Trip Report *COMPLETE* I always thought I’d be Simba… turns out I’m Zazu

We’re back! Well, we’ve been back since Saturday, but trying to settle back into normal life has taken some time. But, before the holidays fully kick off, I wanted to get started on the TR!

First an intro (I did did a PTR but plans changed quite a bit)-

There’s C (8), me, my wife K, and L (3). This was C’s 4th trip, and L’s 2nd.

When: December 3 - 10
Where: AoA Lion King suite

We were also joined by my in-laws for the 3rd-8th.

This trip was different in a lot of ways. Our last trip was August 2020, with hardly any entertainment, extremely limited hours and dining, masks everywhere and of course no crowds. That was also L’s first trip. Yes, we took a one year old to WDW during a pandemic. Can’t wait for him to be a teenager and give us an eye roll for that one!

So in a lot of ways, this was L’s first real trip - with characters, waits, fireworks, and having his own thoughts/desires. Which was awesome. What wasn’t awesome was that he and his sister realized the fun in getting on each other’s nerves right before this trip. But, they also had some incredibly sweet moments between the two of them.

This was also our first trip with no Magical Express (which I hated even more than I expected), and with Genie +. But, we didn’t use Genie + because we also got DAS for the first time. I’ll put more detail on that in a separate post because it’s not all peachy and maybe could trigger some I suppose.

Anywho, so it was different. Bad? No, the opposite. I think that what hit us the most was realizing that as we return more to WDW and as our kids grow, the way we vacation changes a bit. We did a lot of new activities, and that was by far my favorite part of this trip.

 

[Spash007]

You might want to rethink your Zazu comparison. I think you showed some brave Simba traits by sharing the way you are dealing with your anxiety! Thank you for sharing this!

^^ Totally agree with @Adventure !! That is very brave and thank you! And your gif game is very strong - I'm laughing

It literally took one person being open about their own struggles for me to start a convo, so just paying it forward!

And, when there aren’t pics, Im doing my best to break up the text. Glad you’re enjoying it!

 

[Spash007]

December 3 cont

As the announcement was made, the status quickly changed to delayed, and the boarding time was now at 7:25 am. Exactly 1 hour later.

Due to the lack of information, of course a mass panic set it, and everyone rushed the desk. Thinking that future flights would have limited seats, I joined the herd and made my way up.

There was still no information being sent out by JetBlue, but being in NJ, people tend to talk loud, especially when upset, so the status quickly spread -

1) The flight was going to be cancelled for technical reasons
2) Our bags would fly out on the next plane to MCO
3) The next JetBlue flight with space from Newark was at 8 pm, or we could wait until the next day. Or, we could take a shuttle to JFK

Technically we could have looked at flying into Tampa or somewhere else in Florida, but with our bags flying into Orlando, we and most others nixed that idea.

As we were weighing our options in line, and were the 3rd group back, a new rumor spread - they were looking for a plane.

As in they couldn’t find it.

Now, I work in supply chain. We have an inventory system. I can quickly look up every screw and tell you where it is. But JetBlue can’t track their planes easily? Do we need the 3 year old L to go and look?

The group right in front of us was up, and we kept going back and forth between do we take the JFK flight (we really didn’t want to shuttle to NYC) for a guarantee to get there today but with who knows what seating arrangement and probably getting there too late for our dinner, or, do we risk that JetBlue can find a plane?

The group in front of us chose JFK.

And then a plane pulled up.

We saw it, told the man, and he asked the staff member if that was going to Orlando.

“But I already switched you and that took a lot of work”

The staff member then just walked away.

I asked K to cover me while I took a few steps forward and tried to read the computer. All I could tell was it was going to MCO and it listed as boarding.

Next thing I know, the staff member comes back and asks for our ID.

Seems like JetBlue found a plane!

But they had to change every persons ticket over to the new plane. Which was fairly easy for people who didn’t switch already. For those that did switch, it was a lot more complicated apparently,

And the worst part was that the new plane was smaller, so not everyone could go on it. And some people already left for JFK. Good news is that the family in front of us did get on that plane too.

