Trip Report Reach out and find your Happily Ever After! *COMPLETED*

A lifetime of dreaming, a year of planning, a hurricane, and a slight MODification left us with one week to plan a whole new trip... so we said Bring. It. On.

Who: Me, J, and 1 year old Baby Boy.
What: Baby's 1st Walt Disney World trip!
When: Original: August 31st-September 7th. Actual: September 7th-September 14th.
Where: Port Orleans French Quarter
Why: 2 years ago, J and I were at WDW... enjoying our time as always, but wishing we had a little one to share it with. Well, now he's here, and he's in for the time of his young life. So without further ado, let the memories begin!

As you might have surmised, Hurricane Dorian threw us for a loop. My Pre-trip Report has the details as it unfolded in real-time, but long story short, we traded a great rate at Pop Century for the next most-affordable option available, which was French Quarter. Peace of mind, only a few days of delay, and a brand new experience for the three of us to share made it totally worth it.

For the most part. I am a big Value resort fan, and in the past, have said that I am not a big fan of Mods because of things like multiple internal bus stops, and that the price jump didn't fit our needs at the time. This time was different, however. The whole trip was. But we did miss the automatic doors that Values have... which J was quick to rag on. This would be a running joke for the entirety of our trip.

After 0 minutes of sleep on the flight, Baby fell asleep on me on the DME ride and we transferred him to the stroller, where he continued to sleep while I checked in and admired the fountain in the lobby. Another bonus!

We stopped by Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory to pick up some food to take to the room for when Baby woke up.

It was nice and quiet, and had a lot of interesting variety of foods to fit in with the New Orleans theme.

Meals in hand, we headed outside to a beautiful view that we would have plenty of time to enjoy over the next week.

Our room location was ABSOLUTELY PERFECT. A few steps down Rue D'Baga, a left onto Neptune's Parade, and BAM! Building 2. First floor.

Room 2147.

Home for the next 7 nights. Cool and pristine. Until we took over, at least.

But, I was informed that "The toilet paper is the same 1-ply quality as Values."

I think we'll be okay.

 

[Nala06]

Love your trip report so far! You always have such a great way with retelling your adventures. I am so glad you had such a good time with baby

 

[belledream]

Love your trip report so far! You always have such a great way with retelling your adventures. I am so glad you had such a good time with baby

Glad to hear! Thank you so much! I loved getting all your advice leading up to the trip - it paid off!

 

[Epcotfan21]

@belledream what did you guys end up using in the room for the baby to sleep in? Crib or pack n play? Our son will be 11 months when we take him in November and we've been going back and forth as to which to use.

 

[belledream]

@belledream what did you guys end up using in the room for the baby to sleep in? Crib or pack n play? Our son will be 11 months when we take him in November and we've been going back and forth as to which to use.

We asked for a crib but were told POFQ only had Pack n Plays. It worked out just fine, as we've used both at home. He's been sleeping well for the past few months (knock on wood) but back when he was waking up frequently, he slept better in PnPs. I think because he moves around so much and PnP mesh-y sides are softer than hard crib rails. But you may just be at the mercy of whatever is available at your resort.

 

[Epcotfan21]

We asked for a crib but were told POFQ only had Pack n Plays. It worked out just fine, as we've used both at home. He's been sleeping well for the past few months (knock on wood) but back when he was waking up frequently, he slept better in PnPs. I think because he moves around so much and PnP mesh-y sides are softer than hard crib rails. But you may just be at the mercy of whatever is available at your resort.

We’re lucky enough that we live in South Florida and it’s only a 3 hour drive for us to the Mouse, so it’s really a matter of brining a pack n play in the car with us or use a crib at the Swan.

 

[belledream]

We were about halfway through the trip and I'm pretty sure someone was aware of the concept of vacation by now. I woke up to the sound of Baby stirring in his bed and talking to himself quietly. When I got up to look at him (or the shadow of him, those curtains block out the sun like a champ!) he looked up at me and SCREECHED and proceeded to stand up and shake the railings of the Pack n Play as if to say, "Hi Mommy! I love Disney World! Can we go to Epcot NOW?!"

Of course we can, Baby.

Despite being in no particular rush or trying to make Rope Drop at all, we somehow ended up as one of the first people in the park thanks to timely Epcot bus and a 'late' opening of 9am.

