Trip Report The I'm Ditching the Spreadsheets....an Unrecognizable Trip!

We arrived home around 10pm last night from our Disney vacation. The planning for this trip started in March, but by September it was not even close to the original. So how did it all turn out? Did I make the correct decisions? Was this trip as hectic as the last one? Should I have cancelled so many dining reservations? Did we miss too much because upon arrival I decided to rip up the spread sheets..the same ones that I so painstakingly obsessed over?! I'm thinking about all of this as I am attempting to organize my 609,504,302 photos.

There were a few hiccups, including my Etsy order not arriving in time, sprinting to the Magical Express just as the doors closed, leaving our Elf on the Shelf in the room after check out, getting stuck on a ride, a missing boat captain, broken ornaments, and a horrible 3 hour lunch. All in all it was an amazing trip. I do not regret the decision to change from the original plans, or the second, or the 3rd, or even the plans I had when we were on the plane heading to Orlando. I decided to throw out most of them and take a (semi) wing it approach. :)
 
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21stamps

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Continuing with MVMCP...

According to my photos, we went on Space Mountain after Holiday Wishes. Stopped for a hot chocolate..and then headed to Frontierland to watch the parade. (On the recommendation of Touring Plans website)

We got a great spot!!!

(Sorry for the incoming blurry photos, all are screenshots from FB Live- I don't recommend using this in the parks)

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21stamps

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
So what is T doing during the parade? Is he jumping up and down with excitement? Watching with a happy look on his face?

No. He's sleeping. The sugar wore off.
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I shake him. Beg him to wake up. It's happening again. My fear. My mistakes of 2015. They're here. I wore my kid out and now he's missing the highlight of the night!! We've hit our sugar overload limit, so that's not an option again.

I am semi successful in waking him up. He opens his eyes and then this nice ski man blades over and compliments T on his sweater.

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Ok Santa's coming!!! T you can't miss Santa!!!!

I pick him up. He is excited to see Santa. Yay!! He looks awake. He even waves!! He exclaims that Santa just told him (along with the rest of the crowd) that he's on the "Good List"!!! "Mommy!! I knew it!! That's TWO times that Santa told me I'm on The Good List!! I knew I wasn't on the Bad List! No coal for me! I'm getting EVERYTHING on my list!!"
I laughed, a little too hard, after that. That's a discussion for another time...

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And THEN within a matter of seconds..


He's fading...
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He's out...

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But wait!! I can wake him up!! I just know it!! He missed the entire parade besides Santa!! That's not acceptable. Wake up T..we can go to Main Street and watch it!!!

I wish I could attach the video that I took when we had this discussion. I bribed him.
He reluctantly agreed.

Off to Main Street we go!!

 
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21stamps

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Christmas Parade 2nd Attempt!!! Here we go!

It's snowing on Main Street!!
This took my breath away. I had to stop for a moment just to take it all in. Tristan seems to be awake, and looking at the snow...not 100% cheerful, but appears to be coming back to life..

(I have to reiterate this- FB Live stinks in the parks!!!)

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Now he's into it!!!!! YES!!!!!

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21stamps

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Oh, I forgot this pic. He even gave a thumbs up!! Sometimes being a horrible mom, by stretching your kids to their limits, pays off in the end..we know what's best for them, right? ;)

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He's pretend pouting on the launch..not quite sure why..

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Then we arrive back.. where did this energy come from??? He races me to the room so he can open the door first.

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And we're callin' it a night. Get ready for bed. Tomorrow we're sleeping in!!!

After T falls asleep I get up to move Luke. I don't have energy to be creative tonight.. so he's just going in a robe pocket.
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21stamps

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
So now we're on November 30th. Our last night at GF. Tomorrow we will be moving to @epcotisbest 's Wilderness Lodge. ;)

Plan for 11/30 was-

Sleep in.
Parasailing at Sammy Duval's 11am
Garden View Tea Room 2pm
Pool time.
Dinner at Kona Cafe
Head to MK around 8pm for EMH evening.

Let me talk about the Garden View Tea Room for a second,
This was one of my most sought after reservations. I kept a tab open all day at work to constantly check for an opening. Same with my phone. I have a friend who (unlike me) actually enjoys Disney planning and had just recently return from her own trip. She's a SAHM and offered to help me with my reservations. I gave her my MDE password, and wow this woman was a HUGE help. She found 3 ADRs for me!

The Tea Room was a constant no go though. Neither one of us could find an opening. I called and called and called. Finally I found one!!! 2pm 11/30 Perfect!!!

So, what do I do on 11/29? Well, as I'm looking at our next itinerary I decide to remove it in order to make space for some Down Time. Mostly because the 29th ended up being busier than expected for us.

Crazy, right????? Months of searching, calling, and employing help..and I CANCEL.
Lol.

