Why, My Little Guppy Has Groupies! - A Dec. 2013 TR *Completed

[belleinpink]

Loving the updates!!!! I'm jealous that Alex's family lets y'all go to Disney for a week. Tim's family would have heart failure if we told them we were cutting our visit with them short to go to Disney for a week. In fact we had to lie to them about how much leave he took for thanksgiving so that we wouldn't be stuck there longer than we wanted.

Landon is adorable!!!!!! I still can't get over his little glasses

 

[amazingact21]

In all fairness, a partial view of the train station and a monorail is far better than the view from my desk.

True. I'd take that view any day of the week if it meant I was back at Disney.

I completely understand. That is a bit much. I mean even if they're busy they could at least pass by to acknowledge the fact that you're there and let you know they'll be back.

Yeah, we were beginning to wonder if they'd forgotten we'd been seated or something.

I know! And isn't it ridiculous how they suddenly have these freakishly long arms that can reach farther than most adults?

But when you're trying to get them to reach for something they suddenly have no ability to.

I can honestly say that the only kids I've ever been disturbed by when I'm out eating somewhere is my own.

Yes, perfect proof you were on the monorail.

Sorry you didn't get your Ohana res, but at least you're still at the Poly.

In my mind, we've never had O'hana's before, so we're blissfully clueless as to what we're missing.

My God, if there's one place on the PLANET to get over the attitude against children being, well, children, THIS IS IT!! I am absolutely a Disney is for everyone person, but I also get that people bring their children. Duh. I do not understand the attitude of some people, I really don't.

I completely get being annoyed if the kid is being an outright terror and the parents aren't doing anything to fix the problem. We always leave the area when Landon's throwing a fit just out of courtesy to the other diners. But when he's happy...

I don't think I mentioned it before, but I love those glasses on him. So cute.

Thanks! He's had them since he was 6 months old, so I sometimes forget that they are kind of a rare sight. By now, we can't think of him without them.

You know - the last time I ate at Ohana I felt like that. I decided I wasn't going back. 2 hours is just too long for a meal. Your steaks look yummy. Isn't it a bummer when they change a side dish. I kind of wonder what goes into that decision and if its all a cost saving approach. Dessert looked pretty yummy, too!

It really is. I understand the restaurants are constantly busy, but there has to be a line between a nice relaxing meal and wasting Disney time.

Ugh - when Brian was a baby he was terribly colicky and I used to get "the stare" ALL THE TIME! It was awful. It kept me home a lot until I decided I just didn't care.

I can't imagine how that must have been.

Kids in restaurants are a fact of life. It's not like people are going to get a sitter every single time they want to eat out. People just have to learn to either deal with it or leave.

Personally, I would love to see "the hulk" in action!

I have tried to catch him doing it, but Landon just hasn't been cooperating. Actually, I think he's outgrowing that phase, so I don't know if I'll ever capture it, but I have enough videos of him making noise later on in the trip that I'll be posting that will give you a good picture of what it's like.

 

[amazingact21]

Wow, that sounds like one uncomfortably full monorail!

Glad you found some space to spread out and relax in the Poly lobby. Very nice to hang out there and just enjoy the ambiance.

We were lucky enough to stay at the Poly this past trip, but I agree about always wanting to spend time there. On our trip in 2011, we stayed at Pop, but we spent a significant amount of time enjoying the Poly.

Sorry you couldn't get into 'Ohana. Someday!

Wow, that is a long time to wait for the server to make an appearance. If she was that busy, she should have at least dropped off the bread while you waited.

Awwww, sweet sleeping baby! That is such a bummer about him waking up right before the food came. I have to say, I saw that coming, though. We learned on our trip to never move a sleeping baby. Also totally understand the instant-baby-grab of things within reach at the table. Sorry you had silverware raining down on you!

Okay, that's really weird about the broccolini. We ate there 6 days after you, I think, and got the same entree and it had broccolini. Maybe they ran out the night you were there? Weird.

Funny, noisy little eater! That's too bad that the one woman was bothered by it. Could she not see how adorable he is?

I suppose if you have to be woken up frequently at night, realizing you're in a Disney room is a nice touch.

I don't get why babies don't like to be moved. Whoever came up with that saying, "They slept like a baby" must never have had a kid. Because there is never a lot of "out like a light" and "sleeping like the dead" with little ones.

Too bad you couldn't get your 'Ohana ressie, I've never tried for one but I've heard they're like the golden ticket of reservations.
Hmmm too bad you weren't really impressed with Kona.
Glad the ladies next to you were giving you the green flag happy look, but the other one with the daggers needs to get a life; babies will not be told how to act or use indoor voices, no matter how miserable you are! So live with it, learn to appreciate a happy baby, and you'll be a happier person!

She was the only person on our trip that gave us any issues, so I won't complain too much. Guess there's one in every crowd.

I have totally been there- done that with trying to eat in a restaurant when your child is being just that, a child...

It just happens... We were in the Mexican restaurant one time and Landen was squealing ( he had just found his voice) and this snarky lady kept staring and even said something out loud.. I was SO pissed!! I said something back-and I'm not " that kind" of person.. It just made me SO mad. He can't help it lady!! Ugh!

That steak looked delicious!!

It's like folks don't realize there are going to be kids at Disney.
It baffles me, but some people can be pretty rude, even on vacation.

Yikes, that monorail sounds crazy. It gets cozy in there, huh?

Oof! I now know to not order the pan Asian noodles. It looked good enough, but the thought of tasting something in your toothbrush days later? Disgusting.

