WDW with a teething ten-month-old, a tale of survival- finsihed 5/11!!

[CandleontheWater]

I'm really enjoying your TR. We are taking our DD (she will be 10 months when we go in May) and it is really great to read your TR and get ideas about what works when doing WDW with a baby. We, like you, have been to WDW many times but never with a baby.

Thank you! I know that all your hard earned Disney knowledge will help out when you bring your daughter! I feel like it is a little easier when you know your way around and know what to expect on each ride. The baby might be a wild card, but at least you stacked the deck first!

 

[CandleontheWater]

good stuff so far! we took ds at 9 months- we were really lucky because he seemed to be good at picking out good times to cry it out- like in the long line back to the busses instead of on the bus. we also were greatful to have grandparents along to help. sounds like your ds is about to give you some trouble...

Glad you had such good luck with your little man! I had a similar instance this past Saturday, we were flying home to CT, and he was throwing an absolute fit before we boarded the plane because I wouldn't let him take everything out of the diaper bag. I was already getting the stink-eye, but luckily he got it out of his system beforehand and was an angel on the flight!

 

[CandleontheWater]

I'm so impressed Everett sat through CoP! I don't think that would hold my boys' interest for more than the first Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow.

I agree about being on the ground floor. Not so much because of getting out of the room at night, but also because it's easy to lug all the baby gear to a ground floor instead of taking stairs or an elevator.

I so know what you mean about looking forward to having them be able to experience more. I have all these ideas of things I want to do with my boys, as soon as they are old enough to know what we are doing. Babyhood is nice, but I think childhood will be even better.

Yes, it really was Disney magic that Everett behaved in COP. I really shouldn't have taken him in there, but like I said, I was being selfish and not thinking about other guests. I wanted to ride COP, and too bad for anyone else if Everett didn't

You're right about not having to drag baby gear upstairs!

 

[Zeebs]

Happily reading through your trip report, am half way through, need to stop as I am falling asleep (not at the writing but due to the fact the baby has chicken pox and is a right cranky pants so sleep is lacking in our house at the moment) So I am subscribing so I can finish reading tomorrow.

We are heading to WDW in May Ariana will turn 1 on the day we fly out. I have to say I am very jealous of you having your Mum to help. We had my inlaws with us last time, this time we are going it alone just hubby and I and three kids

Kirsten

 

[CandleontheWater]

Before I went to bed, I was sure to call for my Disney wake up call. I set it for 7 am, so we’d have plenty of time to get ready and make it to DHS before rope drop. Unfortunately we would not be needing the wake up call, because we got the wake up cry at 5 am. DH grumbled a little, but we figured that this pre-dawn wake up would be an isolated event, and it really gave us plenty of extra time to make rope drop!

I did try to get Everett to go back to sleep, but he was not having it. If I had only rented the rocking chair, I think I might have had a chance, but Mom rocking back and forth in a regular chair, just wasn’t cutting it!

We quickly got dressed, sun screened up and ate breakfast in the room before heading out to the car. Since we drove in, we got to use the secret entrance and bag check into the parks. For those that don’t know, if you are facing the park, its to the left, but is only accessible by the walkway from the parking lot. We don’t ever bother with the trams (too much folding and unfolding of the stroller for DH’s taste), so it’s a nice little perk for those willing to hoof it a little further. It is usually less crowded, and certainly more so when you arrive at 8 am!

I took a quick picture of the trash can with the Chinese theatre, and a picture of Everett ready to start his day! I am decidedly in the “hat hater” camp, and I really miss the beautiful vista down Hollywood Boulevard. I was first able to visit DHS (then MGM) in 1989 for a soft opening of the park. Since I was there so many times in the early years, I have very fond memories of life before the hat.

I quickly scouted out the lines, and found what I believed to be the shortest one with the most experienced looking guests. You want to avoid large groups with strollers, wheelchairs and people looking at maps, because they will all slow you down entering the park. I know that I’m a person with a stroller, and I’ll admit that you don’t want to get in line behind me, because even with all my practice, I’m slower with the stroller than I am without. What you do want to look for is people with pin lanyards and sporting Disney clothes, because they are more likely to be veterans at the biometric scan. If you see any LGMH, than you know you have definitely chosen the right line!

We waited around for a while, which was good because we were at the front of the pack, but bad because I was getting really antsy. I just wanted to start the day already! When they finally let us in, we did not follow the mobs to TSM, but instead headed down Sunset Blvd. DH and I do LOVE TSM, but we really like to play it together, and with DS, that wasn’t going to work. I know that babies are allowed on the ride, but there is no point in riding if you have to hold a baby and can’t work the trigger. Buzz is OK because you can shoot with one hand, but you really need two hands for TSM. DH and I don’t like playing alone, because you really need to work together and use good teamwork to get the highest scores. Not to brag, but we’re really good, DH once even got the highest score for the month!

So instead we wandered down the nearly empty Sunset Blvd, and headed toward a certain eerie looking building. We got a baby swap (because its always good to maximize your ride availability) and DH graciously let me ride first.