So we hung out here for a while, putting Baby on J's shoulders so he could look up in wonder at this giant ball thing.

We listened to the JAMMitors for some time, while the crowds behind us began to fill up slightly. I had a hunch it would be pretty uncrowded today, and was looking forward to peaceful day.

After we pledged to run, not walk, we walked into Future World and hooked right. The absence of the Fountain of Nations really killed my vibe. I adored that thing, and missing its last days due to our rebooking was the only thing I was truly gutted about. Not only was it gone, but the walls blocked off the entire area, not just around the fountain, and it would throw me off for the rest of the day as we navigated around. Mostly, I missed the sounds of the water.

But I didn't have time to mourn for long. We were headed to The Seas with Nemo and Friends. I've been talking about it for months. I knew Baby would love the aquarium. Heck, I love it.

Singing 'In the Big Blue World' at the end always gets me.

We were probably one of the first ten people here today.

And we'd probably stay longer than the other seven people here.

I'm gonna go explore!

 

[belledream]

Baby was commanding J from tank to tank. AHH! MMM! UHH!

Watching him eye this monstrosity was so cute.

Lou and Lil Joe still lookin' good.

So was Mr. Ray! Oh yeah, we were getting to the good part.

We came across a scuba diver intensely cleaning something with a toothbrush. Later, another diver came over and began constantly poking him, trying to get his attention. Either he was ignoring her or it must have been difficult to do because he was non-responsive.

Meanwhile, Baby pressed himself against the glass and feasted his eyes on the myriad of fish as this sea turtle feasted on his tube of lettuce.

I wonder if it's from Living with the Land.

 

[belledream]

Today was a good sea turtle day!

Saw a good number of sharks too.

Including this really interesting-looking one:

Once Baby became more interested in the railings than the fish, we headed over to take a glimpse at some of the smaller tanks before heading out. We spotted some active dolphins along the way - that was fun!

Goodbye, The Seas! Always a pleasure. Thanks for Baby's First Aquarium experience.

We'd head to The Land next.

 

[belledream]

Man, that hill up to The Land just got a lot harder carrying a 23 pound baby. But worth it for one of the views that make me inexplicably happy. I had always said this was my baby nursery inspo. That might have not happened, but it was probably bound to be a Pinterest Fail anyways.

Living with the Land time! Yeah!!!

The first forest scene really calms me. And the rainforest scene where you get a glimpse of Garden Grill excites me!

I know this is everyone's favorite scene:

It was nice to see some updated footage before we entered the greenhouse, which was as thrilling as ever. At least for me. I think Baby was getting a little sleepy.

But still, we made the effort to point out things that may seem familiar to him.

Catfish give me the creeps.

We wouldn't really be partaking in Food & Wine this year, but I enjoyed the displays nonetheless.

After soaking in every bar of the music at the end, we got off with lunch in mind. It wasn't quite 11 yet, and Sunshine Seasons was still serving breakfast, so we decided that instead of waiting around, we'd pack up and leave The Land, and take a ride on Spaceship Earth before returning to The Land for lunch.

 

[belledream]

We walked onto Spaceship Earth and I held Baby in front of me during the picture so that he'd be in our video. I was worried the flash would blind him, to which J said, "You can't protect him from LIGHT!"

J was really invested in taking good dark ride pictures. I'd say he did a good job... or maybe, it's all relative.

And it was here that I noticed Baby's head drooping against my chest. He had fallen asleep! I guess slow, steady-but-slightly-bumpy movements does the trick.

I was worried the noise of the ride would wake him up so I covered his ears slightly... probably didn't do much. But he was out anyways.

I was very relaxed during our descent. This was great news! Staying for Illuminations looked very promising.

Also, this just 'changed the course of the future'. Now that he was sleeping, we didn't need to go back to The Land for Sunshine Seasons. Now that we had some time before he would need to be fed, we could head straight to World Showcase and take our pick of some more exciting options there. Let's go!

 

[belledream]

We exited our vehicle, quickly sent my dad our postcard, and then I ran to get the stroller while J held Baby. We put him down veeery carefully and breathed a sigh of relief when it was done. We had to walk the long way around to World Showcase, but at least the views proved it was going to be a gorgeous day.

I had decided that I was going to get me some Tangierine Cafe, so we decided to go against the grain and start with Canada side.

