Trip Report STOP RUINING MY HAPPY PLACE! Feb 2020 TR!

I'M BACK!

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I have been a fool y'all. I have sat here and read trip reports that detailed the struggles of traveling/vacationing with family and truly thought that I would never face that issue.

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Did I have plenty of drama and issues with my OWN family growing up going to Disney during my childhood? OF COURSE. But it feels so different when it is your own flesh and blood. So.. this TR is going to be an interesting one. But just know.. Ian (my husband) and I looked at each other at the end and said "I can't wait to come back just us".

SO..

When: January 29 - February 4, 2020
Who: ME (Annie), my husband Ian, his twin brother Nate, SIL Kristy, nephew Jaxon, Kristy's parents Dicky and Julie and Kristy's niece Aubrie

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Why: This trip was all about Jaxon's first trip to WDW. It was Nate's first trip as well! The rest of us had all been at least once.
Where: If you read my PTR, you know that we were upgraded from AS Sports to AKL! It was a fun surprise and one that everyone was very excited about.


Are you all ready to stick with me even if every day wasn't sunshine and rainbows and magic?

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annienevells

annienevells

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
eliza61nyc

eliza61nyc

Well-Known Member
akneeconnors said:
REAL LIFE UPDATE

I am sharing because you all have seen the seasons of my life change on here..

I was accepted today into my SECOND Master's degree program! I love my new job and the work I'm doing so much, that I decided to apply for a Master's in Education program specializing in Adult Education (my first Master's is in Communications as I have a Marketing background)

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On top of this, I will be in Orlando for a work conference in late April. TIME TO CELEBRATE! :)
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CONGRATULATIONS 🎉
 
Rista1313

Rista1313

Well-Known Member
akneeconnors said:
I'M BACK!

View attachment 448511

I have been a fool y'all. I have sat here and read trip reports that detailed the struggles of traveling/vacationing with family and truly thought that I would never face that issue.

giphy.gif


Did I have plenty of drama and issues with my OWN family growing up going to Disney during my childhood? OF COURSE. But it feels so different when it is your own flesh and blood. So.. this TR is going to be an interesting one. But just know.. Ian (my husband) and I looked at each other at the end and said "I can't wait to come back just us".

SO..

When: January 29 - February 4, 2020
Who: ME (Annie), my husband Ian, his twin brother Nate, SIL Kristy, nephew Jaxon, Kristy's parents Dicky and Julie and Kristy's niece Aubrie

View attachment 448512

Why: This trip was all about Jaxon's first trip to WDW. It was Nate's first trip as well! The rest of us had all been at least once.
Where: If you read my PTR, you know that we were upgraded from AS Sports to AKL! It was a fun surprise and one that everyone was very excited about.


Are you all ready to stick with me even if every day wasn't sunshine and rainbows and magic?

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I love your outfit!
 
Rista1313

Rista1313

Well-Known Member
akneeconnors said:
I have started booking our plane tickets and selecting seats differently in the past few years. We are both curvy folks, and at least like the window to lean against on the flight. SO - we typically do not sit with each other.
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We are also curvy, we usually fly Southwest, so we end up sitting in Aisles across from eachother usually... or last time he sat in the window and I sat in the aisle and some poor soul sat between us and kept trying to get each of us to move.


akneeconnors said:
lime Dole Whip margarita!! OMG this was SO GOOD. I love everything involved here: dole whip, lime, and margaritas!! The spicy salt rim was fantastic as well. This cheered me up right away.
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This sounds incredible... I need this next time!
 
sheriffwoody

sheriffwoody

Well-Known Member
Ok first of all Ian is definitely a great partner! Glad he was there for you when you were stressed :inlove: And second CONGRATS! I don't envy you going back to school, but that's awesome 😜
 
annienevells

annienevells

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
sheriffwoody said:
Ok first of all Ian is definitely a great partner! Glad he was there for you when you were stressed :inlove: And second CONGRATS! I don't envy you going back to school, but that's awesome 😜
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Thank you!! And oh I KNOW! After my first Master's I said never again and yet.. here I am 😂
 
annienevells

annienevells

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Thursday, January 30th. 2020

It was RoR day!! Hopefully..

DHS opened at 7 AM on this day, so my alarm was set for 5:30 AM. We rolled out of bed and started to get ready.

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This looks like a gal ready to take on the crowds and get that BG!!