There was no line to speak of since it was first thing in the morning, so I tried to walk at a slower pace to take in all the fun details. I remember when I was a kid I didn’t really understand the themeing, and I always wondered when Disney was going to get around to fixing the fountain right by the entrance. I then boarded my elevator to the twilight zone, and somehow miraculously made it back! When I was finished DH and DS were waiting for me by the picture check-out, and we switched off so he could have his ride. He ended up just going in the standby line, since it was still a walk on, and we tucked away the baby swap, thinking we might use it later.

Everett and I did some shopping in the gift shop, and then went outside to take some pictures. I took my first in the “Everett with Thrill Ride” series, and also some of the fun windows by the exit.

Everett with Thrill Ride- Series 1- Tower of Terror

When DH finished up we attempted to take a family photo by the ride entrance, courtesy of the photopass photographer, but Everett was more interested in trying to wriggle free than pose nicely.

After ToT, we headed over to the other headliner, Rockin’ Rollercoaster.

We're all sort of looking at the camera!

Here we skipped the babyswap since the single rider line had just opened up and was pretty empty. I let DH go first and Everett and I hung out in the courtyard. I checked out the pin lanyard of the CM working the merchandise cart, and then just sat on the wall and did some people watching. A family came by and purchased two bubble guns from the cart, and began to play with them. I turned Everett’s stroller around and he was thrilled with watching the bubbles, and the kids were having a ball blowing them towards him and watching him try and catch them. It was a very sweet moment, and since he was getting covered in soapy bubble solution, I figure it could almost also count as a bath!

Everett covered in bubble solution

Everett with Thrill Ride- series II- Rockin' Rollercoaster

When DH was finished we switched out and I took my turn on RnRC. It doesn’t matter how many times I ride it, it still takes my breath away! I don’t think I could ever get bored of riding it! As a side note, does anyone know what the 1952 signifies in the ride queue? The date 1952 is on the tunnel entrance that is made to look like an overpass, and it is also on one of the signs on the chain link fence to the left when you enter the final part of the line? I’ve always wondered, but never took the time to look it up.

When I joined up again with DS and DH, DS was still in a good mood, so I decided to push the envelope a little and head into VoTLM. I wasn’t sure how he would do, but since the bubbles were such a hit at RnRC, and he seemed to be in good spirits, I figured we could give it a shot.

We stopped for a quick family pic in front of the topiaries

Then we were at VoTLM

Well, it didn’t turn out as planned. Everett was really good until after the Under the Sea number, then he totally lost it. He was crying and wriggling, and I ended up taking him out of the show before it ended. I was kinda bummed, because after his success in CoP, I thought he’d be OK, and VoTLM is much more visually stimulating and lets face it, interesting to children.

We were going to try Muppets, but since VoTLM was such a disaster we decided to skip it. I offered to let DH use the extra baby swap for ToT, but he decided that he’d rather head over to Epcot for a little more food and wine grazing. I thought this sounded like a great idea, because maybe DS would take a little snooze while we toured World Showcase. I figured he was getting cranky because he had been up so early, and probably was ready for a nap.

We took a pleasant ride on the Friendship boats, getting off at the Swalphin, because by that point we’re too impatient and know we could walk faster and beat the boat. We enter in through the International Gateway and decide to head counter clockwise around WS. I’m still craving my Margarita, and there was no way I was missing it again today.

WS had just opened to it was pretty empty, a perfect time for a little Food and Wine. I got the cheese fondue from the Charcuterie and cheese both, which was super yummy, and Mark headed to Canada to get the chipotle sausage, which disappeared before I even got a look at it. We then stopped in New Zealand so DH could try the lamb slider, which he said wasn’t as good as previous years. Maybe it was the tomato chutney? By this point Everett had conked out, which was good news! A napping baby equals happy parents.

We continued on to Mexico in hot pursuit of a margarita, when we run into our friend Andy! He was proudly wearing his shirt from the Wine and Dine ½ marathon, and filled us in on some of the details of the race. We were originally planning to join him and some of our other runner friends at the race after party in Epcot on Saturday night, but decided that the ticket price was too high and opted for Jellyrolls instead. He told us that we made the right choice, that the party was a madhouse, and he ended up just leaving. I was really glad that we got to see him before he left, and wish him a big congratulations on finishing the race.

We walked together towards Mexico, where we sampled some of the tastys from the booth, I got the taco, and he tried the tamale. We then headed to the margarita booth and I was able to get my favorite, the lime and strawberry swirl margarita! The anticipation made it taste even better.

We chatted and walked along just enjoying the beautiful day, stopping here and there to get another lettuce wrap from South Korea, and to try the shrimp cake from Singapore. Right around this time Everett woke up and he ate his yummy meal of baby food.

We continued our culinary tour with France, where I got the short ribs, which were really yummy. The meat was very tender, so I decided to see if Everett would give it a try. To my surprise he absolutely loved it, and ended up eating most of my portion!

