Trip Report It feels like the first time... Feels like the very first time *completed*

Songbird76

Songbird76

Well-Known Member
DisneyBound2017 said:
Yeah, I think we'll do Mommy/Daughter trips until A is around 8-10, and then we'll take a longer family trip and hit up all four parks, plus Harry Potter. I'm dying to go to Harry Potter but she won't be old enough for it until around then.
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I went to HP when it first opened in 2010, back when they only had Hogsmeade and not Diagon Alley. It was TERRIBLE because it was brand new and they had made everything so small and it was a huge phenomenon and it was wall to wall people. Worse than your level 10 crowd pictures even. We got there at 10 am and couldn't get in to the WWoHP part of the park because they had already reached capacity. Once we finally got in (3 or 4pm) the lines just to get into the stores had at least 15 minute waits....the store where you buy wands had a 45-60 minute wait to get in. It was just insane. Now that the hype has died down again, and they have added Diagon Alley, I want to go back so badly!! My kids are fans now, too. DS got the books for Christmas and he's been reading PoA at school, DD has been reading the books at school, too. They both got HP bedding for Christmas, they already had PJs, and tshirts, etc. So they want to go, too. I'm thinking we'll take a trip in 2019....2 weeks Disney and a few days Universal for HP. We didn't go to Universal on our last trip (2016) because the only reason we'd go is for HP and the kids had only seen the first 2 movies and I didn't want them to see spoilers. But DS just turned 10 a month ago, DD will be 12 this May, so they are FINALLY at good ages to go! I can't wait!!
 
MySmallWorldof4

MySmallWorldof4

Well-Known Member
DisneyBound2017 said:
Have you ever been the designated driver pulling into a Waffle House at two in the morning with a car full of drunk friends?! If not, you'll just have to trust me that it's pretty darn similar to taking an over-tired toddler into a crowded cafeteria after a day of travel and having to be on their best behavior. They trip over their own feet, loudly say inappropriate things, make stupid jokes that they think are hilarious, and lose complete control of their limbs.

So there we were in the check out line, D with two trays full of food and me trying to wrangle the flailing child in my arms, when her tiny little foot shoots out and kicks one of our food trays out of D's hand. My whole meal goes tumbling through the air and splatters far and wide on the cafeteria floor.

As mortifying as it was, our embarrassment was short lived.... An entire clean up crew materialized out of nowhere. They cleaned up the dishes, swept up the food, mopped the floor, and created a replacement meal, all before we could even fully process what happened. We quickly found a table and ate.

D had a something bacon burger with fries and a ceasar salad (can you even see a burger in here?!)
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I had the steak and egg burger with no bacon, fries, and a ceasar salad (with a free side of coleslaw because they mistakenly included it when they remade my meal)
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And A had a grilled cheese sandwich, apple slices, chips, and an apple juice. I had a picture of that, but accidentally deleted it. The sandwich was made with adorable goldfish shaped bread. When I first saw the portion sizes I immediately regretted getting A her own meal and not just having her share off my plate. But she polished off the whole thing!!

The food was expensive, but tasty enough. I think my burger could have used a bit more seasoning but they cooked the egg perfectly and the salad was delicious.

After dinner we had planned to head over to Pop Century for dessert, but we didn't want to push our luck with the kid and we had a really early morning planned for Christmas day. So we headed back to our room instead. We got the kid down to bed, ordered some ice cream, water, and soda from Amazon Prime, and then went to bed ourselves.
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Finally getting to your TR. Wow, the food fiasco is a nightmare I have always worried about, but luckily it has never happened. So sorry about that, but it does make for an interesting start to your trip.:) The overdose story is a crazy way to start a trip. Almost ranks up there with @Mr Ferret 88 crazy start on his October trip. :hilarious:
 
amjt660

amjt660

Well-Known Member
Great TR @DisneyBound2017
As I mentioned in your PTR you took on a big challenging adventure
I give you top marks for your flexibility

Please focus on the joy of the last night being able to do some rides.

