“Shhh! You’re Ruining the Magic!” A Family’s First Disney Trip Report NEW 10/6

This sounds like an awesome trip so far. Your kiddos or so cute! And your in-laws are awesome to give you some unexpected couple time. Sounds like you were able to make the most of it.

OMG, I am the exact same way about any coaster/thrill rides. Glad to know that they're pretty doable. I get really anxious if a ride is too high or has huge drops. Now, I'm kind of excited about Space Mountain.
 
Joining in! Your kids are all so adorable. I love that Ariel re-confirmed the magic with your daughter. That's what Disney is all about. Kudos to you and your husband for wrangling all three strollers on your own. I don't have kids and I'm always so impressed with the amount of children/child related items parents can juggle!:)
 
Subbing in.

Welcome!

This sounds like an awesome trip so far. Your kiddos or so cute! And your in-laws are awesome to give you some unexpected couple time. Sounds like you were able to make the most of it.

OMG, I am the exact same way about any coaster/thrill rides. Glad to know that they're pretty doable. I get really anxious if a ride is too high or has huge drops. Now, I'm kind of excited about Space Mountain.


Really, I can't express how much of a ride chicken I am, and I totally survived. Definitely try it!

Joining in! Your kids are all so adorable. I love that Ariel re-confirmed the magic with your daughter. That's what Disney is all about. Kudos to you and your husband for wrangling all three strollers on your own. I don't have kids and I'm always so impressed with the amount of children/child related items parents can juggle!:)



Thanks! Yes, Ariel was a huge dose of Disney magic. It was awesome.
Juggling kids is a challenge, but it is worth it to see them have so much fun.
 
Hi! Sorry I disappeared for a bit. The last couple of weeks were crazy. All of my April clients decided to have their babies in the first week of the month. Combined with girl scout meetings, field trips, and volunteering at Field Day, I'm pooped. Plus I have a horrible cough that I can't seem to kick. Births that keep me up for 24+ hours at a time really mess with my immune system. Anyway, I finally had time for an update today.



Meeting a Yeti and Lots of Giraffes

This next morning was not an EMH morning, so we got to “sleep in” until 7am. Wheeee. Have I mentioned how much I hate sharing a hotel room with kids? Mine talk/whine in their sleep all night. Gigs joined me in bed sometime around 4, I believe. Fun times.


Anyway, no time to be tired. Today was Animal Kingdom day! We grabbed our breakfast, got on a bus, and were treated to a hilarious bus driver. He did a Disney trivia game, and I impressed my in-laws by knowing who April, May and June are. It was a fun ride, and a great way to start the morning.


We arrived early as usual, and made our way to the entrance. It was really sunny and I could tell it was going to be a warmer day than yesterday. I took the time in line to grease everyone up with sunscreen, and soon it was time to go in! Well, almost. Grandpa got the dreaded blue Mickey head, and the CM who was helping him was having some issues. A few minutes later, we really were on our way.


Where were we headed? Well, after successfully conquering Space Mountain the night before, I was feeling brave enough to face Everest! I was REALLY nervous about this one, but absolutely, 100% determined to ride it. I had seen so many pictures and watched the ride videos, and just fell in love with the theming. I just HAD to try it.


Upon arrival at the forbidden mountain, it was completely deserted. Ben and I asked for a rider swap, handed it off to the grandparents, and made our way quickly through the queue. We both commented on how we wouldn’t mind coming back at a time when there was actually a line, since there was a ton of stuff to look at! We weren’t about to waste the time now, though. We headed straight to the loading area and into our seats. At this point I was seriously doubting my sanity, thinking that this was clearly a bad idea. It was too late to back down, however. Plus, my sweet hubby was sitting next to me, so excited to ride. SO…I took a deep breath, and away we went!



Oh my goodness. I absolutely loved this ride. LOVED. Don’t get me wrong. It was scary. I screamed my head off and squeezed the heck out of Ben’s arm. The backwards part was super intense, and there is one drop that is a little bigger than I like. But all in all, it was just plain fun. We ended our ride with big smiles on our faces and went to relieve the grandparents so they could ride. I could tell Ben was itching to get right back on, so I told him to go with his parents. While they were facing the mountain, I hung out with the kiddos and dished out some fruit snacks. Bethany asked a million questions about the ride. She really wished she was tall enough for it. If she had been, I’m sure she would have loved it!


When they got back, it was time to head away from the mountain and do something that the whole family could experience. We headed off to the Maharajah Jungle Trek. I was excited to see the tigers and the bats. Well, this would prove to be a bit of a disappointment. It was apparently too cold for the bats, so they were not around. There was one sleeping tiger visible. Nothing too exciting! :confused3


We made our way over to Africa to see if we could have any better luck on the Pangani Trail. By the time we got over there, though, we were all feeling a bit rumbly in our tummies. I had a very specific snack in mind: the jalapeno cheese pretzel! I got the kids a Mickey pretzel to share as well. Oh man, these were yummy and hit the spot just right. :goodvibes


Happy with our snacks, we hit the next animal trail. We visited the gorillas, which was fun. To be honest, none of us were really feeling too excited about this today. We all love going to the zoo and seeing animals, but the trails today were either someone void of animals, or crowded and hot. We moved on fairly quickly, but I will want to give them another visit on our next trip.


