Mickey Power!!! - July 2019 - Once Upon a Time When DHS Opened After Sunrise - 2/27

But, all those spills in the name of saving plastic, probably just made twice the carbon footprint with the chemicals, gas with commuting extra labor in to clean, etc... Gimme a break.
::yes:: Look, I'm all for sustainability and conserving our planet. I mean, who in their right mind wouldn't be??? But I see a lot of cases where we rush to cut something simple out of the equation that is maybe more highly visible, but probably not as significant a threat as other things. And in turn, there is a chain reaction that has environmental costs in other ways.
Oh I get that... the typical picky kid scenario.
::yes::
 
Learning to Swim Again!
Today was the reason that Mom and Dad decided to join us last minute.
B’s birthday was a few months prior to our trip and she had been on a big Ariel kick lately. On top of that, she loves to swim. Mom decided to do something a little bit different and special for her birthday, so she bought her a session for the Mermaid School offered on certain mornings at some of the resorts.
The only day we could get her scheduled for CBR, was Wednesday, so that’s what we went with.
Mermaid school starts at 8 am. They asked us to have B there by 7:45. We signed some paperwork and the instructors were being energetic and interacting with the kids as we waited for everyone to show up and the lesson to begin.
They took all the kids into the pool and had them sit on the steps. Each kid, one by one was asked to swim out to the instructors... some with assistance and/or were given a life jacket if needed. They did this to gauge the swimming ability and comfort of the mermaids. They were awesome about letting the stronger swimmers do their thing and offering as much help as they needed to some of the others. There were several little girls in this class and they ranged from a couple of them that looked like the water is their element and a couple that could not swim a lick. They were able to work with each of them individually and cater the experience to what they needed.
After seeing the girls swim and splitting them into 2 groups (1 group per instructor) they fitted each of them with a mermaid tail and taught them how to “land” on it if they needed to rest.
They spent time learning to swim in their tails, swimming through hoops and playing some little games with the instructors. The first 45 minutes were doing some specific games/tasks 1 on 1, 1 girl at a time with the instructors while the others sat on the step and watched. After everyone was adequately trained, they were allowed to spend the last 15 minutes swimming around in their tail and doing whatever they wanted to do.
The downside of the whole thing... they had 1 lifeguard, which meant that nobody was allowed to go past the cannons you see behind the instructors in some of the pictures below. So they had to basically swim in circles in a small section of the pool during their free swim time.
All in all, this was something that I’d highly recommend. I don’t remember the exact price (it was between $50-55 after taxes and everything), but it is a bargain if you have a Little Mermaid fan that loves to swim. The school is conducted by an outside contractor, so the instructors aren’t Disney employees. I wondered if that might leave something to be desired, but they were awesome with the girls. The guy who was there that morning was talking to us and he’s a huge Disney fan. He told us that his family had just moved down to the Orlando area a few months prior because they wanted to be close to the parks and have APs and love to just go after the kids get out of school some evenings. So even though they weren’t CMs, they were passionate about it, dedicated to the product and gave that same great Disney like service.
They give you an opportunity to buy a mermaid tail at a $20 discount if you buy it the morning of your lesson. However, the discounted price is still $115. That was a bit more than we planned to spend. They didn’t push the extra purchase in a hard sell way, but they did talk openly about it in front of the kids which meant that B was upset that we didn’t want to buy her a tail that morning. I don’t believe anybody purchased one the morning we were there. We offered to buy her a T-shirt for $20, but she was being stubborn and it was going to be the tail or nothing... so she got nothing.
Another thing of note, they didn’t limit us to how many people were allowed into the pool area to observe. We had our whole family there sitting on loungers watching. I’m trying to share whatever information I can think of but if you have questions about it, feel free to ask!
So in no real significant order, here are some pictures of B enjoying her mermaid school swimming lesson.
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After B got to enjoy mermaid school, we decided to take advantage of being allowed into the pool area before rope drop and beat the crowd into the water at 9 am. We knew it would be a late start at any parks after her lesson so we didn’t have anything until a noon FP and then lunch at EPCOT.
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We spent an hour or so just enjoying the water while it wasn’t very crowded at all. It made for a very nice, relaxing morning. We headed in and got changed and told Mom and Dad we’d pick them up at about 11:30 to drive to EPCOT instead of messing with the bus.
Now for a life update...
I’m hoping to try to stay somewhat caught up around here. But between work and harvest on the farm this is a busy time of year. On top of that we’ve had some issues arise with R’s health.
Not to get too far in the weeds with details, but we’ve seen some of the symptoms pop up that we’ve had to watch for with his shunt and diaphragm repair. There's been an ER visit and a couple of different CT’s to try to find out what is going on with him. Turns out he has a hole in the patch on his diaphragm and his colon is looped up through it and under his left lung. It’s not considered an emergency yet, but he’s getting fast tracked to a surgery in 2 weeks, at which they will essentially reverse the repairs made to his diaphragm when he was a week old and put in a whole new patch rather than try to patch the patch or re-attach it as they did a couple of years ago. This is going to be a major surgery with at least a weeklong hospital stay so if you could add him to your prayers, please do.
 
