What do you mean Jan we are going in Sept. trip report

[fireflymedic]

Pre trip report:

First I have to explain that we, that is Me, Bryan, 44: Firefighter/Paramedic/Lt. Live in the panhandle of Fla. Some 5-6 hr. drive from Disney

Wife, Johnna Older than me by a yr. or two she wont say exactly. Stay at home mother and boy does she have her work cut out for her.

Son#1, 3 yr old, Drew, wild child wide open all day long, does not like a nap or going to bed at night. But cute as a bug in a rug as they say, (he would have to be to not be killed) this boy will drive you crazy, do wrong just to see what happens, this kid is a climber and a jumper very hyper , I would say tough but if he hurts himself it’s a big production.

Son #2, 2 yr. old, Matt. Also cute as a bug in a rug, but much more quite, can play all by himself with a toy car and not bother any one, only problem is the only car he ever wants is the one his brother just picked up.
Fight, o ya all the time. He loves his brother gives him hugs all the time but man they fight and poke and push down each other like they hate one another.

Now a little back ground, we plan on a 4 day trip in Sept. kind of to celebrate Matt’s birth day witch would be at the end of Aug, Drew’s birthday witch is at the beginning of Sept. and also Our wedding anniversary in end of Sept. Now this was planed and booked way back in November before Disney’s anousment of “what will you celebrate“. So as we are not actually going to be there on either Childs BD we actually get nothing! O boy I feel the magic already. Any Way this is the most fancy (IE expensive) vacation we have ever done, My parents are going with us so I needed a room for 6. We wanted the animal kingdom. So we booked 3 nights at the Animal Kingdom Kidani villas, a 2 bedroom. Savanna view. We cant Waite, I have been coming hear and other Disney sites researching .

If I may digress, I also have a work related (although I’m paying for it) trade show in Daytona Beach on Jan 30 & 31. That my dad and two boys (wife has a singing convention in Panama City herself and cant go) are attending. Well I notice that Disney has rooms for $49 So I call my dad and ask what he is doing the 3 days before the convention, he says nothing so I say keep the days open. Call supervisor at work (I’m at work when this Super duper idea hit me). I need off 1 extra shift to pull off a quick 3 days at Disney world. The shift I need is available so I fill out a leave slip, get on line and book 2 nights at the Pop.

Now keep in mind I never talked to the wife to get her okey dockey. My partner at work thinks I’m crazy but I know its easer to get forgiven than permeation. Tell her next day she is OK with it. Even though she will miss the first time the boys go to Disney, and she shore does wish she could come, of course she cant because of the Convention she has.

So Jan 27 gets hear before you know it, at 3 am we are off.

Now I’m thinking if you wake a 2 and 3 yr. old quietly move them to a van that you have the seat reclined in they will drift off (back) to sleep, well you would be wrong, no they are wide awake now. I think they finally went to sleep about the time I needed more fuel which of course wakes them back up. Gezzz this is not going as planed, not at all. Now I will have two kids who when they get tired get mean and ornery.

I thought I had put in the address to the Pop into my Garmin GPS but when I go to pull up the saved address, it’s the animal kingdom (the Sept. trip) not the Pop, and it can not find the address to the Pop, Not going as planed at all, well I’m hoping that the Pop is close to the Animal kingdom because that is the address I tell Garmin to take me too.

Well the trip to Disney is 6 hrs from my house to 3 + 6 = rope drop at Disney right? Wrong! there is a time zone between me and them of course (My Garmin knows this because it puts up my arrival time as 10:00. Of course I know it too but its impact on our trip is just now sinking in, how could I be that stupid to forget that we are in Central. Of course it probably didn’t matter 2 am would have been to early for me to drive that far.

So we get there to the Pop at check in, wow the magic starts because we have our room, so we go to our room and unpack. So now we are at noon and we still are not at the parks.

Now our room was on the 2nd floor of the ‘50’s building, it’s the bowling pin section of the resort. The room is clean and quite nice for $50, small but functional, close to the parking lot, but not so close to the busses pick up spot, no big deal though. Speaking of busses, had no problem with them except one time going home after MK closes we get a bus with forward seating seats and only about a 18 inch isle, not wide enough for my double stroller folded up. So I have to put it over my head to tote it, sorry to any one I mite have hit with it. They need to get rid of that old buss or at least change the seating set up.

