We're Doing Disney Again Someday...Plus One! ~ Come Read my Trip Report!!!

[Leshaface]

Wow you did such a fantastic job shopping for her for your trip! Isn't it sad to have to pick out bigger sizes already? We went to the mall this past weekend and found a few things for DS...in size 9M and 12M. I didn't like it

 

[jc040404]

Awww! Love all the new pics! Her eyes really look amazing in some of these. She's so sweet watching the animals. I could just picture her at AK, too! She'll be adorable in all of the outfits you have set up for your trip. Love this baby girly stuff!

Awesome deal on the gift cards again! I thought I was getting a decent deal buying a few for the gas perks a couple weeks ago. This is just wild to me. I've never gotten into Target for gift cards deals like this, but it seems like a great way to save. Super job!

 

[Dugette]

Oh it's super easy! Takes a few times of practice. Do it over the bed or couch til you're comfortable with it. But I get him in in 15 seconds now standing next to the car before going into a store. This is how I learned: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q36idyn7g0
There are other ways too so just youtube "Ergo back carry" and see which one makes the most sense to you.
But by 14 months I would DEFINITELY put her on your back. I could barely do a front carry by 9 months (but Caden seems like he was probably a good bit bigger at 8 months than Dug Baby is right now). Now at 12 months there is no way I could carry him on my front. It would hurt my back too much I think. And he likes back carry much better cause he can see over my shoulder.

Thanks! I watched that video and, awesomely enough, the ad that showed first was for Disney World! I'll have to practice getting Dug Baby in that way sometime.

Oh and I love using the Ergo in crowded places (like Disney would be) cause I don't have to think about space for a stroller 4 ft in front of me, I only have to think about my own personal bubble of space. The ergo keeps them so close that it's just like being me in a crowd. It's nice.

And I feel like he's safer. No one can grab him off my back. Not that anyone would actually grab my stroller, but I can look around at stores and not have to keep a hand and an eye on him, cause he's attached to me.

Makes sense. I used the Moby Wrap a lot when she was smaller and really liked not having to deal with a stroller.

Also, didn't show up in my quote, but re: using your Disney Visa rather than Gift Card...if that happened, they could most likely issue a credit to your Visa, then charge the Gift Card. On our last trip, I'd already paid for the trip on a credit card, but got the Gift Cards after that. I called WDW and they credited my card and took the Gift Card payment instead.

Happy Mother's Day on your very first Mother's Day!! I love the picture of you and Dug Baby together - you are both beautiful I also love all the Disney clothes! She is set for her first trip

Thank you so much! Yeah, I love how that picture turned out. And to think, I still have another 6 months of finding cute Disney clothes for her that I can't resist!

Wow you did such a fantastic job shopping for her for your trip! Isn't it sad to have to pick out bigger sizes already? We went to the mall this past weekend and found a few things for DS...in size 9M and 12M. I didn't like it

Thanks! Yes, I can't believe that she is wearing some 9 months stuff now and I also bought some 12 month things recently. I remember when those sizes seemed forever away...seems like yesterday! I can't believe I've already had to pack up her newborn and 3 month stuff!

Awww! Love all the new pics! Her eyes really look amazing in some of these. She's so sweet watching the animals. I could just picture her at AK, too! She'll be adorable in all of the outfits you have set up for your trip. Love this baby girly stuff!

Awesome deal on the gift cards again! I thought I was getting a decent deal buying a few for the gas perks a couple weeks ago. This is just wild to me. I've never gotten into Target for gift cards deals like this, but it seems like a great way to save. Super job!

Thanks, some of those photos really capture her big, bright eyes quite well! I think she'll like Animal Kingdom a lot. As long as the animals are big and furry, at least!

Hey, a deal's a deal! I just can't stand to pay full price when I can get something for less. And we wouldn't be staying at the Poly without this discount either, so it's worthwhile!

 

[Dugette]

Just a quick update, since Dug Baby turned 8 months old on Monday. The photo session was much less chaotic (and much quicker) than last time. But we got a nice picture:



She's still a wonderful baby and we're so lucky to have her!