Around 9 am we finally boarded the plane, and we finally took off around 10. The flight itself wasn’t horrible, a bit bumpy in the beginning but ok. I watched Christmas Vacation, and L kept scrolling through different cartoons.

Did either kid nap, although they were up for 7+ hours at this point

Guess we would have to look again at that plan of pool and then a nap.

We were very thankful that we didn’t plan a park day like we normally do our first day.

Landing was fairly easy. MCO had the bags for our original flight separate. And although terminal C is pretty, we had to board a shuttle to get to terminal B to pick up the Sunshine Flyer. That just was a little bit of a pain that I wasn’t counting on.

The sign in for Sunshine Flyer was also pandemonium, with some people saying they were there for more than an hour. Luckily, we only waited 10 minutes and quickly got on a bus.

And soon, our view was this -

Coming up - do you think the drama from day 1 is done?

 

[amjt660]

Max

 

[Spash007]

I hope everyone who celebrates had a great Christmas!

Now that I organized my pictures, let’s continue!

AoA was the first stop, so very soon we were here.

One thing I do love about Disney resorts is CMs coming to meet you outside as you approach. Neither of ours rooms were ready so we went inside to check.

I have to say, this 90s Disney kid loved the lobby. Especially the early artwork of Lion King. Everyone else I think was too tired to really notice lol

As soon as we were in line to check, I got our room ready text. Being the great son in law I am, my first instinct was to go to our room. But then I was gently reminded that my in laws still needed their room, so I sat with the kids.

Luckily, they were able to get their room and we made a pit stop in Landscape of Flavors to grab something to eat.

I get better taking pictures of food, but this was very much a survival mode meal. I had the Sesame Chicken Stir Fry, K got chicken fingers and the kids each had Mac and cheese. All were very good - but of course the kids wouldn’t eat much. Blame it on tiredness or just distraction (or potentially not feeling well - foreshadowing), we took most of it back to our room.

I had a bit of confusion, thinking we were in building 10 (by hourglass lake), but instead we were by the parking lot in building 6. After entering the wrong building, we turned around and found our right way. At this point we were just so tired that had we got lost again I think it would have become a solo trip lol

Anyway, we got in and CRASHED after unpacking a bit (aka there are no pictures of our room haha). It was now about 3:30, and we were planning on meeting at 6 to head to dinner. As much as we wanted to head to the pool, clearly we all needed a rest and figured maybe we could get 30 minutes in if people fell asleep. This was one of the times that being a responsible parent outweighed being fun at Disney.

But it turned out to be for the best.

After about 20 minutes, L started complaining that his tummy hurt. I won’t go into graphic detail, but potty training has been inconsistent so I wasn’t terribly surprised. But he kept saying it, getting more and more upset. Considering he was now up for 13+ hours, we figured it was tiredness also affecting him. I kept trying to help him relax, but something was clearly wrong. As I picked him up, it was clear what it was.

I should’ve known that tummy hurt meant he was going to throw up. Luckily, I saved his lovey that he always sleeps with, but I sacrificed my Apple Watch in the process.
Luckily we still carried hand sanitizer on us and after a few scrubs that did the trick.

It also luckily stopped as quick as it started but he was now extremely upset. I can’t exactly blame him though. Side note - it’s interesting as a parent how kids handle being sick differently. C has always been very attuned to getting sick, handles it and is then fine. L, not so much. We were torn between giving him a bath, getting him to nap or letting him watch Paw Patrol to calm down (his choice). So we compromised - I got my bathing suit on and went in the bath with him, and let him lay on me while my phone was precariously perched on the soap holder showing Paw Patrol. And this worked fairly quickly to get him calm and clean.

This does however play a part later in the trip (hint hint - more drama!)

Of course C took this opportunity to ask if she could go to the pool . As much as we wanted to, it was clear we needed to rest. And I was not going to tell C as I didn’t want to blame her brother, but he would have been SUPER upset if she went to the pool and he had to stay.