Thanks for the detailed review about the mermaid school. They offer this at the Yacht & Beach Club pool, but I haven't really seen much from families who have done this. It does sound like a unique activity.

Funny, several years ago a guest of the resort complained that her daughter brought her mermaid tail to the pools at Disney but the lifeguards would let her use it. She complained that a company that promotes mermaid culture dashed her daughter's dreams and ruined their trip.

It appears that Disney is ok now with having kids with tails in the pool, as long as they get their cut!

Thanks for sharing your life update with us. R. and your family will be in my thoughts and I will be sending along lots of positive energy.

:grouphug:
 
Mermaid school sounds like it was a success! Looks like a lot of fun for mermaid lovers and nice that you could enjoy some pool time as a family before it got crowded!

Sorry to hear about R. I will be keeping him in my thoughts and hope everything goes well with the surgery :hug:
 


All in all, this was something that I’d highly recommend.

This really does sound fun. I'm sorry my girls are too big. I'm afraid Gia will be too old too.


We offered to buy her a T-shirt for $20, but she was being stubborn and it was going to be the tail or nothing... so she got nothing.

This sounds like how Danielle would have acted at that age too.


I’m trying to share whatever information I can think of but if you have questions about it, feel free to ask!

You did a great job explaining this.


Someone looks like they are having a great time!

After B got to enjoy mermaid school, we decided to take advantage of being allowed into the pool area before rope drop and beat the crowd into the water at 9 am. We knew it would be a late start at any parks after her lesson so we didn’t have anything until a noon FP and then lunch at EPCOT.

Sounds like a fabulous way to start a Disney day.

Not to get too far in the weeds with details, but we’ve seen some of the symptoms pop up that we’ve had to watch for with his shunt and diaphragm repair. There's been an ER visit and a couple of different CT’s to try to find out what is going on with him. Turns out he has a hole in the patch on his diaphragm and his colon is looped up through it and under his left lung. It’s not considered an emergency yet, but he’s getting fast tracked to a surgery in 2 weeks, at which they will essentially reverse the repairs made to his diaphragm when he was a week old and put in a whole new patch rather than try to patch the patch or re-attach it as they did a couple of years ago. This is going to be a major surgery with at least a weeklong hospital stay so if you could add him to your prayers, please do.

I will be praying for your family.

This sounds like it will be better for R in the long run since he's a growing boy. I hope this fix will last a lot longer.
 
so she bought her a session for the Mermaid School
I remember that.
Each kid, one by one was asked to swim out to the instructors... some with assistance and/or were given a life jacket if needed. They did this to gauge the swimming ability and comfort of the mermaids.
Ah! Was wondering what was going on... makes sense.
There were several little girls in this class and they ranged from a couple of them that looked like the water is their element and a couple that could not swim a lick. They were able to work with each of them individually and cater the experience to what they needed.
Nice that they could accommodate all skill levels.
After everyone was adequately trained, they were allowed to spend the last 15 minutes swimming around in their tail and doing whatever they wanted to do.
Sounds like fun! :)
The downside of the whole thing... they had 1 lifeguard, which meant that nobody was allowed to go past the cannons you see behind the instructors in some of the pictures below. So they had to basically swim in circles in a small section of the pool during their free swim time.
Well... I guess I can see that. Keep them all close. I can see someone getting into trouble wearing that pretty easily.
The school is conducted by an outside contractor, so the instructors aren’t Disney employees. I wondered if that might leave something to be desired, but they were awesome with the girls.
Huh! Glad it worked out, though.
However, the discounted price is still $115.
Ouch. But... those tails did look pretty cool.
They didn’t push the extra purchase in a hard sell way, but they did talk openly about it in front of the kids which meant that B was upset that we didn’t want to buy her a tail that morning.
Which is really just another way of putting pressure on, of course.
We spent an hour or so just enjoying the water while it wasn’t very crowded at all. It made for a very nice, relaxing morning.
Nice. I don't normally get relaxing when I'm at Disney.
On top of that we’ve had some issues arise with R’s health.
Oh, no...
This is going to be a major surgery with at least a weeklong hospital stay so if you could add him to your prayers, please do.
Thoughts and prayers to you and your family, Andy.
 
