This Bridge is Old, Like You! - A July 2017 and April 2018 TR *Completed + New TR Link Posted

I am all caught up! Great trip report so far! Sounds like the Shades of Green Hotel needs to be upgraded. It's a shame, I know it's cheaper but it's only for people who have served and you deserve nice things too!

I can see how you would get homesick for your husband on this trip. It's one of your favorite places. I would feel the same even if I went with my girls and just left my DH at home to work.

Evie loved Dumbo!

So much so that she threw a massive fit when we got off which carried on when she realized we weren’t going on it a second time.
Glad she liked Dumbo! It's why they keep a classic like that around.

Hard to see in the picture, but she wore this “What the heck is going on?!” expression. She kept looking Ariel up and down, then looking at me, thinking, “Why am I sitting next to this stranger?”

What am I missing?
[/QUOTE]
Ha! She probably was thinking just that.

Ariel called out to Landon: “See you later…a couple times!”

Poor, poor Evie.

She screamed.

And screamed.

And screamed.

She clutched my shirt and tried to crawl into my lap and started shaking from terror and even the sight of Ariel and Eric and King Triton at the end couldn’t stop the crying.
Poor thing! I can see how it is kind of scary... My youngest, Gwen didn't like Big Thunder Mountain at first because of the bats in the cave. You just never know what will spook them. I hope things turn around a little bit for her.

We took off in our ships and all I heard was, “Mom! There’s Nana! Mom, look it’s Big Ben, we’re flying to Neverland! Mom, Hook, I see Captain Hook!”
They need to make this ride go a little slower, just a tad. By the time your kid says the things they are gone To cute! I think he liked the ride.

We don’t have tv at home, so watching shows with commercials and a predetermined lineup was like a second treat for them.
We have tv at home, but my girls watch a lot of Netflix and the shows on the roku. And when we are at a hotel, they don't understand why we can't skip the commercials! Kids these days!

Anyone know if this is something they are fixing with all the new changes coming to Future World? Because, you know, a Guardians of the Galaxy coaster is all fine and dandy but so would a separated monorail entrance.
I think the issue is, if you get on the monorail at the Magic Kingdom you can take the monorail all the way to epcot. But I guess you would have gone through security to get into the magic kingdom... I don't know but security is a pain and to have to do it twice is really a pain.

I get it fellow parents. I really do.

You go ahead and get the margarita from the Mexican pavilion. You hide Germany’s caramel brownie from grubby little hands. No judgement over here. You battled the Land’s entrance.

You deserve the reward
Too Funny! So, the last time we were going to Disney, there was a family with 4 kids, And they drank ALOT on the airplane. And all I could think was, this is what happens when you have 4 kids...
 
What a relaxing morning! I love how Landon chose Tinkerbell- so sweet! I used to love the mac and cheese hot dog at Restaurantosaurus but I don't think they have it anymore!
 
there are so many more unique and tasty restaurants to dine at in the World Showcase. I mean, why eat turkey and mac and cheese when I could have authentic Italian pizza or English fish and chips?

Excellent point!! Smart Disney guest, you are!

You're a parent. At one time or another, you've been frazzled. Therefore, you've earned a marg!

Hear, hear!!!

The guy was becoming very heated because the machine kept rejecting all the dollar bills he had; my mom offered to try hers to see if it was his money that was the problem or the machine. Hers didn’t work, either, which meant the machine was probably out of coins. My mother and our new buddy had to walk all the way down to the lobby to make change at the front desk.

Okay, that's a pain.

He kept mentioning how much it rained here in Florida.

... and the Darwin Award goes to.....

However, the crazy kid kept asking if he could go on the adult slide that was set at the deep end of the pool.

Heck no, son!

But, he had enough flotation gear to keep the Queen Mary safe!

The food was basic; if I had sub rolls and deli meat I could have made the same thing, and it was expensive! More expensive than in the parks, if you can believe that. A single container of grapes cost 3.50. And there were maybe fifteen grapes in that bad boy.

OUCH, is right!

