What Means "Ay, Caramba?"--Famous for Family of the Day!,Sept TR-Cape May HooRay 4/14

[Fantasyland Mom]

Yay for update...favorites!! I love the beginning of a Disney trip!
Gotta be honest Jenn I have been working on ADR's and dining plans for like a year now for our Dec trip (obsess much?) and my "final plans" did not include WPE because I really wanted to do Raglan Road and we were not planning on more than one trip to DDisney,but after seeing you post.....back to the old drawing boards to see if I can weasel in WPE...sigh. It looks so yummy though and creme brulee is soooo good. What's a girl to do? BTW I have been reading your past TR (loving it) and I cannot believe how much you kiddos have grown....my goodness!

You will not be disappointed! WPE never disappoints!
They sure have grown. I've tried to slow them down, but they don't listen (about most things, in fact).

Aaahhhh I'm excited! I LOVE your trip reports! On board for this one too!

I'm glad you're here for another one!

Great bonus day!!! We always head to DTD on first day for WPE lunch and shopping. Love the Cms magically touch with Ariel pic. I'm sure we will see her in many pics to come.
Great job Brandon with tech update. I'm sure you get a lot of questions about videos and pics.
Also were you guys crammed in Movies standard room? Family of 5 are always a challenge for storage space. Can't wait to see your system setup!

We were crammed in, but we literally were only there for sleep. I thought it was going to be tight, but it really ended up being no problem because we were gone from sunrise until all kids were already zonked in strollers. I did make sure to be very organized, too. And all that being said, we'll have to be in a proper room for five next year, though those aren't too much bigger than a value room. Storage solutions will always have to happen for us!

Ouch! Sorry to hear about your back but I'm glad to hear the doctor and the grandmother were able to help. And hey, it worked--who cares what kinda looks the other moms had!

I don't think a road trip with kids could take place without incessant questions. It just wouldn't be real.

Wow what awful service. I mean, I get locking the doors at night for safety I guess but don't you think it'd be a good idea to OPEN them for people?

I don't blame Brynn one bit. I full out scream at the sight of bugs. What a bad way to start a vacation. At least you knew you'd be at DISNEY soon.

Julia's note is too cute!

YAY WDW sign!

Oh wow-- so are the All Star resorts within walking distance of each other then?

Good logic about the love bugs! Those things really are EVERYWHERE!

What a great pixie dust moment for Brynn!

Yeah, the photopass lanyards are awful. CMs kept telling me I should wear it to make it known to the photographers that we have it but I had no trust in that system. In January, one of the photographers had a tool of some kind and tightened the clasp for us and only then did it hold!

WPE is so awesome! Yay for meeting Dani and Matt!

Aw the girls' outfits are SO CUTE! Marie is one of my favorites!

I can't say I understood much of Brandon's text update but I do find it very interesting. I really want to save up and buy myself a fancy DSLR because I love trying to photograph things so I'd love to really get into it. I also love the idea of being able to rent lens and cameras! It sounds like a great way to get a feel of them before having to drop so much money on them. Once I'm ready to make the jump, I'd love to ask him some questions about it!

That motel was a definite disappointment, but Disney was only hours away!
They really need to work on those PP+ lanyards if lots of people are having problems.
I'm sure he'd love to answer any questions you may have! Just let him know! (He is on here reading, even if he's quiet.)

 

[FloridaNative8]

I'm mostly a lurker, but I have to tell you how much I love your TRs! I read your Island Hopping TR in two sittings (sorry if that comes across crazy!)

Looking forward to hearing about the rest of this trip!

 

[Mommy Poppins]

Wow, that had to be a super busy (and emotional) time for you guys. How long will he be there?
They did have the machine for the tea, but only the other flavors were in it. The white citrus came out as water. I tried it every day to see if flavor would magically show up, but no luck. What I did note is that the tea machines didn't have the Rapid Fill contraption on them, so people without the mugs were making good use of getting free drinks. Maybe they just ran out?

We're not sure exactly when he'll come home, just hoping he makes it for DD's graduation in June. It was a very quick trip for us, we usually like 8-10 days. But, we managed to cram in 4 parks, 1 waterpark, Downtown Disney, Disney Quest, MNSSHP, a family photo shoot and DD's senior pictures into 4 days, so we accomplished a lot! Also, we had DD's friend with us and this was her first trip to WDW!