Glad the mermaid school was a success! That wasn't too bad a price for something done on Disney property. Honestly, I expected more and am sure if Disney ever takes it over the cost will skyrocket.
That's awesome that the whole family got to watch, too. I'm sure your mom was thrilled that B enjoyed her gift.


Sorry about the health issues popping up. Poor guy is a trooper, and I hope everything goes well.
 


What an awesome experience for B!

I will be keeping your family in my thoughts and prayers, especially your sweet little man. Hope everything goes well and he recovers well. :hug:
 
Prayers sent for R. ♡

The Mermaid school sounds like something my daughter would love. I'll have to keep it in mind!
 
Looks like a lotta fun was had at mermaid school and I’m glad the whole family got to watch and then have some uncrowded pool time.
Sorry to hear that R is having health issues. I’m sure it’s a worrying time for you all. Crossing my fingers for a smooth surgery and speedy recovery. Take care of yourselves :goodvibes
 
::yes:: Look, I'm all for sustainability and conserving our planet. I mean, who in their right mind wouldn't be??? But I see a lot of cases where we rush to cut something simple out of the equation that is maybe more highly visible, but probably not as significant a threat as other things. And in turn, there is a chain reaction that has environmental costs in other ways.

Exactly. I think people get so hung up on the visible and stop to think things through to the later ramifications. They see their little part "yay me, I"m not using a straw", and don't think that choice through. Sure, let's reduce where we can and in situations that are feasible (pasta straws are a good solution actually) but no lids or straws for little ones is just stupid.

They took all the kids into the pool and had them sit on the steps. Each kid, one by one was asked to swim out to the instructors... some with assistance and/or were given a life jacket if needed. They did this to gauge the swimming ability and comfort of the mermaids. They were awesome about letting the stronger swimmers do their thing and offering as much help as they needed to some of the others. There were several little girls in this class and they ranged from a couple of them that looked like the water is their element and a couple that could not swim a lick. They were able to work with each of them individually and cater the experience to what they needed.

This sounds like a really fun extra for kiddos! And a quality program to boot!


We offered to buy her a T-shirt for $20, but she was being stubborn and it was going to be the tail or nothing... so she got nothing.

A fine example of good parenting right there. If more did it this way, we'd 100% see less crime.

We spent an hour or so just enjoying the water while it wasn’t very crowded at all. It made for a very nice, relaxing morning.

I did both while staying there- busy and alone. Guess which one was more enjoyable time?

There's been an ER visit and a couple of different CT’s to try to find out what is going on with him. Turns out he has a hole in the patch on his diaphragm and his colon is looped up through it and under his left lung. It’s not considered an emergency yet, but he’s getting fast tracked to a surgery in 2 weeks, at which they will essentially reverse the repairs made to his diaphragm when he was a week old and put in a whole new patch rather than try to patch the patch or re-attach it as they did a couple of years ago. This is going to be a major surgery with at least a weeklong hospital stay so if you could add him to your prayers, please do.

I wondered if this might happen. :( I am curious if they used mesh... I heard some things at work literally JUST yesterday about mesh repairs.. PM me if you're more comfortable.
 
The mermaid swim sounds so fun, Andi would have loved this about 10 years ago! The tails are very cute, however, expensive to buy!

Sorry to hear about your little guy’s health issues, prayer and positive thoughts being sent your way. Keep us updated as able!
 
week old and put in a whole new patch rather than try to patch the patch or re-attach it as they did a couple of years ago. This is going to be a major surgery with at least a weeklong hospital stay so if you could add him to your prayers, please do.
OH no! Poor Guy. I hope everything goes ok. I will def be thinking of you guys!