A Cast Member told her that they don’t sell strollers anywhere on property (which makes sense; they want you to rent one at the front).

That's weird, because they could certainly make a killing off of those too.

The little fairy suddenly became a 5th member of our party. Wherever Landon went, Tinkerbell wasn’t far behind. Never a night went by where Tink wasn’t tucked next to Landon and his favorite stuffed puppy and there she remains, earning one of the coveted spots on his bed every night.

Now that's a worthwhile purchase right there!

Naturally, Landon and Evie began to fight over whose was whose and trying to sabotage the one in their sibling’s hand. Both would have whacked each other upside the heads with the buckets had I not taken them away and issued a “Eat your food then maybe you can have your bucket back” decree.

Of course they did. They were identical. :lmao:

And in case they didn’t think I was serious, I made Tinkerbell sheriff over my new law and issued a watch order of said buckets as well as my camera.


:lmao:Creative!!

I worried that the CM would think Landon was being sarcastic but thankfully she gave him a big smile and said, “You’re welcome.” I added to Landon’s comment, saying how we appreciated her work and once we got back into the main restaurant area, Landon said to me, “I like the workers here. They do a good job.”

Oh, my heart…

Awwww, that's so super sweet!!!

:love:
 
Landon is so sweet to notice the workers. I teach preschool aged children. I love how their little minds work. Our next trip is in March. I have 3 boys and 1 girl. My girl is close to Landon's age. I hope she is as into Disney as he is!
 


I can speak to the Beach Club.

The feature pool, Stormalong Bay is open from either 9 am or 10 depending on the time of year, however the quiet pools are available from 7 am to 11 pm.

Not positive, but I think most of the Disney pools are subject to the latter hours.

Now see, 7 a.m. for a quiet pool is much more reasonable.


Oh, the treasured toy... Ben never attached to anything in particular, but OMG- Nate had a Little People lion that he carried around everywhere from about age 2 and for several years thereafter. I purchased it from a discount store because they discontinued this set and animals. Bad move!* He would take it in the crib with him and if it fell onto the floor, his first words in the morning were "Nay Nay Roar!" We eventually had to forbid him from leaving the house with it, because he would accidentally leave it behind. Few close calls there. He would also hide it or lose it in the house. I ripped apart the house many time looking for that lion.

* I eventually ordered another set from ebay in the terrifying possibility that Nay Nay Roar would somehow disappear permanently.

** He continued to treasure this lion until at least 2nd grade. He took it into school for show and tell and temporarily misplaced it there (we found it the next day in his mitten)

It still sits up on a shelf in his room at home, even while he is away at college.

Despite Ben's obsession with dinosaurs, I have not eaten there. He is obsessed more with food than dinos...

This is super!
Also great!

:goodvibes

Aww, what a sweet story! I love when kids have a cherished childhood toy. Landon has a stuffed puppy and Evie has a stuffed cat that they both got when they were born. They sleep with them every night and never get to leave the house.
Are you going to let him take it with him when he gets his own place or is that lion a keepsake you get to hold on to?


Sounds like a good rest morning! You guys got to spend a lot of time at the pool, which I'm sure the kids appreciated!

Aww Landon & his Tinkerbell- I love it!

Haha I guess a successful/calm meal definitely outweighs a tasty one! Landon's interaction with the CM sounds so sweet! He's definitely your Disney boy :)

I love Landon's passion for Disney. I used to think I would take trips with Evie when the kids were teenagers, but now I think it'll be Landon I will sneak away to the parks with!


It seems like this day was something you all needed! Glad you were able to really recharge and relax as a family.

I do agree you should come out to CA when you get a chance, though I don't think the parks are necessarily better than WDW. Just different. More compact, but more rides. Less shows. More classic. But I love the bubble of WDW and how you can just be fully immersed all of the time. At DLR its all within a city, so harder to feel in the magic 24/7!

Soooo cute!

