A Whole New World: An October 2012 Trip Report

Alternately titled the “We’re those people now!” trip report!

Well hello there, wdwmagic, please allow me to introduce myself. I’m hollybelle. And, once upon a time, I was not the mother of a little pint sized pirate baby. And in those days (despite what I may have thought then), I had all the time in the world to write trip reports, stalk trip reports, comment on trip reports, and daydream about trip reports; in other words, overdose on all things trip reports. It was one of my daily addictions.

These days, I delight in small personal victories when it comes to “free” time. Showers and sleep (and laundry and cleaning) almost always win out when those heavenly little slices of quietness drift my way. So to all my wdwmagic friends, please accept my humblest of apologies for not commenting on each of your reports over the last year. It is seriously shocking to think I dropped off the face of the trip reports forum that long ago. While I may not be commenting, I have at least been lurking in the shadows, like the creepiest of creepers. Violet (my iPad) has been my trusty sidekick lately and while she makes it easy to peruse the interwebs during all those late night feedings with Lucas, typing up comments is another thing entirely.

Luckily for me, during a couple slow days here and there at work I was able to carve out some time to write this trip report {{that was in December – sadly it took another two months to find the time to upload photos and post}}. It was very important to me that I find the time to write it, because it feels like a big milestone in the story that is our lives. I mean, I wrote about our engagement, our wedding, and Lucas’ birth. Writing about his very first trip to the World certainly qualifies as a “must” in my book!

Who: The handsome little Ohana pictured above (taken in November when Lucas was around four months old)
Where: Port Orleans French Quarter
When: October 12-16, 2012
Why: Because we couldn’t wait to introduce our little man to the happiest place on earth

::SPOILER ALERT:: It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows! Even though we thought we had adjusted our expectations accordingly prior to the trip, we quickly learned they needed further adjusting upon arrival. This trip was about small victories for us. And I hope you enjoy sharing in those, as well as getting a good laugh out of our missteps in parenthood, as you read along. Brett and I like to think we’re Disney veterans and know all there is to know about our happy place, but with a three month old baby in tow… it was a whole new world!

I had all intentions of photographing every single second of this trip. But, you know, best laid plans and all that. Instead, I’m now doing my best to string together enough shots to tell the story. I’d say it’s a regret, but in truth, we were just trying our best to survive. Hah. Let the adventure begin.

 

[empressofpurple]

Wow... so I first read a trip report by you on Cruise Critic, and followed you to this website, where I was charmed to read your various reports... and was so impressed by your first marathon outing! My daughter and I trained for and ran the Princess half and the ToT 10 last year (and I kept showing her pix and info from your postings about the marathon)... then I read about the proposal and the wedding planning and the wedding... but I haven't been to this forum much the past year... and when I came on, I searched for your name right away... and oh my goodness, a bun in the oven which is now a full-baked loaf!! Gracious!!

And what a great report on becoming "those people". Yeah, I tend to shake my head at folks in DW with their infants... I just couldn't understand why anyone would bring a child under age 5, unless they were there for themselves... but that's exactly it! This is your special place, and you are bringing your baby along with you. I get it! And no worries, even crotchety judgmental folk like me smile at screaming babies on the boats and buses; it happens. (I raised both my kids single-handedly in NYC; imagine me having to soothe and yes, nurse, a cranky infant on an NYC bus... under a discreet baby blanket to be sure, but yikes! DisneyWorld is paradise compared to that...)

You have SO much to look forward to; I have been bringing my kids to DW from ages 5 and 8 to now... when the are 23 and 26!! It was so much fun starting to look for more "grown-up" activities for them as they got older and "outgrew" the parks a bit... we did the age-restricted "behind the scenes" tours (although alas we missed the segway tour of Epcot due to budget issues, which has since been discontinued; I loved reading your report about that!)... we dined at some of the upscale restaurants... etc., etc.

FYI, re: Disney Dining -- we have partaken of this program several years when they offer a free promotion for the dog days of summer... the first year it included an appetizer as well as all the rest of that food, plus gratuities on the sit-down meals... that has been cut out of the plan (alas!!)... yes, it was a TON of food... but what we would do is use two sit-down meal credits for the really special signature dining experiences (Narcoosees, Citricos, Flying Fish, California Grill, etc, etc) and then share one or two oversized sit-down or counter-service meals between the three of us, so we had all of our meals covered! It was a GREAT deal... but yes, when it's just my daughter and myself we always share a single meal and it's PLENTY.

Disney really got us involved in running, too. Having NEVER run before in my life (and weighing well over 200 lbs. -- down from over 300, thank you very much!!) I signed us up for the "adult" activity of the Jan. 2011 5K since we happened to be there on marathon weekend... I mean, we'd never do a marathon or even a half-marathon, that's just for crazy people, but a 5K seemed doable... so we trained for a few months and ran all together (my son came along, too -- he had run cross-country in high school, so he was the only experienced runner)... and we had so much fun my daughter and I signed up for the following year's Princess half marathon and trained for it all year. What a great time! We did three half-marathons last year... and I can't wait to do more.

