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Thread: Tiffany Azzara – May 2012 – Port Orleans French Quarter (Our Toddler’s First Trip!)

  1. #1

    Tiffany Azzara – May 2012 – Port Orleans French Quarter (Our Toddler’s First Trip!)

    Travel dates: May 2-5, 2012
    Travel method: Personal vehicle
    Resort: Port Orleans French Quarter
    Accommodations: King bed with Pack ‘n Play
    Ages represented in group: Early 30s, 18 months
    Disney Resort experience represented in group: Frequent
    Cast of characters: Tiffany, 32 (I turned 32 the last day of our trip); Nick, 34 (DH); Andrew, 18 months (DS). I have a confession to make: For the longest time, I thought DH stood for “Disney husband,” DS for “Disney son,” etc. I know better now, but I still prefer to think of my boys as my “Disney husband” and “Disney son.” We live about two hours from the World but don't get there nearly as often as I'd like. Hopefully that will change in the future.

    Planning:

    This trip has been in the making since Nick and I took our last trip in April 2010 (two years between trips … yikes!). I was about halfway through my pregnancy and already dreaming of bringing our firstborn to the World.

    The plan was to go for Andrew’s first birthday and Food & Wine in October 2011, but we had some unexpected expenses come up and made the decision to postpone our trip until the spring. It wasn’t easy for me to cancel the October trip – we had a resort reservation, ADRs and an appointment for Andrew’s first haircut at Harmony Barber Shop – but we already have a lot going on in the fall, what with the baby’s birthday, holidays and college football (geaux Tigers!), so we thought a spring trip would provide a nice break. Plus, it was our first true family vacation. We fly to New Orleans and Nashville to visit our families often, but this trip was just the three of us. We celebrated Andrew’s first visit and my 32nd birthday, as well as the amazing father and husband that is Nick.

    Our Travel Dates:

    We chose early May for a few reasons:
    1. Moderate crowds, according to TouringPlans.com’s crowd calendar. I thought the crowds were pretty big, actually (will we *ever* see truly moderate crowds again?), but Nick told me afterward that he thought they weren’t that bad.
    2. Warm, but not HOT weather. We were hopeful for “warm” weather, but it ended up being *hot*.
    3. Cinco de Tee-oh! My birthday is on May 5, which was awesome in my college and pre-baby years, but now it isn’t quite as fun ... until we throw Disney into the mix.

    I'm all about spending long weekends at Disney World, but for this – our first "real" family vacation – I wanted it to feel like a vacation. Our plan was to arrive on property midday Wednesday, spend two-and-a-half days in the parks and drive home midday Saturday, giving us time to relax, do laundry, etc. before going back to work and daycare on Monday.

    Our Resort Choice:

    We tend to stick with moderate resorts for our visits. As much as we would love to stay in a deluxe, it just isn’t in our budget right now; even with discounts there’s a substantial difference between the moderates and deluxes, and I can’t help but think about what else that money could be going toward (tickets, meals, souvenirs…).

    We've stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter, Port Orleans Riverside and Caribbean Beach before, but we're always up for trying something new, so initially we chose Coronado Springs for this trip. We liked the look of CSR and the fact that it's the most "deluxe" of the mods.

    As soon as the spring room-only discounts were released late last year, I booked a king-bed room at CSR. I think our savings was 25 percent … not too shabby. Then, a couple of months before our trip, I was playing on the Disney site and noticed the Florida resident spring room-only discount was more substantial, so I changed our reservation and saved us an additional $37. When we were about five weeks out, I rethought our resort choice. Yes, it’s fun to stay in “new” places and the theming of CSR is right up our alley, but I absolutely LOVE Port Orleans French Quarter. Its smaller size, the boat to Downtown Disney, the fact that it reminds me of home… I called CRO to check availability and was pleasantly surprised to get a room with a king at POFQ. Score! We kept our Florida resident discount but paid a bit more than we would have at CSR.

    Nick and I can sleep in a queen bed if we absolutely have to, but we sleep much better when we have a king to crash in. We had a Pack ‘n Play in the room and brought our PnP mattress from home (the “mattress” that comes with the PnP doesn’t cut it).

    Our Dining and Portrait Reservations:

    I made, canceled and remade several ADRs while planning, and we ended up with only one: Via Napoli on our Epcot day. I don’t like the idea of being tied to a schedule, Nick and I aren’t foodies, and – at this point – Andrew is afraid of characters.

    For my birthday gift, I decided I wanted professional pictures of us as a family. We have 6-month and 12-month portraits of Andrew, but none of the three of us. So I reserved a 20-minute session through Disney Event Photography. It was for the evening of our arrival day at the Poly.

    With all of that behind us … as Peter Pan says, here we go!

    Wednesday, May 2, 2012:

    Plans:
    Leave home after lunch and make the two-hour drive to WDW. Check into POFQ, unpack and rest or explore a bit, then get ready for our portrait session and head over to the Poly. After our session, have dinner before returning to POFQ to explore and maybe swim. Go to bed at our usual bedtime (especially Andrew).

    Actual:
    I woke up at my usual time and went for a run. When I got home, Nick and Andrew were up, so Nick went to the gym while I made breakfast for Andrew. When Nick got back from working out, I took a shower, and Andrew and I went to Walmart for a few things while Nick ran a few errands of his own. He took a shower when he got home while I did my makeup.