OK, so its noon and we finally make it to MK. The kids love the bus ride. We go straight to Dumbo, probably 25-30 minute wait. Or in kids terms fore-ever. they want to pull on the chain divider walk by people hit people wonder off any thing but stand in line, thing about Dumbo the line moves a bunch than stops for a long long time, than moves again a bunch, so kids get board fast. We finally make it and the love it. After we ride it we see the one Dumbo to take you pic with outside the ride, just one dumbo sitting there with steps going to it. My kids love to just sit there and keep asking to go back to that dumbo. Gezz could have saved my self a ½ hr wait in line LOL well after that we go to it’s a small world after all, kids like it OK get a fast pass for Peter Pan and off to the train, (who my son#1 calls Thomas the train, I don’t have the heart to tell him its not, but we find a roller coaster they are tall enough for, Barn Stormer, now not sure if Son#2 will like this, I hold him up and let him watch it he wants to go. On it Walk on or close to it so in 5 minutes we are off, I hear him yell and I think o no I look at him he is smiling, a yelp of joy that was. More magic, this trip may be turning around. We ride it 2 more times than off to the train. Son#1 wants to know why its red instead of green (His Thomas the train at home is green) but he likes the train all the same.

We ride the carousal a couple of times, tea cups once, use the fast past for Peter pan (it gets dark in there either there or the Winnie the poo ride any way I have a glow stick so I activate 2 of them and give one to each of them and this makes thim OK with the dark, it was a skinney 4 inch one I recomend this for any one with a child he does not like the dark).

than I see Tigger and Poo in a meet and great spot, line seems long but hay it Poo and Tigger my two favorites and the kids know them from all the books we have on Winnie the Poo. Not sure how long we wait think it may have been 3 days, OK not really 3 days but 3 hrs maybe OK probably only 2 but OMG it was a long wait but after you wait for an hour and finally only ¼ of the way back you cant get out of line now, so we wait and wait, finally we get to see them, I try not to hog to much time with them knowing all the other kids waiting so I grab the kids after they have time to hug both of them, Son#2 is trying to get back but I say its time to go, finally he almost cried saying he didn’t get to kiss tigger good buy, o gezz I’m a bad father poor boy only got to kiss poo. But he was ok didn’t cry. In fact not once was MY kids the one pitching a fitt, and I never bought them any toy, only one ice cream every thing else was food, if they wanted a drink I got it out of the cooler I had brought.

Than we are off to the section the Buzz light year is in We ride the little elevated train thing over by Buzz light year, we finally find buzz light year and more Magic, it’s a walk on ride (at most 5 min. wait) , now I remind you its walk on not every car is filled I have Son#1 with me my dad right behind me has son #2, So I get in my car, takes a while to get son and me in it so we are near the end of loading zone and I look to my right My dad is getting into OUR car, what the heck, no time to argue we are near the end of the loading zone, I ask my Dad how many guns/lazars he seas, of course it is only 2, but at least I can control the joy stick. Thinking a gun for each kid leaves me the joystick right? Wrong Son#1 wants to do both. Now I know were the 100,000 point target is but I cant even aim the ship at it. Son#2 cant even make the gun fire think he wants dads help? NO Will son #1 give up the gun to just do the joystick NO. He seems to like shooting at the wall because that is the area he keeps our ship pointed, if not in a full left or right any way.

Well we ride it again it being a walk on, and I tell my dad if he puts one foot in our ship I’m giving him a black eye LOL

Well second time I resole the joystick away from the son just long enough to hit the 100K target once so now I’m happy.

Now its about 7:15pm my kids have been up since 4am eastern time so they are getting pretty tired, they are acting drunk, not that I’ve seen a drunk 2 or 3 yr old but THIS has to be what its like they are giggling/laughing at every thing, trying to run off in the wrong direction not listening to me at all, so we put them in the stroller and go look for a spot to watch the fire works and tinker bell. And let me tell you if we ever watch the fireworks again it will be from the buss stop, too many people all trying to get out for my liking.

Well Son#2 falls asleep and wont wake up but son#1 loves it.

