We're late for a very important date May 2013 TR Updated 5/17 New TR started!

[natebenma]

All caught up!

Nice fake out with the "we are back in Baltimore". Ha Ha!

I am super impressed with how Gavin is doing so far. He looks so alert and happy and engaged in the pictures where he is awake, and oh-so-cute when he is sleeping.

Not a bad picture of the welcome sign. I have much worse and no excuse that I am holding a baby while taking it.

I have seen some pictures of AoA, a few of the rooms, but none of the suites. The suite looks awesome!!! I love the details in this resort. Disney!

I haven't heard about the hallway aromas before. That is cool!!! I wonder if the other buildings have themed smells too.

Nice little pick-me-up pre-dinner meal! Nutella gelato??? YUM!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

love all the detail in your report and also how you do your pictures!

Also glad that even with all the craziness of your travel day you were able to appreciate the "Disneyishness" of your room/surroundings

Hope things go smoother for the rest of your trip!

 

[amazingact21]

Thanks for reading! How old will your little one be, about 8 months? Everyone thought we were crazy to attempt to take a baby to Disney but honestly it was the best time to go. It was the 1-2 weeks BEFORE he started being mobile so he was very content and he absolutely loved everything and slept better and nursed better there which was my biggest worries before we left. I was always looking for TRs involving babies before I left and didn't find very many so I was determined to write this TR for anyone else in the same boat nervous about taking a baby!

My son will turn 8 months on the last day of our trip, which I'm hoping is a good age to take him. I figured he won't want to run around at that age, but will still be old enough to enjoy the sights and sounds around him. It gives me great comfort to hear you say your son slept and nursed better at Disney. That's a good sign!
I appreciate the TR, even if it just lets me go, "Okay, if they can handle an infant at Disney then so can I."


***


Art of Animation sounds amazing! I've been dying to see the resort, and I love that the suites have inside hallways. That's one of my negatives on the other value resorts. And how cool that the hallway smelled liked the beach...it's always a little nostalgic when you get back home and smell something that takes you back to your vacation.


That brownie looks delicious. Plus, it's always nice when someone else picks the food item you're secretly wanting to try. Saves you the hassle.

 

[marDgreen88]

All caught up and joining in! Good LORD, what a crazy and stressful day that must have been. So glad you finally made it to Disney!

 

[Happy Duck]

OH MY GOODNESS.

I just read through your TR up until this point and it is RIDICULOUS. I am one of those people that can't handle things going crazy awry, so I would probably have gone off the deep end. From what it sounds (reads) like, you stayed very calm. Well done!!!!

Seriously though, what a twisted route to Florida. And thanks, by the way... seriously stared at the screen in disbelief when you said that you were back in Baltimore. That was a mean trick!!!

The room looks amazing! Great idea putting Gavin into the Nemo outfit for room pictures. He matches perfectly!

I can't wait to read about your 'Ohana experience! That was definitely a MUST-DO ADR for me. I can't wait to experience all of that yummy food that I keep seeing pictures of. They really need to invent a system where you look at the food picture and it magically appears in front of you. Also can't wait for the rest of AOA--- we are staying there for 1 night!

 

[dtr_angel]

Next Update​

 

[dtr_angel]

All caught up!

Nice fake out with the "we are back in Baltimore". Ha Ha!

I am super impressed with how Gavin is doing so far. He looks so alert and happy and engaged in the pictures where he is awake, and oh-so-cute when he is sleeping.

Not a bad picture of the welcome sign. I have much worse and no excuse that I am holding a baby while taking it.

I have seen some pictures of AoA, a few of the rooms, but none of the suites. The suite looks awesome!!! I love the details in this resort. Disney!

I haven't heard about the hallway aromas before. That is cool!!! I wonder if the other buildings have themed smells too.

Nice little pick-me-up pre-dinner meal! Nutella gelato??? YUM!

The gelato was so good!

Gavin did so well on this trip, it was definitely a good time to take him. Right now... that would be a different story. He is into EVERYTHING!

I heard the Beach Club has a distinct smell. I don't remember it though, although I'm sure you do! I wonder if other buildings do? Cars probably wouldn't smell that great, haha

love all the detail in your report and also how you do your pictures!

Also glad that even with all the craziness of your travel day you were able appreciate the "Disneyishness" of your room/surroundings

Hope things go smoother for the rest of your trip!

Welcome, thanks so much for reading!

It was hard to be upset when you are in a place that great. I absolutely loved our Nemo suite at AoA, it spoiled me for sure!

Thanks!

My son will turn 8 months on the last day of our trip, which I'm hoping is a good age to take him. I figured he won't want to run around at that age, but will still be old enough to enjoy the sights and sounds around him. It gives me great comfort to hear you say your son slept and nursed better at Disney. That's a good sign!
I appreciate the TR, even if it just lets me go, "Okay, if they can handle an infant at Disney then so can I."


