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

[DisneyKid4Life]

Now how do you know Alex didn't go to AKL on purpose?? In fairness, the turn off to MK is horribly identified.

Oh the pre-park opening is the BEST!!! I've never had an early ressie, but got to go in for the Keys tour and it's just an unbelievable feeling. Empty Main Street.

Argh, I don't know how, but I completely missed that PP spot with the soldiers. Epic... Fail.

Oh my, I hadn't heard about the garland. Seriously, that would be tragic!

OMG Alisha, that close-up photo of Landon with his ears and the castle in the background is completely perfect.

So funny that you apologized for all the photos, because honestly, they're perfection. So glad it turned out how you hoped.

 

[teekathepony]

I LOVE pre-park opening reservations! I'm so glad that despite the little monorail situation, you were still able to get there to get your empty park pictures.
And what awesome pictures at that! Landon and your mom in their Mickey ears -- so so cute! I wouldn't blame you for turning the experience into a tradition!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

Not all the way caught up yet but I'm in. I remember one of your earlier TRs but I'm not sure if I commented. I read a lot of TRs on my phone at work and I haven't figured out how to reply to a thread from the app (who knows what is wrong with me).

But I have to say...this baby, OMG, this baby. Your baby is the cutest baby I have ever seen. I guess I'm a sucker for babies in glasses??

 

[amazingact21]

I can't begin to express how much I love all of the photos but especially the ones with Landon and his grandma! Precious memories! Makes me even more excited mom is joining us! I've been debating a crystal palace ressie... Kaityn doesn't know pooh and the gang, but I want a pre-park opening entrance so K and mom can enjoy seeing the castle like that. We did that on or honeymoon (hubby's first trip) and loved it! Beautiful!

Getting into the park before opening is so worth the CP reservation, even if you're not crazy about those particular characters. I would suggest it to anyone who's going with a young kid.

Getting pictures of your kid with your mother is a special thing. I knew when I was taking them that I would look back on them for years and years.

Aaargh! Those monorail delays are always so poorly timed!! I'm so glad you still had enough time to get your pictures, though. Awesome, amazing pictures!!! I just had to show them all to Dug too - so great! I'm with you on the morning tradition each trip. I think the Crystal Palace before park opening is a must-do for us for the foreseeable future. Can't wait to hear more!

I'll admit, my monorail delay happened close to an hour before any of the park opened, so I can't complain about it too much. They were at least not doing it when there were more guests trying to get to park opening. (Like you...)

You forgot to mention we missed the Monorail before it by like 30 seconds.

I forgot about that! Ahhhh. That's right, because you kept saying, "If we had gotten to the platform 30 seconds earlier."

No need to apologize for all the pictures. They are great! I was sitting here smiling as I looked through them, just because your enjoyment of being in the park that morning was infectious. And I have to say that waking Landon up appears to have been completely worthwhile. Don't worry about letting him on the ground without shoes. We've been there and done that. Sometimes we're just lucky to get our kids out the door with pants on. I really hope we can manage to get one of those early morning ADR's this trip.

I'm sorry for your stress on the monorail, but I'm glad that it worked out for you. You definitely made the most of the limited time you had before your ADR.

Hey, one time I was halfway through the grocery store when I realized Landon didn't have his glasses on. It happens.


I'd read plenty of TRs of DISers getting into the park early, plus Alex and I have a friend who swears that's the best part about her trips, so we really wanted to give it a try. And now, I am going to be one of those people that try and convince parents of young kids how worthwhile it is. There's nothing else like it.

 

[amazingact21]

Now how do you know Alex didn't go to AKL on purpose?? In fairness, the turn off to MK is horribly identified.

Oh the pre-park opening is the BEST!!! I've never had an early ressie, but got to go in for the Keys tour and it's just an unbelievable feeling. Empty Main Street.

Argh, I don't know how, but I completely missed that PP spot with the soldiers. Epic... Fail.

Oh my, I hadn't heard about the garland. Seriously, that would be tragic!

OMG Alisha, that close-up photo of Landon with his ears and the castle in the background is completely perfect.

So funny that you apologized for all the photos, because honestly, they're perfection. So glad it turned out how you hoped.

I probably would have missed the toy soldier PP spot, too, if I hadn't known they set up that area for the big holidays. We got a great photo there during MNSSHP so I assumed there'd be one for MVMCP.


If the garlands go away I'd be really sad! They are one of those things that make the MK extra festive during Christmastime.

Thank you. I didn't even post half the pictures I took, and I still felt that there were too many.