I'll update more when I have more time (whenever that is!) It's my bedtime now. But we need to figure out ADRs and stuff soon!

 

[AprilRenee]

Cute!!

 

[Sunset Cliffs]

I love the last picture that you just put up. She is so beautiful and her expressions are so adorable.

I think your gift card plan is brilliant. It allows you to take advantage of a perk from your job, while forcing you to kind of "save as you go" by buying the cards early. That must feel so good to pay off your bill in chunks with the gift cards while you are still on your trip. No credit card bill waiting for you when you get home. Awesome!

Also, your snow pictures made me so sad for you. I don't think I could handle dealing with snow like that, and it makes me grateful to live in California where it only snows a couple of times a year!

 

[jc040404]

That Minnie Mouse just gets smaller and smaller, huh? She's as cute as ever, but growing too fast! Crazy how time flies.

 

[Dugette]

Cute!!

Thanks!

I love the last picture that you just put up. She is so beautiful and her expressions are so adorable.

I think your gift card plan is brilliant. It allows you to take advantage of a perk from your job, while forcing you to kind of "save as you go" by buying the cards early. That must feel so good to pay off your bill in chunks with the gift cards while you are still on your trip. No credit card bill waiting for you when you get home. Awesome!

Also, your snow pictures made me so sad for you. I don't think I could handle dealing with snow like that, and it makes me grateful to live in California where it only snows a couple of times a year!

Thanks! She is very expressive. So fun.

Yes, I don't think I could take a Disney trip without pre-paying it. Especially staying at the Poly. I need to know it's paid for. The gift cards work out great.

Thankfully the snow has been gone for a couple months now. Quite literally, as we still had some in early May! Today was a beautiful 90-ish degree sunny day and the whole week has been wonderful! Yay, summer!

That Minnie Mouse just gets smaller and smaller, huh? She's as cute as ever, but growing too fast! Crazy how time flies.

Yes, Minnie is shrinking! She and Dug Baby used to be the same size! Time really is flying. It's just crazy.

 

[Dugette]

Hi, all (if anyone is still here)! I just have no time for anything lately it seems. I miss the DIS! But, here I am on the 4th of July staying up late (even though I have to work early tomorrow), waiting for fireworks, with time to kill. So, time to crank out an update! A lot has happened. We booked ADRs and made up a rough itinerary. Subject to change, but it's a starting point. I'm going to try to cut and paste here, so we'll see if the format turns out okay (I fixed a few things). My commentary in red.

Disney schedule: December 7-14, 2013

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Crowd levels: 5
MK crowd levels: 5.1
Special hours: Magic Kingdom open late until 12 a.m. Dug said WDW released hours now and this may not actually be the case. We'll see, I guess.

2 p.m. (?)
Arrive at MCO, pick up baggage, board Magical Express

3 p.m. (?)
Arrive at Poly
" Check-in
" Settle into room (unpack)
" Pool time?

6:30 p.m.
Dinner at Kona Café

8 p.m.
While Dug Baby sleeps, Dug or Dugette goes to Magic Kingdom
Make sure to ride things difficult to do with Dug Baby:
" Space Mountain
" Buzz Lightyear
" TTC
" Splash
" Big Thunder

12 a.m.
Magic Kingdom closes, return to Poly

Sunday, December 8, 2013

7:00 a.m.
Breakfast at Captain Cooks

8:00 a.m.
Rope drop at Magic Kingdom
" Enchanted Tales with Belle
" Grab Mermaid Fastpass
" Peter Pans Flight
" Its a Small World
" Dumbo
" Little Mermaid

11:00 a.m.
Lunch at Be our Guest

12:00 p.m.
Return to Poly for break
" Time for swimming if weather is nice

3:00 p.m.
Return to Magic Kingdom
" Pooh
" PhilharMagic
" Carousel
" Haunted Mansion
" Riverboat

5:00 p.m.
Dinner at Pecos Bills

6:00 p.m.
Boat to Fort Wilderness

7:00 p.m.
Sleigh ride Have not booked this yet, but did it in 2010 and thinking it may be fun with Dug Baby.