I don't understand why people don't get that babies are babies. You can't simply shush them and expect them to quiet down. I can't believe that one lady would let it bother her so much. It sounds like she just needed to relax.

You'd think she wouldn't let a thing like a baby get to her. After all, she was eating at a Disney restaurant....at Disney World! She needed to learn not to sweat the small stuff.

joining in. We're planning a December trip also so I am loving your report. Landon is adorbs!

Welcome! Thanks for joining! Glad to have you along.

Great update

Thank you!

Loving the updates!!!! I'm jealous that Alex's family lets y'all go to Disney for a week. Tim's family would have heart failure if we told them we were cutting our visit with them short to go to Disney for a week. In fact we had to lie to them about how much leave he took for thanksgiving so that we wouldn't be stuck there longer than we wanted.

Landon is adorable!!!!!! I still can't get over his little glasses

Thanks.
Well, we did spend the week before at his parent's house. It was one of those, you get a week, we get a week, deals. Plus, his family has kind of accepted our Disney obsession and they know we're going to do what we want.

 

[amazingact21]

My goodness! I hope all of you are staying warm right now. Us North Floridians had a freak storm hit us yesterday, and now we're covered in ice! (Someone must've ticked Elsa off.) All our schools and businesses and roads are shut down (mainly because nobody here knows how to drive in these conditions) and it is freezing!


Alex has one of those jobs on base that's "essential" so, unfortunately, he had to go to work this morning and is stuck there until late tonight. He said he had to use 2 buckets of cold water to break the ice on the windshield this morning in order to see.

Yeesh!

I know this is no big deal to everyone who lives in cold regions. Heck, I have lived in colder weather states (KY, IL, etc) but it's been many, many years.
And I've adapted.

The only white stuff I like to see on the ground anymore is sand.

So down here this is like a huge anomaly. People are going a bit crazy.

Obviously, I am stuck inside with 99% of the rest of my city's population. I don't mind too much, though, because I'm listening for news from my brother and sister in-law, (in the colder state of NE) who are at the hospital, awaiting the birth of their son. My first nephew!

So, while Landon naps upstairs and I hold onto my phone with great impatience, I figured now was the perfect opportunity to write an update.




Monday, December 2nd, 2013:

Our first park day!!!

About dang time. After an entire year of pining and moping and daydreaming, the time had arrived. Today was the day we were going back into a Disney park!

Oh, I was so excited I couldn't sleep.

Just kidding.

I was actually awake because my lovely son refused to sleep in his Pack & Play. Finally about 5 am, I gave up trying to fight him and just brought him to bed with me. It was easier and at least that way I guaranteed myself a good hour's rest.

Nothing says park touring like a good 3 hours of sleep.


Sometime between 6 and 6:30, I gave up my battle with sleep and just got up for good. I happened to notice the light was on in my mom's room, so I made a pillow barricade for the baby and went next door.

Dsc02056 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

You can see why I had trouble sleeping...nobody hogs the bed like a kid does.​

My mom went and got us some coffee from the food court, then the two of us just sat around, scoured our social media sites on her laptop, and discussed the day ahead.
Sleep would have been preferred, but I couldn't complain about the one on one time with my mom. It sort of reminded me of our trip together in 2012. A nice, calm, relaxing way to start the day.



At 7:30 am, I went back to my room and woke Alex up so he could start getting ready. I was dressed and presentable by the time Landon began to stir.


I had laid out his outfit for the day:
Dsc02057 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

A former CM friend had given us this and despite it being way too big for him, I had to have him wear it. Isn't it the best?


My mom provided Landon with entertainment while I got our bags and cameras ready, and Alex made a run to the food court for additional cups of coffee.

​

Grandmas are great for that.​

It wasn't long after I snapped the picture showing that we were all ready to go!



Dad and Son, sporting their best Disney gear.





Grandma just going with the flow.




It was an extremely foggy, bleary morning with no sunshine whatsoever. When we pulled into the parking lot, our park's icon was practically hidden!

Dsc02062 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr​

The top of the Epcot globe faded into the gray skies and from farther back you couldn't even spot it. Definitely a different scene than normal. Sure, I would've loved for it to be blue skies and warm breezes, but it was December, after all, and a partial Epcot view is better than no Epcot view.


My group lucked out again with the parking, and we managed to get the very last spot on our row.

Dsc02066 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr​

I guess I needed photographic proof that such a thing happened.​

Anyone who's ever driven and had to park at the end of the line or even in the middle understands what a nice little plus such a close spot was. It was as if Disney was welcoming me back with open arms.

I'm sorry you were kept away for so long, Alicia. Here, let me show you how much we missed you (and your overgenerous souvenir budget) by providing you with convenient parking and entrance access. Please, stay awhile, we greatly appreciate your loyalty. - Much love, Epcot.

Hey, that's what the park was saying in my head. And who was I to argue with Disney?

Dsc02067 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

I'm coming, Epcot! Be there shortly!



Have to get the baby situated in the stroller, first.

Dsc02068 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr​

Landon must've been tuning Epcot out that morning, because he looked thoroughly disinterested in that picture.

C'mon, Kid, you're about to enter Disney World for the first time, put some pep in your step!

Because just one photo was not enough, I had to take another shot of our vehicle as we began walking away.
Dsc02072 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr
​

The first order of business upon getting to the gates of Epcot was to activate those tickets I'd forgotten the night before. Don't worry, those bad boys were put in my mom's purse the minute we got back to the room the previous night and had made the trip with us that morning.

I knew this for sure, because I made sure to ask about a hundred times prior to leaving Pop's parking lot. There were to be no stupid mistakes today! Not on my watch!


