Trip Report What is that?! WDW with our toddler - May 2021

Hi friends! I know I said I wasn't going back until the pandemic changes were OVERRRRR but the pull of Disney magic was too great for our family to resist, and we wanted to get a trip in while the kid was still free. We got extremely lucky that our trip fell after the mask requirements were lifted outdoors! That was a HUGE win for us.

I'm still editing my photos, but wanted to go ahead and get this going.

Who: Me, my husband (R) and our daughter (LP). For this trip we'll pretend she's not quite 2, since I didn't put a mask on her
When: May 22-26, 3 park days
Where: Art of Animation, Lion King suite

She's so darn cute, even when she doesn't smile!

The title is from LP's new thing, which is asking "what is that" CONSTANTLY. Half the time I have no idea what she's asking about, but there was plenty to tell her about at WDW!

Alright back to editing pictures, can't wait to share all about our trip!

 

[fractal]

Great start!

The photos of your daughter on the path in front of the Tree of Life are just divine!

 

[Ears to Disney]

Love the photos of LP on Triceratops Spin! Pure joy and excitement. That line waiting must have been worth it! The suites at AoA are beautiful. The theming is great and there is so much room!

 

[Back!Elbow!Shoulders!]

Also loving your hair color! Very cute.

 

[cgersic]

I sure have missed your photos! You showed me things on the Tree that I hadn't seen before. Nice to see another Magician meetup!!

 

[ShookieJones]

Fooooooooolllooooooooooooooooowing Along! LOVING the pics!
I love the family suites at AOA we had a Cars room booked this past trip but when the kid's said they would chip in to pay the extra dough for a 2 bedroom villa at WL I couldn't refuse!

I am here and waiting to see more! wooHOO!

 

[myhappyplace]

All caught up and so glad this trip went better than the previous one. LP is adorable!! Your picture made me hungry for Satuuli Canteen noodle and beef bowl, though I usually get the creamy sauce.

 

[sheriffwoody]

Great start!

The photos of your daughter on the path in front of the Tree of Life are just divine!

Thanks so much! I was kind of wishing I'd shot those with my camera instead of my phone, but I guess I wouldn't have been able to get as much in the frame with my 28mm.

Love the photos of LP on Triceratops Spin! Pure joy and excitement. That line waiting must have been worth it! The suites at AoA are beautiful. The theming is great and there is so much room!

I agree, loved the theming!! And the space.

Also loving your hair color! Very cute.

Thanks so much! It's been fun. A pain to keep the color in, but I love it.

I sure have missed your photos! You showed me things on the Tree that I hadn't seen before. Nice to see another Magician meetup!!

Aww thanks!

Fooooooooolllooooooooooooooooowing Along! LOVING the pics!
I love the family suites at AOA we had a Cars room booked this past trip but when the kid's said they would chip in to pay the extra dough for a 2 bedroom villa at WL I couldn't refuse!

I am here and waiting to see more! wooHOO!

Haha that's a no brainer! I'd love to do a 1br villa on our next trip with her. I'll need to start saving! Should have started a year ago

All caught up and so glad this trip went better than the previous one. LP is adorable!! Your picture made me hungry for Satuuli Canteen noodle and beef bowl, though I usually get the creamy sauce.

I like that sauce too! That's what my husband got. It's always a hard choice to decide.

 

[sheriffwoody]

Park Day 1 - May 23

I ended up falling asleep reading on the couch and R fell asleep in the bed. I jolted awake soooo disoriented at about 2:30. I checked the monitor and LP was sitting up in the pack and play. No idea how long she'd been awake! Hopefully not too long, she was probably in there like "ummm hello? Where y'all at?"

We got moving and LP had a little snack before we headed out.



Every time we passed one of the big sculptures, LP would say "What is that?" I think it was our last day when she finally saw Rafiki and said "It's Rafiki!!"

We had a little photo shoot on our way to the bus stop. I need to send these to my sister-in-law since it shows the dress well!





I know I'm biased, but my goodness she's cute.

Waited about 5-10 minutes for a bus and we were off!








We headed straight back to the Safari since that was one of the 5 things I wanted to do with her (I made a Reel about it on Instagram so I HAD to do it! haha)

The wait was 35 minutes, but was actually about 20. LP was pretty cranky in the line (notice the trend?) but she enjoyed the ride! Even when we got stopped by the rhinos for close to 10 minutes. She was content to just look around.



Trunk up for @Darstarr! (That was you right?)





The aforementioned rhinos that caused a traffic jam.

