A boy's first trip: Pictures and video

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34714768@N08/4045156523/

Sorry for URL, I seem to be having issues with Embedding. Anyway, I hope that works for everyone. Okay, so here it goes.

The Players:

Mom and Step dad.

Big Sister and Bro-in law.

My Wife and Son.

and last but not least, Myself.

The logistics of this trip were a bit of a nightmare. My Wife and son left two days before me on Friday, 10/16 so that she could visit her Aunt in Tampa. Unfortunately, I could not get that much time off so I flew out on Sunday the 18th. My Parents drove down from Connecticut and my Sister drove down from Delaware.

We all met at the Beach Club on Sunday. My flight and DME ride were uneventful and we all met in the lobby and then off to our room. My Sister and Bro-in-law had a studio and the rest of us had a two bedroom Villa. Room 177 to be exact.

It was a decent location since we were close to parking, the bus, and the quiet pool. The only drawback was that it was the furthest room from the lobby. Here is the view from just around the corner from our room.

Next up, dinner at Ohana and day 1 at MK.

 

[yankspy]

10/21

We woke up around 9ish that day with plans to spend the whole day in Epcot. As usual, I was ready to go at about 9:30 but my wife was taking her time. Thomas was was getting restless so I decided to walk over to Epcot with him and have my wife meet us. I stopped in Mousegear and picked up some cuff links, a retro Epcot Center shirt and a coffee mug for my Wife. My Wife had caught up with us so we headed over to the character spot so that Thomas could meet some characters.

I was a little nervous about him meeting characters as I was not too sure how he would react. It was kind of a special moment because I had brought along an old picture of Goofy and I from when I was about two years old. My plan was to try and recreate that picture with my Son.

We got up to Mickey first and Thomas was great. He even said hi to Mickey in his own way.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/34714768@N08/4045951228/

I had a feeling that this would happen since he is always eating Mickey's nose on his plush toy.


I showed the picture to the CM with Mickey and she went wild. She quickly ran over to Mickey and showed him the picture and Mickey pointed to me as if to say "That's you" I told him it was and he stretched his hands out as if to say "You have grown". He then rubbed my stomach suggesting that I had grown in other places as well. :lol: By this time the manager and other CM'S had seen the picture and they were anxious to see if we could get the picture close to the old one. One CM brought over no less than twenty celebrating buttons for us to take. We got up to Goofy and we took a lot of pictures and we came pretty close to the old one. Here is the one of Goofy and I.


Here is the one that I think is closest.

It really was a great moment and I thank all the CM's for making it so.

After that we all met up and rode Nemo which I think was the only attraction that all seven of us rode together the whole trip. Thomas loved the birds out front and he laughed every time they started going "mine, mine, mine". I have to say that for some reason those birds crack me up too.

After that we headed over to WS and went to Kringla. The boy was tired so he thankfully took a nap and let his Daddy enjoy some school bread in peace.

He woke up shortly after that and so we decided to see how he would handle Maelstrom. He loved it. He did not get scared or anything at the little drop and he was just his usual curious self looking at all the new and strange things.



We headed back to the room after that and hung out for a while and all of us just played with the baby.

We all took naps and got ready for our big dinner at

I had never eaten there before and I have to say that it was good. I do not necessarily think it's up to par with a Morton's or a Ruth's Chris but it was pretty good. I had the Cheddar soup and a N.Y. and some Choc. Mousse for Dessert.

Epcot was having EMH that night so my gracious Wife took the baby back to the Beach Club and allowed me to stay behind. I hopped on SSE and then I just sort of explored Epcot with my Camera.

 

[yankspy]

Here are some of the pictures I took.

I headed back to the Beach Club and grabbed a few more pics before heading in at about 1:30.

Next up, Mommy and Daddy get massages and the best dish I had all week.

 

[WDWFigment]

Excellent TR and very cute pictures of your son. I must admit that I am mesmerized by fountains, too!

