Highs and Lows in Disney: My Mouseketeer's Second trip to the World (1/18 - 1/30)

Well, I’m writing another trip report. This trip has had so many highs and lows (and I mean that in many ways).

Anyhow, this trip involved many more players than our last trip.
http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=357959

First of all it’s myself, my DH and our 17 month old, Anastasia. We also went down at the same time as my in-laws, and DH’s two brothers and their wives, as well as my Mom, so it was really a full house.

Without any further ado…

Sunday January 18th

We left way early for the airport because we were paranoid that there would be traffic left over from Obama’s entourage as they followed him to the capital, but there was nothing. DH’s brother got there a full hour after us and we all got on the plane just fine. They amused Anastasia for us right up till when we took off.

She was wearing her airplane shirt again, and again we got many comments on how cute it was. Anastasia made a friend in the airport… a little girl wearing a bandanna was drawing with markers and we got to talking with her. Anastasia wandered off and I said goodbye… well, a few minutes later she tracked us down and said that she wanted Anastasia to have her picture. It wasn’t till we arrived at the Orlando airport and saw the greeter for that family did I draw the line between her head scarf and why she was going to Disney. She was on her Make-a-Wish trip L I nearly cried. But I smiled at them, thanked her for the picture and wished her a fun time in Disney.

The flight itself was interesting. Thank goodness there was an extra seat open for Anastasia. She sat in the carseat the whole plane ride. No explosive poo, no giant meltdowns. My bag of toys kept her involved for a while, as did my extensive bag of snacks. The only problems weren’t really her fault. First of all, I totally forgot about the whole pressure difference thing when I handed her the sippy cup of Pediasure to drink (which I totally snuck by security by putting it in a baby bottle…hehehe) When I pushed back the top closure to release the straw the liquid rushed up and out creating a little fountain that drenched Marc. Poor thing was just covered in Pediasure.


Uncle Taylor and Aunt Sarah

Secondly my borrowed laptop totally bummed out on us and wouldn’t play Finding Nemo for Anastasia. We finally got it running on Marc’s laptop, but not after much consternation and getting up to get stuff out of the overhead compartment.

After we touched down, we got our bags, I changed a diaper, and we stood in a horribly long rental car line. And then we were on our way

 

[DisneyBunny]

Then we waited for the characters to come out. Even though we had been waiting there for nearly a half hour, several other families got in front of us in line to see Mickey (sigh…) and Anastasia had NO patience for lines at this point. So I ditched him and just in time – the brother bears came out and she lit up like a Christmas Tree. Look! Giant cuddly teddy bears!

We also saw Chip and Dale who gave me thumbs up when I told them that she just wanted to play – not get an autograph.

peek-a-boo!

After we had seen all there was to be seen in that area, we wandered around the Tree of Life area for a bit. We stumbled across this friendly CM and played ball with her for a long while. Anastasia thought it was tons of fun.

After this, we meandered back to the bus area, where I had to wait an excruciating 25 minutes for a bus to come. I had stupidly left the rental car at the villa, thinking that maybe, just maybe, Dh would get off his conference call early and come meet us. No luck. So we were stuck waiting in the bus depot for eeeeevvvveeerrrr and ever. Really, the number of times I had to yank her back from wandering into the bus lanes. I really wish there were fences or something to keep people from just wandering into the street. Even a curb would be nice. There was nothing I could do to keep her occupied at this point. I had used up all the snacks I had brought, and my supply of toys and amusements was small - I normally carry much more with me in her normal diaper bag when I'm home. But I didn't see the need when I was in Disney.

Well, she was bored to tears, and I was getting cross with her for trying to kill herself so many times. By the time a bus pulled up I was near tears myself. Finally we climb on board, only to find that the bus driver was changing shifts and we sat there on the bus for another 10 minutes waiting for him to get situated. SO maddening. Anastasia was tired, hungry, and bored, and there was nothing I could do about it. From the time we exited the park, to the time we arrived back at our bus stop at the Villa it was almost an hour. Sigh.