After France we went onto Ireland for one of the lava cakes I had heard so much about. It was completely delicious and totally lived up to the hype. In fact, I really wish I had one right now! At this point we said our goodbyes to Andy, because we decided to head back to the resort for a break.

I had wanted to see the American Adventure, but after our experience at VoTLM, we decided to try back later in the week. We headed back through the International Gateway and made our way back to Saratoga.

Up next- to nap or not to nap, that is the question.

 

[PirateKate]

5:30 wake up cries are the worst, but at least you made rope drop. We took that secret entrance when we had to park in the back lot of DHS. It is kind of a nice consolation for getting a bad spot.

Love the Tower of Terror pictures with Everett. That's a great way to pass the time while waiting. I think the problem with most of the shows is that they are just too long. It's too hard to keep a baby's attention on a show for that long.

We're planning on taking our boys to Disney Junior in October, so we'll see how that goes. I'm hoping they like it, since they will be able to move around. I think American Adventure would be one of the hardest shows to watch with a baby.

Food and Wine sounds so great. I can't wait to try everything this year. We may not eat at DHS at all, just hop over to Epcot for more Food and Wine.

 

[MeMom]

I love this one!

 

[CandleontheWater]

We got back to Saratoga with the plan of putting Everett down for a nap, and Mark getting some schoolwork done. Well, Everett had no interest in napping in his pack-n-play, and instead stood up and screamed. This was not going to work, either for DH or for our neighbors, so I decided to take Everett to the pool instead. I decided to walk over to the pool are at the Grandstands, since they have such a fabulous water play area. It was a short walk from The Springs and completely worth it, since the area was deserted when we arrived. I got Everett out of the stroller and put him down near one of the fountains. He didn’t like the feel of the squishy plastic at first, but he was really interested in the fountain, so he quickly got over it and started crawling around. Everett has had some texture issues, he didn’t like grass, leaves, dirt or woodchips, but he has gotten a lot better lately. He still doesn’t like leaves, but we’re getting there.

After a while we were joined in the waterplay area by a mother and daughter. They gravitated toward the horses that spray water, and began spinning them around. I know they saw Everett, but that didn’t stop them from spraying him with water not once, but twice. I really would think that the mother would have some sense and tell the daughter not to spray the baby, but I guess I thought wrong. Everett was a good sport the first time, but was getting agitated the second time he was sprayed, so I decided to take him over to swim in the big kid pool. Everett really likes swimming, and was a veteran of summer swim lessons so he really enjoyed the pool. After a while of him kicking and splashing I decided to get him out and dried off and back to the room. Wouldn’t you know it, halfway back to our room, he feel asleep in the stroller. I call DH to let him know that I was going to head back to the pool, and have a drink and read my book while DS napped. DH decided to bring his reading and join me by the pool. We had a nice time relaxing, and eventually the couple next to us struck up a conversation about our stroller. Evidentially him and his wife had made a friendly wager on the price of our stroller. He bet her that it cost more than his first car and I’m sorry to say that he was right! He did tell me not to feel bad, because my stroller looked more comfortable and it had more features than his first car, so I guess it all evened out in the end.
After a while of chatting Everett woke up and we decided to head back to the room to give him dinner and decide what DH and I were going to eat. We decided to head over to DTD to have dinner at Earl of Sandwich, an all time favorite of ours. We walked over to the boat launch, to find that the boat was just pulling away as we walked into sight, so instead of waiting, we took the scenic route and hoofed it over to DTD. It really is a nice walk, especially in the evening, and I ended up being glad that we had missed the boat.
Earl of Sandwich was a madhouse, as usual, but I was able to find a table outside, and sent DH in to order. It was really nice just sitting outside and people watching. Everytime I go to DTD, I wish I spent more time there, but I’m usually such a park commando, that I’m lucky if I make it over even once a trip. I am really glad that my touring style has changed thanks to Everett, because I’m able to enjoy things I really didn’t before.

After dinner we took a quick detour through WOD, to look for a stuffed Perry for military friends stationed in Germany. They are also big Disney fans, and really miss the parks. They have been able to make it to Disneyland Paris on a few occasions, but they say it just isn’t the same as WDW. They’re scheduled to move back to the states by this summer, and they are also going to be in DC. You better believe that we are already scheming about upcoming road trips! 
Unfortunately there were no Perrys to be found. I even asked a manager and he told me that there were no Perry plushes at all in WDW, and that it was the most requested item. I’m hoping that Disney has fixed that by now! Especially with the new Phineas and Ferb meet and greet coming to the studios!

While in WOD, I also saw something I was just going to have to get Everett- a Mickey Mouse shape sorter! We didn’t have any room in our luggage this trip, but I knew that my mom and dad were going to be back in Nov. so I planned for them to pick one up, and Santa brought it to Everett for Christmas. I’m happy to say that it is one of Everett’s favorite toys, and in addition to learning his shapes and colors, he is learning the major icons of each of the four parks and how to recognize the fab 4 by sight. I think those are equally important, don’t you?