After the parade we took some more pictures and this was where things got funny. Apparently, my costume looks similar to a Photopass person in the dark and the fact that I had a tripod did not help. There were several times when I was lining up a shot and a line had formed behind me and when I would turn around someone would be trying to hand me their photopass to scan. :lol:

[MK night shots]

That has happened to me several times, too (Osborne lights seems to be the worst place for it). I don't think it's the costume, I just think people don't pay attention!

Here are some of the pictures I took.

I headed back to the Beach Club and grabbed a few more pics before heading in at about 1:30.

Next up, Mommy and Daddy get massages and the best dish I had all week.

This set, and that first picture from Beach Club, really rock! Nice shots.

 

[yankspy]

Excellent TR and very cute pictures of your son. I must admit that I am mesmerized by fountains, too!



That has happened to me several times, too (Osborne lights seems to be the worst place for it). I don't think it's the costume, I just think people don't pay attention!



This set, and that first picture from Beach Club, really rock! Nice shots.

Thanks. It was quite funny having all those people handing me their cards.

Thanks for the comments on the pics. I am still getting the hang of taking shots at night with a tripod. After seeing how long it can take to set up certain shots I have a greater appreciation for your great pictures. I even tried to re-create your HM ghost pic but it did not come out that good.

 

[popsicletrees]

Your son is so adorable! I really liked your MNSSHP costume. Where did you get the Niagra Falls fan? Looking forward to reading more!

 

[xsupaxmanxsfnex]

I have to admit that I did not know exactly what your costume was at first but I figured it out and it was very awesome! Great pictures too. What camera do you use?

 

[harveyt0206]

What a great trip report. Your son is so adorable. I think it is wonderful that you are already creating those Disney memories that will turn him into the Disney lover that we all grew up to be. Thanks for sharing

~Tracy

 

[yankspy]

Your son is so adorable! I really liked your MNSSHP costume. Where did you get the Niagra Falls fan? Looking forward to reading more!

Thanks. My Sister made the fan. She found a good picture of it online and blew it up and played with it in photoshop. She just printed it and laminated it. It came out pretty good.

I have to admit that I did not know exactly what your costume was at first but I figured it out and it was very awesome! Great pictures too. What camera do you use?

Thanks. I use a Canon powershot G10. I like it. The only flaw it has is that it has a lot of noise above 400 ISO.

What a great trip report. Your son is so adorable. I think it is wonderful that you are already creating those Disney memories that will turn him into the Disney lover that we all grew up to be. Thanks for sharing

~Tracy

Thanks. It is kind of cool to take your child there for the first time especially if you have memories of yourself as a kid. It is sort of like a tradition being passed on.

 

[yankspy]

Sorry, we just closed on our house so it has been a busy week.

So back to the fun.

10/22

My Wife and I woke up early that day because we had decided to treat ourselves to a parents day off. The baby spent most of the day with Grandma and Grandpa and we had scheduled massages at Saratoga Springs.

We got to Saratoga at about 10:00 and we went into our separate rooms to get our massages. I would highly recommend a massage to anyone needing to relax. We both got a 50 minute swedish massage which is your basic full body massage and it was great.

After that we went to DTD for lunch. Based on reviews from here, we decided to try Paradiso 37. It did not disappoint. I would definitely suggest this restaurant to anyone.

We decided to stroll around DTD and shop for a while after that.

We also stopped at Ghiardelli's for some Ice Cream. I had the Gold Rush sundae which was vanilla ice cream with hot fudge and peanut butter.

We headed back to the room and decided to bring the baby to the pool for the first time. We went down to Stormalong Bay and let him play in the sand. Here is a shot of him and his Aunt.

SB was kind of crowded so we headed back to the quiet pool to see how Thomas would like the pool. Now he generally loves the water. However, the pool was a bit cold so... well this is what happened.:lookaround

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1118293569359

If that link does not work try post#10 in this link.

