samski
05-04-2010, 07:41 PM
Travel dates: Friday, April 30th - Monday, May 3rd
Travel method: Personal Car (from the Bay Area)
Resort: DLR
Accommodations: Sheraton Park Hotel
Ages Represented in Group: Infant - 30
Disney Resort Experience Represented in Group: Samski (somewhat frequent visitor), DH (2nd trip), DD (very 1st trip!)
Comments: Extremely excited to show my daughter my happy place, but possibly more excited to be there myself after a two-year hiatus!
Cast of characters: Samski (30), DH (30), DD (10 months)
Disclaimer: This trip report is my first and focuses heavily on our experience with our infant daughter (ie., naps, teething, etc.). Hopefully it helps other moms and dads with their planning and is an interesting take on a trip report for everyone else!
Friday, April 30th:
Up early after a long night with DD waking up in tears every hour until 2am. This is highly unusual for her and I was concerned that she was getting sick. But, she was in good spirits this morning and with a quick peek into her mouth and spotting her poor little bruised gums my suspicions that it was teething drama were confirmed. Wow. Molars really suck!
DH took our pup Rufus to daycare/boarding and then was off to work. I cleaned the house and changed the sheets (love coming home to clean sheets on my bed!) and finished packing. I made sure to have the diaper bag packed and ready for the park tomorrow morning. Our clothes for the day are at the top of the suitcase, so hopefully we can be up and at 'em quickly tomorrow.
DH left work at 2:30pm and we managed to get out the door at 4pm. Our plan was to drive from San Jose to Harris Ranch and stop there for Subway for dinner. We made it there at 6:20pm and used the Harris Ranch restrooms (I had heard they are really nice) to get DD into her jammies and get her a bottle before we got back into the car and hoped and prayed she'd sleep the rest of the way. This was our first long car trip with her. She's been angelic on plane rides so we were hoping she'd do just as well. She fought sleep for awhile but eventually settled down and was out around 8:30pm.
We arrived at the Sheraton at 10:30pm. After waiting in line behind a guy that was trying to get every free upgrade possible I finally got checked in. Our room was lovely. On the 4th floor overlooking the pool with plenty of room for the pack n play. I had thought about requesting a Disney view but was so happy I hadn't once I saw our view. The pool area is gorgeous and I knew we'd love sitting out on the balcony while DD got to sleep with that view. We got DD settled and we crashed, too. So tired after the long journey.
Saturday, May 1st
I has set the alarm for 6:50am but woke up at 6:40am. I was too overtired and excited to sleep very well. But as always at DL I woke up refreshed and ready to greet the day! DD had been trying to get up since 6am so she was ready to get moving, too! We all got ready and headed out to the park at 7:40am. I was concerned that the line at the ticket booth to redeem our GADGADD vouchers would be long, but we walked right up. When we walked under the bridge and onto Main Street I felt every worry/stress/etc. float away. I was walking down Main Street USA with my little girl!
We took our time walking over to Fantasyland and decided to give Dumbo a try. I wanted to start DD out on a non-dark ride and wanted to be sure we rode Dumbo before the queue got out of control. We essentially walked right on! (My fears of a jam-packed Fantasyland on a MM proved to be unfounded.) DD was not sure what to make of Dumbo. She was pretty serious and intense, but no tears. After Dumbo we decided to wander for a little while, taking in the peace of the park in the morning. We were getting hungry so we stopped at the River Belle Terrace for breakfast. I packed Cheerios and a banana for DD. I had the Steamboat and was surprised at how good the pancakes were. DH had the other breakfast, I can't remember what it's called.
After breakfast we walked over to Critter Country to ride Winnie the Pooh but I noticed that Splash Mountain was a walk-on. This was the only non-baby-friendly ride that I was interested in riding so DH insisted that I take advantage of such a short wait. I literally skipped and squealed like a little girl through the queue (since there was no one else around). I was so happy! I got to the loading area and was still the only person in line. It was so weird. I was loaded into my own boat and had no one in any of the boats in front or behind me. I had the entire ride to myself. It was awesome and creepy at the same time. Definitely something I will never forget. When I got off the ride DH informed me that it had shut down right after I went on. What luck!