Hollybelle, I LOVE your reports, I enjoy seeing your beautiful happy family, parents, husband, and now beautiful baby boy! Thank you so much for sharing your love of disney. You are not going to be a wonderful mother... you ARE a wonderful mother RIGHT NOW!!! Just amazing. Thank you again for your terrific reports.

 

[HollyBelle]

I know, right?Funny you should say that about the boys' attire...I was out yesterday at our little outdoor mall (in 27-degree weather...fun!) and I saw the cutest little boys' sweater with little airplanes on it. So there ya go, transportation

I think it's the foam. The foam is mango-flavored or something...of course, it's also supposed to have a toasted marshmallow taste somewhere in there too that I never picked up. ???

Ahhh yes, of the transportation stuff, Lucas has a couple of really cute spaceship outfits.

And toasted marshmallow? I totally missed that.

Right before the trip I upgraded to a T3i from an XSi, so I do have the 6400 ISO capabilities (the jump from 1600 to 6400...yowza!) and those pictures were taken at ISO 6400. They just came out so PINK...but this was my first trip shooting in RAW and I did just finally start to try to learn how to edit my photos, so maybe I just need to play around with them more. Or maybe it was just bad luck this time and they really are beyond saving. I've been toying with getting the Sigma 30mm for awhile...I might have to get a good look at yours during the cruise before I make up my mind. I think you're definitely on to something with your Photopass theory! That Storybook Circus set-up is pretty cute, but I think it's one of the worst for lighting.

Shooting in RAW has saved many a photo of mine. I'm still amazed sometimes when I take a photo that already looks pretty good and adjust the coloring. It gives it that pop - and often makes it more realistic. What are you using to edit? I use Adobe Camera Raw and I try to make very quick edits - mostly just white balance and vibrance and sometimes brightness. I've noticed I tend to like my images over-exposed.

You can definitely shoot with mine for awhile to see if you like it. Last night I totally clicked "place your order" on the Sigma 17-50 2.8, while squealing with delight. I've been eyeing it for a while and I cannot wait for it to arrive so I can play with it. I hope I love it as much as I think I will. I love my primes, but wanted a good walk around lens that affords me at least a little bit of reach (and a wide end for self-portraits), while still giving me a nice wide aperture that stays consistent across the focal range.

I am reading! Your little man is so adorable. Love it - hope you find time to post more soon!!!

Erin! I just logged on to post to my trip report and as I was scrolling to find it yours caught my eye! And I was sucked in. Good stuff - and I'll forgive you for not taking a lot of pictures. This time.

And speaking of little men... yours is so grown up! Oh my. Those kids of yours are still too cute for words.

I love this report! Takes me right back to our first trip with our little guy in Oct 2011. He was 8 months and I, too, felt like we were "those" people! Our normally-a-great-sleeper-son was great the first two nights...the rest of the week decided he didn't want to go to bed at night. Napped great, nights another story! Was so afraid we were going to be evicted from our POR room for having the melt-down child each night!! But now I have great memories of us walking him lap after lap around the resort, all bundled up in his stroller & with a white noise app on our cell phones until he fell asleep. We have plenty of other great memories too - but certainly had to roll with a few surprises and new territory. We were back this past December and it was another set of adventures with a toddler! But soooo amazing...other than the sadly cancelled Le Cellier reservation. We realized early on in the trip that meals w/o characters or entertainment had to be nixed this trip! Each trip we've learned a lot - but can't wait to see him grow up in Disney!

Absolutely agree with the love of stripes!! I wasn't a big fan of many of the themed clothing for the little guys - so stripes, checks & plaid are quite popular in our house!

Thank you for sharing your adventures! Love reading along and Lucas is just adorable!! Can't wait to watch him grow up in WDW!

Lucas is at the 8 month mark right now and it is such an incredible age... it's all moving at lightening speed though. I totally forgot to comment on being "those" people when it came to crying nights in the room. I felt that way too. And I'm with you... it's all worth it to see them grow up at WDW. I must get this white noise app you speak of - it'd be a lot easier than carrying around a babbling giraffe. But then again, he's kind of a part of the fam now.

And yes, plaid and checks are now in the rotation for go-to looks now that he's a bit bigger.

OMG I was just thinking about you guys. So you can not imagine my surprise and utter happiness that I came across this report!!! Seriously sitting behind my desk at the moment doing a happy dance.

Anyways

Your TR is bringing back so many memories of when Logan went on his first trip. How different we thought it was going to be then it actually was. And so many new and different experiences. I remember the meltdowns, the feelings that its all so overwhelming and things having to change. Its all coming back to me, and it feels like ions ago. But I am loving your report I truly am.

He is absolutely adorable and those pictures, you will look back and cherish. I love them.

And thanks for the review on the drink, I was wondering and can't wait to get my hands on one come May, when we visit next. Yummy.