There was no line at the ticket window when we walked up, so my mom got to get the ball rolling straightaway.

This shouldn't take too long, I thought to myself.

And it didn't.

Up until the point when the guy needed to link the tickets to my mom's MagicBand.

And the part where he had to activate new RFID-enabled cards.

Basically, after the point when identification and residence was confirmed and inputted into the computer system.

It was bad.

The Cast Member had no clue how to link the physical cards to the band, and then he couldn't get any plastic cards to load, and he kept blaming it on my mom for loading the vouchers to her MDE account. He said a few times that because she already had something linked, the system wasn't allowing him to load the new tickets or something crazy like that.

It was a little ridiculous.

But, did he get it sorted out?

Not at all.

I kid you not, the Cast Member handed my mom all 8 tickets he tried to activate, told her 2 of those should work, and that if they didn't she could visit Guest Services, and have a good day, see ya later.

No joke.

He just gave up and waved my mom off.

My mother, at this point, was confused and frustrated and more than a little worried her tickets had just disappeared for good. We now had no proof she'd bought 2 sets of tickets, because the CM wouldn't give her the vouchers back, and goodness knows we weren't holding out hope that the 8 tickets miraculously would begin working at the kiosks.

She was a bit stressed out, and I couldn't resist turning to Alex and saying, "See, I told you we'd have some kind of issue with the MagicBands."


It wasn't that I didn't like the new system or that I went into the trip waiting for something to glitch. I understood that they were in the testing phase, still, and that there's always going to be kinks that need to be worked out.

I just, based on all the DISboard stories, kind of knew something would happen. I would have been dumbfounded if all 3 of our tickets and bands worked perfectly for 8 straight days while under testing. I knew the chances were slim, but Alex had confidence that, in fact, everything would be flawless. He gives everything credit until they prove him wrong.
His optimism is almost unheard of nowadays.


Regardless, that was, by far, the strangest and kind of craziest CM interaction we had on the trip. The guy just sort of gave up and sent us overboard with a life vest, promising a rescue raft would save us before a shark caught wind of our scents. He didn't know how to solve the problem, so he decided to send us on our merry way and let another CM deal with the repercussions.

I'm telling you, it was odd.




There really wasn't much else we could do at that point but get in one of the entrance lines and wait the 15 minutes or so for the park to open.

Dsc02074 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


Dsc02076 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr
​

It was busy, busy busy that morning! We'd arrived plenty early, but all the other guests must have learned that trick, as well, because the lines were extending back towards the gift shop and bathrooms that are outside the exit gates, along the sidewalk to the buses.

​

I mean, we weren't even past the ticket windows.

Kind of nuts.

I began to realize, right then, that we'd be dealing with some heavier crowds than I anticipated.

And boy, was I jaded even then. I had no clue what we were in for that day.



The park opened right at 9 am, but we were so far back in line that we didn't get near a ticket reader for 15 minutes. Alex had to the camera and was taking some random shots to pass the time.

​

Landon didn't get what all the hustle and bustle was about so early in the morning. He just wanted some nice carpet to sit on and his toys to play with.



Like I said, it took us fifteen minutes to get to the turnstiles....or, lack of turnstiles since those are gone now (what are we calling these readers?) and the moment of truth arrived.

I went first and got the green light. Free to go!


Then, my mom's turn.

​

No go.

"Do you have your actual ticket?" The Cast Member asked, innocently.

"Which one?"

Alex pulled out the 8 tickets, and we informed the CM that two of those SHOULD work.

So began the process of scanning them all.

​

Literally, all but the very last ticket were a dud.

The CM at the ticket window only managed to upload one of the two sets, which sent my mom into a bit of a panic.

"Where's my other 4 days? I bought 8 days total. I should have 2 tickets."

The CM here was not any more helpful.

"You'll have to go to Guest Services and speak with them about the matter."

She kind of gave off the vibe that since my mom had a ticket and could legally enter the parks, her part was done. She had other guests to distress.


I don't know what would have happened if that one set of tickets hadn't been activated. I start to get all panicky just thinking about it, because I'm afraid they would have tried to have said my mom didn't have any days whatsoever, and all those 8 days would have been lost in Disney computer space.

Because, like I said, we had nothing that said she'd bought 2 4 day hoppers. It was such a confusing moment, and all of us were starting to stress out.


Alex entered with no issues, and he instructed my mom to hold onto the one ticket that worked while he stored the other useless ones.



The four of us were all inside Epcot at that point, which should have been momentous and magical and magnificent, but instead we were seeking out a solution to our problem. I was so concerned 4 Disney days were going to be swiped out from under my mother's feet. Could that happen?

Would that happen?

I certainly had no idea, but if the CMs at the front of the park were any indication on how the CMs in Guest Services would be, I wasn't holding out much hope.


Before we could go anywhere, Alex had to ask someone where the building was. We'd never needed it before, so we just overlooked the place on all our previous trips.

(It's by Spaceship Earth, in case you were wondering.)

This new knowledge in hand, off we went! Our first destination of the day!

We passed by a very festive Stitch topiary near the entrance:
​

And I was able to see the globe up close in all its glory for just a second as we passed under it.
​

Dsc02105 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr
Ahhh, there it was.​

There was already a decent number of people inside when we pulled up; most seemed to be having similar issues with their MagicBands, and quite a few were not holding their feelings in. I overheard one fellow getting very colorful with the manager they were dealing with.

I always say I'd work any at Disney if it meant I'd be in Disney.