Now it was time for our Safari FP+! Once we figured out the stroller parking (confusing), we still had to wait for a while to load our truck. Ben had the camera today, and he decided to take the first pictures of the day! I’m sure no explanation is needed.


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(Are those real or fake?)


We all enjoyed the safari. I am looking forward to doing it again with no kids, because I spent the whole time trying to keep Gigs from climbing over the back of the truck. So, I didn’t really get to see much! When we were finished, there was still a good bit of time left before our lunch ADR, so I led the group to our next destination. Stay tuned, it’s a fun one! pixiedust:
 


I am so happy that you liked your ride on EE (that is one I really don't like, but I will be doing for Avery in May :scared1:). I'm sorry the animals were not on the trails. I didn't realize bats don't like the cold (but then I skip the bats as I do not like them).

Great pictures on the safari.

Can't wait to hear where the next destination and lunch is.
 
What do you do for a living?? I'm a L&D nurse and we've been super busy in May so far!! Lots of babies!

So glad to hear you loved Everest! By far, that's the one I'm most nervous about! (Since I'm abandoning hubby for RnRc!! He and my FIL will tackle that one together.... I'm way too chicken for that one!). Hoping I end up loving EE too!

Looks like a fun day at AK so far! Can't wait to hear what's coming up!
 


I am so happy that you liked your ride on EE (that is one I really don't like, but I will be doing for Avery in May :scared1:). I'm sorry the animals were not on the trails. I didn't realize bats don't like the cold (but then I skip the bats as I do not like them).

Great pictures on the safari.

Can't wait to hear where the next destination and lunch is.

I didn't know that about bats either, but the CM said that since it was colder that morning, they were all hanging out in the back area. She said to come by later to see them, but we didn't make it back.

What do you do for a living?? I'm a L&D nurse and we've been super busy in May so far!! Lots of babies!

So glad to hear you loved Everest! By far, that's the one I'm most nervous about! (Since I'm abandoning hubby for RnRc!! He and my FIL will tackle that one together.... I'm way too chicken for that one!). Hoping I end up loving EE too!

Looks like a fun day at AK so far! Can't wait to hear what's coming up!


I'm a birth doula! March and April have been full of babies!

Everest was a lot of fun. There are intense parts, but it also has a few slower moments and I liked that I could catch my breath for a minute.

yea for an update!!!

I know, I've been slacking!
 
Fantastic trip report. Sounds like you guys had a lot of great moments, and fun. When you mentioned the baby "issue" before CP, I couldn't help but to think that the Baby Care Center is right around the corner. Trust me, I've been there before. It's a great place for changing a child, if you have a need in the future.
 
Fantastic trip report. Sounds like you guys had a lot of great moments, and fun. When you mentioned the baby "issue" before CP, I couldn't help but to think that the Baby Care Center is right around the corner. Trust me, I've been there before. It's a great place for changing a child, if you have a need in the future.

Thank you!
That's funny, I knew there was a baby care center there, but didn't even think about it at the time. I fact, we never visited any of them in any of the parks!
 
Fun and Games With Some Special Friends​


When I last left off, we had a little bit of extra time left before lunch, and I had something in mind that could be fun. We made the very short walk over to the loading station for the train, and hopped aboard the Wildlife Express! My kids love train rides, and the fact that you ride sideways on this one is pretty cool.

We disembarked the train and started wandering. Honestly, online maps only teach you so much ahead of time, and I had reached the limits of my planning knowledge. All I knew is that somewhere around here, we were likely to find some very special friends…


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Jackpot!


We had spent so much time with real animals this morning, so I figured some time with the friendlier, fuzzier variety was in order. And you can’t get any better than the chippies! :cool1:


There was a line for pictures going when we approached, but the CM said that they were going to take a break for some nuts, and then come out to play a game with the kids before doing pictures again. Sounds like a plan to me!


I was feeling pretty tired at this point, so I volunteered to hang out with the strollers in the area where the picture line would be, so we could be near the front when the time came again. Ben and his parents took the kids to play and wait for their furry friends to come out.


After a few short minutes, Chip and Dale returned feeling refreshed and energized, and proceeded to dance and play with the kids. This was such a great moment for the girls!


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How CUTE are they???


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Love them.


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After probably a good 10 or 15 minutes of play, Chip and Dale made their way back over to their spot for photos, and since I just so happened to be standing right where the line began, we were up first!

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I love that you can barely see Ben in this hug.

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I was super happy to have this meet and greet. For anyone who read my PTR, you know that I was torn about cancelling my Garden Grill reservation solely for the chance of missing these guys. Well we found them, and they did not disappoint!