Alex and I really want to go to Disneyland in CA; we think when we go to Hawaii for our 10 year anniversary we'll break up the flights by staying a night or two in CA. I feel like Disneyland Paris is a lot like DL, and if that's the case it possesses a charm I really want to see and experience for myself.


Too Cute! I love it!

Poor Guy. He missed the best part!

I hate to break it to you, 9 year's still think the same thing..

OH no! That doesn't sound good.

I guess the years of activating our tickets the night before we go into a park are going to have to come to an end. I think we're going to try to do it in Disney Springs next time so as to avoid the freak out from the kids...


I was shocked that while at Grand Floridian in December the courtyard pool was open 24 hr's.

Cute

This is the first TR that I've heard anything about this restaurant.

How adorable melts your heart.

Open 24 hours? That seems unnecessary. I know sometimes the parks can be open until 1a.m. but I still don't see many people wanting to swim at 3 in the morning!

The restaurant had a fun theme to it, but it definitely didn't have the tastiest food.
 
I am all caught up! Great trip report so far! Sounds like the Shades of Green Hotel needs to be upgraded. It's a shame, I know it's cheaper but it's only for people who have served and you deserve nice things too!

I feel like they updated half of the rooms (back in 2010) but didn't finish the rest. Because the room Alex and I stayed in the very first time we went to WDW was much nicer. I wouldn't be surprised if they kept that section of rooms for the parents with young kids...it's the same block that we've been put in the last 3 times.

I can see how you would get homesick for your husband on this trip. It's one of your favorite places. I would feel the same even if I went with my girls and just left my DH at home to work.

Very true. Any time you do something you both mutually love, you always feel a little guilty participating without them.


Poor thing! I can see how it is kind of scary... My youngest, Gwen didn't like Big Thunder Mountain at first because of the bats in the cave. You just never know what will spook them. I hope things turn around a little bit for her.
They need to make this ride go a little slower, just a tad. By the time your kid says the things they are gone To cute! I think he liked the ride.

Oh wow, I didn't even think of the bats being frightening on Thunder. It's the things you don't expect...

We have tv at home, but my girls watch a lot of Netflix and the shows on the roku. And when we are at a hotel, they don't understand why we can't skip the commercials! Kids these days!

Hah! What's funny about that is when we went to Ireland in November the house we rented had cable, and Alex and I were so excited to see commercials. It gave us some insight into what products were "hot items" at the moment and we even saw a preview for a show we thought looked interesting and had no clue about.


I think the issue is, if you get on the monorail at the Magic Kingdom you can take the monorail all the way to epcot. But I guess you would have gone through security to get into the magic kingdom... I don't know but security is a pain and to have to do it twice is really a pain.

Too Funny! So, the last time we were going to Disney, there was a family with 4 kids, And they drank ALOT on the airplane. And all I could think was, this is what happens when you have 4 kids...

4 kids makes for a crazy life. I have a friend who has 4 under the age of 6, but the last two were Oops babies. She definitely did not plan to have that many. Alex is one of four, as well, and I've told his mother on multiple occasions that I don't know how she managed to raise that many kids and work as a nurse and help Alex's dad run a restaurant. She told me just never slept. Haha


What a relaxing morning! I love how Landon chose Tinkerbell- so sweet! I used to love the mac and cheese hot dog at Restaurantosaurus but I don't think they have it anymore!

Landon is such a sucker for Tinkerbell. He realized after months (and months) of watching Peter Pan that her character had her own set of movies and suddenly we were watching those every day.
I don't think they have that dish anymore, either, because that sounds like something I would have remembered on the menu board!


But, he had enough flotation gear to keep the Queen Mary safe!

:rotfl2: Touche!


That's weird, because they could certainly make a killing off of those too.

I vividly remember Alex and I seeing one of those cheap umbrella strollers in a resort gift shop, because we couldn't believe that Disney was charging 55 dollars for something that cost 15 down the road at Walmart. So I guess I just assumed the company would upcharge that kind of thing in the parks, too.


Awwww, that's so super sweet!!!

:love:

It makes me happy to know it's not all about the rides and food for Landon on these trips. It's instances like that one that make me think I'm doing something in raising him.