Also our guide was pretty bad. She was not a very good speaker, she tripped over her words a lot. I would 100% be the same way in that job! Which is why I don't do a job where I have to talk to people She also just seemed very...un-fun. Hopefully it was just an off day for her, which I totally understand! It happens.



Looking at all the animals!

After the safari, we were hoping to go to Festival of the Lion King, but with the rhino delay, we only had 5 minutes to get over there. I figured it would be full, even if we made it in time, so we nixed that plan. I'm sad we didn't see the show, but hopefully we can make it next trip and the tumble monkeys will be back!

We stopped to get LP her first Mickey bar (another of my 5 must-dos) and R headed to Dawa Bar to get us Golden Monkeys. He remembered these from several years ago and specifically asked if we could get them. Who am I to say no?! I'm glad we found them offered here because I think they are no longer sold at the place by Everest where we had them before.





If you want to see a video of me getting REJECTED when I asked for a bite, I posted it as a Reel on my IG (waltkristiworld). She shut me down, but I stole a bite anyway

Up next: More AK

 

[sheriffwoody]

Park Day 1 - May 23

When we finished up and cleaned all the chocolate off her hands, we headed toward Pandora. Navi River Journey was showing a 30 minute wait, and we thought maybe it would be less. We also figured she would like a boat ride.

Some photos from our walk over






The line moved pretty steadily and LP was a little monkey wanting to jump and climb on me. It was fine, I'd rather that than her crying, plus with the distance markers I had room to toss her around a little (safely). We ended up waiting about 20 minutes.





She liked the ride! After this she was always asking to ride in a boat. Thankfully all the parks we went to had boat rides.

We headed out of the park after this, and once we got on a bus, I mobile ordered from Landscape of Flavors for dinner. Our plan was for R to head out to Epcot to do some Flower & Garden eating and I would stay in the room while LP slept (she goes down at 7:30). I got a burger and fries and got LP some mac & cheese. Everything was good! I mean, not amazing...but good. Filling. R got us a bottle of Jack, so I had something to make up for the fact that I couldn't have all the fun festival stuff that night.

I got LP bathed and in the bed just fine after dinner, then I settled in to read. Except I saw that Beetlejuice was on tv, so I watched that.



R sent me pictures of the first few things he ate, but I forgot to upload them, so I'll add them later from my phone.

He headed back around 9, so I think he was only there for about an hour, but he had a lot! And he made it all the way around the world. He was annoyed by how long the skyliner took both ways, but especially on the way back. The line was like 20 minutes. So it's really not much better than getting a bus, I guess.

Up next: Day 2!

 

[BrerWayne]

Hi friends! I know I said I wasn't going back until the pandemic changes were OVERRRRR but the pull of Disney magic was too great for our family to resist, and we wanted to get a trip in while the kid was still free. We got extremely lucky that our trip fell after the mask requirements were lifted outdoors! That was a HUGE win for us.

I'm still editing my photos, but wanted to go ahead and get this going.

Who: Me, my husband (R) and our daughter (LP). For this trip we'll pretend she's not quite 2, since I didn't put a mask on her
When: May 22-26, 3 park days
Where: Art of Animation, Lion King suite


View attachment 561160

She's so darn cute, even when she doesn't smile!

The title is from LP's new thing, which is asking "what is that" CONSTANTLY. Half the time I have no idea what she's asking about, but there was plenty to tell her about at WDW!

Alright back to editing pictures, can't wait to share all about our trip!

Following along. A little late but enjoying the trip thus far!

 

[Matt and Kelly]

Love all the the pictures of LP in her dress! I miss the girls being that small. Art of Animation looks like it would be such a fun hotel to stay at!

 

[sheriffwoody]

Park Day 2 - May 24

We had a bit of a challenge on our 2nd park day because Epcot doesn't open until 11 and LP goes down for her nap at 12. Why not have her nap in the stroller? Well...there's only like a 20% chance she would do that, and even if she did, it would be a 20 minute nap. Not worth it. So the plan was to get to Epcot early so we could be there when it opened and try to ride Frozen at least before heading back.

I was up by 6:30 because I am a creature of habit. I had my coffee and read a little, then everyone else started stirring around 7:30. I loved that I could make my coffee in the living area while R was asleep in the bedroom and I didn't feel like I was disturbing him!

We just piddled around the room until 9, then headed out. The skyliner line was already getting long, but none of us wanted to stand in line for an hour. I figured it would move fast once it started moving, so we decided to just walk around for a bit. We looked around Pop then went over to the Little Mermaid section of AoA because LP loves Ariel.





This was from Pop.