I LOVE pre-park opening reservations! I'm so glad that despite the little monorail situation, you were still able to get there to get your empty park pictures.
And what awesome pictures at that! Landon and your mom in their Mickey ears -- so so cute! I wouldn't blame you for turning the experience into a tradition!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

Thank you. I was really happy I thought to take a picture of my mom and Landon with the writing on the ears in the foreground. It's one of my favorite pics from the trip and my mom made it her cover picture on her Facebook.

Not all the way caught up yet but I'm in. I remember one of your earlier TRs but I'm not sure if I commented. I read a lot of TRs on my phone at work and I haven't figured out how to reply to a thread from the app (who knows what is wrong with me).

But I have to say...this baby, OMG, this baby. Your baby is the cutest baby I have ever seen. I guess I'm a sucker for babies in glasses??

Oh, why thank you! That just made my morning!
Landon certainly is one of a kind; since I see him with the glasses everyday I forget, sometimes, how it's kind of an uncommon thing to see.


I believe I've read your comments from previous TRs, but either way, thank you so much for reading this one and following along! It's appreciated.

 

[BOG Obsessed]

Following along your your TR.
Your son is so adorable, no wonder he has groupies.
Wish I could have stopped to take loads of PP pictures in front of the castle. My family wasn't having any part of that first thing in the morning during our first trip during Christmas week last year. There's always next time....
Can't wait to read more!

 

[marDgreen88]

There really is something so magical about pre-park opening. I personally think it's much more special than leaving with the masses. It feels fresh and new and exciting, and usually I feel sad when I leave MK. Hahaha.

The pictures are all so adorable! What a special morning.

 

[khertz]

Pre-park opening at MK is seriously the BEST! I really hate those monorail issues when you have somewhere to be at a certain time. So frustrating! Been there, done that, over it. Our very first time doing the pre-park opening was just like you described! I didn't even get to enjoy it that much because I was so annoyed. I'm glad you didn't let it get to you like that and you still took the time to get the family photos you wanted. They all came out so adorable!!!

 

[Nermel9]

I love all of the pictures you got of Epcot at night, so pretty! I wish we took the time to do all of the PP pics that are there, but I hardly ever bother, and then I regret it!

Ugh, that monorail is always delayed...I love it, but it really needs a huge upgrade. Maybe new monorail cars or something...

Yay, an empty Magic Kingdom! I love going in before anyone is there, and I haven't done it in SO long! My next trip I'm making an 8:00 ADR for Crystal Palace so I can go in early and look around!

Aww, all of the pictures with you guys and Landon are so sweet! You are going to be so happy when he's all grown up and you have those pictures to look back at!

 

[dtr_angel]

I am sorry your pre-park time did not go exactly as planned but it sounds like you made up for it. Those pictures turned out great! I cannot wait to hear how your Crystal Palace breakfast went.

 

[amazingact21]

I just wanted to apologize to everyone for being absent from the DIS this past week. Landon caught a stomach bug, then I got hit with something, now there's a fridge issue I'm dealing with. It's been one crazy week! When Landon goes down for his nap, today, though, I'm going to start reading you all's updates. I'll get to them, slowly but surely!

Following along your your TR.
Your son is so adorable, no wonder he has groupies.
Wish I could have stopped to take loads of PP pictures in front of the castle. My family wasn't having any part of that first thing in the morning during our first trip during Christmas week last year. There's always next time....
Can't wait to read more!

Thanks for joining! Glad to have you aboard.
Haha, I was fortunate and everyone in my party were early risers. I'm sure if my dad and younger brother were there they would have refused to get up before 8 am.

There really is something so magical about pre-park opening. I personally think it's much more special than leaving with the masses. It feels fresh and new and exciting, and usually I feel sad when I leave MK. Hahaha.

The pictures are all so adorable! What a special morning.

That is true. Nobody likes leaving MK.

Pre-park opening at MK is seriously the BEST! I really hate those monorail issues when you have somewhere to be at a certain time. So frustrating! Been there, done that, over it. Our very first time doing the pre-park opening was just like you described! I didn't even get to enjoy it that much because I was so annoyed. I'm glad you didn't let it get to you like that and you still took the time to get the family photos you wanted. They all came out so adorable!!!

Must be mandatory for all first time pre-park visitors. Maybe Disney doesn't want you to love it TOO much.

I love all of the pictures you got of Epcot at night, so pretty! I wish we took the time to do all of the PP pics that are there, but I hardly ever bother, and then I regret it!

Ugh, that monorail is always delayed...I love it, but it really needs a huge upgrade. Maybe new monorail cars or something...

