Trip Report The "Could be better....could be worse" Trip Report - October 2018

Well....we've been back for almost two months and I've finally gotten our pictures organized! (Hard task when you're chasing around a one year old all day...especially because she learned how to climb on the couch by herself this week....Yayyy!!! )

A brief introduction before I get my FIRST EVER trip report started!

Who: Me (Megan), my husband (George), and our little princess (Ryleigh)

When: October 19th through October 22nd

Where: Grand Floridian

Why: Why not? Life has been a little rough lately and our Mickey loving daughter needed to go meet him!

For a more detailed intro, you can read my Pre-Trip here: The "After The Last 8 Months We've Had, We NEED This Trip" Pre-Trip Report

So bear with me during my first time writing a Trip Report and find out the following: Do George and I survive our first trip as parents??? Did Ryleigh love the characters??? Did I become a HEA convert??? Was the GF as glorious as I've been imagining for the last 26 years??? Just how many bite size cheesecakes did I eat at Chef Mickey's??? And on that note...

(And write a trip report!)

 

[Tuvalu]

Tuvaleen is 16 months and I was trying to do a size comparison.

Gosh Ryleigh is growing so fast!

 

[Swissmiss]

What an adorable “young lady” she has become in less than a year ! (She was also an adorable baby at 16 mos).

 

[MegRuss626]

Tuvaleen is 16 months and I was trying to do a size comparison.

Gosh Ryleigh is growing so fast!

She really is! And at 16 months Ryleigh was tall enough for A.S.S. too! She’s always been on the taller side for her age though. With Tuvaleen being 16 months, I think it’s time both girls visit the happiest place on earth!

What an adorable “young lady” she has become in less than a year ! (She was also an adorable baby at 16 mos).

Thank you!! She’s really turned into a little person lately but I keep telling her she’s my baby!

 

[Gurt]

Ryleigh is such a little cutie

 

[Katiekitten]

Ryleigh is so cute!

 

[MegRuss626]

So there we were with a wet stroller and not a clue what to do! #firsttimeparents It was about time for us to eat dinner so we figured we would let Ryleigh walk a bit. If after dinner the stroller was still wet, we would either buy a beach towel or get a big plastic bag for her to sit on. Off to one of our faves for dinner...Cosmic Rays! (Still miss that plastic cheese though!) We had reservations later for the HEA dessert party so I did not want to spoil my desserts with too much dinner! We ordered a bacon cheeseburger with fries and a side of mac and cheese for Ryleigh. I ate half of the burger and a few fries. George ate everything that was left from Ryleigh and me! Ryleigh tried the mac and cheese....

And she was NOT indifferent about it!

I snagged us a Little Mermaid FP for right after dinner. After a short walk, we were heading under the sea with my favorite Disney princess!

Did you even really ride the ride if you didn't take a "shell-fie"

After our shell ride, we did a diaper change and poked through the store in Tomorrowland. I regretfully didn't end up buying this shirt.

Finally, it was time for something I had been greatly looking forward to....DESSERTS AND FIREWORKS!!! Is there really a better combo? I took not one photo of the desserts...trip report rookie mistake! One thing I can tell you was my goal was to eat my body weight in desserts and you bet your behind I did. Also, I learned I am not a fan of the LTT ooey gooey cake. Sorry guys! We really enjoyed ourselves though and highly recommend attending a party! Stuffed, we made our way to the viewing area and claimed our spot on the grass. So much more relaxing than battling the crowds for a spot!

So how did I like HEA? Did it compare to my beloved Wishes? Here comes the plot twist....