As we walked back to AoA, I asked a CM how long the line usually is once the skyliner opens. He said about 20 minutes. Whew. Ok. Then probably another 10 or 15 at Caribbean Beach. The Skyliner resorts are looking less and less appealing...at least for rope droppers.



Ursula was getting a job




We found Ariel!! People always complain about how far the Little Mermaid rooms are from everything. They're right. It's far.




We headed back over to the Skyliner, and I think we got in line around 9:45. I was really worried about how long it was going to take!



Once it started moving, it was pretty steady. LP got a little irritated a couple of times, but she was overall ok. I'm sure she was hot, but she didn't want the stroller fan.




The Skyliner CM was right, it was about 20 minutes!



We had a bit of a wait once we got to CB, which was expected.



I think our wait at CB was about 10-15 minutes, so not terrible. Once we got to Epcot, we got right in and were walking around World Showcase when it officially opened.

When I was trying to scan in, I was frustrated because it was a little chaotic, then my Apple Watch didn't work. I pulled up my wallet and I think it was trying to scan LP's card (why that's even there, I don't know). And then the watch froze, so I was trying to dig my magic band out of my bag. I finally found it. In restrospect, I should have grabbed my AP card out of my phone case and used that. That's what I did most times this trip once the apple watch messed up. I need to figure out how to get LP's card off my watch before our next trip. I like the idea of using my Apple Watch because I hate having two things on my wrist, but the magic band is definitely more convenient overall (for room key, park ticket, charging all in one).

Up next: short Epcot morning

 

[sheriffwoody]

Park Day 2 - May 24



Got to see the bonsai trees in Japan. Love them!



When the park opened, I checked the wait time for Frozen since we were still walking, and it was 25 minutes. Score!! It jumped to 30 by the time we got there, but still, not bad. LP was on and off cranky in line, but once we got on, she was happy. I was sad we got second row since the dividers make it impossible to see So ready for them to take those stupid things down!

I loved seeing LP get excited about Olaf, Anna, Elsa, Sven and Marshmallow!

After the ride, we looked around the Norway pavilion in case Anna and Elsa were out, but they were not. So we headed back out the way we came to get some eats.




Pretty flowers in Italy



We stopped at the Joffrey's close to the America pavilion for something R had his eye on from the previous evening

• The American Adventure: Bubbly Brew: Jameson® Cold Brew Whiskey and Coffee with a splash of Coke® (new) – $11.99

While I got that, he headed on with LP to get some things from Magnolia Terrace.

• Crawfish Étouffée with Andouille Sausage and Dirty Rice (new) – $7.25
• Cajun-style Roasted Oysters – $7.50
• House-made Boudin Two Ways with Spicy Mustard – $5.50

I LOVED the etouffee and the boudin. I did not like the oysters... R loved it all! LP ate some of the boudin, but not a lot. She was either not hungry or not into trying new things today. She's one of those kids that only likes beige foods Hope she expands her tastes!

Stopped by Japan next

• Shrimp and Crab with Spicy Mayonnaise and Cucumber Slices finished with Creamy Avocado and Violet Sauce (new) – $6.50

Delicious!! Smaller than I thought from the advertising picture, but plenty of food and delicious.

We split up again, R went by La Isla Fresca for something he got the night before that he wanted to try. And I hopped in line in France.

• La Vie en Rose Frozen Slushy: Vodka, Grey Goose L’Orange Vodka, St. Germain Liqueur, White and Red Cranberry Juice – $12.50
• Beignet Caramélisé, Fourré Crème Vanille, Glacé au Caramel Fleur de Sel: Caramelized Beignet filled with Vanilla Cream and Glazed with Caramel Fleur de Sel (new) – $5.25

LP LOVED the donut!! Excuse me...the beignet. Also the slushy is good, but so expensive.

• Lamb Curry with Sweet Plantains and Rice (gluten/wheat friendly) – $6.25

R claims this is his new favorite thing. It was good! I like plantains, so it was a hit for me too.



My pastry-lovin' girl

We headed out after this. No wait for the Skyliner for the ride back!

We got LP down for her nap about an hour later than normal, but no biggie. She didn't seem to mind.

Up Next: Epcot afternoon

 

[Darstarr]

Trunk up for @Darstarr! (That was you right?)

Thank you so much for tagging me and thinking of me. I have been wanting to start reading your TR but have been so busy (not a complaint! I remember what I was doing last year at this time so I will take the busy!)
LP has spent the year growing!!!
She is too cute!
Anyhow, I am here now…

 

[BigDis]

Following along. Caught up. Looks like you're having a great time.

