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!

IMG_8508e5x7.jpg


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.
 

meeskamickey

Active Member
Great trip report Holly (as usual)! Congratulations on your first trip with Lucas. He is such an adorable baby!! Good luck to Brett...I hope it all works out for your family!
 

Disneyfalcon

Well-Known Member
It is soooo worth it!! :)
My word those ear pictures are absolutely adorable. I mean adorable.
The Sword in the Stone is the PERFECT place for a repeat picture! I love that idea!
I hope your 5 months apart pays off in a big way!! I can't wait for the next report! So glad you're back. It was worth the wait. :)
 

emcclay

Well-Known Member
Holly - I am sitting here catching up on your TR. While I loved reading the TR and seeing pictures of your beautiful family, the last paragraph you wrote about Brett doing his PI at WDW spoke volumes to me. I just left home this past Thursday and will be checking in to my DCP on Monday. The amount of "cold-feet" feelings I have been getting is overwhelming. But, you make such good points.. we do only get one life! So, thank you for helping me out without even knowing it! :) Looking forward to the next TR!
 

TakeMeThere81

Well-Known Member
The little man we have now is a complete and total dream baby. Even with his fair share of ear infections, he’s so incredibly happy… ALL. THE. TIME. Of course, sleep is another story entirely. ;)

In other news… I’m single parenting these days... Brett is currently in the midst of a five-month professional internship with Disney.

There is something so freeing about stepping off the ledge and putting faith in each other and our abilities. This little Ohana has wings (and a healthy dose of pixie dust!). We get just this one life, and we’d be fools not to spend it chasing our dreams.


Up next… a February trip report. You didn’t really think all my whining about taking a baby to WDW would actually keep us away, did you?! Here’s to hoping I get it written and posted before Lucas turns two. :D

Ahhh, it’s good to be back. I’ve missed you, my friends.

Oh Holly we've missed you too! And your reports help me miss the World a bit less (or maybe more?)

I'm so glad that Lucas has come around. Those first few months may have been tough but you might be surprised as time goes on how you only remember the good times (like that cute Mouseketeer moment).

Single parenting is not for the faint of heart so good on you! It will be worth it for sure and Brett will love you even more! Crossing my fingers that all of your dreams are realized :)

So cool that you've gone back once and have another trip planned. I'm so glad all of the changes in your lives have not changed nor distracted you from one thing...your love for Disney :)
 

Lynn1030

Well-Known Member
I finally just came across this - thank you for the awesome trip report from the angle of a new mom. We are taking our first trip back this month after having a baby. He will be 10 months old. We had a trip planned for last October, then rescheduled to December, then again to this month...mostly because of other things going on, but we often wondered if we needed to wait for him to be older. We finally said the heck with it and we leave in two weeks. I will probably be using the Baby Care centers, so thanks for your insight on those. With my husband being a photographer, we have lots of photos ideas planned, so I hope we can follow through. :)
 

acrab3t

Active Member
I love this report! I must say I think you are so brave for taking Lucas at such a young age. I waited until my DS was 6 because he was such a "spirited" baby. I wouldn't have lasted 5 minutes in the park with him as a baby. I would have literaly run out screaming. Lucas is such a handsome little man. I just loved looking at his lovely photos. Best of luck to your DH and his internship. I have always regreted not doing that while I was in school.
 

HollyBelle

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Sounds like a wonderful opportunity for Brett. And wow...what at a sacrifice to be away form the both of you for that long. If I may ask, does Brett work in retail? I've worked in retail for 12 years.

It has been a great opportunity. His background is actually in engineering and he's working in a financial analyst type role with Disney. He's on the merchandising team, so his focus is in the sale of merch, but he doesn't actually work in retail.

I totally agree about the cupcakes for breakfast! In fact, I had one of the peanut butter chocolate ones for breakfast in December!!
My youngest is now 5, and I still remember what the lack of sleep could do to you. But it always seems like when you think you've hit your lowest, you get a moment like that last picture of yours and it makes it all better!:D I definitely don't miss those days, but I certainly look back on those memories fondly!
Thank you so much for sharing your trip with us. I can't wait to read your next report!