Everyone feeling more energized, we set out to find one more friend.​
 
What a spectacular interaction with Chip and Dale! This is much better than you would have had at Garden Grill. I just love the smiles on the kids faces. :goodvibes
 
Hello! We are back from Spring Break, and I am playing some major DIS catch-up. :laughing:

So glad you got to experience EE and enjoyed it! :woohoo:

Looks like you had a great safari! And I totally remember that confusing stroller parking from our very first trip. :laughing:

Aww - Chip ‘n’ Dale are always so much fun! I’m glad y’all got to experience such a good time with them. And you got some great pics too!
 
Hi all!

I'm sorry for going missing for so long. I can't keep up with anything lately. Expect another update within a day or so, though. I'm uploading photos now :thumbsup2

In other exciting news, tomorrow is 180 days til our October trip! I will be up terribly early tomorrow to try to snag some great ADRs. I'm not going for a ton, but a few might be kind of hard to get, so wish me luck.
 
I got up super early this morning. 4:45am to be exact.

There are very few things that can persuade me to be up at such a terrible hour, but I had my eyes on a prize!

I'm pretty determined to make our October anniversary trip completely awesome, so of course that requires a great meal line up!

I thought long and hard and decided that I didn't want to jam-pack the trip with ADRs, since I want some space for flexibility (and SNACKS). So, the list is pretty short, but I'm super excited about it:


Mythos Lunch (Universal)
Sanaa Lunch
Via Napoli Dinner
Artist Point Dinner
California Grill Dinner (during Hallowishes!)
Wishes Dessert Party


All of these are new to us, but all places that I have consistently drooled over when reading TRs. Also, the two things during fireworks are because I love fireworks but hatehatehatehate standing in crowds to watch them (I think it's because I'm so short), so this is a good way to see them!


Anyway, there's that. Our trip is coming together nicely!

In other news, here are a few recent photos from life with my munchkins.

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(She said she wasn't dirty!)

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Actual update coming up right after this, I promise!

I
 
What a spectacular interaction with Chip and Dale! This is much better than you would have had at Garden Grill. I just love the smiles on the kids faces. :goodvibes


It was so much fun and such a nice surprise. The kids absolutely loved it!

Hello! We are back from Spring Break, and I am playing some major DIS catch-up. :laughing:

So glad you got to experience EE and enjoyed it! :woohoo:

Looks like you had a great safari! And I totally remember that confusing stroller parking from our very first trip. :laughing:

Aww - Chip ‘n’ Dale are always so much fun! I’m glad y’all got to experience such a good time with them. And you got some great pics too!


I think EE might be my favorite ride! I say might because I still think it's terrifying. :rotfl2:

The stroller parking was ridiculous! But we survived!
 
Monkeys and Goats


After an awesome experience with our favorite chipmunks, we decided to see if we could track down Rafiki! The Lion King is a major favorite in our family, so this was a meet that I was particularly excited about.

We found him inside with no problem and were about the second family in line.

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(I really love this one!)

This was a fun meet. Quick and nothing super memorable, but how often can you take a picture with Rafiki!


All of the fun with Chip and Dale took up most of our Planet Watch time, so we only had a few minutes left before needing to head to lunch. The kids were still wanting to be free from their strollers, so we decided to pay a visit to some real furry friends!

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It was very sunny :rotfl2:

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Gigs absolutely LOVED this. He ran around collecting as many brushes as he could (we had to keep taking them away and giving them back to the children he stole them from :blush:), and he would brush the goats ever so gently. He was pretty much heartbroken when it was time to leave.

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The girls thought it was pretty great too.


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After a VERY thorough stop at the handwashing station, it was time to hop back on the train and head to lunch. We were all hungry and ready for some food!​
 
The ADR's sound great. I WILL try California Grill one of these days.

I love the recent pics of the kids...they are just so cute. But my favorite is DD hugging DS. :)

Great family picture with Rafiki.

Mark would be heartbroken right along with Gigs...he never wants to leave the animals.
 
I love how much your little guy enjoyed brushing the goats!

When my DD (4) visited she fell in love with the pig. :lovestruc

We danced with Chip & Dale too! Those guys are great.
 
The ADR's sound great. I WILL try California Grill one of these days.

I love the recent pics of the kids...they are just so cute. But my favorite is DD hugging DS. :)

Great family picture with Rafiki.

Mark would be heartbroken right along with Gigs...he never wants to leave the animals.


I'm so excited for our California Grill dinner. Hopefully it will live up to expectations.

Isn't that just the cutest picture? We went to Bethany's school to watch her in field day, and Gigs was so happy to see his big sissy that he ran right up to her. :love:

I love how much your little guy enjoyed brushing the goats!

When my DD (4) visited she fell in love with the pig. :lovestruc

We danced with Chip & Dale too! Those guys are great.

We didn't see a pig! We'll have to look for it next time.
 

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