Landon is so sweet to notice the workers. I teach preschool aged children. I love how their little minds work. Our next trip is in March. I have 3 boys and 1 girl. My girl is close to Landon's age. I hope she is as into Disney as he is!

My kudos to you for teaching preschoolers! I worked with 3 year olds and I worked in an elementary school and because of that, I tell Landon's preschool teacher all the time that she has one of the hardest jobs in the world. It takes a special kind of person to handle so many little personalities that are growing and still trying to figure out how to handle emotions all day long. :goodvibes
And if your students don't keep you on your toes, I'm sure your kiddos do! I hope they all have a great time next March. I am pretty sure I say it at every age, but Landon's (and your daughter's) age is sooo fun in the parks. They're old enough to express themselves yet young enough to still accept all the magic around them. They don't stop and question if that's really Cinderella in front of them...they just believe it is. And they're not as likely to be frightened by fireworks or dark scenes in the attractions. (Or can be talked through it without a meltdown...hopefully.)
 
Aww, what a sweet story! I love when kids have a cherished childhood toy. Landon has a stuffed puppy and Evie has a stuffed cat that they both got when they were born. They sleep with them every night and never get to leave the house.
Are you going to let him take it with him when he gets his own place or is that lion a keepsake you get to hold on to?

That's an excellent question! If he wants to bring it, then he is welcome to do so, but otherwise, it is mine!

I still have the replacement set I purchased when I feared we would need a backup. Saving that as a gift to a grandchild if that happens.

::yes::
 


Look, I love Disneyland as much as the next person, but I wouldn't say skip WDW just because of some rain. I say do both. Then you get the rainy and non-rainy experience. (Also, the rain in Florida lasts for like 20 minutes. Just wait for it to stop and then you're good.)
(Then again, it rains every time I go to Disneyland, so I'm not sure I'm the right person to talk to about this ...)

I love Landon's love for Tinker Bell. His Disney love in general is pretty awesome (not every kid that age really gets what Disney is about as much as he seems to), and I like how it manifests in those little moments like falling in love with a doll or thanking a cast member. The Disney is strong with him.
 
The water play area looks like a lot of fun! I remember how frustrating it was when we went to Tennessee a few years ago and having to sit around in the mornings until the pool area opened at 10 am, so I can imagine what your morning was like.

So cute how Landon bonded with his Tink!

Restaurantosaurus is nothing to write home about, that's for sure, but it definitely keeps the kids happy!

AW LANDON!!! What a cute, sweet, thoughtful little boy you have!
 
Like, it wasn’t part of the natural world to have an animal that big.

She's got a point!

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I love my mom, if for no other reason than the fact that she continues to be surprised by the generous portions at Disney. She looked at all that meat in the skillet and told me I was crazy if I thought we’d be able to put a dent in it.

This photo is hilarious!! And I share her continued surprise in this regard.

To spare her immense guilt, the waitress informed us that anything not eaten would get recycled into electricity.

Really?? That's so cool! And it makes me feel a little better. Is this specific to this restaurant?

Yell and throw a fork.

We went through seven forks.

Our server brought 4 extra when she saw what was happening.

I left a big tip.

Oh man!! That server knew what's up!

***To this day, if you ask Landon about Soarin' his response is, "Soarin? No, no, no. I don't like that. I'll try it again when I'm an adult."***

Aww poor Landon. I can see how it could be scary for little ones.

He kept mentioning how much it rained here in Florida.

Well, duh.

I thought that was common knowledge.

:rotfl2:


Ooh I like this one!!

The little fairy suddenly became a 5th member of our party. Wherever Landon went, Tinkerbell wasn’t far behind. Never a night went by where Tink wasn’t tucked next to Landon and his favorite stuffed puppy and there she remains, earning one of the coveted spots on his bed every night.

This is so cute! :lovestruc

The beautiful thing about going to Disney with my kids at different ages is that I get to see them notice new things and become more aware of the inner workings of the parks. Landon’s now reached an age where he can make the connection between a happy moment and the CM who made it happen, and he’s the type of kid who won’t shy away from pointing it out.