I didn't get to actually watch HEA. What happened you asked? Being a rookie parent happened. Going into the trip I thought we would be good. Ryleigh goes to bed late because I stay at home with her so we don't have to be up early in the morning. I saw the times of everything and said "she'll totally be able to make it for fireworks". However, I didn't take into consideration that we would have been out in the heat for 85% of our day which can make anyone tired a little earlier than normal. Well, during the dessert party, she kept laying her head on the table while we ate. Then, when we made it to the grass, she was just kind of lounging around tiredly. And we still had 35 minutes until the show. I started thinking about how she would make it to the fireworks fine but we couldn't magically teleport to our room upon its finish. We were on the opposite side of the viewing area from the entrance so there would be some waiting to get out. Then more waiting with the masses to get down Main Street. Then more waiting with the masses to board a monorail. Finally, we would get back to our room where she would need a bath before she went to bed. She had been so great all day going with the flow that I didn't want to put her through all of that so we made the decision to leave before HEA. There were some tears (from myself) walking out of the park but I knew it was for the best. We boarded a monorail and George decided this sad, vulnerable time would be the best time to bring up how much he missed my mom not being on the trip with us. He said it was because they had strawberry lemonade at the party and it's one of her favorites. (For those that missed my pre-trip report, my mom had a massive stroke a few months prior. She is thankfully still physically with us but mentally she has not totally recovered and was not able to accompany us.) Now, I know he had the best intentions but bad timing buddy. Bad timing. Thankfully that monorail was dark because there were some major tears happening at that point. Thankfully, a fun group of adults boarded the monorail with us at the Poly. You can tell they had been enjoying some adult beverages and were feeling the complete opposite of me at that point. They had some fun playing with Ryleigh on the way to the GF and it managed to bring my spirits up a bit. So thanks to that group whoever you were! I caught a little bit of HEA from the GF.

So I still cannot give my opinions on HEA yet but Ryleigh was able to get her bath and get to bed closer to her normal time! And I plan to remind her during those difficult teenage years that even though she may not like me too much, I love her so much that I left fireworks for her!

 

[MegRuss626]

Ryleigh is such a little cutie

Ryleigh is so cute!

Thanks so much!! I'm going to have to agree with you both!!

 

[DryerLintFan]

So there we were with a wet stroller and not a clue what to do! #firsttimeparents It was about time for us to eat dinner so we figured we would let Ryleigh walk a bit. If after dinner the stroller was still wet, we would either buy a beach towel or get a big plastic bag for her to sit on. Off to one of our faves for dinner...Cosmic Rays! (Still miss that plastic cheese though!) We had reservations later for the HEA dessert party so I did not want to spoil my desserts with too much dinner! We ordered a bacon cheeseburger with fries and a side of mac and cheese for Ryleigh. I ate half of the burger and a few fries. George ate everything that was left from Ryleigh and me! Ryleigh tried the mac and cheese....
View attachment 400607

And she was NOT indifferent about it!
View attachment 400608

I snagged us a Little Mermaid FP for right after dinner. After a short walk, we were heading under the sea with my favorite Disney princess!
View attachment 400609
Did you even really ride the ride if you didn't take a "shell-fie"

After our shell ride, we did a diaper change and poked through the store in Tomorrowland. I regretfully didn't end up buying this shirt.
View attachment 400611

Finally, it was time for something I had been greatly looking forward to....DESSERTS AND FIREWORKS!!! Is there really a better combo? I took not one photo of the desserts...trip report rookie mistake! One thing I can tell you was my goal was to eat my body weight in desserts and you bet your behind I did. Also, I learned I am not a fan of the LTT ooey gooey cake. Sorry guys! We really enjoyed ourselves though and highly recommend attending a party! Stuffed, we made our way to the viewing area and claimed our spot on the grass. So much more relaxing than battling the crowds for a spot!
View attachment 400613

View attachment 400614

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So how did I like HEA? Did it compare to my beloved Wishes? Here comes the plot twist....