As for the dining plan, your opinion and your needs may change. We used to not use it, and have and do both from time to time. I think for us it really all depends on who, what and all. We have at times found the value in it, and at times, more so with just Andy and I, we have found little value you in it. So it all depends.

And best of luck finding time I know how that one is....but relish and enjoy the moments.

I can not wait to see more of your ohanas!!

Hi, Aleisha!! (insert old school waving smiley here)

You know, we shouldn't be surprised that taking a baby to Disney is totally different than we expected it to be, should we? Heck, it's kinda like having a baby, in general. You think you're prepared, but nothing can really prepare you, right?! It's like you said, those feelings of things having to change... they're very difficult to process. Or at least they were/are for us. We still experience that some. And I can admit that there are still some days when I miss the ease of our life before. Do I want to go back? Absolutely not. I can't imagine a world without Lucas in it. But do I think back on it fondly? Yes, yes I do.

Wow... so I first read a trip report by you on Cruise Critic, and followed you to this website, where I was charmed to read your various reports... and was so impressed by your first marathon outing! My daughter and I trained for and ran the Princess half and the ToT 10 last year (and I kept showing her pix and info from your postings about the marathon)... then I read about the proposal and the wedding planning and the wedding... but I haven't been to this forum much the past year... and when I came on, I searched for your name right away... and oh my goodness, a bun in the oven which is now a full-baked loaf!! Gracious!!

And what a great report on becoming "those people". Yeah, I tend to shake my head at folks in DW with their infants... I just couldn't understand why anyone would bring a child under age 5, unless they were there for themselves... but that's exactly it! This is your special place, and you are bringing your baby along with you. I get it! And no worries, even crotchety judgmental folk like me smile at screaming babies on the boats and buses; it happens. (I raised both my kids single-handedly in NYC; imagine me having to soothe and yes, nurse, a cranky infant on an NYC bus... under a discreet baby blanket to be sure, but yikes! DisneyWorld is paradise compared to that...)

You have SO much to look forward to; I have been bringing my kids to DW from ages 5 and 8 to now... when the are 23 and 26!! It was so much fun starting to look for more "grown-up" activities for them as they got older and "outgrew" the parks a bit... we did the age-restricted "behind the scenes" tours (although alas we missed the segway tour of Epcot due to budget issues, which has since been discontinued; I loved reading your report about that!)... we dined at some of the upscale restaurants... etc., etc.

FYI, re: Disney Dining -- we have partaken of this program several years when they offer a free promotion for the dog days of summer... the first year it included an appetizer as well as all the rest of that food, plus gratuities on the sit-down meals... that has been cut out of the plan (alas!!)... yes, it was a TON of food... but what we would do is use two sit-down meal credits for the really special signature dining experiences (Narcoosees, Citricos, Flying Fish, California Grill, etc, etc) and then share one or two oversized sit-down or counter-service meals between the three of us, so we had all of our meals covered! It was a GREAT deal... but yes, when it's just my daughter and myself we always share a single meal and it's PLENTY.

Disney really got us involved in running, too. Having NEVER run before in my life (and weighing well over 200 lbs. -- down from over 300, thank you very much!!) I signed us up for the "adult" activity of the Jan. 2011 5K since we happened to be there on marathon weekend... I mean, we'd never do a marathon or even a half-marathon, that's just for crazy people, but a 5K seemed doable... so we trained for a few months and ran all together (my son came along, too -- he had run cross-country in high school, so he was the only experienced runner)... and we had so much fun my daughter and I signed up for the following year's Princess half marathon and trained for it all year. What a great time! We did three half-marathons last year... and I can't wait to do more.

Hollybelle, I LOVE your reports, I enjoy seeing your beautiful happy family, parents, husband, and now beautiful baby boy! Thank you so much for sharing your love of disney. You are not going to be a wonderful mother... you ARE a wonderful mother RIGHT NOW!!! Just amazing. Thank you again for your terrific reports.

Awwww... I have chills reading your last paragraph. Thank you so so much for all your kind words! And, hey, congrats on all the running... those events are so much fun and I get excited anytime someone tells me that reading one of my first trip reports from the marathon encouraged them to get out there and sign up for one. It's such a great feeling to cross that finish line, isn't it?!

I, too, remember when the dining plan included the tip and the apps. We almost tried it a couple times back then and then when that change took place, we were shocked.

I CANNOT imagine raising littles in NYC. I follow a blogger who is doing that and I'm amazed by her everyday. When it comes to nursing in public places, you know what I'm starting to realize... people actually stare less when you're nursing because you've got a quiet baby. When they're wailing, you're getting the "can't you quiet that baby down?" stink eye! You just do what you've gotta do!

Thank you so much for stopping in and leaving this reply. It's made me feel all warm and fuzzy.

 

[HollyBelle]

Day 3 – Sunday, October 14: Finding our groove

We were up and off to breakfast by 8:00 am on Sunday. Look at us go!

As many of you may recall, we love snagging a quick breakfast at Roaring Fork. Wilderness Waffles for the win! Or so we thought… turns out they took them off the menu. Seriously?! Brett was the saddest. They still had my favorite, the bananas foster waffles, but it was so disappointing that they’d taken Brett’s off the menu. Cue my oft written rant on the standardization of menus across property.