What a sweet soul he has! And so bright! I can only imagine how exciting it is to watch them grow up and make these connections in a place you love.
 
I vividly remember Alex and I seeing one of those cheap umbrella strollers in a resort gift shop, because we couldn't believe that Disney was charging 55 dollars for something that cost 15 down the road at Walmart. So I guess I just assumed the company would upcharge that kind of thing in the parks, too.

See? And I swear I saw one at the Gift shop in AoA when I stayed there. :confused3 I'd be very surprised you there aren't $50 umbrella strollers around here and there.

makes me happy to know it's not all about the rides and food for Landon on these trips. It's instances like that one that make me think I'm doing something in raising him.

You're doing great, Mama!! Keep up the good work!
 
Finally all caught up with your trip report. Wishing you all a very happy New Year.
Poor Evie and Poor you. It is so hard when you have kids who are properly terrified of characters isn't it! My youngest knocked us sideways when he was screaming his head off while his older siblings loved them. He almost sent his highchair toppling at Cape May in his efforts to escape Mickey! My husband had to leave with him - it was that bad!! Castmembers sent him food out in a container as he couldn't persuade said gremlin (I mean angelic baby boy lol) to return!!
At the grand old age of 10 while he clearly doesn't run/scream he still doesn't like to get close to characters so I have 0 photos of him with ANYONE! ZERO!! I love him anyway even if I'd love just 1 measly photo :rotfl2::rotfl2::rotfl2:

Just on a side note - I went to school with a girl who came from a family of 17 :scared1:
Imagine that grocery bill:scared1::scared1:
 
That's an excellent question! If he wants to bring it, then he is welcome to do so, but otherwise, it is mine!

I still have the replacement set I purchased when I feared we would need a backup. Saving that as a gift to a grandchild if that happens.

::yes::

I think saving the spare set for future grandkids is a wonderful idea!


Look, I love Disneyland as much as the next person, but I wouldn't say skip WDW just because of some rain. I say do both. Then you get the rainy and non-rainy experience. (Also, the rain in Florida lasts for like 20 minutes. Just wait for it to stop and then you're good.)
(Then again, it rains every time I go to Disneyland, so I'm not sure I'm the right person to talk to about this ...)

I love Landon's love for Tinker Bell. His Disney love in general is pretty awesome (not every kid that age really gets what Disney is about as much as he seems to), and I like how it manifests in those little moments like falling in love with a doll or thanking a cast member. The Disney is strong with him.

Hah! I love that. I think I might have to say that to him the next time he starts going on and on about how we need to go back to the hotels. (That's what he misses the most. The resorts, pools, and transportation systems. Which I don't get because we do all those things when we travel to other cities. Who knows...)

I'm sure I'll love DL when I finally get to go, but I agree. The rain won't ever hold me back from a WDW trip!


I love Landon's Tinker Bell. My dd still sleeps with her stuffies.

Every night, Landon picks one stuffed friend to sleep with him in his bed next to his "pup" (the one toy that ALWAYS goes to bed with him). It's a very important decision and he takes the job seriously. Tinkerbell won for many months but here lately it's been a character from Paw Patrol. I have no doubt once we get closer to another Disney trip, Tinkerbell will come back into play.


The water play area looks like a lot of fun! I remember how frustrating it was when we went to Tennessee a few years ago and having to sit around in the mornings until the pool area opened at 10 am, so I can imagine what your morning was like.

So cute how Landon bonded with his Tink!

Restaurantosaurus is nothing to write home about, that's for sure, but it definitely keeps the kids happy!

AW LANDON!!! What a cute, sweet, thoughtful little boy you have!

Now that the kids are older and use the pools, I always try to pick a resort that has those kids play areas. It can keep them entertained for hours!


She's got a point!
This photo is hilarious!! And I share her continued surprise in this regard.

Really?? That's so cool! And it makes me feel a little better. Is this specific to this restaurant?

