I Like Warm Hugs! - Mommy/Toddler Trip ~ Updated 6/20: New Trip Report Link!

[Dugette]

I missed your April 12th update I guess sorry! So sweet seeing Izzy with the goats, looks like that was a hit! Glad she was okay with the fall, and what a fun surprise having Chip & Dale stop by unprompted! That was awesome!!

She loved chasing those goats around and she really loved the brushes! That fall was such a scare, but Chip and Dale sure knew how to snap us out of it! Really glad things worked out the way they did there.

The Minnie meet was adorable too (and really great they let you in!!), loved the photos!

I love how much she loves Minnie! Just so much fun to watch.

RE the stroller, we actually had some fun yesterday playing with the seat configurations for two. I even figured out how to make both seats recline for nap times, because I swear Aria will nap until she's 12!

She is a napping champion. So exciting that you actually will get to use the second seat! Glad you found a way to recline both.

Oh the Dug & russell meet is cute. I somehow always tell Aria they are going for potty breaks, so she gets a kick out of that (we seem to have a lot of potty talk lol).

Haha, we talk potty a lot too. Izzy often randomly says, "Doggy poopy" and starts giggling. I am totally picturing Dug lifting a leg over in the service dog relief zone and it's cracking me up.

I didn't know that Dug & Russell have a meet at AK - good to know! Rory watched Up this weekend and loved it! I think he might have the same reaction to Russell that Izzy did, though!

I love that meet - check it out, if you can! The theming is so fun and Dug is so cute! (though I really, REALLY wish he "talked")

Love it!!!

She was fond of that piggy.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Stupid phone!

Terrifying! I am SO glad that she was okay.

Me too. Such a scare - for us both!

Um, this is just odd, just really, really odd.

It was so odd. Like I looked up and she was just staring at us with her mouth hanging open. And kept staring, even when I looked back at her. And then finally decided to respond with her bizarre story of driving through walls.

Okay, fabulous to get to meet them this way - so special. And then made SO much better by the PP photog actually coming over and getting pics. That is just wonderful!

I was so happy to see that Photopass photographer walk out, take in the situation, and start snapping away. And Chip and Dale were so sweet and went out of their way to make Izzy's day.

The waits go by so much faster when something like this happens.

Absolutely!

No kidding!!! So cute!

I love that she just RUNS into Minnie's arms. And Minnie seems so flattered - really cute!

I kind of thought she might feel this way.

I bet Willow doesn't think Dug is big at all, given the size of her doggie!

This is one of my favorite pics yet!

Pretty funny!

While I get that the TR title is a Frozen reference, I must confess that I can't read it without singing, "I like...warm hugs, and I cannot lie. Those other brothers can't deny..."

Now I'll read the actual TR

I have variations of that song get stuck in my head sometimes too - I blame it on that scene in Friends when they are singing it to baby Emma. Hilarious! Anyway, welcome and hope you are enjoying the trip report!

 

[Dugette]

Split the Ice Apart!

We left off with Izzy and I headed towards the Boneyard for a brief play session. This was the last attraction on our list to complete before our goal of heading out at 1pm. That time was a bit flexible, as I had a couple hours of “open” time afterwards before we needed to catch the Magical Express, but I wanted to make sure Izzy got enough time for a nap and I got time to wander through Art of Animation while she was napping.

But, of course, as we strolled along, we passed a cast member that was announcing something to the crowd. I was several feet past her when what she had said finally hit me: “Daisy Duck down here!” I did a U-turn once the words processed in my head and asked the CM if the wait was long. She said it wasn’t too bad, so we headed down the path and were in line at 12:52pm:



I always try to get Izzy and our stuff ready shortly before our turn, so I had Izzy out of her stroller and standing by as the family ahead of us was about to take their turn. And then Daisy went on break right before their turn. As we waited for Daisy to return, Izzy amused herself by doing the buckles on her stroller over and over (something she loved to do at that time). The dad from the family ahead of us made a comment about how impressed he was with her mechanical ability, or something to that effect. Yay, Izzy!

Soon enough, Daisy returned and that other family got to go meet her. While we waited, I have to admit that I prepared Izzy by telling her that Daisy was friends with Minnie – just in case. I needn’t have worried – when it was her turn, she ran straight into Daisy’s arms for a hug:





It was really cute and sweet. She did also try to poke Daisy’s eyes out too, just as she had with Mexican Donald. Apparently duck eyes are irresistible. I redirected her to the “nose” before she got in trouble (the CMs all jump when duck eyes are in danger ). There were some unending hugs between Daisy and Izzy. I’m pretty sure that I heard “awwwww”-ing coming from the line of bystanders. Daisy also wanted to take Izzy home with her (at least I think that’s what she was quacking about, haha). We also got a bunch of Photopass shots, some really cute:



















I also took video of the meet:

(click to watch)

We were on our way back out of there at 1:01pm. So, a bit off our schedule, but not too bad. As I said, it was a flexible exit time. So, on to the Boneyard:



I believe that picture is where you can see all the ramps that go up to the bridge that you have to cross to get over to the Dig Site, which is what I wanted to check out.