This was my first time using a fannypack since I was a little girl. On our last trip, Ian and I fought over the backpack constantly because we were SO HOT and it only made it worse.

We made it down to the lobby by 6 AM and requested an Uber. There were probably 4-5 other couples who appeared to be on the same mission we were.

Our driver picked us up by 6:15 and soon we were on our way. Or.. not. He ended up lost in the parking lot somehow? I would blame this on the fact that he was FACETIMING WHILE DRIVING. I kept looking at Ian like WE NEED TO GET OUT OF THE CAR!!!!!! But.. eventually he hung up the call and we made it to DHS in one piece SOMEHOW.

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We arrived to some decent crowds, but truly not as bad as I was expecting. It was a pretty chilly morning, but for us Mainers it was bearable. There were people wearing winter coats, blankets, scarves and gloves though. We had to laugh 😂

They started letting us in at 6:30 and the lines moved rather quickly

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We had discussed in line where we wanted to head to first to wait for official park opening. Most of our FPs for this trip were Jaxon and pregnant Kristy friendly, so we wanted to be strategic about rides we potentially would not be able to tackle once the rest of the group arrived. Ian and I LOVE us some TOT, so we headed that way with a plan to start there and move to single rider RnR after.

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We were some of the first to be corralled and settled in to wait for 7 AM to hit. Many reports on here have discussed the general feeling of excitement and buzzing that happens as everyone is waiting and wishing for a Boarding Group. We definitely felt that!! I feel like I used up so much of my battery in that half hour opening and closing my app LOL

My area counted down 15 seconds until 7 and then the hush fell over. I don't have a screenshot but we got GROUP 34!!! I was so relieved that our early morning efforts on our first official day had been worthwhile. We were feeling so appreciative, because a couple behind us ended up getting a backup group. They put in the same effort as us and still lost the lotto!

With a spring in our step, we headed for ToT!!

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Ian ALWAYS looks like he is sleeping on ride photos 😂

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We quickly walked over to RnR! The park was officially open and the crowds were building, but this area was still relatively quiet.

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Standby had grown to 45 minutes, but we emerged from our ride a mere 20 minutes later on single rider!!

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As we exited, I received a text from Kristy letting me know that their bus was pulling up to DHS. We made our way to the front of the park to meet them. Let's see if today will be a better day with the whole crew.

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One quick picture first! We were feeling so good with our morning so far. Time together, adventures, and feeling like we won with our BG! Would the luck continue?

(Seeing this picture reminded me, and I don't think I mentioned it with all of the drama from the day before this, BUT Kristy managed to get my Apple Watch and charger from my house before she headed to the airport. Funny story - when I realized that I forgot it I asked Ian if I should have Kristy pick it up and he said no absolutely not. As you know, I asked any way LOL. Well, being the nice guy he is, after he told me no he reached out to Kristy himself and made the request hoping to surprise me. When she showed up with the watch at AKL he looked SO EXCITED and happy for me.... until he realized I had also asked her 😂)

To be continued..
 
krisri18

krisri18

Well-Known Member
akneeconnors said:
REAL LIFE UPDATE

I am sharing because you all have seen the seasons of my life change on here..

I was accepted today into my SECOND Master's degree program! I love my new job and the work I'm doing so much, that I decided to apply for a Master's in Education program specializing in Adult Education (my first Master's is in Communications as I have a Marketing background)

View attachment 449936

View attachment 449938

On top of this, I will be in Orlando for a work conference in late April. TIME TO CELEBRATE! :)
Click to expand...
I know I'm way behind (sorry for all the likes) but CONGRATULATIONS!!!
 
annienevells

annienevells

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Thursday January 30, 2020 continued...

When I last left you, Ian and I were making our way to the front of the park to meet up with the rest of our crew.

We spotted them making their way through security, and headed their way. Photo first!

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Jaxon and Aubrie were excited to see us, and the grown ups seemed ready to have some fun. We were in our first FP window for Star Tours, so we headed that way. First group photo!

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(Jaxon is OBSESSED with the Hulk. He has seen it only in passing and has the toys. He is always saying "HULK SMASH" and pretending to be the Hulk is his favorite game. I am the middle child between my older sister and younger brother and my brother was not a rough and tumble kind of boy. Mostly because my sister and I didn't allow him to be LOL. Jaxon is a whole new type of kid for me 😂 )

We arrived at Star Tours and Kristy found a place to wait with Jaxon. He is tall enough, but still so young especially emotionally. Here is where I found out that Aubrie is scared of all new things, so she also waited outside with her auntie and cousin.

