I Can't, I'm Not Wearing a Princess Dress! - New TR link!!!!

[afwdwfan]

Well I'm just making my rounds to catch up on everyone else's TRs before I start my next one. Glad you have all your plans in place (well most of them). I hope your luck continues and everything goes smoothly on the next trip. It will be here before you know it.

Yeah... I need to stay active here and keep up on the news. A lot of planning left to do still and FP+ day is coming up in just a little over a month. I need to figure out what's going to happen with Pandora.

Yup. Fairly familiar with that story.

I might have mentioned it once or twice.

Good Lord! Can you say.... CROWDS!!!!!

Yes. Yes I can.

nonononononononoooooooo!

I can (and did) say this too.

Holy crap.

I can (and did) say this too. But I substituted another word for crap.

Wow. That totally sucks.

Yeah... she's learned over the years and become extremely careful about it. With the way Disney handles allergies and sends chef's to talk with you she felt comfortable with everything and was ordering things like French fries, that surprisingly have a tendency to be cross contaminated at a lot of places. After she got sick she stuck to carrots and plain hamburger patties the rest of the time. After she got sick, she was speaking with a quick service manager who told her that while they use different fryers for fries and breaded foods, they filter and reuse the oil... hence her cross contamination.

So... not sure if I've got this.

You're not happy?

I'm happy, in general. I'm not happy about losing Wishes.

No. That's my rant.

It was this year, but are you going to be there in summer 2017? Somebody's got to rant about the heat!

Finally starting to catch up around here, since I had a bit of a hiatus. So glad you have a trip coming up this summer - I definitely hope you will do a TR - you've got to document baby's first trip, after all. Interested to see what you end up doing with your extra night. Hope your family is all doing well.

Yeah, I know the feeling. Every time I finally catch up...

I'll probably try to do a TR. I don't know. I'm obviously struggling to stay motivated to remain active on the Dis. Just being pulled too many directions.

I haven't thought of it this way before, but you're absolutely right. I also think they are trying to cut costs by relying on projections more than fireworks, which if that's the case will frustrate me. I fully expected them to replace Wishes when the 50th Anniversary rolled around; I really don't understand why they are doing it now. Especially when IllumiNations could really use a facelift.

I mean the projections really can add to the show. The Star Wars show looks incredible! But I don't want that to be the focal point. That was always the nice thing about the fireworks. We always had that one trip where we would stand on Main Street to watch them above the castle, but you could enjoy them every night of the trip and you didn't miss anything. You could see them from other areas of the MK, from the bus stop, from the resorts or even from the parking lot as you're getting ready to leave for the night. You can't do that with projections.

Unacceptable! You definitely have to eat there this summer.

I think more and more people are realizing how delicious this restaurant is. I've seen the availability drop drastically in the last few years.

I guess I haven't planned enough trips to realize that. I was certainly shocked that we had our pick of times in Chef Mickey at 180 days and struggled to find anything for VN at 182 days.

I think you should totally splurge for a deluxe for a night. The Contemporary is big enough for your family of 5 to fit easily, but the kids would probably love Stormalong Bay at the Beach Club. You guys have had a lot going on in the past few years and haven't been back to Disney in awhile, you deserve to treat yourself for a night. So I say if you can build up the reward points in time, do it.

I'm really hoping we can and it will come down to having the points before there's no availability. BC is definitely cheaper, but we're kind of leaning towards something on the monorail loop. The kids are at different enough ages that we'd basically have 3 different levels of what they can do there. On top of that, we're going to the beach and a hotel with a splash pad area and beautiful pool. So BC might be a better option for a split stay when the kids are older. Since we plan to end out last day at MK anyway...

Your PCB portion of the trip sounds very relaxing and easy. My home is along the Gulf about 2 hours west of Panama City, so I know how amazing those beaches are. I vaguely remember you being bored by your last beach vacation, but hopefully since it's only for a few days and you'll be recovering from many busy Disney park days, it won't be so bad this time around.

It should be nice. I plan on just parking and spending time at the hotel, maybe walking along the beach to Pineapple Willy's. I think this is the perfect length beach stay. I enjoy it, but yes, when we go for a whole week on a vacation of sitting around and relaxing, I kind of start thinking about other things I could be doing.

 

[afwdwfan]

Hi everyone!

Yes, I've been away from the DIS for a while... again. We've had a lot going on lately. Been busy at work. DW and I both have had some meetings to attend over the past couple of weeks. I spent 2 days teaching farm safety to local 4th graders. DW has been doing cheer camps and tryouts for next year's team. The little guy has had some more appointments, because that's just what he does.

Anyway, he's 9 months old as of last Thursday. His well check went great. He's 28" and just shy of 18 pounds. He's behind on a few motor development issues (no crawling, can't pick himself up to sitting position if you lay him down) but considering everything he's been through, he's doing great. He likes to sit up and his current method of mobility is bouncing/scooting across the floor on his butt. If he gets to something he can grab onto he likes to stand up. But then he usually forgets he can't walk and lets go before faceplanting onto the floor and screaming.