    By then it was time for lunch. I made us sandwiches and set Andrew up in his high chair while Nick loaded the car. After he and I ate, it was time to hit the road. We left a little after noon, and Andrew was asleep before we hit the interstate. He slept most of the way there, waking up once but falling back asleep. He woke up for good as we drove onto property, so we pointed out the characters on the welcome sign and all of the sights.

    The drive takes us almost exactly two hours door to door, and we were checking in at Port Orleans French Quarter at 2 p.m. I had done online check-in 10 days prior, so I picked up our packet, which included a birthday button for me, and asked for a First Visit button for Andrew. While I was checking in, Nick and Andrew were playing near the fountain in the lobby (the kid *loves* water), then wandered into the gift shop, which is where I found them. We drove over to Building 4 and lugged our stuff to our room, 4126. Wow, what a great location!

    We had a corner room right next to the food court, which was super convenient. Even though we didn't eat there (well, we got dessert once), we went there to fill our Camelbak bottles with ice and water every morning. It was a much shorter walk than the walk to the ice machine, which I think was in Building 7. The only time our room location sucked was around 3 a.m. every night. A CM area was catty-corner to our room, and every night I heard CMs talking -- scratch that, *yelling* -- outside. It sounded like they were standing on our doorstep. It got so bad the second night that I was about to call the front desk when they finally shut up. Luckily they never woke up Nick or Andrew (I'm the light sleeper of the group).

    We last stayed at POFQ in April 2010, pre-renovation. The changes aren't dramatic, but I like what I saw. I love purple, gold and green together, and I really like the tile in the bathroom, too (I am not, however, a fan of the dark green wainscoting). Even Nick noticed the changes, which pleasantly surprised me.

    I called the front desk for a Pack 'n Play since there wasn't one in our room. We also noticed that the fridge wasn't on, but later we saw that it wasn't plugged in. I'm glad we didn't call about that! That would've been embarrassing.

    We unpacked a bit and set off to explore. Our first stop? Mardi Grogs! Nick got a Michelob Ultra, I got a Pina Colava (pina colada, Bacardi Razz and raspberry puree ... holy YUM!) and we got a water for Andrew. Our total was $17.71, including tip.

    We walked over to the pool, where the afternoon dance party was starting. The CMs were dancing with kids to "Pumpin' Up the Party," parents were snapping pictures, and even more kids, parents, grandparents, you name it were playing in the pool or sitting in lounge chairs, just enjoying being there.

    I'm ashamed to admit that I got teary-eyed at that point. I'd been looking forward to this trip for so long -- planning and adjusting plans and longing for our first real family vacation -- and now it was HERE. I feel so blessed to have been able to take a fun, relaxing vacation with my little family. Nick and I work so hard, both at our jobs and as parents (and I know you all do, too), and I felt such a release to finally BE at Walt Disney World -- my Happiest Place on Earth -- with my two favorite people, and to have three fun-filled days ahead of us. OK, enough sappy stuff.

    We took our drinks over to the little playground, where there were a couple of little girls playing. This was the first of many, many stops to let Andrew enjoy some "free play." He and Nick, my kid at heart, joined the little girls on the playground while I sipped my drink and Instagrammed a few pictures.

    After an hour or so of roaming the grounds, we headed back to our room to get ready for our portrait session. I changed Andrew, Nick took a quick shower, and I freshened up my makeup and ran the straightener through my hair before changing my outfit. We had our own impromptu photo shoot before heading to the Poly at 4:30 p.m.

    It was the first time visiting the Poly for all of us and at first I was underwhelmed, but I really grew to love it. I guess I was expecting it to be massive, with lush greenery and flowing water everywhere, but the Great Ceremonial House -- or at least what we saw of it -- was pretty dark and compact. I guess that's to be expected of a structure from the early '70s, but it wasn't love at first sight. Once we explored the grounds a bit, though, and visited again later in our trip, both Nick and I got the bug and started talking about staying there on a future visit. There's something about the smell, too -- I don't know if it's all of the water features or the flora and fauna, but it smells so fresh and tropical. Or is that just me?

    Anyway, we went up to the PhotoPass desk on the second floor and met our photographer, CM Jake. Poor Jake was wearing a long-sleeve dark shirt and black pants, and it was pretty darn hot and humid, even at 5 p.m. He said he and the other photographers are trying to convince their bosses to let them wear shorts in the summer, but no dice so far.

    I had a couple of shots/spots in mind (on the beach with the castle in the background, and in a hammock), so we made our way down to the beach, stopping near some pretty foliage to get a couple of shots. Once we got to the beach, Andrew spotted a mother duck with her ducklings and took off after them. He was thisclose to jumping into the water before Nick reached him. Whew! After that pretty much all he wanted to do was run around, but we were able to get a few shots -- on the beach, at the top of the hill (I think maybe it's where wedding ceremonies are held?), lying in a hammock and on a rope bridge.

    Jake was great. He was willing to spend more time with us even though we'd "only" purchased the 20-minute session (I say "only" because it was $150), but Andrew was pretty antsy so we didn't take up too much more of his time. Maybe 30 minutes altogether, and in that time we got 65 shots. For the 20-minute session, I'd say the value was there (I don't know that I would say the same about the hourlong session for $350); I just wish Andrew had been a bit more cooperative. Looking at the pictures, I also wish we'd gotten his hair cut beforehand. It's out of control!