At least Lucas was being a doll for us during breakfast.

On the agenda for the morning was the Animal Kingdom. It’s Nahtazu!

Of course, Lucas couldn’t contain his excitement upon entering the park...

Babby the giraffe kept trying to wake him. After all, he was pretty stoked to visit the land of his brethren.

 

[HollyBelle]

Where to first? Dinoland! More precisely, the clean empty bathrooms in Dinoland.

After a quick diaper change we hopped in the non-existent line for Triceratops Spin.

Lucas wasn’t so much feeling the ride. I think it mostly had to do with the sun. This boy has the most sensitive eyes, I’m telling you. I’m not sure what we’re going to do about it.

 

[HollyBelle]

It was about time for the little man to eat so we started making our way over to the park’s baby care center. On our way we found that our favorite little “secret” pathway (at the ITTBAB exit) was blocked. Sadness. Eventually we made it though, and let me just tell you, the AK baby care center is where it’s at, people! Picture for all the parental units out there…

See the door in the back left of that photo? It’s a private nursing room. They have three of ‘em. They’re decked out with nice gliders, a huge changing table, adjustable lighting, and enough space to roll your stroller in with you and still have enough room to sit down all those bags of baby stuff you’ve been hauling around all day. Heaven! Yes, I just likened a baby care center to heaven. Perspective, people, perspective.

Tell me I’m not the only one who finds the art on the wall to be wildly (in)appropriate!?

While Lucas and I were cooling off and enjoying our dimly lit retreat, Brett paid visit to a certain statuesque yeti across the way.

We kinda sorta had to drag Babby out of the park later that day... he'd found his people.

 

[HollyBelle]

Next up… a drink at the Dawa Bar for mama! I had been envisioning this moment for a very long time. In fact, the image of having my little Ohana camped out at the Dawa Bar, enjoying the sights and sounds of Africa, had gotten me through early stages of labor. No, really, I’m serious. I even wrote about it in Lucas' birth story.

Boy did that Safari Amber sure taste good!

As we were enjoying the morning, we discussed our plans for the rest of the day. We were trying to figure out how best to utilize our dining credits, especially seeing as how we had to make sure we got in all those table service meals. Our lunch reservations were for the Coral Reef, but you know, park hopping wasn’t nearly as easy as we remembered it to be! Plus, when we didn’t make it to La Hacienda the first night, we rebooked for this particular night. There was no way we could manage both. So I suggested we just grab some lunch at the Rainforest on our way out. It was a table service and it was perfectly timed with Lucas’ feeding schedule. So off we went for the front of the park, forgetting to cancel our Coral Reef reservations in the process. Another “something” we never used to do. I told you, we really are those people now.

The CMs at the re-entry gates were wonderful. They commented on how peaceful the sleeping babe was when, clearly, Lucas was wide awake. With a wink, they told us “the baby is always sleeping… just remember that when you check in at restaurants and want to keep him in his stroller.”

We were seated within five minutes at a table with enough room so the stroller would be out of the way, but right there with us. After ordering, I walked with Lucas for a bit and he fell asleep among the apes. The boy was not bothered by the sounds of the Rainforest in the slightest.

Hands down, this was our smoothest meal of the entire trip – likely because we worked it around Lucas’ schedule and not just our own. Hey, hey, look at that. I think we’re learning something here!

Now, usually when Brett and I eat at the Rainforest, we share a pizza. However, seeing as how we NEEDED to maximize the dining plan (gotta love how DDP makes you think), we each ordered our own meals for lunch. I ordered the China Island Chicken Salad, which I've had on many occasions and it’s pretty delicious!

Brett ordered ribs. Normally, the man would've ordered a half rack. But why the hell not order the full? I mean, hooray dining plan, you know?!

Not at all hungry for dessert, we ended up with a massive piece of cheesecake and a slab of chocolate cake.

In the end (are you ready for this?), our meal would’ve cost us $70 (pre-tip). WHAAAAAT? Brett and I usually eat at the Rainforest for twenty-five bucks. And that includes a couple of beers. Know what else? We’re always satisfied with that meal. On this particular day we each felt gluttonous and wasteful. I don’t think we took more than a tiny bite apiece of the chocolate cake, for example. But we just had to have it, because, ohmygawd, we can’t NOT get our monies worth.

 

[HollyBelle]

We made it back to Port Orleans around 1:00 pm and spent the afternoon resting. Normally, Lucas eats approximately every three hours, but over the course of the weekend he wasn’t making it anywhere close to three hours from feeding to feeding. Likely this was because he didn't feel good and wanted to nurse for comfort, not food, but it was still completely exhausting. I fed him around 2:00 pm and he freaked out around 4:00 pm, so I fed him again. I was pretty much tapped out at this point. Just trying to figure out what was upsetting the little man was wearing on us both.

After some deliberation, we decided to take a second stab at our La Hacienda reservation. Fingers crossed.