After our time in WOD, it is starting to get late so we walked over to the boat dock at Pleasure Island (is it even fair to call it Pleasure Island when looking at the shuttered clubs makes me so sad?) and were able to walk right onto a boat! This luck certainly made up for our bad boat luck earlier! When we got back to the room, we gave Everett a bath, and went to bed to dream sweet Disney dreams, unfortunately for not as long as I would hope!

 

[CandleontheWater]

5:30 wake up cries are the worst, but at least you made rope drop. We took that secret entrance when we had to park in the back lot of DHS. It is kind of a nice consolation for getting a bad spot.

Love the Tower of Terror pictures with Everett. That's a great way to pass the time while waiting. I think the problem with most of the shows is that they are just too long. It's too hard to keep a baby's attention on a show for that long.

We're planning on taking our boys to Disney Junior in October, so we'll see how that goes. I'm hoping they like it, since they will be able to move around. I think American Adventure would be one of the hardest shows to watch with a baby.

Food and Wine sounds so great. I can't wait to try everything this year. We may not eat at DHS at all, just hop over to Epcot for more Food and Wine.

Disney junior might be a good idea! I didn't know that the kids could move around, that is a real plus!

You guys are going to love food and wine! I really wish we were going to be there this year, but maybe next year!

 

[PirateKate]

Ooh, I would have been so mad at that mom letting her kid spray my baby. I hate it when big kids are inconsiderate of my babies and their parents just ignore it. That's one of the first things I'm going to teach my boys when they get to bigger- to be kind to those littler than them.

Stroller naps are the best. Much more fun than naps in the room.

 

[CandleontheWater]

10/5-

This morning I awoke to the sound of a terrible crash. It was like someone in the room above us threw their suitcase from the bed onto the floor. As soon as I heard the noise I held my breath, as if that would somehow mitigate the damage, and somehow keep Everett asleep. Of course it did not work, and one fateful second after I woke up, I heard him start to cry. It wasn’t as if I could blame him, I’m a pretty heavy sleeper, and if that noise woke me from a deep sleep it was loud enough to wake the happy haunts down at the Haunted Mansion. I got up and tried to soothe him back to sleep, but to no avail.

At this point I looked at the alarm clock and it read 4:30. I tried to get him back to sleep for an hour, and he would fall asleep in my arms, but as soon as his body touched the pack-n-play he jerked awake and started to cry again. I was pretty miserable, but there was no reason that both me and DH should be miserable, so I decided to take Everett out for a walk. I knew that it would put him to sleep and allow him to stay asleep for a while longer, and it would let DH get some more much needed shut-eye.

Out we went to explore Saratoga Springs in the pre-dawn hours! Everett is really great about sleeping in the stroller, but the only problem is that the stroller has to stay moving, so we walked, and walked and walked and walked. He fell asleep almost immediately, I knew he was still very tired! We saw the guy coming around to replenish the vending machines, we watched the CM wash the sidewalks, and we walked some more. At around 6 am we headed in the direction of Artists Pallate, thinking I could get some much needed coffee in my mug, only to find out they don’t open until 7 am! This was a real disappointment, I can understand not serving breakfast at that hour, but it would be nice just to open the beverage area for early risers. As it got later and closer to a more human hour, I started to see more people up and about, and I was not the only one disappointed in no coffee!

Everett and I had a really thorough tour of Saratoga Springs in the hour and a half we were out walking, I think we traversed every path, from Congress Park all the way out to Carousel!

Right around 7 am Everett started to stir and I made our way back to Artist Pallate for a CS breakfast. I wanted to let DH get a little more sleep so he would be in a better mood for park touring, and I have a weakness for the bacon, egg and cheese croissants, so it was a win-win!

At 7:30 we headed back to the room to wake up DH and get our day back on track. I was pretty sleepy and tired from my early morning exertions, but I knew we had a MK day ahead of us, so I was ready to rally! Plus I figured all those miles I logged would allow me to eat an extra mickey bar with no guilt!

We finished getting ready and left the resort for the MK. Despite being up at 4:30 am, we still ended up leaving late and didn’t pull up into the MK parking lot until about 9 am. I really had wanted to be there for rope drop so Everett could have his first ride on Dumbo, but I figured we’d play it by ear.

We hopped onto the monorail and we were at the gates in no time!

On the way into the park we were able to get a picture in front of the castle. I had been wanting to do this for the past two trips and we finally got it down. Of course Everett is not looking at the camera, but I guess you can't have everything!

We headed back to Fantasyland to check out the waits, and even thought Dumbo was a posted wait of 30 mins, we decided to chance it. Everett was pretty good about waiting in lines (although I don’t think we’re going to have the same luck this next trip), he really enjoys watching other people and kids, and I figured we could always jump out if things started to get hairy.