8:00 p.m.
Return to Poly for Dug Baby’s bedtime

Monday, December 9, 2013

9:00 a.m.
Rope drop at Epcot
" Fast pass dash to Test Track?

9:30 a.m.
Breakfast at Sunshine Seasons
" Trade off eating while other person rides Soarin
Afterwards
" Living with the Land
" Seas with Nemo and Friends, Turtle Talk
" Figment
" Test Track

11:00 a.m.
Walk through Canada, England and France

12:00 a.m.
Lunch at French bakery? New Morocco restaurant?
Nap time
As we walk through Epcot? Beach Club?

3:00 p.m.
Leave for Studios
" Meet up with [friend] family at Studios We found out a family we are (long-distance) friends with will be in WDW the same week as us. We're trying to coordinate some things with their schedule.
" Grab snack/dinner at Starring Rolls
" Honey I Shrunk the playground, Osborne Lights
" Watch each others kids to make it easier to go on Rock n Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror?

7:00 p.m.
Return to Poly

8:00 p.m.
Dug or Dugette goes to Magic Kingdom for extra magic hours
" Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, TTC
" Splash, Big Thunder

11:00 p.m.
Dug or Dugette returns to Poly

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

7:30 a.m.
Breakfast at Kona Café

9:00 a.m.
Rope drop at Animal Kingdom
" Grab Everest FP?
" Safari, Gorilla Trek
" Flights of Wonder, Jungle Trek
" Everest
" Boneyard, Triceratop Spin
" Festival of the Lion King, character trails

1:00 p.m.
Return to Poly
" Lunch at Captain Cooks

4:00 p.m.
Leave for Magic Kingdom, meet up with [friend] Family
" Snack at Caseys Corner

7:00 p.m.
Return to Poly

7:50 p.m.
Dinner at Ohana Dug spontaneously booked this, but we may keep it. Turns out Dug Baby loves chunks of meat! I think steak is her favorite food, actually. Could be fun!

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

8:35 a.m.
Breakfast at Crystal Palace
Afterwards:
" Pirates
" Jungle Cruise
" Tiki Room
" Aladdins Magic Carpets
" Country Bears?

11:00 a.m.
Lunch at Columbia Harbor House

12:00 p.m.
Dug Babys first haircut? She's actually getting some hair now. Not a lot, but some!

1:00 p.m.
Return to Poly
" Swimming pool time
" Walk over to Grand Floridian to see decorations

6 p.m.
Dinner at Boma

8:00 p.m.
Return to Poly

Thursday, December 12, 2013

9:00 a.m.
Rope drop at Magic Kingdom
" Breakfast at Main Street Starbucks
" Buzz Lightyear
" Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor
" Carousel of Progress

11:30 a.m.
Return to Poly

2 p.m.
" Boat to Magic Kingdom
" Bus to Beach Club
" Lunch at Beaches and Cream

4 p.m.
Meet up with [friend] Family at Epcot

5 p.m.
Watch candlelight processional from American Adventure (Narrator is Jodi Benson, Little Mermaid)

6:20 p.m.
Dinner at Via Napoli (check if [friend] family wants to join us)

8 p.m.
Return to Poly

11:30 p.m.
Somebody can stay at Epcot till extra magic hour ends

Friday, December 13, 2013

7:30 a.m.
Breakfast at Ohana

9 a.m.
Rope drop at Studios
" Toy Story Midway Mania
" Star Tours, Jedi show?
" Muppets?
" Little Mermaid show, Disney Junior
" Animation characters

12 p.m.
Return to Poly? Or go via Boardwalk?

2 p.m.
Leave for Epcot

2:55 p.m.
Lunch at Biergarten
Afterwards:
" Maelstrom
" Storytellers

6 p.m.
Light dinner at Tutto Gusto
Afterwards:
" Mexico boat ride
" Stop by Cava?