First stop in the park was guest relations, where we finally checked something off our list… Lucas’ first visit button! Hooray. We were making progress. After a quick spin through MouseGear, we hit up the Baby Care Center (located just outside Mexico in the Odyssey building). It is much like the Magic Kingdom’s, only each of the rooms was larger.

 

[HollyBelle]

After feeding Lucas, we headed over to La Hacienda and were shown to a table immediately upon check-in. Hey, what do you know? We’d made it at least as far as the table. So far, so good.

I didn’t even need to see the menu; I’d been craving the tacos de camarones since long before we’d arrived on property that weekend, making it an easy choice! And I think Brett ordered short ribs.

All I have to say about those tacos... 5 out of 5 NOMS!

For dessert, Brett had some sort of chili ice cream and popcorn concoction and I had a caramel/apple turnover under the guise of a fancier name. The popcorn ice cream was… interesting. The turnover was delicious.

Lucas was awake for the whole meal and did well, considering all the things we’d been dealing with that weekend. I think I ended up leaving the table to walk with him a couple of times. At one point I took him into the restroom to change his diaper, where I happened upon the mother of a five week old. A five week old! Oh, how I envied that mom, she seemed to have it all together. I guess when you’re on the outside looking in, you really never know. She may have even thought the same about me. Ah hah hah. I crack myself up sometimes!

This next shot makes my heart burst because, in it, I see my happy little contented Lucas - the ones who feels good.

 

[Todd L]

Alternately titled the “We’re those people now!” trip report!

Well hello there, wdwmagic, please allow me to introduce myself. I’m hollybelle. And, once upon a time, I was not the mother of a little pint sized pirate baby. And in those days (despite what I may have thought then), I had all the time in the world to write trip reports, stalk trip reports, comment on trip reports, and daydream about trip reports; in other words, overdose on all things trip reports. It was one of my daily addictions.

These days, I delight in small personal victories when it comes to “free” time. Showers and sleep (and laundry and cleaning) almost always win out when those heavenly little slices of quietness drift my way. So to all my wdwmagic friends, please accept my humblest of apologies for not commenting on each of your reports over the last year. It is seriously shocking to think I dropped off the face of the trip reports forum that long ago. While I may not be commenting, I have at least been lurking in the shadows, like the creepiest of creepers. Violet (my iPad) has been my trusty sidekick lately and while she makes it easy to peruse the interwebs during all those late night feedings with Lucas, typing up comments is another thing entirely.

Luckily for me, during a couple slow days here and there at work I was able to carve out some time to write this trip report {{that was in December – sadly it took another two months to find the time to upload photos and post}}. It was very important to me that I find the time to write it, because it feels like a big milestone in the story that is our lives. I mean, I wrote about our engagement, our wedding, and Lucas’ birth. Writing about his very first trip to the World certainly qualifies as a “must” in my book!

Who: The handsome little Ohana pictured above (taken in November when Lucas was around four months old)
Where: Port Orleans French Quarter
When: October 12-16, 2012
Why: Because we couldn’t wait to introduce our little man to the happiest place on earth

::SPOILER ALERT:: It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows! Even though we thought we had adjusted our expectations accordingly prior to the trip, we quickly learned they needed further adjusting upon arrival. This trip was about small victories for us. And I hope you enjoy sharing in those, as well as getting a good laugh out of our missteps in parenthood, as you read along. Brett and I like to think we’re Disney veterans and know all there is to know about our happy place, but with a three month old baby in tow… it was a whole new world!

I had all intentions of photographing every single second of this trip. But, you know, best laid plans and all that. Instead, I’m now doing my best to string together enough shots to tell the story. I’d say it’s a regret, but in truth, we were just trying our best to survive. Hah. Let the adventure begin.

so happy to see a Hollybelle trip report....ive been off the forums for a long time too! The last t.r. I read from you was your incredible wedding and Honeymoon report.

Congrats on your expanding family!!

 

[HollyBelle]

After dinner Lucas and I chatted with a family while Brett freed our stroller from the pile up, and then we took off around World Showcase. We started blazing through the countries, and I believe Lucas fell asleep somewhere between the African Outpost and Germany. In Japan we snagged someone special… Totoro! Pronounced Toe-Toe-Roe. Who knew? We had watched the movie in our previous life and had taken quite a liking to the guy. That being said, if it had been completely up to Brett he would have brought the Catbus home instead. Maybe next time!

In France, Brett grabbed a glass of wine and I collapsed onto a bench somewhere while waiting for him. From this very spot, I instagrammed the following photo…

… along with a comment about pure and total exhaustion. Later that night Angie (@angieandtrevor) and Mike (@Disneyfan1003) shared some kind words via Instagram that made me feel so much better about our first vacation as a family of three.

Speaking of Brett’s glass of wine, as soon as he got it, we remembered why we rarely order wine at the kiosks in World Showcase. It’s always so warm (both the weather and the wine), that it just tastes bad. We like even our red wine chilled and once you get used to that, it’s hard to drink it so warm, especially on a balmy night.