But I don't know... I don't think I could deal with people like that. There's just too many rude people out there that stomp all over those poor Cast Members.



The Guest Services building was actually kind of cool. They had flags from the different World Showcase countries hanging from the ceilings.

​

(In the same order as the pavilions, I might say. Oh dear, my Disney freak is showing.)​

Dsc02100 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr​

A pretty large waiting area just for instances like these, where ton of people need assistance.​

Behind the desks were some very large black and whites from taken from both parks.

Dsc02101 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

Not a bad thing to look at while we waited.

They even had the place decorated for the holidays:
Dsc02102 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr​

When our turn arrived, we spoke with a Cast Member who was extremely knowledgeable and accommodating. When Alex pulled out all the tickets we were given, she stared at them incredulously. She could not believe what had happened and asked my mom on several different occasions if she remembered the name of the Cast Member who we dealt with.

You could just tell she wanted to put someone in their place...


I wish I could remember her name, but the Cast Member who helped us looked up my mom’s information on the computer, saw that it had gotten completely hosed up, and basically had to start from scratch.

She deleted all information about every ticket on the MDE app (remember this for later) and manually entered the one ticket that worked into the app so it could link to her band. When that was done, she had to create another 4 day pass. And the only real proof she had that my mom did indeed have another 4 days was our word and our Fastpasses for later in the week that showed my mom as having one.

Did that make sense? I don't think so.

The Cast Member looked at a Fast Pass reservation Alex made for the 7th, saw 3 people under that reservation and knew from common sense that the only way that would was possible was if my mom had a ticket linked.

Otherwise there was no other proof. Crazy. Just plain crazy.


The Cast Member decided it was best to just hold on to the second set of tickets and not link them to my mom's band until she was ready to use them, so she put that ticket in a place she'd remember and we wrapped things up.

In the end, we're not sure what the heck happened to the tickets or why it was so difficult to get them to work. (Well, I don't. I'm sure Alex does. Feel free to chime in with corrections, USAFDad.)


Either way, 15 minutes in Guest Relations and the problem was resolved. Or, we hoped so. We hadn't actually tested my mom's band, but the CM who we dealt with seemed very confident and sure that it'd work, so we did too.

It was, without a doubt, NOT the way I intended to spend the first part of our day, but it we could control what had happened. There was a glitch, the problem was fixed, time to move on.


Time to actually enjoy Epcot!

 

[marDgreen88]

Whew! That's such a shame that your mom had to deal with all that. Seriously, some of the CMs are the sweetest people ever, and some are just bad. That's not the kind of attitude you need to work at a place like WDW (or anywhere if you ask me). He could've at least asked a manager or SOMEONE to help him out instead of making y'all have to deal with even more problems. Anyways. Here's hoping you don't have any more trouble?

 

[MEK]

Oh My What a way to start the day. Your mom's tickets just sounds like a fiasco. How incredibly frustrating.

The only saving grace, I guess, is that you got to the park early. Imagine if you hadn't.

Landon is so cute, just taking it all in!

 

[Dugette]

First off, wow - ice in Florida! Hope your DH has a safe drive home. Do you need me to send you an ice scraper?

Second, sorry that you had a lousy night of sleep (or lack thereof). At least you're probably used to it at this point, I guess.

Third, what a mess with the tickets and the unhelpful cast members. It really goes along with my thoughts that CMs are really struggling with Magic Band and Fast Pass+ issues and have kinda given up. I'm glad you found a helpful one and I sure hope the tickets/Magic Band works for your mom!

Oh, and that was different seeing Spaceship Earth camouflage with the sky.

 

[IheartDDuck]

I guess I wasn't paying attention when they were activating our mugs in January. My Mom was the one who took care of it. For us though, it was interesting, because none of us drink soda, all we get is coffee, iced tea, hot chocolate, or hot tea. And none of those require the RFID technology. I'll be reusing my cup.

Hahaha! Landon looks none too impressed with the tram.

Oh hey, don't worry about the forgetting the tickets thing! My Dad did that one time, and we had been on property for days already! He just up and forgot his AP in the room. We get to the park and nope, he's got nothing on him. As punishment, we sent him back to pick it up. I know they could have reissued, but he needed to learn his lesson the hard way.

What a way to start a trip though. I would have been very upset with being a veteran and making rookie mistakes too.

When Joaquin was little and just starting to talk, every time he would take a bite, he'd go "ready? ready? READY?!" when he wanted more.

OMG! That is the cutest onesie I've EVER SEEN!

Um okay. Have a good day, see you later? Wow, that CM knew nothing. We had minimal problems, and all of the CM's were able to resolve them right away. I'm just surprised they seemed so lost sometimes.

The CM in Guest Relations is exactly how I would have been. Who messed this up so I can go yell at them!?

 

[afwdwfan]

My goodness! I hope all of you are staying warm right now. Us North Floridians had a freak storm hit us yesterday, and now we’re covered in ice! (Someone must’ve ticked Elsa off.) All our schools and businesses and roads are shut down (mainly because nobody here knows how to drive in these conditions) and it is freezing!

This weather is insane! I saw Alex's pictures on the Disdads thread... Ice is the worst. We haven't had much of that, but a lot of snow and subzero temperatures. We have a big hill that is great for sledding, but DS and I have only gone once, because whenever we have snow on the ground it is too ridiculously cold to be outside. I'm over the -30 windchills...

I don’t mind too much, though, because I’m listening for news from my brother and sister in-law, (in the colder state of NE) who are at the hospital, awaiting the birth of their son. My first nephew!

Well, that certainly is exciting!