So instead we all rested for a while, and starting at 5:30 slowly got ready for dinner. By 6 we met down in the lobby with K’s parents to head to dinner.

Luckily at this point, L felt a lot better. To the point where I said we don’t need the stroller because it’s just dinner. Will that come to bite me later?

Our plan was to take the bus to MK, and then jump on a boat to WL. The bus was pulling up right when we went outside - score!

You know what wasn’t as exciting? Getting off at MK, and not going inside. Oh well, we’ll be back in 12ish hours!

Soon we found the boat ramp, where there was confusion because the one side was down. It seems like a boat was stuck there.

But we got to see something I never expected - a man had his laptop open on top of his child’s stroller while waiting, and then kept typing while walking.

I wish I was more adept at sneaky pictures.

Soon we were on our way, and I have to admit, I see why people like my sister and @Tuvalu love WL so much. The boat, and the walk up to the hotel was just so peaceful! Something rare at WDW resorts

Somebody enjoyed seeing the castle lit up

On the walk up from the boat dock, I mobile checked in for dinner and we explored the lobby a bit. The Christmas decorations here really are something else

Up next - Dinner at Artist Point, and L gets his first character hug!

 

[Spash007]

I want to like mobile check in, mobile orders etc. But I don’t. At all. I’m so used to relying on technology, that when it doesn’t serve its purpose or has stupid kinks, it’s more of a headache than it’s worth.

Case in point - I checked in early for our ADR through the app. Noted 4 adults, 2 kids. Then, at 7:10 (our reservation time) I get a push notification that it’s time to check in. Weird. So I go to the hostess, who tells me rather casually “yeah, the app doesn’t talk to itself. You’re checked in.” Not gonna lie, it was a little weird for a CM to bash their own system.

Finally, 20 minutes after our reservation time I got the alert our table was ready. If the CM checking us in seemed non-Disney, the waiter leading us to our table was the exact opposite - making a big deal of visiting the kingdom, getting an invitation to dine etc. the weird thing was when we sat, he first pulled 6 adults menus and noted that the check in said no kids. I know I had marked it, but I guess it was just the app again!

Anyway, soon after sitting down Dopey came by. C knows Snow White, but I don’t think L does. But that didn’t stop his usual outgoing personality from going right up to him

While L was great with Dopey, the excitement seemed to tip him over the edge. After this he was just exhausted. And when he’s exhausted, he’s stubborn and shy. Part of us wanted to push to get him to interact with more characters, but it would have resulted in him screaming most likely, and after the day we all had, but especially him, he deserved to just take it easy.

Soon enough Grumpy came over, and L sat it out. He was not happy with C’s choice of a dress.

But, I have to admit, C is a smooth talker. She somehow turned her affinity for villains to understanding being Grumpy, and that won him over.

Shortly after our appetizers came. Oddly enough the adults came first, and then the kids which L was not happy about. Had there been just bread, he would have been ok. But he was not happy with the choices. Don’t most restaurants bring out the kids first if not together?

The mushroom soup was by far the winner. And the shrimp salad was also more enjoyable than expected. I am iffy with shrimp - the texture weirds me out but I like it with the right cook and flavor. This had a Bloody Mary sauce to it which was just right.

The last appetizer we had was essentially a Swedish meatball on a pita. It’s not on the regular menu and it showed. It wasn’t bad, the taste was good, but it just didn’t seem cohesive.

While we were eating, Snow White came by. She tried to engage L in conversation but he was not having it.

C did also close up her sweater to hide the Queen’s picture from Snow White

Finally the kids appetizers came out, with possibly the cutest presentation.

Which L ate all of!

Kidding, he was done done at this point and nibbled a bit, but he at least got some healthy food in him.

 

[Spash007]

Interesting was that a sheer 7 minutes later the kids’ entrees came out. Both got the fish of the day, which I believe was Salmon.

They both tend to like fish (they take after K on that one), and both made a good dent into this.

The adult’s food came out at the same time, and all of us except my FIL got the prime rib.

