We nailed it with a newborn, why not tackle it with a toddler?!? Updated with Trip Video!!

[DisneyParkLover]

Last post for a little bit while I'm away at the World!!! But I promise to finish this when I get back!

 

[DisneyParkLover]

We are back from another great trip from the World. 4 1/2 days was way too short! This May was more hot and crowded than the last time we went in May (2008), plus we got hit by a dreaded stomach bug! But we made the best of it and had a wonderful trip anyway! I am undecided yet whether I am doing a trip report for that trip, but either way, I need to finish this one. It may be slow finishing this up as we are working on moving. We were previously house hunting and found a lot we were going to build on, but that has fallen through so we are back on the hunt again. So I will busy with that, but never too busy for my readers! So let's get back to it!

 

[DisneyParkLover]

A Fun-Filled Hollywood Studios Afternoon

When we left off, we had just finished a great ride on the Great Movie Ride. We decided to head to Disney Junior Live! and check if it was open yet. But on the way, there was a mini characterpalooza going on by the hat. They weren't doing meet and greets, but there were a bunch of characters walking by! Luke got so excited and was waving and pointing to all of them!









After that fun little bonus, we headed to Disney Junior Live! and saw that it had re-opened! So we used our expired Fastpass and got in the Fastpass line. We were let in first and took a seat right up front. This was a cool place to sit to be close to the action, but the angle actually made it a little hard to see. We would probably sit a little further back next time. Luke didn't care about the viewing angle, though. He really loved this! He wasn't sure at first, but as soon as his friends came out, he was clapping and dancing around!


















After the show was over, we headed through Pixar Place down to Toy Story Midway Mania. I am sad to say that we didn't have time to stop in One Man's Dream. I do love to go in there every trip, but it seems there is never enough time for everything I want to do. And we don't usually spend as much time at DHS as we do at some of the other parks since there isn't much for Luke to do there. Since he is too restless for shows and too little for thrill rides, he is pretty much limited to Great Movie Ride, Disney Junior Live!, and Toy Story as the only options for him there. Fortunately, our Fastpass had just opened for Toy Story, so that was another ride Luke could ride!



I'm not sure who won, but I'm pretty sure it was me! I know DH won once and I won once on this trip. I know for sure that Luke enjoyed it! As you can see in the picture, he rode in my lap and enjoyed pulling the cord. After our busy Hollywood Studios morning, we were all pretty hungry so we decided to try someplace new. ABC Commissary was nearby and the menu looked good, so we hopped in line. The line was pretty long, but soon we had our food and easily found a table.

My dad had the New York Strip Steak - with blue cheese butter, steamed broccoli and french fries:



This was okay. Not great and overcooked, unfortunately.

My mom and I both had the 1/3 lb Angus Cheeseburger with Srirachi Aioli and Fried Shrimp - with choice of fresh steamed broccoli, apple slices or fries.



This was very good. Just a burger, but a well executed burger! DH had the Seafood Platter - served with choice of fresh steamed broccoli, apple slices or fries.



He said it was good. Very descriptive honey. Thank you.
I have no idea what anyone else got for dessert, but I got this delicious cupcake:



It was yummy!! I ordered Luke the Power Pack Lunch - yogurt, apple wedges, carrot sticks, goldfish crackers, apple-cinnamon snack bar and choice of small lowfat milk or small water. He ate several of the items, but I think the rest got tossed. This lunch fit the bill, but we would probably go back to Starring Rolls for quick service next time.

Refueled from lunch, we had one last thing to do before leaving Hollywood Studios. Despite Luke's dislike for sitting still for shows (and in general), we knew we had to see Indiana Jones one last time before it closed down. I really like this show and it is one I remember from my childhood Disney trip, so it is nostalgic for me. Luke actually did really well, and the show managed to keep his attention.























Great show as always! I'm sad to see it go, but glad I got to see it again one last time. It had been a busy morning and we had a busy evening planned, so we headed out of DHS and back to the resort to rest!