I didn't get to actually watch HEA. What happened you asked? Being a rookie parent happened. Going into the trip I thought we would be good. Ryleigh goes to bed late because I stay at home with her so we don't have to be up early in the morning. I saw the times of everything and said "she'll totally be able to make it for fireworks". However, I didn't take into consideration that we would have been out in the heat for 85% of our day which can make anyone tired a little earlier than normal. Well, during the dessert party, she kept laying her head on the table while we ate. Then, when we made it to the grass, she was just kind of lounging around tiredly. And we still had 35 minutes until the show. I started thinking about how she would make it to the fireworks fine but we couldn't magically teleport to our room upon its finish. We were on the opposite side of the viewing area from the entrance so there would be some waiting to get out. Then more waiting with the masses to get down Main Street. Then more waiting with the masses to board a monorail. Finally, we would get back to our room where she would need a bath before she went to bed. She had been so great all day going with the flow that I didn't want to put her through all of that so we made the decision to leave before HEA. There were some tears (from myself) walking out of the park but I knew it was for the best. We boarded a monorail and George decided this sad, vulnerable time would be the best time to bring up how much he missed my mom not being on the trip with us. He said it was because they had strawberry lemonade at the party and it's one of her favorites. (For those that missed my pre-trip report, my mom had a massive stroke a few months prior. She is thankfully still physically with us but mentally she has not totally recovered and was not able to accompany us.) Now, I know he had the best intentions but bad timing buddy. Bad timing. Thankfully that monorail was dark because there were some major tears happening at that point. Thankfully, a fun group of adults boarded the monorail with us at the Poly. You can tell they had been enjoying some adult beverages and were feeling the complete opposite of me at that point. They had some fun playing with Ryleigh on the way to the GF and it managed to bring my spirits up a bit. So thanks to that group whoever you were! I caught a little bit of HEA from the GF.
View attachment 400620

So I still cannot give my opinions on HEA yet but Ryleigh was able to get her bath and get to bed closer to her normal time! And I plan to remind her during those difficult teenage years that even though she may not like me too much, I love her so much that I left fireworks for her!

I have a little one, and I'll tell you life is a lot better when she's rested. I think you made the right call. I'm sorry you missed the fireworks, but I'm sure that wouldn't have just hurt your evening, but the next morning/day as well. It sucks. But life with an over stimulated under sleeped little one sucks more, lol.

I'm so sorry about your mom. I had a stroke a few months ago and it was I think harder for my family than it was for me. I hope she keeps recovering and making progress. Stay patient. Some times it takes years to come back on things.

 

[MegRuss626]

I have a little one, and I'll tell you life is a lot better when she's rested. I think you made the right call. I'm sorry you missed the fireworks, but I'm sure that wouldn't have just hurt your evening, but the next morning/day as well. It sucks. But life with an over stimulated under sleeped little one sucks more, lol.

I'm so sorry about your mom. I had a stroke a few months ago and it was I think harder for my family than it was for me. I hope she keeps recovering and making progress. Stay patient. Some times it takes years to come back on things.

I totally agree on that one. I knew the next day could have been a potential disaster if we stayed out super late. I'd make the same decision over again in a heartbeat!

Thanks for the kind words about my mom. We are thankful for how far she has come for as bad as it was. Her short term memory seems to be crap for the most part but some long term things are coming back here and there. She actually remembered when my birthday was about a month ago! I am so sorry to hear about your stroke. Hopefully you're taking care of yourself and getting better. You've got lots more trips to take with your adorable little girl!

 

[DryerLintFan]

I totally agree on that one. I knew the next day could have been a potential disaster if we stayed out super late. I'd make the same decision over again in a heartbeat!

Thanks for the kind words about my mom. We are thankful for how far she has come for as bad as it was. Her short term memory seems to be crap for the most part but some long term things are coming back here and there. She actually remembered when my birthday was about a month ago! I am so sorry to hear about your stroke. Hopefully you're taking care of yourself and getting better. You've got lots more trips to take with your adorable little girl!

Yeah we'll be there in a couple weeks! Going to do a live trip report. Or try to, anyway.

The brain is so cool in the way it rewires things and makes new neural pathways. My attention to detail, organization, and short term memory all took a hit. And for a few months it looked like things were moving when they were not, which was really disorienting. And up until a couple months ago, I had severe migraines every day. But I can tell my brain is still making progress rewiring things. Just slowly tying the ends together and weaving it all back in. The whole experience gave me a huge appreciation for the resiliency of the human body. It's easy to see how fragile we are, but man, we're pretty tough, too.

 

[MegRuss626]

Sunday, October 21

This day was going to be split between more Magic Kingdom and then off to see Toy Story Land (more for the 30 somethings than the toddler!) I was up early again and did the same getting ready quietly routine. No Mickey waffles for breakfast because George and I each had our eyes on breakfast at the park. About 8:30, we started waking Ryleigh up.