***


Art of Animation sounds amazing! I've been dying to see the resort, and I love that the suites have inside hallways. That's one of my negatives on the other value resorts. And how cool that the hallway smelled liked the beach...it's always a little nostalgic when you get back home and smell something that takes you back to your vacation.


That brownie looks delicious. Plus, it's always nice when someone else picks the food item you're secretly wanting to try. Saves you the hassle.

Yeah that will be a good age. My son started crawling and pulling himself up the week after we got back from Disney. Now that he is into everything and all over the place it would be so much harder to do Disney with him.

I really loved the Nemo suite! I like the little pick me up I get when I catch a wiff of the smell here at home. Where are you staying when you take your little guy?

haha it was nice that he picked it out. Then I didn't feel like I was making all the decisions and I still got to eat the yummy brownie

All caught up and joining in! Good LORD, what a crazy and stressful day that must have been. So glad you finally made it to Disney!

Thank you so much for reading! Yeah, what a day We are driving next time, any idea why?

OH MY GOODNESS.

I just read through your TR up until this point and it is RIDICULOUS. I am one of those people that can't handle things going crazy awry, so I would probably have gone off the deep end. From what it sounds (reads) like, you stayed very calm. Well done!!!!

Seriously though, what a twisted route to Florida. And thanks, by the way... seriously stared at the screen in disbelief when you said that you were back in Baltimore. That was a mean trick!!!

The room looks amazing! Great idea putting Gavin into the Nemo outfit for room pictures. He matches perfectly!

I can't wait to read about your 'Ohana experience! That was definitely a MUST-DO ADR for me. I can't wait to experience all of that yummy food that I keep seeing pictures of. They really need to invent a system where you look at the food picture and it magically appears in front of you. Also can't wait for the rest of AOA--- we are staying there for 1 night!

Um yeah the getting there was quite the adventure! I feel like someone had given me a chill pill, I don't know how I stayed calm all day! The only point where I got a little cranky was when my DH was trying to push himself in the WC when we were trying to get to our room, not sure why LOL.

Haha I didn't think anyone was going to fall for my little 'gotcha' on the Baltimore thing. Even my brother and DH were like what the... when they read it and they were THERE. haha!

Ohana was amazing, it is seriously a must do! I wish that technology existed too. I need me some bread pudding now...

I hope you love AoA as much as we did!

Thank you so much for reading!

 

[natebenma]

That picture was taken at 7:56pm. Im not sure how long he slept, it was around a half hour I believe. Finally around 830 Daniel went to ask how long it was going to be. We had just been able to take some comfy spots on a couch in the waiting area and I nursed Gavin again. Right after that our pager went off and it was finally our turn to be seated! By this point I was so tired and hungry I had given up ever eating at Ohana. I wish they wouldve told us when we checked in that we basically no longer had a reservation and would be waiting almost 2 hours. It was worth the wait though!

​

Like "Aloha", "Ohana" means many things. Family is one meaning. "We will punish you for being late for your ADR" is another meaning!

Seriously, we also suffered the wrath of the tiki gods when we were 20 minutes late checking in.

But it all worked out, you had a terrific waiter, a super yummy meal AND you were unintentionally there for Wishes.

Wow! That was quite a first day! Definitely interested in what tomorrow is going to bring.

 

[natebenma]

I heard the Beach Club has a distinct smell. I don't remember it though, although I'm sure you do! I wonder if other buildings do? Cars probably wouldn't smell that great, haha

Yes, the Beach Club has a smell piped in through a scent-air system. The actual scent is Green Clover and Aloe. During the holidays it is changed to a Gingerbread smell.

Cars might not be as bad as a themed smell in the Lion King section, if you know what I mean!

 

[Buntington]

Subscribing to this a bit late. We have a three-month-old and are tentatively planning a trip for sometime next year, so I'm curious to see how you navigated everything with a 10-month-old! We love Ohana too and will definitely have an ADR there for our next trip. Loving the updates so far!

 

[Happy Duck]

FOOOOOOOOOOD.

Our Ohana ressie is a week into our stay...I don't know how I am going to be able to wait that long!

Look like it was a great place for a nap, though it was unfortunate that you had to wait almost 2 hours! That's so strange that they had all of those empty tables and couldn't get you in. Odd.

Midnight on the first day, huh? Sounds about right! I think we'll go to midnight/1am the first few nights but by day 5 I think we're going to hit a major wall. Headfirst. Without a helmet. And still, we'll manage to wake up at 7am because, well, that's what you Disney does to you!

 

[emmysmommy]

Oh my goodness! Your first day was quite an adventure but you handled it so well. At least it ended on a high note with dinner at 'Ohana - and during the fireworks show!