That is a serious tail! I see why they were pricey! Is the top part flexible but the bottom rigid?

that is a bummer that they couldn't swim around more. To have the whole pool to get really moving would be super fun! Was there an age limit for the class?
 
So sorry to hear about the complications with R's health. How very stressful that must be for you and your wife. I hope that everything goes as smoothly as possible with R's surgery and that's he's feeling better and in good shape again soon. I'll add him and your family to my prayers.

A more positive note, but B's mermaid school lesson looked so neat! I wasn't quite sure what to expect when you said she was doing this since I'd never heard of it before, but it's a really cool idea! B looked totally at home in the water with her tail. The tails looked awesome in the pictures. But I think it's a pretty lame idea for them to talk about purchasing them in front of the kids, because then of course the kids are going to want them!
 
Mermaid school looks like a good experience. One of my neighbors just took her granddaughters and they loved it .
sorry to hear about your son’s health issues . Prayers lifted
 
Mermaid school looks like so much fun! I didn't realize when you'd mentioned it during your planning that the kids would have actual mermaid tails to swim! I don't know what I thought it was, but I was surprised and impressed! It looks like B had a great time.

A morning of pool time sounds glorious! Most of us (especially those on these boards) aren't great at taking mornings off for fun things like actually using the pools that you pay for in your resort cost. It sounds like a great morning overall!

That's too bad about R - additional surgeries are never fun. I hope the fact that he's a little bigger now will work in his favor. Many prayers for your family and R's quick recovery! :goodvibes
 
Mermaid school looked amazing! I can understand why they charge that much for them - but yes, I hate when they try to manipulate you into a purchase by talking about it in front of your kids.

Thinking of you and R for his impending surgery, and hoping this is a longer-term solution this time around.
 
Mom decided to do something a little bit different and special for her birthday, so she bought her a session for the Mermaid School offered on certain mornings at some of the resorts.

Cool. That was nice of her!

The downside of the whole thing... they had 1 lifeguard, which meant that nobody was allowed to go past the cannons you see behind the instructors in some of the pictures below. So they had to basically swim in circles in a small section of the pool during their free swim time.

Hmmm...lame.

So even though they weren’t CMs, they were passionate about it, dedicated to the product and gave that same great Disney like service.

Good to know. Attitude really is everything! I'm sure Disney would hear about it if they were less than enthusiastic.

They give you an opportunity to buy a mermaid tail at a $20 discount if you buy it the morning of your lesson.

Of course they did.

However, the discounted price is still $115.

Of course it is.

That was a bit more than we planned to spend.

Of course it is. By about $95.

They didn’t push the extra purchase in a hard sell way, but they did talk openly about it in front of the kids which meant that B was upset that we didn’t want to buy her a tail that morning. I don’t believe anybody purchased one the morning we were there. We offered to buy her a T-shirt for $20, but she was being stubborn and it was going to be the tail or nothing... so she got nothing.

Ugh. Not a fun situation for a parent.

After B got to enjoy mermaid school, we decided to take advantage of being allowed into the pool area before rope drop and beat the crowd into the water at 9 am.

Hey, that's pretty efficient. I like it.

I’m hoping to try to stay somewhat caught up around here. But between work and harvest on the farm this is a busy time of year. On top of that we’ve had some issues arise with R’s health.

Not to get too far in the weeds with details, but we’ve seen some of the symptoms pop up that we’ve had to watch for with his shunt and diaphragm repair. There's been an ER visit and a couple of different CT’s to try to find out what is going on with him. Turns out he has a hole in the patch on his diaphragm and his colon is looped up through it and under his left lung. It’s not considered an emergency yet, but he’s getting fast tracked to a surgery in 2 weeks, at which they will essentially reverse the repairs made to his diaphragm when he was a week old and put in a whole new patch rather than try to patch the patch or re-attach it as they did a couple of years ago. This is going to be a major surgery with at least a weeklong hospital stay so if you could add him to your prayers, please do.

Oh, man. I'm sorry to hear that, Andy. Praying they get it fixed for good this time and for a quick recovery.
 
Mermaid school looks like fun. Too bad they openly discussed buying a tail though. I think that's something that should have been mentioned only to the adults. But a small thing I guess. The important thing is that B enjoyed it.

Sorry to hear about R and his health issues. I will keep him and your family in my thoughts.
 

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