It was very good. A bit fatty but the meat was cooked very well. At this point I was still thinking I would try to be as low carb as possible on this trip, so I hardly touched the massive pop over. Spoiler Alert - the low carb plan quickly goes by the wayside.

As we were eating Dopey came by again, and C flew solo.

Then came the best part of the meal I think - dessert! Yep that low carb mindset was already gone lol

The cookies and cream panna cotta was amazing (back right). Everyone agreed it was the best. It was such a good balance of cookies and cream flavor, and the texture was so light I might have had more than one. I thought the apple mousse was a close second, but was alone in that thought. The gooseberry tart (in the front) was… fine. Not bad, but like the meatball appetizer it just didn’t seem cohesive. The top would easily come off and their was nothing in its taste or texture that tied it to the tart itself.

Then the Hunter’s gift to the Queen came out.

10/10 for presentation. 3/10 for taste. It was just a fairly bitter piece of dark chocolate.

After paying our taxes to the Queen, it was the moment that C especially was looking forward to. Meeting the Queen herself.

I have to say, this was probably my favorite character interaction at WDW. We had another great one our last day, but this character was so on point.

She told C she was smart for having such a good kicking dress, when another girl interrupted them she very sarcastically told her “you again? I saw you twice already, be gone.”, and when we were leaving, told C she was lucky to be leaving as she still had to stay around with these children.

She was hilarious and on point. When L wouldn’t go over to her, she asked C why he wasn’t. C responded he was shy, and the Queen said “he’s smart to be shy by strangers” and made this resulting face.

C was clearly loving it.

It was the perfect ending to the meal. Although the entire meal wasn’t perfect, between the theming, food and characters, I would definitely go back.

Unfortunately, at this point L was completely done and lost it. He just wanted to sleep. Counting it was past his bed time and he was up for 19 hours, we couldn’t be mad, but just carried him to the boat where he quickly fell asleep in my arms.

Luckily, it was only us and one other party so it was extremely peaceful.

Boat rides really do hit differently.

 

[Spash007]

Something to note here is that L is not a shoulder sleeper on me. He is across the arms, looks like I am sacrificing him to the Disney gods. And I had to carry him like that off the boat.

He would not wake no matter what. Now that we were by MK it was loud. I tried shifting him, and he still wouldn’t wake. I definitely got some stares and some awws walking over to the bus. Luckily no one thought he actually was a sacrifice and the cops weren’t called.

Yes, I should have brought the stroller. Lesson learned.

As we made it to the bus stop, we clearly just missed one and made ourselves comfy.

Luckily though, a bus showed up within 10 minutes. This trip we definitely saw an improvement in the bus system and I don’t think we ever waited longer than 10-15 minutes, and in most cases, less than 5.

The above picture was at 9:54 pm. By 10:24 we were back at the hotel.

And 15 minutes later both kids were fast asleep.

As much as they can get on each other’s nerves, they clearly love each other more than anything. Even though we had the second bed down, they insisted on sharing the bed the whole trip.

It’s memories like this I try to focus on, as I know in a few years this will NEVER happen

Next up - First park day at MK!

 

[RememberWhen]

Something to note here is that L is not a shoulder sleeper on me. He is across the arms, looks like I am sacrificing him to the Disney gods. And I had to carry him like that off the boat.

He would not wake no matter what. Now that we were by MK it was loud. I tried shifting him, and he still wouldn’t wake. I definitely got some stares and some awws walking over to the bus. Luckily no one thought he actually was a sacrifice and the cops weren’t called.

Yes, I should have brought the stroller. Lesson learned.

As we made it to the bus stop, we clearly just missed one and made ourselves comfy.

View attachment 688169

Luckily though, a bus showed up within 10 minutes. This trip we definitely saw an improvement in the bus system and I don’t think we ever waited longer than 10-15 minutes, and in most cases, less than 5.

The above picture was at 9:54 pm. By 10:24 we were back at the hotel.

View attachment 688170

And 15 minutes later both kids were fast asleep.

View attachment 688171

As much as they can get on each other’s nerves, they clearly love each other more than anything. Even though we had the second bed down, they insisted on sharing the bed the whole trip.