    Our CD wouldn't be ready for an hour and a half and Jake said we could pick it up another time, so we left the Poly and headed to Buffalo Wild Wings at the Crossroads for dinner. Nick and I got a couple of Blue Moons, and we got some water for Andrew. For dinner we ordered him the kids' chicken finger meal. I got the wrap with grilled chicken and medium sauce, and Nick got 12 hot wings with a side of Wild sauce.

    Andrew, who hadn't eaten much that day, cleaned his plate. Seriously, I've never seen the kid eat so much! He ate all three chicken fingers (big ones, too) and most of his fries (Nick and I had a couple each). After getting something into his belly, he was his usual happy self (he was a bit grumpy while we were at the Poly). Our total with tip was $43.61.

    Back at POFQ, we changed into our swimsuits and went out to the pool. It was pretty chilly by that time, so we tried the kiddie pool. It was warmer (Nick says because of all the kids peeing in it all day long), but the problem was the outside air was so cool.

    Andrew's teeth were chattering, but he didn't want to get out. Being the horrible parents we are, we made him leave the pool area and went to the food court for a chocolate chip cookie and Mickey head-shaped Rice Krispies treat ($6.59). On the way out, we saw a bunny that Andrew became enamored with. We watched him for a while and took a few pictures, then Andrew waved "bye" and we were on our way.

    Nick gave Andrew a bath when we got back to our room, then I read a few books to him (we brought some favorites from home) and put him in the Pack 'n Play next to the bed. He went down with no problem, and Nick and I played on our iPad and iPhones for a while (with the lights off) before calling it a night. It was pretty early -- maybe 9:30 -- when the two of us went to sleep.


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  3. #2

    What a lovely start for your trip! Your avatar must be from one of the pics taken at the Poly... his hair is a little wild, but adorable!

    Looking forward to the rest of your trip report. And Happy belated Birthday!


    WDW: 2012 (Contemporary), 2010 (Caribbean Beach) , 2007 (Animal Kingdom), 2001 (Beach Club)
    DLR: 5/2014, 4/2014, 10/2013, 1989, 1979

  4. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Skippydoo View Post
    What a lovely start for your trip! Your avatar must be from one of the pics taken at the Poly... his hair is a little wild, but adorable!

    Looking forward to the rest of your trip report. And Happy belated Birthday!
    Thanks for reading, and for the belated birthday wishes!

    Yep, that's one of our pics in my avatar. I'll post a link to all of our photos at the end of my report. I was hoping to write more today, but I have a sick little guy on my hands. I will try for tomorrow or this weekend, though.

  5. #4

    Thursday, May 3, 2012:

    Plans:
    Animal Kingdom rope drop is 9 a.m., so I'm hoping to leave the room by 8:15, 8:30 at the latest so we can drive over. We may not make it for the actual rope drop, but hopefully we will still beat the midmorning rush.

    Must-dos:
    • Kilimanjaro Safaris
    • Maharajah Jungle Trek
    • Pangani Forest Exploration Trail
    • The Boneyard
    • Affection Section

    Maybe-dos:
    • Finding Nemo – The Musical or Festival of the Lion King
    • Expedition Everest
    • DINOSAUR

    We will probably leave the park in the early afternoon, and I doubt we will return. We'll spend the rest of the day at POFQ, swimming or taking the boat to Downtown Disney. Early night this night, as the next day is Magic Kingdom day!

    Actual:
    Nick and I woke up at about quarter to 7 after tossing and turning for most of the night (out of excitement, I like to think). We let Andrew sleep in while we got ready. We left the room at 8:30 and drove to Animal Kingdom. Nick told me on the way there that he’d like to eat at Bongos while we were at the World (we LOVE Cuban food), so on our way to AK I pulled up Mobile Magic and made an ADR for that night – not that we really needed it, but I like using Disney’s reservation system whenever I can.

    We parked close enough at AK to skip the tram. After walking to the front of the park, we went through bag check and exchanged our Wild for 3 vouchers for tickets (Donald for Nick, Pluto for me) and walked through the turnstiles. We took our time going back to Africa, stopping to see some spoonbills, macaws and regular ol’ ducks, and to have a PhotoPass photographer take some pictures of us with the Tree of Life.

    We picked up FastPasses for the safari and walked the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. Highlights for Andrew were the frogs and rats (great – do I have a creature collector on my hands?), while I enjoyed seeing the baby gorilla and the meerkats.

    After walking the trail, we sat on a bench outside the KS FastPass entrance so Andrew could eat an Uncrustable. (Like his father, he could eat peanut butter at every meal and be happy.) Nick and I had eaten peanut butter sandwiches back in the room (my point exactly), and Andrew hadn’t wanted anything to eat at that time. I caught up on my trip report notes, and Nick tweeted some pictures.

    We basically walked the FP line into our safari vehicle, where CM Alyssa kept us entertained for a while. The safari was much longer than I remembered. I don’t know if that’s because I was seeing it through Andrew’s eyes, but it was a good length. We saw a LOT of animals, which Andrew loved, but all we saw of the lions was a tail (hers) and a paw (his). We didn’t take any pictures, but we did get some video of Andrew’s reactions.