I took Everett and waited in line, and DH was in charge of filming the moment for posterity. The line moved quickly and when our turn came, I selected a blue Dumbo and we were off! Everett thought it was pretty great, but I was having some trouble getting my Dumbo to work. I was trying to keep us nice and low so Mark could get some good shots with the video camera, but we were having technical difficulties. It might have been user error, but instead of going lower, our Dumbo seemed to stay in the same spot, and then right at the end it went really high, and I started to get a little worried. I was hanging on to Everett for dear life, but it’s pretty high, and one side of the elephant is open- I didn’t want us to fall out! Go figure, I can ride Everett with no problem, but Dumbo was scaring the pants off me! I was actually pretty happy when it came to an end and we were back on solid ground safe and sound!

After Dumbo, I send DH over to quickly get fastpasses for Peter Pan and I got Everett back into the stroller to head for Toontown. It was a few minutes before 10 am, so I thought we could get over there and get a picture with Mickey before the crowds got too bad. Well so much for the best laid plans, by the time we walked from Fantasyland to Toontown, Everett was out cold.

We decided to fall back on plan B, which was ride babyswap rides until DS woke up. Since Space Mountain was closest, we headed over there. The wait wasn’t too bad, so I sent DH in first and sleeping Everett and I were on a pin trading mission. I went into Mickey’s Star Traders, but I didn’t find any pins that caught my fancy, and then wandered next door into Auntie Gravities, where I made a wonderful find! I hadn’t been in there in a long time, so I had no idea they had a coffee ice cream float on the menu! Cappuccino over ice cream- yes please! This was exactly what I needed, caffeine and sugar, perfect for fueling a theme park day on little sleep!

Shortly after getting my float I got a call from DH that he was off the ride. I went over to meet him and he eyed my float covetously. I let him have one sip and he was hooked! We walked right back over and got him one, and then sat down on a low wall near Space Mountain, enjoying our sugar caffeine concoction, and just absorbing Tomorrowland. I really love Tomorrowland. I don’t think its my favorite (that distinction goes to Adventureland) but it is definitely up there in the ranks! My favorite part is the metal palm trees, I wish I could have a pair for my backyard. I think they are so retro cool and look so awesome at night all lit up!
When I finished my coffee, I took my turn on Space, and then we decided to walk over to Thunder to check out the wait or at least grab fastpasses. Everett was still sleeping, so away we went.

When we got over to Thunder there was a pretty long wait and it was nearing lunch time, so we instead grabbed fastpasses to ride again later, and headed back in the direction we came to have lunch at Columbia Harbor House. CHH is not my favorite for food, but I really love the décor. DH and I grew up in New England, so I spent many school field trips at Mystic Seaport visiting the only remaining historic whaling vessel . I also love the book Moby Dick, so needless to say I love the interior. I wish the food was a little better, but DH adores the anchors away sandwich, so we end up eating there at least once a trip. I usually get the Lighthouse with the hummus and broccoli slaw, but last time it was pretty puny, just a tiny smidgeon of hummus and a few bits of broccoli slaw, so I decided to try the fried shrimp instead. I was pretty good, and I’ll likely be choosing that in the future.

When we sat down to eat, DS woke up, so we ended up spending some time in our seats, I nursed him and feed him lunch at well. After everyone was full we headed back to storm Fantasyland. First up was Peter Pan, using the fastpasses from the morning. The wait was really long (as usual) so we were pretty happy to have them. DH and I have a game that we like to play, when we come into Fantasyland from Liberty Square we play “guess the wait time” on Peter Pan. We try and guess based on how full the queue is, and all bets must be finalized before we reach the time board.

After our journey through Neverland (which didn’t freak me out, even though it was up high and the sides of the ship were open) we went on the carousel, which is a favorite of mine. When I was a kid back in the early ‘80s my mother took me on a trip during the off season. Back then off season meant dead, so we pretty much had the park to ourselves. I was obsessed with the carousel, so one day of the trip, my mother let me ride the carousel all afternoon until I had ridden EVERY HORSE! We were one of the few people on it, so we didn’t have to get off, we could just move right on to the next horse. My mother always says that it is one of her favorite Disney memories, and I feel so lucky to have such a patient and understanding mother!

After the carousel we went on Snow White, which didn’t bother Everett in the slightest. He seemed to really enjoy the dark rides.

We then headed on to Philharmagic, which was a success. Everett didn’t have any problems sitting and watching, maybe because he spent most of the movie trying to remove my 3-D glasses. I gave him his own pair, but he was much more interested in mine, go figure!

After all that time in Fantasyland we realized that Everett hadn’t really had a chance to move around much that day. He had pretty much either been in the stroller or carried by us on a ride all day. We decided to try and find a place for him to crawl around and get some energy out. There was a small playground by splash mountain, but that was for ages two and up, and Poohs playful spot had closed, so we decided to try the babycare center. Unfortunately the MK babycare center is not as crawl friendly as the one at AK or Epcot. The floor is tile and it was pretty crowded with the high chairs and older kids. I thought maybe we could take him to the secret area inside exposition hall, so we headed down Main Street, only to find that it was walled off for construction. I guess that is where Mickey and Minnie will be, and I’m sure its nice, but I miss my secret spot.