So anyway, now we have -
Sleep In
Parasailing
GF Cafe Lunch
Pool
Kona Cafe
MK


Here's how late we "slept in" -

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Then I noticed that our room was out of regular coffee. I stared in disbelief for a moment. Trust me, you don't ever want to have an encounter with me before I have caffeine. It's not pretty.
I hyperventilate a bit and then throw some clothes on us and rush to the lobby to buy a cup. I can't remember any details of those minutes, and I just hope that my shirt was not on inside out ;).

Alright. I have caffeine. Picked up a couple bagels. Everything's going to be ok. Let's go back to the room and eat our breakfast and rest a bit before heading to the Contemporary..
 
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21stamps

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
11/30 8:30am

My phone rings.

I answer.

Overly Cheerful Voice Says-

"Hi this is (forget name) at Sammy Duval's Watersports! Unfortunately we are canceling all parasailing today due to high winds. Can I reschedule you for a different day?"

"No thank you."

"OK well call us back if you change your mind. Have a wonderful day!"

"Thanks. You too. Bye."

Wait. What??!!!! We've been looking forward to this so much!! Parasailing with MK in the background! AND-- I just canceled my hardest earned dining reservation of the trip to give more down time!!! NOOOOO!!! UGH!!!!!
This was NOT expected.
Stupid Mother Nature.

Alright. Deep breath.

Call dining to get back into Garden View Tea Room.

"Sorry, we don't have any openings at all today. Can I check anything else for you?"
"No thank you."
"Have a Magical Day"
"You too, bye."

Nooooooo!!!!! Double Ugh.

Life Lesson- Perfect Plans are not always Perfect.
Thanks Mother Nature and Universe.
Message received loud and clear.

Maybe waking up to missing coffee should have been my first clue that the day may not go as planned.
 
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21stamps

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
MySmallWorldof4 said:
Bummer! I was hoping to hear about the Garden View Tea Room. Well, you know what they say about best laid plans.....
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I know. I should have just held the reservation until the morning and paid the cancellation fee. I just didn't foresee the parasailing be canceled. Oh well. Next time.

There a few more mishaps with even the best laid plans to come..lol
 
21stamps

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Alright, Last day at GF
Parasailing- cancelled by them. Garden View Tea Room, cancelled by me, no chance of recovery.

We decide to go for a walk around the grounds and over to Poly for a Dole Whip (when they open).

I have to share these photos of my kid "primping". He was not too happy that I forgot to pack his comb, but he made do with mine. It cracks me up when I watch him get ready, I do have to make sure that I keep my laughter silent...It's tough, really tough ;).
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Notice that we still have our MVMCP bracelets on. These suckers would not come off! The same thing happened with the EMM ones. Next time I'm bringing scissors. But for now, we'll stop at the front desk again and ask them to cut them off.

I leave my phone in the room so I don't obsess over trying to get another reservation.. well, mostly because my kid requested it. :)

We stroll around GF down all of the walkways and around the marina, stop and get our bands snipped off.. then walk to Poly, holding hands and enjoying the atmosphere. To say that I love these moments would be an understatement...I never, ever, never, ever want them to end. When you're pregnant, or have a newborn, everyone always says "Enjoy it. They grow up so quickly." I always smiled and said "I will." But I never realized how fast time really would go. 6.5 years have gone by in the blink of an eye.
I savor every one of these moments...and I'm very grateful that kiddo requested that I leave my phone in the room. Walk, look, talk, sit, drink dole whip floats, and walk back to the room. Not checking for a dining reservation or trying for a Frozen Ever After FP...or even snapping too many photos... Just enjoying my kid and our surroundings. It was a wonderful morning.
 
21stamps

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
...We get back and unplug my phone and plug in the Fuel Rod so it will be ready for MK EMH tonight. I promised him that I wouldn't check emails or dining reservations, but, I was going starting to go crazy not taking any photos. It's our last day at this resort..I need to look back on my memories.lol.

I decide that we probably need a little more substantial lunch than just a Dole Whip.. so we head to the Grand Floridian Cafe to order take out and then eat by the Courtyard Pool.
So in 5.5 days here's what we are while at the resort- a rotation between Lobster Benedict, Lobster Sliders, Veggie Omelette, and a Crab Cake sandwich. Both of us. That's all we ordered every day while there. We decide to be adventurous and switch it up today!! . we look at the Lunch Menu...
Here's what we ordered -
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Same old, same old. We're not so adventurous after all. But omg it's so good.

I then notice that T's milk is missing. Take out fail :(. I don't want to walk back and risk my eggs getting cold.. so, I order a milk from the pool bar.. and if I'm ordering something anyway, I may as well get a Pina Colada. ;) I did decide to skip the floater though.

Perfect.

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