I'm pretty sure it's a property-wide initiative but I'm not 100% sure.

What a sweet soul he has! And so bright! I can only imagine how exciting it is to watch them grow up and make these connections in a place you love.

It has been a lot of fun to see Landon kind of grow up with Disney. We feel a little guilty that Evie hasn't gotten that same experience, but on the other hand...she loves Germany and has her own set of unique memories. And hopefully one day she'll find something within the parks that she's passionate about and want to continue visiting.

See? And I swear I saw one at the Gift shop in AoA when I stayed there. :confused3 I'd be very surprised you there aren't $50 umbrella strollers around here and there.

You're doing great, Mama!! Keep up the good work!

I'm sure if we looked around the resort gift shops we could've found one. Don't think my mom would've sunk that much money into it, though.
Fun fact: my brother in-law works for Mears and he said the number 1 most unclaimed item in Lost and Found at Disney are cheap umbrella strollers.
People buy them for their trip and then leave them when their vacation is finished.


Finally all caught up with your trip report. Wishing you all a very happy New Year.
Poor Evie and Poor you. It is so hard when you have kids who are properly terrified of characters isn't it! My youngest knocked us sideways when he was screaming his head off while his older siblings loved them. He almost sent his highchair toppling at Cape May in his efforts to escape Mickey! My husband had to leave with him - it was that bad!! Castmembers sent him food out in a container as he couldn't persuade said gremlin (I mean angelic baby boy lol) to return!!
At the grand old age of 10 while he clearly doesn't run/scream he still doesn't like to get close to characters so I have 0 photos of him with ANYONE! ZERO!! I love him anyway even if I'd love just 1 measly photo :rotfl2::rotfl2::rotfl2:

Just on a side note - I went to school with a girl who came from a family of 17 :scared1:
Imagine that grocery bill:scared1::scared1:

Oh my gosh!! What an experience. But how nice of that Cast Member to send food out to him...I can just picture him sitting outside the restaurant eating with your terrified baby. I'll definitely count my blessings that Evie was that petrified of the characters.

My dad is one of 15 kids! I thought it was such an accomplishment the day I remembered all the names of my uncles and aunts. But cousins? Yeah, I still don't know all of them...
 
Disney in 2018:

Hi, everybody! Later in the week my normal update from my July trip will go up, but before that posted I wanted to share my latest Disney news.

As many of you guys know, my sister in-law is getting married next spring in Orlando. The venue is so close to Disney property that supposedly you can see the Happily Ever After fireworks from the deck. (Don’t worry, I’ll put that theory to test during the reception.) Alex and I have been working hard nailing down our exact travel dates and the wedding plans. With me being a bridesmaid, Evie the flower girl, and Landon one of the ring bearers (the groom has 3 nephews so the two oldest and Landon will share the ring duties. The youngest isn’t even 1 yet that’s why he’s being excluded.) I have my hands full with the actual wedding details.

But never fear…I have figured out a way to work family time, wedding responsibilities, and jet lag into some Disney time, too.

The important things in life, right?

I was able to find a decent deal on flights around Christmas, so I got those booked. Landon doesn’t have school the Monday before the wedding, so we are going to fly out that day and get in to my mother’s house late that evening. Then that Tuesday will be used for recovering from the long flights, buying American phone numbers, and purchasing anything we need for the wedding. I’m thinking mainly sandals for Evie. She has weird feet and ordering shoes for her never goes well. And I can’t get too many sandals in early spring in Germany.

Any excuse to shop here, right?

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My mom is letting us borrow her car for the duration of the wedding to save us the trouble of renting a vehicle, so on Wednesday we will make the 7 hour drive to my in-law’s house in Central FL.

We might or might not stop at Disney Springs on our way through.

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You know, to give the kids a chance to stretch their legs before finishing out the drive. Purely a logistical decision.

Disney Dooneys had no bearing on that call…


We’ll spend Wednesday night at Alex’s family’s house then Thursday we’ll all check in to an AirBnB about five minutes away from the venue.