I noticed that with the tea also not being part of the Rapid Fill whoseywhatsit. Maybe they were just out--no matter what, that sucks! It is goooooodddddd stuff!

 

[merbobear]

Jenn..you know I love your TR's and look forward to seeing you and the kids living these magical moments, eat delicious food, and have the time of your lives..but just this one time, Brandon is the star today! haha Thank you so much for sharing all of the photography geeky stuff! I am so not on his level with photography, I'm definitely more amateur, but enjoy fiddling with my camera and taking video as well. I'm really glad that he's going to share the video editing work flow this year, as I have hours and hours and probably days and days worth of disney footage, and not even a decent start on doing anything with it to create a finished product. Can you share the company that you rent through? Do you physically go into a business and rent or do they deliver via fedex or another shipping company?

Now back to Disney magic
The buses can be fun! They can also be super full of people and take a long time to get where you are going. You experienced both ends of the spectrum in one day, now you can go back to mini van or monorail and know that you had the experience Mini van and monorail happen to be my 2 favorite modes of transportation as well.

WPE is hands down one of my favorite QS dining options. We go there at least once per trip, and I am with you, the pizza is phenomenal. I have had the mac & cheese as well and it's the best I have had. Even without the delicious meals, though, the creme brulee is worth the entire QS credit on its own! Yum

 

[heatherlizz602]

Ya the wig was....interesting...but she's much better being a blonde mermaid

I got ya girl on pointin and shootin

 

[Rumpletinker]

Signing up! I'm so excited for this; I loooove your trip reports!! I'm really looking forward to Brandon's tech posts since I've started getting into photography myself.

Can't wait to read more!


P.S. Brynn's eyes blow me away. Such a gorgeous little girl!

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

I'm mostly a lurker, but I have to tell you how much I love your TRs! I read your Island Hopping TR in two sittings (sorry if that comes across crazy!)

Looking forward to hearing about the rest of this trip!

That comes across as AWESOME!! You're obviously a wonderful person! I'm glad you're out of lurkey-loo status.

We're not sure exactly when he'll come home, just hoping he makes it for DD's graduation in June. It was a very quick trip for us, we usually like 8-10 days. But, we managed to cram in 4 parks, 1 waterpark, Downtown Disney, Disney Quest, MNSSHP, a family photo shoot and DD's senior pictures into 4 days, so we accomplished a lot! Also, we had DD's friend with us and this was her first trip to WDW!

I noticed that with the tea also not being part of the Rapid Fill whoseywhatsit. Maybe they were just out--no matter what, that sucks! It is goooooodddddd stuff!

WHOA! That blows me away! I cannot believe you were able to do all that. Very impressive.
I'm crossing my fingers for the tea to make a comeback next trip.

Jenn..you know I love your TR's and look forward to seeing you and the kids living these magical moments, eat delicious food, and have the time of your lives..but just this one time, Brandon is the star today! haha Thank you so much for sharing all of the photography geeky stuff! I am so not on his level with photography, I'm definitely more amateur, but enjoy fiddling with my camera and taking video as well. I'm really glad that he's going to share the video editing work flow this year, as I have hours and hours and probably days and days worth of disney footage, and not even a decent start on doing anything with it to create a finished product. Can you share the company that you rent through? Do you physically go into a business and rent or do they deliver via fedex or another shipping company?

Now back to Disney magic
The buses can be fun! They can also be super full of people and take a long time to get where you are going. You experienced both ends of the spectrum in one day, now you can go back to mini van or monorail and know that you had the experience Mini van and monorail happen to be my 2 favorite modes of transportation as well.

WPE is hands down one of my favorite QS dining options. We go there at least once per trip, and I am with you, the pizza is phenomenal. I have had the mac & cheese as well and it's the best I have had. Even without the delicious meals, though, the creme brulee is worth the entire QS credit on its own! Yum

He uses Aperturent, and he picks up the gear from their office near here. I think they mail, as well. We saw something online about a company in Orlando (Kingdom Camera Rentals, maybe?) who will deliver them to your resort! We may be using them next time.
Yep, done with buses. They can't say we didn't try!
I tried their mac and cheese last year (yeah, WITH my pizza) and it was spectacular. Just so much yum!