8:45 p.m.
Fireworks at Hacienda de San Angel Not sure about staying out late for this, but keeping our options open for now.

Saturday, December 14, 2013

" Morning photo session at Poly? May change this. Not booked yet.
" Breakfast at Wolfgang Pucks Express in Downtown Disney?
" Lunch at Earl of Sandwich?
" Afternoon flight home? Yeah, we still don't have flights. Working on getting what we want for free with points. Stalking airfares...

 

[Dugette]

I know I have a ton of Dug Baby pics I'd love to post, but I don't have the time to go through them all at the moment. So, I'll just go with her 9 month photo from a couple weeks ago and some pictures from today (July 4th).



Today started off with me finding her sitting in the crib with two pacifiers in her mouth at once:



Silly girl!

Then, my dad and step-mom took us all to Dug Baby's very first Twins game:





Dug Baby had a nice nap in the Ergo (first time I've used the sleeping hood):



And, after sleeping through screaming, applause, a homerun, music, and fireworks, she woke up, still sleepy:



After the game, we stopped at an ice cream shop that shares her name:



It was a fun day! And now it's time to sit on the patio with some wine and watch the area fireworks! Happy 4th!

 

[AprilRenee]

Yay!! Looks like a fun 4th and fun trip plans!

How old will she be on your trip?
Caden is almost 15 months and has just moved to 1 nap (usually 11:30-2:30) but he can also do 2 shorter naps on the go if needed. Yesterday I put him down for a second late nap (5:30-7) so that we could go to fireworks. So that may be an option for you on the night you wanted to do fireworks at Disney. Just give her a late nap and take her out! it seems hard to imagine but sleep has become much less stressful for us now. Like at this age I would be willing to do a late bedtime for him maybe a few nights at Disney, or bring along PJs and let him crash in the stroller while DH and I had fun. Just so you know there is some hope for that

 

[Leshaface]

Wow your days are packed out to the brim with things to do at WDW! Had we been going in December this year, those would have been our dates too. Too bad we won't be running into you there.

DS has finally started taking to a Paci about a month ago! And actually, it's the paci that you recommended, the soothie. He loves it and i'm so happy that he does. I wish they were glow in the dark though, so he's able to see it while he's in his crib at night.

Dug Baby looks SO big! Have you started planning her 1 year birthday yet? As of now (could always change depending on my mood! ) we're going to do a Monsters Inc party. He loves his Sully plush and thought it would be a perfect party since it's close to Halloween.

Hope you had a good night last night!

 

[cindianne320]

She's so cute!

Don't feel bad- we don't have flights, either, and we leave in 99 days!

 

[Mom&RN]

Welcome back Duggette! Dug baby is still adorable!! My son was a very bald baby too. In his 1 yr old picture he had about the same amt of hair that Dug Baby has now. Your plans look great, isn't it amazing how many rides are baby/toddler friendly? It will be so magical bringing Dug Baby the first time.

 

[dtr_angel]

I've been a terrible commenter, I'm sorry! Dug Baby is adorable! Oh I absolutely love our Ergo!! Sometimes that was the only way we could get DS to sleep was to walk until he passed out, and then keep walking to make sure he gets his nap in LOL. That was our plan for Disney World if necessary but he actually passed out a lot on his own in the stroller (we were not stroller users before we went to Disney, in fact we had to buy a new stroller for Disney haha) Gavin went to his first MLB game in May just before he was 10 months old. Even though it was a crazy almost sold out game and almost 90 degrees he took 3 naps on my lap and nursed through some really loud home runs without getting distracted, amazing! The ergo definitely came in handy that day but oh my goodness it was so hot!

Your plans look really good, I highly recommend Ohana hopefully Dug Baby will love it!

 

[amazingact21]

Aw, Dug Baby is so cute! I love my Ergo and am anticipating using it when we're at Disney in December.