Here you can see the slides in there:



Izzy would have really enjoyed these, but I couldn’t figure out how to help her because the top and bottom were on different levels and they didn’t seem like great slides for an adult to go down with a kid, being the tubes and all. At her current age (2 ½), I’d let her go up herself and catch her at the bottom, if needed. But at not-quite-2, I didn’t want her getting too far away up on the top level or flying out the bottom without a parent waiting. Luckily, she didn’t have an issue with skipping them. Whew! There was plenty of other fun stuff for her to do, like stairs (one of her favorite things!)

We made it over to the Dig Site and, surprisingly, Izzy had zero interest in actually getting into the sand pit and digging. She literally just ran a loop around the outside of it and that was it. I chased her around and took this:



I also had to stop and take a picture of this great Disney-theming of a drinking fountain:



Then I had to sprint to catch up with Izzy, who had nearly left the area. She was having a blast just running around. I was enjoying looking around:



Also, I was really loving that they were playing the B-52’s Lava as we crossed the bridge back to the play area. I loved the B-52’s as a kid (even went to a concert at the State Fair), so it was a fun flashback.

Izzy and her stairs:



A view of the area:



Dino:



We finally made it around to the one slide I was comfortable letting her do on her own:



Turned out that it was not a fast slide :

(click to watch video)

Izzy was not happy to leave, but I had to direct her out. We had places to be and were short on time. However, as I sped the stroller along towards the AK exit, I realized I’d forgotten a couple important things. First, that Izzy should have a diaper change before we headed back, as there had been no time to do such things that morning! I remembered that AK had the best of the Baby Care Centers, so I asked a CM I was passing by if we were near it, knowing they were usually close to the entrance, which we were. She told me it wasn’t too far away and directed me over. We booked it over to those ladybug lights:



It was 1:28pm when we got there. It was pretty empty and pleasant:



Got Izzy’s diaper changed (just wet, don’t worry ) and we both enjoyed a drink of cold water:



It was also a nice chance for me to use the empty restroom too before heading back out into the crowds.

The other thing I’d nearly forgotten was even more important: Dole Whip with Rum! We cruised on over to Tamu Tamu and got in the short line:



The line may have been short, but it was slow and inefficient. People in front of me started bailing, so we moved up. I heard some people leave saying they didn’t see anything good on the menu. Guess they didn’t know about Dole Whip with Rum?!

When I made it up to order my Dole Whip with Coconut Rum, I asked if they could scoop a bit into a separate dish for Izzy before adding the rum. They said they’d just give me a taste tester for her, which was perfect – just a tiny cup of Dole Whip! The problem was that they gave it to me when I ordered/paid, but I had to wait over at the other window to get my Dole Whip. And they were slow. And there was a customer that was having multiple issues with the order he was picking up. And it was hot. Very hot. As you can imagine, Izzy’s little Dole Whip was getting melty quick:



I didn’t want to give it to Izzy in her stroller and make a mess of things. And I didn’t have a spoon to give her yet. From where I was in the waiting crowd, I couldn’t get over to the area with the spoons while pushing a stroller. I was VERY close to asking the nice-looking couple behind me to watch Izzy in her stroller while I ran over to get a spoon when my order finally came up. Whew!

After I grabbed my order, we were able to get over to the spoons, then headed towards the back to find a table. I had heard that this place tends to be a fairly empty hidden gem to sit in, but it was actually pretty crowded and we got one of the only open tables. By the way, my receipt says 1:44pm. Yeah, we were pushing the limits of my “flexible” schedule.

Izzy sat in a big-girl chair and was excited to start in on her Dole Whip. However, since hers was melty, when she put the spoon in, a big chunk came up with it, but then fell apart and about half ended up on the table. And there was only melted Dole Whip left in her cup. Basically, almost her whole dish was gone, just like that. I quickly swiped the top off the part that fell, since it hadn’t touched the table, and put it back in her cup. Foolishly, I’d grabbed it with my hand, yet hadn’t thought to grab napkins (again, yes – there were several messes that I was unprepared for on this trip). I had a pack of wipes, but they were all in Izzy’s bag of stuff and I didn’t want to mess everything up digging for them with my sticky hands. Luckily, I remembered that I had some napkins stashed in the parent console of the stroller, so I was able to get to those easily to wipe up the mess and my hands enough to get the wet wipes and clean things up a bit better. As all this was happening, my untouched Dole Whip was melting and Izzy was finishing off the little bit that we salvaged of hers. So, I got some quick food pictures of what was left:





The mess that still remained while I decided to actually try my own Dole Whip:



Time to drink it up:



When Izzy finished hers, she wanted some more (smart girl!) and started pointing at mine and saying, “Mommy, more please?” It broke my heart that I couldn’t give her some of mine, being covered in rum and all, but she didn’t know that. It was one of the harder moments of a solo parent/toddler trip because getting her more would require either packing everything up to go back up in line or leaving her alone and out of sight while getting more. Neither of those was an option for me.

Instead, I explained to her that this one was mine and I had some bunny crackers and milk for her. Thankfully, she was pleased with that option:



I wolfed down my treat. I wished I could have savored it more, but there just wasn’t time for that. Once we downed our snacks, we finally did head back out of AK:





It was 2:08pm when we left. I hadn’t eaten lunch yet (at that time, Dole Whip, bunnies, and milk sufficed for lunch for Izzy). I had thought about getting the pulled beef sandwich at Tamu Tamu, but I didn’t want to take that extra time and decided I’d just pick up something I could eat while walking at the Art of Animation food court Landscape of Flavors. Yep, I was sticking with that plan of exploring AoA while Izzy napped in her stroller, despite the shortage of time, given that we had to be at the Magical Express stop at 3:20pm, not to mention picking up our bags, pouring milk into thermoses, and changing our clothes.

Up next: Speeding through Radiator Springs and do we make it onto our Magical Express bus?

Spoiler: Magical Express

Nope. But not for the reason you think.

 

[Imagineer5]

You sure packed a lot in during that time!! See, this is sort of why I look forward to Aria dropping that nap - I hate having to worry about her getting in a full nap or being a major grump, and the timing can be tricky sometimes. PLus it will mean more ride-time for us when we have those extra 2 hours to run around and hop on rides.

The Daisy meet is adorable! I thought I heard somewhere they took away daisy again? Not sure on that one but hope it isn't true. Aria loves her. The play area was so cute, too funny about izzy just running around the boneyard - but you're lucky she didn't want to go in because that might have been a time suck.

That is a cute idea getting her the free sample! Perfect size (well it would have been if it didn't clump up and get on the table ,boo). Yeah Aria is used to us not being able to share our drinks LOL but lately I've been ordering Shirley temples which we share, and she gets all my cherries, so she has been very happy at restaurants haha

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Is that the old M&G area for Pooh and Friends? It kind of seems strange to have all that space for just one character. But still, Daisy isn't everywhere, so still cool to see her.
It would appear that Izzy just feels more comfortable with the ladies for now, lol.

THAT is a frame worthy photo. Adorable

Wow, who knew Dole Whip was such an adventure. I guess it fits the theme of Animal Kingdom.

 

[kroseycorn]

She is such a doll!! That Daisy video is so stinking cute!

And your dole whip story... Wolfing food is now the norm. I love morning coffee and I find I will try and scrap 30 minutes of extra sleep just to get up before my daughter to make it and have a few relaxed sips (its pretty rare that she doesn't just wake me up, but when I do wake up before her!). Drinking has always been a big part of any vacation for us, so I'm hoping we'll find some unique ways to keep the babe occupied while we enjoy our libations. Unlikely! But melty, rummy, hasty dole whips sound better than no dole whips at all!

 

[cindianne320]

How nice of them to give Izzy a sample Dole whip but what a bummer that it spilled.

Uh oh- read the spoiler... Hope it turns out ok!

 

[hokieinpa]

But, of course, as we strolled along, we passed a cast member that was announcing something to the crowd. I was several feet past her when what she had said finally hit me: “Daisy Duck down here!”

How could you not u-turn it right around?

It was really cute and sweet. She did also try to poke Daisy’s eyes out too, just as she had with Mexican Donald. Apparently duck eyes are irresistible.

Glad she enjoyed the meet with Daisy. She had to love her, especially since Daisy and Minnie are BFFs! And there must be something special about those duck eyes!

Izzy would have really enjoyed these, but I couldn’t figure out how to help her because the top and bottom were on different levels

That was an issue for us and we had 4 adults...but 3 kids. We settled with my mom watching Jake, Jim and I at the top of the slides, and my dad patrolling the ground. Not a relaxing experience!

We made it over to the Dig Site and, surprisingly, Izzy had zero interest in actually getting into the sand pit and digging. She literally just ran a loop around the outside of it and that was it. I chased her around and took this:

I'm glad she enjoyed her time in the Boneyard! It must feel great for kids to get to run around and move when they are in the stroller so much.

I remembered that AK had the best of the Baby Care Centers, so I asked a CM I was passing by if we were near it, knowing they were usually close to the entrance, which we were.

We only used the one in MK. It was really nice so we'll need to make sure to take advantage of more of them next time.

The other thing I’d nearly forgotten was even more important: Dole Whip with Rum!

Thank goodness you squeezed this in! But it sounds like it was quite an ordeal getting those Dole Whips and enjoying them!

Excited to hear about your time at AOA! And neat spoiler button!!

 

[Leshaface]

So, I’ve been wanting to use this Frozen quote for one of my titles and have realized that I apparently wasn’t eating much chocolate on this trip?!

Hopefully you'll make up for your chocolate deficiency on this next trip!

That pig is in heaven, getting the good rub down

Because the couple little video clips I took caused my phone to start telling me that the storage was full and then it froze again!! Ugh. Technology. I restarted it again.

I find that, aside from apps, videos (that I take of DS or whatever) take up a ton of storage. I can erase one 40 second video and it frees up so much space!

Izzy apparently decided to lean back in her “chair”.

I caught her and stopped her fall inches before her head hit the ground, but now she was dangling over the bench by her bent left leg.

Oh my gosh, I bet you were freaking out. DS did this in one of our patio chairs in the backyard. He was standing on the chair (and I was sitting right next to him on another chair) and he pushed on the back of it and I didn't catch it in time and he fell It totally scared him but luckily it was into the grass and not concrete but he got a good lesson that day.

She wasn’t hurt, but we were both pretty shaken up by her fall.

Thank goodness she wasn't hurt.

After that excitement, I looked up to see an older woman on an ECV staring at me, somewhat bewildered. I can only assume she watched the whole thing go down. I felt like she was judging – mom staring at her phone, ignoring her kid – or something. However, I was trying to get my camera to work so I could take more pics of my kid – not hanging out on Facebook or something. I assured her that Izzy was okay and explained what I was doing and all. She seemed better then. But weirdly chatty. And tried to “relate” with me by telling me how “things happen” and once she was driving and went through like 2 walls and a building or something crazy and her car was a mess, but she went into work anyway and maybe that’s why she can’t walk super far and uses the ECV at WDW …Okay, I don’t think this is the same thing at all. Thankfully, her hubby came by and distracted her.

Yikes, I hope you stayed clear of her and her ECV!

I don’t know if Chip & Dale knew what had happened or if it was just a coincidence, but they both stopped at our bench for an impromptu meet with Izzy! Talk about making her feel better!

You can see the bench pretty well here:

Ugh, yep I was thinking it was those benches. So scary, that would have really hurt.

Is it okay if I LOL?? Cause I did a little at that face

Izzy is seriously so so adorable!

Squirrel! :

I never saw that among the props!

She's totally leaving Russell hanging

That is really cool!

Such a sweetheart! There are faces she makes that reminds me of DS and this is one of them

Going for that eye. What is it with the eyes that she loves?

Izzy would have really enjoyed these, but I couldn’t figure out how to help her because the top and bottom were on different levels and they didn’t seem like great slides for an adult to go down with a kid, being the tubes and all. At her current age (2 ½), I’d let her go up herself and catch her at the bottom, if needed. But at not-quite-2, I didn’t want her getting too far away up on the top level or flying out the bottom without a parent waiting. Luckily, she didn’t have an issue with skipping them. Whew! There was plenty of other fun stuff for her to do, like stairs (one of her favorite things!)

I think it will be easier when they're a bit older definitely, at least for the slides. Especially the very big slides that had a CM manning them at the top. There was no way I was going to let him go down by himself on that one.

Turned out that it was not a fast slide :

(click to watch video)

I realized I’d forgotten a couple important things. First, that Izzy should have a diaper change before we headed back, as there had been no time to do such things that morning!

Not gonna lie, I do this all the time OH BTW, since this seems like the appropriate place, we're on the 6th day of potty training! He'll have a few accidents throughout the day, maybe 2, but otherwise, he's doing great! I know it's probably too early, but have you stopped the diapers during naps and sleeping? He's been having dry diapers (during naps and nighttime sleeping) for months now, and am wondering when I should stop those all together.

Never got a chance to check this BCC out. So would you say it's nicer than the MK's? I don't think i've been in the MK one, only DHS's.

The other thing I’d nearly forgotten was even more important: Dole Whip with Rum! We cruised on over to Tamu Tamu and got in the short line:

Glad you remembered this!


I don't know where my other 'quotes' went, but aw poor Izzy wanting more of your Dole Whip! Glad those bunnies worked well enough for her though.

 

[Dugette]

You sure packed a lot in during that time!! See, this is sort of why I look forward to Aria dropping that nap - I hate having to worry about her getting in a full nap or being a major grump, and the timing can be tricky sometimes. PLus it will mean more ride-time for us when we have those extra 2 hours to run around and hop on rides.

That is very true. For the upcoming trip, it's been hard to fit in enough MK ride time for her, as she'll likely be napping during a chunk of our time there. She has skipped some naps at daycare lately, but I'd prefer she doesn't at WDW, as she ends up being a real handful those evenings.

The Daisy meet is adorable! I thought I heard somewhere they took away daisy again? Not sure on that one but hope it isn't true. Aria loves her. The play area was so cute, too funny about izzy just running around the boneyard - but you're lucky she didn't want to go in because that might have been a time suck.

Oh no! I haven't heard anything, but I am woefully under-informed vs. most DISers. Izzy loved Daisy too - and she barely knew who she was back then (she'd love her now for sure). Yeah, I was kind-of okay with her bypassing the sand, given the limited time. She was happy just to run.

That is a cute idea getting her the free sample! Perfect size (well it would have been if it didn't clump up and get on the table ,boo). Yeah Aria is used to us not being able to share our drinks LOL but lately I've been ordering Shirley temples which we share, and she gets all my cherries, so she has been very happy at restaurants haha

I loved the free sample, but wish they had given it to us with my order pick-up instead. Oooh, I bet Aria is loving those Shirley Temple cherries!

Is that the old M&G area for Pooh and Friends? It kind of seems strange to have all that space for just one character. But still, Daisy isn't everywhere, so still cool to see her.

I have no idea - maybe? I'm not familiar enough to know, but seems like it could be? It was a ton of space for just one character.

It would appear that Izzy just feels more comfortable with the ladies for now, lol.

I would agree with that.

THAT is a frame worthy photo. Adorable

Thanks! I'm glad the Photopass photographer caught that!

Wow, who knew Dole Whip was such an adventure. I guess it fits the theme of Animal Kingdom.

Yeah, I guess it did fit the theme.

She is such a doll!! That Daisy video is so stinking cute!

Aw, thanks!

And your dole whip story... Wolfing food is now the norm. I love morning coffee and I find I will try and scrap 30 minutes of extra sleep just to get up before my daughter to make it and have a few relaxed sips (its pretty rare that she doesn't just wake me up, but when I do wake up before her!). Drinking has always been a big part of any vacation for us, so I'm hoping we'll find some unique ways to keep the babe occupied while we enjoy our libations. Unlikely! But melty, rummy, hasty dole whips sound better than no dole whips at all!

Yes, the time to relax and enjoy a treat is rare with a toddler in tow. That's why I look forward to stroller naps on these trips!

How nice of them to give Izzy a sample Dole whip but what a bummer that it spilled.

It was nice of them to do, but just didn't work out quite so ideally.

Uh oh- read the spoiler... Hope it turns out ok!

All works out okay, but just not how I was expecting.

How could you not u-turn it right around?

Exactly! Short line for Daisy? Sign us up!

Glad she enjoyed the meet with Daisy. She had to love her, especially since Daisy and Minnie are BFFs! And there must be something special about those duck eyes!

If Minnie approves, Izzy approves! I don't know what it was about those duck eyes, but they needed to be poked.

That was an issue for us and we had 4 adults...but 3 kids. We settled with my mom watching Jake, Jim and I at the top of the slides, and my dad patrolling the ground. Not a relaxing experience!

Wow, I suppose it would be tough, even with that many people. If we have time next trip, I think it will be much easier - older kid and two parents.

I'm glad she enjoyed her time in the Boneyard! It must feel great for kids to get to run around and move when they are in the stroller so much.

I'm sure it felt great to her to just go, go, go

We only used the one in MK. It was really nice so we'll need to make sure to take advantage of more of them next time.

They are a really nice respite from the crowds and heat. Quiet and comfortable and cold water - not bad.

Thank goodness you squeezed this in! But it sounds like it was quite an ordeal getting those Dole Whips and enjoying them!

It was much more of an ordeal than I was hoping for. Not exactly a leisurely experience.

Excited to hear about your time at AOA! And neat spoiler button!!

Haha, isn't that button cool? I saw it in other TRs and figured out where it was (the "insert" menu, I think?)

Hopefully you'll make up for your chocolate deficiency on this next trip!

Mmmm, I hope so!

That pig is in heaven, getting the good rub down

If you gotta be a pig, I guess being a Disney pig is a good option.

I find that, aside from apps, videos (that I take of DS or whatever) take up a ton of storage. I can erase one 40 second video and it frees up so much space!

That's what I was thinking - maybe they were an issue. But, compared to those games, they were nothing.

Oh my gosh, I bet you were freaking out. DS did this in one of our patio chairs in the backyard. He was standing on the chair (and I was sitting right next to him on another chair) and he pushed on the back of it and I didn't catch it in time and he fell It totally scared him but luckily it was into the grass and not concrete but he got a good lesson that day.

Aaaaah, so scary! I always worry about Izzy tipping chairs over - she doesn't assess the stability so well.

Thank goodness she wasn't hurt.

So glad I caught her just in time. Could have been bad!

Yikes, I hope you stayed clear of her and her ECV!

Haha, I did! Scary that they let her on an ECV, given her driving record.

Chip and Dale were awesome!

Ugh, yep I was thinking it was those benches. So scary, that would have really hurt.

It would have been a bad fall - and directly on her head, the way she was going.

Is it okay if I LOL?? Cause I did a little at that face

Totally okay! I usually laugh at her when she's being dramatic.

Izzy is seriously so so adorable!

Aw, thanks!

I never saw that among the props!

Isn't it great?

She's totally leaving Russell hanging

Haha, indeed.

That is really cool!

That stroller has tons of different configurations, from what Lauren was telling me. Sounds pretty awesome. She's expecting a second now, so she finally will get to try them all out.

Such a sweetheart! There are faces she makes that reminds me of DS and this is one of them

Aw, sweet face.

Going for that eye. What is it with the eyes that she loves?

I don't know what it was, but those duck eyes NEEDED to be poked.

I think it will be easier when they're a bit older definitely, at least for the slides. Especially the very big slides that had a CM manning them at the top. There was no way I was going to let him go down by himself on that one.

I didn't even see the ones that had CMs. The ones we went by were moderate slides, but just too hard to get from top to bottom quickly, short of going down the slide. I think it will be better now, as I feel like I can trust her to go where I ask her to and I can stay at the bottom. Back then, she might have just kept on running and gotten separated from me.

That slide was no so impressive.

Not gonna lie, I do this all the time OH BTW, since this seems like the appropriate place, we're on the 6th day of potty training! He'll have a few accidents throughout the day, maybe 2, but otherwise, he's doing great! I know it's probably too early, but have you stopped the diapers during naps and sleeping? He's been having dry diapers (during naps and nighttime sleeping) for months now, and am wondering when I should stop those all together.

I'm glad to know I'm not alone. Yay for potty training! Wow, that's interesting. Those (naps and night) are the two times we have diapers on her and she ALWAYS goes at night (she saves all her #2 for night ) and often goes during nap. I figured we'd wait until she is consistently keeping herself clean and dry, then get rid of them. She rarely has accidents while awake. When she does, it's almost always because there is something she is so involved in that she refuses to use the potty for too long. It will certainly be interesting trying to keep her on track during the upcoming trip.

Never got a chance to check this BCC out. So would you say it's nicer than the MK's? I don't think i've been in the MK one, only DHS's.

I think AK generally has the reputation of being the best of the BCCs. It's big and very comfortable. I only vaguely remember MK's now, but I think AK's was nicer. DHS's is the WORST, I do remember that.

Glad you remembered this!

Me too!

I don't know where my other 'quotes' went, but aw poor Izzy wanting more of your Dole Whip! Glad those bunnies worked well enough for her though.

I was so glad that she accepted the bunnies and milk readily and didn't mourn the loss of her Dole Whip. I was afraid there would be a meltdown because I wouldn't share my Dole Whip, but it all worked out okay!

 

[Dugette]

You Look Beautifuller

We left off as we took our journey out of Animal Kingdom. 2:08pm with a 3:25pm Magical Express pick-up looming at Pop Century. So, why not go to this other bus stop instead? :



Izzy was getting pretty tired as we waited for the bus:



Once our bus arrived, it ended up being pretty empty and we got our favorite seat up front. Izzy spent most of the time amusing the people across from us with her non-stop toddler movement:



I just kept working with her on sitting vs. standing, but she was super wiggly.

Once we arrived at AoA, she wanted to sit on a bench (WITH a back!), so I let her do that while I got her stroller ready for naptime. She looks tired:



I got her settled in and took off for the lobby:





It was 2:46pm when we made it inside. This did not leave us much time at all, as I had planned to make my way back over to Pop Century by 3pm. I’d been told to be ready for the ME at 3:20pm and I still had to pick up our bags, fill Izzy’s milk bottles, and change both of our clothes. Oh, yeah, and eat lunch.

I made a stop into the food court, Landscape of Flavors, and looked for something quick and portable



I remembered seeing something good written about the Cheesy Pesto Bread on the Disney Food Blog, so I went with that. It ended up taking what felt like a really long time. I had hoped they would just have it ready to go, but they must have made it right there. And it was pretty small, as far as lunches go. But they did happily put it in a to-go box, so that was good. I tossed it in the basket on the bottom of the stroller and booked it out of there. No time to eat yet! My receipt showed it was 2:55pm and the “lunch” was $5.64.

Because of the extremely limited time, I had to basically pick one section of the resort to see, then head back. I’d seen some of Nemo the previous night. Little Mermaid was too far away. Lion King was tempting, but Cars was the winner. All the pictures I’d seen looked amazing – it was Radiator Springs right there – so I had to see it! On my way:



Mine, mine, mine!

Ah, here we go:



So, I basically made a full-speed lap around the track, barely slowing down for a few pictures. I saw the area, but didn’t really see the area, if you know what I mean. It was awesome, though, even cruising through it way too quickly. I didn’t see it for much longer than it will take you to look at these pictures:













They did a fantastic job of theming this area! It looked amazing and I’d love to stay there someday. Really cool and immersive! It made me want to go to Disneyland and see Carsland even more (and we will likely get to do so later this year…woohoo!! )

Here was my other view as I walked:



Lest you think she was napping, she was actually chiming in with “Cars!” and pointing them out. So much for naptime. There really wasn’t sufficient time anyway, so I wasn’t too concerned. I just hoped maybe she’d be wiped out enough to sleep on the plane.

Time to head back to this place:



I decided to take one more quick walk through Nemo on the way, to see it in the sunlight:





Splash pad looks like a lot of fun! It was 3:04pm by now.

Crush!:



And time to cross the bridge:



Back on Pop grounds:



Here’s the kiddie pool that I never had time to take Izzy to. Check out the lady laying in the spray on the left. Rob is right, it is Pop Century Resort and Spa! :



I made it into Everything Pop at 3:13pm:



Not too bad, considering how late I left AK. First stop was luggage services to retrieve our bags and milk. I got Izzy’s carseat hooked up to the back of the stroller and took our backpacks. The ME wasn’t there yet, so I booked it back to the restrooms I’d passed behind the building and refilled Izzy’s thermoses and dumped the rest of the milk. I considered changing, but decided we could do that at the airport.

Despite my rushing around and all, we were back at the ME stop on time. In fact, we were early enough to get a bench and for me to eat my lunch before the bus showed up:



I offered to share it with Izzy, but she wasn’t interested. Eh, more for me. I enjoyed it, but it didn’t seem like anything special or worth $5. I finished just as the bus pulled in, so perfect timing. I got Izzy out of her stroller, folded that, and set it and our carseat and Izzy’s backpack curbside before picking up Izzy and our ME notice and approaching the driver. I thought I’d be helpful by having my stuff all ready to be loaded. Well, turns out they go first-come, first-served by bringing the notice to the driver. And they overbook! I never knew this about the Magical Express. I asked and they did not have one single seat left on there. So, despite the fact that I was NOT the last person to the stop, I was the one who didn’t make the cut, since I had to handle more stuff and didn’t run up with my notice right away. I was upset (but, you know, smiling for selfies ):



I mean, really? You’re just going to leave the solo mom and toddler with stroller completely folded at the curb (therefore, me having no way to move around all items on my own )?!? This was our stuff:



I was holding Izzy and wearing my backpack. How was I supposed to manage all that? I was going to have to put her back down, set the stroller back up, re-attach the carseat, put her back in the stroller, hook on her backpack, then bring it all to the next ME bus, which they said would be along shortly and take me. (I didn't trust her to walk without holding my hand in the middle of a bus traffic area - and I wouldn't have a spare hand carrying all that). I was just really annoyed at the whole ordeal. So, word to the wise on ME: you snooze, you lose.

I barely had time to drag my stuff closer to the bench and sit down and think about this, though, when the next ME came rolling on in:



The drivers talked and the new one pulled over on the other side of the waiting area and waved me over. I decided the only way I could manage our stuff was to make a couple trips and just hope nobody messed with anything left curbside (and continuing to carry Izzy). So, that’s what I did. A Cast Member tried to stop me from going over to that side (I think that’s normally the drop-off side), but the driver, who was very nice, gave me the okay and the CM let us be. Once I’d hauled over my two loads of things, I got on and sat right in the second row - Izzy and I each had a seat. The best part is this bus immediately took off for the airport, leaving the bus I was supposed to ride in the dust :



Goodbye, mean ME bus!

Up next: Going home!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

You crack me up. You're running behind schedule and you still make time to go through two sections of AOA.

The bread looks tasty but it does look awfully small.

I didn't know that about the ME, either! I've never been on a full bus, though (at least on the way back to the airport), so perhaps I've never had to worry.

Goodbye, mean ME bus!

Karma is a great and wonderful thing.

 

[hokieinpa]

Glad you (barely) made time for a quick swing by AOA!

I remembered seeing something good written about the Cheesy Pesto Bread on the Disney Food Blog, so I went with that. It ended up taking what felt like a really long time. I had hoped they would just have it ready to go, but they must have made it right there.

Wait times for food were never short at LOF when we were there. I know they make pretty much everything fresh which I appreciate but speed is a factor at times!

They did a fantastic job of theming this area! It looked amazing and I’d love to stay there someday. Really cool and immersive!

Yes! With the Cars and all other areas. But I think the Cars area really puts you in the movie with the characters and landmarks all around.

It made me want to go to Disneyland and see Carsland even more (and we will likely get to do so later this year…woohoo!! )

WooHoo! Hope this wroks out!!

Splash pad looks like a lot of fun!

All 3 boys loved it! Perfect play area for them to run and splash.

So, word to the wise on ME: you snooze, you lose.

How frustrating! I can't believe they overbook and that the driver gave you no indication that you wouldn't be able to board BEFORE you folded the stroller, etc.

The best part is this bus immediately took off for the airport, leaving the bus I was supposed to ride in the dust

I'm glad another ME bus pulled up so quickly AND was empty AND pulled off first!

 

[amazingact21]

I wonder what it is about duck eyes...they seem to be too tempting to poke.


Oooh, the Dole Whip with Coconut Rum. That was my favorite treat from the Flower and Garden Festival last year. I found it to be perfect "adult dessert." However, in your situation, it just sounds stressful! That's too bad about Izzy's ice cream melting and then her not understanding why she couldn't have any of yours.


I've gotta say, if there was a DIS award for most utilized time in WDW, you'd win. You got a ton done in that last hour before the ME arrived.
And with a toddler in tow...in the FL heat. I will easily admit, I was impressed.



AoA is such a cool resort. You know, if you were ever thinking about a May trip in 2016 you should consider Art. Because Izzy would totally have a friend (I.E. Landon) to play in the splash pad with.




Oh my gosh, that lady in the Pop Centuy splash pad. I guess if you're hot you gotta do what you gotta do...




Oh no! That ME bus situation sounds horrible! Didn't you have a stressful ME bus when you took Izzy on her first Disney trip, too?
Not going to lie, I smiled when you said the new bus you were able to get on left before the original one. Serves everyone right for leaving a mom by herself up the river with zero help.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

2:08pm with a 3:25pm Magical Express pick-up looming at Pop Century. So, why not go to this other bus stop instead? :

You got guts, I'll give you that. I guess it's at least close by. But still... you got guts.

This photo cracks me up. Not really sure why though. Yup, just hanging out on a bench.

I guess you know Disney hit a home run with a resort when you make this much of a point to see it with time ticking away.

Rob is right, it is Pop Century Resort and Spa! :

And you doubted me, why? She gets it!

I made it into Everything Pop at 3:13pm:

That is quite impressive. Not only do you got guts, you also got skills!

Well, turns out they go first-come, first-served by bringing the notice to the driver. And they overbook!

Oh my good Lord!! I had no idea either, and honestly, there is no excuse for this. I can't help but think about this being someone's final memory of their first Disney vacation, and it is decidedly not a good final impression.

The best part is this bus immediately took off for the airport, leaving the bus I was supposed to ride in the dust :

OK, this actually makes me feel better.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

obviously added a bit to the stress/took time, but the Daisy meet looks really cute ... and go Izzy with the fine motor skillz!

The boneyard is definitely fun although we had similar experience where I finally got Peter over to the "dig" part and he was like "ok, that's cool, let's go back to the stairs and other really fun stuff" I did go down one of the tube slides after him and definitely was a bit tight for an adult. You could have made it I am sure, but not the best. Definitely a tough area for little ones and only one parent

Glad you did get your Dole Whip with Rum - even if it too was a bit stressful. Was it good/worth it?

At least you had a little time to explore AoA - we took slightly longer exploring the Cars area as the kids had to pose in front of ever. single. Cars. car. But definitely really well themed - definitely would like to stay there some day especially with the family suites.

Sorry you had to rush at LoF though - we really enjoyed it but definitely not the quickest location

That is pretty annoying about the line for the ME and not just taking people in the order they were there - though I bet if you knew the next bus literally was going to be there 2 minutes later that would have made it a bit easier to deal with (driver probably should have mentioned that - especially given that the bus was overbooked). Definitely some karma there with your bus taking off first. Glad it worked out in the end

 

[Imagineer5]

Glad you made it on the ME despite that fiasco, and having to drag your stuff. Ugh! But you made it with seats to spare. Still waiting for a good deal to pop up on AoA, it is a pretty resort

 

[MEK]

I'm an update behind. I will have to save the most recent for a little later, but you are now starting to make me nervous about being ready for the ME on time.

Those PP pictures with Daisy are absolutely adorable and I just love Izzy's outfit. It's so cute. I don't think I commented on it earlier.

Oh My to the messy Dole Whip. And how hard it must have been to tell her no to having some of yours. How do you explained spiked Dole whip to a child????

OK, Be back soon!

 

[DisneyParkLover]

Glad you made on a ME bus, and it even wound up leaving first!

Sad that your trip report is coming to an end, but excited to hear about your next trip!

 

[BlvInMagic]

Wow, great pics of the AoA's Cars section! So realistic -- it looks like you are right in the movie! And after all that hustle to the ME for your return to the airport, to be cut off at the door for them being over-booked -- what a downer! (we have a trip booked to WDW next month, I'm totally going to be dashing to that bus driver as soon as he/she parks it at the curb!) I'm so glad to hear that you had some pixie dust sent your way, and that another ME bus showed up to take you on your way almost immediately!

 

[MEK]

Wow - you really made perfect time to the ME bus. But it stinks that you missed the first one. Wow - sometimes the logistics of traveling with a small child really make it tough. I applaud you because I don't think I could have handled that by myself. Of course, I had two that were under two so my hands were tied big time.

That cheesy bread looks yummy.

Too bad you had to rush through AoA. I was there when it first semi-opened, but really need to go back to explore the entire resort. My brother and his family are staying there in June. I'm jelly!!!!