We walked on to Winnie next. Again, DD was not in love with it. I had forgotten how LOUD some of the rides are. She wasn't the biggest fan of that or the darkness, but she just seemed stoic not upset. We put DD back in her stroller, reclined it and gave her her lovey and walked back to Main Street to get our VoluntEAR buttons and a 1st Visit one for DD. Then we walked to the AP Processing Center to upgrade to APs! With our upgrade and the Disney Rewards I had stockpiled over the last two years, we only paid just over $100 for two APs! It feels so good to know I can come back whenever I want to now!
We walk down past the Matterhorn and find a nice, quiet shady bench to sit down while DD naps. She manages only 20 minutes but its enough to recharge us for a little while. I think sitting on the bench, just relaxing, people-watching and enjoying the beautiful day was possibly my favorite part of this trip. But at the same time it was difficult. It was hard to switch gears like that. I was always itching to Go, Go, Go. But it was just so peaceful and gave me the chance to truly appreciate where I was and who I was with. Having our little babe with us made that happen. I would have never just sat down for 20 minutes without her forcing me to do so.
Once DD wakes, we take her on It's A Small World. She loves it! She smiles and looks around at everything and even dances! DH and I are beaming! Once we disembark we decide to head back to the hotel to try to get DD to take a proper nap. We grab sandwiches at the little shop in the hotel for lunch. DD gets a bottle and goes down but takes nearly an hour to get to sleep. I hide out on the lovely balcony and read while DH swam. It felt amazing to have NOTHING to do. We haven't been on a vacation where we just get to do nothing for years (we're usually visiting friends and family on our "vacations"). And after having a baby and all the chaos that brings, we really needed it. I even took a short nap!
We got back out around 4pm and headed to California Adventure. We stopped at the Festival Building to try some of the food offerings and to grab a beer. DH was happy to have an adult beverage. He is definitely not a Disney person and while he enjoyed seeing DD get excited about some of the things in the parks, really here was here for me. So I wanted to make sure he got to do some things he would enjoy, too. He ordered the Berry Crisp and enjoyed it and I had the Beer Battered Halibut which was out of this world! DH tried a bite and said it was the best he'd had in ages (he's English and a bit of a fish & chips connoisseur). We both had the Festival Ale and thought it was pretty good.
We headed over to Monster's Inc. and again DD was a little overwhelmed but still didn't get upset. Our little trooper. We cross over to the Animation building and hang out in the lobby for about 20 minutes to give DD a chance to crawl around. We were about to get in line to see Turtle Talk w/ Crush but realize we'd be cutting it close for our 6pm reservation at the Blue bayou, so we head out and cross over to DL.
As we walk under the bridge onto Main St. I spot Mickey with no line! We hustle over and get a quick pic with him. I'm not a huge fan of getting pics with characters but a pic with Mickey on DD's first visit seemed like a good idea.
I want to change DD's diaper and am dying to see the Baby Care Center (now that I have a child, these are the Disney things I get excited about) so I stop a CM on Main Street and ask where it is. She directs us to the far end of Main Street behind the camera shop. I walk in and it's just like I imagined. A little oasis of calm with cuddly little grandma ladies there to help. I mention to one of the ladies how I was looking forward to seeing the center and she gives me the full tour. My daughter found it so relaxing and calm that she didn't attempt a tantrum while I changed her which is extremely rare.
Once we're finished we head outside where DH is waiting and he's been accosted by a CM who is telling him all about the names on the windows. He's very polite but I can tell he's not interested in the least. (He does make us look for the Sherman Bros. window later on but the next time we visit the Baby Care Center he says he wants to go in so "people don't just start talking to me again.") We walk over to the Blue Bayou. I ask what the chances for a water-side table are and it's a 30 minute wait so we just take whatever is available first. Turns out that's the table next to the bathrooms, but no worries. DD likes the lanterns but she's fussy and we struggle to keep her calm. We essentially inhale our filet mignons while feeding her baby food, bread and bits of my vegetables. I love the Blue Bayou but have been there three times now and will not be in a hurry to get back. I think its time to try Napa Rose!
Even though DD is super tired I convince DH that we should ride Pirates before heading back to the hotel. We were both concerned that DD would protest throughout the ride, but she was great! I had her in the bjorn facing me so she could snuggle. Her favorite parts were wherever there was a dog. She pointed at all of them and by the end of the ride she was dancing. I had been playing my Disneyland soundtrack CD for her since she was born hoping she would recognize the music and I think she may have!