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=498253




Yes, I know, evil parents.:lol: Since that was not so successful we headed back to the room shortly after that, got ready and went to Boma with my Sister, BIL, and Wife.

Boma was great as usual but I had the best dish of the trip there. Boma is known for their soups but the Muligitawny that they were serving that night was awesome. I asked for the recipe and the server quick;y brought it over which made me happy. Of course the Zebra Domes were great too.

After stuffing ourselves we went home and hung out in the room for a bit before going to bed. I was still stuffed so I walked around for a bit and snapped some more pictures.

Next up, Kona for breakfast, AK and Epcot.

 

[minnie2000]

Great report so far..... and your son is really cute!

 

[yankspy]

Great report so far..... and your son is really cute!

Thank you.

Okay so 10/23

We got up early and I was excited because we were on our way to the one ADR that I picked, Kona for breakfast. We strolled around the lobby for a bit and I took a few pics.

We sat down and I had an awesome breakfast. I think it was called the "Big Kahuna".

I ate quickly because Thomas was acting up so I got my Kona coffee to go. After drinking Nescafe all week this was a nice change. I would highly recommend Kona for breakfast.

My wife and I decided to take the baby to AK since he was antsy and needed some entertainment.

This turned out to be a good idea because we hit a Pooh meet and greet just as we arrived. Thomas loves Pooh and Eeyore, etc. as you can see in this video.

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He seemed to love Eeyore the most. The picture with him came out the closest as far as expression goes with my old one. You can really see here that he looks like his Daddy.

AK was really hot so I jumped on Dinosaur and we left. We did not feel like going back to the hotel but we need a place for the baby to nap so we decided to take the bus over to the GF and walk around and see if he would nap for a while. While we were there I was able to get my favorite sugar cookies. For some reason, the GF QS place is the only resort on property that has those big sugar cookies and they are my favorite.

It's kind of funny having an infant there because you could show him a great view of the castle and he could care less. Of all the things to look at here he was fixated on a bag.

Anyway, we were all supposed to meet at Captain Jacks for dinner but I just did not feel like going to DTD so we went to Epcot to see if we could try our luck at the walk-up game.

We tried San Angel Inn and we got in right away which was great. I had never eaten here prior and I was apprehensive since there are mixed reviews on this place but I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. I had some sort of beef tips and rice dish and it was pretty good. It is also tough to beat the atmosphere in that place.

After dinner we went on the boat ride and the baby loved it as he did with all the rides. We strolled around WS after that and I mentioned to my wife that I had not seen Illuminations yet. It was about eight and she told me that she was okay if I stayed to watch.

I hung out and watched Illuminations from the gateway so that I could sneak out right after since WS was packed. The show was great as usual and I quickly made my exit as soon as it ended. When I got back to the room the baby was sleeping and to my surprise my wife had stopped at France to grab some dessert. She got me a Napoleon and some sort of Choc. Cake and yes I ate both of them since I was on vacation.:slurp:

The rest of the gang showed up after that and my sister and I took a walk around the Boardwalk. I think this is one of the greatest parts about staying at the Boardwalk resorts. I just love walking around there at night.

It was getting late so we headed back and went to bed since we wanted to get an early start tomorrow since it was our last day.

Next up, DHS and MK.

 

[HollyBelle]

I'm loving your report and pictures. We're staying at the Beach Club in December and your pictures have me so excited; this'll be our first time there!

Your son is absolutely adorable, and I think you're right, the picture with Eeyore is spot on in terms of expression. I love that the cms at the character spot were so excited to help you recreate your Goofy pic!

 

[popsicletrees]

The picture of your son with Eeyore is really cute! I thought he looked a lot like your wife, but after seeing the two pictures he looks a lot like you did at his age.

 

[yankspy]

I'm loving your report and pictures. We're staying at the Beach Club in December and your pictures have me so excited; this'll be our first time there!