Ya the wig was....interesting...but she's much better being a blonde mermaid

I got ya girl on pointin and shootin

Signing up! I'm so excited for this; I loooove your trip reports!! I'm really looking forward to Brandon's tech posts since I've started getting into photography myself.

Can't wait to read more!


P.S. Brynn's eyes blow me away. Such a gorgeous little girl!

Thank you so much for the compliment about her eyes. I think they tell so much about her.

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

Hey, y'all! I'm so sorry it took a while for me to update, but I literally had a headache half the week last week and didn't do much on computers. I will do better! To make it up to you, there are three updates today, so keep reading until you get to the end of the day!

When we left off, we'd had a long bus ride to our resort, All Star Movies, and were getting ready to see our room!

First thing first, Brynn and I headed back to the front desk to find out our room number. We were assigned to room 1912, the top floor of building 1 in the Dalmatians section.



We had booked a preferred location room, mostly because that's all that was left, but we were hoping that meant close proximity to Cinema Hall. Cinema Hall is where everything happens--dining, shopping, arcade-ing (?), and most importantly, drink refilling!

We walked out the back doors of Cinema Hall and turned to the right to see our building! The girls were getting really excited, because immediately they started seeing all the 101 Dalmatians theming. And Brandon likes to take pictures of me mid-word...pay attention to the fire hydrant stairwell in the background, not the weird look. Informational purposes only.



I'm pretty sure I was saying that I couldn't believe it was RIGHT HERE.

Building 1 has a huge Pongo icon...







...and building 2 has a huge Perdita.



Right in front of our building was the tv (and Lucky!) from the scene where the dogs watch the Kanine Krunchies commercial and a television show. It has steps behind it where kids can climb up and pretend to be on the screen, so you know my kids HAD to do that! They're hams without prompting, but this meant that each time we passed by they had an excuse for their antics. All. Week.





After a news report from the girls that recounted every event since we'd left home, we found our way to the elevators. We always request top floor if a building has an elevator, as we used to live in a ground floor apartment when we were in college and we hated hearing people walking around above us.
Naturally, I walked to the wrong room first.



I was freaking out about the key not working until I realized it was my brain not working. I checked the slip of paper the CM had just given me, then walked alllllll the way to the end of the hall to find our room (our REAL room). I guess some other people had found it, too, as there were three workers in there and the door was standing wide open! They seemed shocked, like they had no idea what we were doing there. Uhmmm...recently checked piece of paper says we live here for the next nine nights.

Apparently one person was gluing a strip of wood veneer on our dresser, one person was watching him, and one was standing there looking pretty. It takes a lot of people to glue a piece of fake wood. They apologized for being in there, and we assured them that we didn't care a bit, and they ran out of there like their pants were on fire.

For reference, Sawyer was still sleeping in the stroller.

Immediately, we took in the sights. Honestly, value resort rooms are tiny, so that didn't take long.

We had two full sized beds. Yes, you read that right. Full.



The other bed had a towel Mickey head!



Immediately after this, the girls decided to investigate how it was constructed, which means that was the end of towel Mickey.

The girls were ecstatic about the Dalmatian artwork and claimed the bed next to the picture as theirs. We realized that the pack-n-play for Sawyer wasn't in the room, so we called down to ask for it to be delivered, and it showed up within ten minutes.

Brandon ran down to get our luggage and move the van to the correct parking lot, and the girls and I watched Stacey. That's what we do. We watch her, we love her, we quote her, and all is right with the world.

Sawyer snoozed.

Once Brandon made his two trips for our things, I got down to the business of organizing our small space. Everyone has to be organized in a hotel room, but with five people in a value, you have to be extra organized. I hate clutter, so I had to make sure everything had a place so that all my counter-tops would stay clear.

Last year, I started a box system, and it works so well for us. The values and moderates have a closet-type shelf in the sink area, so I line those with collapsible boxes that I found for $1 each at Dollar Tree. They fold flat for packing, but then open up to hold quite a bit.



I separate things into categories in the boxes: food, baby stuff (wipes, his baby underwear, etc.), medications/toiletries, things to replenish our park bags (post-its, pins, batteries, glow sticks, etc.), bowls/utensils/cups. Also up on that shelf was our electric kettle. Values don't have coffee makers, so bringing our own instant coffee was a must.