The bride and groom have also decided to make that a Disney day for anyone who wants to participate. They currently live in MN and have a lot of out of town guests coming that have expressed interest in the parks, so rather than have people going on random days my sister in-law just decided to work it into her itinerary.

Smart.

And now Alex and I have an excuse to go to Disney without catching any grief from family. Sweet!

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Everyone figures the Magic Kingdom will win on votes as far as what park to go to, since it’s the “flagship” park. So I’m sure that’s where we’ll end up. But knowing my in-laws, I don’t see anyone getting to the parks before lunchtime. Alex and I bet we could get a few hours at park opening to ourselves before having to meet up with everyone else.

Where I can get some updated family shots on Main St. where my babies don’t look like babies anymore:

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Friday and Saturday will be wedding stuff. Sunday will be a recovery/down day. I plan on sticking around the AirBnB, letting the kids swim in the pool there, and visiting with any family I might have missed at the wedding. Alex might go scuba diving with his dad if there’s a place close by.

Then Monday…well, that’s our top secret adventure. Afraid family might get upset that we’re using our time to visit Disney, Alex and I are keeping this plan under wraps until after it’s said and done.

So while everyone thinks we’re driving back to my mom’s house that morning, my family will actually be checking into a Disney resort for one night!

Alex called last weekend to see what deluxes had a military discount for the day in question and found us a room at:

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The Polynesian!!!
:cheer2::cheer2:


A marina/lagoon view, to be more specific.

Hot dog!

I’m so excited to be going back to the Polynesian Village Resort. It’s like a dream come true; I told Alex if there was a theme park view available at the Contemporary to book it, but alas there wasn’t. This was the next best choice.

I cannot wait to have Evie stay here for the first time and be on the monorail loop again. The last time we stayed here, Alex and I had one of our very best trips.

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I can only hope this visit will be half as magical.

The resort is about as far as I have got with the planning. We’ll have all day Monday and Tuesday morning to visit the parks, but which parks and what rides we will visit is still undecided. Animal Kingdom has EMH Monday morning, but I don’t know if I’m willing to rush over there at the break of dawn just to get a chance to ride FOP. Sounds like it could be stressful, but then again Alex has “casually” mentioned several times that he wishes we could try it out.

Hmm…

We’ll see.


My family will head back to my parent’s house Tuesday afternoon and spend Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday hanging out and visiting. Then we’ll fly home that Saturday and get back to Germany on Sunday morning.

Alex took that Monday off of work in the hopes that he’ll adjust back to German time in that day. Landon might or might not go back to school, depending on his mood.

Luckily, the school he goes to “gifts” kids that have had family members deploy ten days of excused absences so this trip won’t go towards his absences. And his teachers have already said they’ll send work with him to keep him busy on the plane and long car rides.

Honestly, Landon’s going to be very bummed to miss so much school. He loves his preschool class and hated having Winter Break off, so I’m sure he’ll whine a lot during this trip. That’s where the lure of Disney comes in. Alex and I are banking on the prospect of Small World to keep him from yanking off his tie and moaning about how much he misses his friends.

Bribery is our best friend when traveling.

We’re working with Shades of Green to get the military park tickets. We filled out a request form to purchase them through their ticketing office since we don’t live close enough to an agent that sells them, and they are going to mail them to my mom’s house. She, in turn, will send them to us so that we can link them to our accounts and book our Fastpasses 60 days out (for the two days we’ll be at the Polynesian.) I did not even know Shades did this until my friend here told me about it.

It’s such a great advantage, because otherwise we would have had to have my mom buy them using her military ID and unfortunately that would use up 3 of her potential 6 tickets. And she might go the parks with friends later in the year, so I didn’t want to take that option from her.

And as far as Alex and work goes, this trip will cost him 15 days of leave. We were hoping not to have to take that much, but the only way we saw that happening was to cut our Disney time and that seemed foolish. We’re going to be there, might as well take advantage of the proximity.