As much as we may have wanted to stick around for Illuminations, we certainly didn’t have it in us. We left the park around 8:00 pm, exhausted, but thrilled with ourselves for making it to dinner! We might have even done a congratulatory chest bump if there hadn't been a tiny human snoozing away between us.

 

[HollyBelle]

so happy tp see a Hollybelle trip report....ive been off the forums for a long time too! The last t.r. I read from you was your incredible wedding and Honeymoon report.

Congrats on your expanding family!!

Ahhh, thanks, ToddLee! I think I may have gotten a little burned out on writing them after that beast of a trip report, due to the fact that I followed it with four more before my hiatus. It's so good to be back though.

 

[foreverbelle]

Well sounds like things are starting to go a little smoother...

Ah the child care center at AK! I have found found memories of that one. I am surprised to see it has recovered from Logan. LOL

You are doing fine my dear, I am sure you looked at that woman and thought how amazing she was holding it together, but your right she was probably doing the same....

Yeah for making it through dinner! Win on your end of things. That is awesome.

 

[Todd L]

For whatever its worth....

My wife and I honeymooned in Wdw . I was 26 years old she was 23.

Our daughters first trip to wdw was for her 3rd birthday. Shes 18 now, Premed student with a car, boyfriend and a Job Who is leaving this week for 10 days with Habitat for humanity. Shell be away from us on Easter and its bittersweet to say the least.

Our happy little surprise came along when I was 38 and my son is the funniest little boy in the world and having him allows me to
Countinue to act like a big kid . Hes 7 now. A larger blessing ill never know!!

Ill be married 20 years in May and Its scary how fast it seems to go by!! Enjoy every second!!

 

[HollyBelle]

Well sounds like things are starting to go a little smoother...

Ah the child care center at AK! I have found found memories of that one. I am surprised to see it has recovered from Logan. LOL

You are doing fine my dear, I am sure you looked at that woman and thought how amazing she was holding it together, but your right she was probably doing the same....

Yeah for making it through dinner! Win on your end of things. That is awesome.

Is that child care center not ahhhhmazing? I was super impressed with it. And have no fear, it's still standing and going strong. I can only imagine how many other little boys exhausted their mamas there between Logan's and Lucas' time.

And big hooray for a successful dinner!

For whatever its worth....

My wife and I honeymooned in Wdw . I was 26 years old she was 23.

Our daughters first trip to wdw was for her 3rd birthday. Shes 18 now, Premed student with a car, boyfriend and a Job Who is leaving this week for 10 days with Habitat for humanity. Shell be away from us on Easter and its bittersweet to say the least.

Our happy little surprise came along when I was 38 and my son is the funniest little boy in the world and having him allows me to
Countinue to act like a big kid . Hes 7 now. A larger blessing ill never know!!

Ill be married 20 years in May and Its scary how fast it seems to go by!! Enjoy every second!!

Sounds like a wonderful family you've got there. And congrats on raising such a put together young adult. She sounds wonderful. Before having a baby, I always thought I would want to have them super close in age so we could grow them and move them along all at once! Hah. I do still want them super close in age, but no longer for the same reasons. I can now see the value in having more of an age gap... of course, an excuse to be a big kid is a very good one.

It sounds so cliche to talk about how time flies once you have a kid, but OMG!, we're moving at lightening speed over here.

 

[Disneyfalcon]

Well that day sounded awesome! I'm so glad it went smoothly!! Two sit down meals, two parks and two resorts! Yay!
That is exactly how the dining plan makes you think. We get so much more on the dining plan because we can! But it's kind of fun too.
I am loving all your pictures. Lucas is just adorable.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I'm with Tammy, that day seems like it went much better!

The baby care center in AK looked very nice. Interesting how different they seem to be park to park.

Isn't it crazy how much food the dining plan gives you?? Back when the appetizer was also included it was even worse. When people see the receipts for how much the meal would've been without the DDP and think "Oh! That's how much we saved! Yay!" they prob'ly aren't considering whether or not they'd have ordered all the same stuff had they been paying out of pocket. I know we don't order as much. I'm glad you mentioned the difference in how you & Brett usually order as well. It's good to see it that way.

Awww, love that y'all made it back out to a 2nd park. Love seeing all the sweet pics of Lucas. Your little Ohana is just adorable. Seeing and hearing about your new adventures together is really fun for me!

Isn't 8 months an awesome age??? Around 9/10 months I felt like Chandler & I finally aligned. I loved that age! In fact, that's kinda how we got Brian. I was having such a ball with Chandler I thought I could take on another, no problem. So on Chandler's first birthday we found out he would be a big brother.

**edit**
Just thought I'd add that time won't slow down for ya, darlin'. I kid you not, it seems like last week we were scraping knees & doing scout meetings....then we just celebrated Chandler's 17th birthday. It all goes by way faster than we ever thought it would.

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

Congrats on getting through TWO sit down meals in one day with little Lucas!! He absolutely is just so adorable Holly!

