WDW with a Toddler, or A Tour of WDW Play Areas - May 2012 - *FIN 5/30*

[Elleshoodat]

We got back to our resort and headed right for the room. Once again Andrew really didn’t want to nap, but after a while he calmed down and we all got at least a catnap in. We woke up sometime between 5 and 5:30, freshened up a bit and drove to the Poly. We went upstairs to pick up the CD of photos from our portrait session, and then we cheated – we took the monorail to the Magic Kingdom.

We were walking down Main Street at 6:30, and this time we headed into Tomorrowland. We first got FastPasses for Buzz, then we took a relaxing ride on the TTA PeopleMover. This is seriously one of my favorite rides in the MK. All you do is sit back and take in the sights … and it’s a pretty long attraction, too! You can’t beat the wait time-to-ride time ratio.

In fact, I realized on this trip that Tomorrowland has my favorite theming of all the MK “lands.” It’s clean; it has clean lines and modern décor; and the background music is so subtle, yet so appropriate.

Anyway, after hopping off the TTA (that will always be its name in my mind), we went to Cosmic Ray’s for some dinner. Nick got the chicken nuggets with fries, I got the rotisserie chicken and we got a large Diet Coke ($22.13). By that time we were tired of ordering meals for Andrew only to not have him eat them, so we figured he could eat off of our plates. We sat on the side of the restaurant that’s next to Merchant of Venus and watched the people passing outside as we ate. The rotisserie chicken was really tasty! Very moist, and it was nice to have some veggies and mashed potatoes instead of fries. Nick and Andrew enjoyed the chicken nuggets and fries, too, and I think Andrew ate some of an Uncrustable as well.

We wandered into Merchant of Venus before collecting our stroller and spent some time letting Andrew burn off some energy before riding Buzz with our FPs. There was a *lot* for Andrew to look at on this one; he sat on Nick’s nap and just looked all around while Nick and I shot (and I spun us). I hit a 25,000-point Z at one point, but Nick ended up beating me.

It was getting late by then (close to Andrew’s bedtime), so we headed toward the exit, stopping into the Emporium. The crowd of shoppers was pretty thick, but not as bad as it usually is in World of Disney and I *had* to get my shopping in. We actually made two separate purchases here because I had trouble finding the coffee mugs. First was a couple of books for Andrew – the Duffy book, and an it’s a small world “Furry Friends” touch-and-feel book for $14.89. Then I found a cute, BIG Mickey mug for $10.60.

After saying goodbye to the castle (Main Street is so pretty when it’s all lit up at night), we monorailed back to the Poly and drove back to POFQ, where we went to the gift shop to look at picture frames. We picked out one for my desk and one to send Nick’s mom for Mother’s Day (with one of the pics from our portrait session). We also got a couple of snacks: a Mickey-head Rice Krispies treat for Nick and a chocolate chip cookie for me. Our total was $48.78.

We then went back to our room, stopping into Scat Cat’s for a few. Bedtime was a little later than usual, but I think we were all asleep by 10:30.

Go to Day 4

 

[Moodyzblu]

Love Andrews outfit !!

Yeah ... MK turns me into a blubbering fool. But it's what keeps me coming back !

 

[CandleontheWater]

I agree that the TTA is one of the best, most relaxing rides on property. It also helps that my DS loves riding it around.

You also got some good shopping in, I've seen that Small World book you purchased and was thinking about it on my last trip. Maybe I'll pick it up next time.

 

[Elleshoodat]

Love Andrews outfit !!

Yeah ... MK turns me into a blubbering fool. But it's what keeps me coming back !

Me, too. It's just ... magic.

I agree that the TTA is one of the best, most relaxing rides on property. It also helps that my DS loves riding it around.

You also got some good shopping in, I've seen that Small World book you purchased and was thinking about it on my last trip. Maybe I'll pick it up next time.