We walked back to the hotel and gave DD a bath, gave her a bottle and got her in bed around 8pm. After repacking the diaper bag for the next day we made a hasty retreat to the balcony and had some beers/wine and talked. It was great, but cold! Its times like these that I miss Midwestern balmy evenings. We were both exhausted and were in bed and asleep by 10pm.
Sunday, May 2nd
DD and I were both up around 6:45am. I sneaked into the bathroom for a quick shower before getting her up and dressed. We're all out the door at 7:45am. I was excited to see that the turnstiles were open so we walked on through and stopped at the Blue Ribbon Bakery for chocolate Croissants and coffee. While were in line to order the rope drop ceremony kicks off and I struggle to contain my panic at not being out there and ready to go! This transition from selfish Disney soloist to slowed-down Disney parent is going to take awhile. My coffee cup starts sloshing all over in the stroller so I pick it up and proceed to spill it all down my white shirt. Nice. At least I'll be wearing the bjorn most of the morning so that'll cover it up.
I had asked DH what he'd like to to today and he said Nemo, so that's where we headed. It took us nearly and hour to wait and ride. I'm not a big fan of this ride, but I'll admit I liked it better this time around. My expectations were too high the first time. DD was not a fan of the darkness and loud noises, not that we were too surprised this time. She did like the giant clams, though. We're starting to realize she likes the slower and not-so-dark rides so she has time to process more of what she's seeing.
We head over to Fantasyland and see that Peter Pan has a 10 minute wait so we jump in line. DD is getting tired by now (she takes a very early first nap) so I put her in the bjorn facing me. I wish I had grabbed her lovey as that would have completely relaxed her. She made it through the ride and I loved it as usual. It really is the epitome of child-like fantasy, this ride. I love all of the stars.
After we've grabbed her lovey we head to the Storybook Canal boats. I hadn't been on this ride but thought DD might like it since its slow and not dark. She was too tired to notice much but I thought it was cute. Once we disembarked (and I nearly lost my balance getting up - with DD in the bjorn with me- that would have been disastrous), we put her in the stroller, reclined it and walked over to Critter Country. We sat on a bench for about 10 minutes before I got too antsy. (I still felt like sitting down was wasting time.) DD hadn't fallen asleep yet so I hoped the movement of the stroller would help her. We walked back to New Orleans Square and by the time we reached Frontierland she was asleep. We stopped to watch a show outside the Golden Horseshoe. It was cute and I even caught DH laughing at the bad jokes. Once they started shooting their guns we moved away, afraid that it would wake DD.
We wind up at the hub and find a shady bench to sit on. DD sleeps for an hour and I people watch, stare at the castle and Matterhorn and chat with DH. Another favorite moment. All through my pregnancy and for the past 10 months with DD, I said I would give anything just to sit on a bench at Disneyland for awhile. And even though it took effort to relax and let myself just sit there, it was truly one of the highlights of this trip.
DD wakes up around 11am and we head to the Baby Care Center to get her changed and prepare a bottle for her. The granny ladies today are not as nice, but I still love this place. We sit on a bench outside and give DD he bottle then head over to the Stage Door Cafe for fish & chips. They can't come close to touching the amazing halibut at CA, but they aren't terrible. Next time I'll get a corn dog, though. DD likes the ducks that are foraging for leftovers.
We make our way over to the Haunted Mansion and take the obligatory Parent & Child in front of the Mansion picture. We get in line and I'm nervous about how DD will react. It's a very dark ride with lots of weird noises. She stares at the gargoyles in the stretching room and it reminds me of me as a child. I loved Haunted Mansion but those gargoyles scared me to death! My uncle (who's 6'7") used to hold me on his shoulders in there and I'd be face-to-face with them! Yikes! I hold DD close for the whole ride and she's calm and unfazed.
The other thing DH wanted to do was take DD to ToonTown so we head that way but stop at the Mad Hatter in Fantasyland to get DD her first Mickey ears! They are ridiculously cute! We decide to postpone ToonTown until this evening and head back to the hotel, passing the Bats Day folks at he hub. I was disappointed with the lack of goth attendance on Saturday, but on Sunday there was plenty of goth fashion to be spotted. DH and I had a discussion about the range of styles and how they may have evolved. I loved the spiderweb parasols.
Another great naptime. DH and I sit on the balcony and talk about how we need a "real" vacation. We have a couple of drinks and start planning. Somewhere tranquil. A nice resort, great pool. Only minor distractions to take us away from our relaxation. We'll see what we come up with.