Nothing says park touring like a good 3 hours of sleep.

There's no time for sleep at Disney World...

You can see why I had trouble sleeping….nobody hogs the bed like a kid does.

But in my case, they get it from their mother.

A former CM friend had given us this and despite it being way too big for him, I had to have him wear it. Isn’t it the best?

It is, I really like it!

I’m sorry you were kept away for so long, Alicia. Here, let me show you how much we missed you (and your overgenerous souvenir budget) by providing you with convenient parking and entrance access. Please, stay awhile, we greatly appreciate your loyalty. - Much love, Epcot.



Hey, that’s what the park was saying in my head. And who was I to argue with Disney?

Makes perfect sense to me. Especially that part about the souvenir budget.

I knew this for sure, because I made sure to ask about a hundred times prior to leaving Pop’s parking lot.


There were to be no stupid mistakes today! Not on my watch!

Hey, we learn from our mistakes.

My mother, at this point, was confused and frustrated and more than a little worried her tickets had just disappeared for good. We now had no proof she’d bought 2 sets of tickets, because the CM wouldn’t give her the vouchers back, and goodness knows we weren’t holding out hope that the 8 tickets miraculously would begin working at the kiosks.

Wow... that is not Disney like customer service. I mean I realize that with this change over there has been a lot of confusion and stories like this, but this just isn't the type of customer service I expect from Disney... ever!

The park opened right at 9am, but we were so far back in line that we didn’t get near a ticket reader for 15 minutes.

Wow!

I don’t know what would have happened if that one set of tickets hadn’t been activated. I start to get all panicky just thinking about it, because I’m afraid they would have tried to have said my mom didn’t have any days whatsoever, and all those 8 days would have been lost in Disney computer space.

I'd like to think that since it is Disney, they'd figure out a way to make it work, but in your shoes at that time, I'd be a nervous wreck. And certainly none too pleased with the way things were going that morning.

This new knowledge in hand, off we went! Our first destination of the day!

Oh boy! You all have fun at Soarin' We'll be at Guest Services. You know... since they don't have FP there.

When our turn arrived, we spoke with a Cast Member who was extremely knowledgeable and accommodating. When Alex pulled out all the tickets we were given, she stared at them incredulously. She could not believe what had happened and asked my mom on several different occasions if she remembered the name of the Cast Member who we dealt with.

You could just tell she wanted to put someone in their place…

Oh, how I wish you could have remembered the name...

She deleted all information about every ticket on the MDE app (remember this for later)

Uh oh... I'm seeing lost FP+ in her future...

And the only real proof she had that my mom did indeed have another 4 days was our word and our Fastpasses for later in the week that showed my mom as having one.


Did that make sense? I don’t think so.

Well, at least she was taking your word for it. I'm sure this has happened to other people...

It was, without a doubt, NOT the way I intended to spend the first part of our day, but it we could control what had happened. There was a glitch, the problem was fixed, time to move on.

I hope that took care of it, but I'd probably be nervous every time I had to scan it after all that.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

I saw all the reports of snow in Northern Florida. My goodness this is the weirdest winter ever. I don't think it's a coincidence that Frozen was released this season at all.

Aww that is a perfect outfit for his first park day.

Oh yes, I do know what it's like to park at the far end because I almost always have to park at the far end. I swear my timing is awful.

I would love to work in Disney, but there is not enough money in the world for me to work at Guest Relations.

 

[belleinpink]

No wonder y'all looked so worn out already by the time we met up. Glad guest relations was able to help. Hopefully the rest of the trip went better.

 

[amazingact21]

Whew! That's such a shame that your mom had to deal with all that. Seriously, some of the CMs are the sweetest people ever, and some are just bad. That's not the kind of attitude you need to work at a place like WDW (or anywhere if you ask me). He could've at least asked a manager or SOMEONE to help him out instead of making y'all have to deal with even more problems. Anyways. Here's hoping you don't have any more trouble?

I was so surprised at how the whole situation was handled. It was extremely unlike Disney, and I hope inexperienced Disney visitors didn't have a similar scene.

Oh My What a way to start the day. Your mom's tickets just sounds like a fiasco. How incredibly frustrating.

The only saving grace, I guess, is that you got to the park early. Imagine if you hadn't.

Landon is so cute, just taking it all in!

Ugh, that would have made for a long day. We walked past Guest Relations a few times, and the lines were out the door. I felt so bad for the folks who were stuck in that line and not for Soarin' or TT.

First off, wow - ice in Florida! Hope your DH has a safe drive home. Do you need me to send you an ice scraper?

People on the news were explaining what an ice scraper was, because it's such a rare thing down here.

Second, sorry that you had a lousy night of sleep (or lack thereof). At least you're probably used to it at this point, I guess.

That is true, I have become accustomed to functioning on very little sleep.

Third, what a mess with the tickets and the unhelpful cast members. It really goes along with my thoughts that CMs are really struggling with Magic Band and Fast Pass+ issues and have kinda given up. I'm glad you found a helpful one and I sure hope the tickets/Magic Band works for your mom!

Oh, they are. We had a conversation with some off duty Cast Members who were just visiting the parks, and they had some strong opinions on the system.

I guess I wasn't paying attention when they were activating our mugs in January. My Mom was the one who took care of it. For us though, it was interesting, because none of us drink soda, all we get is coffee, iced tea, hot chocolate, or hot tea. And none of those require the RFID technology. I'll be reusing my cup.

Haha, hey that works out well. I am actually able to reuse my cup, as well, since I occassionally drink non-caffeniated sodas, but for a length of stay I only ever get coffee and water.