Of course, that meant we passed by Refreshment Port and J decided he was going to give up delicious, healthy Tangierine Cafe for this abomination...

Beef Brisket Poutine. The first few bites I took made me think it was one of those things I could write off as a guilty pleasure, but then that nasty cheesy feeling hit me and I was done. J finished the whole thing, however.

We walked slowly, staying in the shade, feeling the breeze, and gazing at Showcase Lagoon. With Baby sleeping, it kind of felt like the old days when it was just the two of us enjoying a late morning World Showcase stroll. I liked it even more pushing a sweet, calm baby in the stroller.

I guess I liked this tree.

United Kingdom was empty, but we opted to just look as we passed by. Didn't want to go into the shops and risk Baby waking up yet.

As we approached France and International Gateway, we saw some Gondola cars.

Just gorgeous.

I'm talking about my lunch. Shawarma Chicken and Lamb Platter. I went to get this from Tangierine Cafe myself while J and Baby parked it on a bench under the shade. It made for a great view.

Everything was so flavorful, I could've cried with happiness. I had been eating too much of the same so far this trip, and this was just the change I was yearning for. And, I still deemed it Baby-appropriate! I stashed some chicken, cous cous, and bread in a container for him when he woke up. Is that weird? Well, I did what I gotta do.

 

[belledream]

Appropriately, Morocco was the first country we would explore in-depth.

Well, as in-depth as can be with a sleeping baby.

I'd be willing to give this place another try sometime in the future... but I mean, I just had way too much enjoyment from Tangierine Cafe sooo...

J's attempt to be artsy, that he probably fixed in post, but I don't have time to dig for those pictures.

We had been making really good use of our stroller fan this trip, but we still wanted to duck into Mitsukoshi for some AC for Baby.

Always finding the silliest little things here.

And whaddaya know, Baby woke up! But it's all good. He was happy, rested, and ready to eat.

We went into the Kawaii exhibit where I shoved bits and pieces of food into Baby's mouth as we looked around and found a Hidden Mickey. Disclaimer: we were careful not to make any mess!

We left just in time to the first beats of Matsuriza!

After watching for a while, we sat on the benches outside of Mitsukoshi under the shade. Just as J was about to take Baby upstairs for a diaper change, a squirrel popped up on a parked/vacant ECV next to us. A man held out a peanut in his hand the squirrel went right up to him, claws out, and took it. The man said ouch. Then his lady counterpart tossed a purple marshmallow-y Japanese treat towards the squirrel, but it seems that was rejected.

Baby was ready to experience what was left of World Showcase!

 

[belledream]

As we walked by American Adventure, J was eyeing that $12 Cookies n Cream Funnel Cake. I gave him the, "You can get it if you want it but remember what you just ate and where we're going for dinner" response (seasoned with slight attitude) and he deduced that it was not in the cards for him from that.

We made a stop in Italy instead, walking through the shops going, "Don't touch that, Baby!"

We spent much more time at Germany... 90% of it watching the trains.

A little kid's dream.

Into the shops we go...

Baby loved looking at everything. He's so good in his stroller. We were so proud of him!

In China, Baby was definitely feeling shy about meeting his first face character, but all of us made it through without a scratch. She asked Baby if he wanted to say hi to Cri-Kee and he cautiously took the jade from her. We were the last people to meet Mulan before she went on her break, so we said goodbye and proceeded to hang out in front of the Temple of Heaven to take some pictures of Baby as he held on to one of the poles surrounding the dragon exhibit.

Mulan apparently followed the same path shortly after and the moment she saw Baby standing there with his baseball cap, holding onto the pole, she put her hand over her heart and exclaimed, "OMG, I can't!" The break of character was too funny, and she proceeded to play peekaboo with him, hiding behind the white pillars as she continued her walk out. That was a pretty magical moment!

We popped into the Shanghai Disneyland exhibit to cool off and reapply sunblock before heading to browse House of Good Fortune.

I would've enjoyed watching Reflections of China but it seemed unlikely that we'd be able to wrangle Baby for that long, so we just took some pictures instead.

I can't wait to see the new movie soon!

 

[belledream]

We largely skipped over Norway as we would come back during the evening for our Frozen FP. But Baby was particularly taken by the waterfall.

The interest in the troll was low. Instead, he opted to bury himself in the various different Helly Hansen jacket racks.