We also made use of a hanging shoe organizer. Things I wanted the kids to be able to reach, like applesauce packs, juice boxes, eye glass cases, went down low. Things I'd rather they didn't have, like hair gel, Febreze spray, and deodorant, went up high. This provided access to things we'd use a lot, but kept it off the counter and in its place. It worked great!

At All Star Resorts, the dresser also has these decorative bars on the side, very art deco. I used them for shoe storage! (This picture was taken later in the week, so that's where the balloons came from.)



Notice I also put a small folding box next to the television. This one was to hold things like receipts, coins, pins that lost their backs, keys, and anything small that may pile up on the dresser; like I said, I HATE things on my flat surfaces!

I set up Sawyer's pack-n-play with all his blankets and stuffed animals, but he kept snoozing in the stroller. I put our clothes (still in their labeled bags) in the dresser, and stashed the luggage in the closet area for the remainder of the trip. It was a pretty successful overhaul.

Next, Brandon ran down to refill our mugs. At this point, we realized that our room was right next to the stairwell that was right next to Cinema Hall. We really couldn't have been closer! It was easy just to trot down the stairs and get refills anytime we wanted, which was nice. Of course, if they had my favorite white citrus tea instead of being out of it all week it would have been nicer.

When Brandon returned, we were getting itchy to get to a park. We nudged Sawyer until he woke up...or at least tried to wake up.



We wanted to eat at Epcot and to take care of even more business, so we texted Dani and Matt, who were headed there also, and jumped in the van. It was around dinnertime and there was a lot of cloud cover, so it was pretty much the only time all week that I was without sunglasses.

Soon, we were seeing this:



I LOVE EPCOT. Let me just take a moment to let you know that nothing in the world makes me happier than Epcot with my family. It makes me laugh for no reason. I just cannot contain the happiness. And when I'm about to burst, it pretty much looks like this:



We were able to park not too far from the entrance. We refuse to use trams because of the stroller folding issue, but we'll take pictures of them. Also, MONORAIL! First one of the trip!



We weren't going to be here very long, and because of that we didn't have our usual ton of bags. For the first time ever, I went through the "no bags" entrance while Brandon went through bag check with Sawyer and Julia. Brynn and I headed right to Guest Relations to take care of some business: the Guest Assistance Card, or GAC.



For those of you unfamiliar with the (former) GAC, it's a card that let cast members know what sort of accommodations a person might need in order to have a magical day. There were certain stamps on it that you could show to a CM instead of having to explain your situation over and over again. It's been changed now to another system, the DAS, which I'm not hearing great things about...but that's another discussion for another day.

At Guest Relations, there were three people in front of me. Three. That's all. But we stood there a half hour. (Side note: this does worry me about the DAS. People will have to repeatedly stand in these ridiculous lines, making the Guest Services lines longer for people trying to get accommodations so their vacation can actually work, along with people just wanting to add ticket days or ask about parties.)

Brynn kept herself amused by watching a little boy playing with the chains that form the line. She giggled to herself, then pulled down her stroller shade when he came too close. Eventually she handed him a stick she found (how? where? I don't question things like this anymore.) and pushed the chain once. They were playing with no talking, and both looked like they had fun. This was big for her, because she will interact with adults really well all day long, but kids are just not her strong point. She does well with her siblings, but other kids...not so much.

I kept myself amused by watching Brynn and the little boy, and also by listening to the conversation of the people behind me. There was a sign on the Guest Relations window advertising a four day ticket, and the man said he wouldn't pay a quarter to stay another day. He said that. He said that Epcot wasn't worth paying a quarter. My chin may have hit the ground.
Brandon took some pictures around where we were standing to pass the time.







Finally, it was our turn, and I wheeled a very happy Brynn up to the window. I'm not sure how the DAS will work, but for the GAC, the CM would ask what accommodations the guest might need. In Brynn's case, she needed to use her stroller as a wheelchair, and she needed an alternate entrance. I'll explain.

Brynn wears leg braces because of the damage her dystonia has done to her ankles, and her legs get very tired after walking a while. She walks fine, just not long distances, so we don't own an actual wheelchair for her since we don't do much trekking around here at home. She needed to be able to go into line with her stroller when she couldn't stand anymore. Aside from that, she needs a "safe spot" at times. She likes the familiarity of her very own stroller, and she can pull down her very large shade and hide from everyone. It prevents meltdowns, and therefore allows us to be able to keep touring the parks. If she gets very upset, there's really no point in being at the park--it would be work, not fun.