Gavin is completely adorable and traveled so well. I'm sure nursing helped. (Em nursed for 18 months and had terrible separation anxiety when I wasn't around.)

So did your DH trip on something and break his foot in the baby's room? That's funny that you were so exhausted that you didn't know until morning what had happened.

I look forward to hearing about the rest of your trip.

 

[amazingact21]

It's crazy how long you have to wait sometimes if you show up late to an ADR. You'd think there'd be a little bit of leniency. I mean, they've got to understand the unreliability of the buses and monorails, not to mention the poor families that get lost. I used to be on time for everything, but since having Landon, I find I'm always running behind. It takes a lot more time corraling a baby, diaper bag full of stuff, other adults, car keys, phone, etc out the door.


Even with the long wait, I'm glad dinner was just a delicious as you'd remembered it to be. Those pot stickers and noodles look so good! And, hey, topping off dessert with the Wishes music isn't too shabby of an ending.


Aw, Gavin's first taste of ice cream! That's a cute little Disney memory to keep. Plus, you got a picture of it. I'm sure the next time you eat at Ohana's you'll think about that.
I don't plan on giving Landon very many sweets once he starts eating solids, but since his grandmother will be with us at Disney, I'm sure he'll get his first taste of ice cream there, too.

 

[marDgreen88]

What an absolutely stressful day, but I'm so glad it ended on a high note with 'Ohana and Wishes! Hopefully the rest of your trip will go a little more smoothly?

 

[ohboyx3]

Ugh that happened to us at Ohana's as well and we were on time for our reservation. I love eating there, but thinking about skipping this next trip, because it takes such a big chunk out of our day.

 

[Dugette]

Just caught up on the last few updates. Really enjoying reading about your trip.

Art of Animation looks great. Someday we'll have to stay there. And Nutella gelato? Yum!

I didn't realize there was an Avengerail and a Monsterail. Guess I'm not keeping up so well on the WDW news. Oh, well.

Ah, the Poly. Yeah, that was a great view from your nursing spot. I'll have to keep that in mind if Dug Baby is still nursing when we go.

We originally weren't planning to do an 'Ohana dinner on our upcoming trip, but Dug decided to snag an ADR "just in case". Now that Dug Baby is eating solids, we've discovered that she LOVES meat, so maybe this would be an awesome dinner. Steak, chicken, and bread would make her a happy baby! So cool that Gavin got his first taste of ice cream there! Too bad the wait was so long, but at least you got to see some fireworks, I guess!

Looking forward to what's to come! Hope the other days go more smoothly!

 

[Dugette]

Oh, I forgot to mention that I also clean up the floor under Dug Baby when we go out. She is a very messy eater and I'd feel bad just leaving all that stuff laying around. So, you're not alone!

 

[maryj11]

Joining in Wow I would have had a panic attack and fainted if I had gone through what you did at the airport Now I will never listen to other people's suggestion on when to leave for a flight Glad you finally made it to Disney !

 

[dtr_angel]

Yes, the Beach Club has a smell piped in through a scent-air system. The actual scent is Green Clover and Aloe. During the holidays it is changed to a Gingerbread smell.

Cars might not be as bad as a themed smell in the Lion King section, if you know what I mean!

That is so cool! haha yes, I wouldn't be in a hurry to stay in a Lion King suite

Subscribing to this a bit late. We have a three-month-old and are tentatively planning a trip for sometime next year, so I'm curious to see how you navigated everything with a 10-month-old! We love Ohana too and will definitely have an ADR there for our next trip. Loving the updates so far!

Welcome! Thanks for reading!! Our DS was 9.5 months old on this trip and it was the perfect age to take him. I highly recommend Ohana, it is definitely a must do!

Like "Aloha", "Ohana" means many things. Family is one meaning. "We will punish you for being late for your ADR" is another meaning!

Seriously, we also suffered the wrath of the tiki gods when we were 20 minutes late checking in.

But it all worked out, you had a terrific waiter, a super yummy meal AND you were unintentionally there for Wishes.

Wow! That was quite a first day! Definitely interested in what tomorrow is going to bring.

Best. Comment. Ever. haha. So true! I remember the last time we ate there we had to wait a long time. I believe I heard/read/or made up that it's one of the most sought out ADRs in all of Disney World. It looked to me like they had remodeled since the last time we ate there in 2009 and I believe there are way more tables. I still don't know what is up with having to wait so long even with an ADR!

FOOOOOOOOOOD.

Our Ohana ressie is a week into our stay...I don't know how I am going to be able to wait that long!

Look like it was a great place for a nap, though it was unfortunate that you had to wait almost 2 hours! That's so strange that they had all of those empty tables and couldn't get you in. Odd.