Yes! I was not prepared for the level of sleep deprivation that we've experienced in this first year. It's truly shocking how it affects every aspect of your life!

Thank you!

For some reason, this post got me all choked up lol. I totally feel ya :)

Awww... I was a little choked up writing it!

Holly, the pictures of Lucas with his ears on made me tear up. And so did the little paragraph about your hill at the Poly. My sister just kind of looked at me and I said "Reading a trip report" and she understood lol she knows how emotional I get over reading TR's on here!!

Hooray for Brett's internship! How exciting!! It may seem like 5 months is a long time, but in reality, it's not so bad and it will fly by.

Can't wait to read about your Ohana's second Disney adventure! :)

I'm so happy to have those ears pictures. And I have a feeling they'll only become more and more special to me as time goes on.

You're right about time flying. In fact we're already well past the halfway point now!

So what are the odds we would be able to meet up? I would love to get to meet the baby

I love these pictures! He is too cute

I'll send you another PM... we're going to be there this upcoming weekend!

Thank you for your trip report. Loved it. Lucas is adorable! Congratulations!

Thanks so much Heather!

Aw, this TR is over and it's still tugging at my heart strings!
The little cutie with his ears and his sword and his lovely parental units. Happy happy!
I wish you were leaving in THREE weeks, not two, because then I'd be there at the same time! Shoulda coordinated, girl!
And finally - I love your "favourite" picture - mom-tastic and it shows off that you continue to be stylin' despite the babes!

Being a parental unit definitely has it's moments! Ugh! I hate that we'll miss each other.

As for stylin? One of my goals for this year is to define my personal style and be a little more adventurous. It's been fun! The only downside of course is finding the time to shop and the money to buy what I want!

Loved your trip report and congrats to Brett on the internship! It must be incredibly hard for both of you to be apart but hopefully great things will come of it!! Can't wait for your next report. Love all your pictures!

Thanks, Krista!

Oh, the "ears" pictures are sooo adorable I have to SQUEEEEALL!! Not surprising that those pics made you cry--they almost did me, too.

Glad the trip ended well. Thanks for taking the time to share it all!

Thanks, Siobhan!

Well if that wasn't just the sweetest, most heartfelt, honest and true-to-life TR I've ever read, I don't know what is :)

Aww thanks, Amber!

Fabulous report as usual, my friend. Love the ears pictures, and GREAT idea to take pictures of Lucas "pulling" the sword out of the stone.

Have a fabulous trip! :)

Thanks, Shannon!

AWESOME trip report, I enjoyed reading every last bit of it! I'm not married yet and I have no children but I can imagine when it does happen I will want to go as soon as possible too! Disney is such a "magical" place and should be experienced by all no matter if you're a few weeks/months old or 100 years old! Also, congratulations to Brett on getting an internship with Disney! That's exciting! Can't wait to read your next trip report! :D

Totally couldn't agree with you more! I'm excited to experience Disney at all of Lucas' ages. Thank you!

Wonderful report as usual. :) The mouseketeer pictures were just beyond adorable and definitely give your heart a nice little squeeze. And it's like you said...moments like that are what make it all worth while. Love that you revisited your hill with the complete Ohana. Couldn't have picked a better spot for the last night of the first family trip.

Such big changes in the Hollybelle house! Congrats to Brett on his internship, the time will definitely fly by. Looking forward to the new Disney adventures you guys have in store! Thanks (as always) for sharing! :D

Erin! Thanks, friend. I hope things are going well for you these days.

Holly!!!! Like you, life has gotten in the way of me being on these boards as much as I'd like to. I just read your report and your little man is a DOLL!! What a cutie pie! I can understand how rough of a transition and experience it must have been for you trying to adjust to a little one's schedule. But I'm so happy you guys had such a good time! The pictures are fantastic and I hope the five of us can meet up one day when you guys are down!

Karen! Thank you. We will definitely have to get together soon.