We were out the door pretty quickly because we didn't have any FPs for MK since we were going to HS later. We entered the park and saw PoTC had a 5 minute wait so off to adventureland we went! Within an hour from the last photo, we were in line for the ride. Not too bad for us rookies! Ryleigh cracked a little smile while in line but then went back to indifferent for the actual ride.

Next up, I saw HM had a 15 minute wait. It ended up being pretty accurate.

Our theme today was Halloween. We opted to skip the stretching room because I wasn't sure if it would be overwhelming for Ryleigh. Our trip was pre-on ride photo so here's what we have...

Next up, it was time to fill our bellies! George had his eye on the pumpkin spice waffle sundae from Sleepy Hollow. He had one during a MNSSHP in 2014 and they instantly fell in love. My love interest I was after was the cinnamon "loaf" from Gaston's. We had first had one in 2013. We saw a small child carrying one around and my mother chased her family down to ask where they got it! My family always called it a "loaf" because it's so dang massive. We decided to divide and conquer for our missions. George and Ryleigh would visit SH and find a seat over in that area. I would head over to Gaston's and return to eat with them. We ended up eating our breakfast on the rocking chairs by HoP. We had a few minutes to kill before a very important mission I needed to complete. We decided to do some PP in front of the castle. Despite being a little off to the side, they didn't turn out too bad.

Afterwards, I managed to capture my favorite picture of the entire trip!

SHE'S NOT INDIFFERENT!!

And a cute daddy-daughter pic..

We went into the jewelry story to look an Pandora charms. I got the super cute "Disney Mom" charm. Then finally, it was time for my stalking mission!!!

 

[MegRuss626]

What was my stalking mission you ask? Let's back this TR up just a bit to the morning of this day. A lot of forum friends are familiar with the infamous EquityBen. He posts his schedule each morning so I had made a Frozen Sing Along FP for the afternoon just in case. I checked instagram when I woke up that morning and sadly he wouldn't be at the sing along today. BUT he would be working on Main Street in the MK that morning....SCORE! He posted what times he would be out so George and I set off on a mission! (Well, I did and George helped out because he's a good husband! haha) After some frantic crowd searching (I'm sure I looked like a weirdo), I finally found him!

I was so excited! He's just as nice as he is funny. His daughter is around Ryleigh's age. He teared up talking about how much he misses her when he goes to work. He's just the sweetest. It was definitely a highlight of our trip!

After our wonderful meet and greet, we made a quick pit stop at the baby center and headed to one of my favorites...Monster's Inc Laugh Floor! It was only a 10 minute wait and while it was about 10 degrees cooler today, the AC is always nice! I wasn't picked for anything in the show (small life goal of mine!). Ryleigh sat through the show pretty good.

The people mover had no wait so that was our next stop! Pretty standard ride through and I don't think the Iron coaster construction photos were a thing yet so none of those here. While we were on the ride, I decided to mobile order our lunch. George really wanted to try CHH but I'm not a seafood person. We also kind of wanted Casey's. Here's where I make our worst decision of the entire trip...."I'll just mobile order from both places. I'll pick up Casey's while you go on ahead and pick of CHH. I'll meet you there." Ordering went through with no issues. Once we got to Casey's, I gave George and Ryleigh a couple minute head start before I clicked that he was there. I proceeded to go into Casey's and went to click that I was here. Except there was no option to do so for Casey's. I proceeded to wait in the lunch time rush line to talk to someone at a cash register. I finally got up there and explained my situation. She then went in the back to double check they had the order in their system. She said it was there, she had put it through, and instructed me to wait over in the pick up area. Great! WRONG! I waited at least 20 minutes. So many people around me were in and out within 5 minutes. I ordered a simple chili dog, fries, and a drink...nothing fancy. George by this point has juggled picking up his food and finding a seat while pushing a stroller around the restaurant. He was currently eating his lunch with no sauces because he couldn't leave Ryleigh at the table by herself to go get some. I was finally able to get someone to care enough to notice me and asked about my food. She walked in the back and within 5 minutes, came walking out with my food. Here's where I realized I underestimated how far the CHH was from Casey's and just how difficult it would be navigating a crowded park with a tray of food. I was overly anxious from the whole ordeal and was quite the mess when I finally arrived at CHH. George and Ryleigh were already pretty much done with their lunches and it was getting close to nap time. I let her watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on my phone (broke my #1 parenting rule) while I ate my lunch and tried to get my anxiety levels back in check.