Good times.

No talking yet, but we like to say bababababababababa and scream. He learned that one from his sister. And in case you're wondering, he's louder.

We've just really started introducing baby food in the last few weeks. We wanted to wait until after his last surgery in case there were any digestive issues along the way. He's been eating baby oatmeal since before surgery and he loves that stuff. Seriously, he gets all excited and you can't shovel it in fast enough.

Aside from that though, it is a challenge. He's very picky about his fruits and vegetables. He'll eat them sometime, but there are some that he just refuses. We did the chicken and apples baby food last night though and he really seemed to love that one.

Drinking is still our biggest issue. We've tried bottles and sippy cups. We have a therapist coming to work with him every week. Progress is slow. We've had a couple of times when the therapist can get him to drink a couple of ounces from a sippy cup, but we're not having any consistent success.

But one thing about this kid... he likes basketball. When we went to games during the season while DW was there with cheerleaders he'd sit and just watch the players run up and down the floor. We posed him in the chair where we take all of his monthly pictures. He likes to stand and could lean against the back for support so we let him stand. But I failed to turn the TV off.

Coincidentally, he turned 9 months old on the first day of March Madness. Can you guess which direction the TV is from that chair?

 

[MissMaryQC]

What a little cutie!! Glad he's doing so well. I hope you guys get the drinking to be more consistent. As you well know even the healthiest of babies can have troubles with picky eating and such! Best to you all!

 

[MrsPMcD]

I'm glad you got a do-over. That really would stink if you had that FP+ and that was your one experience with the ride!

Well when I said "we" I meant just me and my husband... for my parents that remains their one experience :/ They weren't too enamoured to say the least!! But my mum gets a do'over in September, on her birthday nonetheless - fingers crossed it's not raining. It was also unseasonably cold that day and we were totally frozen, being Scottish we toughed it out in our ponchos though!

Your little one is so cute by the way - love the t-shirt - glad he is doing well!

 

[amazingact21]

Thanks for the update. Your little guy is just the cutest. And you can definitely see the resemblance to his older brother in those photos.

 

[franandaj]

Thanks for the update and nice to hear that he is coming along. For everything he has been through, it sounds like he is doing just fine. I know what it's like to be busy. If I didn't have my phone, I probably wouldn't be getting on the DIS at all lately!

 

[missangelalexis]

Ryder is such a cutie, glad to hear of his progress and hope things just keep getting better!

 

[MeghanEmily]

Oh my goodness, he's adorable! Glad to have the update, and hoping things continue to improve with his health and especially his drinking.

 

[Steppesister]

The little guy has had some more appointments, because that's just what he does.

His cute factor makes up for it! And it won't last forever. I see some excellent strides there!

And in case you're wondering, he's louder.

He's a boy. Of course he is.

He's very picky about his fruits and vegetables.

Give him a pass... so am I.

 

[natebenma]

The pictures of Ryder are adorable! He is so expressive! Great shirt!

Continuing to keep your family in my thoughts and sending prayers for his continued improving health. I hope you are able to find a solution to your little guys drinking problem.

 

[afwdwfan]

What a little cutie!! Glad he's doing so well. I hope you guys get the drinking to be more consistent. As you well know even the healthiest of babies can have troubles with picky eating and such! Best to you all!

Thank you!

Well when I said "we" I meant just me and my husband... for my parents that remains their one experience :/ They weren't too enamoured to say the least!! But my mum gets a do'over in September, on her birthday nonetheless - fingers crossed it's not raining. It was also unseasonably cold that day and we were totally frozen, being Scottish we toughed it out in our ponchos though!

That's the spirit! Power through the conditions! I hope they have a better experience with it this time!

Your little one is so cute by the way - love the t-shirt - glad he is doing well!

Thanks!

Thanks for the update. Your little guy is just the cutest. And you can definitely see the resemblance to his older brother in those photos.

Thanks! And yes, if you look at baby pictures from around the same age... well, you wouldn't know they aren't the same kid.

Thanks for the update and nice to hear that he is coming along. For everything he has been through, it sounds like he is doing just fine. I know what it's like to be busy. If I didn't have my phone, I probably wouldn't be getting on the DIS at all lately!

Busy is good... and bad. I tend to read on my phone and then fail to reply or forget to reply.

Ryder is such a cutie, glad to hear of his progress and hope things just keep getting better!

Thanks!

Oh my goodness, he's adorable! Glad to have the update, and hoping things continue to improve with his health and especially his drinking.

Thanks!

His cute factor makes up for it! And it won't last forever. I see some excellent strides there!

He's making some great strides.

He's a boy. Of course he is.

Nope... He might scream louder than DD right now, but as far as overall household noise pollution goes, she's got the top spot. And it isn't even close.

Give him a pass... so am I.

Well... me too.

The pictures of Ryder are adorable! He is so expressive! Great shirt!

Continuing to keep your family in my thoughts and sending prayers for his continued improving health. I hope you are able to find a solution to your little guys drinking problem.

Thanks.