We're back out the door at 4pm and head to CA. We wander around, stopping for cotton candy (another DH request). We pass TSMM and its a 70 minute wait. I've still not been on this. Maybe next time. We go to Pacific Wharf for dinner. I get the Wine Country Chicken Salad in a bread bowl from Pacific Wharf Cafe. I must have waited 20 minutes in line there. I cannot believe how slow it is. But the salad was good. I shared with DD and she had some packed baby food as well. DH had a Burrito Sonora from Cucina Cucamonga and enjoyed it. We watch the Pixar Play Parade from the Wharf. Its fun but DD is more interested in the ducks and birds sunning themselves on the rocks below. We make our way out slowly among the hordes of people and head over to DL. I'm sad that this is our last entrance into my favorite place.
We decide to take the train over to Toontown. We wait while the first train loads. Then the second one pulls up, and we tell the CM how many we have. While she looks for a place to put us people behind us start filing onto the train and we miss out on a spot. We have to wait again. I nearly had a meltdown and almost started crying. It was embarrassing. I think I was just sad that we were leaving tomorrow and wanted to get a bunch of rides in before we left and wanted everything to go perfectly. Anyway, we got on the next train and I pulled it together. I couldn't believe I had sulked like a child. What's wrong with me?!
We get off the train at Tootown and DH suggests we take DD on IASM again, since she liked it. We ride it again and she's even more animated! She grins from ear to ear and dances once again. She even starts clapping which is new for her! We are all grinning now. Thank goodness we have this little one to help us understand what's really important.
We got to Toontown and walk thorough Mickey's house. We wait in a very short line to meet Micket and get another picture together. This one with all three of us with him. We walk back through Fantasyland hoping to go through the castle walk-through but its closed for the fireworks. We make our way back through Main Street and head out of the park. I'm so tired (and carrying DD in the bjorn still) that I don't even think to say goodbye to my happy place.
Back in the hotel for bath, bottle, bed routine and then out onto the balcony again. Too tired to have much of a conversation (but we agree that we couldn't manage another day of this) so we get to bed early, too.
Monday, May 3rd.
I wake up depressed and wracking my brain for a way to get back into the park for just a little bit before we have to leave. We're meeting my husband's cousin (who he hasn't see in 15 years) north of LA at 12:30pm. Checkout is 11am and the park doesn't open until 10am. The timing is too close to make a good argument, so I admit defeat. I do however, suggest breakfast in Downtown Disney. We've been talking about beignets since we arrived and have yet to have any so we pack up and go to the Jazz Kitchen Express for breakfast burritos and those unbelieveably delicious fried pastries. DD has the usual Cheerios and banana and I'm not sad to be getting her home to more consistent (and better) meals. At around 11:15am we start back to the car and I teasingly turn the stroller toward the bag check area and say "See you later!" to DH. I rejoin him and he says he wondered why I hadn't planned a third morning in the park. What?! And I start to cry just a little bit. But at least I have my AP and know that I'll be back before too long.
We drive up to Castaic and meet DH's cousin and visit for an hour or so before making our way home. We pick up Rufus at daycare and are home by 7:30pm.
Highlights:
Quiet time on benches behind Matterhorn and at the Hub.
Seeing DD clap, dance and smile on IASW.
Having nothing to do but read and relax during naptimes back at the hotel.
Getting DD her first ears.
My solo ride on Splash.
Great non-baby-focused conversation with DH on balcony during naptime/bedtime.
What I learned:
#1- Manage your expectations. I knew we'd have to slow down but wasn't prepared for how slow we'd have to go. We rode 10 rides in 2 days. (I realize we could've done rider swap and rode rides during DD's nap, but neither of us were really interested in that. We wanted to do things we could do together this time.)
#2- Pack food for the little one. It was just impractical to go out of the way to find appropriate food for her in the park. We were able to share some things with her but I was glad I brought what I did for her. Next time I will bring more.
#3- A lovey saves the day. I wish I would have carried her lovey with us everytime I had her in the bjorn. It just mellowed her out so well.
#4- Be nice to the hubby. My husband says I'm a bit "psycho for Disney" so he obviously isn't as enthusiastic as me, but he put a real effort into this trip and I am very thankful for that. I think he appreciated being included in the planning and that we made sure he got to do some things he was interested in.
#5- Downtime is essential to all. Afternoon downtime during DD's naps was wonderful. It really made the trip for DH and I. I couldn't imagine pulling a 12-16 hour day at the park anymore, even without our little babe.
