Trip Report Disney Loving Couple and Their First Trip With Kids

Hi All! Long time Trip Report lurker, first time writer...I was inspired by @akneeconnors and figured I'd come out of the shadows and give my first trip report a whirl. My hubby and I both love Disney World and usually make a trip (just the two of us) every year. This year we decided it was time to introduce our three kids to the magic. Do you think we survived? (Spoiler alert: We did. Hence my ability to write this trip report ;))

Who: Me (👧Sarah), Hubby (👨‍🦰Brent), Big Brother (👨‍🦱3 years old), Sister (👩‍🦰2 years old), and Baby Brother (👶9 months old).
Grandma and Grandpa also tagged along because Grandma was NOT going to miss "her babies' first trip" (you won't see much of them...they preferred relaxing at the hotel)
When: August 23rd-30th
Where: Polynesian Resort (Hawaii building)

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Note: The kids (especially the older two) were happier than my photopass photos would make you believe.

Stay tuned to see how we fared!!
 

Mchugs7

Active Member
Original Poster
Sorry it's been awhile since my last post. Work has been crazy and we had family in town for Baby Brother's baptism last weekend. Hopefully work will be a bit less hectic this week and I'll be able to squeeze in some more posts.

Ok, now back to the trip report...

Day 2 (continued):

After naptime, we got the kids dressed and headed out for our first trip to the Magic Kingdom. We hopped on the monorail and soon arrived at the happiest place on Earth. A minor hiccup was that we got to the gate and realized that Big Brother had lost his magic band. Brent headed back to re-trace our steps while the kids and I waited in front of the train station. It was hot hot HOT and the kids were not feeling very patient.
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Luckily, Brent found the magic band fairly quickly and we were soon making our way up Main Street.

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Well, at least Big Brother looks excited. Sister did not have time for photos...she wanted to go on some rides.

The big kids were still groggy from their naps, so I decided to buy their happiness with my favorite snack (on vacation, I am not above bribery 😂).

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I know that they are basic ice cream bars, but what is it about a Mickey bar that makes them so delicious?!? Maybe it's just the fact that they signal vacation. Anyway, the kids devoured theirs and their moods quickly improved. We headed towards our first ride, Winnie the Pooh.

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While the ride is not my favorite, I love Winnie the Pooh and all of his friends. Before we had kids, I remember strolling through the post ride gift shop and wanting to buy all of the adorable stuffed animals. It was there that I decided that my first baby would have a Winnie the Pooh themed nursery...and he did!

Big Brother and Sister sat with me in the back of the honey pot while Brent and Baby Brother rode in the front. Baby brother laughed during the bouncing Tigger scene and the big kids loved waving to all of the characters. When we exited through the gift shop, Big Brother ran to a stuffed Piglet, hugged it, and asked if we could take him home. Sister took a bit longer with her decision, but settled on a stuffed Minnie Mouse. Purchases in hand, we headed for our next ride.

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I have always had a nostalgic appreciation for Dumbo and usually ride it once per trip, but riding it with kids made me love it so much more. Big brother laughed and squealed with delight throughout the whole ride. Sister enjoyed her ride so much that she wanted to ride it again. We rode it several more times over the course of the trip and it ended up being one of her favorite rides. After Dumbo, we loaded into the strollers again and headed off to Pinocchio Village House for a quick dinner.

After dinner, we headed to Tomorrowland Terrace for the Happily Ever After Dessert Party. I decided on the dessert party because I wanted the kids to see the Happily Ever After fireworks without having to fight for a spot with the kids in tow. The dessert party was great. The dessert selection was delicious and the new Tomorrowland Terrace seating made it a nice place to rest before the fireworks. I am so disappointed in myself, but I got almost zero food pictures this trip. I swear, I barely even saw the food. This is the only photo that either of us managed to snap during the dessert party.

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Sister's favorite was the vanilla cupcake with blue frosting (that's my kind of girl 😂). Big Brother ate at least four chocolate covered strawberries. Brent practically ate one of everything, and would have kept eating if he'd had more time. I honestly can't remember what I ate, but I remember it was yummy! After the desserts, we made our way to the hub for the reserved fireworks spot. We got there late, and it was pretty crowded at that point, but we managed to squeeze in in the middle somewhere. I was excited for the fireworks. I love Happily Ever After and looked forward to sharing it with the kids. Last year when we went without kids, I cried every time we watched it because I missed them so much.