It’s memories like this I try to focus on, as I know in a few years this will NEVER happen

Next up - First park day at MK!

Sleeping sibling snuggles!!

 

[Darstarr]

I want to like mobile check in, mobile orders etc. But I don’t. At all. I’m so used to relying on technology, that when it doesn’t serve its purpose or has stupid kinks, it’s more of a headache than it’s worth.

Very well said!
I can not believe how big the kids have gotten!!!
Here for more drama and fun.

 

[Spash007]

Day 2 - MK morning

Warning - this starts off text heavy but gets better

I was dreading this morning would be rough as MK opened at 8, with EMH starting at 7:30. We were going to meet earlier, but settled on 6:45 at the bus stop knowing it might be close depending on the bus.

Isn’t it funny how it’s so much easier to get going early in the morning at Disney? We were up and at ‘em at 6, and other than a snafu with the coffee machine (I didn’t fully understand how it brewed two cups and ended up missing the cup, causing a big mess and no coffee for me) had a smooth morning and left right on time.

It took us an embarrassingly long time to determine if this was Simba or Mufasa (it is Mufasa right? The eyes give it a Mufasa vibe)

We got to the bus stop to see a decent line, but a bus pulling up at the same time. We didn’t make that one, but surprisingly, a second bus showed up right after (at 6:52 apparently - this was the only time I wrote down a time). Having the double stroller, I made my way to my corner by the double doors to stand. I could potentially have sat and had the stroller in front of me but a) I think that would block room and b) with limited seats, I’d rather leave the seats for someone who might need it more than me. I’ve found that this area on the buses tend to be a dad zone, and appreciate the socially awkward but well appreciated head nods we all give each other.

I also have learned to appreciate this quiet time for people watching and thinking. Being on the bus before 7 meant I got to watch everyone scrambling to get their Genie + picks for the day. Honestly, given the fact that everyone is glued to their phones 24/7 nowadays I wouldn’t have noticed, but a young teen very excitedly told his mom how he grabbed a Jungle Cruise for the morning. Clearly he had not sat with his mom, but they shared this moment. So Genie + apparently brings family together. More Disney more family or something like that?

Anywho, on a less sarcastic note, after this all the people around us started talking about their own grabs, their plans, how many trips they had been on etc. And it really dawned on me - I’m with my people.

It was funny - before the trip I was quite concerned about being comfortable in crowds since I hadn’t been in years. But in this moment it felt so good to be normal and home (no matter how cliche that is).

Spoiler alert - I commented on @tonystark Trip Report saying how I would be extra careful. Yeah… being comfortable outweighed being careful and we hardly wore masks, took extra precautions etc. But, being 3+ weeks out, I can say we were COVID free! But, I did end up with bronchitis caused by likely pneumonia, which I spread to my family and in-laws…. So take it for what you will - since it was just me at the start, I’m guessing it was the flight home in which I sat on my own

Back to the regular programming - this bus ride set me up for the trip in that the best part was that I was comfortable with the parks. Soon enough we pulled into MK, and I got off first and pulled to the side. Also interesting was that in the past there was a learning curve of me getting off, blocking people, apologizing, trying to learn security, getting bags situated etc. This time we flowed smoothly from day 1.

At 7:15 our view was finally:

We’re home! It’s cheesy I know, but I think this was the first trip where I truly had that feeling of comfort.

Although he’s seen it in person before, I doubt he remembers it. He was so amazed to see the castle in person after watching countless videos with it in it.

Surprisingly, the hub itself wasn’t that crowded.

There was even a Photopass photographer with no one in line, so we figured we would start the trip off with a picture (honestly before we got sweaty, rushed and/or forgot)

L did not understand magic shots this trip and always had this look of confusion lol

By 7:25 we were on the bridge ready for rope drop.

It’s funny - I think this was one of the few times we actually made rope drop. Not bad for such an early day and after a late night!

And I am honestly surprised we made it from the AoA bus stop to the bridge, including pictures in 30 minutes.