We ended up giving up and just pushed DS around a little until he feel asleep again and then headed back over to Frontierland to use our Big Thunder Fastpasses. The wait time for both Thunder and Splash were only 10 mins, so DH rode Thunder once, and I did it twice. I was thinking about Splash, but I didn’t bring my poncho and I really hate spending the rest of the day in wet clothes. I am not a fan of the water cannon, I can handle the splash at the end of the ride, but if you get hit by the water cannon you are drenched to the skin. I did it once and was pretty miserable afterwards because it took me forever to dry off. Its too bad because Splash used to be my favorite ride, its really great, but I hate being soaked. I recently read somewhere that they might have moved the direction of the cannon, so you don’t get drenched, which would make me very happy!

After we took our turns on Thunder we wandered around Frontierland some more. I really wish there was at least one show that would let people in with strollers, its nice to walk around and all, but I hated to lose so much touring time. I asked DH if he would like to try the shooting gallery, but he declined, so instead we sat outside of the mercantile shop and played a game of checkers. I had to keep rocking the stroller back and forth, so I was a little distracted, which is my excuse why I lost. Actually I don’t think I had ever played a game of checkers all the way through, so I was a little fuzzy on the strategy.

After Marks resounding win, we went and got churros and Everett woke up.
We stopped to take some photos with me and Everett in the stocks.

And then headed into the Haunted Mansion since it was basically a walk on. They had walled off the area with the tombstones and Everett and I were very sad

Everett did great on HM also, I don't think he really gets it yet, and I'm hoping we have a few years before I have to worry about him being afraid. Its funny, I'm the biggest scardy-cat ever. I still can't watch horror movies or even shows like Unsolved Mysteries, but I have never had a problem with the Haunted Mansion. Maybe because I grew up with it? I'm hoping for the same thing with Everett.

On the way out we took a quick picture with Mr Toad and his gang of departed pets.

We took a quick pit stop at the babycare center to nurse Everett, and then headed onto the high seas with the pirates!

We had some fun with photos in the queue

And also in the gift shop

After pirates, I was starting to get really tired, so we went and had dinner at Peco Bills and then headed back to the resort. I had wanted to stay for the fireworks, since they were pretty early that night, at 8 pm, but it wasn’t to be. When we got back to Saratoga we put Everett right down and he fell right asleep with no protestations. We hoped that this would be a good omen, and that we’d finally have a good nights sleep…

 

[afwdwfan]

Reading through your TR is making me feel good about our upcoming trip with a little one. It looks like you were able to really take advantage of the rider swap and get some of the "big kid" rides done. I hope we can do the same.

I agree with your point about Splash Mountain. I absolutely love the theming of the ride, but hate walking around in wet clothes. I usually ride it once right before I'm getting ready to leave the park or something and that's about it.

 

[MeMom]

10/5-

On the way into the park we were able to get a picture in front of the castle. I had been wanting to do this for the past two trips and we finally got it down. Of course Everett is not looking at the camera, but I guess you can't have everything!

…

But look how cute his little face is as he is looking at whatever it is he is studying.

That special memory of you and your mom on the horses is just precious.

 

[CandleontheWater]

Reading through your TR is making me feel good about our upcoming trip with a little one. It looks like you were able to really take advantage of the rider swap and get some of the "big kid" rides done. I hope we can do the same.

I agree with your point about Splash Mountain. I absolutely love the theming of the ride, but hate walking around in wet clothes. I usually ride it once right before I'm getting ready to leave the park or something and that's about it.

I don't think you'll have any problem fitting in the headliners, in fact there is little else you can do while your child is napping. If you decide to head back to the resort for naptime you might have a little less downtime, but we have never had a problem with Everett sleeping in the stroller. It was sleeping in the pack-n-play that was the issue.

Lets keep our fingers crossed that they keep the water cannon pointed away from the logs! It would be great if I didn't have to look like a giant dork wearing my poncho in all our ride photos!

 

[CandleontheWater]

But look how cute his little face is as he is looking at whatever it is he is studying.

That special memory of you and your mom on the horses is just precious.

He does look pretty cute in the photo, so we'll keep it! I'm hoping to get an even better one in a little over ONE WEEK! Its amazing how much older he looks now, so much like a little boy and less like a baby.

 

[Jiminy_78]

I've been following along and just wanted to say "Hi"!

We took our then six month old to WDW in January and it is a very different experience. I agree with you that I wish there were at least one show you could do with a sleeping baby in a stroller. I understand the logic of it, but there were a few times where we felt hijacked by our son napping in his stroller. We were there while Splash was down for rehab so we just kept going back and forth between Space and BTMRR. Which I guess isn't really a problem in the grand scheme of life.

Can't wait to hear about the rest of your trip and hope that you have a fabulous time on your next adventure in just 8 days! That's so exciting! We're going back in November, but brining grandma for back up since DS will be walking by then! A whole new world indeed!