Travel method: Personal Car (from the Bay Area)
Resort: DLR
Accommodations: Sheraton Park Hotel
Ages Represented in Group: Infant - 30
Disney Resort Experience Represented in Group: Samski (somewhat frequent visitor), DH (2nd trip), DD (very 1st trip!)
Comments: Extremely excited to show my daughter my happy place, but possibly more excited to be there myself after a two-year hiatus!
Cast of characters: Samski (30), DH (30), DD (10 months)
Disclaimer: This trip report is my first and focuses heavily on our experience with our infant daughter (ie., naps, teething, etc.). Hopefully it helps other moms and dads with their planning and is an interesting take on a trip report for everyone else!
Friday, April 30th:
Up early after a long night with DD waking up in tears every hour until 2am. This is highly unusual for her and I was concerned that she was getting sick. But, she was in good spirits this morning and with a quick peek into her mouth and spotting her poor little bruised gums my suspicions that it was teething drama were confirmed. Wow. Molars really suck!
DH took our pup Rufus to daycare/boarding and then was off to work. I cleaned the house and changed the sheets (love coming home to clean sheets on my bed!) and finished packing. I made sure to have the diaper bag packed and ready for the park tomorrow morning. Our clothes for the day are at the top of the suitcase, so hopefully we can be up and at 'em quickly tomorrow.
DH left work at 2:30pm and we managed to get out the door at 4pm. Our plan was to drive from San Jose to Harris Ranch and stop there for Subway for dinner. We made it there at 6:20pm and used the Harris Ranch restrooms (I had heard they are really nice) to get DD into her jammies and get her a bottle before we got back into the car and hoped and prayed she'd sleep the rest of the way. This was our first long car trip with her. She's been angelic on plane rides so we were hoping she'd do just as well. She fought sleep for awhile but eventually settled down and was out around 8:30pm.
We arrived at the Sheraton at 10:30pm. After waiting in line behind a guy that was trying to get every free upgrade possible I finally got checked in. Our room was lovely. On the 4th floor overlooking the pool with plenty of room for the pack n play. I had thought about requesting a Disney view but was so happy I hadn't once I saw our view. The pool area is gorgeous and I knew we'd love sitting out on the balcony while DD got to sleep with that view. We got DD settled and we crashed, too. So tired after the long journey.
Saturday, May 1st
I has set the alarm for 6:50am but woke up at 6:40am. I was too overtired and excited to sleep very well. But as always at DL I woke up refreshed and ready to greet the day! DD had been trying to get up since 6am so she was ready to get moving, too! We all got ready and headed out to the park at 7:40am. I was concerned that the line at the ticket booth to redeem our GADGADD vouchers would be long, but we walked right up. When we walked under the bridge and onto Main Street I felt every worry/stress/etc. float away. I was walking down Main Street USA with my little girl!
We took our time walking over to Fantasyland and decided to give Dumbo a try. I wanted to start DD out on a non-dark ride and wanted to be sure we rode Dumbo before the queue got out of control. We essentially walked right on! (My fears of a jam-packed Fantasyland on a MM proved to be unfounded.) DD was not sure what to make of Dumbo. She was pretty serious and intense, but no tears. After Dumbo we decided to wander for a little while, taking in the peace of the park in the morning. We were getting hungry so we stopped at the River Belle Terrace for breakfast. I packed Cheerios and a banana for DD. I had the Steamboat and was surprised at how good the pancakes were. DH had the other breakfast, I can't remember what it's called.
After breakfast we walked over to Critter Country to ride Winnie the Pooh but I noticed that Splash Mountain was a walk-on. This was the only non-baby-friendly ride that I was interested in riding so DH insisted that I take advantage of such a short wait. I literally skipped and squealed like a little girl through the queue (since there was no one else around). I was so happy! I got to the loading area and was still the only person in line. It was so weird. I was loaded into my own boat and had no one in any of the boats in front or behind me. I had the entire ride to myself. It was awesome and creepy at the same time. Definitely something I will never forget. When I got off the ride DH informed me that it had shut down right after I went on. What luck!
We walked on to Winnie next. Again, DD was not in love with it. I had forgotten how LOUD some of the rides are. She wasn't the biggest fan of that or the darkness, but she just seemed stoic not upset. We put DD back in her stroller, reclined it and gave her her lovey and walked back to Main Street to get our VoluntEAR buttons and a 1st Visit one for DD. Then we walked to the AP Processing Center to upgrade to APs! With our upgrade and the Disney Rewards I had stockpiled over the last two years, we only paid just over $100 for two APs! It feels so good to know I can come back whenever I want to now!