L loves Buzz Lightyear, so we wanted to head there first (he was one of the apparent few to like the Lightyear movie). But of course as we got there it was having a delayed opening.

The next obvious choice is Space, but since he can’t go on that, we really didn’t want to start there.

So instead we headed to the Speedway. Never in a thousand years would I think of rope dropping the speedway, but we went to Dorney Park over the summer and L loved the speedway there. I think we rode it 3 times. As I thought about it too - the speedway queue is awful later in the day, so it made sense to do it.

We ended up waiting about 10 minutes, and I rode with L. I let him drive the entire time which was an experience

He pretty much just constantly moved the wheel left and right (apparently he doesn’t know how to drive - sheesh) constantly bumping the track. Anytime it bumped I made an exaggerated “woah” and “ooh” which he found hilarious.

Overall it was a lot of fun, and a great start to the day! And, not driving meant I could relax a bit and take in the early morning!

 

[heatherhy01]

This is THE BEST picture! I adored when my kids were younger and tended to snuggle. They are now 23 & 19.

 

[Spash007]

Very well said!
I can not believe how big the kids have gotten!!!
Here for more drama and fun.

You and me both! C especially is 8 going on 13 some days - and this might be her last trip before she’s a Disney adult!

 

[Spash007]

This is THE BEST picture! I adored when my kids were younger and tended to snuggle. They are now 23 & 19.

I know we only have a couple years for times like this - I’m sure they’ll insist on separate beds soon, so I’ll take what I can now!

 

[Spash007]

Buzz was still down when we got off, so we headed to Space at this point which only had a 5 minute wait. We still had a few minutes of EMH and figured it would rise soon. My MIL and L went over to the Joffrey’s stand to get some coffee and breakfast while we rode.

C was nervous going in, but ended up loving it. We had a feeling she would as this was one of her favorite rides in 2020.

Not sure what is going on with my face here -

We actually had very good luck with ride photos this trip. We may have gotten a few extra people’s pictures, but we at least always got ours too.

When we got off we all remarked how dark it seemed inside. We went on again later in the week, and it was definitely darker this morning - which actually made it less scary since I felt I wouldn’t lose my head as much.

When we got off we found out that the coffee stand was closed, and it seemed to stay closed for the whole time we were there. Coffee would have to wait because Buzz was now open!

It was a complete walk on, but we slowed a bit by the animatronic so L could see his hero.

I rode with C, and had a fairly pathetic score. I wish I could blame the gun, but instead it was that I forgot I had to steer at first (I do this literally every trip). L rode with his grandfather.

While in the neighborhood we figured we would hop next door to one of K’s favorites - Carousel of Progress. We were one of 4 groups in the theater. I guess it’s not popular during the first hour of park open!

A rare picture of the parents in Disney!

We only had one more attraction in Tomorrowland we wanted to do, so why not get on the PeopleMover. When we were getting on Buzz it was showing a ridiculously high wait - which we doubted as the line was moving pretty fast. By the time we got off CoP it was down to 10 minutes but we walked right on.

Does it count as a ride on the PeopleMover if you don’t take a picture of the Epcot plan?

Or Tron construction?

Or too many pictures of the castle?

 

[Swissmiss]

I love your family Christmas Mickey t-shirts

 

[k8einwdw]

It took us an embarrassingly long time to determine if this was Simba or Mufasa (it is Mufasa right? The eyes give it a Mufasa vibe)

It's Mufasa! Simba is on the log (?) with Timon and Pumbaa.

a young teen very excitedly told his mom how he grabbed a Jungle Cruise for the morning

Good for him! That's a tough one to get!

 

[belledream]

A+ storytelling and great pictures to go along with it! Also, I feel you on SO many things. Traveling with kids, the ginormous stroller, feeling too comfortable to take precautions, and cherishing the moments while they are still little. Can’t wait to read more!