You should; it's really cute! This sounds silly, but what I really like about it how realistic the touchable elements are. We have quite a few touch-and-feel books, and in most of them everything feels the same.

 

[amazingact21]

I've never been to WDW with a kid before, but it sounds like it forces you to take things in a relaxing manner. I bet it was nice spending the evening in MK riding the Peoplemover and shopping in the Emporium.


I forgot to mention, that shirt you bought for Andrew looked adorable! You definitely made a great decision in picking that one!

 

[Elleshoodat]

Plans:
This morning after checking out, we will hit Epcot for a few hours before making the drive home (booooo). Rope drop at is 9 a.m., and we have a Via Napoli ADR at 11:30 a.m.

We have a few must-dos, but for the most part will take it easy. Probably soon after lunch we will get on the road and head home so DS can nap. But again, we will follow his lead.

Must-dos:
• The Seas with Nemo & Friends
• Journey Into Imagination with Figment
• Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros
• Flower & Garden exhibits, especially the playground

Maybe-dos
• Turtle Talk with Crush
• Soarin’
• Living with the Land
• Spaceship Earth
• Innoventions

Actual:
We didn't set an alarm Friday night, but we were still up early (even Andrew, who didn't go to bed until 10:30 Friday night). We got ready for the day (I wore my birthday pin), skipping breakfast, and Nick started hauling things out to the car while I slathered Andrew with sunscreen.

We left the room one last time and drove over to Epcot, parking in Journey row 7. It was about 8:45 by that time, and they were already letting people in. We went through bag check (I got my first "happy birthday" of the day ... the first of many) and were in.

Our first stop was to have a PhotoPass photographer take a few pictures of us with Spaceship Earth. Andrew LOVED the “ball” (his name for it) and it was tough to get him to look at the camera instead of the ball, but we got a couple of shots.

We made our way to The Land and Sunshine Seasons, where Nick and I split an adult breakfast platter. He got a coffee and I got an iced mocha, which was SO good! Andrew once again didn't want to eat or sit still.

After getting some food into our bellies (the breakfast platter was pretty mediocre; I knew I should've gone for the croissant berry pudding ), we took turns taking Andrew on Living with the Land so Nick could sip his coffee instead of downing it since he couldn't take it on the ride. Andrew was quiet during the dark parts of the ride, but he loved the greenhouses and seeing the fish and alligators. He kept jumping out of his seat and trying to make a break for the gardens.

We grabbed a single Soarin' FastPass in the hopes of doing the rider swap, but we weren't able to make it back within our window. After getting the FP, we went over to The Seas. Andrew watched the seagulls saying “mine” for a while ("mine" is a recent addition to his vocabulary), then we parked the stroller and went on The Seas with Nemo & Friends. It took forever to get through the winding queue (we let Andrew walk it), and when we met up with the line the wait was only a couple of minutes.

Andrew absolutely adores fish, so I knew this would be a winner. He had a great time watching Nemo and all his pals, and of course singing "In the Big Blue World" with Mommy. We have a CD of park music and listen to it on the way to daycare sometimes, and this and "One Little Spark" are his favorites.

After exiting the ride, we took a look at the exhibits (“Fish!”), then tore Andrew away to see Turtle Talk with Crush. It was a first for all of us and we all enjoyed it, even if Andrew didn't totally get it. The jokes were really cute (gotta love humor that goes over kids' heads), and the kids who asked questions during our show were even cuter.

It was nearing the time of our lunch reservation, so we picked up the stroller and walked counter-clockwise around the lagoon to Via Napoli. We had a short wait after checking in but were led to our table before long. We set Andrew up in a high chair with some crayons and he was OK for a while, but it soon became apparent he was sleepy and cranky and was *not* going to enjoy this meal. He wasn’t acting out or anything; he just wasn’t his happy-go-lucky self.