Up next: an evening at MK and a favorite restaurant

 

[lilpixiebabe101]

Joining in. Finally caught up. We are taking a 2 year old next year and it's been nice to see how he's been. She's very laid back as long as she gets good and things to see. She'll literally fall asleep anywhere, so I'm hoping a similar experience for what y'all seemed to have with DS!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Sorry to hear about the stomach bug on your most recent trip but glad to hear you had a good time anyway

That must be so great for the little ones to be at Disney Jr Live - especially being that close they must feel like they are "in" the show

Glad you got one last view of the Indy Show

 

[kastoney]

My daughter loves the jr show too, though we've always had a girl be the host of the show. My daughter gets a kick out of it because her name is Casey and the host usually uses that name too.

Who knew abc commissary had steak. And your burgers look great. We only ate there once and it wasn't very good. Looks like it may be worth another Visit

They are removing Indiana jones? Totally missed that one. Haven't been in years but loved it as a kid. Must have been too many attractions at mgm ; )

Welcome back and good luck on the house hunting.

 

[DisneyParkLover]

Joining in. Finally caught up. We are taking a 2 year old next year and it's been nice to see how he's been. She's very laid back as long as she gets good and things to see. She'll literally fall asleep anywhere, so I'm hoping a similar experience for what y'all seemed to have with DS!

I hope you have a similar experience! There were a couple meltdowns, but for the most part he is a super easy travel companion. He goes with the flow and naps in the stroller. He enjoys everything he is able to ride and is pretty patient while other people ride.

Sorry to hear about the stomach bug on your most recent trip but glad to hear you had a good time anyway

Thanks! It was a bummer, especially since it slowed it down on an already short trip. And the heat was tough, especially when you are not feeling great. But it just goes to show that not everything has to be perfect to have a great trip!

That must be so great for the little ones to be at Disney Jr Live - especially being that close they must feel like they are "in" the show

He definitely enjoyed it!

Glad you got one last view of the Indy Show

Me too! I've always liked that show.

My daughter loves the jr show too, though we've always had a girl be the host of the show. My daughter gets a kick out of it because her name is Casey and the host usually uses that name too.

I wonder if our guy was Casey too? Either way he was a good host!

Who knew abc commissary had steak. And your burgers look great. We only ate there once and it wasn't very good. Looks like it may be worth another Visit

It was pretty good. We like Starring Rolls a lot better, but will probably return especially since there are so few choices at DHS.

They are removing Indiana jones? Totally missed that one. Haven't been in years but loved it as a kid. Must have been too many attractions at mgm ; )

Hahaha! Yep, too many attractions. They are taking it out for room for whatever they are doing in that area (Star Wars? Cars?).

Welcome back and good luck on the house hunting.

Thank you! It is exciting, but also stressful.

 

[DisneyParkLover]

Announcement:

I have added a new countdown clock to my desktop. That's right - we are going back to the World in July! I had already taken a day off for a long weekend right after Luke's birthday. DH and I had discussed a family trip of some kind or possibly a short couple's trip. When we got back from our most recent trip, DH said "Why not go back to Disney?" This was a big deal since I am usually the one suggesting more Disney! We researched more and really it made the most sense. We really wanted to do a trip where Luke could come (and enjoy it). For his age group, that limits options. And since we already have the APs, it made a lot of financial sense. We have points for airfare and gift cards for dining, etc. So all we are paying is $500 for 4 nights lodging! We will be arriving 7/23 and departing 7/27. We are super excited!

 

[lilpixiebabe101]

I hope you have a similar experience! There were a couple meltdowns, but for the most part he is a super easy travel companion. He goes with the flow and naps in the stroller. He enjoys everything he is able to ride and is pretty patient while other people ride.

I'm hoping that is the case. She's almost 10 months and the most laid back thing. As long as she has things to look at or food she doesn't care!