Yay, an empty Magic Kingdom! I love going in before anyone is there, and I haven't done it in SO long! My next trip I'm making an 8:00 ADR for Crystal Palace so I can go in early and look around!

Aww, all of the pictures with you guys and Landon are so sweet! You are going to be so happy when he's all grown up and you have those pictures to look back at!

Yeah, the monorails do get delayed quite frequently. You would think when they had to close the tracks temporarily for the addition of the GF Villas they'd have made some updates to the monorail, too.


I think the moment I took those pictures I was grateful to have them!

I am sorry your pre-park time did not go exactly as planned but it sounds like you made up for it. Those pictures turned out great! I cannot wait to hear how your Crystal Palace breakfast went.

Thanks! I had been looking forward to getting pictures of Landon on Main St. with his Mickey Ears for almost a year!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Joining in on your trip report a little late!

I had a very similar nerve-wrecking situation during our ride on the resort monorail from the TTC to CR for our early morning Chef Mickey's ADR. The monorail sat the Poly station for 12 minutes before finally departing.

Anyway glad to hear you did make it in and enjoy the unique atmosphere of Main Street that can only be seen before the park opens!

Now I need to go back and start catching up on your previous postings!

 

[amazingact21]

Joining in on your trip report a little late!

I had a very similar nerve-wrecking situation during our ride on the resort monorail from the TTC to CR for our early morning Chef Mickey's ADR. The monorail sat the Poly station for 12 minutes before finally departing.

Anyway glad to hear you did make it in and enjoy the unique atmosphere of Main Street that can only be seen before the park opens!

Now I need to go back and start catching up on your previous postings!

Thank you for joining in! Sadly, my report will not have anywhere near as great as pictures as yours.


Ugh, those monorail delays really can stress a person out! Probably because it's out of our control. At least when we're in the parks, it's up to us to get across the park to a restaurant or skip an attraction due to wait times. All we can do on the monorail is sit back and wait.

 

[MEK]

Sorry I got so far behind. I think I read one of your updates right before I left on vacation but never commented.

But here goes - I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE those night time fountain pictures. Just lovely. So colorful!

Sorry for the delay with the monorail. How frustrating considering you guys were up SO early. But you still got some great shots of an empty park and the PP pictures of Landon are just awesome. Very nice!

 

[Disney Khaleesi]

Joining in a little late. I feel a bit like that Disney manager you encountered earlier on your trip: I don't really care for children, but your son is cute. Look forward to hearing about the rest of the trip.

 

[amazingact21]

Sorry I got so far behind. I think I read one of your updates right before I left on vacation but never commented.

But here goes - I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE those night time fountain pictures. Just lovely. So colorful!

Sorry for the delay with the monorail. How frustrating considering you guys were up SO early. But you still got some great shots of an empty park and the PP pictures of Landon are just awesome. Very nice!

Hey, you just went on a FL vacation, I didn't expect to see you for a week or so, as is. I know things can be hectic once you get back home, lots to catch up on.

Thank you; I had fun taking those pictures of the fountain. Some of my favorite Disney moments are just roaming around, clicking away on my camera.

Joining in a little late. I feel a bit like that Disney manager you encountered earlier on your trip: I don't really care for children, but your son is cute. Look forward to hearing about the rest of the trip.

Haha, well thank you for joining along! I'll admit, I talk mostly about my son in this report, but at least it's scattered with Disney stuff, right?

 

[amazingact21]

Thanks for hanging in there, guys, while I took a big gap between posts. I'm sure as my May trip draws nearer, I'll post more often in anticipation of going back. Only 60 days left!

Speaking of my May trip, Alex and I re-did our budget and realized we could do something great.

We are now staying Deluxe the entire trip!!! I am so, so, so excited about this. We've never stayed in a deluxe before, and now we get 4 glorious nights in one. Between that and scoring a 5:05pm O'hana dinner reservation, this trip is going to be one for the record books.





Tuesday, December 3rd, 2013:


My mom, Alex, Landon, and myself had just finished up a rapid fire photo shoot on the empty Main Street, and we had about a minute and a half to book it over to the Crystal Palace for breakfast.

Alex very hastily parked our stroller and went to check us in. The time was 8:20am, exactly. Nothing like arriving in the nick of time.

My mom and I set up shop next to one of the railings and settled in for a lengthy wait. The last time we were here it took half an hour to get inside, so we were preparing ourselves for the delay.


Cinderella's Castle looked just as beautiful away from Main Street.

Dsc02723 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr



Dsc02730 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


Alex claimed stake a little ways away from us. He probably wasn't up for hearing our chatter so early in the morning.

I gotta have eggs in me before I can deal with this!