Alex and I are also going to take the kids on a short vacation in the beginning of April. Landon’s Spring Break coincides with his birthday, so we figured we’d drive to the Netherlands and hit up a couple tourist-y spots.

Then, in June, we will all be going to Disneyland Paris for 4 nights!! @Dugette happened to mention that she’ll be visiting the parks around the same time, so last fall I found a deal on the DLP website that offered 2 free nights with a 2 night stay. The price for tickets and a room at the Disneyland Hotel was so phenomenal, I couldn’t pass it up. We’re going to drive down one day, wake up the next morning and visit the city of Paris, then spend two full days in the park before heading back home the final day. I really can’t wait to stay in the grandest hotel DLP has to offer as well as meet @Dugette and her family. Her DD and Landon are going to give us a run for our money in the parks!:rotfl2:


Our Disneyland Paris adventure doesn’t end there! In September, I’ll be running the half marathon at DLP while Alex does the 10K and the kids participate in the children’s races.

Eeek.:eek:

I’m running a Disney half!

This has been on my bucket list since 2013, and there’s a good chance this is the last chance I’ll have at running in Paris. Not to mention, if there’s ever a time in my life I’m physically able to endure 13.1 miles, it’s now. Alex did all the booking for this trip, so I might be mistaken but I think we are going to be at Sequoia Lodge from the Friday to the Monday following the race. We’ll probably send Landon to school and then check him out early, get to DLP that afternoon and go to packet pickup. Saturday will be everyone’s races but mine; we’re hoping by that afternoon we can go to the parks. And then Sunday morning I’ll do the half. More than likely I’ll spend the rest of the day soaking in the hotel’s sauna while Alex takes the kids into the parks. I’m hoping we can leave late Sunday night to get the kids back home for school the next morning, but we booked an extra night just in case. I’m guessing that decision will be made once we see how I feel after the race, how Landon’s doing in school, and if any of my friends join me for the weekend. I have a couple friends I’m trying to convince to run with me, and if they join we might all use Sunday night as a celebratory occasion.:drinking1


Either way…lots of fun Disney adventures are headed my family’s way!
 
You know, to give the kids a chance to stretch their legs before finishing out the drive. Purely a logistical decision.

Disney Dooneys had no bearing on that call…

Of course, I'm sure that had nothing to do with it! :laughing:

But knowing my in-laws, I don’t see anyone getting to the parks before lunchtime. Alex and I bet we could get a few hours at park opening to ourselves before having to meet up with everyone else.

Yes!! Rope drop for the win! It would be nice for you to get a little quiet time with your family touring the way you all like to before everyone arrives.

The Polynesian!!!
:cheer2::cheer2:


A marina/lagoon view, to be more specific.

Hot dog!

Wow! That's exciting! Excellent choice!

Honestly, Landon’s going to be very bummed to miss so much school. He loves his preschool class and hated having Winter Break off, so I’m sure he’ll whine a lot during this trip. That’s where the lure of Disney comes in. Alex and I are banking on the prospect of Small World to keep him from yanking off his tie and moaning about how much he misses his friends.

Aww Landon is sweet! But if there's anything that could pull him away from school, I'm guessing IASM is it...

Our Disneyland Paris adventure doesn’t end there! In September, I’ll be running the half marathon at DLP while Alex does the 10K and the kids participate in the children’s races.

Eeek.:eek:

I’m running a Disney half!

Wow! What an awesome goal! It will be amazing to do a run in Paris :hyper:
 
Just a quick :woohoo: on your upcoming Disney plans!

YAY! I'm so glad to hear about your stay at the Poly. My blood may run Beach Club blue, but I found the Poly to be pretty incredible on my one night stay there.

I am impressed with your plans for the half-marathon.

:cheer2:
 
So many awesome Disney things lined up for this year!

Your trip to Florida sounds like it will be busy but great! I'm glad you'll be able to sneak in some Disney time with just your family :) AND get to stay at the Poly!

And both your Paris trips sound great!
 
Your upcoming trips sound like so much fun! Running a Disney race is on my bucket list...maybe someday
 

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