And so exciting to be going back in July!!!

 

[kastoney]

Congrats on the new trip. We are doing the same thing next month with almost the same game plan. Don't ya just love Annual pass math ; )

 

[DisneyParkLover]

Day 6 - 'Ohana Means Delicious!

When we left off, we were heading out of Hollywood Studios. We went back to the resort with the hope that Luke would nap. But he was having none of that! So instead I let DH rest and my mom and I took Luke to the pool. We went to the smaller/quieter pool instead of the main pool this time. It was much closer to our room and since Luke didn't really care about the baby pool it made more sense to go here. My dad had planned on resting too, but either he couldn't or chose not too, because he joined us a little while later. We had a good time and while the pool was still cool, it actually felt nice since it was hot and sunny out.

Luke had a good time, but eventually got to a point where he just wanted to run around instead of swim. So I got him dry and changed and DH and I took him to the playground for a little while. He enjoyed his play time and when he was done we were all ready to head back to the parks.

Our evening park was none other than the lovely Magic Kingdom! We had to stop for some pictures of the castle. It is even more beautiful at night!








After our photo stop, we headed on to Fantasyland. Our first stop was a flight with Peter Pan. Too short, but always one of my favorites. Next we had gotten a 4th fastpass for Dumbo, so we made our way over there. This ride is so beautiful at night!












We had a blast on this classic! We headed back into Fantasyland and since the FP kiosks had no line, I checked and was able to get a 5th fastpass for it's a small world for immediate use. So we went over there next and were able to bypass the 20 minute standby line and walk right on! Luke absolutely loved this ride! He was so entranced by all the colors, singing, and dancing! He kept pointing and clapping and doing his little happy baby dance!


















Definitely a Luke approved attraction! Next we started heading out of the park to make our way to the Polynesian for dinner. But I had one more attraction I wanted to hit, so I checked the kiosk to see if there were any fastpasses left. Unfortunately, there weren't. So we kept heading out of the park, stopping to get a couple pictures of the newly placed Christmas decorations.







But we didn't spend much time since we knew we would be getting a better look tomorrow!


(Continued in next post)

 

[DisneyParkLover]

(Continued from previous post)

We were about to leave the park, but I thought I should at least check the wait time for the aforementioned desired attraction. There was a 25 minute wait. Everyone else in my party wanted to leave as it would cause us to be cutting it close on our dinner reservation, but I really wanted to wait.

So my family indulged me, and about 20 minutes later we were here:




I was so excited that Mickey didn't have laryngitis and Luke was able to hear Mickey talk to him! Luke actually started out a little shy (possibly because he was tired):






Fortunately, Mickey was awesome and took Luke by the hand and walked around the room doing train sounds and motions with him!







Soon Luke warmed up and was all hugs!












Here are the Photopass pictures:














This was a great meet and greet and I'm glad we made the time for it! Afterwards, we had to rush to get to dinner. Fortunately, we made good time and got there a couple minutes before our reservation time. But we still had to wait 40 minutes to be seated. It worked out okay, though, because Luke fell asleep in the stroller while we waited and slept through most of dinner. Plus we got a great table with a perfect view for the fireworks!

On our previous visit, I had enjoyed this restaurant, but didn't consider it a must to repeat. My dad didn't agree though, and insisted we return. I'm glad he did, because this time everything was awesome! Everything was hot and fresh and cooked perfectly! I could have eaten a full plate of potstickers and bread pudding by myself! Yum! Everyone else loved it too. I guess we were so busy enjoying the food that we slacked on pictures. But I have a couple to share.






After dinner, everyone was stuffed and happy! We went back to All Stars Music and pretty much fell into bed!

 

[kastoney]

What a great night, especially with the luck getting fast passes in the evening and of course the talking Mickey score. Luke is just too cute meeting Mickey. Sounds like Ohana was the perfect end to your night

 

[Gracefulskinny]

We went back to the resort with the hope that Luke would nap. But he was having none of that!