Well its off to the buss, takes a while but we finally board the buss and dad has son#2 who is still asleep and he finds a seat I go straight to the weal chair door and stand there with my stroller son#1 go up the steps I holler at him to get back with me but he says there is a seat open, well in that case I guess you can sit, its all the way in the back, I keep eye contact with him and he has a sparkle in his eye and big smile on his face he is loving this. Well smiles leaves, than sparkle is gone, than eyes are closed , lady next to him ask if she should wake him, I say sure, but he is OUT cold, so when we finally get to Pop, I take stroller out and go back and most of the people in the back section waited for me to return to get him, nice to see people that care. O the magic is wonderful.

Well son#2 finally wakes up now we are at the room and he can go to bed, now you would think one of the kids would sleep with granddad, but you would be wrong, they both MUST sleep with me. Those beds are not big enough for 3 even if 2 of them are under 30 pounds.

Now I know I’m going to be able to hear the toilets flush from reading hear that doesn’t bother me, what I cant ignore is listening for the sink to run after the toilet flush, some times it does some times not. This and a kid on each side of me kicking or hitting keeps me awake for the longest time. But finally sleep blessed bliss sleep.

Stay toned for day # 2 & 3

 

[OhMari]

This is just plane ole good.
You remind me of a teacher my kids had.
He would bring the baby and his 2 year old to
functions.
He would have one kid on his hip and the other one he would be
holding around the neck, and the kids were as happy as can be.

 

[DearDaisyinDurham]

awesome report!!! Sorry your wife missed it but sounds like the guys had a blast.

 

[fireflymedic]

OK day #2, off to Epcot, we go to Nemo as we are about 8 ft from entering the show area they put up the rope, darn, what luck were is the magic? Well we watch the sting rays and fish, and than I decide to go look at the quiz machines which are all most all open, and I take the quiz 3 times twice in easy mode to get each kid a cert (I didn’t know we would get a cert till they announced it), and than once in advance just to see how hard a questions they would be and lole and behold I get good enough for another cert for ME this time. It will be a cool lamento for us all. Than we go to crush the show is a little over my kids head and a little preachy for me. This is one thing I did not like about epcot, they try to push the tree hugger green way to much, If I wanted preaching would go to church, I’m hear for FUN

Than off to the area were Sorin is get a 3 fast passes for sorrin than we ride that boat ride thing there in the same building (get preached at again) let my dad ride sorin while we are sitting on the benches by the exit to sorin in the fast past machine area son#1 falls of seat and hits face first on that hard floor, now he is crying, but no blood, gona get a lump on the forehead but he is crying like he broke something (did I tell you he hams up injuries) any way he is crying “I don’t want it to hurt” well heck who does, CM keeps checking on us finally he gets happy again and dad comes out, we leave and I find a couple walking up towards us I ask them if they are going to Sorin they say yes I ask if they have FP for it they say no, I say now you do! And you don’t have to wait on the time they as they are good now. Its good to spread the magic. They are very thankful and off we go to the “worlds section” man its hard to find the bridge over to there. We eat MacDonald’s fries (my kids favorite food) and ice cream. Man the sea gulls are bad.

Not a whole lot to do with a 2 and 3 yr. old at epcot, but they love boats, the first boat we find goes to MGM or universal or what ever they call it. so off we go, even less to do there, so we go back to epcot on the boat and take the monorail, get to ride up front, first time for me to do that, until I came to this forum didn’t even know you could do that.

Any way we ride the monorail than take the ferry to Magic kingdom its 3:30 by now and every one is lined up for the parade but there is a open spot at the coldasack so we have a front row seat and less than a 5 minute wait to see the parade! Than we ride “Thomas the train” and we have wasted most of the day, back to Pop to eat and the kids want to swim, dad wants to rest so I go to the pool with the kids for what seems to be forever back to the room bath, bed all 3 of us in the one bed again. Sleep comes faster this time.

stay tuned for last day, day #3

 

[fireflymedic]