Nick and I, however, really enjoyed Via Napoli. The atmosphere was neat; it was fun to watch the action around the pizza ovens and to say “grazie” to the wait staff. And the pizza – oh, my goodness! I don’t know if there is truly something in the water, but it was outstanding. Especially the crust. Doughy but not soggy, and full of flavor.

Nick and I were going to share a large pizza (and share with Andrew) but couldn’t really agree on one, so we got two individuals: the Prosciutto e Melone for him (minus the prosciutto) and the Carciofi for me. I can’t find the description of mine on the AllEars menu, but it had artichoke and truffle oil on it. Nick had a Moretti and I had a La Rossa, which if I’m remembering right is Via Napoli’s own brew.

His

Hers

We each ate half our pies and had our server, Valentina, box up the rest. Nick and I walked out of the restaurant talking about having a “date night” there in the future, when we can persuade a set of grandparents to come with us and spend some time babysitting.

After lunch we continued our counter-clockwise stroll around World Showcase, Andrew falling asleep in his stroller almost as soon as we left Italy. Unfortunately that’s all we saw of World Showcase this trip, which really is a shame; we both love walking around the lagoon, soaking up the atmospheres of the different countries.

It was ridiculously hot by now but we weren’t quite ready to leave, so we went to Mouse Gear to cool off and do some more shopping. We bought Andrew a classic blue ringer T-shirt with Mickey on it and a WDW magic towel, a picture frame for my parents, and a tote bag for me. I wanted something in which to carry my work laptop between home and the office, but it had to be something that wasn’t *too* Disneyfied. I think the one I found fit the bill; it’s orange-red with hearts and Mickey heads on it, but you have to really look at it to notice the Mickey heads.

We then walked through the butterfly house (one of the Flower & Garden exhibits; we also took pictures of many of the topiaries as we walked around the park) on our way to Fountainview Café. Nick waited in line while I found a table in the shade. Andrew woke up not long after I sat down, and he and I watched the fountain put on its show. He was a bit scared of the loud pops the fountain made as it shot water into the air, but once he woke up a bit more he was OK.

Nick joined us with our ice cream, and that made Andrew even happier. Nick had a cone of mint chocolate chip, and I had another ice cream cookie sandwich with mint chocolate chip ice cream. We both thought Main Street Bakery’s cookies were better, but I like that Fountainview lets you choose your ice cream flavor. The Fountainview CM also did a better job of putting the sandwich together; the CM at the bakery just smashed the cookies together, breaking them to where you couldn’t eat it like a sandwich. First-world problems, I know. Moving on.

Since Andrew was awake, we took him to the splash area between Future World and World Showcase, where he had the time of his life. Nick and I stood in the shade when we weren’t snapping pictures of him. When he was finished playing, we went over to the restrooms at the back of the Imagination pavilion, and I changed Andrew’s clothes and diaper.

We then went on Journey Into Imagination; this was a must-do since Figment is my favorite character. I like to tell myself that Andrew likes him, too; we have a plush Figment at home that sleeps in Andrew’s crib, and when we’re listening to “One Little Spark” in the car, Andrew says “more” when the song ends. I can’t say he was very impressed with the ride itself, but he absolutely loved playing on the musical tiles in ImageWorks. We let him play for a good while (hey, it was air conditioned), and I looked in the shop for a Figment figurine but struck out; there was only expensive artwork.

After dragging Andrew out of ImageWorks, we walked to the front of the park, passing through Innoventions and letting Andrew climb on the fire engine for a few minutes. He rode on his daddy’s shoulders out of the park, and we cooled off the car a bit before climbing in for the two-hour drive home.

We said our prayer when we got into the car (something we do every time we’re taking a trip), and I got a bit emotional thanking God for all of my blessings, on my birthday and every day. Andrew fell asleep on the drive home, which was uneventful. We got home around 5:30, picking up Wendy’s for Andrew for dinner. After unloading the car, Nick and I ate our leftover Via Napoli pizza.