We walk down past the Matterhorn and find a nice, quiet shady bench to sit down while DD naps. She manages only 20 minutes but its enough to recharge us for a little while. I think sitting on the bench, just relaxing, people-watching and enjoying the beautiful day was possibly my favorite part of this trip. But at the same time it was difficult. It was hard to switch gears like that. I was always itching to Go, Go, Go. But it was just so peaceful and gave me the chance to truly appreciate where I was and who I was with. Having our little babe with us made that happen. I would have never just sat down for 20 minutes without her forcing me to do so.
Once DD wakes, we take her on It's A Small World. She loves it! She smiles and looks around at everything and even dances! DH and I are beaming! Once we disembark we decide to head back to the hotel to try to get DD to take a proper nap. We grab sandwiches at the little shop in the hotel for lunch. DD gets a bottle and goes down but takes nearly an hour to get to sleep. I hide out on the lovely balcony and read while DH swam. It felt amazing to have NOTHING to do. We haven't been on a vacation where we just get to do nothing for years (we're usually visiting friends and family on our "vacations"). And after having a baby and all the chaos that brings, we really needed it. I even took a short nap!
We got back out around 4pm and headed to California Adventure. We stopped at the Festival Building to try some of the food offerings and to grab a beer. DH was happy to have an adult beverage. He is definitely not a Disney person and while he enjoyed seeing DD get excited about some of the things in the parks, really here was here for me. So I wanted to make sure he got to do some things he would enjoy, too. He ordered the Berry Crisp and enjoyed it and I had the Beer Battered Halibut which was out of this world! DH tried a bite and said it was the best he'd had in ages (he's English and a bit of a fish & chips connoisseur). We both had the Festival Ale and thought it was pretty good.
We headed over to Monster's Inc. and again DD was a little overwhelmed but still didn't get upset. Our little trooper. We cross over to the Animation building and hang out in the lobby for about 20 minutes to give DD a chance to crawl around. We were about to get in line to see Turtle Talk w/ Crush but realize we'd be cutting it close for our 6pm reservation at the Blue bayou, so we head out and cross over to DL.
As we walk under the bridge onto Main St. I spot Mickey with no line! We hustle over and get a quick pic with him. I'm not a huge fan of getting pics with characters but a pic with Mickey on DD's first visit seemed like a good idea.
I want to change DD's diaper and am dying to see the Baby Care Center (now that I have a child, these are the Disney things I get excited about) so I stop a CM on Main Street and ask where it is. She directs us to the far end of Main Street behind the camera shop. I walk in and it's just like I imagined. A little oasis of calm with cuddly little grandma ladies there to help. I mention to one of the ladies how I was looking forward to seeing the center and she gives me the full tour. My daughter found it so relaxing and calm that she didn't attempt a tantrum while I changed her which is extremely rare.
Once we're finished we head outside where DH is waiting and he's been accosted by a CM who is telling him all about the names on the windows. He's very polite but I can tell he's not interested in the least. (He does make us look for the Sherman Bros. window later on but the next time we visit the Baby Care Center he says he wants to go in so "people don't just start talking to me again.") We walk over to the Blue Bayou. I ask what the chances for a water-side table are and it's a 30 minute wait so we just take whatever is available first. Turns out that's the table next to the bathrooms, but no worries. DD likes the lanterns but she's fussy and we struggle to keep her calm. We essentially inhale our filet mignons while feeding her baby food, bread and bits of my vegetables. I love the Blue Bayou but have been there three times now and will not be in a hurry to get back. I think its time to try Napa Rose!
Even though DD is super tired I convince DH that we should ride Pirates before heading back to the hotel. We were both concerned that DD would protest throughout the ride, but she was great! I had her in the bjorn facing me so she could snuggle. Her favorite parts were wherever there was a dog. She pointed at all of them and by the end of the ride she was dancing. I had been playing my Disneyland soundtrack CD for her since she was born hoping she would recognize the music and I think she may have!
We walked back to the hotel and gave DD a bath, gave her a bottle and got her in bed around 8pm. After repacking the diaper bag for the next day we made a hasty retreat to the balcony and had some beers/wine and talked. It was great, but cold! Its times like these that I miss Midwestern balmy evenings. We were both exhausted and were in bed and asleep by 10pm.