Your plans and ADRs look great! I hope you're able to do Baby's First Haircut while you're down there. I think that is one of the most adorable things Disney offers for babies. And c'mon who wouldn't want to get their little one Mickey ears that say, "first haircut" on them?!

 

[jc040404]

She's such a cutie! I can't get over how big she looks in some of those pictures. How cute that she like steak.

Your plans sound great. I love how you're splitting up so you don't miss out on any of your favorites. Definitely taking advantage of the close location to MK!

I agree with doing the first haircut, too. I loved that with my boys, but they did have quite a bit more hair. You could just get a teeny bit snipped off for the experience, right? She's still got time!

Our Christmas weekend is just at the end of your trip, so we'll sorta cross paths again. We're going over on the 13th, after the boys get out of school, but to check out the lights at DHS. The next day is split between EPCOT and MK. You know how we are with plans anyway.

 

[Dugette]

Yay!! Looks like a fun 4th and fun trip plans!

How old will she be on your trip?

Thanks. She will be 14.5 months on our trip.

Caden is almost 15 months and has just moved to 1 nap (usually 11:30-2:30) but he can also do 2 shorter naps on the go if needed.

Wow, he naps that whole time? 3 hours? Sweet! Her two naps don't usually add up to that.

Yesterday I put him down for a second late nap (5:30-7) so that we could go to fireworks. So that may be an option for you on the night you wanted to do fireworks at Disney. Just give her a late nap and take her out! it seems hard to imagine but sleep has become much less stressful for us now. Like at this age I would be willing to do a late bedtime for him maybe a few nights at Disney, or bring along PJs and let him crash in the stroller while DH and I had fun. Just so you know there is some hope for that

That's great to hear. I'll be interested to see how she's doing at that point. Her sleep has been changing a lot lately and I'm sure it will in the next 4.5 months. She had been taking 2 naps (30-90 mins. each) at daycare, but started skipping one of them a number of days recently. But was a grumpypants those evenings. However, the last two nights, she has slept all night (previously had been waking to eat 1-2 times/night) and has taken her two naps at daycare no problem and for a decent amount of time. And she's been a happy little camper. I'm mostly worried about the out-of-town/out-of-crib aspect of sleep on our trip. The last trip we took, over Memorial Day (to see my grandma in WI), she slept in a pack' n' play at the hotel for two nights. And was a TERRIBLE sleeper. Cried and cried going down and woke a whole bunch of times each night, nearly inconsolable. At home, in her crib, she goes down awake without crying and definitely does not wake that many times and goes right back to sleep after eating. I really hope she does better in a Disney hotel than she did in the WI one. Anyway, it's good to know how Caden is at that age!

Wow your days are packed out to the brim with things to do at WDW! Had we been going in December this year, those would have been our dates too. Too bad we won't be running into you there.

Aw, what's one more trip! That would have been cool to run into you guys and have a baby playdate!

DS has finally started taking to a Paci about a month ago! And actually, it's the paci that you recommended, the soothie. He loves it and i'm so happy that he does. I wish they were glow in the dark though, so he's able to see it while he's in his crib at night.

I'm so glad he started taking that one! Dug Baby sure loves hers. Her room has just enough light from the CD player that she can see them, I think. Of course, we also keep at least 3 in her crib so she doesn't have to go far to find one. She often falls asleep with one in her mouth and one in each hand!

Dug Baby looks SO big! Have you started planning her 1 year birthday yet? As of now (could always change depending on my mood! ) we're going to do a Monsters Inc party. He loves his Sully plush and thought it would be a perfect party since it's close to Halloween.