After our lunch from you know where, we decided to see if she would nap in the parks again. BTM had a 20 minute wait so we decided to rider swap. We knew this trip was mostly for Ryleigh so we made all of our FPs for things she could ride. We've been to Disney so many times together pre-baby that it wasn't a big deal but we did miss the grown up rides just a little bit. George walked with Ryleigh in the shade and I braved the 20 minute wait solo. I mainly played on my phone because I'm not a strike up a convo with strangers kinda girl. I met George in the splash gift shop and sat in the rocking chairs while Ryleigh slept.

After our solo wildest rides in the wilderness, we decided to call it a day on MK for this trip! There was a Halloween party this night (one that @lostpro9het and @imahistorygeek were at I'm pretty sure) so we wouldn't be returning in the evening. Quick castle selfie on the way out.

 

[lostpro9het]

There was a Halloween party this night (one that @lostpro9het and @imahistorygeek were at I'm pretty sure)

Yup!

 

[MegRuss626]

On our way out of the park, George stopped at an ice cream cart for a Mickey bar. He wanted to use a snack credit on it since we hadn't used too many yet but the computer at the stand was down. His ice cream ended up being "on Mickey" and I had one very excited husband. (It's the little things I guess ) We decided to take the express monorail to the TTC and then hop on the Epcot monorail so Ryleigh could finish her nap. Our monorail rides were uneventful and traveling over Epcot made me a little sad that we wouldn't have time to visit this trip. We had a little bit of a wait for the bus to HS from Epcot. Ryleigh's first Disney bus ride! (A new face...I just woke up and I'm still indifferent)

We made it to HS and participated in the "Bus Stop Half Marathon" in the blazing afternoon sun. It was truly a magical experience. We made a stop in their baby center. It is smaller than MK and its in the guest services building so it was a little difficult to navigate to. Next up, our Frozen sing along FP. While we were waiting in the pre-show, the family next to us was very confused as to what they were exactly waiting for. They thought the pre-show was the actual show. George decided to step in and explain it to them. It didn't do much good but at least he tried! It was a great show as usual and Ryleigh sat through this one pretty well too!

That's at least a look of wonder-ish?

We decided we could use a snack before we made our first visit to Toy Story Land. Mickey pretzel with cheese it is! I waited in line at the cart while George scoped out a bench. The stand I waited at was to the right of the Chinese theater and the bench he ending up finding was clear back by the Launch Bay. I still can't figure out how he walked past all the other seating areas and wound up there. Ryleigh was checking out Vampirina from afar while I was getting our snack.

I did witness some absolutely hysterical on my journey to locate my husband. A couple storm troopers (I think...the white ones from Star Wars...I'm not a Star Wars fan if you can tell) were marching through the park. As they were rounding the corner under those arches towards the Launch Bay, an 8ish year old boy was rounding the corner coming from that area eating a Mickey bar. He was so startled by almost running into them that he jumped and dropped his ice cream on the ground. The storm trooper goes "Oh....oh no....that's not good. Follow me!" He took the boy to the nearest cart and replaced his ice cream.

Finally it was time for our first visit to Toy Story!!

A couple very excited 32 year olds! The PP line was way too long so selfie it is!

George "Take a picture of the fence! Look how cool it is!!"

 

[MegRuss626]

We spent some more time wandering around.
George "Take a picture of me with the ball"

Another note for parents using a stroller....stroller fans aren't just for the kids!! You'll notice in the picture that there's one on Ryleigh but we also have one on the handles pointing at us. Parents get hot too! Plus, George and I are sweaters! So when you're ordering that stroller fan, order two!