Dsc02733 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

This was probably the last time Landon willingly kept his ears on his head. I probably won't get him to wear them again for another 18 years.

Maybe.
Probably ever.



Unlike in May, the buzzer Alex was holding went off after 5-10 minutes and we heard our name being called. This REALLY redeemed Crystal Palace in my book. I don't know if it was because we were there before park opening or what, but it set the tone for a much happier dining experience comparatively.



Inside, the Pooh topiaries were wearing their holiday finest:
Dsc02737 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


Although, sweater and scarves aren't really necessary in Florida...



Our table was already set up with one of the chairs removed and a highchair was waiting in its place.

Major kudos to Crystal Palace for doing that!

That was such a little touch that made this restaurants one of my favorites.


Waiting for a chair is not that big of a deal, it's really not. We experience it every single place we go. However, not having to sit down with the baby, move all the silverware out of his reach, have him bang on the table and squirm around in your arms, then listen to him get grumpy when he has to be moved to another seat is a fantastic thing. We just immediately plopped him down, and he went, "Oh, this is where I'm gonna be? Cool."

It's the little things, I'm telling you.



Our server came over and had just enough time to order our drinks and explain how the restaurant worked to Alex (it was his first time dining there) before our first character showed up.


Dsc02741 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


It was Tigger!



Landon wasn't quite sure what to make of that lovable guy. Tigger got down on his level and tried to pat Landon's shoulder, but that kid wasn't having any of that! He twitched to the side really fast and shot the tiger a look.

"What the heck do you think you're doing, crazy man?"


It was hilarious to watch, because my kid was giving poor Tigger such attitude. Eventually, he did warm up to him enough to get a photo with him.


Dsc02743 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr



Dsc02753 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


I love that Alex looks like such a big kid in this picture.


I was happy to see Landon didn't freak out and cry at his first character interaction. I'd take wary and unsure over complete meltdown any day. And let's be honest, Tigger is one of the more intimidating cast of Winnie the Pooh. He's tall and bright colored and probably seems daunting to a tiny baby.


Once, the meet and greet was over, it was time to get some food! My mom and I left Alex with the baby and went to the buffet.

My mom was over the moon to be reunited with her egg frittatas. On the last trip, it was her favorite food item, and she had been looking forward to eating more for months.

I began with some for myself:
Dsc02755 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


Along with some nasty biscuits and gravy. I don't know why I get some every time I go to a breakfast buffet. Disney's great, and most of their dishes are hits. But sausage and gravy is one of those things that you have to have warm and keep it stirred frequently.

Neither of which happen in a buffet.

So that was a bust, but everything else was delicious. Pretty standard breakfast food. Landon did enjoy the egg from my plate. It kept him entertained during the gaps between characters.



My mom had to make me feel guilty and adorned her plate with all the different fruit offerings.

Dsc02756 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


Some of that cantaloupe was given to Landon, though, so that made me feel a fraction better for my croissant.



When we returned with our plates, Alex went off in search of the omelet station. He has this thing where whenever we go someplace for breakfast he HAS to order an omelet. On our 7 day cruise, he had one 5 of the mornings we were there!

Dsc02757 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


I guess whatever makes him happy...


If anyone is unfamiliar with the omelet process, you go up to a station, tell the cook what you would like in your dish, sometimes get a number, and wait while someone prepares the omelet for you.

Usually, this takes anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes.

Not a big deal.


Unless your wife spots the one character we'd booked CP for about 5 tables away.

I frantically shot Alex a text, "POOH IS COMING!"

I didn't hear anything back.

So I called.

"Alex, Winnie the Pooh is about to come to our table!"

"What do you want me to do? I'm waiting for my omelet."

"You're going to miss Pooh Bear!"


I was freaking out, I will admit. I thought for sure, Winnie the Pooh was going to arrive and pass before Alex returned, and if that happened I would be incredibly disappointed.


I was probably the first person, ever, to silently beg Winnie to take his sweet time at each table.

More pictures, people!

Hug him again! Hug him again!



The characters were zigzagging their meets with the tables. So Pooh went to the table behind us, then the table next to us. Luckily, Alex made it back to the table when he was behind us. Hallelujah!


The moment of truth had arrived.


Winnie the Pooh walked up to the side of the table and looked down at Landon, who was sitting in my lap.

He was instant smiles!

At home, Landon has this large stuffed Pooh that he played with all the time, and when he saw his old buddy standing there, waving to him, his eyes lit up and he broke into his big toothless grin.


I wanted to start bawling right then and there.


There was absolutely no fear with this character; in Landon's mind his old pal had just came to life and was dropping by to say hello.