 

[Imagineer5]

Wow you can't beat eating leftover Via Napoli pizza at home! Your trip sounds like it was wonderful - I LOVED the MK day and the pic of Andrew pointing to the castle - too cute!

So sad to read about the ends of trips, hope you'll be back soon. It looked like Andrew did a fantastic job though on the rides, napping, in restaurants, etc. So glad it was great!

 

[MHTeacher]

Andrew's "Mickey" shirt turned out so cute! A perfect outfit for his MK day!

He looks so cute pointing at the fish in Epcot.

 

[cbcrockett]

What a great day in EPCOT to end the trip on! And leftover pizza to boot!

Sounds like y'all had a really good trip! I hope our DD does as well as Andrew did here in a week and a half!

 

[MrsTeddy]

What a wonderful ending to your trip! I loved your Epcot day, makes me even more excited for our trip! I love that about the Dis!

I have to tell you I love how you dress Andrew! Such a cute little man he would look adorable in anything! I find boys clothes are hard but you have great taste for your little man!

 

[amazingact21]

Sad...your trip is already over. It felt like you just started this TR!


It looks like you guys spent your last WDW day having a great time in Epcot. Glad Andrew loved Nemo and all the fish.

Via Napoli is wonderful. You should definitely try and make it a "date night" one time and eat there just the two of you. I think it's the perfect restaurant to do that in WDW. And isn't Disney food extra nice when you get to eat it back at home? I love bringing home snacks and reliving the magic just a tiny bit.

 

[Elleshoodat]

Wow you can't beat eating leftover Via Napoli pizza at home! Your trip sounds like it was wonderful - I LOVED the MK day and the pic of Andrew pointing to the castle - too cute!

So sad to read about the ends of trips, hope you'll be back soon. It looked like Andrew did a fantastic job though on the rides, napping, in restaurants, etc. So glad it was great!

I know, right?! And don't you love how we ate it even after it had been sitting in the stroller in the sun all day? LOL. Luckily neither of us got sick.

Andrew did do a really great job. We knew going in that we had to be super flexible and I'll write more about that in a wrap-up, but he was as easygoing on vacation as he is at home. I love that little boy.

Andrew's "Mickey" shirt turned out so cute! A perfect outfit for his MK day!

He looks so cute pointing at the fish in Epcot.

Yes, he looooves fish. I call him our little marine biologist.

What a great day in EPCOT to end the trip on! And leftover pizza to boot!

Sounds like y'all had a really good trip! I hope our DD does as well as Andrew did here in a week and a half!

I'm sure your DD will do great! The biggest advice I can give is don't plan too much -- which I'm sure you know already -- and just enjoy being there. Have FUN!

What a wonderful ending to your trip! I loved your Epcot day, makes me even more excited for our trip! I love that about the Dis!

I have to tell you I love how you dress Andrew! Such a cute little man he would look adorable in anything! I find boys clothes are hard but you have great taste for your little man!

Aww, thank you. I never thought it would be as fun to dress a boy as it would be to dress a little girl, but there are some really cute clothes for boys! I can't take credit, though. Carter's puts together the outfits, and I just go buy them ... or get my mom to!

I love the DIS, too. Reading about everyone else's trips is such a fun way to pass the time between trips, and to get excited!

Sad...your trip is already over. It felt like you just started this TR!

It looks like you guys spent your last WDW day having a great time in Epcot. Glad Andrew loved Nemo and all the fish.

Via Napoli is wonderful. You should definitely try and make it a "date night" one time and eat there just the two of you. I think it's the perfect restaurant to do that in WDW. And isn't Disney food extra nice when you get to eat it back at home? I love bringing home snacks and reliving the magic just a tiny bit.

I know, right?! I am still on the vacation "high" and wanted to finish the trip report so I can send it to our parents to read. But it definitely feels like I was just on here starting a PTR, and now my TR is done. Crazy!