Midnight on the first day, huh? Sounds about right! I think we'll go to midnight/1am the first few nights but by day 5 I think we're going to hit a major wall. Headfirst. Without a helmet. And still, we'll manage to wake up at 7am because, well, that's what you Disney does to you!

Oh you've never eaten at Ohana? Ahhh you will love it!! It will be so worth the wait for a week into your trip. I wish I would've known we were going to wait that long. Then we could've explored the resort/beach and maybe had a nap Even though we planned to have early nights every night, it didn't happen. Oh Disney!

Oh my goodness! Your first day was quite an adventure but you handled it so well. At least it ended on a high note with dinner at 'Ohana - and during the fireworks show!

Gavin is completely adorable and traveled so well. I'm sure nursing helped. (Em nursed for 18 months and had terrible separation anxiety when I wasn't around.)

So did your DH trip on something and break his foot in the baby's room? That's funny that you were so exhausted that you didn't know until morning what had happened.

I look forward to hearing about the rest of your trip.

Thank you so much for reading!! It was an adventure. I couldn't imagine a better ending than being at Ohana with my family during Wishes!

Thank you so much. Nursing definitely comes in handy Gavin is such a momma's boy.

It's crazy how long you have to wait sometimes if you show up late to an ADR. You'd think there'd be a little bit of leniency. I mean, they've got to understand the unreliability of the buses and monorails, not to mention the poor families that get lost. I used to be on time for everything, but since having Landon, I find I'm always running behind. It takes a lot more time corraling a baby, diaper bag full of stuff, other adults, car keys, phone, etc out the door.


Even with the long wait, I'm glad dinner was just a delicious as you'd remembered it to be. Those pot stickers and noodles look so good! And, hey, topping off dessert with the Wishes music isn't too shabby of an ending.


Aw, Gavin's first taste of ice cream! That's a cute little Disney memory to keep. Plus, you got a picture of it. I'm sure the next time you eat at Ohana's you'll think about that.
I don't plan on giving Landon very many sweets once he starts eating solids, but since his grandmother will be with us at Disney, I'm sure he'll get his first taste of ice cream there, too.

THANK YOU for saying that. Seriously, most of the times we have been late for ADRS was because of waiting for busses/boats/monorails and all the delays of Disney transportation. We were always cutting it close with everything before becoming parents, but now that Gavin is here we are like 100x worse LOL. I guess now we have an excuse. I'm trying so hard to fix it because I really hate being late but it's hard with a baby!

Even though we did not plan on being there that late, it did work out with Wishes!

What an absolutely stressful day, but I'm so glad it ended on a high note with 'Ohana and Wishes! Hopefully the rest of your trip will go a little more smoothly?

You can't go wrong when your day ends with Ohana bread pudding AND Wishes at the same time. Smoother sailing ahead!

Ugh that happened to us at Ohana's as well and we were on time for our reservation. I love eating there, but thinking about skipping this next trip, because it takes such a big chunk out of our day.

I can't believe you had to wait and you were on time, that's terrible!! I agree it takes so long. Our service this time was quick but the first time we ate there we waited to be seated (not 2 hours though!) and the service was so slow. As much as I would love to eat there every trip, it takes away a whole night!

Just caught up on the last few updates. Really enjoying reading about your trip.

Art of Animation looks great. Someday we'll have to stay there. And Nutella gelato? Yum!

I didn't realize there was an Avengerail and a Monsterail. Guess I'm not keeping up so well on the WDW news. Oh, well.

Ah, the Poly. Yeah, that was a great view from your nursing spot. I'll have to keep that in mind if Dug Baby is still nursing when we go.

We originally weren't planning to do an 'Ohana dinner on our upcoming trip, but Dug decided to snag an ADR "just in case". Now that Dug Baby is eating solids, we've discovered that she LOVES meat, so maybe this would be an awesome dinner. Steak, chicken, and bread would make her a happy baby! So cool that Gavin got his first taste of ice cream there! Too bad the wait was so long, but at least you got to see some fireworks, I guess!

Looking forward to what's to come! Hope the other days go more smoothly!

Oh, I forgot to mention that I also clean up the floor under Dug Baby when we go out. She is a very messy eater and I'd feel bad just leaving all that stuff laying around. So, you're not alone!

Thank you so much for reading! I LOVED AoA, all the space we had in that suite had us spoiled! I just replied in your thread but Ohana was awesome, so many choices I'm sure Dug Baby will love it!

I guess it's a mom thing but I couldn't imagine just leaving that mess there!

Joining in Wow I would have had a panic attack and fainted if I had gone through what you did at the airport Now I will never listen to other people's suggestion on when to leave for a flight Glad you finally made it to Disney !

We definitely learned our lesson about the airport. Never again will we listen to someone else and allow so little time. Next time we're driving though haha Thanks for reading!

 

[dtr_angel]

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