I can't believe how big she is, but at the same time, she's relatively small. Weighed in at 17lb 4oz at her 9 month appointment (25th %). 2 months and 1 day until her birthday! Ahhhhh! Can't believe our babies are getting to this point already! Didn't we just have them? Monsters Inc. sounds really fun! Did you see Monsters U? We did (grandparents babysat) and really enjoyed it! I had been thinking about doing Minnie Mouse, as Dug Baby seems rather fond of her. Then, one of my co-workers happened across a business in our building that makes various products (I think?) and was throwing out a bunch of Disney party supply samples (brand new in packages). My co-worker took all the Disney Princess stuff for her daughter's 3rd birthday and she gave all the Mickey Mouse stuff to my co-worker with a baby 1 week younger than Dug Baby and gave me all the Minnie Mouse stuff! So, we are fairly well-stocked on Minnie party supplies now. Other than that, we really have no details planned out. Well, except for stealing an idea from some friends with a baby who already turned one: print all of her monthly pictures with Minnie and make a banner with the month stickers and the pictures. Yeah, we need to do a lot more planning still.

Hope you had a good night last night!

I know I'm late responding to this, but we had a fun 4th of July night. We sat on our patio with some wine (and a bug lantern) and enjoyed a plethora of fireworks shows on the horizon. Dug Baby was upstairs asleep, so we just brought the video monitor outside to keep an eye on her and she slept though everything (yay for the white noise machine in her room!) It was really nice!

She's so cute!

Don't feel bad- we don't have flights, either, and we leave in 99 days!

Thanks! You know, that does make me feel better! But I hope you get good flights! We were really hoping to use our Delta Skymiles (25k each), but nothing for our dates is coming up for that mileage! So, we're still watching that, but have changed strategies. Dug has enough miles on his Flexperks card to get a flight up to $400. I just applied and got a Flexperks card and am in the process of meeting the minimum spend to get a bonus and have enough for another $400 ticket. So, hopefully in a few weeks we'll be able to pounce if our preferred flights ever dip down under $400 again (they're over right now). We used to be able to find flights for $250 pretty easily in 2010. What happened to those days?

Welcome back Duggette! Dug baby is still adorable!! My son was a very bald baby too. In his 1 yr old picture he had about the same amt of hair that Dug Baby has now. Your plans look great, isn't it amazing how many rides are baby/toddler friendly? It will be so magical bringing Dug Baby the first time.

Thanks! Yeah, she has pretty minimal hair. Although, it is getting longer and hanging down over her ears, so she at least can get a little trim! And she's got another 4.5 months to grow some more. Yeah, so many things are baby friendly. I look forward to sharing them with her and seeing her reactions!

I've been a terrible commenter, I'm sorry!

Don't worry about it; I've been awful myself lately! My DIS time is so minimal. But I'm staying up late tonight, since I don't have to be up at 4:30 for work tomorrow!

Dug Baby is adorable! Oh I absolutely love our Ergo!! Sometimes that was the only way we could get DS to sleep was to walk until he passed out, and then keep walking to make sure he gets his nap in LOL.

When she was real little, I used to put her in the Moby Wrap and take walks a lot. She did a lot of napping in that, so I know what you mean. I just haven't used the Ergo as much yet. And it's usually been when she wants to stay awake and see things (like at the zoo). So, it was good to know that she could nap in it.

That was our plan for Disney World if necessary but he actually passed out a lot on his own in the stroller (we were not stroller users before we went to Disney, in fact we had to buy a new stroller for Disney haha)

That's great that he napped in the stroller at WDW! We do use our stroller quite a bit and she sometimes naps in there. We also just got a new one and will probably bring that to WDW (will write more about that in my next update).

Gavin went to his first MLB game in May just before he was 10 months old. Even though it was a crazy almost sold out game and almost 90 degrees he took 3 naps on my lap and nursed through some really loud home runs without getting distracted, amazing! The ergo definitely came in handy that day but oh my goodness it was so hot!

It's crazy what they can sleep through! She slept through a homerun and a lot of cheering, among other things. Also, I have the Ergo Sport, which is supposed to be better ventilated and cooler, and it was a hot day, also around 90 degrees. I was warm, but not much warmer than I would have been without the Ergo. So, I was happy with that and hope it bodes well for WDW.

Your plans look really good, I highly recommend Ohana hopefully Dug Baby will love it!

I hope so too! We sure love it.