Those are the essentials....

Oh hey, don't worry about the forgetting the tickets thing! My Dad did that one time, and we had been on property for days already! He just up and forgot his AP in the room. We get to the park and nope, he's got nothing on him. As punishment, we sent him back to pick it up. I know they could have reissued, but he needed to learn his lesson the hard way.

Bet he never left his ticket again.

When Joaquin was little and just starting to talk, every time he would take a bite, he'd go "ready? ready? READY?!" when he wanted more.

Oh my gosh, that sounds unbelievably cute. I'd be too distracting from smiling to pay attention to my food if I saw that.

OMG! That is the cutest onesie I've EVER SEEN!

I joked with Alex when I was pregnant that I'd have to make some kind of shirt that said future CM in the making or something, so when I opened up my care package and saw that onsie, I flipped out. My poor friend didn't know what hit her when she got my reaction.

Um okay. Have a good day, see you later? Wow, that CM knew nothing. We had minimal problems, and all of the CM's were able to resolve them right away. I'm just surprised they seemed so lost sometimes.

The CM in Guest Relations is exactly how I would have been. Who messed this up so I can go yell at them!?

That whole situation was confusing. I have no idea what was going on that morning.

That Guest Relations CM was ready to chew someone out! You could tell she was thinking, "This is unacceptable!"

 

[amazingact21]

This weather is insane! I saw Alex's pictures on the Disdads thread... Ice is the worst. We haven't had much of that, but a lot of snow and subzero temperatures. We have a big hill that is great for sledding, but DS and I have only gone once, because whenever we have snow on the ground it is too ridiculously cold to be outside. I'm over the -30 windchills...

That storm was horrible. People here in FL are not equiped to handle that kind of ice. Everyone pretty much turned their homes into bunkers and stayed inside for 2 straight days.
Alex grew up in MD, though, so he knew how to drive in cold weather. I guess it was better he get stuck working then, since some of his poor coworkers would've ended up sliding into a tree or something.
Ugh, -30 windchills....

Makes perfect sense to me. Especially that part about the souvenir budget.

The Disney accounting team always holds a party when they see my credit card has landed on property.

Wow... that is not Disney like customer service. I mean I realize that with this change over there has been a lot of confusion and stories like this, but this just isn't the type of customer service I expect from Disney... ever!

I agree, it was not the standard we'd come to expect. I'm sure the new system has everyone stressed out and impatient when it comes to dealing with new issues that arise. Still, no excuse.

I'd like to think that since it is Disney, they'd figure out a way to make it work, but in your shoes at that time, I'd be a nervous wreck. And certainly none too pleased with the way things were going that morning.

It certainly wasn't the first park day morning I had planned.

Uh oh... I'm seeing lost FP+ in her future...

I hope that took care of it, but I'd probably be nervous every time I had to scan it after all that.

We all definitely dreaded park entrances on that trip.

I saw all the reports of snow in Northern Florida. My goodness this is the weirdest winter ever. I don't think it's a coincidence that Frozen was released this season at all.

Such crazy weather conditions. I blame Elsa.

Aww that is a perfect outfit for his first park day.

Thanks! I was looking forward to him wearing it the minute we got it.

Oh yes, I do know what it's like to park at the far end because I almost always have to park at the far end. I swear my timing is awful.

The worst is when you're getting close to the lot and you begin mentally counting cars in front of you. You keep thinking, "I'll make it. Please, let me make it."

I would love to work in Disney, but there is not enough money in the world for me to work at Guest Relations.

Yep, that job would get old real fast.

No wonder y'all looked so worn out already by the time we met up. Glad guest relations was able to help. Hopefully the rest of the trip went better.

Yeah, 2 weeks was a long time to be traveling, but we hadn't gone anywhere since Landon was born so we wanted to make it a big event. I'm glad we did now, too, since we're not sure when we'll get another really long trip again.

 

[emmysmommy]

Whoa! That was some long line for Epcot and then the ticket fiasco! Goodness. It's a wonder you were ever going to be able to enjoy the park. Sounds like there's more to come with the ticket situation...

Backing up to your Kona dinner.... sorry 'Ohana didn't work out. I like Kona and I've only had the steak for dinner, it was really good. I love the broccolini. If they subbed something else I would have been disappointed. But that bread is awesome! I could make a meal out of that. I'm sure there are others like me who hear a happy baby at dinner and wish that they could have a few minutes of those years back. I love your description of how "verbal" he is. My middle son was like that. You definitely knew he was around.

I hope you have thawed out! That was a frozen car.

 

[USAFdad]

I'm pretty sure it boiled down to a lack of training for the guy.... he didnt know what he was doing so he messed up a little. I dont blame him I blame his trainer.

But in my case, they get it from their mother.

Yeah the little man got that one from his mother too.

 

[amazingact21]

Whoa! That was some long line for Epcot and then the ticket fiasco! Goodness. It's a wonder you were ever going to be able to enjoy the park. Sounds like there's more to come with the ticket situation...

It was certainly not the morning I anticipated.

Backing up to your Kona dinner.... sorry 'Ohana didn't work out. I like Kona and I've only had the steak for dinner, it was really good. I love the broccolini. If they subbed something else I would have been disappointed. But that bread is awesome! I could make a meal out of that. I'm sure there are others like me who hear a happy baby at dinner and wish that they could have a few minutes of those years back. I love your description of how "verbal" he is. My middle son was like that. You definitely knew he was around.

I'm not sure why they did serve the steak with the broccolini that night. Someone else said they served it a week later. Perhaps they ran out?