 

[dizziedupbaby0127]

I'm following along too! Everett is adorible! We are taking our dd 18mos in September so I'm looking for all the baby/toddler tips I can get! and trying to pass the time I hope you do a trip report for this next one too!

 

[CandleontheWater]

I've been following along and just wanted to say "Hi"!

We took our then six month old to WDW in January and it is a very different experience. I agree with you that I wish there were at least one show you could do with a sleeping baby in a stroller. I understand the logic of it, but there were a few times where we felt hijacked by our son napping in his stroller. We were there while Splash was down for rehab so we just kept going back and forth between Space and BTMRR. Which I guess isn't really a problem in the grand scheme of life.

Can't wait to hear about the rest of your trip and hope that you have a fabulous time on your next adventure in just 8 days! That's so exciting! We're going back in November, but brining grandma for back up since DS will be walking by then! A whole new world indeed!

Thanks for reading along! I agree with the "hijacked" feeling, but I also agree there are worse things in life than to be forced to ride Space and Thunder over and over again! In fact, I wish I could be doing that right now!

 

[CandleontheWater]

I'm following along too! Everett is adorible! We are taking our dd 18mos in September so I'm looking for all the baby/toddler tips I can get! and trying to pass the time I hope you do a trip report for this next one too!

Thank you so much! We think Everett is a keeper! You guys are going to have a wonderful time in Sept, its a great time to visit. I like going when it is a little warmer so you can use the pools.

We'll see about a trip report for this trip, I still might be finishing this one! But I probably will try, I've learned a lot writing this one, mainly to take more pictures!

 

[CandleontheWater]

Even though we were hoping for a peaceful nights rest, at 4:45 we were awoken by the cries of Everett. I tried to get him back to sleep, but once again I was unsuccessful. I suspected that he might be teething, so we gave him some Orajel and Tylenol, but its wasn’t doing the trick. Everett had two top teeth and two bottom teeth, and I thought that the next teeth to come in would be his third and fourth top teeth. At least that is what his doctor told me, so I kept looking at his top gums, but I didn’t see any tell-tale signs that a tooth was about to break through! I was pretty frustrated, because if it wasn’t teething, why was Everett so upset and why wouldn’t he sleep!

Since I had taken him the day before, DH volunteered (or was volunteered) to take Everett on his morning walk. I went back to sleep and got about two more hours of shut eye, when I woke up to DH bursting through the door shouting, “Everett is bleeding!” This is never the way you want to wake up, and I bolted upright in bed, with my mommy senses in overdrive. As it turns out, Everett was crawling around in the lobby and he tried to pull himself up on a chair, when he lost his balance and hit his mouth. He cut his lip a little, but it was nothing major, and certainly much less serious than DH’s arrival lead me to believe. It was nothing that a wet washcloth and some loves and kisses couldn’t fix and he was back to his boisterous self in no time.

After that exiting morning interlude, we proceeded to get ready and leave the resort. Once again, even though we were up before the birds, we still didn’t make it to rope drop on time. We were headed back to the Magic Kingdom, with big plans to meet Mickey. It actually worked out OK that we were about ½ hour late, because Toontown didn’t open until 10, so even though we missed the main park opening, we weren’t late for the Toontown rope drop! Since this was our last MK day, we weren’t going to take any chances with a sleeping Everett, so DH carried him through the park so he wouldn’t be lulled to sleep by the stroller.

It all worked out great because we were one of the first ones in line to meet the big cheese and got some really adorable photos.

Everett just loved Mickey and was really interested in touching his nose. I was so happy that our foray was a success and that he wasn’t afraid of the characters.

I have high hopes for him being OK on our next trip also. We got some practice in with the Easter Bunny last week, and he did great!

After our big meeting with Mickey and Minnie, Everett went right to sleep in the stroller. I guess meeting such big stars tired him right out! We had one other thing planned for the day, and that was to get our silhouettes done on Main Street. Getting Silhouettes is a tradition in my family, and I really want to continue it with the next generation. My parents have a wall in their house with all silhouettes from Disney, and you can watch our family grow and change in such a unique way. The very first one was of just my parents when they were on their honeymoon, and the most recent one of our family was done in honor of our first trip as DVC members, just a few years ago. Mark and I got one done of just the two of us before we moved away from Florida and I was anxious to have another one done with our new addition.

We thought it might be easier for the artist to take Everett’s silhouette when he was sleeping, so we headed over to Main Street to ask. As it turns out, the artist wanted him to be awake, so we headed back in the direction that we came, to ride Space Mountain while Everett dreamed sweet Disney dreams. We figured we just come back later and get them done when Everett woke up.

The standby line was a little long so we got fastpasses for Space, and I once again got the coffee ice cream float and this time also some popcorn (the ultimate breakfast of champions). We walked over to Splash Mountain, since I remembered my poncho, and didn’t want to miss one of my favorite rides.