 

[Spash007]

A little late, but following along. My son is just a bit younger than LP, and I'm right there with you and the masks. We want to go again while he's free, but there's no way he's going to keep on a mask. Not having to wear them outdoors now will help, but I know every ride is going to be about trying to keep it on him. Power to the parents who somehow get their kids to keep them on!

We also had him sleep in the extra bathroom at Poly when we took him in August lol. As we figured, he probably slept better since it was more quiet! And, we definitely did too and less tired parents make better parents right?

He also isn't a stroller napper either, so we had run into the same dilemma about Epcot when we had been there. It's so odd - his sister was a perfect stroller, car, anywhere napper. He though will only sleep in a bed (we were recently on a road trip and got stuck in traffic, and he stayed awake until after midnight...)

 

[LadyBelle]

Sorry I’m late! You know how it is getting ready for a new semester at a university.

 

[MickeyCB]

I know I'm biased, but my goodness she's cute.

Nope, she's cute!!

 

[Songbird76]

A little late, but following along. My son is just a bit younger than LP, and I'm right there with you and the masks. We want to go again while he's free, but there's no way he's going to keep on a mask. Not having to wear them outdoors now will help, but I know every ride is going to be about trying to keep it on him. Power to the parents who somehow get their kids to keep them on!

We also had him sleep in the extra bathroom at Poly when we took him in August lol. As we figured, he probably slept better since it was more quiet! And, we definitely did too and less tired parents make better parents right?

He also isn't a stroller napper either, so we had run into the same dilemma about Epcot when we had been there. It's so odd - his sister was a perfect stroller, car, anywhere napper. He though will only sleep in a bed (we were recently on a road trip and got stuck in traffic, and he stayed awake until after midnight...)

I honestly don't understand the mask mandate for toddlers. They just aren't old enough to explain to them why they have to wear them, and what toddler is going to wear one when it's hot and muggy out? Our mask mandate over here is only for 13 and up. If you are 12 or younger, you don't have to wear one. It seems much more reasonable. We also don't have to wear them outside at all, only indoors in public spaces. I think they help and they are a good thing, but you also have to be reasonable about it, and asking a 2 year old to wear a mask in Florida heat is not reasonable!

Maybe you can go again soon as it looks like some of the restrictions are being lifted?

 

[sheriffwoody]

Thank you so much for tagging me and thinking of me. I have been wanting to start reading your TR but have been so busy (not a complaint! I remember what I was doing last year at this time so I will take the busy!)
LP has spent the year growing!!!
She is too cute!
Anyhow, I am here now…

Following along. Caught up. Looks like you're having a great time.

Thank y'all for following along! Glad to have ya here.

A little late, but following along. My son is just a bit younger than LP, and I'm right there with you and the masks. We want to go again while he's free, but there's no way he's going to keep on a mask. Not having to wear them outdoors now will help, but I know every ride is going to be about trying to keep it on him. Power to the parents who somehow get their kids to keep them on!

We also had him sleep in the extra bathroom at Poly when we took him in August lol. As we figured, he probably slept better since it was more quiet! And, we definitely did too and less tired parents make better parents right?

He also isn't a stroller napper either, so we had run into the same dilemma about Epcot when we had been there. It's so odd - his sister was a perfect stroller, car, anywhere napper. He though will only sleep in a bed (we were recently on a road trip and got stuck in traffic, and he stayed awake until after midnight...)

I think we're lucky she's small, so no one really questioned it. I was determined to go because we missed our trip with her last year because of the shut down! Also glad I'm not the only one with a kid that doesn't stroller nap. I was just talking about this with some friends. We all kind of followed the same sleep "training" (I did not do cry it out, just started her in her own room super early and remained consistent with that) with our kids and none of them sleep outside their bed except for occasional car naps. I think it's because we were soooo consistent with crib naps from early on. I'm fine with it because she naps so well at home, but it would be nice if I could have it both ways

Sorry I’m late! You know how it is getting ready for a new semester at a university.

I know that life! Glad you're here!

I honestly don't understand the mask mandate for toddlers. They just aren't old enough to explain to them why they have to wear them, and what toddler is going to wear one when it's hot and muggy out? Our mask mandate over here is only for 13 and up. If you are 12 or younger, you don't have to wear one. It seems much more reasonable. We also don't have to wear them outside at all, only indoors in public spaces. I think they help and they are a good thing, but you also have to be reasonable about it, and asking a 2 year old to wear a mask in Florida heat is not reasonable!

Maybe you can go again soon as it looks like some of the restrictions are being lifted?

Same! Seeing other orgs with higher ages is what helped me justify it to myself.