I love eating Disney food at home. We didn't buy any snacks this time, mainly because I have no willpower when it comes to sweets, but we did bring home some of the magic.

 

[tofubeast]

Nooooo, your TR can't be over yet!!! But seriously, it looks like you all have a wonderful time at WDW. Your TR was fun to read and I loved all the pics. Your son appears to have had a a blast. So when are you returning next?!!

BTW the pizza looks sooooooooooo good. Now I am thinking of adding it to my ADR list. Hmmm. I want a slice of your pizza for lunch right now!

So what were your son's favorite rides/shows? What are you 'final' thoughts on bringing a young toddler to WDW? Any tips?

 

[CandleontheWater]

That pizza at Via Napoli looks delish! I'll have to try it out one of these days!

Isn't that fountain play area the best! We always make a point to hit it when we are in Epcot. Sometimes it is the simplest things that make kids the happiest!

I'm so glad you guys had an awesome trip, but I'm sorry this TR has to come to a close!

 

[wakica]

Enjoyed catching up!! That pizza with artichoke sounded SOOOO delish! I never would have thought of putting artichoke on pizza!!! Mmm, I think home made pizzas are in the near future

 

[Elleshoodat]

Nooooo, your TR can't be over yet!!! But seriously, it looks like you all have a wonderful time at WDW. Your TR was fun to read and I loved all the pics. Your son appears to have had a a blast. So when are you returning next?!!

BTW the pizza looks sooooooooooo good. Now I am thinking of adding it to my ADR list. Hmmm. I want a slice of your pizza for lunch right now!

So what were your son's favorite rides/shows? What are you 'final' thoughts on bringing a young toddler to WDW? Any tips?

I know; I can't believe it's over already, either.

I would definitely recommend Via Napoli. I chose it mainly because Nick is Italian and I know Andrew (usually) likes pizza, but it was a winner all around.

I'll write a post about my final thoughts and observations (including when we plan/hope to visit WDW again), but Andrew really enjoyed playing on the playgrounds more than anything.

That pizza at Via Napoli looks delish! I'll have to try it out one of these days!

Isn't that fountain play area the best! We always make a point to hit it when we are in Epcot. Sometimes it is the simplest things that make kids the happiest!

I'm so glad you guys had an awesome trip, but I'm sorry this TR has to come to a close!

You are so right. And when the kids are happy, Mom and Dad are happy.

Thank you for reading along! Hopefully it won't be too long before I can start up another PTR.

Enjoyed catching up!! That pizza with artichoke sounded SOOOO delish! I never would have thought of putting artichoke on pizza!!! Mmm, I think home made pizzas are in the near future

I highly recommend it! These artichokes were marinated, not fresh, so I would suggest using some from a jar.

***

I will be MIA for the long weekend, but next week I plan to write a wrap-up post. Stay tuned!

 

[MinnieLovesMickey]

Just got caught up and now it's over!


I'm glad Andrew enjoyed AK. It'll be DS's first time there on our trip. He loves our animals so I'm sure he'll be fascinated with all the animals there.

I have to agree about the opening show for MK, I find myself choking up every time. I'm just a sentimental sucker. I love the MK's classic rides too, IASW, TTA, CoP, etc, they're always reliable, hardly ever have to wait in line.

Too bad you didn't get to spend more time in Epcot, there's never enough time to explore that park.

Hopefully you guys get to return soon.

 

[Elleshoodat]

Just got caught up and now it's over!

I'm glad Andrew enjoyed AK. It'll be DS's first time there on our trip. He loves our animals so I'm sure he'll be fascinated with all the animals there.

I have to agree about the opening show for MK, I find myself choking up every time. I'm just a sentimental sucker. I love the MK's classic rides too, IASW, TTA, CoP, etc, they're always reliable, hardly ever have to wait in line.

Too bad you didn't get to spend more time in Epcot, there's never enough time to explore that park.

Hopefully you guys get to return soon.