I may know a thing or two about that!

We had to stop for some pictures of the castle. It is even more beautiful at night!

I was so excited that Mickey didn't have laryngitis

That is one way to put it!

 

[DisneyParkLover]

I'm hoping that is the case. She's almost 10 months and the most laid back thing. As long as she has things to look at or food she doesn't care!

And so exciting to be going back in July!!!

I'm sure you will have a great trip! I know a lot of people disagree, but I don't think there is ever a wrong time to take a kid to Disney. If we were only going to go once I would wait until he was older, but I love these trips with him being this little. It is awesome to see him enjoying it. Plus he is pretty easy, so we all have a great time.

Congrats on the new trip. We are doing the same thing next month with almost the same game plan. Don't ya just love Annual pass math ; )

Yep! My co-workers think we are completely insane, but I don't care. As I was explaining to my one co-worker, there are not many places to go with a two year old where both the adults and the toddler have fun. And with annual passes, gift cards, and points for flights we are going for about $500. You can't even go to the beach for that little! After I explained it that way she started to see the logic!

What a great night, especially with the luck getting fast passes in the evening and of course the talking Mickey score. Luke is just too cute meeting Mickey. Sounds like Ohana was the perfect end to your night

It was awesome. I loved seeing Luke with Mickey and 'Ohana was so delicious!

 

[DisneyParkLover]

I may know a thing or two about that!

Hahahaha! Yes you do! I am enjoying reading about your trip with Little Miss.

 

[DisneyParkLover]

Day 7 - To Sleep In or Not To Sleep In

So we are up to day 7! I have finished 3/4 of this trip report. That is both happy and sad at the same time! I need to finish this report, though, if I want any chance of doing a trip report for our May trip. Especially with another trip right around the corner in July! But these last two trip days were very full ones, so we still have a lot of ground to cover. So hang on to your hats, folks. It's gonna be a wild ride.

On this particular day, we had planned to sleep in, since we knew it would be a late night. Unfortunately, no one remembered to inform Luke of the plan, so he was up nice and early! Since we had a couple extra counter service credits, we decided to make good use of them by trying out a place I had been dying to try - Wolfgang Puck Express! So we got all packed up and headed to Downtown Disney, battled the construction, parked, walked to WPE, and.....it was closed!

I guess I should have double checked, but I thought since they served breakfast that they would be open early so that people could eat before heading to the parks. But I was wrong. Fortunately, Earl of Sandwich was open, so we headed over there instead.





My parents had the Holiday Turkey - Turkey, corn bread stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce and mayonnaise and DH and I had the Italian - Salami, capicola, ham, mortadella, mozzarella, roma tomato and Italian dressing (peppers optional). They were both delicious (as the food always is here), but I was a little sad because I wanted to try Wolfgang Puck Express. Someday.

After our breakfast, we headed to our morning park - Animal Kingdom! On the way, I got some pictures entering through the arch to make up for not getting them on our first day.






We headed towards the back of the park for our traditional early morning safari, but first we stopped for a few Photopass pictures (note another use of the popular arms spread pose! ).










After posing for the camera, we struck out on safari! Great trip as always. Here are a few favorite photos from this time:













Our morning was off to a great start, but we still have a lot in store so stay tuned!

 

[TinkLoverSam]

I've enjoyed reading both of your trip reports in preparation for my next visit to the world with my soon to be born bundle of joy. Between you, @Dugette , @Leshaface , and others with infants I feel like we'll be able to do this! Even in August

 

[Gracefulskinny]

Unfortunately, no one remembered to inform Luke of the plan,

Ah... the best laid plans spoiled by toddlers.

note another use of the popular arms spread pose! ).

I didn't understood the popularity of that particular pose with the photopass people.

 

[sue_88]

I decided to read some trip reports to relax on my day off today. I really enjoyed yours! Thank you for the great reporting!