    Once we retrieved our stroller, we took the train to Rafiki’s Planet Watch. Once again Andrew loved the creepy-crawlies. The veterinarians were performing surgery on a tiny fox, but there was a big crowd around the glass and we couldn’t get close enough to really see what was going on. The petting zoo was down for a refurb, which I was pretty disappointed about; I’d totally missed that news, and I know Andrew would’ve really enjoyed seeing the animals. Oh, well … there’s always next time!

    We took the train back and went to Flame Tree Barbecue. Now, I had been *dying* for some good (OK, that’s a strong word) barbecue, but when we got there it was just too darn hot – “Animal Kingdom hot” – so I got the turkey sandwich instead. It came with a slice of honeydew and was really good! Nick got the barbecued chicken salad, and we got some fries for all of us to share (we also gave Andrew some turkey and some of Nick’s salad; the kid loves lettuce), along with a large Diet Coke for me and Nick. Our total was $23.61.

    After lunch we went to The Boneyard to let Andrew run off some energy. He ended up loving the area with the flowing water, along with the many slides, though it took him a while to warm up. We learned a lot about him this trip, I think. I’d known from watching him at daycare that he’s a little reserved (which makes sense; Nick and I are, too), but it was interesting to see just how timid he can be until he warms up to something or someone. Once he learned his way around The Boneyard, he didn’t want to leave, but – being the bad parents we are – we made him get back into his stroller, and we exited the park. He was asleep before we go to the car and slept on the way back to POFQ.

    We all lay down in bed when we got back to our room, but Andrew was awake by then and goofing off. It soon became apparent that he wasn’t going to nap any longer – at least not then – so we put on our swimsuits and sunscreen, grabbed his floatie and went to the pools. We were there for about an hour and a half, starting in the “big” pool and ending up in the kiddie pool. Nick and I got a couple of drinks from Mardi Grogs (another Pina Colava for me, sangria for him - $20.31) and just enjoyed relaxing with our son.

    Back in the room, we once again tried to get Andrew to nap with us, but he was wired. So we showered, got dressed and headed to the boat launch for Downtown Disney. We were at the river by 5 and waited maybe 10 minutes for a boat before taking the leisurely trip down the Sassagoula. After arriving at the Marketplace, we mentally prepared ourselves for the hike to Bongos on the West Side … but it didn’t end up being that bad.

    I remember it being a miserably long walk on previous visits, but since October Nick and I have lost a combined 42 pounds (mostly him – I am SO proud of him) by working out and, more recently, watching what we eat, and we really felt the difference this trip. It’s amazing what being active can do for you!

    We checked into Bongos, where the hostess sat us right in front of the stage. We asked whether the band would be playing, and she said no, they only play on Friday and Saturday nights. Wouldn’t you know that not two minutes after we sat down, a trio of men took the stage, grabbed their instruments, and started playing and singing. There was a group of servers and manager-looking types standing next to the stage who saw us with befuddled looks on our faces and just kind of chuckled until Nick was like, “Are you going to move us?” Then one of them finally came over, helped us gather our things and moved us to a much more suitable table – one of those little alcove booths in the back bar area.

    Nick ordered a mojito, and this time I had a sangria. Yum! Bongos never fails to disappoint us. For dinner I had the Vaca Frita de Pollo with a side of black beans, and Nick had either the churrasco or the palomilla – I can’t remember which, but I know he likes both of them. I can’t find our receipt, either, but I want to say dinner was around $70. That included Andrew’s palomilla and fries off the kids’ menu.

    After eating more than we probably should have (right after I preach about being healthier, of course), we strolled back to the Marketplace, taking our time and letting our food settle. We let Stitch spit on us outside World of Disney, but we didn’t go in. It looked super crowded, and I get a bit of anxiety in those situations. I just don’t like shopping under pressure.

    We went into Team Mickey so Nick could look for another vintage Mets shirt (he has a few from previous trips), but there were none to be found. Boo. Andrew, however, found a Lightning McQueen football that he took to spiking all over the store, so we paid for that and left ($10.60). We went to the Christmas store (Christmas is probably our favorite holiday) but didn’t see anything we had to have, then we went to Goofy’s in search of ice cream. The only thing we got there was a bottle of Dasani for $2.50.

    We bit the bullet and went to Ghirardelli, where the line had been out the door the first time we walked by. It was much more manageable now, so we got a scoop of cookies & cream in a waffle cone for Nick and a chocolate milkshake for me ($11.93). We sat on one of the brick planters outside to enjoy our dessert. I don’t think either of us finished our treats, and I know we both shared with Andrew (he has Mommy’s sweet tooth) and he ended up with a chocolate mustache. After letting Andrew walk along the brick “railing” a bit, we hopped back on the boat for the float “home” to POFQ. We went straight to our room and did our nightly routine. Andrew was in bed by 9, and I think Nick and I closed up shop by 9:30.


  6. #5

    Friday, May 4, 2012:

    Plans:
    We will definitely be at Magic Kingdom for the opening ceremony and 9 a.m. rope drop. In fact, I'm planning to take the resort bus this day so we don't have to go through the TTC.

    The plan is to leave the park after lunch so DS can nap back at the resort (and hopefully Mommy and Daddy, too!), then return to the Magic Kingdom in the evening. I don't know that we will make it all the way to Wishes, as much as I'd love to; we will play it by ear.