I love the grassy rooftops and the distant structures in the back!

But I love Mexico more! This pavilion just gives me a feeling of content with that aromatic smells and that dark lighting and moody atmosphere.

We took a ride on Gran Fiesta Tour.

Why is the 'best' (used that word loosely) shot we have of this thing?

I enjoy the details of set on this ride. It has its charm!

We explored the marketplace, let Baby bang on some drums, and also bang himself in the head with a maraca. Live and learn, right?

We were hoping it was time for another nap. Where and how, were the questions...

 

[belledream]

In order to set ourselves up for success, we stopped by the Baby Care Center. I couldn't resist actually taking the camera out and taking pictures of these adorable paintings in the changing rooms!

As we have learned, Baby does not fall asleep in the stroller, so we decided to head to Spaceship Earth to see if that could work its magic again.

Future World refurbishment directed us through MouseGear. Sidenote: love the sunglasses action going on in the picture below.

We were here to witness the birth of Arendelle Aqua. Be proud.

I am proud to report that Spaceship Earth was not a fluke! Like this morning, Baby fell asleep on his human recliner and we did it all over again. However, this time, we chose to hang out outside the Imagination Pavilion.

It was perfect. Quiet. I would just learn to move Baby's stroller away from the exit doors of Pixar Short Film Festival every so often when the masses came out. Comfortable. The wind was feeling divine. And... entertaining. Between watching the fountains...

...and watching the monorails go by every 20 minutes or so, it was highly enjoyable. J wanted so very badly to be artsy so he would eagerly wait for each time the monorail would come by and then come back all dejected with his pictures.

Honestly, it was a wonderful two hours and I just knew this sealed the deal for an amazing evening of Illuminations.

 

[belledream]

Baby was out for so long that our dinner reservation was approaching and he didn't wake up even as we carted him over to The Land. I actually went to Garden Grill to let them know we were running 15 minutes late or so. When he finally woke up, we were all ready for some rotating-restaurant fun!

The characters came to us right off the bat, starting with Dale. Baby's not entirely familiar with Dale and his brother yet, so it was funny to watch him stare and try to process what this thing was.

Next came Mickey, who Baby was much more excited to see, pointing, and looking up in awe as Mickey signed his autograph book.

He went for Pluto's whiskers, and Chip's nose.

This was all during bread and salad time. (Both of which I stuffed my face and was very content). The characters really came one after another. I felt the interaction was really speedy... so much so that we didn't even have time to take Baby out of his highchair since they all just stood behind Baby for a picture. It's all good though, and probably for the best. It's hard to get him back in that thing sometimes.

Presenting our Chip n Dale Harvest Feast: Sliced Turkey Breast, Herb and Leek Stuffing, Grilled Beef with Chimichurri, Mashed Potatoes, Seasonal Vegetables...

...and the most popular plate between J and I. French Fries and Mac n Cheese.

Everything was really, really good and just hit the spot. Even though we weren't sitting on the outer ring of the restaurant, I realized I barely had time to take in the surroundings between feeding Baby, feeding myself, and going through another round of characters! Yup, they came back and spent more quality time with us besides a passing wave. We figured it was a new shift once we realized previously-left-handed Pluto was now signing with his right. Baby was smiling now, playing peekaboo and craning around in his chair watching them leave. It was a good bonus.

Dessert was a gorgeous Berry Short Cake with Whipped Cream, which Baby was eyeing heavily. He and I enjoyed this more than J, who I think overdid it on the beef. I still like the old skillet dessert more, but this wasn't a bad change.

A huge mess later, we took a walk around the restaurant to see the Living with the Land sights before leaving.

While Baby had been sleeping in the Imagination Pavilion, I had noticed the Chase Visa Photo Spot had been relocated here. Since Baby's been loving characters so much, I thought we might as well! It turned out to be a good choice, as it was Goofy and Mickey! We hadn't met Goofy yet, and he and Baby held hands and Baby looked up at him in awe.

It was almost 7pm. Journey into Imagination was closing soon, so we walked on. Gotta do them all!

A cute little ride for Baby (and he enjoyed the play area for a little bit afterwards).

Yes, I covered his eyes before the flash and I will do it til he's 18 years old.

It was time to head to World Showcase for the evening. A pretty sunset looked to be in the cards.

Tied up some loose ends visiting Canada since we passed by this morning.