During our planning, I tried for a single SDD FP figuring George and I could rider swap. Never happened so A.S.S it was! We had a 50/50 shot of riding this as a family because Ryleigh was within an inch of the height requirement. The CM at the entrance was super nice and great with Ryleigh. After measuring her, she said she passed but she wasn't the person who made the final decision. She said she would let us go through the FP line just in case Ryleigh was turned away. We thanked her but we already had a FP. We kept our fingers crossed as we got to the official decision maker and.....she was tall enough!!

She's not totally indifferent on this ride because she LOVED it! Figures....last ride of our short trip that has a longer line because its new and it's her favorite! She would probably love it even more these days because we have a toddler who's super obsessed with Buzz Lightyear and Toy Story! We are slowly accumulating every Buzz that's for sale out there!

We bought the one on the left because he's the first one who does everything Buzz does in the movie...laser works, helmet works, wings pop out, karate chop action, his star command flap opens, he talks, and it says ANDY on his foot. George was probably more excited than Ryleigh with that purchase!

Up next, we hit up the ABC Commissary for dinner for Ryleigh. Mine and George's plan was to at the GF later since we had a snack. I took a food picture because the fries were really good!

And embarrassing mom photo....

Ryleigh is a pretty "regular" kid on the daily but we learned on this trip she holds it when we're not at home. It took her clear until the third day where she just couldn't hold it anymore so I naturally documented it with a photo! We got some PP pictures on the way out and the stand our star in these photos is the faces Ryleigh decided to make! (I was trying to keep her from putting her fingers in her mouth.)

I call this "I gotta sneeze"

 

[MegRuss626]

We did the long walk back to our bus stop. My notes say "These MGM bus stops are STUPID...why are clear in the back???". I swear the GF bus stop was the absolute farthest one...it was even past the Mears bus stops! #firstworldprobs While at the bus stop, my Disney blues started to kick in. George tried convincing me to buy a ticket for MNSSHP that night and he would stay with Ryleigh in the room. It was a sweet offer but I was tired and I would miss them not being there. Plus, solo park trips intrigue yet intimidate me! We had an uneventful trip back to the GF and stopped to grab something to eat in the room. I had a cheeseburger and fries and I can't even begin to remember what George had. Neither one of us was super impressed with our selections. I got the seasonal cupcake. I think it was spice cake with a pumpkin filling. The filling was good but the cupcake itself was on the drier side. It was cute at least!

We ate and Ryleigh got a bath. We decided to head down to watch HalloWishes from the boat dock area. George got kicked off Narcoossee's balcony because he refused to listen to me when I told him that only guests who dined there could stand there.

We headed back up to the room for our last sleep at the GF. We got up the next morning and did some last minute packing. I took some pictures of our room and view!

(Dormer room balcony )

I wasn't leaving until I got one with the monorail going by!

 

[MegRuss626]

We took our bags down to the airport drop off before heading to get some breakfast. I couldn't let my child leave Disney without trying a Mickey waffle! She didn't actually eat it but she had a good time playing with it.

After breakfast, we went back to the room to get our carry-ons and change into clothes more appropriate for the cooler weather at home. We hung out in the lobby while we waited for the Tragical.

I will never not love this lobby. It is my favorite lobby on property and always will be!

We boarded the TE with no issues and were on our way! I don't I explained the TE too well to Ryleigh judging by the look on her face...

 

[MegRuss626]

We arrived at MCO and I naturally had to get my last chance Disney fix by going in the store before security. I was a little chilly so I bought a "millennial pink" spirit jersey....essentially a light pink spirit jersey. Then, it was TSA go time again! I was confident since it went well the first time in Pittsburgh......WRONG! I encountered a not so nice TSA agent after I went through the scanner. We were waiting for them to inspect my ziploc bag with an unopened bottle of water and a gogo squeeze pouch (just like I had when we flew down with no issue). It was a little chaotic so I had my husband take my daughter over near the fonorail so she didn’t have to stand there. When the agent finally got around to inspecting our things, our exchange went as follows:

Him (didn’t ask any questions and not in the politest tone) “you do know you cannot bring water through TSA”
Me “I read you can when traveling with a baby”
H “except I don’t see a baby anywhere with you” (again, not the nicest tone)
M “I’m traveling with my husband and one year old daughter. I sent them over by the benches since it was chaotic over here”
H “and when was she born” (uh, really)
M “the end of June last year. Do you need me to call him to bring her back over here”
H “yes you need to”
I proceed to call my husband to which the guy says before he answered “nevermind...it’ll be fine”.