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Twin things!

Everyone enjoyed the ride, and we emerged to Jaxon having a meltdown. To be fair on this one, it must've been hard to watch everyone walk away right after you get into the park.

We decided he needed some warm hugs, so we headed off to meet Olaf. Jax has become OBSESSED not only with the Hulk but with Frozen. Anna, Elsa, Olaf. He is always talking about them. We had no idea how this would go, because he has never met characters before. This past Christmas he did OK with Santa, but was very nervous. So.. how did he do?

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Loved it!! He was so excited, and barely needed his big cousin's help.

We had some time until our Frozen Sing-Along FP, so we decide a visit to TSL and A.S.S. was in order! But first.. Ian and I had been up since 5:30 with no sustenance. Time for our favorite WDW snack

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Of course, we stopped and ate right by a DVC booth. We started chatting with the gentleman, and sent our group off to A.S.S.

We've never done a DVC tour and thought.. what the heck. We have the whole weekend with no park plans. We scheduled a tour for Sunday morning, and were off on our way.

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(It was still chilly and VERY misty)

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We got over to A.S.S. to a 45 minute wait and a good distance between the end of the line and our group. Ian and I waved to them, and headed off to One Man's Dream - a Disney first for Ian! We have loved watching the Imagineering Story together, so he was very into this.

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As we were walking out of the film, Nate called Ian and let him know they were off the ride. Time to meet up to see Jaxon's girlfriends - Anna and Elsa!

To be continued..
 
Ears to Disney

Ears to Disney

Well-Known Member
Here for the fun! Definitely know what you mean about the family aspect of the trips. It is difficult when everyone is looking to you as the leader of the pack! It is fun to plan, but when all is said and done, you feel like there is a lot riding on the work you had put into it. I am glad you and Ian got your moment! :happy:
 
annienevells

annienevells

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Thursday January 30, 2020 continued..

We met back up with the gang to watch the Frozen show, and I was pretty excited. Jaxon doesn't recognize all the things I love and adore at Disney, but he KNOWS Anna and Elsa!!

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Impressive squat by Nate for Jax to scan his MB!

We filed into the theater and sat right smack in the middle so we were pretty happy about that. I was between Kristy and Ian, and we joked that somebody should have placed some children between the curvy and pregnant folks in those seats 😂

I was embarrassing Aubrie by telling her I was going to sing every song VERY loudly. I told her that's the POINT of a sing-a-long!! 🤷‍♀️

The lights were lowered and Jaxon was immediately on the edge of his seat

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I have no idea if this particular iteration of the show was any good or not because Kristy and I basically watched Jaxon the whole time. He just had a huge smile on his face and was LOVING it. When he saw Anna and Elsa, even on video, he got the biggest almost bashful grin on his face. I think my dear nephew has a crush! 😂 (or two)

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The girlfriends!

THIS WAS A SUCCESS!

During the show, our boarding group had been called for RoR. Outside the theater we had a quick discussion that the rest of the group would go to Lightning McQueen and we would meet for our TSMM FP later on.

Quick note. Until about a month and a half ago neither Ian or myself had ever watched a single Star Wars movie. Not one minute. Not even in passing. When we realized that all of the films were on Disney+ we set out on a mission. About a week before the trip, we committed to watching one every day after work. We managed to get through 6 of them!! I wouldn't say we are huge fans, but this allowed us a bit more context.

Just a couple spoiler photos you have definitely seen before, but skip ahead if you don't want to see!

I didn't do much research because I wanted to be surprised, but I thought the boarding group system would work more like FP... silly me!

I would say it took about 45 minutes to get to this point

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I got yelled at by a CM for taking this picture 😂 Ian was like HURRY WE ARE GOING TO GET IN TROUBLE!!

I put my phone away after this. I really just immersed myself in the ride and experience. When we got to the end, Ian and I looked at each other in awe and with big grins on our faces. THAT WAS AWESOME!! We were SO impressed. It's a complete experience. I highly recommend it even if you've never seen a single movie (or crammed 6 into a week LOL)

We walked out to Ian's phone ringing. Nate was calling to let us know they were headed to TSL and would meet us there. I was hoping to do some exploring in GE, but Ian told me we could save it for a solo trip. Fine by me!

