where to go, right? While he was gone, I took DS on another ride through It's a Small World.

I didn't take any pictures on the ride since we had gotten so many the first time, but DS seemed to enjoy himself just as much on this second ride! He clapped and waved and danced with the music, which just warms my heart. I do remember as we were waiting in line, the CM announced a couple who had just gotten married, so they got their own boat, and when they passed us I yelled out a Congratulations to them and DS was happy to wave!

Oh, there was one weird thing that happened while we were riding. As we were approaching a dark section toward the end of the ride, I thought I saw a person standing on the side! I convinced myself I must be imagining things, but as we got closer, there really was a CM standing there adding more boats to the ride. It was a little freaky when I realized the person was moving!!

DH came to meet up with us just as we were about to exit our boat.

Continued in next post...

 

[khertz]

DAY 3 Continued: Wednesday May 16th

After meeting up with DH, we decided since we were right there we'd head into Toontown.

There was pretty much no wait for Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin, so we went on that first.

​

I loved this attraction because I LOVED watching Who Framed Roger Rabbit? as a kid! Whenever I see it on tv now I have to stop and watch. Reminds me of childhood! DS enjoyed the "spin" aspect of Car Toon Spin. lol

We wandered through Toontown and tried to get DS to play into some of the gags, like this one.

At home, he cracks us up because he is always trying to lift things and no matter how heavy or light it is, he always strains like he's in a power lifting competition. (DH actually has a video of him running around the front yard stopping here and there and at one point, he goes up to the neighbor's driveway and acts like he is lifting the cement complete with straining noise!). So we thought this would be perfect, but he wasn't getting it. lol

Where the residents of Toontown get their mail

Toontown Volunteer Fireman!​

We checked the wait times at Mickey's and Minnie's houses but they were pretty long by then, so we instead decided to check out Goofy's Playhouse.

DS had an absolute blast here! First up, he was way excited to see a slide and didn't even care that the bigger kids were kind of pushing past him while he tried to figure it out himself.

​

After a few times down the slide, we steered him inside to check out what they had.

His favorite was definitely the piano! It played silly sounds when you hit the keys and he just kept going back for more.

A video...sorry it's sideways!​

Eventually we had to drag him away from there so we could grab some lunch. I guess I was wrong, we apparently went to check out the waits at the houses after the Playhouse because I have this random photo of Minnie coming out.

And another fountain in Toontown​

We went in search of food in Tomorrowland and decided on Redd Rockett's Pizza Port, right next to Space Mountain which we could now see was back up and running so DH ran up to get us some FP's with a return time of 11:55 am-12:55 pm.

This was our first experience with a CS that is more cafeteria style. Instead of all the WDW CS locations in the parks where you order your food with a CM and then go to the counter to pick it up, it was more like the resort food courts where you can get your food from different pods and then go pay for your meal last. They had salads and pasta also, but we both wanted pizza. Instead of the little individual pizzas served all over WDW, this was served by the slice. I got a slice of cheese and DH got pepperoni. We had to ask for a kids pizza for DS which was a small round pizza reminiscent of the WDW pizzas, but he enjoyed it. We also picked up some breadsticks, but those were pretty bad. The pizza was good, but we had gotten there pretty close to opening, so everything was still relatively fresh. Since it is sitting out under a heat lamp, I can see it being not as good if you go later in the day.

After lunch, we still had some time to kill before we could use the Space Mountain FP's so we went to ride Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters.

Before riding, I was excited about the ability to pick up your gun to shoot instead of having them attached to the ride vehicle, but this didn't help me at all. I still had no idea which blinking red dot was mine, and my score was pathetic!

DH attempting to get a picture of both of our scores, but I just thought DS's little hand on the spin controller was cute!
​

When we came off of Buzz Lightyear, it was past 11:55 am so I went to use my Space FP while DH took DS off to ride something else. I have to say, DL's version of Space blows WDW's out of the water! So much smoother and more exciting! All of the reports I have read on the boards about DL's Space Mountain being superior since the refurb were absolutely 100% true. I loved it!

While I was getting my Space on, DH had taken DS on the Mad Tea Party again.

Video of DS enjoying the heck out of the tea cups!​

When we met back up, I asked DH if he was ready to ride Space, but it was getting to be pretty close to naptime for DS, so he decided to skip. He was convinced he wouldn't be able to use the FP later, despite me trying to tell him over and over that DL was not enforcing the return times like WDW now is!

We got back to the room right about 1 pm and DS promptly crashed in his Pack & Play while we closed ourselves in the bedroom. After having a late night the night before and a super early morning, I was in need of a nice little nap too. DH was so annoyed with me every day for taking a nap and leaving him alone to have to entertain himself! Too bad, now that we are traveling with DS, I love my Disney naps!!

UP NEXT: Another exciting DL/DCA evening!

 

[onelilspark]

Thanks! I read through a couple of your TR's (the October one, and your solo trip) while DS was napping, and they were great!

Aw, thanks!

If it makes you feel better, I didn't get the fuss over Mr Toad either

 

[shinysparklybubbles]

LovIng your trip report!

 

[khertz]

Aw, thanks!

If it makes you feel better, I didn't get the fuss over Mr Toad either

I was so pumped about it going in, and when we finished the ride, I looked at DH and said, "What just happened?!" Guess I should have consulted Wikipedia first to see what the story was about. I guess it would be the same on any of the other dark rides if you were not familiar with the story.

LovIng your trip report!

Thank you so much!!

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

I just showed the videos to Stitch and she thought Paxton was sooooo cute!! And he is, love that little laugh when he spins on the tea cups!!!

Congrats on getting rid of the pacifier. I think you are right about the timing and giving him a chance to get used to it before the next vacation.