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Brent held Big Brother during most of the show while Grandpa held Baby Brother. I held Sister and didn't get any pictures because I was too busy soaking up their reactions. It was well past Baby Brother's bedtime, but he was wide awake and completely mesmerized by the fireworks. He LOVED them. Big Brother and Sister both loved the whole show, but their favorite was when Tinkerbell flew overhead. They are still talking about that!

After the fireworks, we decided it would be best to stay in the park for a little while so that we didn't have to fight the exit crowds. Grandma and Grandpa stayed in the hub with Baby Brother and Brent and I took the big kids for a spin on one of my favorite rides.

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While I hoped that the kids would enjoy my favorite ride, I was definitely surprised by how much the enjoyed it. We rode it twice and then headed back to find Grandma and Grandpa and take the monorail back to the Poly. Everyone was exhausted from our awesome day!
 

Mchugs7

Active Member
Original Poster
Day 3 (August 25th):

When I planned our trip, I knew we'd be out late the night before, so I planned for us to spend this morning at the hotel. I woke up before everyone and snuck out to Captain Cook's for my peaceful morning ritual...

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I filled our mugs and had my daily visit with Mama duck and her babies (although I think she's lost a few somewhere 😂). I sat there enjoying the view until Brent texted me to let me know the kids were stirring. I headed back to the hotel room and we all headed to the lounge for breakfast.

After breakfast we headed to the pool. Big brother and Sister were OBSESSED with the kids' playground and water slides. I'm pretty sure they would have stayed there all day. Sadly, I didn't get any pictures of them on the playground because I didn't have my phone with me in that area. I did, however, get a few pictures from my brief (very brief) moment of pool chair lounging.

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After the naptime, we got ready and headed to Animal Kingdom.
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One child is almost looking at the camera...I think that's an improvement!

This was our first time using the Memory Maker. It was so great, but I will say that getting the kids in and out of their strollers for photos was exhausting. The hassle of it all definitely limited the number of photopass stops we made. Going into the trip, I had lofty goals of well posed photos, but I quickly gave up on that dream!

Upon entering, our first stop was meeting Russell and Dug. The big kids adore the movie Up and have probably seen it 100 times. We waited in line for about 20 minutes (which is basically lifetime when you're on the surface of the sun with 3 kids), but it was well worth it. When we got to the front of the line, Big Brother ran to Russell and gave him the longest hug I've ever seen. It legitimately lasted at least 30 seconds. He's an affectionate little guy, but this was incredible even for him.

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Sister chickened out at the last minute and told me that she "only wants to meet Minnie Mouse" :rolleyes:, so she sat out this meet and greet.

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After we said goodbye to Russell and Dug, we headed to meet Mickey and Minnie.
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Sister lost a pigtail somewhere along the way, but 2.5 of them are looking at the camera...we're getting the hang of this!!

To be continued...
 

PeoplemoverTTA

Well-Known Member
Loving your TR so far! We went to WDW with our 7-month old last August and are getting ready to take my daughter again in December at 23 months...not sure what to expect now that we’re in toddlerhood, so I’ll be learning from you! 😀
 

Mchugs7

Active Member
Original Poster
I'm following along. I am SO excited to read this report - we are heading down in December for little one's first birthday and it'll be the first time we've ever gone with a child!!
Yay!! You are going to have so much fun! It’s a totally different kind of trip, but it’s even more magical!
 

Mchugs7

Active Member
Original Poster
Loving your TR so far! We went to WDW with our 7-month old last August and are getting ready to take my daughter again in December at 23 months...not sure what to expect now that we’re in toddlerhood, so I’ll be learning from you! 😀
I think you’ll enjoy the toddler trip even more!! It was maybe a bit more work, but I felt like there was more reward with the toddlers.
 

Oh bother!

Well-Known Member
Sorry it's been awhile since my last post. Work has been crazy and we had family in town for Baby Brother's baptism last weekend. Hopefully work will be a bit less hectic this week and I'll be able to squeeze in some more posts.

Ok, now back to the trip report...

Day 2 (continued):

After naptime, we got the kids dressed and headed out for our first trip to the Magic Kingdom. We hopped on the monorail and soon arrived at the happiest place on Earth. A minor hiccup was that we got to the gate and realized that Big Brother had lost his magic band. Brent headed back to re-trace our steps while the kids and I waited in front of the train station. It was hot hot HOT and the kids were not feeling very patient.
View attachment 410902

Luckily, Brent found the magic band fairly quickly and we were soon making our way up Main Street.

View attachment 410903
Well, at least Big Brother looks excited. Sister did not have time for photos...she wanted to go on some rides.

The big kids were still groggy from their naps, so I decided to buy their happiness with my favorite snack (on vacation, I am not above bribery 😂).

View attachment 410905

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I know that they are basic ice cream bars, but what is it about a Mickey bar that makes them so delicious?!? Maybe it's just the fact that they signal vacation. Anyway, the kids devoured theirs and their moods quickly improved. We headed towards our first ride, Winnie the Pooh.

View attachment 410907

While the ride is not my favorite, I love Winnie the Pooh and all of his friends. Before we had kids, I remember strolling through the post ride gift shop and wanting to buy all of the adorable stuffed animals. It was there that I decided that my first baby would have a Winnie the Pooh themed nursery...and he did!

Big Brother and Sister sat with me in the back of the honey pot while Brent and Baby Brother rode in the front. Baby brother laughed during the bouncing Tigger scene and the big kids loved waving to all of the characters. When we exited through the gift shop, Big Brother ran to a stuffed Piglet, hugged it, and asked if we could take him home. Sister took a bit longer with her decision, but settled on a stuffed Minnie Mouse. Purchases in hand, we headed for our next ride.

View attachment 410924

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I have always had a nostalgic appreciation for Dumbo and usually ride it once per trip, but riding it with kids made me love it so much more. Big brother laughed and squealed with delight throughout the whole ride. Sister enjoyed her ride so much that she wanted to ride it again. We rode it several more times over the course of the trip and it ended up being one of her favorite rides. After Dumbo, we loaded into the strollers again and headed off to Pinocchio Village House for a quick dinner.

After dinner, we headed to Tomorrowland Terrace for the Happily Ever After Dessert Party. I decided on the dessert party because I wanted the kids to see the Happily Ever After fireworks without having to fight for a spot with the kids in tow. The dessert party was great. The dessert selection was delicious and the new Tomorrowland Terrace seating made it a nice place to rest before the fireworks. I am so disappointed in myself, but I got almost zero food pictures this trip. I swear, I barely even saw the food. This is the only photo that either of us managed to snap during the dessert party.

View attachment 410948

Sister's favorite was the vanilla cupcake with blue frosting (that's my kind of girl 😂). Big Brother ate at least four chocolate covered strawberries. Brent practically ate one of everything, and would have kept eating if he'd had more time. I honestly can't remember what I ate, but I remember it was yummy! After the desserts, we made our way to the hub for the reserved fireworks spot. We got there late, and it was pretty crowded at that point, but we managed to squeeze in in the middle somewhere. I was excited for the fireworks. I love Happily Ever After and looked forward to sharing it with the kids. Last year when we went without kids, I cried every time we watched it because I missed them so much.

View attachment 410950

Brent held Big Brother during most of the show while Grandpa held Baby Brother. I held Sister and didn't get any pictures because I was too busy soaking up their reactions. It was well past Baby Brother's bedtime, but he was wide awake and completely mesmerized by the fireworks. He LOVED them. Big Brother and Sister both loved the whole show, but their favorite was when Tinkerbell flew overhead. They are still talking about that!

After the fireworks, we decided it would be best to stay in the park for a little while so that we didn't have to fight the exit crowds. Grandma and Grandpa stayed in the hub with Baby Brother and Brent and I took the big kids for a spin on one of my favorite rides.

View attachment 410954

While I hoped that the kids would enjoy my favorite ride, I was definitely surprised by how much the enjoyed it. We rode it twice and then headed back to find Grandma and Grandpa and take the monorail back to the Poly. Everyone was exhausted from our awesome day!

I love your alien dress!
 

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