Haha, some children are just very outspkoken. At this point, I freak when I don't hear some kind of babbles/screams coming from Landon's direction. Tells me he's into something.

I'm pretty sure it boiled down to a lack of training for the guy.... he didnt know what he was doing so he messed up a little. I dont blame him I blame his trainer.

I'm sure it was the lack of training that had the CM flustered. He got that deer in the headlights look when things began going wrong.

 

[amazingact21]

Before I get to my update, I have Disney news! (The best kind!)

This past January was not the best month for my little family. It felt like we had one thing after another happen to us. Little things like my credit card being stolen to bigger job issues just had Alex and I in a gloomy disposition.

Sometime around mid-January, we realized we probably wouldn't get to use our Annual Passes again. This was extremely frustrating, since we'd spent all that money on them with the sole intention of returning at least once more before December. It seemed like a waste, buying passes, when we could have just gotten the military tickets.

Then, we found out that Alex is slated to deploy later in the year for 6 months.
I grew up military, so this isn't my first rodeo. Heck, this isn't even the first time I've seen Alex gone. Our very first trip to Disney happened because we were celebrating Alex's return home. We have that deployment to thank for our discovery of Disney.

So I know the name of the game when it comes to being away, and we have no problems whatsoever with him going. Being away from Landon will be hard, and I don't look forward to battling bedtime routines without backup, but my family's close by so I am pretty fortunate.

That being said, it began shedding new light on Disney World.

We pretty much knew we had to go down to Cape Canaveral at some point so Alex could visit with his family. That went without saying.

And while I was visiting with my mom a few weeks ago, she mentioned how silly it would be to be that close to Orlando and not use our passes a few more times. She mentioned some good points about getting our money's worth out of the tickets, the convenience of being 45 minutes away, 2015 would be a busy year, and then she made an extremely valid point.

My family needed some time together before Alex left.

I went home that afternoon and thought long and hard about that statement. She was right. Family time is an important thing, in my opinion, and I believe those memories help us get through difficult days. I remember my parents took my younger brother and me to Epcot before my dad deployed, and some of those moments still stand out in my head.

So, I did some math, realized Alex and I had a good chunk of reward points on our credit cards, and I began formulating a plan. To which Alex pestered me into making it longer and better. Then pestered me some more until I officially committed.

Which, as of yesterday, I did.

Now, Alex, Landon, and myself will be going down to his parent's house May 7th through May 11th. While we're there, we plan on his entire family visiting the Magic Kingdom for a day trip. His brother gets 2 free tickets per park, so it'd be silly not to take advantage of that. Plus, we've never been to Disney with his parents before, and I think they'd love seeing Landon's reaction to everything.

Once we leave his parent's place, we will be spending 4 nights at Disney. May 12th to May 16th, to be exact.

Hooray!

AND! It will be a split stay. I won't say where, I'll leave that a surprise until the report, but I will say that one is a Value and one is a Deluxe! Alex and I figured, if we're going to make this our last trip for quite some time, we might as well go all out.

I'm hopeful that we'll just miss the Star Wars Weekend crowds and the summer vacationers, and that we won't be dying in the heat by mid-May. Usually we're first week of May people, but I think we'll enjoy our dates. The only part I'm disappointed about is that all you DISers seem to be going around the 5th. Bummer. Will have just missed all of you guys.


Okay, enough about trips to come, I'm going to get back to the trip that was!



Monday, December 2nd, 2013:

The four of us left Guest Relations trying to figure out what was next for us. The time was 9:30 am, and we had Fastpasses scheduled for 10:00 am. It was still too early for us to walk over to our destination, so I suggested we go back to the entrance and kill time by posing for Photopass Pictures.

Spaceship Earth looked inviting, but I was hesitant to take Landon on such a dark ride. I thought he might freak, so no burning Rome for us at that time.

Dsc02106 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


We admired the fountains, though.
Dsc02108 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr



Bambi welcomed us back to the front of the park.
Dsc02111 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr



We found the line for Photopasses and hopped in one of them.

And that's when we witnessed some not so nice guests.

Person after person cut in front of the photographers rather than go behind the line. A lot of them hit the tripods or stepped on the guests' bags, and almost none of them apologized.

C'mon folks. A little courtesy goes a long way.

And one of the guests happened to notice the fantastic photo location, so they stopped walking, pushed their kids right up in between the PP guests and started snapping away. Instantly, a third, unofficial line began for random people to take their photos themselves. And because there was so little space between them and the PP people, the photopass photographers couldn't do their job.

It was extremely frustrating, because amidst the chaos of men and women taking pictures, the people in the PP line were rebelling and refusing to make way for them. What ended up happening was everyone got blocked in, nobody could move, and it actually began causing a traffic jam at the ticket gates.

One or two families stopped the madness by simply moving on and that somehow cleared up the blockade, and we all eventually got back to a normal line with normal waits. For awhile there, though...yeesh.

You'd think these guys and gals had never been in a public setting before.

I don't know what was up with Epcot that morning. Everything was going haywire; people weren't using their heads and it was just on the verge of madness in Future World.


Eventually, our turn for pictures was up. Hallelujah. I don't think I could've stood there any longer. Especially since the woman in front of us took a long time, because she had to wait for her husband to return to her. He was in the other PP line, you see. Just making sure they got in the faster line. (You can insert an eye roll here. I know I did.)





Picture time!








Glamour shots completed, the four of us hightailed it out of there.

So, now we were surely on our way to an actual attraction, right?

Not so fast.

Diaper change time.