    Must-dos:
    • Dumbo
    • it’s a small world
    • The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
    • Peter Pan’s Flight
    • Tomorrowland Transit Authority/PeopleMover
    • Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
    • Carousel of Progress
    • Walt Disney World Railroad
    • Jungle Cruise

    Maybe-dos:
    • Mickey’s PhilharMagic
    • Pirates of the Caribbean
    • The Haunted Mansion (Nick)
    • Magic, Memories & You
    • Wishes

    Actual:
    We woke up with the alarm at 7 a.m. and got ready for the day. Nick and I ate peanut butter sandwiches, sharing bites with Andrew (he isn’t a big breakfast eater, no matter how hard we try … sigh). We left our room and headed to the bus stop. We could see there was a Magic Kingdom bus at the stop and I fully expected it to pull away before we got there, but we actually made it onto the bus before it departed. Yay for no waiting! We were one of maybe five groups on the bus.

    We arrived at the park at 8:30 a.m., went through the bag check and turnstiles, and were in! Well, almost. We grabbed a front-row spot in front of the train station (there weren’t many people there yet), took some pictures and made small talk with some of the people around us. When the opening ceremony began, I held Andrew up so he could see everything and, of course, started to cry. The opening ceremony gets me every time, but I was feeling especially blessed to be there with my beautiful family.

    After Mickey and the First Family opened the park (talk about waterworks!), we took our time walking through the gates and toward the castle. Actually, I wanted to rush back to Fantasyland, but Nick kindly reminded me that we were taking our time this trip. We had PhotoPass photographers take our pictures in a couple of different spots – at the top of Main Street, and again closer to the hub. Andrew was absolutely enamored with the castle. He ran up to it, pointing. He also really liked the bronzes of different characters that surround the Partners statue.

    We walked through the castle into Fantasyland and had a short wait for Peter Pan’s Flight. Andrew is familiar with the characters, so Nick and I enjoyed pointing them out to him on our ride through Neverland. He didn’t know what to think of the ride at first, but he got into it after a while – right when it was time to get off. Next up was it’s a small world, where Andrew was predictably more into the animals than the dolls.

    The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh was next on our list. The line wasn’t too long, and it gave Andrew a chance to play in the interactive queue. (I don’t think it was there the last time Nick and I rode Pooh.) He especially enjoyed the little “drums.”

    The ride was fun, and from there we walked over to the new section of Fantasyland and got in line for Dumbo. I don’t think I’d *ever* been on Dumbo, and I thought the ride itself looked great – bright complementary colors, fun elements in the queue (the peanut shells in the pavement) – but unfortunately the control lever in our ride vehicle didn’t work. We couldn’t go up or down! We were able to go up, but then we were stuck up there for the duration of the ride. Better than being on the ground, I guess.

    Funnily enough, we saw one of our friends and his son in line for Dumbo when we were standing in line. We were a ways away so I didn’t want to yell, but I texted his wife, who was off somewhere with their infant son. We had known they were going to be there, but unfortunately we seemed to have our park paths crossed (we would be in Frontierland while they were in Tomorrowland, or vice versa) and never did meet up.

    Anyway, after Dumbo we put Andrew into his stroller and walked over to Liberty Square so we could check out the wait for Haunted Mansion, Nick’s favorite ride. Andrew fell asleep on the way over, so I ran to the restroom while Nick sat with him near Liberty Tree Tavern, then I convinced Nick to go on HM while I sat with Andrew and updated my trip report notes. The plan was for me to go on Carousel of Progress, *my* favorite ride, later in the day, but I never did make it. Next time! Haunted Mansion was a walk-on, and Andrew woke up from his nap right around the time Nick emerged from the ride.

    It was lunchtime by then, so we went to Casey’s Corner since I had my eye on a barbecue slaw dog. The line wasn’t too long, but seemingly all of the outside tables were full. A kind custodial engineer saw us walking around with our tray and stroller, and pointed out a table that had just been vacated. Both Nick and I had the barbecue slaw dog meals with fries, plus we got Andrew some corndog nuggets. We also got a large Diet Coke for a total of $26.16. I finally got my barbecue, which was really delicious; I ate all of the pork and coleslaw, but only about half the hot dog and none of the bun (too dry). We easily could have split one of those monsters. Andrew didn’t eat much, but he did have fun goofing off with his daddy.

    We didn’t dawdle much after eating because we saw other families looking for seats. Nick went to the bathroom near the Baby Care Center, then when he came out I took Andrew into the BCC to change his diaper – and so I could get a look at it. I thought the Baby Care Center was really neat! There was a kitchen where you can warm up bottles and baby food, high chairs for feeding, private nursing rooms (I think they were private, anyway; I didn’t go in), a “playroom” and a changing room. After I had set Andrew up on one of the (spacious, padded) changing tables, I noticed there were sheets of paper on the bottom level to keep them sanitary. Oops. I think Andrew liked the BCC, too; it certainly was a more comfortable changing experience for us both.

    After meeting Nick outside and letting Andrew look at the little fountain there for a bit, we walked through Adventureland to Frontierland, stopping into Country Bear Jamboree when we saw that it had no wait. I wasn’t sure how Andrew would do with this, but he was fine – especially when Buff, Max and Melvin were talking. We then went over to Splash Mountain. I was looking for the play area near the ride but didn’t see it, and it was so crowded near the queue and the train station that we didn’t even bother going back there. Instead we took the raft over to Tom Sawyer Island. I went sort of unwillingly and was a bit of a grump while we were there. I guess I haven’t had the best experiences with that attraction. The raft ride is hot and cramped, and once you’re there you’re kind of stuck until you can catch a raft back. Andrew was still sleepy, even after his midmorning nap, but he had fun exploring and especially playing in the fort.