I rode Splash Mountain while DH waited with Everett and then DH decided that he would rather ride Thunder, so I waited with Everett. I offered DH my poncho, but he declined. I guess at least one of us is sensitive to looking like a big dork in ride photos!

After all that thrill ride goodness, we were ready for lunch. Since we hadn’t eaten at Cosmic Rays yesterday, we decided to have lunch there, that and DH will never pass up the chance to consume more chicken strips! On the way over to Ray’s Everett woke up which was perfect timing. I was able to eat, feed him and nurse him all in one go.

After lunch we headed over to the Country Bears!

I still love this show and I don’t care how dated and campy it gets. I figured that it was active enough to keep Everett’s attention, and I knew it was loud, so even if he got a little fussy, it wouldn’t impact other guests.

It was at Country Bears that Everett hit a very big milestone! We were watching the show and I could tell he was really enjoying the music. I was clapping along, when out of the blue, Everett started clapping too! He hadn’t clapped before, and I actually was getting a little concerned about him not hitting this developmental milestone, but maybe he was just waiting for something really good to clap about. Maybe he just needed some real old country rhythm to get in the clapping mood! Anyway, it was a wonderful moment, one of those perfect Disney moments that you will remember and treasure forever. At that moment I didn’t care how tired I was, it was perfect, and despite all the obstacles its moments like this one that make taking a baby to Disney was 100% worth it!


After the excitement of Country bears, we decided to take another trip on the high seas with the Pirates.

this would have been a really cute picture if Mark hadn't cut off the top of my head!

Everett really seems to like this ride, and I think know why! His nursery is decorated in a Pirates of the Caribbean theme. He has pirate ship bedding, a pirate clock and rug, he has a framed lithograph from the recent Pirates movies, and he also had the attraction poster (from under the railroad tunnel at the entrance to the park) framed and a photo from the attraction of the jail scene with the dog. The best part of the nursery is the large wall decal that says “Yo ho, Yo ho a pirates life for me” with a skull and two crossed swords. I think it is just about the coolest nursery ever, not that I’m biased or anything!

When we exited Pirates we ran into Pirate Goofy, and of course had to take some pictures!

Everett really like Goofy and was trying to jump out of my arms to get him!

After pirates we headed back onto Main street to get our silhouettes done before Everett feel asleep again!

On our way to the silhouette artist we stopped and got a photo by the Indian on Main Street. I decided that this would be our "place" where we take a picture every visit to watch Everett grow. I have pictures of myself and my brothers in front of the Indian so I thought it would be a good choice.

The silhouette artist was very good, and managed to get a great likeness of a very squirmy baby. He did it in no time, it must have been under two minutes. I am always impressed at that skill, that they are able to created such a real to life image and do it so fast! I couldn’t do it if I had a million years of training! He then finished up Mark and I and we had the perfect family portrait! I’m thinking we might not get one on our next trip next week, but wait until next year when he is two, so you could really see the difference between baby and toddler.

It turns out we had perfect timing with the silhouette, because as soon as we had Everett back in the stroller he had fallen asleep again! We took some time to shop through Main Street, I had to get a few things for some friends back home, and Mark wanted to pick something up for his family.
We then headed into Tomorrowland, because it was nearing parade time and we didn’t want to get stuck! We used our fastpasses to ride Space and then just wandered around a little waiting for Everett to wake up so we could take our last ride on Peter Pan. We had gotten fastpasses earlier in the day, and had been waiting to use them. I thought that Peter Pan would be the perfect last ride in the MK.

When Everett did wake up we boarded our pirate ship to Neverland and then decided to call it a day. Mark was really tired, and I wanted to get back to the resort to do some laundry and a little packing.

On the way out of the park we actually witnessed a terrible tragedy. We were getting off the monorail, headed to the TTC parking lot, when we saw an older woman collapse onto the ground walking up the ramp to the Epcot monorail. Her family was with her, and they rushed to her side immediately. Mark shouted over to the family to ask them if they needed assistance, but the CM at the monorail witnessed the whole event and one rushed over while the other called for medical assistance.

I was standing there paralyzed wanting to do something to help, but knowing that there was nothing I could do and I would only get in the way. It was just terrible. The adult children were screaming the woman’s name and crying, and the smaller children were just looking shell shocked. An ambulance and medical team responded right away, and we left to drive back to the resort. When we got back I turned on the news, and turned to the Disboards, to see if there was any news of a woman collapsing at Disney, but I didn’t hear anything. I still hope that she ended up being OK, and that maybe she was just dehydrated or passed out from the heat and that nothing truly tragic happened.

Witnessing that terrible event in such a happy place really put Dh and I in a somber mood and we walked back to the car in silence. We ended up doing another dinner at Artist Palate, and then headed back to the room to give Everett a bath and put him to bed. I tried to start getting things together to make packing the next day easier, and I did another round of jumping through the bushes to get to the laundry. Mark and I were both pretty wiped out from early mornings and hard touring, so we went to bed early as well. Would this night finally be the one where we got some rest?