 

[Spash007]

I love your family Christmas Mickey t-shirts

Thank you! That would be all K. I am not anti-matching shirt, but do not put much effort in lol

It's Mufasa! Simba is on the log (?) with Timon and Pumbaa.
That was what made me finally realize it on the 3rd or 4th day lol

A+ storytelling and great pictures to go along with it! Also, I feel you on SO many things. Traveling with kids, the ginormous stroller, feeling too comfortable to take precautions, and cherishing the moments while they are still little. Can’t wait to read more!

Thank you!!!

 

[Spash007]

It was only an hour after regular opening and we finished Tomorrowland. We were feeling pretty accomplished, but also we’re starting to get hangry.

I forgot to mention that we had some groceries delivered so the kids had a light breakfast in the room, but the adults were all hungry. And more importantly, we needed coffee. My internal clock can tell at 9 am if I haven’t had coffee and I tend to go down hill quick. As it was right before 9 I was getting antsy for my coffee. As tempting as it was to stop and ride Little Mermaid, we continued on to our destination - Gaston’s Tavern.

As we approached C exclaimed that Gaston was outside meeting. I didn’t think though he returned yet. Sure enough, there was a long line and a surly looking fellow with a black ponytail in traditional Gaston garb. But as we got closer, it turned out to be a CM explaining their machines were down and were only taking cash. Luckily we had cash on hand and went in. I later read that this was a system wide issue this day, so I’m really glad we had cash on hand!

As my FIL and I waited, the others got a table.

Given the long wait to order food, there was a surprisingly large amount of tables to choose from. I never understood the wait here - we all know the food is premade and even the coffee and juice is premade. Is the kitchen layout just that bad it takes that long to grab?

Anyway, we got two Cinnamon rolls to share, K and I each got an iced coffee and the kids shared a LeFou’s brew.

And so we entered the game of guessing how much the kids will eat, specifically L. The cinnamon rolls are huge - usually K and I share one and it’s more than enough. But this little guy had a different idea

One day he’ll find this and kill me lol

He ate 3/4s of one and would have kept going if we let him. They also polished off the LeFou’s brew, which I tried and I like sweets but that was too much for me.

I also tried to convince K we need a chandelier like this, but she thinks it would clash with the furniture.

Once done eating, we stopped in the restrooms and found the little door. I asked L who did he think lives there, and he immediately responded with “A mouse. Like Mickey.”

Next up was Voyage of the Little Mermaid, a ride that holds a special place as it was C’s first ride.

The two of them were being very sweet at this point, and wanted to ride together. In our mind it’s a slow moving ride with doors on the vehicle, so it should be ok. As I was climbing in my clamshell, a CM stopped them and had K join. But with the shells the size they are, I had no idea what was happening. I could guess, and once we turned around to go “underwater” was able to confirm. So I got a nice, relaxing, solo trip under the sea.

One of favorite animatronics

I waved, but not sure if anyone else did

On the way out, we also stopped the find the hidden Steamboat Mickey

 

[Spash007]

December 4 Cont.

After we left VotLM, we split up a bit. Our family of 4 headed over to Dumbo, while my in-laws took a slight break and walked around the Big Top and I think sat for a bit.

K ride with C, and I rode with L.

For the record, I should not be trusted on rides where it depends on me doing an action. I couldn’t get our elephant to fly at first - no idea why but I recognize it was likely user error.

We have the same picture of C at a similar age.

2017:

2022:

After this we headed over to Barnstormer, a new ride for L as he didn’t meet the height in 2020. This was not his first roller coaster though, as one of the benefits of having an older thrill seeking sister is that if any carnival/fair/Boardwalk has a roller coaster that he can go on, they both go on.

Funny thing is that C gets scared in line for this every time. I don’t know if it’s a real scared because she can see it, or just her goofing off, but she handled Space Mountain just fine (and loved it) so we knew she would be ok.

We switched pairings this time around:

Pretty sure she’s goofing -

Once we got off we met back up with K’s parents, and headed over to Small World, one of my MIL’s favorites and what I consider a quintessential Disney ride. K cannot stand the song like most sane people.

This time we ditched the kids to sit with their grandparents:

I’ve always loved these guys, probably due to my HS marching band days

Someone celebrated New Year’s a bit early