 

[DisneyBunny]

After her nap, we headed back to the Animal Kingdom for our dinner at the Yak and Yeti. It’s a cute little place to eat. I ordered the crusted Mahi Mahi. The veggies that came with it were really spicy! I normally love spicy stuff, but my throat was really bothering me at this point. I had been popping cough drops all day long, and it really irritated my raw throat.

The fish was good… until I got halfway into it and discovered the middle was raw. I had to send it back for a new one, which they apologized profusely about. They said that the executive chef personally made the replacement fish. Sadly, by the time the new one had arrived, I had lost my appetite.

DH got the steak and shrimp combo. He said everything was well seasoned and flavorful. All in all, I think we’d go there again.

As we were leaving the park, hundreds of birds were rooting in the trees around the park. It was so beautiful to behold… they filled the air with birdsong.

 

[DisneyBunny]

We headed over to Epcot after dinner for some more Nemo, Figment and such. She loves her Figgy…

We went to the UK in search of Characters since the Connection in Future World had closed at this point. We found Pooh and company in the toy shop! At this point she saw more of Pooh this trip than Mickey! She had a good time visiting with them.

Hugs for Tigger

After this, it was bedtime. DH and I tried to watch a movie back at the room, but I fell asleep on him. Really not feeling well at this point. But trying not to think about it. I can’t let myself – my BIL, SIL and nephews were coming tomorrow!

Goodbye Epcot for today...

 

[HollyBelle]

I really love all the character interaction. I only hope that when I have kids one day they'll be as excited and unafraid of them as your little one is. She's just so cute!! The report's been great so far, I can't wait to read and see more !

 

[nibblesandbits]

I really love all the character interaction. I only hope that when I have kids one day they'll be as excited and unafraid of them as your little one is. She's just so cute!! The report's been great so far, I can't wait to read and see more !

I know...I feel the same way as you. I hope when I have a kid too, they will love the characters as much as Anya loves them!!

 

[DisneyBunny]

For those of you still reading, thank you! I know I’m awful at getting these trip reports finished. It’s just so time consuming, and I only have a few hours of nap time during the day to get anything productive done. Thanks for understanding!!! :kiss::kiss:

 

[DisneyBunny]

Friday, January 23

We were up at the crack of dawn this morning so we could get to the MK to meet up with DH’s brother and SIL. It was warmer this day… not a heavy coat day, which made my girl happy.

We made a beeline for Fantasyland and crossed off Peter Pan, Pooh, and Small World right off the list.


DH, Anastasia and Cousin Ben

Riding Peter Pan's Flight:

Messing with Daddy's hat

Getting ready to ride Pooh:

From there it was off for my nephew’s first ride on Haunted Mansion. He handled it like a pro. BIL wanted to head over to Tom Sawyer’s Island to find one of the elusive paint brushes, so that ‘s where we headed next.

 

[DisneyBunny]

We patiently waited for the first ferry across to the island, but no mention was made by the CM about the paintbrushes. Maybe they don’t do them every day, or certain times of the year? I don’t know… we got off and combed the island anyways. No luck. Once the search was over we caught a few of the sights along the way.

Anastasia and Cousin Simon give each other high-fives

Waiting for the raft to take off

Shooting off "blasters" at the Fort

"Why is Daddy on another phone call?"

Daddy does double duty- being on his conference call and showing Anastasia the horses in the stable

"Oooh! A doggie!"

Simon eats.. uh.. Plays checkers

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b...GrVi2bNQe3nwI/cC/f=0/ps=50/r=0/rx=550/ry=400/

 

[DisneyBunny]

After Tom Sawyer Island, we headed over to Tomorrowland for a quick ride on the TTA… along the way Cousin Ben held Anastasia’s hand.

The best ride of all: the Daddy Ride. No lines!