The mother/daughter trip sounds good but I would aim for 2020 if you can to see if she has overcome her adversity to the dark rides.
We started when my girls were 5 and 6 and did almost all Fantasyland in that first week ( 8 rides on Pooh, 7 rides on Snow White, 6 rides on small world) and I had to walk past the big rides and be patient.
Every year we went after that we mixed in more of the big rides
Now they want to do multiple rides on the roller coaster and I can only go once most of the time.

Max
 
MinnieM123

MinnieM123

Premium Member
DisneyBound2017 said:
And here is a pic for the road.... Our little family had a snowball fight today... And yes that's an Elsa dress inside her snow suit
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Well, of course, you must wear your Elsa gown if you're going to participate in a snowball fight! :joyfull: That kid continually cracks me up!!

Your first trip to WDW was a great success, considering all you have to do these days just to plan for a trip there. Keep in mind that some of us here had their first trip many years ago, when things were a lot simpler (not nearly the planning, making reservations, etc.). I first went in 1985, and it was blissful. At that time my mother and I would just line up for rides, and I also remember eating lunch at the castle--we just walked in that day and they gave us a table! :D

Thank you for sharing your TR--I had a lot of laughs, and was really happy that you enjoyed your time there.
 
StarWarsGirl

StarWarsGirl

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
I was thinking along the lines of what @Songbird76 said, your DH will probably enjoy it more when your daughter is older and the trip becomes less about princesses and more about rides. When I was a kid (early 2000s) they used to have what was called E ticket nights at MK. They were pre EMH and they charged you for it. Anyway, the crowds were light, and because my brother was little then, my dad would just pay for the two of us to do it. I can remember having a grand old time. We would ride Big Thunder Mountain multiple times in a row; CMs used to let you stay on if there was no one waiting. We both had such fun. Don't get me wrong; I think he still enjoyed the trips when I was entirely in the princess phase, but he and I had a lot more fun when I was older and did the rides.

Now my parents really can do what they want because my brother and I will take off and say "See ya later!" for hours on end. :joyfull:
 
StarWarsGirl

StarWarsGirl

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
DisneyBound2017 said:
That's really insightful! I'm definitely waiting until she's 5/6 to take her back, but I can see a lot of princess style experiences that we haven't tried that could be fun too (like having tea at the GF), so it's not the end of the world if we do another low ride trip. I definitely don't want to make D come again until she feels comfortable in the rides though, lol. We've also talked about letting her bring a friend in vacations like that when she's 7/8 ish and older, so I'm sure that will change the dynamic too
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You could do an adults only WDW trip before then. Just sayin ;)
 
MySmallWorldof4

MySmallWorldof4

Well-Known Member
Great trip report. Little A is definitely quite the character. I bet you she will remember this trip when she is older even though she is so young. Her being so verbal will probably help ingrain these memories. 5 will be a great age to go back. She will still love the princesses, but may also be more willing to go on a lot of rides. That may make the trip more enjoyable for D. :)
 
LisaBelle

LisaBelle

Well-Known Member
Loved your TR. A is a hoot! I loved her conversations with the princesses! As many others have said, you truly handled the holiday season crowds beautifully, especially for a first timer! I agree that D will likely enjoy it more if he is able to experience more atttactions. An adults only trip is a ton of fun!!! My sister and I celebrated my 50th birthday at Disney and really loved it. We were already Disney fanatics, but the adults only aspect was new to us! I agree with @21stamps, Planet Snoopy at King’s Island is a great “Disney training ground”! Don’t expect the details that you get at Disney, but it is well done. The summer prior to our first big family trip to Disney my sister got season passes to King’s Island to help prepare my nephew for the trip. He was 2 that summer and was almost 3 when we went to Disney. He handled most rides pretty well. We live near King’s Island so who knows, we may even run into each other!
Thanks so much for sharing your trip with us!!
 

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