Aw, Dug Baby is so cute! I love my Ergo and am anticipating using it when we're at Disney in December.

Very cool. I think we overlap dates with you, maybe?

Your plans and ADRs look great! I hope you're able to do Baby's First Haircut while you're down there. I think that is one of the most adorable things Disney offers for babies. And c'mon who wouldn't want to get their little one Mickey ears that say, "first haircut" on them?!

Yeah, I think we'll do it no matter what the state of her hair. Are you planning to as well?

She's such a cutie! I can't get over how big she looks in some of those pictures. How cute that she like steak.

Thanks! Yes, she's a carnivore for sure!

Your plans sound great. I love how you're splitting up so you don't miss out on any of your favorites. Definitely taking advantage of the close location to MK!

Yeah, we figured we had to take advantage of all the perks of staying at the Poly!

I agree with doing the first haircut, too. I loved that with my boys, but they did have quite a bit more hair. You could just get a teeny bit snipped off for the experience, right? She's still got time!

Yep, if nothing else just trimming the part that's growing over her ears or something.

Our Christmas weekend is just at the end of your trip, so we'll sorta cross paths again. We're going over on the 13th, after the boys get out of school, but to check out the lights at DHS. The next day is split between EPCOT and MK. You know how we are with plans anyway.

It would be really cool to cross paths with you guys! We'll have to see where both of our plans are at in December and if it's possible!

 

[Dugette]

First off, after I posted my Twins game update, I was able to get a picture I'd been waiting for from my step-mom. Dug Baby's "character meet" with TC, the Twins mascot/bear:



She was not fazed by him. Just fascinated, I'd say. Funny picture, though! He patted her on the head a bunch of times and she was okay with it. Hope she continues to like fur characters!

A different aspect of Disney training is getting ready for enjoying the pool at the Poly. Dug Baby is halfway through her first session of swimming lessons and seems to be enjoying herself so far:



On another note, one thing I like to try to do every summer is get out on a boat somewhere. I was getting antsy, wanting to do that before Dug Baby was a crawling/walking/running machine, so last Friday I checked the schedule of the boat company we used for our wedding reception back in 2005. I knew the weather was supposed to be good on Sunday, so was looking for something then. And noticed a "Princess Cruise" listed! I did a bit of quick online research and decided this was worth a few extra dollars, even though Dug Baby was a bit younger than the target audience. Heck, she was free and I'd get to ride on a boat. Plus, Disney training opportunity!

So, this is a 1.5 hour paddleboat ride with "Princesses". (I'm not sure Disney would approve of the princesses taking time off to do this, but hey...) There were also so many adorable little girls in their princess gear, which was really cute.

Here we are waiting to board:



I picked up the little princess outfit on clearance for Dug Baby the day before!

When it was time to board, we got to meet and take a picture with all the princesses:



I mentioned our wedding reception. Well, it was on this very boat, back in 2005 (it was actually cheaper to have an afternoon cruise and lunch on a boat than dinner and drinks in a hotel). It was awesome to be back there. And here's a little "then and now":





So cool. And Dug Baby seemed to enjoy the cruise. Looking at the water, watching all the princesses on the dance floor, trying to crawl off tables:







Snow White really took a liking to Dug Baby and was very sweet with her. Good character meet practice:



So, that was a fun little activity. Of course, Dug Baby was getting tired and cranky toward the end and I didn't bring a stroller or the Ergo, silly me! We amused her as best we could and were happy to get her back in her carseat for a nap!

And that is a good segway into the other thing I wanted to discuss: Disney baby transportation devices!

We had planned on bringing our existing stroller, a Chicco Cortina. I know it's not the "perfect" Disney stroller, but I also have heard it's not too bad and we only need to bus to a couple of parks from the Poly (thank you monorails!) So, I figured we'd make do with it and it would be fine.