    Nick could tell I wasn’t having a grand ol’ time, so I suggested we head back toward the front of the park and go back to the resort for naps. We did just that, stopping into the bakery for an ice cream cookie sandwich and a bottle of Dasani ($9.47). *Now* Andrew was ready to eat, and he helped Mommy devour at least the cookie part of the sandwich. We left the Magic Kingdom about 2:30 and, after a short wait for a bus, headed back to POFQ.

    We got back to our resort and headed right for the room. Once again Andrew really didn’t want to nap, but after a while he calmed down and we all got at least a catnap in. We woke up sometime between 5 and 5:30, freshened up a bit and drove to the Poly. We went upstairs to pick up the CD of photos from our portrait session, and then we cheated – we took the monorail to the Magic Kingdom.

    We were walking down Main Street at 6:30, and this time we headed into Tomorrowland. We first got FastPasses for Buzz, then we took a relaxing ride on the TTA PeopleMover. This is seriously one of my favorite rides in the MK. All you do is sit back and take in the sights … and it’s a pretty long attraction, too! You can’t beat the wait time-to-ride time ratio.

    In fact, I realized on this trip that Tomorrowland has my favorite theming of all the MK “lands.” It’s clean; it has clean lines and modern dcor; and the background music is so subtle, yet so appropriate.

    Anyway, after hopping off the TTA (that will always be its name in my mind), we went to Cosmic Ray’s for some dinner. Nick got the chicken nuggets with fries, I got the rotisserie chicken and we got a large Diet Coke ($22.13). By that time we were tired of ordering meals for Andrew only to not have him eat them, so we figured he could eat off of our plates. We sat on the side of the restaurant that’s next to Merchant of Venus and watched the people passing outside as we ate. The rotisserie chicken was really tasty! Very moist, and it was nice to have some veggies and mashed potatoes instead of fries. Nick and Andrew enjoyed the chicken nuggets and fries, too, and I think Andrew ate some of an Uncrustable as well.

    We wandered into Merchant of Venus before collecting our stroller and spent some time letting Andrew burn off some energy before riding Buzz with our FPs. There was a *lot* for Andrew to look at on this one; he sat on Nick’s nap and just looked all around while Nick and I shot (and I spun us). I hit a 25,000-point Z at one point, but Nick ended up beating me.

    It was getting late by then (close to Andrew’s bedtime), so we headed toward the exit, stopping into the Emporium. The crowd of shoppers was pretty thick, but not as bad as it usually is in World of Disney and I *had* to get my shopping in. We actually made two separate purchases here because I had trouble finding the coffee mugs. First was a couple of books for Andrew – the Duffy book, and an it’s a small world “Furry Friends” touch-and-feel book for $14.89. Then I found a cute, BIG Mickey mug for $10.60.

    After saying goodbye to the castle (Main Street is so pretty when it’s all lit up at night), we monorailed back to the Poly and drove back to POFQ, where we went to the gift shop to look at picture frames. We picked out one for my desk and one to send Nick’s mom for Mother’s Day (with one of the pics from our portrait session). We also got a couple of snacks: a Mickey-head Rice Krispies treat for Nick and a chocolate chip cookie for me. Our total was $48.78.

    We then went back to our room, stopping into Scat Cat’s for a few. Bedtime was a little later than usual, but I think we were all asleep by 10:30.


  7. #6

    Sounds like a great day at MK.

    We're currently trying to figure out ways to trick my god-children into napping midday for our trip in December. Andrew's not wanting to nap sounds just like them


    WDW: 2012 (Contemporary), 2010 (Caribbean Beach) , 2007 (Animal Kingdom), 2001 (Beach Club)
    DLR: 5/2014, 4/2014, 10/2013, 1989, 1979

  8. #7

    Hi Tiffany, I'm enjoying your trip report. I will be posting one of my own very soon. I was there a little while after you. I'm looking forward to reading more. I thought DH was Disney Husband, and DS was Disney Son too. What do they really stand for?
    - Betsy


  9. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Skippydoo View Post
    Sounds like a great day at MK.

    We're currently trying to figure out ways to trick my god-children into napping midday for our trip in December. Andrew's not wanting to nap sounds just like them
    Yes, it was definitely interesting. He did sleep in his stroller and in the car sometimes, so I think that deterred him from wanting to nap at his usual times. And he slept well at night, surprisingly. Usually he doesn't want to have anything to do with spending the night in strange places.

    Quote Originally Posted by betsyrina View Post
    Hi Tiffany, I'm enjoying your trip report. I will be posting one of my own very soon. I was there a little while after you. I'm looking forward to reading more. I thought DH was Disney Husband, and DS was Disney Son too. What do they really stand for?
    - Betsy
    Thanks for reading! I'll be on the lookout for your TR.

    I've seen them on other forums, too, like BabyCenter and The Bump. There, they mean "dear husband" and "dear son" ... but I say let's keep the Disney in there.

  10. #9

    Saturday, May 5, 2012:

    Plans:
    This morning after checking out, we will hit Epcot for a few hours before making the drive home (booooo). Rope drop at is 9 a.m., and we have a Via Napoli ADR at 11:30 a.m.

    We have a few must-dos, but for the most part will take it easy. Probably soon after lunch we will get on the road and head home so DS can nap. But again, we will follow his lead.

    Must-dos:
    The Seas with Nemo & Friends
    Journey Into Imagination with Figment
    Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros
    Flower & Garden exhibits, especially the playground

    Maybe-dos
    Turtle Talk with Crush
    Soarin
    Living with the Land
    Spaceship Earth
    Innoventions

    Actual:
    We didn't set an alarm Friday night, but we were still up early (even Andrew, who didn't go to bed until 10:30 Friday night). We got ready for the day (I wore my birthday pin), skipping breakfast, and Nick started hauling things out to the car while I slathered Andrew with sunscreen.

    We left the room one last time and drove over to Epcot, parking in Journey row 7. It was about 8:45 by that time, and they were already letting people in. We went through bag check (I got my first "happy birthday" of the day ... the first of many) and were in.

    Our first stop was to have a PhotoPass photographer take a few pictures of us with Spaceship Earth. Andrew LOVED the ball (his name for it) and it was tough to get him to look at the camera instead of the ball, but we got a couple of shots.

    We made our way to The Land and Sunshine Seasons, where Nick and I split an adult breakfast platter. He got a coffee and I got an iced mocha, which was SO good! Andrew once again didn't want to eat or sit still.

    After getting some food into our bellies (the breakfast platter was pretty mediocre; I knew I should've gone for the croissant berry pudding ), we took turns taking Andrew on Living with the Land so Nick could sip his coffee instead of downing it since he couldn't take it on the ride. Andrew was quiet during the dark parts of the ride, but he loved the greenhouses and seeing the fish and alligators. He kept jumping out of his seat and trying to make a break for the gardens.

    We grabbed a single Soarin' FastPass in the hopes of doing the rider swap, but we weren't able to make it back within our window. After getting the FP, we went over to The Seas. Andrew watched the seagulls saying mine for a while ("mine" is a recent addition to his vocabulary), then we parked the stroller and went on The Seas with Nemo & Friends. It took forever to get through the winding queue (we let Andrew walk it), and when we met up with the line the wait was only a couple of minutes.

    Andrew absolutely adores fish, so I knew this would be a winner. He had a great time watching Nemo and all his pals, and of course singing "In the Big Blue World" with Mommy. We have a CD of park music and listen to it on the way to daycare sometimes, and this and "One Little Spark" are his favorites.

    After exiting the ride, we took a look at the exhibits (Fish!), then tore Andrew away to see Turtle Talk with Crush. It was a first for all of us and we all enjoyed it, even if Andrew didn't totally get it. The jokes were really cute (gotta love humor that goes over kids' heads), and the kids who asked questions during our show were even cuter.

    It was nearing the time of our lunch reservation, so we picked up the stroller and walked counter-clockwise around the lagoon to Via Napoli. We had a short wait after checking in but were led to our table before long. We set Andrew up in a high chair with some crayons and he was OK for a while, but it soon became apparent he was sleepy and cranky and was *not* going to enjoy this meal. He wasnt acting out or anything; he just wasnt his happy-go-lucky self.

    Nick and I, however, really enjoyed Via Napoli. The atmosphere was neat; it was fun to watch the action around the pizza ovens and to say grazie to the wait staff. And the pizza oh, my goodness! I dont know if there is truly something in the water, but it was outstanding. Especially the crust. Doughy but not soggy, and full of flavor.

    Nick and I were going to share a large pizza (and share with Andrew) but couldnt really agree on one, so we got two individuals: the Prosciutto e Melone for him (minus the prosciutto) and the Carciofi for me. I cant find the description of mine on the AllEars menu, but it had artichoke and truffle oil on it. Nick had a Moretti and I had a La Rossa, which if Im remembering right is Via Napolis own brew.

    We each ate half our pies and had our server, Valentina, box up the rest. Nick and I walked out of the restaurant talking about having a date night there in the future, when we can persuade a set of grandparents to come with us and spend some time babysitting.

    After lunch we continued our counter-clockwise stroll around World Showcase, Andrew falling asleep in his stroller almost as soon as we left Italy. Unfortunately thats all we saw of World Showcase this trip, which really is a shame; we both love walking around the lagoon, soaking up the atmospheres of the different countries.

    It was ridiculously hot by now but we werent quite ready to leave, so we went to Mouse Gear to cool off and do some more shopping. We bought Andrew a classic blue ringer T-shirt with Mickey on it and a WDW magic towel, a picture frame for my parents, and a tote bag for me. I wanted something in which to carry my work laptop between home and the office, but it had to be something that wasnt *too* Disneyfied. I think the one I found fit the bill; its orange-red with hearts and Mickey heads on it, but you have to really look at it to notice the Mickey heads.

    We then walked through the butterfly house (one of the Flower & Garden exhibits; we also took pictures of many of the topiaries as we walked around the park) on our way to Fountainview Caf. Nick waited in line while I found a table in the shade. Andrew woke up not long after I sat down, and he and I watched the fountain put on its show. He was a bit scared of the loud pops the fountain made as it shot water into the air, but once he woke up a bit more he was OK.

    Nick joined us with our ice cream, and that made Andrew even happier. Nick had a cone of mint chocolate chip, and I had another ice cream cookie sandwich with mint chocolate chip ice cream. We both thought Main Street Bakerys cookies were better, but I like that Fountainview lets you choose your ice cream flavor. The Fountainview CM also did a better job of putting the sandwich together; the CM at the bakery just smashed the cookies together, breaking them to where you couldnt eat it like a sandwich. First-world problems, I know. Moving on.