Back to the Spaceship Earth area we went!


Dsc02115 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

As soon as we put him back in his stroller, Landon crashed.
​

All this standing around was boring him.​

It was getting to be pretty dull for us adults, as well, so we walked over to our Fastpass location.

Dsc02121 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


Dsc02123 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


Test Track!


A favorite of my mom and Alex, this was going to be our very first ride of the trip. Before anyone could enter the queue, I had to speak with a Cast Member at the entrance and get a Rider Swap. It was our first time ever getting one, and it was incredibly easy. All I had to do was ask the CM, who in turn asked who was staying with the baby, and they handed the card to that person.

We had to have the baby with us as proof, of course. Which is sort of nuts, because that meant people must have been lying about having a kid.

I guess people are always going to find a way to cheat the system.

​

Up to 3 people can use the Rider Swap. That's pretty nice.


I told my mother and Alex to go on ahead and go first. They enjoyed the ride more than I did, so I had no problem sitting out first.

I found a bench near the entrance and settled myself in.

The ride area was busy already.

Dsc02130 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

I wanna say the standby was over an hour, and guests just kept piling into the queue.


While Landon continued napping, I killed time by taking photos of Epcot, updating my travel journal, and attempting to record to the sounds of Test Track.

Dsc02133 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


45 minutes passed by. Enough time for me to finish writing, me to get restless, and Landon to wake up.








C'mon, still sitting around? I thought this place was supposed to be exciting?



Shortly after I took him out of the stroller and was letting him stretch his legs, Alex and my mom finally emerged from the ride.

My goodness!

The Fastpass line had taken almost an hour to get through the queue. Imagine what standby was going through. A part of me wanted to skip my turn on Test Track, mostly because our next FPs were about to come due.

However, I hadn't been on the ride since it reopened and curiosity had me wanting to see the new look.

My mom wanted some coffee, so she took Landon and went off to make a Starbucks run while Alex and I went into the attraction.


Luckily, the second wait was much, much shorter than the first. Alex and I made it to the design part of the queue in approximately fifteen minutes. And once our vehicle was created, we went straight to our car.

I understand why Disney needed to change Test Track and make it more relevant to today's technology, but I still missed the old attraction. I liked that the original design wasn't dark and over computerized. The new version wasn't awful, and I did enjoy myself (it was my first coaster in over a year) I just wasn't over the moon about the changes.



Since we'd gotten the Photopass Plus package, we went to pick up our ride photos after we were done.


Alex looked like he was having fun.




And my mom regretted having bangs in hers:



Alex and I left the Test Track building and rejoined my mother. All of us were relieved the second round of TT had gone a lot faster, because we still needed to make it to the other side of Future World and it was already 11:15.

Wow.

In the parks a whole 2 hours, and all of us had gone on one ride.

At the time, I didn't know if it was the crowds or the baby that was slowing us down, but I was freaking out a tad.

Would every day be this slow?

I knew our pace would change once we started touring with kids, but dang. I didn't know it'd be THAT slow.

Our next FP was:
​

My mom's personal favorite.​

Can't say I was too sad to be going on it, either.


Before we could go inside, though, we had to brave the stroller parking.
Dsc02148 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


Look at the madness!
So many strollers, so little space.


It was like a parking garage for kids. If only 90% of the vehicles were the same color and by the same maker.

Like finding a needle in a haystack.

A haystack that moved your needle to a new location while you were away.

The things I never paid attention to before kids...




Stroller deposited, inside the Land we went!

Dsc02149 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


One of my favorite places in Epcot.



Time to see if our day could pick up speed or if this snail's pace was our new normal.

 

[dtr_angel]

Wow, what a hot mess with the tickets! I hope you didn't have any more trouble after that. That's funny that you just updated about Test Track because my update last night included Test Track! What took so long? Is it the changes? DH and brother had FPs and I feel like I waited a really long time for them to come out. I love how easy Rider Swap was to use. I agree that we probably have to show the baby because people were abusing it. It's basically a free fast pass. In your case I'd say the slow pace was probably due to the ticket mess because it doesn't seem like Landon was high needs so far! Dude was chillin! You are making me nervous about the crowds though as we are probably going around the same week that you were there.

Wow it seems like the TR I am following right now have news about a trip in May! I missed the boat! We have been in May twice but this year did not choose a vacation in May. I don't think I'm ever going to be at Disney the same time as anyone else. That's great you are getting to go back but sorry to hear about Alex's deployment. Family time is definitely important! I'm nervous about getting APs this time in case something were to happen (broken foot anyone?!) $1300 on tickets for one trip is not a deal.

 

[Tickanee]

Hi Alicia! I don't know if I have commented on this report of yours or not. I have read all of yours. You might not remember me from your prior trip report...I had commented that I rode Rock N Rollercoaster with your mom and you and Alex were in the front row. I was too shy to say "hi".

Anyway, I have been following along and just wanted to let you know that my family will be at WDW arriving late on May 12th - May 21st. We are staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani. I will certainly keep my out for you and will promise to say Hi this time.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Congratulations on another trip Alicia (and Alex and Landon too). There's just too many good reasons to do it. Annual pass... check. Florida anyway... check. Family time... check. It's a no-brainer from where I sit.

People never cease to amaze me with that PP story. I swear I will just never fully understand people. But then again, if Frozen taught me anything it's Reindeer are better than people, so there ya go.

I think I'm with you on Test Track, but it is finally starting to grow on me. The first time on it after the change though, I was just confused. But on the last trip, I kind of like the visuals on the ride itself. The design phase still bores me though, lol.