At this point I felt like a truck had hit me. It was time for Anastasia’s nap anyways, so we headed back to the villa so both the girl and I could get some rest. I had been s__________g down cough drops all morning long, but nothing worked. Even the sore throat spray was pretty ineffective at this point. There was nothing more I could do.

We had to cancel our dinner plans at Boma that evening because I just wasn’t up to it at all. I was just miserable. DH took the girl to Epcot while I spent the evening at the Villa by myself.

I didn’t sleep at all that night. I was in too much pain. At one point I got up and went looking on the internet for the nearest health care facility.

Which brings us to:

 

[DisneyBunny]

Saturday, January 24

I was already up anyways, but I had to wait for DH and Anastasia to wake up before I could head out. I had decided over the night that something was wrong. This just wasn’t a cold. I couldn’t eat or drink, and I was sick of feeling that way. This was a vacation, and I didn’t want to spend any more time feeling miserable when we were supposed to be having fun.

So I drove myself over to the Urgent Care facility across from the Crossroads shopping center. I got there 15 minutes after it first opened in the morning, but the wait was already up to 2 hours. Sigh…

So I waited… and waited. And tried to keep my hands to myself, lest I contract any more strange bugs. Finally an hour later, I was taken into the back to get my vitals ( a 100 fever! What a shock!) and led into another room, this one with hospital beds and that lovely crinkly paper to lay on. I tried sitting up while waiting, but the exhaustion was wearing on me, so I lay down.. and nearly fell asleep while doing so.

There I lay… for another hour and a half. I got to listen to the people around me get treated… some had interesting language barriers to contend with. A Brazilian man had apparently gotten stitches early in his trip, and now they were infected. The doctor didn’t speak any other language, and the man spoke limited English. They had a Spanish interpreter, but the man only spoke limited Spanish as well. It kept me occupied for a while to listen to them… but soon they left and I was alone with my thoughts again.

Finally! Someone came in to see me. One quick look in my throat, and it was confirmed – Strep. Blech.

They gave me a scrip for antibiotics and sent me on my way. Numbly I drove to Walmart to get it filled (picking up some chicken soup and jello to soothe my throat while I was there). By the time I got back to the villa and took my first dose, I was spent. What a day.

I spent the rest of it on the couch in the villa, all by myself. DH even arranged for Anastasia to take her nap at his parent’s villa that day so she didn’t have to be exposed to me any more than she needed to.

So, I caught up with my reading, napped a bit, watched a few DVDs, and memorized the WDW tour on the TV…

By the time I had to take my second dose of antibiotics I felt soooo much better. they’re really wonderful things, antibiotics.

 

[DisneyBunny]

Meanwhile, while I was enduring that, DH took Anastasia to the parks with her cousins. He had the camera, so these are the only shots I got of what their day was like:

Look fast!:

Love the pants on inside out:

Someone's behind.. and way in the distance you can see Anastasia:

He took her to dinner at Seasons in the land, where she inhaled their Mac n Cheese… funny story he related to me: He was carrying the tray with their food on it, trying to keep a hold on her hand so she didn’t run off, and trying to get his wallet out of his pocket so he could pay. A mom with a baby came over and held the tray for him “because it looked like he needed help” … :lol:

I think DH got a taste of what I go through when I go out with the girl while he’s at work. He's not used to handling her alone like that. :drevil:

Eating Mac n Cheese

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Awww...I love seeing pics of your little one! I wish we had taken our boys when they were that little. She's just adorable!

I feel ya when it comes to getting sick at WDW. Our 2nd family trip I got sick as all heck the day after we arrived. I don't know what I had, if it was a bad cold or a mild flu. Had the fever, sore throat, congestion, cough, etc. Miserable! I didn't slow down because I was determined not to let the kiddos down. I just took my meds and lived on orange juice (it was all I could taste). Bless your heart. I know how miserable that is.

Keep it coming! I'm totally enjoying your report!