    Since Andrew was awake, we took him to the splash area between Future World and World Showcase, where he had the time of his life. Nick and I stood in the shade when we werent snapping pictures of him. When he was finished playing, we went over to the restrooms at the back of the Imagination pavilion, and I changed Andrews clothes and diaper.

    We then went on Journey Into Imagination; this was a must-do since Figment is my favorite character. I like to tell myself that Andrew likes him, too; we have a plush Figment at home that sleeps in Andrews crib, and when were listening to One Little Spark in the car, Andrew says more when the song ends. I cant say he was very impressed with the ride itself, but he absolutely loved playing on the musical tiles in ImageWorks. We let him play for a good while (hey, it was air conditioned), and I looked in the shop for a Figment figurine but struck out; there was only expensive artwork.

    After dragging Andrew out of ImageWorks, we walked to the front of the park, passing through Innoventions and letting Andrew climb on the fire engine for a few minutes. He rode on his daddys shoulders out of the park, and we cooled off the car a bit before climbing in for the two-hour drive home.

    We said our prayer when we got into the car (something we do every time were taking a trip), and I got a bit emotional thanking God for all of my blessings, on my birthday and every day. Andrew fell asleep on the drive home, which was uneventful. We got home around 5:30, picking up Wendys for Andrew for dinner. After unloading the car, Nick and I ate our leftover Via Napoli pizza.

    And that was our trip! I'm putting together some final thoughts and observations, and will have those up soon.


  11. #10
    Self-proclaimed Diz nut TinaMouse's Avatar
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    Sep 2006
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    Well, I thought it was a wonderful trip report! Thanks for the inside scoop on the private photo shoot. That might be something really awesome to look into. Sounds like you were there for the perfect amount of time. Thanks for writing it all up. I enjoyed it!

    Working hard for that next WDW trip!

  12. #11

    Thank you so much for a great trip report. You are so lucky to be only a couple hours away.

    Ellen


  13. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by TinaMouse View Post
    Well, I thought it was a wonderful trip report! Thanks for the inside scoop on the private photo shoot. That might be something really awesome to look into. Sounds like you were there for the perfect amount of time. Thanks for writing it all up. I enjoyed it!
    Thanks so much, Tina! Of course our trip didn't feel nearly long enough (do they ever?), but it was a nice little break.

    The portrait session was really, really nice. I definitely recommend it.

    Quote Originally Posted by EJ4Disney View Post
    Thank you so much for a great trip report. You are so lucky to be only a couple hours away.

    Ellen
    Thanks, Ellen! I love living so close; I just wish I could convince DH to go more often!

  14. #13

    Post-trip thoughts

    I just realized I forgot to post these ... oops! Here's my wrap-up for our trip.

    Touring with a toddler:
    I knew going into the trip that we would need to be flexible and accommodating for Andrew (luckily hes super easygoing), and we took our time and followed his lead. I thought our lists of must-dos were reasonable, but we didnt get through them all (but we did do some things that werent on the lists).

    It was surprising to me just how much longer touring with a toddler takes. Not just going at his pace, but also the things you dont think about parking the stroller between attractions, retrieving it afterward. I totally didnt account for the time that took.

    Random observations:
    I was pleasantly surprised by the behavior of guests and CMs. You read so much about rude guests and CMs who arent so magical, but although we didnt have any truly magical moments pretty much everyone we encountered was polite and helpful.

    I also didnt see an inordinate number of ECVs; some message boards would have me believe theyre as prevalent as children. I did notice a ton of strollers, but that was mainly because we were parked with them.

    New experiences:
    Our first family vacation!
    Via Napoli
    The Poly
    Portrait session
    Turtle Talk with Crush
    Dumbo
    The Boneyard

    Old favorites:
    POFQ
    Muzak that plays on the resort information channel <-- I have a ridiculous affinity for this.
    Buffalo Wild Wings
    Bongos
    TTA

    Whats next:
    I would love to visit in early December one year and stay at Wilderness Lodge. I envision us visiting the deluxe resorts and checking out their decorations, going on a sleigh ride at Fort Wilderness and maybe doing MVMCP one night, but it wouldnt be a big trip.

    On the other hand, I think I realized this time that longer trips might be better for us. We really enjoyed ourselves Andrew had fun playing on the various playgrounds and it was pretty relaxing, as Disney trips go but both Nick and I came away feeling as though we hadnt seen or done much. So I think we need to save for a while so we can do a longer trip. Id like to stay deluxe or maybe finally try Coronado Springs (though part of me cringes at the thought of not staying at our resort, French Quarter); eat in France or Mexico in World Showcase, and maybe at Ohana; and spend more time at Epcot and the Magic Kingdom.

    Ideally we will go again before Andrew turns 3, but who knows whats in store for us?

    Thanks for reading, everyone!


  15. #14

    I LOVE THE MUZAK! I get ready to the muzak and have it on as often as possible. It really makes you feel like you are away in a magical place.

    Formerly tinkinparis

  16. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by tinkaparis View Post
    I LOVE THE MUZAK! I get ready to the muzak and have it on as often as possible. It really makes you feel like you are away in a magical place.
    It definitely does! I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who likes it. I can listen to it over and over again.

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