The alternate entrance request was for a couple of reasons. If she isn't in her stroller, sometimes she just needs an area with plenty of space so she can move and not feel crowded. The time we used this most was in pre-shows, like Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor or MuppetVistion3d. It really benefits everyone if she has space. She either dislikes being around people so much that she will throw a fit, which involves flailing limbs at times, and that's dangerous for anyone in her vicinity, OR she LOVES people too much and wants to touch them everywhere. She knows no boundaries. If she thinks your pants look like a cool texture, she will rub her hands allllllll over them, if you catch my drift. Or she'll attach to someone and hang. We come to Disney in September for the low crowds, and we try to keep crowds away from her even in line.

We were given our GAC card, which you need to display for CMs (I put mine in my lanyard pouch) and the red stroller=wheelchair tag, and we were on our way.



**KEEP READING--2 more updates below!**

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

**Continued from above.**

I'd been texting Matt and Dani, apologizing for taking forever, but now it was time to head inside our first park of the trip!



It was our first time using the new RFID entrance, and we were maybe a little TOO impressed! We don't get out much.

Sawyer was excited...or something.



He had his stuffed Marie and squeezed her with glee.



Look at us go!!



...and look at us stop. Bathroom break. Get used to that. With five bladders, somebody's always gotta potty. I don't complain, mostly because my bladder is the smallest, and also because NO ONE WAS IN DIAPERS THIS TRIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!





I was texting Dani and Matt, swearing we were on our way to the Mexico Pavilion to meet up with them. We are just so *that* family who can't be on time for anything ever.

We picked up the pace after that and went straight though Future World, turning a blind eye to all attractions and distractions, and crossed over into World Showcase, hanging a sharp left.






And there he was, in all his furry glory.

DUFFY.

My children are obsessed with Duffy. Julia got her Duffy last year, then got some clothes for him for Christmas. He sleeps with her every night. Sawyer got one of the baby Duffys in his pajamas and sleep cap, and he sleeps with his every night. And Brynn was insisting that she needed her own Duffy ASAP. There was no line; how could I say no!?

My kids rushed Duffy and probably freaked him out a bit, but he recovered enough to sign their autograph book. I pulled out our PhotoPass+ card and carefully used it for the first time. That thing was like gold.

Sawyer got some high-five action.





And he had to show Duffy his Marie doll, which Duffy gave a big hug. Duffy loves other stuffed things, apparently.





For real this time, we were heading into the Mexico Pavilion.



"Look Marie...everything the light touches is our kingdom..." I'm pretty sure that's what he was thinking, even if he didn't say it.

Dani and Matt were already on the ride because we took years to get there, so we made our way through the pavilion and straight to our first ride of the trip: Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros...aka "Donald's Boat." Or as Brandon calls it, "Mexican Small World."







Poor Donald.



And we saw our first glimpse of fireworks for this trip...sort of.



When I grow up, I'm going to work in this office building overlooking Gran Fiest Tour. I'm obsessed with how very eighties power female it looks.



Really, during this entire ride I was on my iPad trying to get the My Disney Experience app to work. I wanted to check and see if San Angel Inn had any openings for dinner. Remember, this was an unplanned bonus day, so I had no dinner plans. The app was not working. It told me to call a number. Thanks.

When we got off the ride, we immediately spotted Dani and Matt, who had to hear all about how wonderful this ride was. And to their credit, they acted very excited about it! They did some pin trading with the kids, and I walked over to see if there were any openings for dinner. Shockingly, even though it didn't look that packed, they said they would only accept ADRs. Ah, well. Maybe next time.

It was a gorgeous night in World Showcase, so we decided to walk with Dani and Matt over to the International Gateway, then go find some quick service for dinner.

It was surreal, really. I was not supposed to even be here yet, and here we were with the sun setting in World Showcase, hanging out with great friends, laughing, talking, and having a perfect time.











We adore these people.