I still asked my husband to bring her over while he was inspecting our stroller. It was kind of a crappy unnecessary situation but what can ya do? So my TSA advice....do not send your significant other away with your child until all things are inspected.

Ryleigh was kind of a bear while we were waiting at the gate so I was getting a little nervous for our flight. We did family boarding and sat in a row where no one was sitting yet. We kept our fingers crossed for the rest of the boarding and got super lucky....no one else sat in our row with us! Ryleigh snuggled up with George...

And by the time the wheels left the ground...

Nap time on the plane again! SCORE!! She only slept for about 35 minutes before she woke up. She entertained herself with some episodes of Mickey on the iPad.

We were golden.....until we started to land. The plane was not the only thing that was going down...Ryleigh didn't sleep her usual nap length which led to the most epic baby meltdown in the history of babies...well, our baby at least. She cried, cried, and cried some more. She screamed so much that George and I just had to laugh because we couldn't do anything. We had to stay in our seats since we were in our descent. She finally wore herself out and fell asleep standing up on the empty seat in the middle. I didn't even have time to be anxious about our landing!

Other than the losing her mind in the last 5 minutes, we had two pretty successful flights with a toddler for this trip. We got our luggage and made our way to the car. We made our way home where we spent the next 24 hours experiencing what I like to call the "Disney hangover"

I am under the blanket

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Looks like a fun time!

 

[MegRuss626]

I think this is where I do the "Final Thoughts" right?

What did I think of finally getting to stay at the GF??
It was really convenient with a little one and spending the majority of our time in the MK. However, I feel a little guilty saying this but as far as the room itself.....it's just a hotel room? I don't feel the room was much different than other deluxe we've stayed at...very similar to the Yacht Club. I like that the sinks are separate from the shower unlike at the Contemporary. But it was essentially just a hotel room. It's the convenience and area you are paying for in my opinion. I am very happy and grateful that I was finally able to stay there though!

Parks with a toddler?
Totally doable. Just go at their pace and go with the flow. We didn't do every ride at MK but we still had a good time. We went into this trip with the mindset that we'll be back one day soon and can catch things we missed then. Take advantage of the baby centers, mark your stroller so you can find it, and don't forget the companion bathrooms don't have changing tables!!

Dessert party worth it?
TOTALLY! While I didn't actually see HEA, the non-stress of having a great spot a half hour before the show is worth its weight in gold! The desserts were great so go hungry!

When's the next trip for our family?
At the end of this trip, we knew our next trip would be end of November/beginning of December 2021 for the 50th anniversary festivities that I'm hoping will still be being celebrated. Good plan right? Until about two weeks ago....

George had the week off work because I had a possible gallbladder attack and complications from a toe nail removal all in the same week. (It all goes downhill after 30.....) He used his time to watch Disney movies with Ryleigh. They watched her favorite Toy Story and he introduced her to his favorite Disney movie, Aladdin. Ryleigh also has been going nuts over a commercial on DisneyJr where they visit HS. They show Toy Story Land, Minnie, and the DisneyJr dance party....sign her up! So he informs me that he thinks he's ready for another weekend trip in the spring after watching movies with her. We've always wanted to see the F&G Festival and Ryleigh needs to see TSL again naturally. We're looking at April 23-26. We were looking at the weekend before but I saw it is the SW Run Weekend and I don't know how the crowds will be. I grew up at the All Stars so they're nostalgic to me and George and I liked Pop when we went in 2015. However, ASMovies has a Toy Story section so you know where we'll be staying! So I'll keep ya'll posted on if this trip actually comes to be!

Thank you to everyone who took the time to read my first report and for all your sweet comments!! See ya real soon hopefully!!