Dad, look! Look, Dad, it's Winnie the Pooh!!!












I might not remember how the food tasted 10 years from now, or what the rest of the day was like, but I will always remember how excited Landon got at seeing Winnie. As a parent, there's these BIG MOMENTS that you remember when you take your kid to Disney, and that was one of them for me. He was just so unbelievably happy, as only a baby his age could be, and I wanted to bottle that moment up and hold on to it forever.


The three of us are eating there again in May, and don't get me wrong, I'm excited to see Landon with Pooh Bear again, but nothing will match that first meeting. It'll be a moment I cherish for a long time to come, and it made all the naysayers who condemned us for taking a baby float out of my mind.


That was exactly the reason why I took him at 7 months. Because you're never too young to experience the joy of Disney World. And, as a mom, I only got to go through his first year once. I wanted to make it count.

And meeting his favorite character...that was definitely worth it.



The three of us were left in relative peace after that to eat our food. We might or might not have gotten seconds. I can neither confirm nor deny that.

The next character that came to our table was Piglet. I let my mom get a photo opportunity with him and the baby.






The only noteworthy thing that happened with this interaction was Landon's fascination with Piglet's ears. Those big guys were all too tempting for baby fingers!



My mom, Alex, and I had gotten our fill of food, and the characters had gone to the back for a rest. Even when they came back and Alex took Landon in the parade around the restaurant, the last character we needed to meet was on the other side of the room.

Landon had been sitting in his highchair and our laps for close to an hour, and he was starting to get pretty fidgety. Not even eggs and MagicBands were keeping his attention for long.


Alex decided to stand up with him in hopes that some rocking would prevent a crying jag, and while he was gazing around, he happened to spot the window next to our table had a small ledge at the bottom.

He inserted Landon near the glass and let him say hello to people waiting outside.

Thankfully, there was a boy around 6 or 7 years old who spotted the baby on the other side of the window and began playing. He'd smile and wave and Landon would laugh and tap the glass. It was sweet to watch, and Landon got a kick out of seeing another kid.




I didn't get a picture of the boy, but that was his mom laughing along with Landon. She didn't seem to mind the interaction between the two.

That kid kept our son entertained for at least five minutes. It was glorious.

Eventually, the family's buzzer went off, and the little boy held it up and began waving goodbye furiously. Landon followed him as long as he could, sad to see his new friend leave.




We tried to find him a new friend on my mom's side, but alas, nobody was looking towards our window. And the castle in the distance wasn't near as interesting as people.



The chair became the new point of interest.



Whatever works.



I was just beginning to think we needed to cut our losses and get Landon out of there. That nap we'd woken him up from earlier was beginning to bite us in the butt, and if we didn't get him fed and back in the stroller soon, he was going to be one cranky baby.


Thank goodness Eeyore finally made his grand appearance.

Except, Landon liked him the least of all the characters.




Landon seemed unimpressed, and I believe he was relieved when Eeyore finally left him alone. Hopefully he'll grow on him as the years pass.


As soon as the pictures were snapped, I left Alex and my mom to pay the bill and rushed off to the Baby Care Center. I escaped baby meltdown by mere minutes, and I was all too glad to get Landon into a quiet room and let his poor brain settle down. It's not every day, after all, that you meet your favorite Disney friend.

He needed to get some rest after that ordeal!




Up Next: It Was My Turn to be Reunited with an Old Friend

 

[Dugette]

Well, first off, congrats on staying Deluxe the whole time in May! That's great news! I hope you have a fantastic time.

As far as the Crystal Palace update and Winnie the Pooh: LOVE IT!

So precious! That is one huge grin on Landon's face! I love your description of the memory of the moment too. Crystal Palace was the highlight of our trip too and the memory still makes me grin a dopey grin ear to ear, just to think back on it. So glad you have those sweet memories of Landon and his Pooh bear!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

What a great first visit to Crystal Palace! So cute how your son reacted to Pooh! CP has become a perennial favorite for us and we have eaten here at least once every trip. Sometimes breakfast and sometimes lunch but we always enjoy the character interactions.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Oh Alisha, trust me. You're a Disney family. There will come a time when Landon BUYS his own ear hat and wears them.

Those pictures with Tigger are precious grabbing onto his nose.

Oh God... that first picture with Pooh. That is THE moment right there. Put the camera away, you won't need it anymore. Perfection. Landon actually looks like he's glowing.

Aww how precious with the little boy outside the window. How awesome are Disney people??

And to make a point about being "too young" to know or understand the things going on I give you his vastly different reactions to all the characters. I don't think you need more proof than that.