**KEEP READING!! YEP! One more update below!**

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

**Continued from above.**

At this point, Brynn wanted to touch all the ducks that were hanging out. I don't think those ducks have met anyone quite like her before. It was like they weren't scared of her at first, and then they realized she was serious and they experienced a bit of shock before fleeing in terror. We explained that we cannot touch the ducks. I'm not sure that little talk stuck in her mind for long, though.

At the International Gateway, we parted ways with Dani and Matt (for now) and decided to head over toward Morocco for dinner.



I knew their sliders at Tangierine Cafe resembled the döner kebabs I ate and loved when I studied abroad in Germany, so I wanted them very badly. Something about meat shaved off a spinning spit just makes me smile. We stopped for a moment to watch Mo Rockin' with a belly dancer, then I went to order while the kids played in the fountain.



Brandon and I split the sliders combo, and we got the kids one hamburger plate and one chicken nugget plate to split. Everything was really good, except for the baklava desserts. They were extremely dry and hard and so cold they almost seemed frozen. I'm not a big dessert person, so that didn't bother me too badly.



People were gathering around the lagoon for Illuminations, which was nearly an hour away. I didn't really understand that since there were hardly any people at Epcot!

My girls decided to entertain those people by performing their own rendition of "Reflection" from Mulan while we pottied. They sang in the bathroom. They sang at the water fountain. They stood on a bench and sang. They belted it out as we made our way towards The Land pavilion.

You're welcome, Disney World.

On our way, we stopped for a family photo. Brandon DOES exist! Sometimes people wonder since he's never in pictures.



We parked our strollers and entered possibly my very favorite place ever: The Land Pavilion. I love everything about this place. I took in the smell, possibly frolicked a little. We were just going to check on Soarin', which everyone had wanted to ride, supposedly.

Turns out Sawyer is literally a millimeter shy of forty inches with his Crocs on, so it was a no-go for him. And since he wasn't going, Brynn decided she didn't really want to do it yet. I suggested we go do something we could all ride, and Julia started crying right there in the middle of my happy place.

Sheesh.

It was 8:51, and that meant decision time. I told Brandon to take her on Soarin' and I would take the two little kids on Living with the Land. That was a brilliant plan, except for the fact that LWTL closes at 7:00, apparently. It didn't close that early when we were here last year, because I remember riding it before Illuminations. I walked them up to Circle of Life just to find that it was also closed. Could we go get a snack at Sunshine Seasons? Nope. They were just closing up.

I decided that we'd just wait up near the entrance of the pavilion. There were benches there, and it overlooked those gorgeous balloons in the middle of The Land. Keeping two little kids entertained when you have no supplies and toys isn't always easy. Brynn wanted to touch things, so we felt all the rock walls and mosaic tiles and carpet. I found a flashlight, and the three of us used it to give each other check-ups. We sang some songs. We got the attention of a CM named Katherine, who struck up a conversation with Brynn. Brynn wanted to talk about her Cruella pin on her lanyard, so Katherine jumped right in talking about all things Cruella. In fact, she was going to dress as Cruella at an upcoming Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party! She was wonderful.

Soon enough, Brandon and Julia returned from their flight, and we made our way back to our van and headed out to the hotel. We quickly realized two things: 1) Brynn's stuffed panda, Rebecca, was nowhere to be found--we think she stayed behind at the Morocco fountain, and 2) there was a sound coming from our tire that we would have sworn meant we had a flat. We drove slowly, and once we made it back to the hotel, Brandon hopped out to take a look at the damage.

Except there was no damage. There was duct tape. It had attached at just the right angle to flap around and scare the heck out of us. Crisis averted.

All the kids fell asleep immediately. I scrubbed out our mugs with the pre-soaped sponges I'd brought and walked the short distance to Cinema Hall for some refills, stopping for a moment to watch the end of "Tangled" at the pool. I was reflecting on how amazing this day had been. According to our original plan, we'd only just now be getting here. By leaving early and having a "taking care of business" day, we were able to get our GAC, get our Disney Visa Rewards Card, trade in our voucher for a PhotoPass+ card, eat dinner at Epcot, arrange our room, and hang out with our friends twice, and now we could start our first full park day with all the little errands taken care of.

I'd say that's a magical start to the trip.

Coming up: Our first FULL DAY at a park...The trip REALLY begins!