Great trip report! I enjoyed reading it a lot! I absolutely love the picture of Lucas in his Mickey Mouse ears! They're definitely an essential souvenir of a first trip to Disney! :)

Oh those ears! I'm so glad Brett ran off to get them for him. Thank you!
 

HollyBelle

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I loved this trip report! You have a beautiful family and your pictures are amazing!! Cannot wait to read more of your trips!

Thank you so much!

Great trip report Holly (as usual)! Congratulations on your first trip with Lucas. He is such an adorable baby!! Good luck to Brett...I hope it all works out for your family!

Thanks so much! Brett's loving his position right now and things look promising!

It is soooo worth it!! :)
My word those ear pictures are absolutely adorable. I mean adorable.
The Sword in the Stone is the PERFECT place for a repeat picture! I love that idea!
I hope your 5 months apart pays off in a big way!! I can't wait for the next report! So glad you're back. It was worth the wait. :)

I'm super excited about the potential of the Sword in the Stone. And I *hope* we picked a location that doesn't one day disappear. I feel certain it's a Fantasyland staple.

I'm thinking that next report is going to have to be a quick photo journey! That's better than nothing, right?! Thanks, Tammy.

Holly - I am sitting here catching up on your TR. While I loved reading the TR and seeing pictures of your beautiful family, the last paragraph you wrote about Brett doing his PI at WDW spoke volumes to me. I just left home this past Thursday and will be checking in to my DCP on Monday. The amount of "cold-feet" feelings I have been getting is overwhelming. But, you make such good points.. we do only get one life! So, thank you for helping me out without even knowing it! :) Looking forward to the next TR!

Hoooooray! Be proud of yourself for taking that step, you have everything to gain from doing so. It's surprising how truly hard it can be! I hope you're getting settled and having a great time.

Oh Holly we've missed you too! And your reports help me miss the World a bit less (or maybe more?)

I'm so glad that Lucas has come around. Those first few months may have been tough but you might be surprised as time goes on how you only remember the good times (like that cute Mouseketeer moment).

Single parenting is not for the faint of heart so good on you! It will be worth it for sure and Brett will love you even more! Crossing my fingers that all of your dreams are realized :)

So cool that you've gone back once and have another trip planned. I'm so glad all of the changes in your lives have not changed nor distracted you from one thing...your love for Disney :)

I think you're totally right about already looking back and remembering the "good." This journey has been nothing short of amazing and I have a feeling it will continue to inspire me. Being a parental unit has given me so much perspective and being a single parental unit makes me love my husband all that much more!

Thanks, Melanee! I can't wait to read another of your reports - I'm sure the boys have grown so much since you've been on the west coast.

I finally just came across this - thank you for the awesome trip report from the angle of a new mom. We are taking our first trip back this month after having a baby. He will be 10 months old. We had a trip planned for last October, then rescheduled to December, then again to this month...mostly because of other things going on, but we often wondered if we needed to wait for him to be older. We finally said the heck with it and we leave in two weeks. I will probably be using the Baby Care centers, so thanks for your insight on those. With my husband being a photographer, we have lots of photos ideas planned, so I hope we can follow through. :)

Congratulations to you, as well! We just passed 9 months and I already think this upcoming trip is going to be so different from when we had him there at 7 months. I hope you come away with some great photos of your little one experiencing his first trip, and more than that, I hope you have a blast!

I love this report! I must say I think you are so brave for taking Lucas at such a young age. I waited until my DS was 6 because he was such a "spirited" baby. I wouldn't have lasted 5 minutes in the park with him as a baby. I would have literaly run out screaming. Lucas is such a handsome little man. I just loved looking at his lovely photos. Best of luck to your DH and his internship. I have always regreted not doing that while I was in school.

Thanks so much! I love your choice of words... "spirited" sounds like a very good thing! Our little man is turning into quite the explorer, so I'm curious to see how that translates to the world.