 

[TakeMeThere81]

I'm so sorry you got sick-blech!! Not fun at all. But you're right, antibiotics are wonderful things for getting you to feel like yourself again really quickly. Too funny about DH all on his lonesome and having that lady help him "because it looked like he needed a little help" Hehe. Dads never realize how challenging taking care of kids is until they have to do it all by themselves. I have to say everytime I go away my DH has a whole newfound respect for what I do when I return

 

[DisneyBunny]

I’m determined to finish this thing!!! I’m just SO awful at finding the time for these. And I’ve got to finish this one, or I’ll never get to my next one!

Anyways…

Sunday, January 25

Feeling MUCH better this morning, thanks to the antibiotics, I woke up and was determined to make up for lost time. So we were up and out and off to the Animal Kingdom.

We made a beeline for the Pooh characters again, so DH could see her in action with them.

They were cute with her, but not as much as they were the day when I was alone with her.


"Where's Tigger?"

Look! I'm all better!

Then we headed off to Rafiki’s Planet Watch. I had hoped that this area would be a hit with her. She loves her animals. Well, first we had to walk alllll the way up there. Then we had to wait a long while for the train. She was not thrilled with the train. I don’t know where she gets this from, as I love all forms of Disney transportation.

"Boring..."

Anyways, when we got there she made a beeline for the elephant statues and treated us all with her imitation of an elephant trumpeting.

Then we headed to the affection section. She looooved this area, like I had hoped she would. Sadly, it was not for the reason I had hoped. It turns out that I really need to get the girl a sandbox this summer. All she wanted to do initially was play with the sand on the ground. Then she found little “surprises” buried in the sand and I had a hard time getting her not to play with what was essentially a giant litter box.

When we did get her attention diverted to the animals, she had a blast. She pet them, and hugged them, and fawned all over them – basically doing what the cats at home won’t let her do. I must say, these are some of the most patient animals ever! How they deal with people like this is amazing.


Feeding the goats

Petting the nice goat

Chasing them all around

helping Daddy brush the goat

We spent a good half hour there, just hanging out with the animals. Then it was time to head back to the villa. On our way through Rafiki’s Planet Watch, we ran into two characters – a certain Cricket, and Rafiki himself. She wandered up to the first one… which I must say, has to be one of the shortest characters I’ve ever seen! Goodness! But she didn’t have the foggiest idea who he was. And he wasn’t soft and furry either… and it only went down hill from there. Rafiki she wanted nothing to do with. Which was odd, since he was furry and soft. I guess baboons just aren’t her thing. He was the only character she didn’t like the whole trip.

"Who the heck is this guy?"

 

[DisneyBunny]

While she was napping, my Mom arrived! Yay! And the Magical Express didn’t take as long she thought it would. Once Anastasia woke up we headed over to the Animal Kingdom Lodge for dinner. I had managed to snag a reservation to Boma to make up for the one we had to cancel on Friday. After we ate we headed out to see the animals. Anastasia loved all the birds, and even seemed excited about the zebras, which she couldn’t have cared less about on the safari.

We called it an early night and went to bed, eager to start another week in paradise!


Mom-Mom shows Anastasia the animals

"Look at the birds!"

Zebras!

Anastasia's happy that Mom-Mom's now there! (And I am too.. yay for another baby-handler! :sohappy

 

[nibblesandbits]

Yay!!! Keep going!

 

[Uponastar]

Yay! Could you just keep posting?
I'm going through WDW withdrawal, thank you very much.
Oh and I brought home the cold you left behind. Feeling crappy.
So more Anastasia...please!

 

[joanna71985]

Loving the TR Bunny!

 

[Nemo14]

Lovin' it! :sohappy:

 

[SamnDawn060304]

I am sorry that you got sick down there I know how that feels. ((((hugs)))) It is so much fun to see their expressions when they go there for the first time. Jazzy liked the water like Anatasia did in your last TR. She was better down there than some grown ups I have taken. :ROFLOL: