chunkymonkey
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 27, 2009
I am constantly WORKING at the moment that's why it's so hard to go on vacation! At least I can relive them through TRs.
LOL yes it was! But Steve didn't get a toy maybe he should have asked for one!
Disney World with a toddler January 2019 COMPLETE - Link to new trip report 10/6
- Thread starter disgeek009
- Start date
disgeek009
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2012
DD woke up at 2:30p. She watched some tv and I got us organized for a walk to the park. She liked the show so much that she refused to go until the show was over (PJ Masks, I think). We left the room just in time to see DH step out of the elevator. He had a good time on the dives and needed to take a shower. So we agreed that he would meet us at the park when he was done.
The park had a nice playground and we stayed there for about an hour. The weather was warm and very humid.
That's how we sit in a train car, naturally.
Just as we were heading back to the hotel, DH texted that he was coming to meet us so we met on the way. We went back to the hotel to pick up some things and get the car.
We drove to Miami Beach and luckily found parking. There was a little market by the beach and we browsed the stalls. DD saw one with colorful earrings and wanted to take a closer look. DH considered buying a pair for his sister (the only person we know that wears big earrings), but decided against it in the end. We walked to the beach and DD got to play with the sand. It was hard to get her to leave when we wanted to get dinner.
We had one goal for dinner and that was cubanos. We walked past one restaurant and they were very aggressive about getting us to dine there. But there were no Cuban sandwiches on the menu so we kept walking. The next restaurant was called Havana 1957, and they equally pushy but they specialized in Cuban food so we were happy. We were immediately led to a table on the sidewalk. We were able to park the stroller in a little rocky area next to our table.
DH ordered a classic mojito and I got a guava mojito. They also brought a little cup of plantain chips that were delicious. We finished it right away. DD especially liked them and she got the crumbs at the end. We waited a while for the entrees but it was worth it. We ordered one Cubano, one chicken sandwich, a side of Cuban rice for DD, a side of plantains, and an order of yucca fries. Everything was delicious. The sandwiches also came with some small fries that were really more like chips. DD loved them and she also ate a lot of rice. DH and I each finished half a sandwich and took the rest to go.
After we came home, I found plantain chips at Trader Joe's. Not as good as fresh, but pretty good!
We were really full after dinner, but still wanted to get some ice cream. We walked down the strip and were asked to dine at every restaurant along the way. At least we could say we already ate and they would leave us alone (if only the people at the kiosks at the mall were so easily dismissed!). It was very crowded and we passed a few clubs along the way. It felt like Miami of the movies with the nightlife kicking into gear.
Finally we found Mama Mia's gelato shop and it was really good. They had a lot of flavors that we don’t usually see, so DH got samples of all the chocolate ones. He ended up getting a cone with a scoop of dark chocolate and cookies and cream. I got a scoop of strawberry and DD got a scoop of the bluest ice cream (her usual). We walked along the beach on the way back to the car and avoided most of the crowd and restaurant solicitation.
Just as I suspected, the blue one is just 'blue' flavor.
It was a short drive back to the hotel but DD bit her little ice cream spoon so hard that it cracked. I had to take it away from her since I was afraid she would eat a shard of plastic. And I somehow managed to spill blue ice cream on my jeans.
Back at the hotel, we asked about late checkout the next day and they gave us until 1:30p. We gave DD a shower and she went to sleep quickly. I showered (felt so good after feeling sticky all day) and went to bed early.
NEXT: Last day of vacation (sob!)
The park had a nice playground and we stayed there for about an hour. The weather was warm and very humid.
That's how we sit in a train car, naturally.
Just as we were heading back to the hotel, DH texted that he was coming to meet us so we met on the way. We went back to the hotel to pick up some things and get the car.
We drove to Miami Beach and luckily found parking. There was a little market by the beach and we browsed the stalls. DD saw one with colorful earrings and wanted to take a closer look. DH considered buying a pair for his sister (the only person we know that wears big earrings), but decided against it in the end. We walked to the beach and DD got to play with the sand. It was hard to get her to leave when we wanted to get dinner.
We had one goal for dinner and that was cubanos. We walked past one restaurant and they were very aggressive about getting us to dine there. But there were no Cuban sandwiches on the menu so we kept walking. The next restaurant was called Havana 1957, and they equally pushy but they specialized in Cuban food so we were happy. We were immediately led to a table on the sidewalk. We were able to park the stroller in a little rocky area next to our table.
DH ordered a classic mojito and I got a guava mojito. They also brought a little cup of plantain chips that were delicious. We finished it right away. DD especially liked them and she got the crumbs at the end. We waited a while for the entrees but it was worth it. We ordered one Cubano, one chicken sandwich, a side of Cuban rice for DD, a side of plantains, and an order of yucca fries. Everything was delicious. The sandwiches also came with some small fries that were really more like chips. DD loved them and she also ate a lot of rice. DH and I each finished half a sandwich and took the rest to go.
After we came home, I found plantain chips at Trader Joe's. Not as good as fresh, but pretty good!
We were really full after dinner, but still wanted to get some ice cream. We walked down the strip and were asked to dine at every restaurant along the way. At least we could say we already ate and they would leave us alone (if only the people at the kiosks at the mall were so easily dismissed!). It was very crowded and we passed a few clubs along the way. It felt like Miami of the movies with the nightlife kicking into gear.
Finally we found Mama Mia's gelato shop and it was really good. They had a lot of flavors that we don’t usually see, so DH got samples of all the chocolate ones. He ended up getting a cone with a scoop of dark chocolate and cookies and cream. I got a scoop of strawberry and DD got a scoop of the bluest ice cream (her usual). We walked along the beach on the way back to the car and avoided most of the crowd and restaurant solicitation.
Just as I suspected, the blue one is just 'blue' flavor.
It was a short drive back to the hotel but DD bit her little ice cream spoon so hard that it cracked. I had to take it away from her since I was afraid she would eat a shard of plastic. And I somehow managed to spill blue ice cream on my jeans.
Back at the hotel, we asked about late checkout the next day and they gave us until 1:30p. We gave DD a shower and she went to sleep quickly. I showered (felt so good after feeling sticky all day) and went to bed early.
NEXT: Last day of vacation (sob!)
Verstehen
I break for the Nautilus
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2008
Loving your report! Your daughter is adorable. My husband and I went to Miami Beach a few years ago and I remember how unbelievably aggressive the restaurants were. We also stayed in a weird hotel with murals of fashion models staring at us. I don't think it was the same one; I think that's just a weird aesthetic down there 
disgeek009
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2012
Thanks for reading! I'm glad you're enjoying it.Loving your report! Your daughter is adorable. My husband and I went to Miami Beach a few years ago and I remember how unbelievably aggressive the restaurants were. We also stayed in a weird hotel with murals of fashion models staring at us. I don't think it was the same one; I think that's just a weird aesthetic down there
Regarding aggressive restaurants: I can't remember where we were, but we went to another place that was similar. Mexico maybe? It made us afraid to look at the menus. But it certainly worked out for us in Miami.
Interesting about the murals. Miami-style art?
disgeek009
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2012
Just a short update today as I attempt to draaag out this last day of vacation.
We started the day at 7:20a. I tried the same trick from yesterday of telling DD it was too early, but since we all went to sleep around 9p last night, we weren’t really tired. DH and I discussed the plan for the day. We started by organizing what we would need after the pool and at the airport.
DD was still enjoying her cards from the character breakfasts.
We let DD watch some Disney channel as we organized.
A trio of BIG EYES!
We put on swimsuits and headed down to the pool, which was pretty empty so early in the morning.
The view from the pool deck.
They had a little kiddie pool and sand box that looked fun.
It was right next to the dryer exhaust fans, so I can't look at this without also remembering the scent of dryer sheets.
But it must have rained the night before because the sand was all wet. DH tried to show DD what to do and promptly broke a shovel on the wet sand. DD was gentler and used a big shovel to move it around. DH found some more toys and she was very content for at least an hour.
We all loved these little lounge chairs! OMG, so CUTE!
DH took a little nap and I spent time on my phone. I checked us in for our flight in the evening and caught up on news. DD played in the little pool for a while and DH and I joined her. It was really relaxing. We were the only people there the whole time. We saw a bunch of people taking a yoga class by the main pool.
Around 11a DD got tired and hungry so we returned to the room. DH stopped at the front desk to ask for towels and they were brought up soon after. We ate the leftovers from yesterday and took quick showers. I put DD in her crib hoping she would sleep at least a little bit before we had to leave the room. I sat next to her crib sending go-to-sleep vibes and it worked!
NEXT: A little bit more of Miami and then the flight home.
We started the day at 7:20a. I tried the same trick from yesterday of telling DD it was too early, but since we all went to sleep around 9p last night, we weren’t really tired. DH and I discussed the plan for the day. We started by organizing what we would need after the pool and at the airport.
DD was still enjoying her cards from the character breakfasts.
We let DD watch some Disney channel as we organized.
A trio of BIG EYES!
We put on swimsuits and headed down to the pool, which was pretty empty so early in the morning.
The view from the pool deck.
They had a little kiddie pool and sand box that looked fun.
It was right next to the dryer exhaust fans, so I can't look at this without also remembering the scent of dryer sheets.
But it must have rained the night before because the sand was all wet. DH tried to show DD what to do and promptly broke a shovel on the wet sand. DD was gentler and used a big shovel to move it around. DH found some more toys and she was very content for at least an hour.
We all loved these little lounge chairs! OMG, so CUTE!
DH took a little nap and I spent time on my phone. I checked us in for our flight in the evening and caught up on news. DD played in the little pool for a while and DH and I joined her. It was really relaxing. We were the only people there the whole time. We saw a bunch of people taking a yoga class by the main pool.
Around 11a DD got tired and hungry so we returned to the room. DH stopped at the front desk to ask for towels and they were brought up soon after. We ate the leftovers from yesterday and took quick showers. I put DD in her crib hoping she would sleep at least a little bit before we had to leave the room. I sat next to her crib sending go-to-sleep vibes and it worked!
NEXT: A little bit more of Miami and then the flight home.
DisneyDarlingness
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 22, 2005
The baby Simba saga is so hilarious! We got the same one for our son after I lost the puppy he brought (Emma). The puppy came with a little pet carrier and even months after we got home when he would see the pet carrier he would ask, "Where's Emma?" We always tell him Emma is lost but at Disney World so having a good time. LOL. I totally relate to the tissue issue as well - somehow they are never there when you need them the most! Really glad you found the Legoland reports, I'm looking forward to reading that report if you decide to write it!
disgeek009
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2012
Oh no, kids and their toys. We bought several backups of her lovely, but of course, she could spot the impostors right away. So now we're always afraid of losing it! Luckily, you have a good story about Emma for your son! Does he still like baby Simba? Simba doesn't get much play in our house anymore, now that the newness has worn off. But it always goes through cycles and she'll love him again someday.
disgeek009
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2012
We finished packing while she slept and relaxed for a bit too. Around 1:20p, we woke up DD and called to get help with our luggage. We said a final good-bye to the Mickey balloon (and $13).
We packed up the car and headed to the Miami Children's Museum. During the drive, we saw the line of cruise ships again and the Disney Magic was there! It was the last day of our vacation and I was SO JEALOUS of the people on the cruise.
Sigh...
It took a while to figure out parking, and there was a long line at the payment kiosk. It was still hot and humid and DH and I were trying our best not to get sweaty before the long flight home. So when DD asked to play in the outdoor playground, we told her there would be more fun things inside.
Admission was steep; even DD was charged the full rate of $20/person. But the exhibits were very nicely done and they had a lot of fun things to do. DD liked playing with any of the moving parts. Cranks, treadmills, buttons, etc. And she took very good care of a pig in the vet center.
For the most part, DH and I would get bored before DD and we moved her along to the next exhibit. We stayed for a couple hours, I think we left around 4p. We were a bit hungry and the museum only had an attached Subway that wasn't very appetizing.
We picked a Cuban restaurant at random through Yelp, Sanguich de Miami, and it was fantastic! The food was delicious (although a lot of things we wanted were sold out). We got a Cubano and a croquetta sandwich with the croquettas on the side, plus a side of plantain chips (again, I could have made a meal just out of the chips. DD agreed).
I went in the bathroom to check out the decor and turned to see DD clowning around.
The decor was beautiful, which was especially surprising because it was located in a nondescript strip mall. Another bonus is that it was in Little Havana, a place I didn't expect to visit, but felt authentically Miami and not touristy at all.
We packed up the car and headed to the Miami Children's Museum. During the drive, we saw the line of cruise ships again and the Disney Magic was there! It was the last day of our vacation and I was SO JEALOUS of the people on the cruise.
Sigh...
It took a while to figure out parking, and there was a long line at the payment kiosk. It was still hot and humid and DH and I were trying our best not to get sweaty before the long flight home. So when DD asked to play in the outdoor playground, we told her there would be more fun things inside.
Admission was steep; even DD was charged the full rate of $20/person. But the exhibits were very nicely done and they had a lot of fun things to do. DD liked playing with any of the moving parts. Cranks, treadmills, buttons, etc. And she took very good care of a pig in the vet center.
For the most part, DH and I would get bored before DD and we moved her along to the next exhibit. We stayed for a couple hours, I think we left around 4p. We were a bit hungry and the museum only had an attached Subway that wasn't very appetizing.
We picked a Cuban restaurant at random through Yelp, Sanguich de Miami, and it was fantastic! The food was delicious (although a lot of things we wanted were sold out). We got a Cubano and a croquetta sandwich with the croquettas on the side, plus a side of plantain chips (again, I could have made a meal just out of the chips. DD agreed).
I went in the bathroom to check out the decor and turned to see DD clowning around.
The decor was beautiful, which was especially surprising because it was located in a nondescript strip mall. Another bonus is that it was in Little Havana, a place I didn't expect to visit, but felt authentically Miami and not touristy at all.
disgeek009
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2012
We headed to the airport around 5p, which was earlier than planned but worked out well. We stopped at a gas station on the way there and kind of kicked ourselves for not signing up for the rental company fill-up rate of $2/gallon. The gas station we ended up using was $2.27/gallon, and it wasn't as convenient. Then we brought the car back to the car rental return, which was also a hassle because the address on the rental contract is NOT the actual return location. We ended up driving to the airport and following all the "Car Rental Center" signs around and around until we finally got there. Do not ask me for directions, because it was really so confusing. All I can say is that the posted signs were correct.
We took a tram to the airport (yay, no shuttle again!). Then we walked and walked and walked to the check-in desk. It was a madhouse at the American Airlines area. We tried to use the kiosk to print luggage tags. As soon as indicated we were checking a car seat, the kiosk froze up and there was a message that we had to get assistance to continue. There were no agents that could help. We made eye contact with one guy who nodded at us, but then left. DH tried to find someone, and when he did, they said that this area was only for Cuba-bound flights (even though there was no signage that said this, and the kiosk did not have any messages either) and we had to go somewhere else.
So we kept walking, past the British Airways desks and then to another group of American Airlines counters. We tried the kiosk again, which was completely identical to the one we had use before. And like before, it froze up when we tried to check the car seat. This time, an agent was there and she tapped through for us. We paid to check one big suitcase ($30), and then got in line to drop off our luggage. At this desk, DH said a friendly hello and was greeted with stone-faced silence. The first thing she said to us was that the luggage we placed on the scale had to be on its side. After we checked the luggage, I asked for help getting TSA Precheck on my boarding pass. I tried to put in my number at the kiosk, but it didn't seem to work. Of course, she couldn't help and directed me to another line.
Since DH doesn't have TSA Precheck, he got in for security while I tried to figure things out. The security lines were ridiculously long, extending into the check-in area before it even entered the actual queue where it snaked back and forth. The plan was that I could take DD through TSA Precheck and reunite with DH after he cleared security. Considering that she was already begging to get out of her stroller, I thought it was worth it. So we got in line to talk to an agent. It took a long time. DH and I texted each other while we were waiting. It was snowing back home (so unusual for Seattle). I logged into our security camera and got a view of our yard.
The agent was very nice and issued me a new boarding pass lickety-split. Armed with this, I went to find DH so I could take some luggage from him. But he got sent to another security checkpoint in the meanwhile, so DD and I walked and walked and walked to the next one, where the line was much shorter. The only drawback was that there was no dedicated TSA Precheck at this checkpoint, so I had to hold onto my boarding pass to prove I didn't have to take off my shoes. Somewhere during the wait and endless walking, DD lost the light-up Tinkerbell she was given at Kona Cafe. DH was really upset and scolded her, but she didn't seem to care at all. When I asked her what happened, she just shrugged, "I dropped it." And since she didn't care, I decided I shouldn't care too much either. It's not like we don't have enough toys at home.
We finally got through and stopped at a bathroom to change into our Seattle clothes. It was still too warm to consider putting on the sweater I planned to wear, though. When we were all organized and dressed, we went to find our gate. Along the way, I looked up any lounges I could access with my Priority Pass card, and there was a restaurant close to our gate.
Walking up to the Corona Beach House, I was wary of the crowd outside the restaurant. I had completely forgotten that we were flying during the Superbowl! Most of the crowd was there just to watch tv. The game had just begun when we got to the podium. I asked the hostess how long it would take to get food, and she though 20 minutes, which was good because we only had 30 minutes until our flight began boarding.
We ordered a hamburger (DH), crispy shrimp (me), sides of rice and broccoli (DD), plus a slice of key lime pie. We got to watch the beginning of the game, and even saw the infamous Bud Light/Game of Thrones commercial. DH finished quickly and left to get a gate-check tag for the stroller. DD and I waited for the bill, which never came because everything was covered with Priority Pass! When we left, the score was still 0-0.
We boarded quickly and got settled. I was happy to see that we had in-seat screens and even happier to find that we could already access the movies, even before takeoff. The captain made an announcement that the flight is on schedule. I sent a notice to my parents. Then the captain made another announcement that we would be delayed 1 hour, 25 minutes because of the snow across the midwest and in Seattle. It was something to the effect that we had scheduled arrival times, and since things were delayed in Seattle because of the weather, we couldn't land there until our time slot. I notified my parents again. I got DD set up with "the fishy" (Finding Nemo). And I started watching Searching. DH watched a Mr. Bean movie on his iPad and was already laughing to himself. The captain made YET ANOTHER announcement that they were able to find an earlier time slot to land and we would take off soon. I let my parents know again.
A little while into the flight, DD cried with distress, "Me no like it! Me no like it!" I looked over and saw that she got to the scene where (spoiler alert) Nemo gets taken by the dentist and is separated from Marlin. I tried to convince her that it would be happy in the end, but she wasn't interested. We flipped through the Disney category and she wanted to watch "the doggie" (Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero). She watched this until the dog got separated from his owner? (Not a spoiler, because I'm just guessing) Again, "me no like it." I set her up with Toy Story. She watched a bit and smiled at me, "me like it." Until. (Spoiler) Buzz showed up and ruined Woody's perfect life. After this, she asked to play with the iPad.
She played until around 10p and we were finally able to convince her to lie down and rest. She fell asleep quickly. I watched Searching (ok movie, interesting format), finished The Spy Who Dumped Me (I watched the first half on another flight, and finally got to see the ending. It was funny), A Simple Favor (surprisingly good and funny!), tried to sleep, gave up and watched Peppermint (predictable, but good enough).
We got to the gate at midnight. DD was dead asleep and didn't even stir when I picked her up. She woke up a bit when we put her in the stroller and went to get our luggage. It was still snowing outside and freezing cold. My dad came to pick us up and DD was delighted with the falling snow in the short walk from the door to the curb. She immediately gave her grandpa a summary of her trip. (Tall hotel, pool, airplane)
We got home around 1a (4a to us, since we were still on East coast time) and immediately put DD to bed. I asked if she wanted to wear pajamas, and she said no, she wanted to sleep. She went to bed wearing her dirty travelling clothes. DH and I stayed up to unpack and take showers and finally fell into bed.
The next morning, we woke up to a thick blanket of snow and didn't even consider going to work. We had a nice day playing in the snow, doing laundry, and catching up on work emails.
And that's a wrap! I'll be back next week with a few final thoughts and a mini pre-trip post for our next trip to Legoland and Cabo.
We took a tram to the airport (yay, no shuttle again!). Then we walked and walked and walked to the check-in desk. It was a madhouse at the American Airlines area. We tried to use the kiosk to print luggage tags. As soon as indicated we were checking a car seat, the kiosk froze up and there was a message that we had to get assistance to continue. There were no agents that could help. We made eye contact with one guy who nodded at us, but then left. DH tried to find someone, and when he did, they said that this area was only for Cuba-bound flights (even though there was no signage that said this, and the kiosk did not have any messages either) and we had to go somewhere else.
So we kept walking, past the British Airways desks and then to another group of American Airlines counters. We tried the kiosk again, which was completely identical to the one we had use before. And like before, it froze up when we tried to check the car seat. This time, an agent was there and she tapped through for us. We paid to check one big suitcase ($30), and then got in line to drop off our luggage. At this desk, DH said a friendly hello and was greeted with stone-faced silence. The first thing she said to us was that the luggage we placed on the scale had to be on its side. After we checked the luggage, I asked for help getting TSA Precheck on my boarding pass. I tried to put in my number at the kiosk, but it didn't seem to work. Of course, she couldn't help and directed me to another line.
Since DH doesn't have TSA Precheck, he got in for security while I tried to figure things out. The security lines were ridiculously long, extending into the check-in area before it even entered the actual queue where it snaked back and forth. The plan was that I could take DD through TSA Precheck and reunite with DH after he cleared security. Considering that she was already begging to get out of her stroller, I thought it was worth it. So we got in line to talk to an agent. It took a long time. DH and I texted each other while we were waiting. It was snowing back home (so unusual for Seattle). I logged into our security camera and got a view of our yard.
The agent was very nice and issued me a new boarding pass lickety-split. Armed with this, I went to find DH so I could take some luggage from him. But he got sent to another security checkpoint in the meanwhile, so DD and I walked and walked and walked to the next one, where the line was much shorter. The only drawback was that there was no dedicated TSA Precheck at this checkpoint, so I had to hold onto my boarding pass to prove I didn't have to take off my shoes. Somewhere during the wait and endless walking, DD lost the light-up Tinkerbell she was given at Kona Cafe. DH was really upset and scolded her, but she didn't seem to care at all. When I asked her what happened, she just shrugged, "I dropped it." And since she didn't care, I decided I shouldn't care too much either. It's not like we don't have enough toys at home.
We finally got through and stopped at a bathroom to change into our Seattle clothes. It was still too warm to consider putting on the sweater I planned to wear, though. When we were all organized and dressed, we went to find our gate. Along the way, I looked up any lounges I could access with my Priority Pass card, and there was a restaurant close to our gate.
Walking up to the Corona Beach House, I was wary of the crowd outside the restaurant. I had completely forgotten that we were flying during the Superbowl! Most of the crowd was there just to watch tv. The game had just begun when we got to the podium. I asked the hostess how long it would take to get food, and she though 20 minutes, which was good because we only had 30 minutes until our flight began boarding.
We ordered a hamburger (DH), crispy shrimp (me), sides of rice and broccoli (DD), plus a slice of key lime pie. We got to watch the beginning of the game, and even saw the infamous Bud Light/Game of Thrones commercial. DH finished quickly and left to get a gate-check tag for the stroller. DD and I waited for the bill, which never came because everything was covered with Priority Pass! When we left, the score was still 0-0.
We boarded quickly and got settled. I was happy to see that we had in-seat screens and even happier to find that we could already access the movies, even before takeoff. The captain made an announcement that the flight is on schedule. I sent a notice to my parents. Then the captain made another announcement that we would be delayed 1 hour, 25 minutes because of the snow across the midwest and in Seattle. It was something to the effect that we had scheduled arrival times, and since things were delayed in Seattle because of the weather, we couldn't land there until our time slot. I notified my parents again. I got DD set up with "the fishy" (Finding Nemo). And I started watching Searching. DH watched a Mr. Bean movie on his iPad and was already laughing to himself. The captain made YET ANOTHER announcement that they were able to find an earlier time slot to land and we would take off soon. I let my parents know again.
A little while into the flight, DD cried with distress, "Me no like it! Me no like it!" I looked over and saw that she got to the scene where (spoiler alert) Nemo gets taken by the dentist and is separated from Marlin. I tried to convince her that it would be happy in the end, but she wasn't interested. We flipped through the Disney category and she wanted to watch "the doggie" (Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero). She watched this until the dog got separated from his owner? (Not a spoiler, because I'm just guessing) Again, "me no like it." I set her up with Toy Story. She watched a bit and smiled at me, "me like it." Until. (Spoiler) Buzz showed up and ruined Woody's perfect life. After this, she asked to play with the iPad.
She played until around 10p and we were finally able to convince her to lie down and rest. She fell asleep quickly. I watched Searching (ok movie, interesting format), finished The Spy Who Dumped Me (I watched the first half on another flight, and finally got to see the ending. It was funny), A Simple Favor (surprisingly good and funny!), tried to sleep, gave up and watched Peppermint (predictable, but good enough).
We got to the gate at midnight. DD was dead asleep and didn't even stir when I picked her up. She woke up a bit when we put her in the stroller and went to get our luggage. It was still snowing outside and freezing cold. My dad came to pick us up and DD was delighted with the falling snow in the short walk from the door to the curb. She immediately gave her grandpa a summary of her trip. (Tall hotel, pool, airplane)
We got home around 1a (4a to us, since we were still on East coast time) and immediately put DD to bed. I asked if she wanted to wear pajamas, and she said no, she wanted to sleep. She went to bed wearing her dirty travelling clothes. DH and I stayed up to unpack and take showers and finally fell into bed.
The next morning, we woke up to a thick blanket of snow and didn't even consider going to work. We had a nice day playing in the snow, doing laundry, and catching up on work emails.
And that's a wrap! I'll be back next week with a few final thoughts and a mini pre-trip post for our next trip to Legoland and Cabo.
cinderaimee
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2016
Just caught up with the end of your report!
I feel like those CM's use the same tone of voice I use to tell my kids to stop jumping on the couch, like they say it because they have to but they know no one is going to listen. "Stop jumping, hey guys, stop jumping. Serioulsy, stop jumping."
The tissue struggle is real!
That's adorable!
Of course! Breakfast at Kona cafe sounds amazing! I've been to Ohana twice, but I think I need to make more of an effort to try the other places at the Poly.
Your DD's smile on this ride is just adorable! That's how I feel on the Peoplemover, too!
Even if you mobile order at Aloah Isle, they don't actually make your order until you're there so the line takes forever.
Oh, kids. Such a joy.
Like watching people arrive on the Magical Express when you're waiting to go back to the airport and trying not to hate them.
You all were troopers for your travel day home! That science museum looks like so much fun, even if the price is a bit
Between the check in/security line hassles/weather delays, it honestly sounds like my nightmare it seems like you kept it together!
I really enjoyed following along with your report and can't wait to hear about your next adventures! Thank you for taking the time to share your trip here!
I feel like those CM's use the same tone of voice I use to tell my kids to stop jumping on the couch, like they say it because they have to but they know no one is going to listen. "Stop jumping, hey guys, stop jumping. Serioulsy, stop jumping."
The tissue struggle is real!
That's adorable!
Of course! Breakfast at Kona cafe sounds amazing! I've been to Ohana twice, but I think I need to make more of an effort to try the other places at the Poly.
Your DD's smile on this ride is just adorable! That's how I feel on the Peoplemover, too!
Even if you mobile order at Aloah Isle, they don't actually make your order until you're there so the line takes forever.
Oh, kids. Such a joy.
Like watching people arrive on the Magical Express when you're waiting to go back to the airport and trying not to hate them.
You all were troopers for your travel day home! That science museum looks like so much fun, even if the price is a bit
Between the check in/security line hassles/weather delays, it honestly sounds like my nightmare it seems like you kept it together!
I really enjoyed following along with your report and can't wait to hear about your next adventures! Thank you for taking the time to share your trip here!
disgeek009
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2012
So true! It's a matter of principle, I guess.I love Kona Cafe, but never tried Ohana. Definitely on my list for next time.
This is half the reason I want to try a back-to-back cruise. Just for the smug satisfaction of getting to extend your vacation while everyone is going home!
disgeek009
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2012
I'm glad you enjoyed it! I read trip reports during lunch too!Have loved your TR. Read it all on by lunch break today
disgeek009
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2012
As promised, here a final few thoughts to wrap up the trip report. Also, there's a mini pre-trip report to kick off our next trip!
Restaurants
We enjoyed a lot of restaurants, and if I had to pick a favorite, it would probably be Mama Melrose for the combination of great service and yummy food. Kona Cafe was also a close second. The worst was Cinderella's Royal Table. The food was bad, character interactions impersonal and it was SO EXPENSIVE. I was very disappointed. I think part of it was my fault too, because DD isn't really interested in princesses. Maybe in a year or two it would have been a nicer experience. I left here positive that we would never return, but just recently DD asked about going to the 'tower' again. So who knows??
I loved the Cuban restaurants we tried in Miami. And I was very happy to find plantain chips at Trader Joe's when we returned home. Not as good as the fresh ones in the restaurant, but definitely scratches that itch.
Hotels
Dolphin
As mentioned previously, I booked this hotel with points. Even so, we still had to pay $35 each night for resort fees. And since they raised the redemption rate for the Swan and Dolphin shortly after I booked our room, I already knew this would most likely be the last time we stayed in this hotel.
But actually staying there confirmed that it would be our last stay. With the nuisance of coming back to a dirty room for the first two days and the REALLY LOUD convention guests, it was a pretty bad. In addition, the room just felt kind of shabby and worn out. I think they renovated a while ago and I’m guessing they divided the bathroom so the sink would be separate from the toilet and shower. But the way it got divided made the toilet and shower room tiny! It was barely big enough to swing the door open. And not to mention that there was only a shower and no bathtub.
I’m sure my decision to not book a room for free every 5-6 years is causing Dolphin management to cry themselves to sleep at night.
I am grateful that we got upgraded to a king room though. It was nice to have some extra space and the little sofa was nice to have during nap time when I was just reading and not sleeping. Being able to see the fireworks was a nice perk too.
Mondrian South Beach
I realize that most people reading this is not exactly looking for hotel tips in Miami, but I wanted to note that the service here was EXCELLENT. It's kind of a scene-y, trendy hotel with a lot of 20-somethings hanging out in their cute outfits, so not exactly family-oriented. But we never felt like we were out of place and there was no hint of snobbishness. Our room was so nice and spacious and having the kitchen area was really convenient. And again, the service was great. They were so willing to take time to answer questions and every request was filled promptly (unlike at the Dolphin).
Disney app
I changed our fastpasses so many times, I was practically glued to the Disney World app. It was really helpful and really frustrating. It froze up ALL THE TIME, and I basically had to restart the app every time I opened it. Even so, being able to see available fastpasses and reserve them right away was really nice. And being able to see wait times right away saved us a lot of pointless walking.
NOW, a little pre-trip report:
We like to take a trip in fall each year, when summer is winding down and before the busyness of the holidays. So for this year, we wanted to find something relaxing and DH wanted a place where he could go diving. I started searching for flights to Cabo. I went MANY years ago for spring break in college. DH has never been, and I wanted him to see it. It seemed like a relaxing place to go, and we're in the same time zone, which should help too.
While searching, I found that most flights had a long layover in San Diego or LAX. I recalled that Legoland had a promotion running for a free child ticket with the purchase of an adult ticket. So I decided to split up our trip to have a few days in San Diego before going on to Mexico. The plan is to fly to San Diego, spend a day there, then move on to Carlsbad next to Legoland and spend a couple nights at the Legoland hotel. Then fly to Cabo and stay at an all-inclusive resort. DH will go on as many diving excursions as he wants, and DD and I will play in the sand. And to make it even better, friends will join us for the Mexico portion with their son, who is just a bit younger than DD.
Even though the Legoland part of the trip was inspired by the buy-one-get-one promotion, the Legoland website is TERRIBLE, and I could NOT figure out how to add another day to the child ticket. After many tries with different browsers, I gave up and bought tickets through Costco. Costco had three-day park hoppers for $95 each, which came out to be just $40 more than one-day park hoppers through the website. With my current plan, we would only use two of the days, but it's still worth it.
Given how much DD loved the rides at WDW, I think she'll like Legoland because it's supposed to have more kid-sized rides. She's not a big Lego fan (working on it), but DH and I will definitely enjoy it. Our tickets include admission to the water park, but it's only open on the weekends for our dates, so we might be able to visit one day, but it's not something we have to do. I checked some crowd predictor calendars, and they seem promising too.
We don't need a lot of stuff for this trip, but I still managed to find some things to buy. I already ordered this upf jacket:
This swimsuit for DD:
And I'm hoping this sun cap will come back in stock:
We also got under-seat luggage for DD that she will hopefully wheel herself.
Looks promising. I'm sure this three-year-old will NOT change her mind in a couple months.
So that's where we're at. I'll update if there are major changes, and will post a link to a new trip report in a few months. Thanks for reading along!
Restaurants
We enjoyed a lot of restaurants, and if I had to pick a favorite, it would probably be Mama Melrose for the combination of great service and yummy food. Kona Cafe was also a close second. The worst was Cinderella's Royal Table. The food was bad, character interactions impersonal and it was SO EXPENSIVE. I was very disappointed. I think part of it was my fault too, because DD isn't really interested in princesses. Maybe in a year or two it would have been a nicer experience. I left here positive that we would never return, but just recently DD asked about going to the 'tower' again. So who knows??
I loved the Cuban restaurants we tried in Miami. And I was very happy to find plantain chips at Trader Joe's when we returned home. Not as good as the fresh ones in the restaurant, but definitely scratches that itch.
Hotels
Dolphin
As mentioned previously, I booked this hotel with points. Even so, we still had to pay $35 each night for resort fees. And since they raised the redemption rate for the Swan and Dolphin shortly after I booked our room, I already knew this would most likely be the last time we stayed in this hotel.
But actually staying there confirmed that it would be our last stay. With the nuisance of coming back to a dirty room for the first two days and the REALLY LOUD convention guests, it was a pretty bad. In addition, the room just felt kind of shabby and worn out. I think they renovated a while ago and I’m guessing they divided the bathroom so the sink would be separate from the toilet and shower. But the way it got divided made the toilet and shower room tiny! It was barely big enough to swing the door open. And not to mention that there was only a shower and no bathtub.
I’m sure my decision to not book a room for free every 5-6 years is causing Dolphin management to cry themselves to sleep at night.
I am grateful that we got upgraded to a king room though. It was nice to have some extra space and the little sofa was nice to have during nap time when I was just reading and not sleeping. Being able to see the fireworks was a nice perk too.
Mondrian South Beach
I realize that most people reading this is not exactly looking for hotel tips in Miami, but I wanted to note that the service here was EXCELLENT. It's kind of a scene-y, trendy hotel with a lot of 20-somethings hanging out in their cute outfits, so not exactly family-oriented. But we never felt like we were out of place and there was no hint of snobbishness. Our room was so nice and spacious and having the kitchen area was really convenient. And again, the service was great. They were so willing to take time to answer questions and every request was filled promptly (unlike at the Dolphin).
Disney app
I changed our fastpasses so many times, I was practically glued to the Disney World app. It was really helpful and really frustrating. It froze up ALL THE TIME, and I basically had to restart the app every time I opened it. Even so, being able to see available fastpasses and reserve them right away was really nice. And being able to see wait times right away saved us a lot of pointless walking.
NOW, a little pre-trip report:
We like to take a trip in fall each year, when summer is winding down and before the busyness of the holidays. So for this year, we wanted to find something relaxing and DH wanted a place where he could go diving. I started searching for flights to Cabo. I went MANY years ago for spring break in college. DH has never been, and I wanted him to see it. It seemed like a relaxing place to go, and we're in the same time zone, which should help too.
While searching, I found that most flights had a long layover in San Diego or LAX. I recalled that Legoland had a promotion running for a free child ticket with the purchase of an adult ticket. So I decided to split up our trip to have a few days in San Diego before going on to Mexico. The plan is to fly to San Diego, spend a day there, then move on to Carlsbad next to Legoland and spend a couple nights at the Legoland hotel. Then fly to Cabo and stay at an all-inclusive resort. DH will go on as many diving excursions as he wants, and DD and I will play in the sand. And to make it even better, friends will join us for the Mexico portion with their son, who is just a bit younger than DD.
Even though the Legoland part of the trip was inspired by the buy-one-get-one promotion, the Legoland website is TERRIBLE, and I could NOT figure out how to add another day to the child ticket. After many tries with different browsers, I gave up and bought tickets through Costco. Costco had three-day park hoppers for $95 each, which came out to be just $40 more than one-day park hoppers through the website. With my current plan, we would only use two of the days, but it's still worth it.
Given how much DD loved the rides at WDW, I think she'll like Legoland because it's supposed to have more kid-sized rides. She's not a big Lego fan (working on it), but DH and I will definitely enjoy it. Our tickets include admission to the water park, but it's only open on the weekends for our dates, so we might be able to visit one day, but it's not something we have to do. I checked some crowd predictor calendars, and they seem promising too.
We don't need a lot of stuff for this trip, but I still managed to find some things to buy. I already ordered this upf jacket:
This swimsuit for DD:
And I'm hoping this sun cap will come back in stock:
We also got under-seat luggage for DD that she will hopefully wheel herself.
Looks promising. I'm sure this three-year-old will NOT change her mind in a couple months.
So that's where we're at. I'll update if there are major changes, and will post a link to a new trip report in a few months. Thanks for reading along!
disgeek009
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2012
I have some trip-related news to share, and figured this is as good a place as any. We have not even gone on the Legoland/Cabo trip (mentioned above) yet. AND we have another little trip planned (New Orleans during Christmas week). BUT Delta had an award fare sale this week, and I couldn't help myself. After some poking around, I saw there were really good fares to the Los Angeles area. And to make it even better, it included the Orange County airport, which is close to Disneyland!
So it will basically be a repeat of our last trip to Disneyland, a few days in Los Angeles to see friends and family and then drive down to Disneyland. I'm considering starting a pre-trip report for this one, since there's so much time before our trip and I could actually use some advice on dining reservations.
Anyway, thanks for reading! I'm so excited for another Disney trip!
So it will basically be a repeat of our last trip to Disneyland, a few days in Los Angeles to see friends and family and then drive down to Disneyland. I'm considering starting a pre-trip report for this one, since there's so much time before our trip and I could actually use some advice on dining reservations.
Anyway, thanks for reading! I'm so excited for another Disney trip!
MilitaryMouse
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2012
I'm so glad I found your trip report! We're taking DD (almost 2) to WDW (first trip for her but she's been to Disneyland several times) in late October and also coming from Seattle. Your trip report was hilarious and very helpful! Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed following along!
disgeek009
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2012
Thanks for reading and commenting! And it's so nice to meet a fellow Seattlelite. Have fun on your trip in October, not long now!
disgeek009
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2012
I started a pre-trip report for our upcoming trip to Disneyland in January. Hope to see you there!
disgeek009
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2012
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Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