La Hacienda is always one we want to try, but it never quite makes the list. I'm really weird about my Mexican food lol

And I agree with you on the dining plan. We took the free dining in September when we were there for the 10 miler and it just seemed like SO much food. We don't usually orders dessert when we do sit down meals but like you, we felt like we had to to make the free dining as opposed to TIW worth it. Some places I was hungry enough for dessert but other places (like Rainforest Cafe) I took 2 bites of my chocolate cake and that was it. It makes me wonder just how much food actually goes to waste at Disney. UGH, it makes me cringe just to think about it (I HATE wasting food!)

 

[PotteryGal]

Holly! I remember reading your previous trip reports a few years back and enjoying them so much! What a precious little man you have there! And yes, the time just flies by, and you can't go back. I wish we had taken our kiddos when they were younger (I think they were 4 and 9 on our first trip); especially my oldest, since she was SO into princesses. I admire you for tackling all the challenges that came your way ~ I remember having a few tear-filled moments with my youngest, navigating WDW and dealing with his autism challenges at times. It's been 4 years since we've been to WDW, and now I have a teenager and a pre-teen, and I shake my head at how much they have grown. Treasure every second, and looking forward to reading more!

 

[Teachr4Disney]

Well, I'd like to be original but.......

OMG Holly! I can't believe that I've been off the boards so long that you've had time to have a beautiful bundle of joy AND take him for his first trip to the Magic! Last time I was here I was reading and enjoying your wedding TR. My, how time flies by so quickly!

There's so much that I want to say about this TR and I'm sure I'll forget some of it but here goes...

Lucas is so gorgeous! Love his beautiful red hair (sorry that it's changing colors!). You seem to be handling motherhood like a champ. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise!

I totally understand what you mean about how EVERYTHING requires such effort now. You know, even going to the grocery store is an ordeal. I am a single parent and can you even imagine doing it all alone? My family helps me some but mostly it's just been me and my bundle of joy (who's now 9!). Parenthood just changes your whole world and sometimes it's good and sometimes it makes you want to do a Thelma and Louise off a cliff! But, in the end, you get to experience love on a level that you might have imagined was possible!

I totally admire you for taking Lucas to WDW so early. I kinda wish I had taken my lovey when she was a little younger. She was 4, almost 5 the first time I took her. So, he won't remember it....so what? Training him to be a Disney fan needs to start as soon as possible!

As far as being those people.....everybody should give everybody the benefit of the doubt. Yes, I hate when people stop right in the middle of the walkway blocking the way but honestly when those people have a baby I understand. A crying baby in a restaurant....yes, it can be irritating but seriously.....it happens and it's not the end of the world! People shouldn't be so judgmental until they've been in others' shoes.

Loving your pics and all of your rants! Looking forward to more!

 

[HollyBelle]

Well that day sounded awesome! I'm so glad it went smoothly!! Two sit down meals, two parks and two resorts! Yay!
That is exactly how the dining plan makes you think. We get so much more on the dining plan because we can! But it's kind of fun too.
I am loving all your pictures. Lucas is just adorable.

Thanks, Tammy! The dining plan was kind of fun because we ordered dessert when we wouldn't have normally. I think we need to just start ordering desserts more. It'd still be cheaper for us to do it that way and stick with Tables in Wonderland. Picking out snacks was fun, too.

I'm with Tammy, that day seems like it went much better!

The baby care center in AK looked very nice. Interesting how different they seem to be park to park.

I think the state of the baby care centers has a lot to do with the age of the parks. The one at the MK is tiny and has the patina of the late seventies all over it and Epcot isn't much different. Whereas, the AK was built in the nineties and it's baby care center seems to match up with that. No word on the Studios... haven't crossed that one off the list yet.

Isn't it crazy how much food the dining plan gives you?? Back when the appetizer was also included it was even worse. When people see the receipts for how much the meal would've been without the DDP and think "Oh! That's how much we saved! Yay!" they prob'ly aren't considering whether or not they'd have ordered all the same stuff had they been paying out of pocket. I know we don't order as much. I'm glad you mentioned the difference in how you & Brett usually order as well. It's good to see it that way.

You know what surprised me (I think I made this comment in the report but it may come later), is our receipts did not show what our meals would have cost had we been paying out of pocket. I was shocked that Disney doesn't take the opportunity to show what a "savings" the plan is.

Awww, love that y'all made it back out to a 2nd park. Love seeing all the sweet pics of Lucas. Your little Ohana is just adorable. Seeing and hearing about your new adventures together is really fun for me!

Isn't 8 months an awesome age??? Around 9/10 months I felt like Chandler & I finally aligned. I loved that age! In fact, that's kinda how we got Brian. I was having such a ball with Chandler I thought I could take on another, no problem. So on Chandler's first birthday we found out he would be a big brother.

**edit**
Just thought I'd add that time won't slow down for ya, darlin'. I kid you not, it seems like last week we were scraping knees & doing scout meetings....then we just celebrated Chandler's 17th birthday. It all goes by way faster than we ever thought it would.