Sunday, May 2nd
DD and I were both up around 6:45am. I sneaked into the bathroom for a quick shower before getting her up and dressed. We're all out the door at 7:45am. I was excited to see that the turnstiles were open so we walked on through and stopped at the Blue Ribbon Bakery for chocolate Croissants and coffee. While were in line to order the rope drop ceremony kicks off and I struggle to contain my panic at not being out there and ready to go! This transition from selfish Disney soloist to slowed-down Disney parent is going to take awhile. My coffee cup starts sloshing all over in the stroller so I pick it up and proceed to spill it all down my white shirt. Nice. At least I'll be wearing the bjorn most of the morning so that'll cover it up.
I had asked DH what he'd like to to today and he said Nemo, so that's where we headed. It took us nearly and hour to wait and ride. I'm not a big fan of this ride, but I'll admit I liked it better this time around. My expectations were too high the first time. DD was not a fan of the darkness and loud noises, not that we were too surprised this time. She did like the giant clams, though. We're starting to realize she likes the slower and not-so-dark rides so she has time to process more of what she's seeing.
We head over to Fantasyland and see that Peter Pan has a 10 minute wait so we jump in line. DD is getting tired by now (she takes a very early first nap) so I put her in the bjorn facing me. I wish I had grabbed her lovey as that would have completely relaxed her. She made it through the ride and I loved it as usual. It really is the epitome of child-like fantasy, this ride. I love all of the stars.
After we've grabbed her lovey we head to the Storybook Canal boats. I hadn't been on this ride but thought DD might like it since its slow and not dark. She was too tired to notice much but I thought it was cute. Once we disembarked (and I nearly lost my balance getting up - with DD in the bjorn with me- that would have been disastrous), we put her in the stroller, reclined it and walked over to Critter Country. We sat on a bench for about 10 minutes before I got too antsy. (I still felt like sitting down was wasting time.) DD hadn't fallen asleep yet so I hoped the movement of the stroller would help her. We walked back to New Orleans Square and by the time we reached Frontierland she was asleep. We stopped to watch a show outside the Golden Horseshoe. It was cute and I even caught DH laughing at the bad jokes. Once they started shooting their guns we moved away, afraid that it would wake DD.
We wind up at the hub and find a shady bench to sit on. DD sleeps for an hour and I people watch, stare at the castle and Matterhorn and chat with DH. Another favorite moment. All through my pregnancy and for the past 10 months with DD, I said I would give anything just to sit on a bench at Disneyland for awhile. And even though it took effort to relax and let myself just sit there, it was truly one of the highlights of this trip.
DD wakes up around 11am and we head to the Baby Care Center to get her changed and prepare a bottle for her. The granny ladies today are not as nice, but I still love this place. We sit on a bench outside and give DD he bottle then head over to the Stage Door Cafe for fish & chips. They can't come close to touching the amazing halibut at CA, but they aren't terrible. Next time I'll get a corn dog, though. DD likes the ducks that are foraging for leftovers.
We make our way over to the Haunted Mansion and take the obligatory Parent & Child in front of the Mansion picture. We get in line and I'm nervous about how DD will react. It's a very dark ride with lots of weird noises. She stares at the gargoyles in the stretching room and it reminds me of me as a child. I loved Haunted Mansion but those gargoyles scared me to death! My uncle (who's 6'7") used to hold me on his shoulders in there and I'd be face-to-face with them! Yikes! I hold DD close for the whole ride and she's calm and unfazed.
The other thing DH wanted to do was take DD to ToonTown so we head that way but stop at the Mad Hatter in Fantasyland to get DD her first Mickey ears! They are ridiculously cute! We decide to postpone ToonTown until this evening and head back to the hotel, passing the Bats Day folks at he hub. I was disappointed with the lack of goth attendance on Saturday, but on Sunday there was plenty of goth fashion to be spotted. DH and I had a discussion about the range of styles and how they may have evolved. I loved the spiderweb parasols.
Another great naptime. DH and I sit on the balcony and talk about how we need a "real" vacation. We have a couple of drinks and start planning. Somewhere tranquil. A nice resort, great pool. Only minor distractions to take us away from our relaxation. We'll see what we come up with.