As far as pursuing Disney and doing an internship...it's never too late. ;) I'd be lying if I said Brett's main reason for going back to school wasn't to land at Disney. The internship is the proverbial foot in the door!
 

joanna71985

Well-Known Member
It has been a great opportunity. His background is actually in engineering and he's working in a financial analyst type role with Disney. He's on the merchandising team, so his focus is in the sale of merch, but he doesn't actually work in retail.


I'll send you another PM... we're going to be there this upcoming weekend!

Sounds like a great program!

Ok, cool! I'll be looking out for it (and I sent one myself)
 

WDW_Princess24

Active Member
First of all CONGRATULATIONS!! Lucas is absolutely adorable and I am so happy for your new growing family!
Don't feel bad about your neglecting the boards, I too have done the same, I even have two trip reports to write, and now find myself planning my own Disney wedding. I actually went back to yours and Shelley's the other night for inspiration.
I totally agree with you on the DDP, it is just WAY too much food! Ryan and I tried it once but switched to TIW with our APs. Through all the stresses you both endured I can tell it was all totally worth it being able to experience WDW with Baby Lucas for the first time! I love the pic of Brett and Lucas in front of Gaston's tavern, super cute! Lucas first meet and greet is precious, what great memories for him when he grows up to see all these pictures!
 

pcrum

New Member
Holly:

I was so glad to read this trip report and to see photos of your little mouseketeer. Lucas is such a cute baby!! I can certainly relate to the woes of traveling with an infant. Although our twins' first trip to the World was at age 14 months, with two babies it was no easy feat! It sounds like you and Brett took it all in stride though and I'm go glad to hear that your other trips have been easier. Enjoy every moment, as they grow up so quickly. I remember my children's first trip so vividly and I cannot believe they area getting ready to go off to college next fall.

My DD was accepted to the computer science program at Clemson, but ultimately decided on FL State...she wanted to be closer to home and a boyfriend is involved as well (sigh!). But, we loved Clemson!! I think we were there very close to your due date last summer!! DS is headed to a musical theatre conservatory in NYC, so they are really flying the coop!

I know you and Brett will cherish every moment with your little guy! The time goes by so quickly!! Best of luck to your sweet family! I hope things work out for Brett and that he is able to get a full time job with the Mouse!! I suppose that would mean a move to Orlando?

Your photography is beautiful...you have an adorable subject to practice on!!!

Pam
 

dnylla

New Member
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...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!
I've been a long time lurker while overdosing on all things trip reports as well, Hollybelle, and have read several of your trip reports here and over at Cruise Critic. I was so pleased you had a moment to write this report and that I finally stumbled across it. You and Brett have such an adorable son. I'll admit, you are braver than I am to take him to WDW at that age :D, but what great memories to have of your time with Lucas! (both the good and the not-as-good ;)) Once again you wrote a very enjoyable trip report Holly, and I look forward to your future ones as you have those free moments to write them for us.
 

foreverbelle

Well-Known Member
So I finally finished!! All caught up now.

Your shots are amazing. I must now find you on instagram I must say...

Lucas is adorable but I am pretty sure you already knew this one. And I am glad you managed to have some pretty amazing times among some of the not so. But thankfully it seems you did not let this stop you from going and will continue!!! Rock on and I so look forward to the many more trips to come
 

tink65

Active Member
Holly,

Just finished the TR and as usual it was wonderful reading! Little Lucas is a cutie! I remember taking our daughter for the first time....she was 2 which is alot different from a 4 month old but still can be very scary and hectic. Allison's first visit was also mine, and I can remember thinking "this is the happiest place on Earth? Who said that?". Of course, all I had to do was remember the sweet times and they far outweighed the meltdowns and exhaustion! Now Allison is almost 19 and a sophomore in college....where has the time gone? Enjoy every minute and every trip to the World....even when it's hard. They are grown in a blink!
 

dnylla

New Member
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.

In the trash or onto people's hips. I know when we were at WDW and had the dining plan I ate way more than I would have without it, because each person gets an entree, then the desert. When something tempting is sitting right in front of me I'll keep nibbling at it :oops:, since I can be weak willed at times :D
 

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