Oh my, eight months is amazing! We're having so much fun right now. And your reason for Brian coming along when he did cracks me up.

You know, it seems so cliche to talk about how fast time goes once you have kids, but my oh my, isn't it the truth? I've made a vow to myself to always enjoy the present. Sure, I'll remember the past fondly, and look forward to the future, but the present is where it's at!

Congrats on getting through TWO sit down meals in one day with little Lucas!! He absolutely is just so adorable Holly!

La Hacienda is always one we want to try, but it never quite makes the list. I'm really weird about my Mexican food lol

And I agree with you on the dining plan. We took the free dining in September when we were there for the 10 miler and it just seemed like SO much food. We don't usually orders dessert when we do sit down meals but like you, we felt like we had to to make the free dining as opposed to TIW worth it. Some places I was hungry enough for dessert but other places (like Rainforest Cafe) I took 2 bites of my chocolate cake and that was it. It makes me wonder just how much food actually goes to waste at Disney. UGH, it makes me cringe just to think about it (I HATE wasting food!)

Thanks so much, Darolyn! Two meals?! Who'd have thought it after that first night!?

Definitely consider La Hacienda for a future visit... while the menu does seem limiting, everything we've ever had off of it has been really delicious.

And I'm with you on wasting food. It kills me! How many slices of that chocolate cake ends up in the trash? I'd say more than half of them, and that's just plain ridiculous.

Holly! I remember reading your previous trip reports a few years back and enjoying them so much! What a precious little man you have there! And yes, the time just flies by, and you can't go back. I wish we had taken our kiddos when they were younger (I think they were 4 and 9 on our first trip); especially my oldest, since she was SO into princesses. I admire you for tackling all the challenges that came your way ~ I remember having a few tear-filled moments with my youngest, navigating WDW and dealing with his autism challenges at times. It's been 4 years since we've been to WDW, and now I have a teenager and a pre-teen, and I shake my head at how much they have grown. Treasure every second, and looking forward to reading more!

Thank you so much! Yes, I have a feeling we'll have many more tear-filled trips to come, but I wouldn't trade them in for anything. Especially considering how quickly it all goes by and how important it is to make those memories. I think the tired/pull your hair out/crying memories will be just as sweet to savor later anyway. Key word there being later.

Well, I'd like to be original but.......

OMG Holly! I can't believe that I've been off the boards so long that you've had time to have a beautiful bundle of joy AND take him for his first trip to the Magic! Last time I was here I was reading and enjoying your wedding TR. My, how time flies by so quickly!

There's so much that I want to say about this TR and I'm sure I'll forget some of it but here goes...

Lucas is so gorgeous! Love his beautiful red hair (sorry that it's changing colors!). You seem to be handling motherhood like a champ. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise!

Welcome back, Beth. I've been away much of the last year myself! Thank you so much for all your kind words, they're very meaningful to me (even if they aren't original ).

I'm pretty obsessed with the little man's hair color myself. I'm hopefully that it keeps the reddish hue even if it darkens as he grows up.

I totally understand what you mean about how EVERYTHING requires such effort now. You know, even going to the grocery store is an ordeal. I am a single parent and can you even imagine doing it all alone? My family helps me some but mostly it's just been me and my bundle of joy (who's now 9!). Parenthood just changes your whole world and sometimes it's good and sometimes it makes you want to do a Thelma and Louise off a cliff! But, in the end, you get to experience love on a level that you might have imagined was possible!

Ahh yes, the grocery store! It really is just easier to stay home sometimes. I couldn't imagine flying completely solo with a little one. Having help makes all the difference in the world. Luckily spring is in the air and it's warming up nicely... it'll be so nice to get out of the house more. Love your analogy to Thelma and Louise! So true!

I totally admire you for taking Lucas to WDW so early. I kinda wish I had taken my lovey when she was a little younger. She was 4, almost 5 the first time I took her. So, he won't remember it....so what? Training him to be a Disney fan needs to start as soon as possible!

As far as being those people.....everybody should give everybody the benefit of the doubt. Yes, I hate when people stop right in the middle of the walkway blocking the way but honestly when those people have a baby I understand. A crying baby in a restaurant....yes, it can be irritating but seriously.....it happens and it's not the end of the world! People shouldn't be so judgmental until they've been in others' shoes.

Loving your pics and all of your rants! Looking forward to more!

I love that we'll be able to experience his perception of Disney at so many different developmental stages. And you're right... training him young is very important! I can honestly admit that I'm one who used to judge a whole lot more than I do now. Perspective really is a beautiful thing. And having Lucas has given me so much perspective in life already.

Ack... I hope my report, as a whole, doesn't come across as a rant because it's not meant to be that way. I tried to incorporate so much detail because in those moments we were feeling oh so very overwhelmed. Looking back now some of it already seems trivial, but while we were in it, it was rough. And I didn't want to gloss over all those feelings. I'd like to remember his first trip for what it really was... and you know, there were quite a few parental meltdowns to be had!!!