You're right -- there is never enough time for Epcot. I'd love to stay at an Epcot-area resort next trip so we can walk over whenever.

Your DS is going to love Animal Kingdom. It's an animal lovers' paradise ... especially for kids!

 

[Elleshoodat]

Touring with a toddler:
I knew going into the trip that we would need to be flexible and accommodating for Andrew (luckily he’s super easygoing), and we definitely took our time and followed his lead. I thought our lists of must-dos were reasonable, but we didn’t get through them all (then again, we did do some things that weren’t on the lists).

It was surprising to me just how much longer touring with a toddler takes. Not just going at his/her pace, but also the things you don’t think about – parking the stroller between attractions, retrieving it afterward. I totally didn’t account for the time that took.

Random observations:
I was pleasantly surprised by the behavior of guests and CMs. You read so much on the DIS about rude guests and CMs who aren’t so magical, but – although we didn’t have any truly magical moments – pretty much everyone we encountered was polite and helpful.

I also didn’t see an inordinate number of ECVs; the DIS would have me believe they’re as prevalent as children. I did notice a ton of strollers, but that was mainly because we were parked with them.

New experiences:
Our first family vacation!
Via Napoli
Poly
Portrait session
Turtle Talk with Crush
Dumbo
The Boneyard

Old favorites:
POFQ
Muzak that plays on the resort information channel <-- I have a ridiculous love of this.
Buffalo Wild Wings
Bongos
TTA

What’s next:
I would love to visit in early December one year and stay at Wilderness Lodge. I envision us visiting the deluxe resorts and checking out their decorations, going on a sleigh ride at Fort Wilderness and maybe doing MVMCP one night, but it wouldn’t be a "big" trip.

That said, I think I realized this time that longer trips might be better for us. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves on our short trip – Andrew had fun playing on the various playgrounds and it was pretty relaxing, as Disney trips go – but both Nick and I came away feeling as though we hadn’t seen or done much. So I think we need to save for a while so we can do a longer trip. I’d like to stay in a deluxe resort or maybe finally try Coronado Springs; eat in France or Mexico in World Showcase, and maybe at ‘Ohana; and spend more time at Epcot and the Magic Kingdom.

Ideally we will go again before Andrew turns 3, but who knows what’s in store for us?

Thanks, everyone, for reading. I know how much I enjoy keeping up with others' trips, and I hope you've all enjoyed visiting the parks along with us.

 

[tofubeast]

Touring with a toddler:
I knew going into the trip that we would need to be flexible and accommodating for Andrew (luckily he’s super easygoing), and we definitely took our time and followed his lead. I thought our lists of must-dos were reasonable, but we didn’t get through them all (then again, we did do some things that weren’t on the lists).

It was surprising to me just how much longer touring with a toddler takes. Not just going at his/her pace, but also the things you don’t think about – parking the stroller between attractions, retrieving it afterward. I totally didn’t account for the time that took.

Good points! I got a feel for the whole stroller 'issue' when we went with a friend and his two young children. Part of me is contemplating using the Ergo carrier at times when in the parks.

[What’s next:
I would love to visit in early December one year and stay at Wilderness Lodge. I envision us visiting the deluxe resorts and checking out their decorations, going on a sleigh ride at Fort Wilderness and maybe doing MVMCP one night, but it wouldn’t be a "big" trip.

So I think we need to save for a while so we can do a longer trip. I’d like to stay in a deluxe resort or maybe finally try Coronado Springs; eat in France or Mexico in World Showcase, and maybe at ‘Ohana; and spend more time at Epcot and the Magic Kingdom.

If you want to do deluxe and spend moderate prices, I would consider renting points for DVC especially during a less popular time of year. Just remember, when doing so, that you will want to book with someone who is a DVC owner at the resort you want at the 11 month out period.

Also, CSR is pretty awesome!

Thanks for your insight!! Loved your PTR/TR and can't wait for your next trip!!