Day 3: pack up and put all the luggage back into van. and off too Animal Kingdom, this park is as hard as epcot to find anything, do they do this on purpose. Well we cant find anything, come to the tree with Its tough to be a bug in it, know most every one says there young kids did not like it but I’m going to find out about my two. Glasses did not really fit the kids. But I didn’t think son#2 needed it anyway. I did hold it up for him to see the butterflies. Not sure if he got the 3d effect he never reached out to touch them, maybe his eyes were in front of the rims instead of lens.
Any way kids our on our laps so they did not get stung, I held my hand in front of were I thought the bug juice was going to come from so he didn’t get too wet. He hollered once cant remember from what, but a CM came and stood by the door closest too us, I had made sure we got in a row were we would be sitting rite by the exit. But thankfully show is short so no harm no foul, don’t think they enjoyed it much. They have never been to a movie of any kind and really don’t like TV so not sure they understood much about it. So off to the bone yard section, the ride that is like dumbo is shut down, the roller costar there has a very tall restriction like 45 inches or something. So off to find the bus safari ride. Take that they seem to enjoy it we see a lot of animals its still early in the day, we ride the train, stroller is really to big to take on that but we manage. I got a fast past for Mount Everest (I think that’s the name the new roller coaster anyway) I ride it alone. Its not too bad I enjoyed it. Go back and find dad and the kids we go down a nature trail, go see the bird show, how they get the birds to come out and go back in all by themselves I don’t know. One time the lady stands rite in front of us to catch the hawk. But my kids are not impressed with this show, son#2 gets in trouble for climbing on the pipes at top of the stadium seats so I’m glad when its over and we leave. I take them to the bone yard play ground to get rid of some of this energy. Son#1 takes off his shoes, there is no sign saying this is not allowed, and it does have water spraying out of one rock and puddling on the ground and I don’t want wet shoes so I don’t mind him taking them off and of course son#2 has to take his off, than some CM tells us we have to have shoes on, than why not have a sign saying that, than when we go over to the sand pile part of the playground there is a sign saying in sand for safety please have on shoes. So now I wonder if the CM got confused on policy about shoes and it was only on this side you had to have shoes. Which really does not make sense either who wants sand in there shoes. Any way Son#1 is happier than I have ever seen him playing on all of these slides, he runs up the ramp/rope bridge to get to the highest slide again and again, he is so red faced and sweaty but he wont slow down, man this kid is having fun, son#2 is having a ball too but now it is around 1pm and clouding up so we decide to leave.

Guess what we see when we leave the park. About 4 or 5 different carrectors with little or no wait to see them. Chip and dale, and some I didn’t know but we met all of them and got some good pics. One was mean and ugly looking and only the 3 yr. old would go to him.

Well we load up onto the buss it starts to rain so off to Pop for the last time, now its time to go to Daytona and see if Ocean water is any different than Gulf water. It should be a 1 ½ trip but there is a MVC and it takes us some 3 or 4 hrs to get to Daytona, stop and go traffic so its hit brakes and hit gas over and over and my ankle and feet hurt so much I want/need to use cruise control so bad, but noooo, but finally we get pass the MVC and I can speed up and set the curse. and it has stopped raining but man now it is cold and I mean cold but we walk down to the ocean and take off ours shoes and let the water flow over our feet, man the water is freezing. So off to our ocean view room to watch the waves from a heated room.

For the next 2 days we look at more fire trucks and ambulances that a 2 or 3 yr. old could hope to see, so I think it was the best vacation one could hope to have with 2 preschoolers. I may make this a tradition to go to Disney before the trade show at least until they are in school. It can only get better as the kids get older. And Disney seems to be not too crowded during the weekdays in January.

The only thing better than leaving your front yard for Disneyworld it pulling back into that same drive way AFTER Disney. Man am I wore out, got back on Saturday and Wife will not be home until Sunday afternoon. Man being a single parent is hard.

But I have 2 good kids, I started the trip putting pull ups on them but they were so good started letting them use there big boy pants and not one accident. Not one time did they have a melt down and pitch a fit. I did not buy there good behavior either as I did not buy them one toy while at Disney. We did go to wall mart and buy a Disney stuffed animal that they did not get till we left for Disney,. The only thing I got them was 1 ice cream Sunday we all shared. Other than reg. food. They were so far off there reg. schedule it was not funny, we did not eat at reg. times, no naps. A lot of standing in lines but they were real troopers.

I cant wait to go back. We will have so much more room in the 2 bedroom and think of having a slide and a pool there 2 favorite things put together, man that’s like a recess peanut butter cup! And animals rite out side our balcony. Who knows this time I may leave at 2am, wont be able to sleep at home any way to excited about going to Disney.

 

[DWFan4Life]

Sad to hear that your wife missed it but looks you all have a great time in your trip. Looking forward in reading more from you.

Have a nice day.

 

[fireflymedic]

Ya I'm trying to talk her into comming with us next yr., only thing that would have made it better is to have her with us.