I hope you are able to find a solution to your little guys drinking problem.

And I can't read this line and not chuckle.

 

[afwdwfan]

A BIG Change!

Well, plans change as they tend to do. We book Disney trips and make plans, but I think it is safe to say that if you're on the Disboards you're probably never actually done planning your trip. We're always looking ahead to new things that we want to try and discounts that may or may not be released.

If you aren't planning a trip for this summer, you may or may not be aware that some nice discounts were released this morning. One of those being 25% off for some deluxe resorts. When we booked POFQ, we realized that we'd likely not be able to take advantage of a discount if one were released, but we thought that might make for a good opportunity to move over to Riverside or AoA, depending on what is available.

Well, as it turns out, the deluxe discount was good.

Really good.

For about $35/night, we were able to upgrade from POFQ.

And while we still won't be crossing POFQ off the list of resorts that we want to stay in, we'll be crossing another off that list.

We've re-booked our package for 7 nights in Animal Kingdom Lodge!

The deal was frankly too good to pass up. When I saw the numbers I couldn't believe it. We looked at Riverside, which was only available in certain room categories and wasn't going to result in much of an upgrade or savings over our package at POFQ. AoA was, of course, only offered for suites and was still considerably more expensive than POFQ. We looked into AKL and WL as well. AKL was substantially less expensive and when we saw how close it was to what we were going to be paying to stay at POFQ we just couldn't say no.

We've booked standard rooms for all 3 reservations. I'll need to look into what we need to request, because I believe I've seen that there are some standard rooms with obscured savanna views? While I've always wanted to stay at AKL sometime, it has never been a here and now type of priority, so I need to get caught up and do my homework on this one! We're really exicted about it though!

We've also never eaten at any of the restaurants at AKL. I don't know if we will this time or not since we already have a full slate of ADRs planned, but it will be something worth looking into.

 

[natebenma]

A BIG Change!

We've re-booked our package for 7 nights in Animal Kingdom Lodge!

That is so exciting!!!

Even if you don't have much of an animal view from your room, I can definitely see an advantage to having the ability to check out the animals while you are at the resort, like if some are back in the room napping or getting ready. The rooms look amazing and spacious. The resort is gorgeous!

We love Boma, for breakfast and for dinner. It will be nice to have the possibility of fitting in a meal there. We were able to make a last minute reservation there in October.

 

[natebenma]

And I can't read this line and not chuckle.

I'm glad. It was one of those, "I hope this is not a comment that crosses the line" but I thought you might appreciate it!

 

[Steppesister]

Well freakin' frackin' howdy doody!! That is really awesome news and quite the jump! I think you're gonna LOVE IT!! Super excited for you guys.

 

[MeghanEmily]

Oooh big change!! We LOVED AKL on our last trip! We had a savannah view, but we often viewed the animals from the many look-outs, so I wouldn't worry too much about a savannah view (though if you get a bit of the savannah from a standard room, what's the harm!? ) If you manage to fit in any meals there I'm sure you'll be happy with them. We love love love Boma, especially for breakfast, but dinner is also excellent (and a little more adventurous, while breakfast has a lot of typical American breakfast fare.) I'm excited for you and your new developments!

 

[irene_dsc]

How exciting! One of my favorite resorts (at least, from our visit before our Boma dinner).

 

[SarahDisney]

Well that's a pretty awesome change.

 

[vamassey1]

Ryder is so cute! I'm happy to hear he is progressing and doing great. I wonder if he'll be a lifelong basket ball fan?

How fabulous that you got to upgrade to Animal Kingdom Lodge! The kids are going to love it. I've never stayed there but we did visit when we ate at BOMA.

 

[vrajewski10513]

Well, as it turns out, the deluxe discount was good.

Really good.

For about $35/night, we were able to upgrade from POFQ.

And while we still won't be crossing POFQ off the list of resorts that we want to stay in, we'll be crossing another off that list.

We've re-booked our package for 7 nights in Animal Kingdom Lodge!

How exciting for you guys! The hotel is absolutely breath taking when you first walk in. Not in a Grand Floridian type of way, but more in a cultural experience kinda way. I'm sure your littles, as well as the adults will really get a kick out of having your very own on-site giraffes, zebras, etc.. We ate at Boma for the first time for dinner on our last trip and we were all really pleasantly surprised. We have some picky eaters in our group so I was worried they wouldn't be able to find something they would be willing to try. But alas, everyone left with full bellies...Or should I say the "Boma Coma!" They also had a wide variety of choices for picky kids (chicken nuggets, mac & cheese) as well which was really great.

I was trying REALLY hard to get everyone on board with staying at AKL this time around, but then an opportunity to stay at the Poly pretty much fell into our laps we figured with a toddler we should take the chance to stay on the monorail. AKL is still on my wish list though! Now that we're diving into the world of DVC point rental, if all goes well we may be able to check a few more deluxe resorts off our list (HOPEFULLY AKL with a Savanna view is in our near future!)

Those pics of your little guy are so adorable! I can't believe how big he is getting. He is definitely the spitting image of big brother!