We're back out the door at 4pm and head to CA. We wander around, stopping for cotton candy (another DH request). We pass TSMM and its a 70 minute wait. I've still not been on this. Maybe next time. We go to Pacific Wharf for dinner. I get the Wine Country Chicken Salad in a bread bowl from Pacific Wharf Cafe. I must have waited 20 minutes in line there. I cannot believe how slow it is. But the salad was good. I shared with DD and she had some packed baby food as well. DH had a Burrito Sonora from Cucina Cucamonga and enjoyed it. We watch the Pixar Play Parade from the Wharf. Its fun but DD is more interested in the ducks and birds sunning themselves on the rocks below. We make our way out slowly among the hordes of people and head over to DL. I'm sad that this is our last entrance into my favorite place.
We decide to take the train over to Toontown. We wait while the first train loads. Then the second one pulls up, and we tell the CM how many we have. While she looks for a place to put us people behind us start filing onto the train and we miss out on a spot. We have to wait again. I nearly had a meltdown and almost started crying. It was embarrassing. I think I was just sad that we were leaving tomorrow and wanted to get a bunch of rides in before we left and wanted everything to go perfectly. Anyway, we got on the next train and I pulled it together. I couldn't believe I had sulked like a child. What's wrong with me?!
We get off the train at Tootown and DH suggests we take DD on IASM again, since she liked it. We ride it again and she's even more animated! She grins from ear to ear and dances once again. She even starts clapping which is new for her! We are all grinning now. Thank goodness we have this little one to help us understand what's really important.
We got to Toontown and walk thorough Mickey's house. We wait in a very short line to meet Micket and get another picture together. This one with all three of us with him. We walk back through Fantasyland hoping to go through the castle walk-through but its closed for the fireworks. We make our way back through Main Street and head out of the park. I'm so tired (and carrying DD in the bjorn still) that I don't even think to say goodbye to my happy place.
Back in the hotel for bath, bottle, bed routine and then out onto the balcony again. Too tired to have much of a conversation (but we agree that we couldn't manage another day of this) so we get to bed early, too.
Monday, May 3rd.
I wake up depressed and wracking my brain for a way to get back into the park for just a little bit before we have to leave. We're meeting my husband's cousin (who he hasn't see in 15 years) north of LA at 12:30pm. Checkout is 11am and the park doesn't open until 10am. The timing is too close to make a good argument, so I admit defeat. I do however, suggest breakfast in Downtown Disney. We've been talking about beignets since we arrived and have yet to have any so we pack up and go to the Jazz Kitchen Express for breakfast burritos and those unbelieveably delicious fried pastries. DD has the usual Cheerios and banana and I'm not sad to be getting her home to more consistent (and better) meals. At around 11:15am we start back to the car and I teasingly turn the stroller toward the bag check area and say "See you later!" to DH. I rejoin him and he says he wondered why I hadn't planned a third morning in the park. What?! And I start to cry just a little bit. But at least I have my AP and know that I'll be back before too long.
We drive up to Castaic and meet DH's cousin and visit for an hour or so before making our way home. We pick up Rufus at daycare and are home by 7:30pm.
Highlights:
Quiet time on benches behind Matterhorn and at the Hub.
Seeing DD clap, dance and smile on IASW.
Having nothing to do but read and relax during naptimes back at the hotel.
Getting DD her first ears.
My solo ride on Splash.
Great non-baby-focused conversation with DH on balcony during naptime/bedtime.
What I learned:
#1- Manage your expectations. I knew we'd have to slow down but wasn't prepared for how slow we'd have to go. We rode 10 rides in 2 days. (I realize we could've done rider swap and rode rides during DD's nap, but neither of us were really interested in that. We wanted to do things we could do together this time.)
#2- Pack food for the little one. It was just impractical to go out of the way to find appropriate food for her in the park. We were able to share some things with her but I was glad I brought what I did for her. Next time I will bring more.
#3- A lovey saves the day. I wish I would have carried her lovey with us everytime I had her in the bjorn. It just mellowed her out so well.
#4- Be nice to the hubby. My husband says I'm a bit "psycho for Disney" so he obviously isn't as enthusiastic as me, but he put a real effort into this trip and I am very thankful for that. I think he appreciated being included in the planning and that we made sure he got to do some things he was interested in.
#5- Downtime is essential to all. Afternoon downtime during DD's naps was wonderful. It really made the trip for DH and I. I couldn't imagine pulling a 12-16 hour day at the park anymore, even without our little babe.