The crowds were hard to get through in Toy Story Land. It took us forever to get to TSMM, but eventually we made it and were entering the FP line.

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Aubrie insisted that I needed to ride with her, so Ian and Nate had a twin rivalry competition together. I believe Nate won!

Everyone was happy after the ride, and Jax had fun watching his mama shoot. He even managed to keep his glasses on, which surprised us all.

We had been trying to find a time all day for Jaxon to meet Mike and Sulley, as he loves them! We decided this would be our last activity before heading back to AKL for lunch and some rest. We headed over to their M&G. The adult men decided to take a seat outside and rest for awhile. The gals and Jax headed in after being told to expect a 20 minute wait.

Except... we stood in one spot (the entrance door to the M&G) for about 25 minutes without moving an inch. This was not working for Jaxon, particularly in that tight space.

I was fine, as Aubrie was sharing her popcorn with me LOL

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Kristy made the final call and decision to leave the line, promising Jaxon that this meant we were headed to the pool. FINALLY!

Quick stop for a popcorn refill first. I entertained Jax with stickers

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As tough as it can be sometimes, we LOVE this little dude. He has the best laugh, quick to apologize and hug it out, and was the first to make me an auntie. While we were goofing off (Kristy often refers to me and Jax as her two kids haha) I had a good moment of appreciation for my married-into family and it felt good.

Time for a break! What will the afternoon bring?

To be continued..
 
Back!Elbow!Shoulders!

Back!Elbow!Shoulders!

Omnia mutantur, nihil interit
Premium Member
akneeconnors said:
Happy Hump Day to my Magicians!

After seeing all of the photos and updates from runDisney events, my Gus and I just have one thing to say...

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😂

All of you brave souls who complete the races are superheroes!!
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😂That reminds me of one of my gym tank tops that says: “Does running late count as cardio?”
 
annienevells

annienevells

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
It's Friday afternoon. I have two hours left at work. There's no hope for me getting anything meaningful done.. TIME FOR A TR UPDATE!

Thursday January 30, 2020 continued..

When I last left off we were headed back to AKL for swimming and relaxing. Jaxon was SO EXCITED that we got the Mickey bus.

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It was pretty chilly, so Kristy took Jaxon to eat some lunch and nap, while the rest of us changed quickly and headed to the Mara for lunch. I chose chicken nuggets and decided to have dessert first (VACATION) and asked Ian to take my photo

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Real funny guy that husband of mine

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Much better!

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I grabbed some pickles too because I love them! Right after I took this photo, I was swarmed by 3-4 birds trying to steal my food. One was even successful in grabbing an entire nugget!! I ran with my tray and found a pool chair to quickly inhale my lunch before any more could be stolen.

After eating, Ian came to tell me he needed a nap and he went back to the room. I had just settled in with my book when Aubrie appeared at my side. She just kept chatting and chatting and chatting. I think she is a child who is not heard at home very often. Eventually her grandmother dragged her away, and I decided I needed something stronger than my diet Coke.


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This is the African Sunset: mango rum, African Starr rum, and a mixture of mango and strawberry purée! Y'all.. it was SO GOOD. And really hit the spot. I decided to take it to the hot tub with me to truly relax.

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(thanks for the photo kind stranger :hilarious:)

After some relaxing, I decided to head back to the room to clean up for our evening adventures. I asked Kristy if she would come braid my hair because it was a hot mess after swimming!

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She obliged and I was happier about it than I look here LOL

We had a nice sister (in-law) moment chatting and hanging out on the balcony. Kristy is one of my best friends, and helps me navigate and survive my new family. I am very lucky to have her.

Once Ian and I were dressed and ready to go, we made the trek down the hall to the other rooms

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Little Hulk was ready to go! We made our way to the bus and waited less than 5 minutes! Our luck was improving. We had plans to split into two groups at DHS - adults minus Kristy had a ToT FP, and Kristy and the kids were headed to A.S.S.

We had some time to kill, so the group decided to try out the Skyliner for the first time!! I was very excited to finally test it out.

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We fit all 8 of us plus the stroller in comfortably, which was a big surprise!

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As you can see, Jax was pretty into the whole experience! I thought this was awesome and I think it's a great addition.

Once we returned to DHS we parted ways with plans to meet back up for Fantasmic!
 

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