Your son is absolutely adorable, and I think you're right, the picture with Eeyore is spot on in terms of expression. I love that the cms at the character spot were so excited to help you recreate your Goofy pic!

You will love it. We stay there often.

10/24

My Sister, BIL, and myself woke up early because we were on a mission that day, Toy Story Midway Mania. We knew that there would be long lines so we left the hotel at 8:45 and walked over to DHS. We got over to TSMM at about 9:15 and there was already a 40 minute wait and the fastpasses were for 1:00. We hopped on the line and it went quickly enough. The Que is awesome as most have already seen. The ride itself is a lot of fun. I think my score was around 82,00.

After that my BIL jumped on RRC and we left DHS to meet everyone else. On the way out I finally remembered to snap a picture of myself with the word magic in it.

We did get stuck for a minute during the HSM parade which did not make me a happy keeper. My sister and BIL decided to make the best of it and act silly as you can see in this video.
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We went back to the BC and all of us went to MK at around 1:00. This was a fun day because all of us were together in a park. We took a photopass pic on Main Street and went on a few rides. We took the baby on Pirates and he I think he loved this ride the most. He was jumping up and down on my lap through the whole thing. The little drop did not even phase him.

It was getting about the time for our ADR at the Plaza so we checked in and waited for about fifteen minutes.

The Plaza was great as usual, I had a Reuben. Towards the end of the meal Thomas had a meltdown so I quickly got up and told my wife to meet me in front of the TTA, I had a plan. My Son, like most infants loves to be moving in anything. It always calms him down. So here I am, walking quickly through TL with a screaming child. We got on TTA with him still crying and as soon as we sat down he was out like a light.

Everyone else was tired and getting ready to leave by this time but My Sister and I wanted to stay since it was our last night and MK was open til 11:00. Once again my Wife had no problem with me staying behind, she really is a saint. Seeing that her children were staying, Mom decided to hang out with us as well.

These few hours were great. My Mother commented that she had not been alone with us in the parks in years. We rode Pirates again, HM, and I finally got to see HOP. The new show is great. It focused much more on the Presidency itself which is what I thought was originally intended. I also like that the "Gettysburg Address" has been included.

Just as we were leaving HOP we realized Wishes was starting so we watched it from there.

After that we just sort of walked around and I took a few pictures.

So we decided to leave and it was kind of funny because my Sister and I had that same sad look on our faces that we did when we were kids. I hate leaving MK on that last night. I always have to stop on the end of Main Street and take one last look at the castle.





Next up, departure breakfast and final thoughts.

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

Really loved the TR, Jimmy.


Looks like Thomas had a blast!....Do I see a new EPCOT Fan in the making? :sohappy:

 

[cdunbar]

Lemme just say Jimmy I haven't made it all the way through yet but, thus far it's A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

 

[yankspy]

Really loved the TR, Jimmy.


Looks like Thomas had a blast!....Do I see a new EPCOT Fan in the making? :sohappy:

He did. He really liked SSE, even the descent.:lol:

Lemme just say Jimmy I haven't made it all the way through yet but, thus far it's A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

Thank you. I am glad you are enjoying it.:wave:

 

[blackthidot]

Man, great costume! The ghost picture at HM is great too! She is awesome. She talked to Colleen and I for about 30 minutes and then when we exited HM she was getting done, took pictures with us and talked more...She was upset nobody told her about us getting engaged inside. The detail of her costume, and her ability to stay in character made me have to tell myself several times...she is not real. She does an amazing job!

 

[TakeMeThere81]

Great report! I've enjoyed reading all that you did with your son, in contrast to just visiting the park without kids. Great pictures too!

 

[WishIWasAtWDW]

loved reading your trip report! your son is ADORABLE! so cute!! seeing your son so excited is one of the many reasons i want to have kids. can't wait to experience disney with kids. sounds like you all had a wonderful time.