 

[evabraniff]

I was so excited to see an update! But I neeeeeeed to know... How you got away with sleeping 5 in a standard room? We added my daughters BFF to our trip in march tonight (a whole new adventure I'm not sure I'm ready for) and we had a standard room booked at POP, ended up moving to POR to accommodate 5. My son is barely 3, would be in a pack and play and they told me NO. 5 guests, need bigger room.

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

I was so excited to see an update! But I neeeeeeed to know... How you got away with sleeping 5 in a standard room? We added my daughters BFF to our trip in march tonight (a whole new adventure I'm not sure I'm ready for) and we had a standard room booked at POP, ended up moving to POR to accommodate 5. My son is barely 3, would be in a pack and play and they told me NO. 5 guests, need bigger room.

Yeah, you can't do a value over the age of three, unless you're celebrating the third birthday sometime during your stay.
We'll be at POR next year, I'm sure! Not many options for five once everyone is an official kid, and I doubt we'll end up at a deluxe (as much as I want to).
Disney makes some major money off of larger families.

 

[thornton0511]

I seriously laugh out loud when I read your updates....which usually gets me a comment from my DH stating I must be on the disboards reading a TR. he knows me well! Anyways love the report on your bonus day, how cool is it to start your trip at day -1? I am contemplating a bonus day for our upcoming Disney trip in Dallas since we will be flying out of DFW at 6am and the idea of getting up and starting our first day at 1 am does not sound like fun. Leaving the afternoon before and hanging out in Dallas sounds so much better but talking the husband in to spending more money is no easy task (our trips usually start out one size and seem to grow the closer we get lol).

 

[GrimGrinningStitch]

HOORAY! Such a good update! First of all, the pictures in this update are amazing. The one of the pink clouds and sky is especially fantastic. Nice job Brandon!

I agree with you on Epcot. I have a smile on my face the entire time. I just love it so much.

I love the Duffy pictures so much! He's pretty much the best, and it's easy to understand why they love him.

We weren't acting excited, we were genuinely excited! We were just really excited to see you guys and spend time with you again. We just loved being with you all!

Now I'm fully craving Tangierine Cafe. It just looks so good. I agree with you on the baklava though. Far from the best. But the rest of the food makes up for it! And the Moroccan pavilion in general. So wonderful.

Such a wonderful and perfect first day!

 

[RGirl]

Fun updates!

I am so impressed with your hotel room organization! I will totally be on the look-out for those collapsible boxes now. Love the idea!

You definitely got a lot of "work" out of the way on this day and managed to have a really nice first night as well. Can't wait to read more!

 

[shan23877]

Your bonus day sounds great! And your organizing is awesome!

So glad you got to hand out with friends.

 

[Jackiemarie21]

Great bonus day! Extra time in WDW is always magical!

Every time my DD would have a meltdown on our trip, I would think don't you know how much your Mama loves this place? You'd better get happy! it must be a common thing for families because the family in the room next to us would get into a fight everyday and the dad would yell "why are you fighting you are in the happiest (insert VERY bad word here) place on earth". It made me feel a little better when my kid was misbehaving.

 

[disneymd33]

I'm in!

 

[FloridaNative8]

Loved these updates!!! Looks like your bonus day was a huge success!

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only organization-obsessed momma out there. I catch a bit of grief from my family when we go on trips (most recently a Disney cruise, where I had all of our outfits in their own Ziploc bags, labeled by day/destination/activity, a binder full of documents and plans, to name a few!)... but they did end up being grateful for it! I'm sure your family appreciates you that same way! I will definitely be taking notes from you for our upcoming trips!

And Disney should seriously buy your pictures to use on their sites - they are stunning. Can we hire y'all to document our Disney trips too?!

Can't wait to hear about official Park Day #1!!

 

[familyabgar]

I scrubbed out our mugs with the pre-soaped sponges I'd brought and walked the short distance to Cinema Hall for some refills, stopping for a moment to watch the end of "Tangled" at the pool.

I'd say that's a magical start to the trip.

Coming up: Our first FULL DAY at a park...The trip REALLY begins!

Coming out of lurkdom to ask about the genius idea of bringing pre-soaped sponges! I'm sure I could google, too, but do you mind sharing your method?

I love your reports and am following along! One of my favorite pictures so far is the creme brulee. Is that weird? Of course, all the pictures are fantastic as you know!