However, I'd been thinking lately about how it would be handy to have a smaller-folding stroller for things around town or road trips (we were packed to the brim when we went to WI and brought that stroller). One of my co-workers had gifted me his old umbrella stroller (it's in that Izzy's ice cream picture in my last update). We discovered, during that one time using it, that it's almost impossible to steer. That had been my solution for a leave-in-the-car stroller. But, after using it, not so much. So, I'd been thinking about umbrella strollers and such.

After finishing a Target shopping spree to use a Pharmacy Rewards extra 5% off day last Saturday, I jumped online remembering that Target had some baby items on sale. Well, rather than an umbrella stroller, the sale price on the Britax B-Agile caught my eye. I knew I'd seen people on the DIS talking about this stroller and generally liking it quite a bit. It seemed like maybe it could serve the current need and also be better for our trip. And, between the sale price and my discounts that day, it would be around $150 with free shipping, which I think is quite good for that stroller. But, I only had like 3 minutes to decide, since it was almost midnight and my extra 5% was only good for that day of shopping. So, I figured, what the heck, I can always return it if I don't want it. Click, done.

So, UPS brought it today and I put it together after work and took Dug Baby for a quick cruise around the neighborhood in it. She screamed and cried when I first put her in, but once we started walking she settled in happily. Must not have known what I was strapping her into, I guess. Anyway, seems pretty nice. I'm thinking we will probably keep it and use it for WDW instead of the Chicco Cortina.

I think the biggest WDW benefits are the bigger sunshade and the smaller fold/lighter weight (7 lbs. less or so). I took some pictures to show both:







I think the cons are that the storage basket is smaller, there is no child tray, no parent tray, and it doesn't really stand up when it's folded (it's unbalanced). For the storage things, though, I've seen people mention accessories that worked well for them, so I need to look into those, I think. Also, it seems like it would be really good for napping. Both strollers recline fully, but this one seems like it has more privacy/less distraction. Hoping that could help if we pull a jammies-on-in-stroller-late-night. Seems cozy.

Also, still plan to bring the Ergo. One question, though, since all this stroller business is new to me. I know it's a good idea to have two bags, one with valuables to bring into rides with you and one with diapers, etc. that can be left in the stroller. What do I do with the Ergo when we park the stroller to go into something? Would it be safe in the storage basket? Or maybe in a bag in the basket or something? It wasn't cheap (but not as much as the stroller itself), so I wouldn't want it to get stolen. Obviously, sometimes I'll be wearing Dug Baby in it, but probably not for everything and it's not the smallest thing to just bring along all the time. Any thoughts or experiences? Any other WDW stroller tips, in general?

Okay, time to get ready for bed, I think. Swim lessons for Dug Baby in the morning! Hope you all have a good weekend! Oh, and Dug Baby turns 10 months tomorrow (wow!!!), so I'll be back here soon with her monthly picture(s)!

 

[amazingact21]

Dug Baby seemed to have an enjoyed her boat trip! And how cool that it was the same place you guys celebrated your wedding.


I think you're going to like the Britax. I have a City Mini, which is just like the stroller in the picture, and I can't imagine maneuvering anything else. I can steer it one handed on my walks, while holding a dog leash, and I know that'll come in handy if I have to go in stores at the parks. Plus, lighter is always better. Not to mention it's a compact looking stroller, so it should fit into the monorail spaces better.


I do have to agree with you on the storage space, though; there's not a lot. Maybe you could bring a backpack that has more room for baby essentials?


Hmm, I've never thought about what to do with the Ergo when it's not in use. I'd say clip the waist part on, but that'd get old and uncomfortable, especially when you're trying to sit and hold the baby and a bag. Perhaps if you hide it really well under the bag you leave in the stroller? I know that's risky, though.


I had a friend who just came back from Disney with their 1 year old, and they had an uber expensive stroller, so to prevent anyone from thinking about stealing it, they removed the front wheel and put in their bag while they went on a ride. The CMs could still move the stroller when needed, but nobody would think about taking off with a stroller that was missing some wheels. It might not be something you're concerned about, but when I heard it, I was like, "I need to tell DISers with babies that idea, just in case one of them becomes a little wary while at the parks."