We had one more ride left. This day ain't over yet!

 

[belledream]

Seeing this for the last time was surreal.

Always my favorite time of day.

I can't get enough of World Showcase evenings. I hope those never change.

But before we'd settle down for the evening, we ducked into Frozen. This would be Baby's first encounter with a drop on a ride.

It was dark, so I couldn't see, but I felt his hands fly up into the air as we went down. A little coaster-junkie on our hands?

We came out to settle in our spot for the next hour. We didn't get to experience many sunsets on this trip, and I'm glad this is the place we got to do it.

 

[belledream]

Love waiting for Illuminations. It's so much more peaceful than waiting for Happily Ever After. We had front row seats, ample breathing room, and traded off taking Baby on quick walks back to Norway when he got antsy. But for the most part, the three of us sat and watching the sun set together.

He knows when something is going to happen. Once the torches were blown out and the drums started, he immediately became laser-focused on whatever was about to happen.

The first bang startled him so much that he visibly jumped. But that was it. After that, he was just hooked.

I knew the tears would come during the chandelier fireworks, but I actually started crying earlier than that when the countries started to light up. I will miss this show so much. It was one of the first things that I think showed me what magic at Walt Disney World meant. I'm glad that Baby was able to see it, even though he won't remember it. But I'll remember sitting next to him leaning my head against his stroller and watching a show that has been 'Epcot' to me for my entire life.

This was goodbye to Epcot as we knew it. As we walked out, I made sure Baby noticed the glowing paths, as that was an iconic memory to me as a kid.

I couldn't believe what a fantastic day we had. We had done literally everything we could do at Epcot... and now, instead of coming back for a second day, we had opened up the opportunity to return to Animal Kingdom and take care of some unfinished business there. We left Epcot with our hearts full. One of the best days ever.

 

[belledream]

Now that Baby has been initiated into our Disney way of life of visiting all four parks, it was time to return for Magic Kingdom Day #2! Today was going to be a relaxing, go-with-the-flow day. No commitments, except to having a good time.

We walked right down the middle of Main Street, U.S.A. Clang, clang, clang went the trolley... ding, ding, ding went the bell...

Baby puttered around the castle for a little bit before we went through to Fantasyland, where we stopped by Sir Mickey's for a peek. We had missed our first FP window (Peter Pan), but I guess Peter Pan went down during that time because we had a Multiple Experiences FP in its place. That worked out well for us!

We headed to our second FP destination... where Baby was totally happy and willing to go into Mr. Sanderz's house this time! Love seeing that growth.

Pooh was fun, but our main focus this morning was to have a Tomorrowland morning! I've been wanting Baby to meet Stitch since he is going to be Stitch for Halloween this year, so I was hoping to find him around Tomorrowland. I guess I completely missed the memo that he had his own designated Meet & Greet (for now, at least) at 'Stitch's Alien Encounter Character Greeting'. (I see what they did there!) Baby opted to stand in front of Stitch for the majority of the time, but they were cordial enough.

He was much more interested in this giant, wet, BALL!

FP #3 (#2) was up:

Score: Not 999,999 for J, 0 for Baby & I.

After some quintessential futuristic palm trees and Cool Ship mist action, we embarked on the Baby Sleeper Ride.

We did it twice before getting off with a still-sleeping baby because I had my heart set on doing something.

 

[belledream]

I couldn't pass up the opportunity. Grabbed FPs for Space Mountain, Baby and J settled down on a bench in Tomorrowland Light & Power Co. and I went on my favorite ride.

Walking down Star Tunnel gave me that adrenaline rush and chills. There was a sign that said to notify CMs if you were a Single Rider, so I did, and was sent down this special hallway of loneliness and literally walked on to the ride.

I don't particularly want to ride rides by myself, but it doesn't really matter at Space Mountain due to the seating arrangements and darkness anyways. Plus, I just love it.

Ah, it was just what the doctor ordered. And I was thrilled to see that all these sets were still intact.

For some reason, I thought it the whole moving-walkway-removal meant these were history and that the entire exit was re-hauled into this.

Which when I first saw it in pictures, I hated it. But seeing it in person, I thought it looked pretty nice, modern and clean. (Of course, it helped that the other scenes were preserved).

That's a long walk though. I finally came out to Tomorrowland Light & Power Co. to sit with Baby while J went for his turn.